Publication Date: October 2011
Publisher: Tell-Tale Publishing Group
Genre: Paranormal, Urban Fantasy
Pages: E-book format, 553 KB
ASIN: B005TMN7KE
(Received for an honest review from Tell-Tale Publishing Group)
Purchase: Amazon, Barnes & Noble
Sherry D. Ficklin on the WEB: website, blog, facebook, twitter
Video:
Synopsis:
A young mother has vanished without a trace and Sophie D'Angelo has
been hired to solve the cold case that left police stumped. Tensions are
high between the local cops and the newly 'out of the coffin' vampire
community, landing Sophie smack in the middle of the toughest mystery
she's ever faced and in the middle of a possible civil war. Her only
allies are her loud, overbearing Italian family and her ex-fiancee
turned-vampire, Caleb, who shares her house, her business, and generally
gets on her nerves. If he wasn't already dead, she'd probably kill him.
As if that wasn't enough, Sophie has become the fixation of a twisted
killer who is leaving a trail of bodies straight to her door.
Can Sophie uncover the truth behind the strange disappearance and unmask her stalker before she, or someone she loves, becomes his next victim?
Thoughts:
Author Sherry Ficklin has delved into several different genres and styles of writing. This time she turns her hand to the paranormal realm. In her latest book Born of Blood, the first book in the Palmetto Moon series, Ficklin takes on the challenge of the vampire community. This is a sub-genre that has really taken off since the success of Twilight and other paranormal novels and movies. Readers have so much to choose from in this area that it is imperative that writers bring something new and interesting to the table and Ficklin is able to do that in this novel.
Ficklin explores the vampire myth against a backdrop of a private investigation firm and a human heroine with ties to the undead world.
Ficklin's vampires live among their human counterparts out in the open, but are still facing many issues involving their civil rights. I thought this was interesting premise and provides a lot of potential to be explored in future books. It's interesting to see how Ficklin builds the world that her characters are living in. She has a knack for stretching the boundaries of what readers expect from vampires and using it to her advantage. Ficklin's world building comes across as fresh and inventive.
Character development in a new series is always a challenge. Ficklin had to balance just the right amount of back story while giving the reader a clear idea of who each character was and what their motivations were, not an easy task. I felt like the main character, Sophie was well developed and readers were able to get a feel for who she was personally and professionally. While other supporting characters could have used a little more work. Hopefully, as the series continues Ficklin will spend more time allowing the reader to see how the supporting cast will enhance the series. Caleb and Rayne both have a lot of potential, but I don't think it was tapped to the greatest effect in this one.
Overall I thought Born of Blood was a great first effort for a new series. I generally don't always enjoy the first book in a series, because so much time is devoted to setting up what's to come, that the action in the first book is left a little wanting. Ficklin carries this book well and the action is well placed and interesting. I think readers will easily identify with Sophie and what her expectations of the future of Palmetto Moon will be. There is a lot of potential here and I'm looking forward to where the author takes this one. There were some editorial issues, but nothing overwhelming that couldn't be overlooked for the sake of a good story. Born of Blood is recommended to Paranormal and Urban Fantasy readers looking for a new take on the vampire myth.
I'm giving this one 4 out of 5 apples from my book bag!
Sherry is a full time writer from Colorado where she lives with her
husband, four kids, two dogs, and a fluctuating number of chickens and
house guests. A former military brat, she loves to travel and meet new
people. She can often be found browsing her local bookstore with a large
white hot chocolate in one hand and a towering stack of books in the
other. That is, unless she's on deadline at which time she, like the
Loch Ness monster, is often only seen in blurry photographs.
Her teen fantasy series, The Gods of Fate Trilogy, is forthcoming from Dragonfly Publishing. Book 1, Foresight, and book 2, Second Sight, are now available everywhere books are sold. Her first adult horror novel, Palmetto Moon, is forthcoming from Tell-Tale Publishing.
Author Sherry Ficklin has delved into several different genres and styles of writing. This time she turns her hand to the paranormal realm. In her latest book Born of Blood, the first book in the Palmetto Moon series, Ficklin takes on the challenge of the vampire community. This is a sub-genre that has really taken off since the success of Twilight and other paranormal novels and movies. Readers have so much to choose from in this area that it is imperative that writers bring something new and interesting to the table and Ficklin is able to do that in this novel.
Ficklin explores the vampire myth against a backdrop of a private investigation firm and a human heroine with ties to the undead world.
Ficklin's vampires live among their human counterparts out in the open, but are still facing many issues involving their civil rights. I thought this was interesting premise and provides a lot of potential to be explored in future books. It's interesting to see how Ficklin builds the world that her characters are living in. She has a knack for stretching the boundaries of what readers expect from vampires and using it to her advantage. Ficklin's world building comes across as fresh and inventive.
Character development in a new series is always a challenge. Ficklin had to balance just the right amount of back story while giving the reader a clear idea of who each character was and what their motivations were, not an easy task. I felt like the main character, Sophie was well developed and readers were able to get a feel for who she was personally and professionally. While other supporting characters could have used a little more work. Hopefully, as the series continues Ficklin will spend more time allowing the reader to see how the supporting cast will enhance the series. Caleb and Rayne both have a lot of potential, but I don't think it was tapped to the greatest effect in this one.
Overall I thought Born of Blood was a great first effort for a new series. I generally don't always enjoy the first book in a series, because so much time is devoted to setting up what's to come, that the action in the first book is left a little wanting. Ficklin carries this book well and the action is well placed and interesting. I think readers will easily identify with Sophie and what her expectations of the future of Palmetto Moon will be. There is a lot of potential here and I'm looking forward to where the author takes this one. There were some editorial issues, but nothing overwhelming that couldn't be overlooked for the sake of a good story. Born of Blood is recommended to Paranormal and Urban Fantasy readers looking for a new take on the vampire myth.
Born of Blood is available NOW from your favorite bookseller.
I'm giving this one 4 out of 5 apples from my book bag!
Her teen fantasy series, The Gods of Fate Trilogy, is forthcoming from Dragonfly Publishing. Book 1, Foresight, and book 2, Second Sight, are now available everywhere books are sold. Her first adult horror novel, Palmetto Moon, is forthcoming from Tell-Tale Publishing.
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