| Title | : | A Shade of Blood (A Shade of Vampire, #2) |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | - |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Kindle Edition |
| Number of Pages | : | 403 |
| Publication | : | First published April 8, 2013 |
When Sofia Claremont was kidnapped to a sunless island, uncharted by any map and ruled by the most powerful vampire coven on the planet, she believed she'd forever be a captive of its dark ruler, Derek Novak.
Now, after months of surviving an endless night, the morning sun may soon rise again for Sofia. Something has possessed Derek's heart and he offers her a gift no human slave has ever been given in the history of his cursed island: escape.
High school, prom and a chance to move on with her life now await her.
But will she be able to forget the horrors that steal her sleep away at night? ... or the feelings that haunt her for that tormented prince of darkness?
A Shade of Blood (A Shade of Vampire, #2) Reviews
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Before i start, i have a very important message to Ben...
PLEASE, someone do me a favor and kill that motherfu****. The lightning will strike me in a minute. I can' even... *deep breaths*. Maybe after i calm down i'll tell you why i hate him so much.
A Shade of Blood is the 2nd book in the Shade of Vampire series. I loved the 1st one, it was amazing! So obviously i was excited when i got a copy of the next book from the author (thanks Bella!). I really enjoyed it, BUT was it better from the previous one?
When Sofia Claremont was kidnapped to a sunless island, uncharted by any map and ruled by the most powerful vampire coven on the planet, she believed she'd forever be a captive of its dark ruler, Derek Novak.
Now, after months of surviving an endless night, the morning sun may soon rise again for Sofia. Something has possessed Derek's heart and he offers her a gift no human slave has ever been given in the history of his cursed island: escape.
But will she be able to forget the horrors that steal her sleep away at night? ... or the feelings that haunt her for that tormented prince of darkness?
There are a couple of reasons why i didn't give this book 5 stars.
Number 1 - Sofia.
I can't believe (!tiny spoiler warning!) that she actually left Derek after everything he's done for her. If she would have truly cared and loved him she wouldn't have left and for what? Ben?! Really? She was such an unthoughtful protagonist!
Number 2 - the 'surprise/twist'.
There is a twist further into the book about Sofia's farther. It did not surprise me at all. I predicted it and therefor didn't like it.
Number 3 - the separation between Derek and Sofia.
I don't know what it is about authors wanting to separate the main couples. It practically always happens, and i'm disappointed that Miss Forrest decided to take that path. It's not only boring but also annoying because you can't think of anything else but them getting back together.
Reasons why i hated Ben:
He told Sofia to do things and that got on my nerves so much, like when he told her to join the . Thank god she had enough sense to tell him no. And i hated him mainly because he was in the way of Derek and Sofia being together, and he scr*wed with her mind. Ben was talking sh*t all the time and made Sofia question if she should come back to the Shade and if Derek could ever truly love her, i was like...
I would also improve Derek's behavior. Like, he turned a bit evil when Sofia went away, but when she he magically turned good again. *shaking head*.
Overall
A Shade of Blood was still a very good and interesting read. Derek was still amazing and i love him. It was a very good sequel to the series. There was some action and i was never bored in general.
I'm looking forwards to reading book 3! Can't wait to see what happens next :)
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![Carol [Goodreads Addict]](https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/users/1626057011i/10717098._UX200_CR0,33,200,200_.jpg)
I believe that I liked book two even more than I did book one. Book two, A Shade of Blood, starts right off where the first book left off. Ben and Sofia are being escorted to the port to leave the island of The Shade. And, right there, at the very beginning of the book, Bella Forrest got me, hook, line, and sinker, when Sofia and Derek share their first kiss, a passionate good bye kiss, and Derek utters the words, "Sofia, stay." My heart broke. Each chapter of this book is from a different person's POV which I really liked. I felt it really helped me to dig deeper into each character to know what motivates them to say and do the things they do. We really get to know Ben better in this book. I spent a lot of time switching back and forth between team Ben and team Derek. At times, I was even frustrated and a little angry with Derek. Even though he is the all feared Prince of The Shade, when Sofia leaves the island and he kind of goes "dark," it made him seem weak to me. That without Sofia there, he could do such despicable things. And it ends on a huge cliff hanger. I did not see that coming at all! I really did love this book and I can't wait for book three. Thank you Bella Forrest.
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A Shade of Blood (A Shade of Vampire, #2), Bella Forrest
In A Shade of Blood, Ben and Sofia are being escorted to the port to leave the island of The Shade. The morning sun may soon rise again for Sofia. Something has possessed Derek's heart and he offers her a gift no human slave has ever been given in the history of his cursed island: escape. High school, prom and a chance to move on with her life now await her. But will she be able to forget the horrors that steal her sleep away at night? ... or the feelings that haunt her for that tormented prince of darkness?
