Book Excellence Award - Finalist
(April 2017)
Canada Book Award
(January 2016)
Blood Runner - Blood Runner 1
Formats: E-Book, Paperback
★Book Excellence Award 2017 Fantasy Finalist★
In 3213 BCE Sumer, the Great Mountain, Enlil, banishes his sister, Ninlil, to the Netherworld for taking her temple priest as consort. But her Kurshram fights a life-sacrificing way through the flaming palace to trade his soul to free her. A thousand years later, a dark deed wakes his dead, empty flesh…
Richard can’t die. And he’s a monster. Maybe.
Sullen, and sarcastic, he’s a soul divided. A healer by trade, a conflicting blood-stealing curse drives him slowly mad while people keep showing up for help. Mostly? He wants to be left alone. And that’s just not working out.
In eighteenth century Britain, injured, conscience-stirring Maggie falls across his threshold to challenge everything he believes is true. Until vicious pirate captain, Billy the Blackdeath, with a secret as old as his own, tangles them up in an inhuman vendetta that puts his unkempt scruples to the test.
In the solitude of a remote Canadian forest in the present day, to his undying exasperation he learns everyone is looking for him–the living and the undead–while fate seems determined to serve him up existence in unexplainable harmony with people he doesn’t know. When the truth comes out, it smacks of supernal collusion and though Richard protests he’s nobody’s hero, a manic, all-consuming need to protect human and not-so-human explodes into a fiery five-thousand-year-old destiny of epic, mythological proportion.
Reviews
Wonderful mythological romance! I love reading mythological fantasy books, especially with a romance component, so when I found out that this was a Sumerian myth based story I was immediately interested. Plus there are Vampires, with a twist. Pirates. Witches. Thousand year grudges. The balance of good and evil in the world. And love, of course. Not the light, frivolous kind... but the deep, agonizing, soul-wrenching kind. It's set in modern times, but there's so much mythos and history being referenced that it almost feels like a historical fantasy romance. It took me for an emotional ride. There were times when I was angry with the main character, and other times when my heart was breaking for him and I was in tears. This isn't a fluffy, light read. It's a serious story, filled with deep characters who have had some really bad things happen to them. But it's also about a love that crosses the centuries. Absolutely, without question, would read more books about these characters.
A unique and spellbinding tale. A pantheon of gods, pirates, and vampires and at their midst, Richard, an enigma. This was a truly fascinating story full of great characters, vivid descriptions and very unexpected twists. The interweaving of Sumerian myths into the storyline was particularly intriguing. A haunting read which echoes long after the final page is turned. Can't say too much about the plot without ruining the surprise, just know that it was a superbly written, very unique and a thoroughly enthralling read. I'm definitely hoping there will be a sequel, for whilst all the plot threads were resolved, there is an opening for further unfolding of the one remaining dangling thread. Plus, I'm an optimist! I cannot recommend this book highly enough - a totally unexpected delight. I've stopped reading vampire novels of late because they all feel like clones as far as the storyline goes - this one is most definitely not, it has a surprisingly different and enjoyable aspect. I received a copy of this book from eBook Discovery in exchange for my honest review. This book was indeed a pleasure to read and review, so much so that I have purchased my own copy, because this is definitely going in my reread pile!
