ARC Review: Bloodright by Karin Tabke

 

(More like 3.5 feathers)

Bloodright 

(Blood Moon Rising #2)

by Karin Tabke

First off, I will say that I was a huge fan of the first book. Karin Tabke pulls no punches in this passionate and animalistic erotic romance. What I loved about the first book is its dark and sinful alpha men, Rafael and Lucien and the lone woman who stands between them.

BLOODRIGHT continues off where BLOOD LAW ended. Falon now belongs to the dark and dangerous alpha of the Mondragon clan, Lucien, her former lover’s brother. Things are a complete mess in the beginning. Falon wants nothing to do with Luca and at every turn, she makes it known that her heart lies with his brother and not with Luca. Feeling as if his pride has been tackled by a raging bull, Luca doesn’t take this rejection lightly. He’s an alpha and he also makes that known to Falon. There is no way he is backing down. She belongs to him now. And that is that.

However, Falon is also an alpha and she doesn’t yield when Luca demands her submission. What I liked about Falon in the first book and later on in this book was the fact that despite standing between two alpha men, she isn’t overshadowed by their hard personalities. She definitely holds her own and in turn, gains the respect of both the Vulkusin and Mondragon packs.

I have mixed feelings about this book because though it holds the same passion and the same intensity as the first book, I thought there were a lot of rough patches between Falon and Luca. Readers have already fallen in love with Rafa in the last book, so I was eager to see how Tabke would accomplish the hard task of making Falon love Luca just as much as Rafa in this book. At first, I didn’t feel it. Luca is the exact opposite of Rafa. Where Rafa is honor and light, Luca is torment and darkness. Luca believes that Rafa, his brother, his own blood betrayed him when he stole the life of his chosen one, Mara all those years ago. It’s why the bloodright works now because an eye for an eye means that Luca now has the power to take, or kill Rafa’s chosen one. Instead, he takes his brother’s lover, Falon into his bed.

The first sex between Falon and Luca is a hard one to read. Full of anger and without love, it made me pause because I can’t say I enjoyed it. I have no problem with rough sex, but this wasn’t about that. This was about Luca removing Rafa’s claim on Falon’s body and marking her as his own.

Later sex scenes also gave me another reason to pause. I have read many erotic romances and some of them have pushed my limits, however none of them really stand next to how I felt about this one. The wolf smexing was not to my liking. I get why the author did it. It fits the story – Luca and Falon are passionate wolves and their animalistic urges are natural, but it was just a little weird for me. That awkwardness took some of the heat from the love scenes for me.

Action like you’ve never seen before happens in the latter half of this book. Tabke really kicks things up, ending at a great time that will make readers want to know what happens next. Overall, BLOODRIGHT was another great read by Karin Tabke. I could just do without the wolf smexing next time.

*ARC provided by publisher

 

 

Purchase Links: Amazon

Interview and Giveaway with Karin Tabke!

Helloo Maidens! Please join me in welcoming Paranormal Romance author, Karin Tabke! Ms. Tabke has just released the first book of her new paranormal romance trilogy called Blood Law for Berkley Heat. You can find my fangirl review of Blood Law here.

Karin Tabke is a full-time writer who dapples in various genres, including paranormal romantic suspense under the pen name, Karin Harlow and historical and contemporary romance. You can find more information on Karin Tabke and her books here.

UTC: First off, thank you so much for stopping by today! We appreciate your time and are thrilled to have you here to talk about your new Blood Moon Trilogy! Let’s get started and get to know you better! You write paranormal romance, paranormal romantic suspense, contemporary and even historical (medieval) romance! Do you find it difficult to make the necessary changes in writing style between genres? How do you make sure your “voice” remains distinctly yours?

First off, thank you, Ann for the invite!  I’m really excited to hang out here today! Ok, so to answer your first question, no.  I don’t find it hard to make any changes when I switch subgenres.  My contemporary voice and historical voice while distinct are as much a part of me as my arms and legs.  I can speak with either at any given time.  I don’t have to make sure my voice remains distinctly mine, not anymore.  It’s ingrained, part of my writer fabric now.  All I do now, is hone it.

UTC: Blood Law is the first book in your Blood Moon Trilogy. How did the idea of this series come to be?

I was at the movies with hubby watching Rise of the Lycan.  I had one of those ah hah! moments. The next night we were watching Sons of Anarchy and then my head blew up with the idea!  Hubby was sweet enough to clean up the mess.

UTC: The Blood Law is a crucial aspect to the Blood Moon series and is essentially, the notion of an eye for an eye. What inspired this law?

 The Bible’s eye for an eye.  Lycan are primal.  In nature, wolves are primal and their laws are simple: respect the hierarchy and only the strong survive.

UTC: I adore your main lead characters in Blood Law! What do you love most about your heroine, Falon and your hero, Rafael?

I love Falon’s complexity.  There is so much more to her than what you see.  I love her natural curiosity, her wonder, and her love for Rafael.  Rafe, what can I say about him that hasn’t been said?  He is ruled by honor and duty, but at his core, it is his primal self that overrules all law, lycan or man made.  He is the good son who loves as fiercely as he hates.  He’s torn between his honor and responsibility to his pack, his blood ties to his brother, and his fierce love for Falon.  He cannot have one with out sacrificing the others.

