SMASHTASTIC ENTERTAINMENT QUICKIE: A solid introduction into a vampiric world that is full of intrigue, deceit and mayhem! Oh, and Mirko. ♥INTEREST IN THE BOOK:I came across Angeline Kace via Twitter, somehow, and bought her book some time back. She is wicked fun and very interactive on Twitter. I finally decided to read Descended by Blood for Book ♥ Soulmates Month of Indie Epicness feature. I am pleased that I finally picked it up!CHARACTERS: Brooke starts off as a meek and mild kind of young lady who cannot stand up for self and is scared to speak up in class. She especially has issues when it comes to talking to Jarren, her long-time and seemingly unreachable crush. Of course, Jarren does take notice and they begin to date. I felt their relationship moved to quickly but the insta-love did not detract from the story. And speaking of insta-love…or lust, in this case…HELLO, Mirko! Actually, I will be honest and state I did not really like him on first look, but hot damn, does he grow on you! And being on me is the goal. *out of the gutta, Smash* Needless to say, I definitely need some more Mirko in my life. He is gorgeous, snarky and dangerous. He weasels his way into Brooke’s heart, so a love triangle is definitely present in this story. I am totally hoping Mirko wins the girl. Jarren just doesn’t compare! I also loved Mirko’s nickname for Brooke – Slatki. And while he is all feisty on the outside, he is also compassionate and just.

“Just make sure that whatever you decide, it’s what all of you wants, not just the torn part of you that speaks louder.”

I must state my admiration and awe for Lijepa, a Pijawikan who assisted Brooke in uncovering her hidden talents, so to speak. She was full of grace and wisdom and added so much to Brooke’s life in a short amount of time.Lijepa was taking up a role in my life of many positions; she was a mentor, a friend, a nurturer, my teacher, and apparently, my shrink. It didn’t bother me, though, because she didn’t ask me questions in the same doctor/scrutinize/you’re messed up sort of way.I appreciated that Angeline made her characters relatable and real. I had a discussion with her on Twitter about Brooke and Jarren’s talk regarding their absent fathers. I can relate to their issues and while I moved past that part of my life a long time ago, it still helped me connect with Brooke on another level.WORLD-BUILDING: The opening scene with the mountain lion was weird for me, due to how easily Brooke and Kaitlynn shook off the oddity of the entire situation. And it was way too easy for Jarren and Kaitlynn to be whisked away to a military base with little worry from their parents, but hey, it is fiction. The history provided on the different vampire races, Pijawikas and Zao Duh, is interesting and I look forward to learning more. Brooke’s special talents are wicked cool and I cannot wait to watch her practice some bad bitch moves on unsuspecting asshats.LASTING IMPRESSIONS:The end of the story had my chin and floor making nice, so reading the sequel, Enemy Within, is pretty much a must!FAVORITE QUOTE:

Figures. Jarren wants to buy me lilies, and Mirko wants to buy me booty shorts.

I’ve been in a reading slump and everything I’ve heard about Mirko & Jaren are true! So DBB definitely helped get me out of my reading funk.
The thing about these novels that make them one of my favorites isn’t because they are about “vampires.” It’s because of the characters in this novel and the story. Sure they may be a vampire by character trait, but how can you resist two guys like Mirko and Jaren. AND try not to be impressed by Brooke’s witty remarks and stubborn nature. I just know other people will love these characters as much as I do. I also love the story! I feel as though this novel is prominently character driven, yet the story still spellbinds me every time! I was thrilled to see that we still got plenty of BFF, romance, fighting action going on in this one. Kace creates a fun, light, vampire tale. I felt like I almost walked in on an episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer(In the good old High School days)…but less chosen one and more vampires lol
My only complaint about this novel, I felt like there were some loose ends. Likes Brooke’s father…which I’m sure we’ll pick up on him in the next book, I am really excited to see where that is going! ( )

