Witches, and Vampires, and Spirited Bonded? Oh my!
A Dream of Blood and Magic
Spirited Marked
Fantasy, Romance
Three Brothers Press
12 June 2024
EBook, Paperback
428
Underworld meets Kingdom of the Wicked in this forbidden love, rivals to lovers, high stakes, slow-burn gothic contemporary fantasy romance.
A SINISTER DARKNESS BREWS, SOWING THE SEEDS OF WAR. AND AT THE CENTER OF IT ALL IS A YOUNG WITCH WILLING TO RISK IT ALL TO SAVE THOSE SHE LOVES.
When a mysterious crow crash-lands through Avery Jaxon’s Brooklyn apartment window, awakening the elemental magic dormant in her veins, Avery soon discovers her entire life has been a skillfully woven lie, and that even her new avian friend holds secrets of its own, including the answers to her shrouded past.
But pulling back the veil is only the beginning. An ancient prophecy has been set in motion, thrusting Avery into a centuries-old supernatural war between witches and vampires.
Seeking to harness Avery’s rare and ancient power, the most notorious dark arts witch hive in the world is on the hunt to find Avery before she’s captured by Kane, a vampire sworn to protect humankind from the next Spirit Marked—a foretold witch with such immense, raw magic, it will threaten to destroy all life on Earth.
Now, to save humanity and protect her friends, Avery must learn to control her potent magic, all while building an alliance with the warrior vampire sent to seize her. Their destinies are more entwined than either could have ever foreseen. But despite the magic that binds their paths and the enigmatic attraction growing between them, Avery struggles to trust the man born to be her enemy.
However, Kane’s not the only vampire thirsting for the honeyed taste of Avery’s blood...someone else also seeks to wage a war against her heart.
In the end, Avery must not only grapple with the painful truth behind her family’s past, but she’ll need to accept the journey laid out before her. For not only do the lives of those she loves depend on it, but so do the lives of every mortal and immortal creature alike.
Intended for audiences 18 years+ Please check the author's website for a full list of CW/TW
Olivia Boothe’s A Dream of Blood and Magic is first and foremost a romp that thoroughly kept me on my toes.
Avery thinks she’s a normal, if a bit troubled, twenty-something. She doesn’t know what to make of the vivid dreams and waking visions she’s had ever since her parents died, but she knows she’s not crazy and that she’s just got to survive. This theory is rapidly crumbling, though, when contact with a crow awakens elemental magic in her, and shapeshifters are revealed. And if all that weren’t enough, the warring sects of vampires, witches, and the characters from her dreams firmly cement the fact that she might not be normal.
I think we all can agree that some of the charm of Romantasy books is the comfort of tropes. They reach tropes because they’re great stuff. So sometimes reading something new from an author you’re not familiar with can fall into a comfortable routine in the archetypes we all love. That can’t be said for A Dream of Blood and Magic. Yes, there are still tropes in the overarching elements. But maybe I was off my game because I really had no idea where a lot of this was going. That ‘just another chapter’ feeling made this story exciting and unexpected. But upon reflection, it also helped smooth out some of its weak points. This book is maximalism in both the best and worst ways.
We’ve got several POVs, though for the most part, the book alternates between Avery, Azrael, and Kane. I’m delighted to report that I found the action to be distributed properly and the narrations distinct enough to make the transitions clear. My only complaint with this would be portions of Azrael’s dialogue. Though he’s a vampire who’s been entombed for the last five hundred years, he uses some interesting British slang. While I can say that I’m not the type to categorize my need for my vampires to be historically accurate as a must, I will say there were a few phrases repeated that did really pull me out of it.
This book has so many really interesting plot points. So many to the point where you start to wonder if it’s too many. There were portions that, though exciting, weren’t brought back up. I think this series is going to be dramatic in its execution. It’s possible that some plot points should’ve been cut or delved into deeper. But I’m really rooting for this to be some elaborate, long con groundwork being laid, because if it is I feel confident saying this series will be amazing. That being said, even if that’s not the case I believe that despite the need to trim some potential fat this is still a fun read and I’ve every intention of continuing the series!
Gabi grew up moving around the world with her family, making books in English a bit of a luxury that had to be rationed. Nowadays she lives in East London, where books can be read as voraciously as she likes. Fantasy books will forever be her first love, and she’s always looking for the next series to consume both of her brain cells. Her days generally consist of working as a software developer, squeezing in a chapter at her desk, and pining after the Picadilly Waterstones.
