Author: Courtney Maguire
Publisher: City Owl Press
Publication Date: 4 May 2021
Pages: 240
Format: eBook - PDF
Genre: Paranormal/LGBT
Source: ARC via NetGalley
In Hiro’s world, youkai are a supernatural story used to scare children into obedience, and to keep men out of back alleys and brothels. Until Sakurai Hideyoshi walks through his door with a fantastical tale of a samurai who had killed a thousand men and drank the blood of his enemies, a man that lived in darkness but sought beauty to keep it at bay.
A story both terrifying and romantic…and completely ridiculous.
Unless it is true.
Convinced something softer lurks behind Hideyoshi’s hard mask, Hiro follows him home. And discovers the story is real.
Only instead of the blood of his enemies, it is innocent blood taken.
Hideyoshi tells him never to return. Yet after Hiro’s mother is mortally wounded, Hiro runs back to the one being he knows with the power to save her. When Hideyoshi can’t, Hiro begs him for the next best thing: the power to avenge her.
As Hiro becomes youkai, he faces a new threat, something darker, older, and far more dangerous. With Hideyoshi at his side, Hiro must decide what he’s willing to sacrifice--and what he’s willing to do--to protect this new life before he loses everything for a second time.
Blood Pact is the second book in the Youkai Bloodlines series; however, in this installment we meet new characters Hiro and Hideyoshi. Hiro was an engaging lead and I got behind him right from the first chapter. I enjoyed seeing the way his relationship with Hideyoshi developed, first while he was human and then again once he'd become youkai too. The story was well paced and it nicely balanced romance and steamy elements with darker themes. The ending left me keen to read on in the series, and I am interested to see where Maguire will take the characters next. For those looking for a fresh take on vampires, Youkai Bloodlines has a lot to offer. This book gets a solid 4 stars from me.
I received this book as a free eBook ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
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