Blood Canticles, 1
Lola Guntram is used to being an outcast. She's the only blood witch in Fort Rosser, mistrusted by other witches and happier working solo. But when her dark practices make her the prime suspect in a brutal murder investigation, she's forced to turn to others for help. Not that she has many allies—her ex-girlfriend thinks Lola is the killer, and the local coven leader thinks Lola will corrupt them all if she gets too close.
Help comes in an expected—and alluring—form. Tristesse is a demon on the run, beautiful, enigmatic, and suspiciously keen to assist Lola while she chases down the real killer. How can Lola refuse? With the police breathing down her neck, accusations flying, and inhuman monsters on the streets, Lola needs all the help she can get. The killer is angry, desperate, and determined. But so is Lola Guntram. And she doesn't care how dark or bloody the magic has to get—she's going to stop them.
Be Warned: f/f interaction
Excerpt:
The Red Lotus was a sleek, discreet building nestled in the heart of Fort Rosser's club district. From the outside, it didn't look much different from the cocktail bars or dance clubs around it. Once you got inside, that changed. Lola had no intention of going inside.
The police were gone when she arrived, but the streetlights shone off the neon police tape running along the front of the building. Rowan leaned against one of those streetlights, holding a pair of towering high heels in one hand and a cigarette in the other. In the pre-dawn light, she looked ethereal, blonde ringlets tumbling round her porcelain-skinned face. She ought to be wearing a flowing white gown, Lola thought, and clutching dead roses to her chest. The shoes and cigarette just didn’t work with the Victorian waif look.
Lola felt a moment of apprehension as she approached. Rowan looked wounded, her eye make-up smeared, her hands shaking. Then that primitive voice reminded Lola that Rowan had accused her of murder. If either of them deserved to look – and feel – wounded, it wasn’t Rowan.
“Hey,” she shouted as she stalked up. She couldn’t bring herself to use Rowan’s name. “What the fuck is wrong with you?”
Rowan jolted as if she’d been hit, swinging her head towards Lola. Her eyes widened and she dropped her shoes to the pavement, slipping into them quickly and expertly. With the heels, Rowan was a good four inches taller than Lola. She used that height well as she walked to meet Lola, glaring down at her and blowing cigarette smoke into her face. “What the fuck is wrong with me?” she spat back. “How dare you –”
“How dare you send the cops to my house with murder accusations! How could you?” Lola’s wrists itched and she dug her nails into her palms to suppress the urge to scratch. “Do you honestly think I’m capable of murder or is this just some sick coven game?”
“The Choir doesn’t play games with people’s lives,” Rowan said. “That’s a blood witch’s work.”
Lola felt her nails slice into her palms. The pain was grounding, just enough to keep her from screaming at Rowan. “I’ve never killed anyone. I’ve never harmed anyone. Making completely baseless, vile accusations against me—”
“Baseless!” Rowan did scream. “I found the body, Lola! I saw what was done and I know what it meant.”
“And you thought of me,” Lola said softly. “You saw a dead woman and your first thought was that I did it. Do you hate me, Rowan? Do you really think I’m capable of killing someone?”
Rowan’s face softened. “I don’t hate you.”
“You hate me enough for this.”
“No…No. I just…” Rowan took a deep drag on her cigarette, then dropped it and stomped it out. “Swear to me, Lola. Swear you’re not responsible.”
“I shouldn’t have to swear. You should trust me.”
“You’re the only blood witch I know and this woman died in a blood ritual. Swear to me you weren’t involved and I’ll believe you.”
She wanted someone to talk to, Lola thought, someone who might understand or explain. Rowan’s eyes shone with unshed tears and she was shivering. Cold, tired, scared, that was how she looked. A little of Lola’s anger melted away.
“I swear. Of course I swear. I have an alibi, Rowan. The police will be calling her first thing to verify. I haven’t been anywhere near the Red Lotus and I haven’t killed anyone. Ever.”
Rowan’s shoulders sagged. “Okay,” she said. “Then tell me who did.”
Intriguing plot, a bit too short for my taste, luckily there is a second one since it keeps you wanting answers at the end. Makes sense too since it felt unfinished. If you're looking for a romance novel, this isn't it...yet anyway.
Loved this book. Only downside is the series is only 2 books so far.
Blood Witch was a good one, took me a while to figure out who the bad guy was, have to say I liked that, it was a pleasant surprise (no spoilers I promise). Lola was an outcast but she was not all angsty about it, (thank you) because I am so over that life. She got knocked down by her Ex, got back up, suffered some losses got back up, met a hottie, suffered some self doubt because of tha hottie, got back up. Blood Witch is not all dark we have comic relief in the form of some tag along friends and the demon hottie girlfriend, the EX and her man all mixing and bringing the drama. Blood Witch made for a good read with nonstop action and a little dying. If you are thinking about giving F/F a try I would definitely give Blood Witch a try, the XXX scenes flowed naturally, this is so not erotica so no need to be scared.