تاریخ خوانش روز چهاردهم ماه اکتبر سال 2014 میلادی
عنوان: سایه ی خون آشام کتاب دوم: سایه خون؛ نویسنده: بللا (بلا) فارست؛ مترجم: پرنیان امینی؛
سوفیا کلیرمونت (کلارمونت) شب تولدش، درون کابوسی کشیده میشود، و نمیتواند بیدار شود؛ هنگامیکه در یک عصر آرام، کنار ساحل قدم میزند، با جانور رنگ پریده ی خطرناکی، روبرو میشود، که عطش بسیاری، به خون او دارد؛ او ربوده شده، و به جزیره ای برده میشود، که تابش خورشید تا ابد در آن قدغن است؛ جزیره ای که روی هیچ نقشه ای نیست، و توسط توانمندترین محفل خون آشامها، اداره میشود؛ او در آنجا، در قالب یک برده، و گرفتار در غل و زنجیر، بیدار میشود؛ زندگی «سوفیا» آنگاه ترسناکتر میشود، که از بین صدها دختر، برای پیوستن به حرمسرای «درک نوواک»، شاهزاده ی تاریکی، برگزیده میشود؛ علیرغم اعتیاد «نوواک» به قدرت، و تشنگی وسوسه برانگیزش، برای خون او، «سوفیا» خیلی زود میفهمد، که امنترین مکان در جزیره، همان خانه ی «درک نواک» است، و او برای اینکه حتی یک شب، بیشتر زنده بماند، باید تمام سعیش را بکند، تا «نواک» را به دست بیاورد؛ آیا سوفیا موفق میشود؟…؛ یا او هم به سرنوشت دیگر دخترهایی دچار میشود، که در دستان «نواک» اسیر شده بودند؟ ا. شربیانی -
I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
A Shade of Blood by Bella Forrest takes place right after the events in A Shade of Vampire. We are immediately reintroduced to the main characters Sofia, Derek, the vampire she loves, and Ben, the best friend that has been tortured by other vampires. Derek has agreed to let them leave the Shade, but this leads to his own self destruction. Sofia and Ben are forever altered by their experiences, although Sofia still maintains an odd loyalty to Derek and the Shade, while Ben is unsurprisingly determined to bring the Shade down. What happens next will forever change all of their lives.
I had an extremely difficult time rating this book. In a lot of ways, the writing and plotting of this second installment is stronger than the first. Forrest is definitely getting more honed in her writing skills. The pacing is there and I read from cover to cover very quickly. It's a nicer length than the first book, and gives us a lot more back story on the history of Derek, the Shade, and its inhabitants. Not to mention, there are some really wonderful twists that I was not expecting, although, I have to admit, I don't really understand them. Perhaps the final installment will be more revealing.
Now we come to my dilemma. There will be some mild spoilers. While I really liked the characters in the first novel, I now have issues with all of them. Derek has become completely despicable -- can we really blame everything he's done on the fact that he's a vampire? And I can only explain Sofia's state as Stockholm's syndrome, where she has this bizarre loyalty to her kidnapper. I actually understand and empathize with Ben's mindset more than anyone else's, but he is so incredibly angry to the point of violence, that it's hard to like him. Not to mention, he's always been a douche bag to Sofia and only after she likes someone else does he realize he better stop messing around and possibly make his move. Lastly, we come to Vivienne, Derek's sister, who seems like this malicious and spoiled Princess in the first book, but suddenly apparently becomes this tragic and sympathetic character? It just felt like such a 180 that I wasn't able to make this transition.
Overall, a fast paced and well written follow up to A Shade of Vampire, but I had a lot of trouble with the character development. -
4 stars because of Ben
A Shade of Blood is the second book in the A Shade of Vampire series. This continues Sofia’s and Derek’s story. This also continues Sofia’s and Ben’s story. It wouldn’t be a true YA paranormal romance without a love triangle right?
Derek lets Sofia go and we are all wondering what’s going to happen next? I completely understand why Sofia wanted to leave, even though she had strong feelings for Derek, but I am not happy about it. I have no love for Ben because of the way he treated her on her birthday, but Ben is different now, he’s jaded, guarded and wants to move forward and towards Sofia.
Ben’s feelings for Sofia kind of comes to a surprise to me because I had no idea he felt that way, maybe he didn’t see it until Derek showed interested in Sofia, but in my mind it’s a little too late. Sofia struggles in her world and she wants to live a normal life, but she can’t stop thinking about Derek.
I had a hard time with this one because I couldn’t connect with Ben and there’s a HUGE chunk of the book where Derek and Sofia do not interact. I guess you can say this is a Ben’s book and if you are a fan of Ben, you will be pretty happy with it.
Back in the Shade Derek loses his light, Sofia and he slowly turns dark. This I enjoyed reading a lot because I love a dark hero. He goes way into the deep end and you kind of wonder if there is any redemption for him, because at some parts it’s pretty dicey, but addictive to read. The best part is the last 40% where everything is heightened and all the crazy stuff happens.
Because of the last part of the book, I can’t wait for the next one.
READ on Kindle Unlimied -
Brilliant follow-up in this addicting series!! A Shade of Blood is a gritty, sexy, emotion-ridden return to this captivating world of vampires, and I was hooked from start to finish as I devoured every word!
We rejoin Bella Forrest's story right where the first book left off, with Sofia facing the decision of staying with Derek at The Shade or returning back to her normal teenage life with Ben. My heart broke for Derek as she walked away from him, and I braced myself for what I knew would be an emotional aftermath on both sides.
