The secrets of blood and bone a novel
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Venice, 16th Century. Having undertaken a mission of the upmost discretion, occultist and scholar Edward Kelley finds the answers he seeks are more perilous than can be believed, and his ultimate salvation means confronting the darkest deeds of his past. England, 21st Century. Running from her past and hiding from her future, Jackdaw Hammond buys a new home in the middle of nowhere. But her fresh start is threatened by a wild magic similar to her own. The legacy of Edward Kelley remains, and with their fates inexorably entwined, the battle for Jackdaw's soul has just begun. A stunning follow up to 'The secrets of life and death', Rebecca Alexander has created a gripping supernatural thriller that bridges time, legend and the power of blood.
Series
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3 primary books#2 in Jackdaw Hammond
Jackdaw Hammond is a 3-book series with 3 released primary works first released in 2013 with contributions by Rebecca Alexander.
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My Thoughts:
This is the second installment in the Jackdaw Hammond series by Victoria Alexander. In this book there are two different stories being told at once. One is set in the present time following a Jack.
This was slightly confusing. Every other chapter is in a different time setting. There are a lot of characters to follow. The haracter development wasn't very strong so it was easy to forget who everyone was.
Present day, you have one girl, Jack, who was saved from death by magic struggling to understand what she has become as a result. Another, Sadie, fighting for her life. Both girls have some weird abilities, which, in my opinion, is really the only thing that saved the book.
The parts set in the past were boring and gloomy. I really think these parts of the book should have been trimmed down because they seemed to drag on forever. Actually the whole book could have been trimmed down, and would have been much more enjoyable if it had been.
To be honest, this book was all over the place, and slow moving. I am still confused about things, and not because of the way it ended in a cliffhanger. I didn't read the first book, but I don't think it would have made a big difference. I am a huge fan of books from this genre, but this one was just blah. I really wanted to like this. I was excited after reading the synopsis and had seen reviews of this book stating that it would be okay to read it as a standalone.
Also, there is a rather descriptive sexual assault scene. If those things bother you, stay away. The incident is brought up over and over.
Excerpt:
“Borrowed timers are always skinny.” Jack thought back to the moment when she had augmented her life - preserving magic with a mouth full of fresh blood. It had infused her with energy, enough to last three months. For a moment, the craving for Felix''s warm arm, the cut skin against her tongue, the slow pulsing of salt into her mouth, overwhelmed her.
About the Author:
REBECCA ALEXANDER is the author of The Secrets of Life and Death. She has worked in psychology and education, and has an MA in Creative Writing. She lives with her husband on the coast of England.
Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00R04MD7W/ref=tmm_kin_title_0?ie=UTF8&qid=1446229916&sr=8-1
I recieved a copy of this book from Blogging for Books in exchange for an honest review.
