"The eye sees only what the mind is prepared to comprehend."
Deadline
(Blood Trails Series, Bk 1)By Jennifer BlackstreamBlurb: As a witch with a dark past, Shade Renard knows the Otherworld isn’t always successful at policing itself. Humans don’t believe in magic anymore, and their ignorance renders them easy prey. So when an FBI contact hires her to consult on a possible haunting in a missing persons case, Shade seizes the opportunity to see justice done.
Her case takes an unexpected turn when an undead crime lord shows up on her doorstep. A bold thief stole the vampire’s little black book of secrets—and he’ll pay a lot more than an FBI consulting fee to get it back. To collect, Shade will have to confront a rogue sorceress, a vengeful wizard, and a lethally seductive fey, with only her wits, her growing magic, and a sarcastic pixie familiar.
Success means bringing a killer to justice and taking the first step to redemption. Failure means a war between humans and the Otherworld.
Her case takes an unexpected turn when an undead crime lord shows up on her doorstep. A bold thief stole the vampire’s little black book of secrets—and he’ll pay a lot more than an FBI consulting fee to get it back. To collect, Shade will have to confront a rogue sorceress, a vengeful wizard, and a lethally seductive fey, with only her wits, her growing magic, and a sarcastic pixie familiar.
Success means bringing a killer to justice and taking the first step to redemption. Failure means a war between humans and the Otherworld.
No pressure.
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Excerpt
Excerpt #2
My instincts flared as I pulled into my driveway. The sun had set and it was
dark, but the automatic light on my garage didn’t come on. I frowned.
dark, but the automatic light on my garage didn’t come on. I frowned.
“Did you disconnect the automatic light?”
Peasblossom curled against my neck, her wet dress adding to a sudden
chill in the air inside the car. “No.”
chill in the air inside the car. “No.”
Unease rolled down my spine. I murmured a spell, drawing a few circles in
the air. “Lumen.” Three glowing balls of reddish light bloomed to life and
hovered before me. I kept one over my head and sent the other two forward,
illuminating my path to the front door. I didn’t open the garage door and
pull in, but got out while I was still in the driveway, already preparing
another spell as I climbed out of the driver’s seat.
the air. “Lumen.” Three glowing balls of reddish light bloomed to life and
hovered before me. I kept one over my head and sent the other two forward,
illuminating my path to the front door. I didn’t open the garage door and
pull in, but got out while I was still in the driveway, already preparing
another spell as I climbed out of the driver’s seat.
“Revelare.” My power flowed in a wash of silver toward the house, probing
for any foreign magic.
for any foreign magic.
Nothing.
“Stay here,” I told Peasblossom. “If I don’t call for you, go to Mother Hazel
and tell her everything that happened today.”
and tell her everything that happened today.”
“But I won’t have anything to tell her unless I stay to see what happens,”
Peasblossom hissed. “I’m not leaving you.”
Peasblossom hissed. “I’m not leaving you.”
“This might be nothing.” I kept my voice as low as possible. “The bulb may
have burned out. Don’t be silly.”
have burned out. Don’t be silly.”
“I’m not silly and I’m not stupid. You think there’s something bad inside.
And a witch never ignores her gut.
And a witch never ignores her gut.
A lump rose in my throat, and I fought to swallow around it. “Please stay
out here. I can’t bear the idea of anything happening to you.”
out here. I can’t bear the idea of anything happening to you.”
Peasblossom gave my ear a ferocious hug. “I’ll stay out here, but only as
backup. I will never leave you.”
backup. I will never leave you.”
I waited for her to fly up and off my shoulder before straightening my
spine. This was my house. My village. Whatever was here, whatever had
violated my home, would be sorry. Power rose in my throat, feeding the
spell I’d readied.
spine. This was my house. My village. Whatever was here, whatever had
violated my home, would be sorry. Power rose in my throat, feeding the
spell I’d readied.
“Shade, look out!”
I whirled around and spat behind me. The spell hurtled through the air, and
I had a split second to see a dark figure separate itself from the maple tree
beside my driveway. The spell landed in the grass, the viscous blue fluid of
the entanglement spell pooling in the tree’s shadow.
I had a split second to see a dark figure separate itself from the maple tree
beside my driveway. The spell landed in the grass, the viscous blue fluid of
the entanglement spell pooling in the tree’s shadow.
“Such attacks will not be necessary.”