It was strange how I both loved and hated every moment that kiss lasted. I loved it because it hinted so much about what she felt for me, yet hated it because it was clearly a kiss goodbye. ~Derek LOC 251
But nothing could have prepared me for the intense and often gut-wrenching downward spiral that Derek would subject himself to in the wake of his heartbreak. He and Sofia both were suffering as they tried to face a life without the one they had unwittingly fallen for, but a darkness was surfacing in Derek with the absence of his Sofia. The tender, patient vampire who'd won her heart became buried beneath the surface of something much more sinister, and it was so painful to see him become so lost. It was as if she was the only light of his existence, and when she left, the darkness just took over every corner of his world. The results were nothing short of gruesome and troubling as Derek reclaimed his role as the dark ruler, and I was terrified of what would be left for Sofia to return to.
As Derek struggled with his demons, Ben and Sofia faced the return to a normalcy that neither one of them could embrace. The extent of Ben's torture at Claudia's hands was revealed, and it became abundantly clear that he had been broken in a way that could never be repaired. Despite how numb he felt both inside and out, it was the love he had for Sofia that helped him move on. I loved this side of Ben that we get to see, because there was so much more depth to his character this time around and he definitely earned himself a place in my heart even though I'm always going to be a huge Derek fan! Sofia's heart is so torn, and truly the time she and Ben share was just beautiful.
I had to push away thoughts of how much I missed Derek in order to let Ben in again. It was, after all, how Derek got to me in the first place - when I allowed myself to stop pining for Ben. ~Sofia LOC 744
As much as we see an entirely different side of Derek, we also see a stronger, more determined side to Sofia surface. Through her torment, she begins to question her emotions and refuses to be a pawn in anyone's game, and I was cheering her on every time her claws came out. I can't wait to see just how pivotal she will be when the house of cards begins to fall!
The intensity between Sofia and Derek was amplified thanks to their emotions being so close to the surface, and every moment they shared together just had my pulse racing. The suspense was non-stop as secrets were revealed, and painful memories created a sense of foreboding that was maddening. My heart ached and my stomach was twisted in knots for virtually the entire story, and by the time the huge jaw-dropping twist came at the end I was desperate for more! It's once again going to be a torturous wait for the next book as I grow increasingly nervous about what lies ahead, but A Shade of Vampire has definitely become one of my favorite series! -
DNF at thirty-something percent.
"As our mouths explored each other’s, not a single fiber of my being was paying attention to Derek Novak. On that particular day, I was Ben’s and I was his alone."
DAMMIT.
This series is a lemon. I had eyebrows raised from the get go. The first book, the test drive, was okay. Yeah, I hate Ben. Yeah, lack of worldbuilding. But I took a sneak peek and read the first couple chapters of this book and thought "It could improve greatly". And it did.
And then it didn't.
Dereks moments are great. He's an invaluable character. But I'm not going to read about a love triangle involving douchy Ben.
How can a vampire be so magnetic and then not be because Mr. Popular kissed her? WHAT?
I don't want Prom. I want the Shade. This needs more Shade.
Two stars for Derek. I'm sure he's great. But I can't do a 13 book angsty love triangle with Ben.
Bye Ben. -
Wow, in this book we can appreciate how the number of pages doesn't build a good story line. This book is the most bland and boring that I have read in my life.
The plot doesn't make me feel anything, I hate all the characters but the worst thing is that I will keep reading it. It's not because of the plot (which doesn't exist, btw) but because I need to read something.
My hate for Derek is bigger now and Sofia keeps me a little interested in the book but I kind of hate her too. -
PLEASE, BELLA, I WANT SOME MORE! That ending has left my mouth hanging to the floor in shock! Whoa! What an amazing sequel and I am gob smacked. I love this world of vampires and hunters that Bella Forrest has created and found myself devouring this book with a fever. I stopped only occasionally to step back into the real world, but didn't last too long. The story was calling me to finish and that's what I did, and I am left enamoured and needing more! I need the next book, NOW!
The story continues exactly where it left off in book 1, with Sofia Claremont making the choice to leave The Shade, and Derek Novak, allowing her too. This goes against everything he's position stands for. As the Prince of the Shade, it is his duty to keep the secrets of the island and by allowing Sofia and Ben Hudson (her best friend) to leave, will bring nothing but great consequence to the Vampires he is sworn to protect. But, what choice does he really have? Fearful of his oldest brothers need for Sofia and making her his, he is doing what he must and protect the young women he has grown fond of. My heart ached for him and I was fearful of what would happen to Derek when Sofia left. And boy, oh boy, was I right. The dark, which lay deep within Derek for centuries, was beginning to consume him, once again. Slowly, his true nature was beginning to bring about his destruction and he was turning into the vampire leader he despised, yet could not run away from. He was vigilant, cruel and sadistic, yet I understood his desire to lead in this way. Although, I knew that deep down he was deeply wounded by Sofia choosing to leave and he did not know how to cope any other way but to succumb to the depths of darkness. Derek's downward spiral was heartbreaking to read, yet disturbingly beautiful at the same time. Those torturous ones get me every time.
While Derek is delving deeper into his own abyss, Sofia and Ben are finally back home and trying to be "normal." Trying to move on from the events and their time on The Shade. And, this feat alone was not an easy one. Their relationship as best friends was strained and there was a divide that seemed to be growing bigger by the moment. Sofia couldn't get Derek out of her thoughts or her heart, and she struggled daily in resisting the urge to think of him. She also grew into this stronger and determined young woman, who refused to be anything else but who she wanted to be and be nobody's push over. I really loved her frailty and torment over Derek, yet her strength and resilience in finally sticking up for herself.