UTC: What was it about the Lycans that intrigued you so much to write a trilogy on them?

Their badassness.  Lycan are the misunderstood rogue’s of the paranormals.  I love that they are so basic in their primal simplicity. And since I write alphas, what better canvas to paint the ultimate alpha?

UTC: Why did you decide to write a paranormal romance series? Is there a genre you prefer to write over others?

I didn’t pick paranormal romance, it picked me!  I love writing love stories, period.  My favorite genre is the one I’m currently writing.  I wrote WANTED, my hot cop contemp novella in the upcoming MEN OUT OF UNIFORM with authors Maya Banks and Sylvia Day in between ENEMY MINE (Karin Harlow paranormal suspense) and writing BLOOD RIGHT, and I grinned the entire time I wrote it. So, really, I love the characters.

UTC: The covers to Blood Law and Blood Right are downright delicious! Did you have a say in the cover art? What was your reaction when you saw it for the first time?  

I know aren’t they just yummy?  Love them!  Yes, I did have a say.  My editor and I talked early on about our vision.  I really wanted the covers to tell a story. Same models for all three books.  The first cover (you can see it on the amazon kindle page) was gorgeous but it didn’t convey the passion between Rafe and Falon I had hoped for.  They knocked the second try out of the park!  I love the BLOOD RIGHT cover and as soon as I can show the BLOOD MOON RISING cover, I will! 

UTC: Out of all the heroines you have written, who would you say is most like you?

Oh no!  Ok, so every one of my heroines has a little piece of me, that’s how I roll!  But, most like me?  Frankie in SKIN and Jax in ENEMY LOVER.  That said, I am not nearly as brave as either of them!  But they have mouths on them and don’t back down, two of my better or worse traits depending on which side you happen to be when experiencing them.

UTC: What can we expect for your next instalment in the Blood Moon trilogy?

BLOOD RIGHT February 2012!  Also, the second book in my Karin Harlow L.O.S.T. series, ENEMY MINE, is releasing Aug  ’11.  I’m excited about this book too!

UTC: What can we expect from your upcoming short story "Wanted" in the "Men Out of Uniform" coming out in October?

A fun, steamy romp!  I loved writing Colin, my hero in that story. While alpha through and through, he has a sense of humor, I loved!  It’s good, really good.

UTC: Tell us, what's next for Karin Tabke?

After I wrap up BLOOD RIGHT, I’ll begin BLOOD MOON RISING, and then it’s back to those sexy Blood Sword Legacy knights!

Thank you again, Karin for stopping by Under the Covers! We appreciate your time and will be eagerly awaiting the next instalment of the Blood Moon Trilogy, Blood Right!

Thank you Ann for the invite!!!

Karin has graciously offered us a SIGNED copy of her newest release, BLOOD LAW to giveaway to one lucky commenter! Open to everyone through May 25 - May 31. To enter, you must follow these instructions:

1. Be a follower of this blog.

2. Leave a comment on this interview or on my Blood Law review here.

3. Leave your email address in your comment.

Winner will be announced on June 1. Good luck to those who enter and thank you for celebrating our 100 follower celebration with us! We appreciate it!

Review: Blood Law by Karin Tabke

Blood Law (Blood Moon Trilogy # 1)

by Karin Tabke

Paranormal Romance

Find it on Goodreads!

MY FANTASY CAST

WARNING! This review will contain squealing, fan-girl obsessions and perhaps a happy dance!

Blood Law is one of the best books I’ve read this year! I’m not quite sure what I was expecting when I picked up this book. Having never read anything by Karin Tabke before, I did not have any real expectations. But once I opened this book, I was completely blown away by the attention to detail, the complex laws they abide by and the compelling characters! If I wasn’t a fan of Ms. Tabke before, I certainly am now! I LOVE THE BLOOD MOON SERIES!

I will admit, Ms. Tabke starts up early in the beginning, detailing the Blood Law and past events that have altered how Rafael and his brother, Lucien live their lives now. It was a little confusing at first because you are thrust into her world and are bombarded with a lot of information all at once. But once you get accustomed to the initial shock and the names settle in, you are right on track with her!

There are so many good things about this book! First off, the characters come off the page, grip you by your shirt and take you on a ride from beginning to end. And when I say that, I mean that Rafael and his heroine, Falon are the most compelling characters I’ve read in a long time. Rafael is the alpha of his pack and he is as ruthless as can be. There is something darkly alluring about him, where he uses fear to his advantage. At first, he refuses to accept Falon as his chosen one but despite his hardened soul, he still cares deeply for her.

Falon is my new favourite heroine! I love her! She was cunning and funny, sexy and sweet! She was the perfect counterpart to Rafe. But perhaps the best thing about her was that, she was a strong, independent heroine, one who didn’t rely on the hero to save her from her own troubles. Falon possesses some special abilities, such as increased strength and speed, but that wasn’t what made her stand out as a heroine. It’s her internal strength that really shone through for me. Falon simply kicked ass.

Another favourite character was Lucien. As Rafe was day, Luca was night and I loved that comparison. The juxtaposition in characters was clearly showcased in their confrontations and I loved every moment of this action-packed book. So much occurs and it was as if a movie was playing inside my head. I completely devoured this book and am now feeling withdrawals because I want the next book so badly!