Wednesday, May 18, 2011

"Blood Law" by Karin Tabke

 


Warning : MINI SPOILER ALERT

Blood Law is the story of two lycan twins Rafael and Lucien cursed to obey the Blood Law that is so much a part of their lycan culture. First off, the Blood Law is pretty much an eye for an eye. At the start of the book Rafael kills his brother Lucien’s supposed mate. The Blood Law says that Lucien now has the right to kill Rafael’s mate, Falon, and then they’re even steven.

With that premise in my mind it was definitely hard for me to get immersed in this story knowing that Rafael would have to sacrifice his mate because his brother wouldn’t accept that the woman whom he thought was his mate WASN’T. Because of this being in the back of my mind I can admit to being in a perpetual state of cardiac arrest. Though, I did enjoy the level of suspense. Will he or won’t he turn her over? How successful will he be at keeping himself from falling in love with her?

What kind of man would willingly mate with a woman knowing that he would have to give her up to Blood Law? Early on in my reading I didn’t know who to be upset with more - Rafael or the author's muse for driving her to create this impossible situation. Such tragedy, betrayal, hate – perfect soap opera material. :rubs hands together:

Karin Tabke did an excellent job of building the tension and expressing the pull Rafael was experiencing between duty to his pack and duty to his mate. Outside of my resentment I was still able to appreciate Rafael’s character. Strong, commanding and very sexual. When he and Falon were in the bedroom they burned up the sheets. The love scenes were smoking hot. Turn the fan on, open a window and grab a popsicle because you’re going to need it. If you can blush – you will.

The one thing that I was not 100% into was the ending. Maybe it was because as I got closer and closer to the end I expected a conclusion. The book ends with the most irritating cliffhanger. Once again, I reserve the right to have an opinion and I am not into cliffhangers. I expected to hear a ‘dun dun dun’ in the background as I got to the end. I actually scrolled up and down a couple of times to make sure that was the end. I could’ve killed someone when it became obvious that there wouldn’t be any conclusion. Chock it up to my love of a HEA. In defense of the author (watch me switch sides) in reality HEA are few and far between. And because this is the start of a series we, as readers, have to start somewhere.

Maybe I belong to a small percentage of readers whom do not like cliffhangers of this sort.

I am not saying I did not take pleasure in reading this book, BECAUSE I DID, and I do plan to continue the series. I am just pointing out little things here and there that I could’ve done without. Fast forward and it pretty much goes like this 

  • Main characters = complex
  • Love scenes = HABANERO
  • Story line = fresh and guaranteed to shake things up 


9 comments:

  1. Oooh you had me until cliffhanger. This sounds so good, but I'm going to wait until the next book comes out. I'm so glad you do this because I'm basically going through your TBR list and waiting for your reviews to branch out into other authors. Good Job!!
    Sidebar: It is actually fascinating that I hate cliffhangers but I'm one of those evil authors that wrote one;)

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thanks for the feedback Janet. I am slowly but surely making my way down my TBR list. Some I've read and need a minute to sit down and do the review for.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Kelly there *was* a dun dun dun DUN! right to the edge of the cliff! :)

    When I began Rafe and Falon's love story, I knew how it had to end to move into BLOOD RIGHT, book two of the trilogy. but what ended up happening was as unexpected for me as it was for readers. I knew as the scene unfolded it would cause a stir, but there was never any question in my mind that it would not stand. I could not, would not, change it to lessen the blow because then I would be second guessing myself and going against the grain of the real story. BLOOD RIGHT is proving to be as crazy and unpredictable! I feel like every time I open the file to write, I'm stepping onto a roller coaster. I just hold on and scream! ;)

    ReplyDelete
  4. I think that's why I enjoyed it so much the freshness of it. How different it was than most of the books I read now. Guess you did your job because I will be reading Blood Right. hehe

    ReplyDelete
  5. Kelly, I promise you, you will not be disapointed.

    ReplyDelete
  6. I loved it and even loved the freaking cliffhanger and I'll be waiting with bated breath so to speak for the next book Blood Right to come out, because I don't know why but I'm actually looking/hoping it turns into a thing where Fallon ends up with both brothers. Yeah I know shoot me but that's they feelings I got to heal the breach between them and she is actually attracted to them both even though she doesn't want to be, I think she can love the tortured Lucien as well as Rafael. So as I said I canna wait to see how it plays out and even if the story goes a different way I have enjoyed everything I've read by Karen that I know I'll love the next book.
    Zina

    ReplyDelete
  7. Thank you, Zina! I canna wait to see how it plays out, either!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Oh Zina don't put such blasphemy in Karin's head. :) No menage, group love! haha Do you watch Vampire Diaries on CW? Cause that sounds like what may happen with Elena, Damon and Stefan.

    ReplyDelete
  9. No, I watch the Disney channel mostly, I live with 8 kids and when my hubby is home he controls the tv I rarely have control that's why I read so much. Hey they don't both have to be with Fallon at the same time every time just sometimes. I just think of all the ankst(sp) that will be going on trying to fix the brothers with Fallon in between.
    Zina

    ReplyDelete