We also learnt that Ben suffered immensely at the hands of the sadistic Claudia, during his time at The Shade, to the point that he was completely numb on the inside, as well as on the outside. I really loved seeing this side of Ben and his developmental as a character. It is so critical and crucial to the story. He too is struggling to stay above water and he found himself needing to do something to breath air back into his relationship with Sofia, who was drifting off and away from him. He's determination to win back Sofia was relentless, yet he knew, deep down, that he may have lost her for good.
A Shade of Blood is not only a story about Vampire's and Hunter's, but it's about the constant struggle within. The need to follow your heart, yet lead with you head. The want of choosing what's right, instead of choosing what's right for right now. It's about understanding that no matter how desperate one is to bring about change in bettering themselves, but learning to cope with the demons within and accept them as part of your make. I absolutely love this series and it's definitely topping my favourites. Thank you Bella Forrest for writing such an dark and seductive story, but also for providing me with and ARC too. I seriously can't wait to the next instalment, especially after that nail biting twist at the end. Another mother load of a cliffhanger. EEEEPPPPPPP!!! -
There are so many different reasons I stick with a book series. In the case of A SHADE OF VAMPIRE, I crave the characters Sophia and Derek! I want to continue to learn how they'll deal with their differences and the challenges which threaten humans and vampires. I enjoyed book 2, A SHADE OF BLOOD! Onto book 3...
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I enjoyed the first one, which was a novella and featured a young woman kidnapped by vampires to be a kind of blood slave. However the second one I could not finish. I don't normally leave bad reviews, so I will say some positive stuff about the author. The writing is well done. I liked the chapters on the perspective changes. It went from the girl to the hero and even threw in the bad guy.
But sigh. Spoilers ho. This is the third book (not by this author) I've read this month that has a similar theme. Innocent girl meets bad boy. Bad boy becomes good. I get that. I do, but in this book the bad boy vampire sends the girl away for her own protection. Then he becomes ultra bad boy vampire and begins murdering, raping (yes, I said it), and another attempted rape. The author might argue that the prison cell scene wasn't really rape, but that's what I'm calling it. I'm also saying that innocent girl transforming the evil out of the pseudo protagonist is tricky at best. I do understand that the hero is just misunderstood and all he needs is a good girl. But this is supposed to be a young adult novel and the murdering/raping/attempted rape really icked me out.
Sorry. The heroine should be running for the hills. I won't be reading any more of this author. It's a shame because she has a nice style that I liked. -
They must’ve done something to me at The Shade, because no matter how far away from the island I was, I remained its captive.
Less infuriating and ridiculous than the first one, but still not great by a long shot. You know, sometimes you get tired of reading books that make you think, that excite you with every page, that make you believe in them. Sometimes you just need a trashy book. This is a trashy book. It's the action movie equivalent of a book. Just watch the colour and the movement and take your mind off everything else. And good for me because it's quick since I'm behind on my reading target.
So Sophia and Ben return from The Shade and wake up on the banks of Cancun, where they were kidnapped. It's unknown how long they've been gone, and the first thing they do is live it up. CONTACT YOUR DAMN PARENTS!! They must have been going mad with worry, and yet Sophia and Ben decide to only call them when they're ready for their holiday to end. Seriously, what fucking jerks. And they went back to the same hotel and no one recognised them? I'm sure a big deal would have been made about their disappearance.
Anyway, while Sophia is trying to get back to her life, she can't forget The Shade....or Derek. You know, the vampire who was keeping Sophia as a slave, but was kind of a good guy but not really. She and Ben try to kindle a romance....but that lasts like a week. Ben is a dick. He was 'saving' Sophia for when he was finished with other girls because he knew he would settle down with her and he just wasn't ready yet. Poor Sophia (that's one of the only times I will say that) having to live through his crap. She is essentially a possession to him and it's sickening.
Sorry, I did it again. Okay, so back in The Shade, Derek is losing it and essentially sleeping around, tearing his kingdom apart and almost killing on of his other slave girls. Because, you know, he's a FUCKING VAMPIRE!! Excuse me. Then one day, Derek's sister, Vivienne, decides to seek out Sophia and beg her to return to The Shade because Derek needs her and she may the girl in some prophecy or another. So Sophia goes back (god knows why), and Ben decides to go the other way and join the hunters. Sophia delves further into The Shades, learns it's history and the way it treats humans, and basically punishes Derek for it. Then they sleep together because he told Sophia he loved her and a big deal is made about her losing her virginity to a vampire. Blah Blah Blah.
The End. Literally, the end. The main plot was Sophia coming back to the shade. That was it. There was a surprise or two, with Sophia's mother and father coming into the picture in different ways which poses more issues for the future. Again, this felt like half a story, with no antagonist, no real push forward towards a different end.