New to this author and I'll continue to read her books. I've already completed book 2 in the series. Storyline is sound, main characters are well-developed. *mild spoiling * - It's not clear why even at the end of the book the demon is so close-mouthed about information, her history, etc - why is her ex's boyfriend kept as such a mystery? Not well developed - Lola isn't as knowledgeable as I thought she might be Anyway, I enjoyed the F/F interaction and like the fact that it doesn't overshadow main storyline.
Fast, intense, and at times funny, but serious also. Lola is great, Rowan is very good, and the demon is fantastic. I found this book late son I get to slide right into the next. Interesting stuff in here. I wonder if any of this magic is actually practiced? In New Orleans? Maybe. So much better than I thought it would be.
If anyone had asked me a couple of months ago if I’m a fan of urban fantasy, they would have received a resounding, no! I tended to avoid the genre as often the world building and plots confused me. Thankfully that was not the case while reading Blood Witch. This story is rich in depth. Complex, yet easy to follow. Naomi has crafted a world that I found myself completely submerged in. I connected with Lola right from the beginning. At times I wished I didn’t feel so connected to her, as her constant need to itch the scars on her wrist, had me doing the same. The spiritual side to her personality, her ability to read auras, fascinated me as a reader and appealed to me on a personal level. The story starts with a bang, when the first body turns up, dead! From there the body count grows, the plot thickens, cops are brought into investigate. The demon Tristesse insinuates herself in Lola’s life. Rogue vampires turn humans, and chaos ensues. Not once did I find myself lost while reading this story, and nor for the life of me could I imagine how it would all play out! The story was full of mystery and suspense. It would be fair to say the story was everything but predictable. While sex is certainly far from the forefront of this complex story, there are a couple of sexy scenes sure to satisfy readers who enjoy some ‘adult’ content. My inner lesbian purred! I highly recommend this story to readers who enjoy interwoven plots, with magic, witches, demons, rogue vampires, and a touch of spice. I can’t wait to get my hands on the sequel.
This book is quite delightful. With a cornucopia of information and insights into the multi-leveled world of witches, magic, demons, and demonology, as I was reading, my brain was consistently tilted off-center and my eyes flooded with delectable details and illuminative intricacies infusing the manipulators and the manipulated. The variety of witches and demons, their powers, and their passionate intensities provide an additional backdrop for a tense, challenging, and magnificently enticing mystery story. Furthermore there are some very human idiosyncrasies at play, too. Then there are the prejudices, flimsy judgmental accusations, some actually quite hurtful at times yet humorous on occasion, but possibly slanderous obstacles undermining the power and focus of a certain witch who possibly holds the key to positively everyone's survival. Extremely mind-bogglingly inventive! The only blood witch within this extraordinary community is Lola Guntram and she is quite talented, curious, and pretty much the center of attention for all citizens and new denizens within her town. Later in the story her name is surprisingly besmirched by an exceedingly astounding character the likes of which I have yet to encounter in my readings. However, right from the start Lola is on the defensive and then fairly rapidly she is coerced into saving all the folks who have so often treated her with disdain. I sometimes felt off balance around Lola, but I certainly ended up finding her eminently admirable. Her rapidly developing supernatural talents provide some of the most eye-popping and enjoyable episodes within this story. Lola is not only a pip, but a phenomenally skilled witch opening up my eyes to countless concepts and deliciously awesome adventures. If the concept of a blood witch exists beyond the confines of this fabulous book, I must really track that down. Impressively wondrous! The startling entity that manages to materialize within this society on the coattails of a truly incredible pre-meditated and horrific elicitation is just another unexpected pleasure among countless scenarios. Since she is heads and shoulders more astonishing than any other character I have encountered or read about, I am reluctant to give the reader her name. I am confident anyone experiencing this story will know who I am referencing and will bask in the amazing incredulousness of this one-of-a-kind existence as much as I did. She is bewilderingly exceptional in her skill and her sensuousness. It would be conspicuously sublime if an entire book would some day be focused around such an inconceivably regal yet unquestionable delightfully loving multi-faceted marvel. Gloriously compelling! This is a must-read not once or twice, but as many times as needed to feel that every element is as clear as possible and as unforgettable as death and life purports to be. Splendidly transforming!
Blood Witch was a good one, took me a while to figure out who the bad guy was, have to say I liked that, it was a pleasant surprise (no spoilers I promise). Lola was an outcast but she was not all angsty about it, (thank you) because I am so over that life. She got knocked down by her Ex, got back up, suffered some losses got back up, met a hottie, suffered some self doubt because of tha hottie, got back up. Blood Witch is not all dark we have comic relief in the form of some tag along friends and the demon hottie girlfriend, the EX and her man all mixing and bringing the drama. Blood Witch made for a good read with nonstop action and a little dying. If you are thinking about giving F/F a try I would definitely give Blood Witch a try, the XXX scenes flowed naturally, this is so not erotica so no need to be scared.
