Blood of the Wicked by K.N. Banet – A Book Review

Posted March 15, 2022 by Booksandblurbs in Reviews, Urban Fantasy / 0 Comments

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Blood of the Wicked

by K.N. Banet
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Urban Fantasy, ARC
Available on Kindle and Kindle Unlimited

Down and Dirty

Everly, now a vampire, has to navigate the complicated, and far too political, supernatural world while learning how to be what she is now, all while assisting her mentor and boss in a job far more deadly than she imagined. Free on Kindle Unlimited.

What is Blood of the Wicked about?

(Blurb from GoodReads)

I once worked for vampires. I’d never thought I’d be one.

My throat is always on fire. My mouth is always dry. The only thing that helps?

Human blood.

As much as vampires need it, it is also our curse. Blood can drive us mad if we’re not careful. That madness breeds a wickedness as the need for blood reigns supreme. We revel in it, desiring the power and vitality it gives us. When we drain someone, we get high; it’s a rush that some vampires love to chase once they cross that line. Vampires will do anything to get it and there’s nothing that will stop them from killing hundreds. Our humanity slips away the more we indulge the need and there is no way to regain it.

Alexius makes it his duty to kill any vampire that loses control and I’ve promised to help him. After months, I get to help on my first case, just like I wanted to the night I woke up as an immortal.

I thought I knew what sort of vampires we’d be stopping. I didn’t think about how bad things could get.

My name is Everly Abbott…
And the wicked really do know no bounds.

My Thoughts on Blood of the Wicked

Blood of The Wicked picks up shortly after the first book left off. Everly is now a Vampire, though an orphaned one, made that way deliberately by Alexius, the feared Hunter of the Vampire Nests. It’s a complicated situation that just gets more mired when Alexius is called to perform his duties in Alaska, hunting the trail of vampires who are leaving a swath of dead in their wake.

It’s dicey, dangerous, and rather epic. Everly is so young that her instincts can kick in and take over in a second, turning her into the killer her blood now says she is. Alexius, on the other hand, is charged with protecting not only her but humans FROM her – a facet that becomes more difficult in the great north.

Fast, bloody, and intriguing, this novel nestles well into this growing Universe, fleshing out the Vampire Mythos while allowing them to become more ‘real’ in terms of actual characters. The Tribunal Universe introduced them way back in Jacky’s first novel, but they were almost formless, a dangerous addition that grew with each installment and gained feet with Kalyia’s story. Here, though, they come fully into their own, showcasing a completely new side to this diverse Supernatural World. Book 1 may have created the foundation for the Vampire World here, but Book 2 solidifies it with tidbits and factoids of their long-running past and the potential issues they see for the future.

Of all the different magical species introduced so far in this Universe, I am not certain which one I like best – though I suppose each has its highs and lows. Werecats, werewolves, Nagas, Fae, Vampires – it’s lush, incredibly rich and so varied it can’t help but pull me in. As for Evely and Alexius? I can’t wait to see what they get up to next.

Perspective

First Person, mostly single POV. Limited third person with multiple POV.

Ending Type

HFN

Rating

R for Violence

Romantic Dynamic

Not really present… yet. Otherwise M/F

Character Age Range

28+

My Final Verdict on Blood of the Wicked

A wonderful addition to an ever-expanding Universe. Evelyn is an astounding character who is growing, not only into herself but into the person she is meant to be – now that she is no longer human. Alexius, old and cranky as he is, is a wonderful protagonist that challenges and guides, and had just the right potential for a love interest… eventually. If/When THAT happens, it’ll be explosive, and I am so here for it.

Blood of the Wicked

Published March 15, 2022
315 Pages

If you enjoyed this review of Blood of The Wicked, please consider checking out a few of my other articles:

Your Turn

What are you reading today? Have you read this series yet? Or have you delved into the Universe? What other books by K.N. Banet, or her other pen name, Kristen Banet, have you enjoyed? Leave a comment, I would LOVE to talk!!