Ben is a dick. Sophia's father is a dick. Derek is a dick (and how can Sophia really expect him to change so much, she is a human and he is a vampire, and if she doesn't like it then she shouldn't have come back). The cast of B-characters are all dicks. Sophia is a douche and I do not like her at all. She needs to get her priorities straight, like right now. Maybe if she grew some balls she would be more of an interesting protagonist. And this would be more of an interesting story. But alas...... -
Back on the beach at Cancun, the same place they were both taken from months ago, Sofia and Ben aren't ready to go home yet. And having missed it for so long, they find themselves trying to soak up as much sun as they can. Having been left with a large quantity of money, they book themselves into the villa they had been staying in previously. After a few days, they feel the time has come to call Ben's parents. When they arrive, they don't tell them where they were and when questioned by the police, they say they just ran away. They say nothing about where Ben got the scars all over his body from his torture at the hands of Claudia, and at Sofia's request, there's no mention of the vampires or The Shade.
Ben has a name and number for the hunters, given to him by a hunter who tried to save him on the island, but ended up being killed herself when they were caught. Knowing that his life will never be the same again, and having the need for vengeance and retribution, he plans to contact them. He tells Sofia that he'll give her some time, but that then, with or without her, he'll be making that call. He needs to take his revenge on the vampires, especially Claudia.
But Sofia can't seem to forget Derek and The Shade, and when Ben wants to become more than friends, something that she herself had wanted for a long time, she finds that she can't give herself wholly to him. Part of her still belongs to Derek.
And without Sofia there, the darkness is overtaking Derek. He's a completely different character than the Derek we met in A Shade of Vampire, and it was interesting seeing this other side to him. But it was also nice to see the effect that Sofia had on him when she returned, to find him in a compromising position with Ashley.
Lucas is not in this book too much, though we do get his POV a couple of times. He's on the run from Derek who will kill him for what he did to Sofia. But if he wasn't obsessed with her before, having tasted her blood, he can't stop thinking about her, and won't rest until she is his.
Things are getting tough in the Shade. Derek is struggling to keep everyone under control and try to keep Sofia happy at the same time. The vampires are not happy that Sofia, a human slave, is being put before them. But Sofia is not happy with the way things are currently done. She wants the humans who live in the Shade to be treated better and not treated like slaves or food which is exactly how the vampires see them. Sofia has learned a lot about how things are run in the Shade and has read it's history, and it doesn't sit well with her. There are going to be tough times ahead, and revelations throughout this books make for what should be a really interesting third book in this series.
I'm also looking forward to learning more about the prophecy made by Cora, the witch, over four hundred years ago, and what it means to Derek and Sofia, and to the Shade. Derek seems to be going to have quite the fight on his hands if he's going to manage to hold onto Sofia. -
This book was awesome. It was perfect in so many ways.
A Shade of Blood picks right at the end of A Shade of Vampire. When I read the first book I was sure I knew how it ended, what decision Sofia made but then came this book and I realised I was wrong. Sofia decides to leave the Shade with Ben (why girl, why???). They go back to their old lives and try to be normal, even date (which I though was a waste of time...) in the mean time Derek's life at the Shade goes through some major changes. Without Sofia there he turns into something darker, more dangerous even a little scary at times.
We finally get to learn more about the background of the characters and the Shade. I didn't realise it until I read this book, but in the first one we didn't get to learn anything. I didn't know about Sofia'a parents and Ben's family, or even what happened for the Shade to be created. Especially with the Shade, we get to learn a lot of vital info about it. About the human living in it and how everything works. We even got to visit a lot of places, since once Sofia gets back (and of course she gets back) she visited the whole island.
We also learned more about Ben and what he went through during his time at the Shade with Claudia (by the way that vampire is craaaaazy). I did like him more and I do understand why he is doing the things he is but still I didn't want him and Sofia together. I still believe that he is going to turn sides by the end of the series.
This book had a lot of swoon worthy moments, lots of passion and so so many mind blowing revelations. I love how everything is grey. The Hunters are supposed to be the good guys (and they are doing good) but they are also just like the vampires they try to kill in so many ways. On the other hand the vampires, and especially Derek, are doing some horrible things, but still you can't help loving them. I loved that Sofia realiised that too and she is fighting hard to make a change in the Shade. I know she will finally manage that.
So, all in all, I loved it. Can't wait for the next one, especially after the Epilogue. I mean, come on... Bella Forrest you just blew my mind.
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Another AMAZING story by Bella Forrest!!! I am completely blown away by this series. Still reeling in from my book high on this one. Just as its getting REALLY good, we are cut off til the next book left wanting so much more. A Shade of Blood was so much better than the first book in this series. Getting into the story and reading some of the history behind the characters made me leary at first as I hate when an author brings history in after a series has already been started, but let me tell you Bella Forrest made it work.
Now with Sofia and Ben back home and away from the captures they are both having problems of readjusting to their lives. Both for different completely reasons. As they are trying to rediscover what was taken from them, they are both only headed to one conclusion, nothing will ever be what it was. Suffering from nightmares they find comfort with each other until they realize they are both heading in different directions and are no longer on the same page as the other.
Derek has given in to the darkness, especially now that Sofia is no longer there to help him see the hope she believes in. Derek has lost just about all control, his kingdom is falling apart and all because of one person. -
4/5 stars
This series is oddly addicting.
It has some beautiful phrases, and other parts just don't work. But what is lacking in writing finesse, the author more than makes up for in plot and imagination.
And I have to give her major credit for this: I'm a vampire, Sofia. The only reason I was trying to control my impulse to kill Ashley after having fed on her was because she mattered to you.
