Bloodlaced
Youkai Bloodlines, Book 1
by Courtney Maguire
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Pub Date 29 Sep 2020 | Archive Date 8 Feb 2021
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Description
Kanjin hardly view their servants as human. Even less so when they are different.
Asagi is different. Both a man and a woman.
In the wake of his failure to protect a boy he saw as a son from their abusive master, Asagi is sold into the house of a young nobleman, Mahiro, who is the opposite of everything Asagi has ever known—gentle, kind, and generous.
Mahiro bonds with Asagi and their friendship blooms into a deep and profound love. But when Asagi is poisoned out of jealousy, Mahiro reveals himself to be youkai, a demon who feeds on blood, and he has no choice but to turn Asagi to save his life.
Asagi awakes reborn, strong, and eternally youthful. But the price for Asagi’s new life is high.
The blood of the innocent.
Just as Asagi’s trust in Mahiro falters, the boy he failed to protect, now a man, reappears.
New master, same threat.
With both a literal and proverbial monster at the door, Asagi must decide what it means to be human to protect what he loves most.
Content Warnings: physical abuse, sexual abuse (off-page), self-harm, blood, graphic violence
If you like Bella Forrest, P. C. Cast, AJ Tipton, or Anne Rice, you will love this beautiful dark paranormal fantasy romance.
Advance Praise
"This is one of those stories that doesn't fit neatly into a category. It has a love story but isn't a romance. It has scary scenes but isn't a horror tale. It has vampires, but isn't a typical paranormal story. What it is, is a fantastic and tragic story that is all encompassing and heart wrenching and definitely a book that will stay with you after you finish it. It will be so interesting to see where Maguire takes this series if this is our introduction!" - Paranormal Romance Guild
"These conflicting emotions, conflating roles, saturate the pages of Bloodlaced. Whether it is a struggle with gender identity, a position in the master-servant relationship, or even the hierarchy among slaves, the story explores these challenges with as much realism as a memoir--but with vampires!" - Indies Today
Available Editions
| ISBN | 9781648980169 |
| PRICE | |
Available on NetGalley
Featured Reviews
Poppy B, Reviewer
I went into Bloodlaced blind, not knowing what to expect. At first unsure whether it was my ‘cup of tea’, but then quickly developing a hunger to turn page after page. The story tells the tale of Asagi, a non-binary slave in 19th Century Japan, and her relationships with several different characters that she meets throughout her journey to freedom. I found myself engulfed in her journey, not wanting to put the book down until I knew what happened next.
The book intertwines events of reality with those of fiction, and the vampirism aspect adds an unexpected twist to the progression of Asagi’s story. But the book isn’t all about their growth and their wins heading towards freedom, it covers love, heartbreak and loss. Pain, suffering and perseverance. At times, it was a difficult read. Bloodlaced encompasses rape, slavery, self-harm, violence and other hard topics. But the book is written so beautifully well and captures the thoughts and feelings of the main character perfectly, without overpowering the reader.
The Japanese setting allows for the expansion of cultural knowledge. The book contains a glossary at its back with several words never before encompassed, and opens a reader’s eyes to the culture of 19th Century Japan.
Bloodlaced demonstrates how, even in the darkest of times, a slight feeling of love and hope can pull you through. A powerful, heart-wrenching read.
Readers who liked this book also liked:
SHIN; Maripori; Yue; Junko Kitamura; Suzu Kawana; Ramiru Kirisaki
Arts & Photography, Nonfiction (Adult)
