Tainted Blood by M.L. Brennan

Title: Tainted Blood
Author: M.L. Brennan
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Series: Generation V # 3

Mass Market Paperback, 306 pages
Publication: November 4, 2014 by Roc

Source: I received a review copy from the publisher in exchange for a honest review.

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Former film student Fortitude Scott is finally gainfully employed. Unfortunately, said employment happens to be with a group of sociopathic vampires—his family. And as much as Fort is loath to get too deep into the family business, when his brother, Chivalry, is temporarily unable to run the territory, it’s up to Fort to keep things under control.

So when the leader of a powerful faction of shifters turns up murdered, Fort finds himself tracking down a killer while navigating dangerous rivalries, longtime grudges, and hidden agendas. Even with the help of his foxy kitsune sidekick, Suzume, he’ll need to pull out all the stops to hunt for the paranormal assassin.

But as he calls on fairies, witches, and ghouls for help, he discovers that the problem is much bigger than a single dead werebear. The supernatural community is preparing for a massive shift in power within the Scott family leadership—and Fort has landed right in the middle of the gathering storm.…

Brennan certainly doesn’t disappoint! Tainted Blood is another excellent installment in the Generation V series. Just when I thought I’ve seen all that this series can offer, the author surprises me yet again with her expanded world building; this time…the introduction of the metsän kunigas (werebears) which is another underrated supernatural (awesome). And like Brennan’s vampires and elves, the werebear community is just as fascinating. So most of the territories dealings are handled by Fort’s brother Chivalry, but Fort is taking the reins this time around as Chivalry deals with his wife’s death, plans her funeral and looks for a new bride. And Fort’s first real assignment is to find out who killed the leader of the metsän kunigas.

Fort is definitely coming into his own person. He is still that awkward guy that everyone fell in love with but not so much of an underdog anymore. With more responsibilities with the family business, Fort is slowly gaining favor among the different supernatural sects, especially with the fragile and ending reign of Madeline. I love seeing Fort’s interaction with his family and the different supernatural sects in Madeline’s territory. Brennan’s takes on vampires never ceases to amaze me. We learn something new with each book about the vampire ways, and it is so original that it makes reading about vampires exciting again.

The plot was engaging and fast-paced making it a quick read. The plot mystery with the werebear leader was well done, but halfway through the book I figured out who the killer was. I knew it couldn’t be that easy! Good try, good try. My favorite part of the book was the banter between Fort and his siblings and the always tricky fox Suzume. Fort and Suzme’s relationship is moving beyond partners, and while I like them working together; I kind of don’t see them together-together. They’re two different type of people, and in my opinion don’t complement each other. I don’t know, maybe I’ll have a change of heart as I see more of their relationship as it is new. We’ll see.

Tainted Blood was a great read, and it met all my expectations. I love everything about this series and the perfect balance of serious-dark moments and humor. This is a one-of-a-kind urban fantasy and I highly recommend it! I can’t wait to see what happens next in the fourth book. While the first three books take place in the Scott’s territory, the author briefly talked about other leaders and their territories…so I hope we see beyond Madeline’s boundaries…I’m very intrigued!

[Blog Tour] Top 10 Fantasy Tropes by Christine Amsden + Giveaway

I'd like to welcome Christine Amsden, author of MIND GAMES to Short & Sweet Reviews Blog! On today's Mind Games blog tour stop Christine will be sharing her Top Ten favorite Fantasy Tropes! Also don't forget to enter the giveaway at the end of the post!

 ABOUT THE BOOK

Avaliable now!

Publication: April 10, 2014

Purchase the book on Amazon

Beware your heart and soul…

Evan broke Cassie’s heart two months ago, and she still doesn’t know why. She throws herself into family, friends and her new job at the sheriff’s department, but nothing helps. The only thing that finally allows her heal and move on is the love of a new man, mind mage Matthew Blair. Cassie finds him... irresistible

Matthew may also be the only one who can help keep the nonmagical residents of Eagle Rock from going crazy over the murder of a beloved pastor’s wife. It looks like a sorcerer is to blame, but while Cassie tries to figure out who, others take matters into their own hands. With tensions running so hot, a single spark might set Eagle Rock ablaze.

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TOP 10 FAVORITE FANTASY TROPES

By Christine Amsden

I don't care how many times I've seen them, I'll gladly read them again!

10. Everyman — I’m seeing less and less of this one in recent years (or maybe I’m looking in the wrong places), but I really enjoy becoming engaged with a fantasy tale from the perspective of someone like me. Or at least, someone who is as awestruck by the magic as I am. It helps ease me into the story.

9. Shape shifters — These ARE incredibly popular right now, but that works for me!

8. Attitude and wit — I doubt I’ll ever get sick of clever characters with a wry sense of humor and a certain flair. Authors with strong voices freshen this trope up every time just by being themselves.

7. Swords — So much cooler than guns, even if they are a bit less practical!

6. Cats — Anyone ever notice that there are a lot of cats in fantasy novels? Not nearly so many dogs. As someone who has *mostly* overcome a childhood phobia involving dogs but who still only tolerates the beasts, cats will always be my preferred pet.

5. Series — Maybe not the ones that go on and on and on with no end in sight, but honestly, I do like to spend a few books with the characters I love. I particularly like to do this when the characters grow and change over the course of those books.

4. Fae — So much more interesting than Tinkerbell.

3. Long-lost relatives — Tell me I’m not the only one who has a soft spot for this plot device. (I will make an exception for the specific discovery that the bad guy is your father. Star Wars pretty much killed that one.)

2. Ridiculously good looking men — Sorry ridiculously good looking women, I can’t say the same for you and I don’t care if that’s a double standard. I like what I like. :)

1. Superpowers — Enough said!

TOUR WIDE GIVEAWAY

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR  

 Christine Amsden has been writing science fiction and fantasy for as long as she can remember. She loves to write and it is her dream that others will be inspired by this love and by her stories. Speculative fiction is fun, magical, and imaginative but great speculative fiction is about real people defining themselves through extraordinary situations. Christine writes primarily about people and it is in this way that she strives to make science fiction and fantasy meaningful for everyone.

Christine currently lives in the Kansas City area with her husband, Austin, who has been her biggest fan and the key to her success. They have two beautiful children, Drake and Celeste.

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 Other books by Christine Amsden