Thank you for finally admitting the true nature of a vampire! Asking a vampire not to suck a human's blood is like asking a snake not to strike.
So, like any good soap opera, I have to see what happens to Derek, Sofia, Ben and Vivienne. On to book 3! -
Ughhhhhhh this series is like a guilty pleasure, but without (enough of) the pleasure part. I am truly embarrassed for reading this. It's a less realistic/believable version of the Twilight series with the worst character development ever. I'm so annoyed because this whole "fated to love each other" bullshit even when the guy is literally the worst person ever is the reason why young girls don't know when they're in abusive relationships. It talks about rape in a cavalier manner. It has the bare bones of something that should be fun, but then veers I these weird directions that just make me feel guilty for continuing. But it's kind of addictive. This series is like a drug - I want to know more but every time I finish reading I feel shittier and shittier and wish I could stop but it feels so good for the moment and then I look at my life and my choices and I hate myself. So. Two stars for the addictive nature, and not for quality.
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What the hell was that ending? OMG, This book threw some major twists my way. On to book 3.
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Cute.. but Ben annoyed me.
A Shade of Blood is the second installation for the A Shade of Vampire series. I honestly have no idea how many books this thing has.. but I'm determined to get through a bunch of them. They are pretty quick reads - I just wish that the story lines were better with each book. I get that I'm only on the second one but I feel like nothing really happened in it?
In this, you well still see the same people.. but we do get to see Sofia's dad towards the end plus more about the vampire hunters. I guess they will have a bigger part in the next book/the rest of the series.. but at the moment, I think:
1. Her dad is a tool and I hate him.
2. Wow, Ben.. I really do hate you and you don't deserve Sofia.
3. How many guys are going to keep claiming Sofia theirs?
4. Poor Vivienne, she deserves better.
Other than that, Derek is kind of losing his mind because of Sofia. He let her go but he became such a pussy after that. I get that the darkness was slowly taking over him.. but damn, he's weak. Then there's Sofia and Ben, ugh I can't tell you how much I hated them together. I cringed every time they kissed because she is supposed to be with Derek!
Then once she gets back to Derek she kind of overlooks that he almost killed her friend.. and that she almost died from said friend. Then she has the balls to order Claudia around, which was honestly my favorite thing she has done so far. However, I didn't like that there's a hint of him sleeping with said claudia.. It's like he couldn't keep his dick in his pants for what.. a week? Maybe more? Like really??
If she's the love of his life... I'm sure he could've not slept with someone else. Other than that, I'm glad they are together-ish.. but is she going to end up the Queen or something? Like his wife.. or something. I feel like I have all of these questions and not enough information to answer them. I hope I get these soon though. -
4.5 stars
Holy crap!!! It's 4:30 in the morning.This series is getting crazy good!!! I couldn't put this fucker down!!!So much is going on, I can't keep up. But this book was amazing!!!!! Just amazing! Found another favorite series and Bella is pretty high up on my top fave authors. Wow! That ending!!! Just wow...love it!!! I got freakin chills. -
I can’t believe it’s finally here! After reading the first book, A Shade of Vampire, I was totally hooked in the ravaging, suspense-filled vampire world Bella Forrest has created.
A Shade of Blood picked up from where A Shade of Vampire left off – Sofia torn between choosing to stay with Derek on The Shade or leaving with her long-time bestfriend Ben and finally escape the world she wanted nothing more than to forget about and destroy the first time she got there.
A Shade of Blood is told from the different and new perspectives of the different chief characters. I love reading and seeing through their eyes. This gave me a better connection to the characters and this helped in knowing and understanding them better and in a deeper sense. We’d get a glimpse of their emotions and thoughts and this would make readers relate more to them. I admit I was especially intrigued reading from Lucas’ POV. He’s one of the characters who hides a lot of things and never seem to be the person others expect him to be. I felt sad for him to tell you the truth. There was just this air about him that he truly feels sad inside but he won’t let anyone know this for fear he’d seem weak and the gods forbid, more human. He’s an unpredictable character and I think that is what makes him appealing even if he is quite evil.
A Shade of Blood is dark and thrilling. This book would reveal a lot of new things we may never expect. It is full of twists that would make you gasp and would catch you unawares. I love that a lot of the past would be finally out in the open. We’d see Derek in a whole new light and know why he has become what he is. Some history of The Shade would also be revealed and we’d get more acquainted with the world of vampires. Derek is just as gorgeous, charismatic and breathtaking. Expect a lot of swoon moments between him and Sofia that would make you giddy and act all girly. I love how Derek makes me feel. He’s very sincere and always backs up his words with actions and he has this gentle, broken side to him. He’s infuriatingly smug but when he cares for someone he would do anything it takes to protect them and keep them alive and safe. He’s the perfect vampire to fall for.“Whose blood do you want to drink then? Or would you rather just bleed to death? If it’s the latter, you might as well just let me feed on you. That way, your bleeding to death could at least serve to satisfy my hunger.”
The only complaint I have about the book is that it lacked real action. It felt like we were just nearing the climax and suddenly and frustratingly and much to my disappointment it was already the end. The book just felt too short. (But considering I always consider good books to be “too short”, I can’t really say.) There was this whole buildup and level of excitement and bam, the end. You can’t leave readers hanging like that and expect us to wait patiently until the next book comes out. That’s just torture.