A man spoke from beside me, smooth and masculine, voice heavy with an
accent I hadn’t heard in a long time.
accent I hadn’t heard in a long time.
A very, very long time.
I turned, knowing I’d never call up another spell fast enough. I raised my
hand anyway, needing to try, to go down fighting. A hand closed around
my wrist, tight enough that I swore I heard my bones creak. I gritted my
teeth and stared into the face of my visitor.
hand anyway, needing to try, to go down fighting. A hand closed around
my wrist, tight enough that I swore I heard my bones creak. I gritted my
teeth and stared into the face of my visitor.
He was dressed in a suit that probably cost more than my car. Long
white-blond hair brushed his shoulders and framed a pale face with sharp,
graceful features. I couldn’t see what color his eyes were in this light, but it
didn’t matter. I remembered his face.
white-blond hair brushed his shoulders and framed a pale face with sharp,
graceful features. I couldn’t see what color his eyes were in this light, but it
didn’t matter. I remembered his face.
He went by the name Anton Winters, majority shareholder of the Winters
Group, a company that made the Forbes 500 list look like a gathering of
struggling start-ups. There were whispers he had criminal connections, that
he was former KGB. I knew the truth. And it was scarier.
Group, a company that made the Forbes 500 list look like a gathering of
struggling start-ups. There were whispers he had criminal connections, that
he was former KGB. I knew the truth. And it was scarier.
Anton Winters had once been known by a different name.
Prince Kirill of Dacia.
A vampire.
My Review: 4 1/2 *
Deadline by Jennifer Blackstream is book 1 in the Blood Trials Series. I personally thought it was a great start for a series and cannot wait for book 2. This series has a lot of great potential to be one of my new favorite series. I really liked the main character Shade Renard. I love how she does not always have all the answers, and that all though she is a strong person she is not a strong witch. I love how she learns as she goes. All of the characters in the book were written very well, even the villains. This books was one of those I had a very hard time putting down.
In the book Shade is a village witch, kind of like a healer so to speak as well as taking care of problems in her village. Along with her Familiar a Pixie named Peasblossom they take on the village problems. But Shade also has a dream of being a PI.
An FBI Contact asks her to consult on a case of a possible haunting which includes a missing woman. Shade jumps at the chance. Then Crime Lord Anton Winters, AKA the Prince Kirill of Dacia, and also a Vampire shows up at Shades door to hire her to help find a his stolen black book, she gets her first real case, and can hopefully prove herself as a PI.
Dealing with stronger Otherworld creatures she will have to first survive the case, before she
can solve it.
I was given my copy of this book by the Author and Enchantress Design and Promo as part of a book tour. My thoughts on this book are my own.
About The Author
USA Today bestselling author Jennifer Blackstream is…odd. Putting aside the fact that she writes her own author bio in third person, she also sleeps with a stuffed My Little Pony that her grandmother bought her as a joke for her 23rd birthday, and she enjoys listening to Fraggle Rock soundtracks whether or not her children are in the car.
Jennifer doesn’t have spare time, but she makes it a point to spend at least one night a week with her sibling binge-watching whatever show they’re currently plowing through (currently Numbers on Netflix), and she ferociously guards quality time with her son and daughter. She cooks when she has the sanity for it—adding garlic to the recipe whether it calls for it or not—and tries very hard not to let her arachnophobia keep her out of her basement on laundry day.
Jennifer doesn’t have spare time, but she makes it a point to spend at least one night a week with her sibling binge-watching whatever show they’re currently plowing through (currently Numbers on Netflix), and she ferociously guards quality time with her son and daughter. She cooks when she has the sanity for it—adding garlic to the recipe whether it calls for it or not—and tries very hard not to let her arachnophobia keep her out of her basement on laundry day.
Jennifer’s influences include Terry Pratchett (for wit), Laurell K. Hamilton (for sexual tension), Jim Butcher (for roguish flair), and Kim Harrison (for mythos). She is currently writing the series of her heart and her dreams, the series that has been percolating in her brain for the last decade…Blood Trails. An Urban Fantasy Mystery series that will combine the classic whodunit spirit with a contemporary fantasy setting. Expect mystery, magic, and mayhem, with characters that will make you laugh, cry, and probably stare at the screen with your jaw hanging down to the floor. Well, that’s how they affect Jennifer anyway…
You can find Jennifer at
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