Blood of the Wicked

Everly Abbott, Book 2

By: K.N. Banet

Narrated by: Elise Hoffman

Length: 9 hrs and 8 mins

Publisher's summary

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.

©2022 K.N. Banet (P)2022 K.N. Banet

Great character

I really like this character and I’m looking forward to the next book! Thank you!

And so the quest begins

In the first book there was a lot more explanation on how things worked on the human side of nest life. In this book we dive more into the life of a newly made vampire and their struggles while Everly and Alexius work to figure out what’s going on in Alaska. I love their dynamic and the split POV we get from time to time. I’m curious to see how this will play out in the future.

Engaging

I'm glad I stuck with the series. The first book was a bit depressing at first but still captivating and picked up by the end to the point I was excited for this second book and I'm not disappointed! This second book built on the story line and character development wonderfully. Everly has grown on me so much and it's awesome to see her have the chance to show her internal strength more outwardly now that she can get away from being in the constant survival mode of book 1. I'm loving the series arc so far and can't wait for book 3!

LOVE EVERLY!!

narration was amazing,story was amazing.cant wait for the next one! Please hurry. suspense is killing me.

Just OK

I like all of Ms. Banet’s Tribunal universe series but this one, to be honest, is not my favorite. At least not so far. In this particular book there was a lot of backstory, background and explanations that made the story drag somewhat. The background details were in regards to the vampires. The other tribunal stories were not referred to very often. So, this could be read as its own series.

Yet another forced love story

K.N. Barnet writes great action/mystery. But every novel seems to also include love stories which doesn't work. Admittedly, the K. Sahni love story is good. But in the J. Leon books two great friends are forced to become mismatched lovers. In the E. Abbott I thought she would finally do something new and create a a fathef/daughter or at least a teacher/student relationship... and she does but it's obvious what will happen in feature books. The mystery in the book is great, and the action is terrific. But the budding love story makes me feel uncomfortable and feels pretty sick.

A bit too timid for my tastes i think

All right before i give a less than stellar review, I would like to say that i did not hate the book. It was fine and I have no problem spending money/credits getting the next one. K.N. Banet is a descent enough writer that i don't mind spending a little time with characters that don't really do it for me. That said here are my issues with this book.
1. Compared to Jacky or Kaliya , Everly is by far more timid and insecure than they are. Not really surprising all things considered, this is a coming of age book of sorts, but i have to admit when i think about vampires i don't really imagine them feeling embarrassed that they are bare foot in front of their leadership. Seems a bit to high school drama to me. I much prefer the Castlevania or Hellsing Ultimate kind of vampires.
2. I am kind of over the whole brooding immortal god thing. Alexius is fine... ish. Just wish he hadn't drunk so much of his son's Jesus juice crap. Dude needs to relax a bit.
3. I really don't get why authors do this in urban fantasy. They turn humans into some kind of sacred entity that should never be harmed. A main character can slaughter countless werewolves, vampires, and fae, but there will be hell to pay if anyone touches one hair on a cute little serial child rapists head if they are human. it is really weird.
4. Why do authors have consequences for being changed if they are always going to immediately make their character some how immune? Everly is STARVING, and because her prey feels fear it stops her from eating? That is not how predators work....like at all, nor was it how the world was established to work. I'm sorry but this is something of a Sh** or get off the pot situation to me.
5. Finally the narrator has a nice voice that i think goes well with Everly. That said most of the time she sounds like somone who is reading a story, rather than some one TELLING a story, if that makes sense.

Ultimately these just aren't MY kind of vampires.