Flesh and Blood by Kristen Painter
(House of Comarré, #2)
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Format: paperback
Read: 2/3/2012 — 2/4/2012
In Six Words: Fantastic second installment in the series.
Links
Kristen Painter — Website | Blog | Twitter | Facebook
Amazon — Paperback | Kindle
Add it to Goodreads
Book Order
1. Blood Rights
2. Flesh and Blood
3. Bad Blood
4. Out for Blood (Fall 2012)
5. Last Blood (Spring 2013)
Why I Started Reading This Series
I began this series on the recommendation of Tara, and after bloggers like Jenny and Felicia enjoyed the series. While I wasn’t completely bowled over with Blood Rights, the first in the series, I was definitely intrigued and interested enough to continue with Flesh and Blood — and I am glad that I did.
Summary
Those born into the comarré life produced blood in rich, pure, powerful abundance…
With the Ring of Sorrows still missing, and the covenant between othernaturals and mortals broken, Chrysabelle and Malkolm’s problems are just beginning. Chrysabelle still owes Malkolm for his help, but fulfilling that debt means returning to Corvinestri, the hidden vampire city where neither is welcome.
-from Goodreads
Thoughts on Book 2
Flesh and Blood picks up where Blood Rights left off, without bogging us down with repetitive information, but still giving us a brief reminder of what happened in Blood Rights (which I admit that I needed). The world in this series is so complex and multi-layered that the second book actually makes for a better story than the first, as it was much easier this time around to understand how the world operates. It was also important seeing as there were new elements being added as well.
At its heart, the House of Comarré series is an urban fantasy, which is at times frustrating for the part of me that wants a lot of romance and more than a few kisses between the characters. I could have also done without the love triangle, but everyone who knows me would know this. Once I moved beyond all that, it became easier to appreciate Flesh and Blood — and the previous book — for the excellent and well-crafted story that it is.
The multiple perspectives provides the story an added depth. While shifting POVs can often lead to boredom (read: the Lesser portions in the BDB books), here it is fascinating. After Blood Rights, it was easy to become attached to the side characters, so that this is more than a story about just Chrysabelle and Malkolm. Even the glimpses into Tatiana’s twistedness and cruelty are interesting in their own right; she is the type of character you love to hate, yet feel the need to observe. The depth of her madness seemingly knows few bounds.
While Flesh and Blood gets Chrysabelle and Malkolm deeper into trouble, it is obvious that the overall story arc is far FAR from being over. In fact, there are a few secrets revealed and a few questions answered from Blood Rights that actually deepen and expand the story. There was less time spent on the two than in Blood Rights, but both of their worlds are altering and changing in drastic ways. Perhaps Chrysabelle’s more than Mal’s in this story, but I am sure we can expect more changes for both of them, especially given that there are three more books in the series.
Overall, this is a fantastic second installment — I rated it higher than the first — and I can only hope that the series continues to get better.
Other Reviews
Geeky Blogger’s Book Blog
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14 Responses to “Review: Flesh and Blood by Kristen Painter”
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Love triangle? NO!!!! I did enjoy the first book and I’ve planned on continuing it, and it gives me hope that you rated this one higher than the first one. Though love triangles almost always bump things down for me…
Yes, sadly there is a love triangle in this one. It disappears by the third book, though.
I liked this one too slightly more than the first! Now I know you are ahead of me because I haven’t read book 3! :)
Book 3 had its own issues, but I’m looking forward to book 4 (which can’t really come out soon enough).
I STILL haven’t started this series–but I really want to, despite the (darned) love triangle. WHY do they have to have love triangles? Never in my life have I had two guys fighting over me (huh, maybe that’s why I don’t like them…nah.).
Don’t worry too much about the love triangle. It’s only in this book. I don’t like love triangles either, but this one kind of makes sense. Kind of.
YIKES!!! More series I need to start. I think I can. I think I can…read faster ;D
Ha. I just need more time to read. Or, I suppose, read faster when I do have the time. Woe!
That is exactly what frustrated me about UF, too! I want more than a few kisses too!
This series is one that I know I need to read, I mean the way it’s been recommended by bloggers I know and trust, plus you saying it get progressively better, all convinces me, but the small amount of romance plus a love triangle kind of turns me off… for now.
The love triangle disappears, but I would almost suggest waiting until a few more books come out. With book 3, I started to see connections to the Fever series. And well, yeah.
“At its heart, the House of Comarré series is an urban fantasy, which is at times frustrating for the part of me that wants a lot of romance and more than a few kisses between the characters.”
My thoughts exactly! I’ve read all three of these books wanting a little more romance, and I just have to keep reminding myself that this is UF and not paranormal romance:) I was worried about the love triangle in this one, but I was pleasantly surprised in book three when it didn’t seem to be an issue anymore. Glad you’re enjoying this series Amanda!
I was soooooo glad that the love triangle disappeared in book three. I would have been ticked off it had kept going.
I started this and couldn’t get into it. Granted it was the beginning of my book slump and could have been entirely my mood that ruined the first few chapters.
While I have plans (oh the plans I have!) to finish this one, the mention of a love triangle makes me want to move it further down the TBR pile…
I had kind of the opposite problem, where I wanted to escape from the world and the book provided me with that ability.
The love triangle is gone by the third book, if that makes you feel any better.