Blood Lily is a book centered around a NYPD independent forensics consultant, named Lilith Adams.  Lilith, or Lily, is a bit special and different in that she is not human, she is a vampire.

Now if you are like me, and you lived trough the Stephanie Meyer’s Twilight era, you might have rolled your eyes at the thought of ANOTHER vampire book.  I promise, this is nothing like that era!  I PROMISE!

First, the vampires in this book are actually like no other vampires I have read about, or seen portrayed.  They don’t have super speed, they aren’t incredibly glamorous, and I sincerely appreciate that.  As a matter of fact, they are essentially just a pinch better than your average human.  While younger vampires will not die in sunlight, the older ones do, simply because they are old and their bodies have weakened.  (Which I think is a nice twist how they are normally written.)

The basic plot of this book, is that Lilith is sent to investigate her missing uncle, and her father sends his head of security (Chance) to go with her. While they are investigating, they discover a six-hundred-year-old mystery, and slew of murders that will change everything in their lives.

If I had to say this book had a downfall, it is that it starts incredibly slow and info dumpy.  A big part of this, in my opinion, is because the author was trying to establish the lore of these vampires, and the world that she has built, but it was hard to slog through all that.  I read this on Kindle, so I was able to mark that this went on for about the first 15% or so of the book.  The info dump and slowness weren’t necessarily bad, but it was a lot to have to wade through.  That being said, when this book picks up, it picks up!  I went from going “I hope this info dump ends soon” to, “I cannot put this book down until I know what happens next.”  

Another thing this book does really well, is the relationship that develops between Chance and Lily.  As you read the book, you discover that Chance has been in love with Lily for thirteen years.  Once she finds out, and examines her own feelings, she realizes that she also likes him.  And then, they actually spend time thinking about their feelings, and what might come next in their relationship.  I am so thankful that the author did not make them fall magically in love.  They had problems, they had fights, they had differences that they had to come to terms with!  IT WAS GREAT!  It is an example of a relationship done really well.

In addition to the blossoming relationship between Chance and Lily, other characters are introduced, one of whom is Cohen, who happens to be another species.  He is not a vampire; he is something else.  The way the author, Jenny, introduces these other species, is done so well.  Often times you see the other species just thrust into the situation with no explanation and you as the reader are just expected to be ok with it.  Jenny introduces the characters with explanation and mystery to keep you intrigued and curious.  She also writes it well enough that for the world she has painted, it is believable that they exist.

That being said, Jenny Allen, after giving you this marvelous story, does something that I consider heinous.  She wrote this interesting and thought absorbing book, and then she left it on a MASSIVE CLIFF HANGER!  Not only does she set up the following book (which does not exist yet) incredibly well, she leaves you as the reader a bit angry knowing that the book is over and you do not know what is going to happen next.

Overall – This was a REALLY good book that I am glad I took the time to read.  Though it was a bit slow to start out with, it picked up and I flew through reading this book.  I love that the author combined a fantasy type story and characters, with a more modern crime type book.  It is a “genre” I don’t see happen to often, but one I do particularly love.  That being said, I am still mad it ended on a cliff hanger.

Plot – 10/10

Characters – 10/10

Originality –  10/10

General Joy of Reading – 8/10

Overall Score – 38/40

Blood Lily – Jenny Allen

Cost* –  Kindle is $9.49 Paperback is $23.45.   

*Cost is based upon what the book cost when book review is published