Seeing that that is the only complaint I have, I’d say that A Shade of Blood is a perfect follow-up book. Everything was beautiful and I love every twist and turn of the story. There are still a lot we don’t know about and I can’t wait to see how the characters would handle everything that comes their way. I’d love to see a stronger, fiercer side to Sofia.
I can’t wait for the next book to come out and once again be completely submerged and perplexed by the world of The Shade.Sometimes, that’s the way it is with people. You think you can tell what they are based on the patterns that you see, but when you take a look inside, they’re nothing like you expect them to be.
“I’m going to win you back, Sofia.”
I planted a gentle kiss on his cheek. “I don’t understand why, but somehow… you never quite lost me.” -
Another amazing book by Bella Forrest, A Shade of Vampire is by far one of my favorite paranormal books and after reading A Shade of Blood I reconfirm that she's a great writer and one of my favorite authors.
This book is dark, captivating and intense, it was impossible for me to put it down, even when that implied for me to stay awake almost all night.
The story is still as good as in the first book, and thanks to the fact that places and scenes are well described and detailed it is fairly easy to be transported to the world that the author created, that mysterious and intriguing place called "The Shade" where there are all these vampires governed by Derek Novak.
The characters are well developed and for me it was really easy to relate to them, you can feel their pain, frustration, love, their struggle and I think this is why I'm so captivated by Bella Forrest's books.
One thing I really enjoyed was the multiple POV's that we see in this book, to be able to switch between Sofia, Derek, Ben and Lucas really helped me understand better these characters, their feelings and what was behind their actions.
In this second book we learn more about Derek's past, "The Shade" and also get to know Ben better (Sofia's best friend who after this book became more interesting for me than in the first one).
This book in a manner explores the subject of how people deal with their pain and how after a life changing event it seems fairly impossible forget and leave everything behind, also it shows that even when there's love relationships are not always easy and sometimes you have to fight for what you want.
The end of this book left me wanting to read the next one in this series (can't wait for the release) and I definitely recommend it to Romance, Fantasy and Paranormal fans, but to understand and really enjoy this book you should read first "A Shade of Vampire" also by Bella Forrest. -
It's not nice to end a book like that.
I am feeling a bit lazy so i am going to do a quick review tonight.
song choice, song choice.... "Do You Remember" Not Don't you remember by Adele, Do you remember by Ane Brun. and "If I didn't care" um originally i don't know who sings it, yeah sorry, but i know the Amy Adams and Lee Pace version.
Kay so, better than the last one because it really expanded on the plot which yay! cool, i was interested, i figured some stuff out, i am slightly confused right now and just a little peeved off at that cliffhanger ending. BECAUSE OH MY GOD.
the characters were better i suppose in this one. I don't know there has always been something missing for me in this series, i enjoy what i am reading, really i am, but i feel like we are just missing that one moment. that something? i don't even know. But i liked certain things about Sofia and actually Derek bothered me with his whole, i am a prince listen to me roar kind of thing.
in the end yes i will go on with this series, because i really do think that they are good reads. It just really, its me. this isn't some cheesy break up thing, really honest to god its all me. this is worth your time.
you can check out more indie fantastics at my blog, yeah i am not even going to be subtle about this. You can also check out my thoughts on the first book there as well, much more detailed as well. because this is not my normal type of review, but being lazy today. so here is the linky link:
http://theviolethourbookreviews.wordp... -
After Lucas takes a bite out of Sophia, Derek realizes that she is no longer safe in the Shade, so he offers her something, that he would never offer anyone else, the chance to escape.
Sophia is torn with leaving the Shade, leaving Derek. She has grown very fond of him and may even be in love with him. But she knows the best thing for her is to go, she doesn't want to live her life being a slave to Derek.
Once back at home, during a football game she is interrupted by a woman needed to speak to her, the woman is Vivienne, Dereks sister. She agrees to meet her at a coffee shop, where she is surprised by what Vivienne is asking her, to go back to the Shade, to be with Derek. But again Sophia is torn, but she misses Derek terribly and soon finds herself traveling back to the Shade.
This was a nice continuation of Derek and Sophia's story. Um the love scene was a little bland and abrupt that I didn't even realize what was going on till it ended other than that this is great series and I am off to read number three. -
OH MY GOD!!! what the hell's just happened????
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Things are really starting to get interesting between Derek and Sofia. Wonder what will happen next with the prophecy.
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This is the second book in A Shade of Vampire series and I started this immediately after finishing the first book, that's how much I was into this series. I normally don't start another book in a series back to back just because I need a breather usually, but I just had to see what was going to happen. This was also a good book but I think the first one was a bit better to me.
Sofia and Ben are back home thanks to Derek. But Sofia can't forget about Derek and all the horrible things that happened on the island. And neither can Ben, they are both plagued by nightmares. Ben and Sofia get closer and more distant all at the same time because of their captivity at The Shade. Each tackling their own fears and demons. And no matter how hard Sofia tries she just can't forget about Derek.
I liked the fact that their were several POV's from Ben to Lucas, and Sofia and Dererk it was interesting too see what other characters were thinking besides the MC's.
I don't know why but I wasn't as intent on the second Shade Book maybe because there was not as much interaction between Sofia and Derek. It just didn't intrigue me as much.
