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8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
new blood, March 3, 2009
This review is from: New Blood (Mass Market Paperback)
I very much enjoyed Miss Dayton's new book, New Blood. It is quite different from her previous Rose series but I think fans of that series will enjoy this as well. Amanusa lives a solitary life in the woods, only having contact with others when they need her healing magic, when a strange man (Jax) appears. She is literally unable to get rid of him and begins to believe his tale that she is a blood sorceress and he is her servant; a claim that is very dangerous in a land filled with magic hating Inquisitors. On top of this, Amanusa harbors a dislike of all men based on her past and Jax has suffered plenty at the hands of his last owner. What follows is their tale as they flee the law, explore her new powers and re-introduce blood magic to society. The setting is 1600s in Europe but with a magical twist. It was interesting to see how the author incorporated magic into this society and its rigid rules, especially in regards to women. The magic itself is fascinating and Dayton splits it into unique specialties. My favorite aspect of the story was the development of the relationship between Jax and Amanusa. Both have been abused in the past and learn to trust and eventually love each other. There are many other books with damaged heroes/heroines but often they tend to over react in almost stereotypical ways (anybody who reads romance knows what I mean). Not so here, both characters seemed very `real' to me and their reactions reasonable given their histories and society. I loved Jax; he never pushed Amanusa around but took charge when he needed to. Amanusa is a strong female but never feisty. There are also several secondary characters I enjoyed and I am looking forward to the next book in the series not only to, hopefully, read their stories but to see how a larger plot issue is solved.
Warning: there are references to rape in this book; nothing graphic but I know some people like to be forewarned
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Fascinating New Series!, July 22, 2009
This review is from: New Blood (Mass Market Paperback)
I enjoyed New Blood immensely. I must say, however, that if you are a die hard romance reader, then you will likely not enjoy it for the romance aspect of it. The romance is there but subtle, but it does become the main focus more than halfway through the book. And it was mightily satisfying. Not in the hot and steamy sort of way, but in the fulfilling heart-warming sort of way. The romance was kinda weaved into the overall plot and I thought it was great. The creativity of the world was strongly focused on, and I found it to be quite unique and very fresh.
There are four different types of magic users--Conjurers, Wizards, Alchemists and the very rare Blood Sorceresses. Actually, the non-existent blood sorceresses since the last one Yvaine was burned at the stake over two hundred years ago. But before she died, she poured all her knowledge into her blood servant, Jax, and sent him out to find her successor. The task taking him two hundred years to finally complete.
There is one aspect of this alternate reality that held true--women are less than men. So when it came to practicing magic, women were shunned. But what the politicians within the magical community, as well as the latent people, were not aware of, was that all four magical groups were needed in order to keep a safe balance amongst the land. Over the years magicians attempted to become blood sorcerers but could not figure out why that magical talent could only be performed by women. That I found to be the most fascinating aspect of this world. Only women can use this powerful magic.
Gail Dayton takes you on a fantastical journey through an alternate world where magic is inherent within the land and there are folks that have the ability to siphon and use that magic. The foundation of this alternate world was one that lured me in slowly but then fought halfway through to put the book down. I didn't want to. New Blood was an extraordinary tale of magic and the power of women. I've not read anything quite like this one. No doubt, it's a world I look forward to journeying into once more in Heart's Blood.
I hope there is more regarding the odd contraptions that were found in the Dead Zones. It wasn't explained in New Blood what the purpose of those things were. I hope it's not a loose end that will never be further expanded on and explained. I was intrigued but left hanging! But I found the book to be amazing and a well satisfying read nonetheless. 4.5/5
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Part historical fantasy & part paranormal romance with a really meaty magical world, January 27, 2010
This review is from: New Blood (Mass Market Paperback)
Plot Summary: Magic is alive and acknowledged in the 19th century, but in Amanusa's little back corner of Austria it's illegal for women to practice magic. When a strange Englishman appears at her cottage and talks of her being a blood sorceress, Amanusa recoils from the idea. Jax has been searching for a successor for over 200 years, ever since his last sorceress was slain. When hostile rebels and magical Inquisitors threaten them both, Jax and Amanusa must flee to Paris, where a great magical council is meeting to solve the problem of the encroaching dead zones. To take her place, Amanusa must convince this sexist, bigoted, all-male body that she is a valid magic practitioner.
This intro book was too long in my opinion, but author Gail Dayton has laid out a complex magical world that held my interest. Tor is calling this a paranormal romance, and I sorta, kinda, agree. This book falls into that same no-man's land as Soulless (The Parasol Protectorate) by Gail Carriger; it's half historical fantasy and half paranormal romance. Oh, and with a dash of steampunk sprinkled throughout. I must say that I enjoy this combination a lot, and I think these authors have bright futures.
I've been drawn to the cover ever since I first saw it, because I like gore, and having the heroine in a white, blood-splattered frock was eye-catching to say the least. It's an accurate detail because Amanusa is a blood sorceress, which is a highly misunderstood branch of magic. Everyone believes blood sorcery is inherently evil, including Amanusa herself, and Jax has a hard time convincing her otherwise.
In most romances the guy is usually the one holding all the cards - wealth, power, and status - but Ms. Dayton has flipped this story on end. Jax is a bound blood servant, and instead of arriving at the beginning of the story with everything intact, he must slowly build up to becoming his own man again. I enjoyed the novelty of it, and his broken past as a virtual slave gave him a powerful connection to Amanusa, who's own tragic youth is slowly revealed.
What I'm really looking forward to is the next book, Heart's Blood, because now that I have the gist behind this fantasy vision, I want to see how far Ms. Dayton will take it. There are four branches of magic, each complex and distinct, and only the blood sorcery was explored in depth. There is a disturbing rise of dead zones all over the world, where the magic has vanished, and vicious machines rule. All of that was left hanging at the end of this introduction book, so there's a lot to explore.
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