Book Review: Bloodborn by Karen Kincy

Bloodborn (Other #2)

Karen Kincy

Review of Other (Other #1)

Publication Date: September 8th 2011

Publisher: Flux

Pages: 312

Genre: Paranormal, Young Adult

Brock Koeman had always loathed werewolves and Others like them. Then, while tracking a werewolf suspected of murder, he and his brother Chris were bitten--and infected with the very disease they despised. Chris is now fighting for his life in the hospital, but Brock faces another kind of battle: stifling the fierce urge to transform into a beast.

When werewolves kidnap him and the girl he loves, Brock discovers what it means to be Other--the thrill of unearthly powers, overshadowed by unrelenting danger. Brock begins to see the life that awaits him, but he must accept his new identity . . . before the wolf within kills him.

Bloodborn is a very different perspective and book from Other, though the character did first appear in Other. What's great about this book is watching a character raised to think bigot thoughts, and then he becomes what he hated and how he deals and accepts that. While Other's prejudices felt more akin to racism, the "bloodborn" ness of Werewolves felt closer to AIDS in the way Brock was treated, the way he was given medicine to fight it. He also insanely believes in the beginning that he might beat it and stay human.

Of course when he ends up with the pack in the area he learns so very quickly how wrong he is about Others and Werewolves and how wrong he is about himself. The character of Cyn is very important to helping him realize this and honestly without that character there I'm not sure if he would have made it.

What's strange about this book is that even though it was urban fantasy, because in this world Others like Werewolves are just normal known things, it almost felt more like contemporary fiction about a guy learning to see things differently. It's the same charm to the writing that made me enjoy the first book.

The book is short and there aren't any true revealing spoilers so there's not much more to say other than recommendations.

I recommend this book to people who enjoy reading werewolf or vampire stories, but especially to people who want to see those stories in a world where these things are well known and sorta accepted. It's also a good book if you want to read about someone overcoming their prejudices. You don't have to read Other at all to read Bloodborn, though I recommend that book just because I enjoyed that one as well.

3.5 Bookmarks