Reign of Blood
** Originally Posted @ ReadingDiva's Blog Rating 5 of 5**Contains Minor Spoilers**
Review: Whoa, talk about non-stop action and great characters. I came across this book recently and decided to give it a try to make it part of my July Dystopia Month, I am quite happy I did. The result is this review. I struggled a bit trying to come up with the right words to describe how much I enjoyed it.
The post apocalyptic America that Alexia Purdy has created is different from any other dystopia/post-apocalyptic book I read. We are introduced to a family of 3, April, Jeremy & Helen who struggles and fights to survive in a world that no longer belongs to them. April, her brother and mother live in a bunker, in the forest surrounding Las Vegas Nevada. Their world fell apart the day the virus spread turning more than three-quarter of population in America into vampires. However, April and her family were not affected by the virus, at least not in the same way it affected everyone else. This is where the fun starts.
I signed, wondering how many humans were l eft after the virus hit. I hadn’t found one soul that I had known in my previous life. My mother had insisted on fleeing for the mountains when it became apparent that the vampires were not going to be leaving any humans alive. The massacre of the city, the chaos, had been a scene from a horror show
One day during their daily raids Apri’s mother and brother get kidnapped, and April finds herself making alliances with who she least expected. Alexia Purdy’s take on vampires is unique; her creativity is what I find most refreshing. The world Alexia Purdy created can be easily compared to stories such as I am Legend (movie) & The Immortal Rules by Julia Kagawa. I am not implying she has taken ideas from these stories, what sets her apart is the uniqueness and her creativity which breaks the rule that seems to exist in today’s dystopia/paranormal world.
Never tease anything that wants to eat you. My name is April Tate and my blood is the new gold. Vampires and hybrids have overrun my world, once vibrant with life, but now a graveyard of death shrouded in shadows. I fight to survive; I fight for my mother and brother. The journey is full of turns that I am quite unprepared for. And I’m just hoping to make it to the next Vegas sunrise…
The characters are not very complex, yet they are unique & powerful, they are able to experience emotions and situations that one can easily be drawn to. The drama, the power-hungry villain and the deception are just some of the things that make this story amazing.
The fight for survival makes this such a compelling story, their feelings, their emotions and needs make the characters likeable. The details, the explanations and the characters reasoning makes you want to be part of the story; the author did a great job on these characters. The characters interaction is well-played and their nature well explained.
Alexia Purdy is able to bring unexpected reactions and emotions from readers, I felt compelled to finish the book, and I couldn’t put it down. The mix of human emotions and the paranormal effect makes this a great introduction to what I think will be one of a kind dystopian book/series.
Combine action, a young woman with an unbending attitude, a wish to survive and a thirst for vengeance and what you get is Reign of Blood. Reign of Blood is unique, emotional and fascinating. It certainly leaves you looking forward to more.
