Bloodrealms Book Review and Giveaway

A couple of weeks ago, I shared my review of Bloodmark; the first book in Aurora Whittet's, The Bloodmark Saga Trilogy.  I was so drawn into the storyline that I immediately picked up the second book in the series, Bloodrealms.  What did I think of Bloodrealms, the second book from Whittet's Bloodmark series? 

I received a complimentary copy of this book for use in my review.  All opinions are my own. 

Quick Summary of Bloodrealms: Book 2 of The Bloodmark Saga Trilogy: Werewolf princess Ashling Boru's eighteenth birthday is only a year away, which means that she only has twelve months before she is claimed and fulfills her prophecy to unite the packs and lead her people. Her father decrees that her four suitors must fight in the Bloodrealms, the werewolves' ancient underground fighting world, and the winner will have King Boru's choice to win Ashling's hand. The wolf laws are rigid and barbaric, and Ashling's illicit love for Grey, if discovered, will mean his death. But when Ashling and Grey get trapped in the blood-soaked depths of the Bloodrealms, they find ancient horrors far greater than Ashling's father's rule.

With betrayal around every corner and old nemeses set to destroy Ashling, she is more divided than ever between the destiny she didn't choose and the love that she did. To make matters worse, her decision will not only set the course of her future, but the future of her entire race.

Bloodrealms offers non-stop action and adventure. The second book in this trilogy becomes a little more complicated as the settings change somewhat drastically, new characters and plot twists are introduced, and the pace continues to move rather quickly. I found myself reading Bloodrealms a little more slowly than the first book so that I could keep all of the events and characters in order in my mind. Bloodrealms is definitely even more action packed than Bloodmoon with much darker settings and scenes. 

Readers will find more characters to love--and hate--and question. The author does a nice job in keeping readers guessing about characters--and their motivations and loyalties-- throughout this story. The main character, Ashling, grows and changes a lot as she lives through the events of the book. She was a little inconsistent at times through the early-middle of the book--but, returned to the strong character readers will expect by the end. Most of the many characters introduced serve purposes to the storyline--and those purposes are sometimes surprising.

Readers will need to read the series in order. The books in this trilogy truly build upon each other and readers will need to read the entire series to understand the significance of events and feel connected to the characters and the plot.

Would I recommend Bloodrealms by Aurora Whittet? The second book is much darker and more deeply rooted in the story's ancient, werewolf world. It is a little more complicated and convoluted than the first--and readers will need to read with a little more attention to detail. This book keeps up the mix of romance, action, adventure, drama, mystery, suspense--but, this book becomes more of a book setting the foundation for the heroine to save the world from evil. Action and adventure with stronger, violent scenes are more prevalent in this book than the first. I especially think the themes are a little mature for tween/young teens--but, I still think both young adults and older adults will connect with the characters and Whittet's storyline. Readers will not find much resolution to many of the story's conflicts at the end of this book--moving on to the third book is a necessity.

Buy Bloodrealms:  Amazon ~ Barnes & Noble 

Buy Bloodmark:  Amazon ~ Barnes & Noble  

Meet the Author: 

Aurora Whittet started out as a wild red-haired girl in Minnesota dreaming up stories for her friends to read. Mama’s Knight: A Cancer Story of Love is just the latest in a string of acclaimed works. Her first official writing endeavor became The Bloodmark Saga, featuring a werewolf princess-turned-ruler who falls in love with a human boy. 

Her first novel in the Bloodmark Saga, Bloodmark, came out in 2013, followed by Bloodrealms in 2014 and the final book Bloodmoon in 2016.

Connect with the author: Website ~ Twitter ~ Facebook ~ Instagram

Enter to win a Prize in the Book Tour Giveaway 

a Rafflecopter giveaway