Blood Wager

Blood Destiny, #1

By: Connie Suttle

Narrated by: Traci Odom

Length: 9 hrs and 9 mins

Publisher's summary

"I agree to pay Sergio Velenci one million pounds if the female takes less than nine days to fully turn."

Lissa's life as a vampire begins on the day her husband is removed from life support. Turned by rogues who wager her life, Lissa is running from her maker who is determined to kill her, hunted by the Council who has branded her a rogue and blackmailed by werewolves, who utilize her newly developed talents for their own gain.

©2011 Connie Suttle (P)2014 Connie Suttle

Surprisingly Great.

I kinda stumbled upon this book. It turned out to be really good. The main character is very interesting and well written.
I liked the premise. An older women walks into a bar to drown her sorrows after her husband's death. Two vampires decide to make a bet to see how long it would take her to change, planning to kill her after the act. Instead, she escapes and has to figure out how to be a vampire on her own.

It only gets more interesting. I highly recommend this book.

The story is lacking in many ways

Is there anything you would change about this book?

I would not leave soooo many things unsaid and unwritten. No feelings fully explored when there should have been (turning into a vampire, alone in the world, ignorant of the ways etc.)

What other book might you compare Blood Wager to and why?

There are so many out there. This is one of them.

What didn’t you like about Traci Odom’s performance?

I disliked her cheerleader tone. She did not offer any emotional input at all, everything had the same tone of voice.
I will not listen to any more books in the series. I will read them instead.

Any additional comments?

Despite the fact that this is a mediocre book I read it and I did enjoy it. I will read number two soon.
That said, there are holes in the plot.... Maybe the author didn't want to explore the mental anguish of dying and waking up a vampire who wants/needs to drink blood...??? I guess Connie Suttle wasn't interested in that aspect of the story. I dunno... That right there would have been rather intense, long and dreadfully sad..... and perhaps she wasn't interested in creating a new character full of gloom and doom.
So she created someone who actually has a pretty good sense of humor. Completely off the wall but then again this is about vampires and werewolves so I can forgive the author for not providing a purely realistic world that doesn't exist anyway. Read this with some sarcasm, please. That was my intention. :)
The story is kinda rushed yet it held my interest. It is not a jewel of literary value but it was entertaining.

really enjoyable reading

I'm read for enjoyment, and this was a fun read (listen) ..Love seeing the character's progression

frustrating and abrupt

Would you try another book from Connie Suttle and/or Traci Odom?

No

Has Blood Wager turned you off from other books in this genre?

no

Did Traci Odom do a good job differentiating all the characters? How?

yes

Any additional comments?

The thing that gradually started bothering me was the instant relationship the main character had with Winkleman, who was not particularly interesting or likeable. WHY did she feel such loyalty to him after working for him for only a little while? And then, her possible love-interest-assasin-vampire treated her very badly and I bet you anything she will end up forgiving him. I HATE storylines which include women who forgive men for just about anything because they couldn't help being a beast because that was "in their nature" or because someone else MADE them be a jerk. Well, I would be sorry someone made him be a jerk but I certainly could never be pals with them again. And when Winkleman doesn't get the subtle hints that she isn't interested, i.e. pulling away when he hugs/kisses her, WHY doesn't she just say, "Sorry, but I don't like you like that and I never will." So not cool, especially because he is just being dense and he is also putting his own social life on hold for the chance she will be with him. If she told him she wasn't interested, he would be able to move on. And how is it logical that they all learned she was a vampire because she survived something that would kill a human? Hmm, she survived being shot three times...she must be a vampire then. I'm just saying, this girl makes some weird leaps of (ill)logic. Yes they knew but I would want a better reason than they figured it out because she healed quickly.

Ready for the next book

Good story and a fun listen. Anxiously awaiting the next book in the series.

Nice story line well written and robust characters

This isn't you normal teen vamp. book this author develops her characters well and has a new and inspired story line!

Reads episodically

There is less of a plot arc than a series of plot arcs that resolve necessary story elements. As such, the pacing feels rushed at times while the hero discovers her new powers and abilities from ferocious brawler to shape shifting.

The series has a lot of potential if it can the same ability of crafting smaller conflicts into a more cohesive and larger, singular story instead of a series of rapid fire hurdles she has to overcome.

unexpected fun

As I was reading about this it made me think about the Bloody Jack series. Very different story but the same light funny storytelling. I hope to see more of these come to Audible.

good book

Where does Blood Wager rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

It a new favorite series just keep them coming

What was one of the most memorable moments of Blood Wager?

The wager...

Have you listened to any of Traci Odom’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

No...I like her sheyes did her thing...

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

So much was going on I like stories like that

Any additional comments?

I see audible only has 3rd books in this series I believe there are 10 books in this series let's go Audible keep up.. I would like to have the entire audio series

Butt Kickin' Heroine

What made the experience of listening to Blood Wager the most enjoyable?

This character kicks butt and takes names. She has a fantastic way about her and she doesn't take trash from anyone. On the worst day of her life, she is turned into a vampire which just makes life worse. What does she do? She takes lemons and turns it into a lemonade enterprise.

What did you like best about this story?

The combination of the paranormal characters and how they interact

Have you listened to any of Traci Odom’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

No I haven't, but this one was very good.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

Blood Wager would be perfect

Any additional comments?

They need to get the rest of these books on audio. I read the synopsis of these books on Amazon and I want to listen to them. I am being lazy, but I might have to buy them and read them if they don't show up here soon. Its just hard to hold a book and do other things at the same time