Red Blooded by Amanda Carlson

Title: Red Blooded

Author: Amanda Carlson

Publisher: Orbit

Rating: 3/5

Amanda Carlson returns with Red Blooded, the four novel in the Jessica McClain series. I have been away from reviewing for a while, due to university work and dissertation writing, so it was great to get back into the swing of things with another action packed read from Carlson.

We are dropped straight into the action with Jessica being transported straight to…Hell. In the literal sense. As fan’s will remember, Jessica’s brother, Tyler, was kidnapped by the Prince of Hell at the end of the last installment, Cold Blooded, and of course Jess is heading straight there to get him back. Things don’t got to plan and she winds up there alone, unarmed and unprepared. Jess’s reluctance is more than just not wanting to enter the Underworld, but she knows that her Fate is in some way linked to her presence in Hell. However, she must take the risk if she wants to see her brother again.

Ninety-percent of Red Blooded takes place in the Underworld, and luckily it is a very interesting setting, with no end of problems for our heroine. She meets some interesting characters along the way, some more mysterious than others, and there are plenty of plot twists to keep readers satisfied.

Carlson’s energetic writing is spot on as always, and as a result this can be a quick read. Once you get stuck into this series, you will be hard pressed not to finish this novel in only a few sittings, which was also the case with the first three books.

That’s not to say this book is perfect; I did have a few niggles it. Mainly, the absence of of the usual characters. Of course, this is due to the fact that because the entire novel takes place in the Underworld, there is no contact with Jess’s pack, or anyone back in her world. Secondly, there is little interaction between Jessica and Rourke. Although he does follow Jess into Hell, and is the only other character who features in the novel almost as much as Jess, I still felt there was a lack of dialogue between the two compared to the pervious instalments.

Having said that, there are some massive plot developments towards the end and the series takes an unexpected turn. Luckily, the next book is out in June, because there are plenty of cliffhangers to keep fans eager for book five.

Hot Blooded by Amanda Carlson REVIEW

Jessica McClain’s story continues in Hot Blooded, the second installment in the Jessica McClain series.

I feel that a quick recap of the first book is needed for some context here; Jessica has just discovered that she is the only female werewolf in the world. However, this is no reason for celebration. It means she is now a target. She recently found her mate, Rourke, only for him to be kidnapped by a powerful goddess.

Hot Blooded picks up where Full Blooded left off, with Jessica eager to begin searching for her mate. But things are never as straight forward as they seem when you’re the only female werewolf around, and in Hot Blooded, Jessica comes to realise this more than ever when she is able to unimaginable things, things that no werewolf has ever been able to do, with powers that no other supernatural – or ‘supe’ as they are nicknamed in the series – can do. It’s clear that the sooner she can learn and understand her new powers, the better.

As with Full Blooded, I am surprised at how much I love this series. It could so easily become another – very forgettable – werewolf series ridden with plot holes and pointless characters; however, Amanda Carlson once again has exceeded my expectations and managed to pull off a second installment with just as much sass as the first. Jessica is a feisty; no nonsense woman who knows when enough is enough. She has close ties to her twin bother, Tyler, and her Pack mate, Danny, who help her on an adventure/quest to rescue her mate. They also enlist the help of two vampires, Naomi and Eamon, who bring some unexpected scenarios when Naomi is badly injured and only Jessica can save using a power she never knew she had.

It is in this book Carlson starts to slowly reveal just what an exception to the werewolf race Jessica really is. Her powers are unheard of, but is that a good thing or bad? There is the small matter of a prophecy claiming that ‘her birth will signify the end of their race’. How true is that?

The interaction between the characters is quick-witted and humorous, and despite Hot Blooded being such a fast paced novel, Carlson does an excellent job of making us the forget the wider threats and enjoy the small banter between the main characters. The best scenes are between Jessica and Ray, who seems to be in the series for the long haul judging by how things were left in this book…

There are also hints at relationships developing between some of the characters in this novel, and certain threats to be faced in the future novels, so nothing is wrapped up in this installment – and hopefully there will be many more Jessica McClain books to come.