Killing Vampires? Easy. Tracking someone? Simple. Helping, and protecting a Vampire slayer . . . . Bloody hard work!
Thirteen years ago, Brendan Daniels made a deal with a psychic. In exchange for information on the whereabouts of a Rogue Werewolf, he promised to help and protect Sofia’s granddaughter. Unfortunately, he had no idea what he was letting himself, or his Pack, in for.
Nothing about Heather is simple, from her weird dietary needs to her life’s mission. The girl can handle herself, but the promise to protect her soon becomes a need, and one he can’t fully understand.
Vampire Slayer. Born Infected. Addicted to blood . . . but not by choice.
Heather Ryan is the current Slayer in a long family line. Like all before her, she has spent her life searching for her ancestor, Marko Pavel, the Vampire her family has sworn to kill. If that isn’t complicated enough, she is also a born “Infected”, and to keep her from becoming insane or giving in to her darker side, she is on a very strict diet.
Now that her Grandmother Sofia has passed, it is up to Heather to take the family legacy into her own hands. Or at least, it would have been…if her Grandmother hadn’t sent a Werewolf to help her.
What is the irritating Brendan supposed to help her with? Sofia never told either of them. Luckily, it doesn’t take long for Heather and Brendan to find out that the Vampires have big plans, and that the Leeches have waited a long time for them both.
After reading She-Wolf, the prequel to the Blood series, I could not wait to begin CRANBERRY BLOOD. I was eager to have answers to questions that arose in the prequel. I was not disappointed as I got more than I had bargained for.
This story was awesome and I am not sure I can adequately put into words how incredible it was. From the moment I began reading, I was pulled into the story. I did not want to put it down until the end. Unfortunately, life got in the way so it took me longer to finish than I would have wanted to.
I first met Brendan Daniels in She-Wolf. He is a werewolf and the fourth in line for the Alpha position within his pack. It was on the completion of the prequel that I realised he would be playing a significant role in this installment. He had made a pact with a clairvoyant named Sophia wherein he agreed to protect her granddaughter when she turned twenty-one. He had no clue what this would entail, but being a man of integrity, he would honour his agreement.
Heather Ryan is not your typical twenty-one-year-old. First and foremost, she is an Infected, meaning she was infected with the vampire virus. She was unique to her species, meaning that she was not bitten by a vampire, but was born with the virus. Secondly, she is from a long line of slayers who were dedicated to killing an ancient vampire named Marko Pavel. Now that her grandmother is dead, Heather is determined to fulfill her destiny by hunting and killing the elusive Marko. What she never expected nor wanted was the help of a werewolf. However, to honour her grandmother’s wishes, she agreed to accept Brendan’s help.
The focus of this installment was on the vampires. Apparently there are various stages in the process of becoming a vampire, which I found interesting. The process was not typical of what I am accustomed to from this genre. There are the Infected (humans who were bitten but not turned until they received vampire blood) and full-fledged vampires. The vampires are conducting experiments and to achieve their goals they have targeted Heather. In addition, werewolves are on their radar. What are they trying to accomplish? Will Heather and Brendan be able to stop them before they accomplish their nefarious goals?
Without a doubt, I loved Brendan and Heather. I enjoyed their banter. Their initial encounter was so entertaining that I could not help but chuckle during their arguments. Their need to prove who was the better fighter was so cute and endearing. I could not help but to be drawn to them. Their chemistry was off the charts. It was evident that what started out as a quest to honour an agreement was turning into something more meaningful.
Brendan has a way to make you trust and open up to him, however, he prefers to keep his feelings close to his heart. He is not afraid to fight for what he believes and will lay down his life to protect those he cares about. Heather is a kick-ass heroine, however, beneath her tough exterior lies a vulnerable soul.
Sofia never revealed what was going to happen, the only thing she advised was that they cannot change their path. Her messages were cryptic and not easy to figure out. This made things rather interesting, especially for Heather and Brendan. What were Sofia’s real intentions?
The story is full of action, adventure, and suspense. It had me hooked and I was eager to know what was going to happen next. There were some very intense moments that had me on the edge of my seat. There are some romantic elements, but this was not the focus. The manner in which it was portrayed indicates that this is something to look forward to in future installments.
Verdict:
If you are a fan of werewolves and vampires and you are looking for a unique read then look no further. CRANBERRY BLOOD will offer you all that you need. However, be warned. Once you start, you will not be able to put it down.
Nadene's addiction to reading began at an early age, when a family friend gifted her a copy of Wuthering Heights. From that moment she was never without a book.She will read anything as long the material is compelling enough to hold her attention. She gained many experiences through the pages of the books she had the opportunity to read.She created this blog to share her love of books with like minded individuals hopes that in sharing reviews of the books read visitors to the blog will discover their next addictive read. When not reading, Nadene enjoys cooking, listening to music and watching television.
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