True of Blood - Bonnie Lamer [Witch Fairy]
Source: Don't Remember
Originally Reviewed: April 11, 2015
Rating: ★★★☆☆
What happens when you have ghosts for parents, a full-blood fae for a boyfriend, two half-human fae trying to kill you and a completely human little brother? You have Xandra Smith’s life.
Oh, let’s not forget the fact that her mom is a witch – daughter of the king of the witches, as a matter of fact, and her real father is king of the fae. Which makes her half witch, half fae, with all the magic that goes along with that!
Of course, most of these weren’t relevant until she turned 17, and out of nowhere, her life is changed – permanently.
Before: two ghost parents, little brother Zach, Aunt Barb. Homeschooled in the Colorado mountains. Typical 16-year-old girl with the exception her social life is limited by the fact she lives in the middle of nowhere.
After: One parent is a witch, her dad isn’t her dad, her real dad is fae, two of his followers want to kidnap her, and an opposing fae is committed to saving her, at the risk of his own life.
Yeah, things have certainly changed.
For the first time in her life, Xandra has to leave her home and her parents behind, for both her safety and to protect her family. She has to learn things that, as she hears over and over again, she should have been raised learning. After causing both a rock slide and a full avalanche, things start to change.
Kallen, the full-blood fae who has taken a blood oath to protect her with his life, has transformed himself from a prickly, arrogant, adolescent fae to a more caring, invested and understanding boyfriend. What he was expecting to find in Xandra is not what he found.
While the book ends neatly, all wrapped up in a nice little package, ready to be opened again with the next one, it’s not so easy to wrap up my review.
True of Blood isn’t what’s popular right now. It’s not full of sex, in-your-face rebellious, heroic teenagers, or absentee parents (am I the only one noticing parents in books about teenagers are largely MIA these days?) What True of Blood is, is a brilliant mix of the real and the fantastic. It has all of the elements that would make this a potentially stunning coming of age story, even without the fantasy elements.
With all of the amazing writing going on these days, it’ll likely be a while before I make it on to the next one – it’s just not high on my list of priorities. If I happen across it, however, I will not be adverse to continuing the series.
