Book review – Angel’s Blood by Sallyann Phillips

As you may have seen me mentioning a few times, my favourite book of 2014 was, without a doubt, Angels Blood by Sallyann Phillips.  But what made this book my favourite?

As a teenager I loved the work of L.J. Smith but as with teenage fiction you get to a point where you outgrow it. Truth be told since that point I have tried multiple paranormal, vampire, supernatural style books but I had never found that instant connection, until now.  I found this book rekindled the same emotions and enjoyment for me as an adult which L.J. Smith’s work did for me as a child, with the added bonus of the writing style being such that I have no concern of outgrowing.

I adore the writing style of this author. I have always loved a story with strong characters which drive a plot forwards, in fact characters and character development make or break a story for me.  I found myself really enjoying the exchange between them, and yes I grinned with them and I have no shame in saying there was even one point in the story I found myself shedding tears, all three times I read it.  (Yes I have read it three times, twice of which was this year.)  The characters are well-thought out and deep, each possessing their own, very real personality. The creation and interactions between them so expertly done you feel like these characters are your friends and you passionately root for them.

But enough about the characters, attempting not to including any spoilers to the plot.  The story follows the protagonist Tavi as she struggles to cope with the recent loss of her father, but in her attempt to ensure her safety finds herself forced into a life which her mother tried so desperately to protect her from. Worse still, her arrival at Camden Falls starts a chain of events that span back countless years, tracing back to before her birth. As she learns more about her history, her origins, she is compelled to put an end to the trouble which links back to the reason her mother so desperately tried to protect her from the life she is trying to embrace.

I found the plot well conceived and gripping,  moving forwards at the perfect pace.  The author introduces a new origin myth for vampires and werewolves which is truly inspired.  The story leaves the reader wanting more and I eagerly await the second book in this compelling series, in fact I can quite confidently say this author has a fan for life.

I honestly believe this work eclipses some of the writings of well-known authors in this genre. I believe given the opportunity Angels Blood could go all the way to the big screen, or at the very least have a TV series.  The reasoning behind my belief, other than the fact this work is brilliant and enjoyable, follows on from the popularity of Vampire Diaries, True blood, Being Human and other such popular series and that’s not even touching films.  I feel the work fills a gap in the genre, there is already so much on the market about vampires, why not now embrace a brilliantly written werewolf focused plot which crosses carefully into vampire terrain in a well-executed manner.

I hope you will pick up a copy for yourself and leave a review on Amazon.

Buy it here