Descended by Blood by Angeline Kace is the first book in the Vampire Born series. The main character Brooke Keller has moved around most of her life. She lives with her mom who is very protective over her. She finally has a best friend, Kaitlynn and a hot boyfriend, Jaren. Things are going very well for Brooke until she notices that she's being followed and possibly stalked by a creepy stranger. When the creeper tries to kidnap Brooke in front of Jaren a mystery reveals itself. Brooke exhibits special powers that she can't explain. Frightened and worried Brooke goes on the run with Jared and Kaitlynn only to find that whoever is after her is not far behind.
Descended by Blood has an very interesting, action packed plot. This story line includes a love triangle between Jaren, Brooke, Mirko who is the guy sent to protect her. The author has set up a great back story to the history of vamps as well. I also like the depth Kace gives her characters. It really helped to understand the characters and their actions better. One thing that bothers me in books is instant love. I felt that Brooke and Jarens relationship was a bit rushed. Kace explains in her novel that vampires form attachments very quickly so I could understand why it happened so quickly but it still doesn't work for me. Mirko and Brooke's relationship is more my speed. Mirko is immediately attracted to Brooke but there are no instant confessions of love.
Another thing I really like in this book is the characters reactions to their situations. It's good and refreshing to see characters not always have such a positive view and to be so accepting of life changing events. To me that seems like a normal reaction. For instance Brooke is mad at her mother for the secrets she kept from her her whole life. I like that some characters can go with the flow but it's also nice to see characters having trouble dealing with situations.
Overall this is a good book to read. It's very fast paced and exciting. I definitely want to continue reading this series especially since it ended with a cliff hanger. The next book, Enemy Within, comes out this year. ( )

Originally posted at http://www.mycutebookshelf.com/2011/08/review-descended-by-blood-by-angeline.htm... by Blood tells the story of Brooke Miller, a seemingly normal high school student. Her life has been doing well in the recent years. She hasn’t had to move as much as she used to, she’s got a new boyfriend and she’s discovered she’s pretty good at sports. Brooke’s life takes a complete turn when she’s attacked by a mysterious man who has been following her. This man turns out to be a vampire or Pijawika, as they like to be known. After this, Brooke has to accept her dark side, as she discovers what she truly is.This book was an amazing ride from beginning to end. Brooke was a heroine I loved to read about. She was kick-ass and didn’t let anyone go over her. I loved how she didn’t need anyone saving her. Brooke could save herself and then others. I love reading about these types of characters in YA. I enjoy strong heroines like Brooke the most. Then there were the other characters. We meet Jaren from early in the story. He has a pretty established relationship with Brooke. But then he starts doubting her and that’s when I started to be over him. I really loved him at first because he liked to tease Brooke, but I think he did a couple of things that I didn’t like. Now Mirko is another deal. When he appeared in the story, I knew I would end up loving him. He’s got that bad boy attitude that I love in male characters. From day one, he was stirring up trouble with Brooke, but I enjoyed every single bit. I loved the chemistry they had together. Also, he’s got a pretty tough past so reading about that made me relate to him more than Jaren. Another character I enjoyed reading about was Kaitlynn. I absolutely loved her personality. She was quirky and fun. She also said things like they were and I really liked that. Of course, there were the villains. I don’t want to point them out as there are some interesting discoveries throughout the story. But I really can’t wait to see how things with the bad guy pan out throughout the series.Other than the characters, I thought the plot of the story was interesting and fast paced. I was kept at the edge of my seat wanting to know what would happen next. I loved the action in the story and I really enjoyed that Brooke did a lot of the fighting. It’s always refreshing to find kickass heroines. I really liked Angeline’s writing. I could identify with it easily. Once I started reading the book, I didn’t want to stop.All in All, Descended by Blood was an amazing debut book. I loved what Angeline did with vampire lore, adding different terms that I hadn’t heard of before. I enjoyed reading about the characters, the action and the suspense. This is a book that I fully recommend, and I cannot wait to read more about Brooke! ( )

Brooke Keller isn't your typical high school student. After a lifetime of moving from place to place, she has finally found a spot where she feels at home and belongs. But when strange things start happening, she's afraid to tell her mother and find out they have to move again. Now by strange things, I mean really strange. She "talks" to a mountain lion that attacks her on a hike and realizes that a man is stalking her - trying to kill her. After the attempt at her life, her mother finds out of course, and then a whole new set of strange things begin. She finds out that she is a vampire, and it turns out that she is a very special one. She teams up with a group that is determined to keep her alive and help her adjust to her new life.

Brooke was a good character. She was sufficiently "freaked out" by the strange turn of events her life had taken. She is at once disgusted at her new way of life, and wanting to embrace her new powerful self. She adjusts quickly, but in a way that makes the story real and involving. She finds herself torn between her old life and her new one - torn between her high school love and the vampire hunk that is trying to help her. The attempts on her life continue and she has the choice to embrace her new life and powers or be killed. A wonderful, quick read that I recommend to fans of urban fantasy.

3.5/5 ( )