One Blood [Kindle Edition]

Qwantu Amaru (Author), Stephanie Casher (Editor)

Book Description

Breaking News: One Blood was named to Kirkus Reviews Best of 2012 List!

About One Blood:

Prepare to lose sleep as you journey through this award-winning horror/thriller with an ending you won't see coming!

Description (from BookBub):

A long-suffering convict. A villainous governor with an unbelievable past soaked in
curses and blood. A kidnapped
daughter. This award-winning debut is rich with masterful prose,
unforgettable characters, and chilling action -- "a gutsy book that
blazes trails, plotted at breakneck speed that won't let up"

Accolades for One Blood:

Kirkus Review's Best of 2012!
Winner of two 2012 International Book Awards!
Winner of a 2012 Global eBook Award!
Winner of a 2012 Indie Reader Discovery Award!
Winner of a 2012 National Indie Excellence Book Award!
Finalist in the 2012 Next Generation Indie Book Awards!
2012 Reader's Favorite Book Awards Silver Medal!

The #1 Kindle selection in Supernatural Suspense, New Orleans Fiction, Revenge Thriller, and Supernatural Thriller

Praise for One Blood:"A novel of remarkable merit that blazes trails, plotted at breakneck speed that won't let up."
Kirkus Book Review

"This is one horror tale that is obviously the
result of meticulous drafting and editing, as well as an awesome debut
novel from a master of the craft."​Indie Reader.com

"ONE BLOOD is a richly detailed,intricately woven tale rendered in lush, evocative prose. This memorable debut heralds Qwantu Amaru as a talent well worth watching."
Brandon Massey, award-winning author of DARK CORNER and COVENANT

Other 5 out of 5 star reviews...
"One Blood" is brilliantly written and edited. This book should be read by all and given a place of honor in modern fiction."
Reviewed by Alice D. for Readers Favorite

"...5 out of 5 stars for this superb supernatural thriller. One Blood is a page-turning delight hard to put down."
The African-American Literature Book Club - The #1 Site for African-American Literature

More praise...

"One Blood" is a very impressive first novel by Qwantu Amaru. It is epic in scope and the details in the book show that a lot of work and research went into crafting this tale."
LiteraryMayhem.com


"If you like novels that keep you on the edge of your seat, novels that keep you awake because you just have to know what happens next, and novels that are not a disappointment, then you will love this book."
Bella Online


"I highly recommend One Blood to those who enjoy dark, gritty, thought-provoking epics full of intrigue and aren't put off by characters who constantly get their hands dirty."
Black Sun Reviews


Make One Blood your next escape today!

Editorial Reviews

Review

By Kirkus Book Reviews:

"A governor and his sordid past are at the heart of a tale of retribution in Amaru's stunning debut novel. Amaru's greatest achievement is a nonlinear story that still manages to be clean-cut and precise. The plot bounces readers from one time period to another--flashbacks sometimes occur during other flashbacks, and dream sequences meld into memories and back into real time. Despite this narrative style, the story is, surprisingly, never perplexing. Amaru skillfully manages this feat by presenting uncertainty--such as Lincoln's relationship with a man named Amir--but immediately clarifying it with prior events, complete with a time stamp. Similarly, voodoo and many appearances of loa (spirits) are treated sincerely, not merely as wacky, otherworldly manifestations. The thorough examination of peoples' pasts allows for sharp, distinct characters. This heightens the tension between characters engaged in high-pressure situations, of which the author has ample supply. For deep-rooted characters immersed in violence, the novel's defining moment may be a wounded man reciting the Lord's Prayer aloud while dodging bullets in a blistering gun battle.

(One Blood) is a gutsy book that blazes trails, plotted at breakneck speed that won't let up."

From the Author

Hello Horror and Suspense Readers! Thanks for taking the time to check out my book. I began One Blood back in 2000 and my how the world has changed in the nearly 12 year's since I first put pen to paper. What hasn't changed is my love of great fiction and my commitment to keep bringing you exceptional story-telling. I sincerely hope you take a chance on this debut author and spend some of your hard-earned money on my novel. You won't be sorry you did!

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• File Size: 678 KB
• Print Length: 488 pages
• Publisher: The Pantheon Collective (TPC Books) (November 29, 2011)
• Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
• Language: English
• ASIN: B006GDO844
• Text-to-Speech: Enabled
• X-Ray: Enabled
• Lending: Enabled
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #118,373 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

37 of 38 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A debut novel that can hold it's own with the best. December 14, 2011

By C. M. Briggs

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

Writing is re-writing. Here's proof.

Two months ago I gave Quantu Amaru's debut novel four out of five stars and thought I was being generous. I faulted the first few chapters for stylistic lapses. Then I tried to reassure people slumming through the literary sub-cellar of cheap reads that, in spite of its flaws, "One Blood" was worth a look.

Well, after some fine-tuning, "One Blood" is now, officially, a five star read. You know it from the first sentence. Don't believe me? Check out the Kirkus Book Review above. (Of course, we AMATURE reviewers were FIRST!)