There were some surprises that held my interest though. And I think there are like 42 books total so it must be continuously good or I don't think people would bother to keep reading.
Even though I didn't like this book quite as much as the first, I'm still looking forward to continuing the series. I have a feeling my interest will be piqued again. -
WhenI read A Shade of Vampire I fell in love with Sofia, Derek, Vivienne, and everyone else. It was one of the best young adult paranormal romance books I’ve read since Amelia Atwater Rhodes books and you all know how much I love her. I didn’t think there was a way to top the interactions going on in the first book, but I was wrong. A Shade of Blood is twice as intense and a dozen times more emotional.
A Shade of Blood picks up immediatelywhere A Shade of Vampire leaves off and the uncertainty bubbling inside of Sofia is palpable. Does she stay? Or does she go? Should she choose her past with Ben or her future with Derek? All these questions are answered within the first couple of chapters and seeing the sheer pain between Sofia and Derek made my heart ache.
The two things I love most about this series, aside from my love of Derek and Sofia, are the intricate plot and the character development. Even the characters I can’t stand have something that humanizes them. Something that can make me understand why they are the way they are.
That being said, I don’t like Ben. Ever since the beginning he’s taken Sofia for granted and despite the love he feels for her I was not won over to his side. If you love someone you don’t go through dozens of girls because you’re not ready for “the one” sorry life doesn’t work that way. I felt like he only wanted her because he didn’t want Derek to have her and that’s not okay with me since I adore Sofia.
I don’t want to give a lot away, but Derek gets very dark in this book and we see a lot of the person that he was before he took his little witch induced nap. We also learn a lot more about The Shade, how things were built, how it runs, and what needs to be done in order to preserve it. Forrest does an amazing job of showing us the inner struggle Derek is facing when it comes to Sofia and his kingdom. He’s so torn up inside that you just want to hug him.
Sofia is the same way. Seeing her go through the motions with Ben made me upset, but seeing how much she thought about Derek, how her heart was always with him despite what he had become in this book, made my heart warm. Her emotions over whether or not to trust her love for Derek or believe what everyone said about him growing tired of her was painful. I wanted to throttle them both and be like you love each other don’t be dumb!
There is a really sweet scene between them, several actually towards the end of the story and god they made me smile. I swooned a bit, not going to lie.
Another thing I love is seeing what’s going on from different characters perspectives. Seeing into Sofia’s head, Derek’s head and even Lucas’s shows us what is going on at different parts of the story so we get a rounder picture of how things are playing out and oh my god. There are two huge twists in this story that I did not see coming. The first comes from Ben’s point of view.
Mind officially blown is all I can say. I mean looking back on things I guess it makes sense even though I had someone else completely different in mind for the secret we find out, so yeah super surprised. Another really amazing scene was between Ben and Vivienne which also happens towards the end of the book. But the biggest twist of course comes at the end of A Shade of Blood.
Forrest creates this world, molds and shapes it into a tangible sphere of imagination where anything and everything is possible. It sucks you deep into the depths of The Shade where vampires rule and humans are the prey, but one girl stands to change it all. I’m enamored by the connection between Derek and Sofia as well as the intertwining pasts and futures of the characters around them. Hats off to Bella Forrest and good god give us the third book soon!
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After listening and loving the Audiobook of A Shade of Vampire, I was very much looking forward to listening to this sequel, A Shade of Blood. It turned out to be a nice read, I enjoyed coming back to the Shade and meeting once again with Derek and Sofia, but I have to say that I was expecting more from it.
The book starts off great and right where A Shade of Vampire ended. On one side, Sofia and Ben find themselves out of the Shade, nursing traumatic wounds that possibly not even time may heal. They go back to school, try to act normally, and even start developing a romantic relationship. But back in the Shade, Derek is a complete wreck. Missing Sofia terribly, he falls back and gives in to his inner demon, showing us his true monster side for the first time.
Up until then, I thought the plot was doing great. The build-up was getting intense and it had me excited for when Sofia would finally go back to the Shade and reunite with Derek, but after she does, things slow down a lot. There are a few interesting tidbits going on, like getting to know more about the humans of the Shade and meeting new characters, but other than that, nothing much happens during the second-half.
Even so, I still like the characters and wish to find out more about them, especially Derek Novak. I find him to be an intriguing character and I hope that in the next book he opens up more and we finally come to learn exactly why he went to sleep for such a long time. Sofia is turning out to be a much more complicated character than what I thought she would be, her background is... interesting and I'm curious to see how she came to be.
On the other hand, who I find sort of annoying and I couldn't care less for is Ben. He's so dull and not at all likeable for my taste. I enjoyed Lucas' character better, and that's saying something.
Overall, A Shade of Blood was just a nice, solid sequel to the first book in the series. It's more like the bridge that we need to cross in order to get to the good stuff that might be found in the third book. At least, the revelation in the epilogue hints on it strongly. I'm curious to see what happens next.
As for the Audiobook's performance, I think it was well done. The narrators did a fine job portraying each of their characters and now I can't imagine myself reading the books since I'm now used to hearing their voices and listening to the story. ;)
*Thanks go out to Audible Studios for the free audiobook in exchange of my honest opinion. This review can also be found at my blog,
The Reader and the Chef.*
