Between Bloode and Craft (Between The Shadows 2) by Marie Harte-a review

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date December 14, 2021.

A dark grimoire. An enterprising witch. One very annoyed vampire.
Once the enchantment ends, the witch will pay. With her life, or her love?

Duncan has lived for over two hundred years. As a vampire, he’s aware there is very little that can do him harm. Certainly not a sexy young witch he thought he’d seduced. Even worse, he learns she’s in possession of a grimoire that has the ability to end all vampires. Forever. Tasked with finding the spellbook, he’ll do whatever it takes to destroy it, and he’ll take pure pleasure in devouring her.

Macy had no idea she’d ensnare herself by using the grimoire. She found it accidentally. She thinks. Except lately, she keeps using it, even when she’s not sure she wants to. When Duncan captures her, the book disappears, and her neck is literally on the line. She can’t find the book. He doesn’t believe her. And then there’s that weird demon guy who wants it too.

With few options left, Duncan uses all his wiles to persuade Macy to give him what he wants. But somehow, he finds himself wanting her more than the book. And when it turns out she has a special connection to him and his kin, it’s all he can do not to claim her for his own. But doing so might send him straight to Hell, eternally tortured, with the end to everything he holds dear.

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REVIEW: BETWEEN BLOODE AND CRAFT is the second instalment in Marie Harte’s contemporary, adult BETWEEN THE SHADOWS paranormal/fantasy series. This is revenant vampire Duncan of the Night Bloode, and witch Macy Bishop-Dunwich’s story line. BETWEEN BLOODE AND CRAFT can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story lines is revealed where necessary but I recommend reading the series in order for back story and cohesion.

SOME BACKGROUND: There are ten tribes of vampires each made up of individual clans, all male, and each tribe of vampire has a different gift. Tribes hate other tribes, and clans hate other clans, even within the same tribe. Six Bloode Stones, thought to be the tears of Ambrogio, the ancestor of the vampires, are missing, and the meeting of all six stones, will ‘cause’ peace to fall upon the vampire race, the Blood Empire will unite and rule the worlds by destroying and consuming every living beast including the human race.

Told from third person perspective BETWEEN BLOODE AND CRAFT follows the building but reluctant relationship between two hundred year old revenant vampire Duncan, and twenty-eight year old witch Macy Bishop-Dunwich. Macy works for the MEC-Magir Enforcement Command, and has gone rogue in an effort to take down revenant vampire Duncan, a vampire who stirs something deep within our story line heroine. Macy had previously cast a spell over Duncan, and now Duncan has been targeted by the same woman with whom he will fall in love but all is not well in the world of the supernatural as Corson Westhell, king of H*ll west, is desperate to retrieve Hecate’s missing grimoire for his Master Abaddon, a grimoire believed to be in the possession of our storyline heroine. As Macy and Duncan’s relationship quickly turns into something more, Macy’s connection to the grimoire has increased her powers, placing a ‘target’ on her back. What ensues is the building romance and relationship between Duncan and Macy, and the potential fall-out as a mole has been discovered at MEC, and Corson Westhell is always one step ahead of the team trying to prevent Abaddon from destroying the world.

Once again, there is a large ensemble cast of secondary and supporting character including Varu and Fara: Night Bloode housemates Khent, Rolf, Kraft (wolf shifter), Orion, as well as the goddess Hecate, and her sidekick vampire/demon/magician/shifter Mormo, housekeeper Bella, and Fara’s brother and dark elf Onvyr. We are introduced to Macy’s best friend Cho, a half demon and his father Anton, as well as Macy’s father Grand Mind Mage William Dunwich; Duncan’s sire Edward and his brother Brock, as well as the appearance of several other supernatural entities including vampires, fae, elves, lycan, gods, goddesses, magir, ogres and elementals. The back and forth camaraderie is often frenetic and fun.

BETWEEN BLOODE AND CRAFT is another complex, detailed and intriguing story of betrayal, power and control, the potential for a supernatural war, disorder and chaos, fated mates and love. The premise is haunting, twisted and inventive; the romance is intense but the build up was missing-the relationship went from zero to one hundred in the blink of an eye; the characters animated and impassioned.

Click HERE for Sandy’s review of book one BETWEEN BLOODE AND STONE

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy