ARC Review: Forbidden Blood by Felicity Heaton

Posted June 7, 2011 by Carmel in / 5 Comments

Title: Forbidden Blood
Author: Felicity Heaton
Series: Vampire Venators Series #1
Publisher: Self-published
Publication Date: June 18, 2011
My Copy: From Author

In a dark world where vampires exist and where Source Blood, a rare human blood type, can bestow godlike powers upon them, the vampire Venators of the Sovereignty fight to protect the humans by banishing those who drink it to the endless dark.

Exiled from his family and with only his duty to sustain him, Kearn has been on the trail of an elusive Source Blood abuser for three years. When he saves a beautiful human female from the vampire’s grasp, it turns out she’s the lead he’s been waiting for. Amber is a Source Blood and the perfect bait, but for who?

As they race to catch the vampire and survive the cruel games he plays, Amber is pulled deeper into Kearn’s world and discovers the painful secrets he hides behind his handsome but emotionless exterior—hurt that she has the power to heal if she is brave enough.

Forbidden Blood is book one in the Venator series and a dark, sensual tale of betrayal, revenge and a love that knows no bounds.

Hopeless romantics will love Felicity Heaton’s new book, Forbidden Blood. The story is fast-paced and imaginative, her writing flows ever so smoothly but it’s the tale of impossible love that really seals the deal. It’s sappy and improbable yet I couldn’t help but eat it up. I am a girl after all and when I’m not reading novels full of wolfish gore; I love a good love story just as much as anyone.

Heaton manages to put a new spin on the tired vampire genre. I really enjoyed the caste system in this undead society. The different bloodlines with varying power levels and abilities gave this book a more wholesome feel. I also liked that the vamps can actually sire their offspring. Meaning, these fanged families are related by more than just their shared paleness. The terms mother/father, brother/sister are literal not figurative. As a result, I felt a stronger connection between the families. The consequences of a betrayal also became more pronounced because of this detail. A new breed of vamp is introduced in this series: The Venators. I wish their origins and purpose would have been covered more in-depthly (maybe in future installments?) but I liked the overall concept and the tidbits that were included.

Kearn is an interesting character. I disliked him at first but he slowly grew on me and by the end I adored him. His situation is heart-wrenching. This Venator gets dealt one crappy hand after another. It’s a wonder that he’s able to get out of bed most days and that he still believes in doing the right thing. Amber was just the medicine Kearn needed and I’m so happy that they found each other. She’s strong when she needs to be yet incredibly soft and understanding when it comes to her savior. These two love birds are like night and day but for them it works perfectly.

This book is action-packed and the plot is well-developed but the overall story does revolve around the blooming love between Kearn and Amber. So if you’re not a fan of paranormal romance you may want to steer clear of this book because it is packed with over the top romantic mush. However, if you like a little (okay a lot) of mind blowing sex scenes in your fictional cocktail, then Forbidden Blood is for you. A beautifully written debut to Felicity Heaton’s new series.

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About the Blogger
I review Urban Fantasy and Paranormal Romance books with a focus all things werewolf. Based out of Ottawa, Canada

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Carmel

Owner, designer and main blogger behind Rabid Reads. Avid book reader, snowboard bunny, video gamer and Supernatural fan. I love all things paranormal, werewolves especially. Oh, and I’m Canadian, eh!