Review: Of Flesh and Blood by: Adrienne Wilder

Of Flesh and Blood (goodreads.com)

By: Adrienne Wilder (author website)

eBook, 430 pages

Published 2011 by Gray Zone Publishing

ISBN 13: 9780615559

Source: Author, for the purpose of an honest review

Genre: Dark Fantasy, light Romance

Series: City of Dragons

Best read in order: yes

Stars: 5

Flames: 3

This book picks up a few months after Blood Bonds. I would not recommend reading this without having read the other. This is a very intense and complex world. After I finished reading Blood Bonds I was left salivating for more. I wanted to know more about Haley and what did her status as Medan’s Enforcer really mean, what was to become of Deshi and his hateful human wife, and what becomes of Haley and Farley. Blood Bonds ends on an “I love you.” Kin don’t love. That mantra is repeated over and over. So many of the unanswered questions are elaborated on in Of Flesh and Blood, I found some of the answers shocking. Haley and Farley are apart for most of the book, but readers get a lot of page time with Orin, who was briefly introduced in Blood Bonds. He was the Ancient Histories professor that also happens to be Kin.

Orin is accused of killing his Lesser Bred lover. She had been hiding the fact that she is Lesser Bred from everyone. Haley gets involved when Orin calls her for help. He is running from the police. Haley has been suspended from work when a human officer attacks her after he has killed a very young submissive Kin. Farley goes into a flesh trade operation undercover to assist Garrett. Farley’s brother Darco has a very interesting ability that quite possibly saves Farley’s life. Queens are still plotting against each other at every chance they get.

There are so many things I love about Wilder’s City of Dragons. I love the world. This is not a story where the paranormal beings are painted pretty and people conform in the end and everyone is happy. There is much hate and animosity towards the Kin. I also love the thick plot and multiple storylines. This is not a quick and easy read. The reader has to pay attention. This is a very dark world. Flesh and blood is a food source, emotions and metaphysical energy feed, and dirty gritty sex goes hand in hand with what is mentioned above.

I loved Orin’s character. The readers are given a great amount of time with him, yet he still remains a bit of a mystery. I hope Orin continues getting page time. Now I go back to impatiently waiting for Wilder’s next book to become available.