I won't tell you that that "One Blood" reads like a Stephen King novel - because it doesn't. (We've read ENOUGH imitation Stephen King.) No. Quantu Amaru has AN ORIGINAL VOICE - one worth listening to. The prose is tight and vivid - enviably lean where it needs to be, reminding you of James Patterson on his best days but with more depth of character. The story ambitiously takes a cross section of Louisiana society: good cops, bad cops, politicians, prisoners, preachers, ghosts and demons and forges them into a complex but coherent tale of murder and political intrigue -- all rounded off by a good, old-fashioned, Voodoo blood curse.

You may think, like I did, that with so many characters and an unusual plot structure that jumps back and forth through time, that you'll have trouble keeping track of everything -- but Quantu's ear for dialogue is dead on. (The characters are pains-takingly drawn. His bigoted villain, who isn't the cardboard cut-out you were expecting, uses his racial slurs with casual, chilling conviction. Amaru's gang-banger swears like a gang-banger - and the rest of the characters don't.) You won't have any trouble following this....

The last third of the book is a virtuoso display of the writer's craft, providing you with a taut, multi-layered and satisfying climax. At that point, you will NOT be able to put the book down.

In the end, "One Blood" proves to be thought provoking, original, exciting and suspenseful -- and like the best genre fiction, a book that forces you to care. The price is cheap. Buy it. Read it. Enjoy.

Five stars - and the author earned every one of `em. Read more ›

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Very Well Written with Strong Prose. April 30, 2012

By Julianne Snow

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

One Blood is an excellent discourse of interwoven tales. The story is engaging and as it unfolded, each of the characters came to life in their own way. The cast was well written and none of them shone more brightly than any of the others. In a book with a huge cast of characters, you sometimes find that one or more of them are written with more depth, either by design or accident. In One Blood, each character plays an integral role and as a result, are all believable, and even more importantly, could exist in the society that we inhabit today.

The prose that Amaru uses throughout is fluid and quite lovely at times, while in others they hold the edge that they need to. It's a tool that helps the interwoven plot to move smoothly. If I were to offer a criticism, it would be this - as the interwoven story unfolds, there is a necessity for each story to be told at a certain pace. There were times, while reading, where all I wanted was the chance to read more than a snippet of certain stories. The brief glimpses are a necessary evil when creating tension and mystery, but there were times I found it distracting. I wanted to know so much more of a particular story that I found I had to slow down and read what was in front of me, otherwise I would miss something important. And that's not a bad thing in any way, since it only serves to keep the reader engaged and waiting for the next piece.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars One Blood December 20, 2012

By Symphonie

Format:Kindle Edition

I really struggled through this book and consequently I decided to mull it over for a few days before giving my review.

I think the reason I had difficulty following the story was that there were so many characters and the chapters jumped from one situation to another with little sense of transition. Having said that, however, the story itself was interesting and the writing style, grammar and sentence structure were far above average! The main problem I experienced was a lack of continuity.

I received a free copy from the author in return for an honest review.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful

1.0 out of 5 stars Hard to follow, jumpy- all over the place December 19, 2012

By jimmy

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

Wow- this book had really high reviews so my expectations were high-omg this book was hard to read for me. It started out interesting and I was getting into it, but about 10% in the book, it's like there were more than one author writing this book...and not all at the same time. It was confusing and frustrating to me to read...and honestly..the writing was really cheesy at times. Sorry! Its the truth...I really don't understand WHY it got such high reviews.....I finished the book only because I am the type to finish a novel..but it was really painful...so painful that I had to write a review to maybe warn others. If you like reading a mindless book..this is it!

10 of 13 people found the following review helpful

1.0 out of 5 stars What is this book even about? May 7, 2012

By Dierdra Byrd

Format:Paperback

I actually got a copy of this book to review from Authors Requesting Reviews program and I signed up for this book because it did sound really good! However I just can't finish it! 44% in and I just don't care what happens to anyone in the book, have no connection with anyone at all. I'm not even sure what the plot is even supposed to be!
If you go and read the description of this book I can't find anywhere what this book is even supposed to be truly about. I almost never just stop reading books but I can't waste more time reading this.
The story is hard to follow and jumps around a lot and not smoothly. The first half of the book seemed like the story, which was about a guy who's kids are cursed to die 3 days after there 18th birthday and his daughter is kidnapped, then the second half is more of the back story after you more or less find out what happened?
I hate to give books such a low review and if you liked the story great! Just for me makes no sense and has a total lack of a real plot.

More About the Author

In addition to his first novel, the award-winning ONE BLOOD, Qwantu has published five volumes of poetry: Awakening, Lightbringer, Lovelost, After the Storm, and Midnight's Shadow. Qwantu is an active member of the outstanding socially active poetry collective Black on Black Rhyme out of Tallahassee, FL. He has performed spoken word in poetry venues from New York to Los Angeles. He is also part owner and one third of The Pantheon Collective, an independent publishing venture dedicated to bringing high quality independent books to the masses while empowering and inspiring other authors to follow their dreams. For more information visit his website www.qwantuamaru.com, follow him on twitter @onebloodbook, join his fanpage: www.facebook.com/onebloodbook , or e-mail him at [e-mail]. Qwantu currently resides in Jersey City, NJ