*This title will be released on December 20, 2011*

Title: Bleeding Hearts Author: Alyxandra Harvey Series: The Drake Chronicles #4 Cover Art: N/A Genre: Paranormal YA Excerpt: Yes Source: NetGalley Reviewed by: Abigail Reading level: Ages 12 and up Paperback: 304 pages Publisher: Walker Childrens (December 20, 2011) ISBN-10: 0802722849 ISBN-13: 978-0802722843 Sexual Content: Kissing Rating: Okay – A few good points, but with significant flaws. Library/swap/borrow if you want.

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Giveaway provided by the publisher, Walker Books for Young Readers.

One copy of RULING PASSION by Alyxandra Harvey.

MEET the Drakes:
A darkly romantic, irresistibly alluring family of royal vampire blood.
This omnibus contains the Drake Chronicles, #1-3:

 

Title: Out For Blood Author: Alyxandra Harvey Series: Drake Chronicles #3 Cover Art: N/A Genre: Paranormal YA Reading level: Young Adult Paperback: 304 pages Publisher: Walker Books for Young Readers Date Published: December 21, 2011 ISBN-10: 0802721680 ISBN-13: 978-0802721686     Review Copy Source: Publisher Reviewed by: Abigail

Book Description

Hunter Wild is the youngest in a long line of elite vampire hunters, a legacy that is both a blessing and a curse at the secret Helios-Ra Academy, where she excels at just about everything. Thanks to her friendship with Kieran Black, Hunter receives a special invitation to attend the coronation of Helena Drake, and for the first time, she sees the difference between vampires that must be hunted and vampires that can become friends—or even more. When students at the academy fall victim to a mysterious illness, Hunter suspects they are under attack from within. She will need someone she can trust to help her save the future of Helios-Ra . . . help that shockingly comes in the form of Quinn Drake, a drop-dead gorgeous vampire. Who said senior year would be easy?

 Review

Buffy fans are going to love the romance between vampire slayer Hunter Wild and vampire Quinn Drake in OUT FOR BLOOD (he even teasingly calls her Buffy while she calls him Lestat, although he came off more like a lothario version of Spike IMO). 

Hunter is an immensely likeable character.   She’s capable, compassionate, and just the right amount of snarky.  She’s been trained by her grandpa since she was little to be as fierce and lethal as the vampires she’s sworn to kill, but she is still very much all girl, with a weakness for feminine clothes and a secret collection of romance novels. 

Quinn Drake was not as likable, at least not initially, but he grew on me big time.  Player doesn’t begin to describe him.  The first third of OUT FOR BLOOD has him literally tripping over different girls, slipping off with one in the woods while winking at Hunter one night, and sandwiched between two more the next (again while winking at Hunter).  Hunter doesn’t play games with herself or Quinn and calls him out on his manwhore behavior—which I loved her for—and Quinn is quick to completely abandon his player ways in favor of something infinitely more rewarding with Hunter. 

OUT FOR BLOOD is the best in the series so far with an exciting suspense plot at the Helios-Ra Academy and a sizzling forbidden romance.  It’s also the most mature as the couple are both eighteen, although the sexual content doesn’t go beyond some seriously steamy kissing (their kiss in Hunter’s dorm room is dangerously hot).  All the previously leads are accounted for as well, and all but Lucy come off well (Lucy thankfully gets little page time as she is unrecognizably annoying this time).  All this means I’m psyched for the next Drake Chronicles installment, BLEEDING HEART, which is due out November 2011.

Sexual Content: Kissing.

My Rating:

4/5
Excellent - Loved it! Buy it now & pre-order the sequel.

Click HERE to read an excerpt from OUT FOR BLOOD

Previous books in the series:

1. Hearts At Stake

2. Blood Feud

Also reviewed by:

• Book Whisperer
• My Overstuffed Bookshelf
• The Bibliophilic Book Blog

Giveaway

Giveaway courtesy of Bloomsbury Publishing

One copy of OUT FOR BLOOD by Alyxandra Harvey + bookmark

 

• Visit BloomsburyTeens for exclusives, news, and giveaways
• Visit Alexandra Harvey’s Fanpage
• Visit the official series website at the Drake Chronicles
• ** Check out an exclusive excerpt from Alyxandra’s next book, HAUNTING VIOLET**

Giveaway Guidelines

1. Open to US only (no PO Boxes)
2. Leave a comment or your favorite YA vampire & a way to contact you if you win
3. Entries must be received by Midnight MST on January 1st.

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Interested in offering a giveaway on All Things Urban Fantasy? CONTACT ME

 

Book Description

Love is the best revenge.

Between playing nice with the vampire court and keeping his sister safe from wannabe vampire kings, Logan Drake has his hands full. He has no time for complications from the most unlikely of vampires—a girl from a distant clan with scars on her arms and a haunted look in her eye.

Isabeau St. Croix is a warrior with a purpose: to kill the man who turned her into a vampire and left her buried for 200 years. To her, Logan is a distraction. A charming, caring, very good-looking distraction…

But some ties are too strong to be severed and some connections are too important to ignore. In their journey from the Drake homestead, to the caves of Isabeau’s tribe, and into the jaws of the enemy, Logan and Isabeau face a choice: their love, or an ancient blood feud.

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Book 2 in The Drake Chronicles

Review:
BLOOD FEUD is the second book in The Drake Chronicles and delivers up another romantic adventure. As in Hearts At Stake, there are two protagonists and the chapters alternate between them, this time it is Solange's brother Logan Drake and Isabeau, a Hound princess.

I had some issues with the cover of the first Drake Chronicles book, and while this one is a marked improvement, the cover model is a huge miss for Isabeau. She is described in the book as a wild warrior in leather with bone necklaces, tattoos all over her arms, and most importantly, serious scars on her neck and arm from where the dogs dragged her out of her own grave. It's too bad they couldn't portray her more accurately.

I also wish there had been another romance in addition to Logan and Isabeau as I didn't ever really feel the connection between them. They both 'felt a connection' when they met and a Hound prophesy paired them, but I didn't quite believe their romance. What I did like were the flashback chapters that showed Isabeau's life during the French Revolution leading up to her death/rebirth as a vampire. I could have devoured a whole book of Isabeau's life.

Still, BLOOD FEUD is getting my recommendation. The romance may have been weaker in this sequel, but the Drake family is still a truly likable bunch, the vampire mythology original, and the pace snappy enough to make this a quick fun read. Plus there are still six Drake brothers who need to find love. I'll be back to read who when the third Drake Chronicles book, Out For Blood, comes out.

Sexual Content: Kissing

My Rating (out of 5):
Good - A fun read with minor flaws. Maybe read an excerpt before buying.

Click HERE to read an excerpt of BLOOD FEUD

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Product Details

Publisher: Walker & Company

Published: 22 June 2010

Format: Paperback 272 pages

See: Full bibliographic data

Categories: Adventure | Science Fiction | Romance

ISBN 13: 9780802720962 ISBN 10: 080272096X

*Disclosure: I received this book courtesy of BBPOC

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