REVIEW: The Blood is Love by Karina Halle

In The Blood is Love (Dark Eyes #2) by Karina Halle, Since turning twenty-one, Lenore Warwick has found out she’s half-vampire/half-witch, she’s lost someone close to her, had to fight for her own life, learned the truth about her origins, and has fallen in love with a centuries-old vampire named Absolon “Solon” Stavig. So it’s no wonder Lenore is having anxiety attacks while trying to process it all. Her devastatingly handsome boyfriend helps take her mind off their predicament in the best, sexiest ways possible, but the real world seems to keep intruding in their lives.

“As long as you still love me just as I love you, I’m not going to give up on us without a fight.”
He stares at me deeply, breathing hard.
“Please,” I go on. “Fight with me. Don’t give up.”

When Lenore’s biological father makes her aware of a plan to take out Solon’s evil father, vampire king Skarde, she’ll do what it takes to make sure she and Solon have a chance at the future they deserve. But Solon isn’t willing to let Lenore risk her life, if he has anything to say about it. Although even pairing up their powers with other vampires might not be enough to stop the carnage that’s about to begin when they make it to the Red World. Solon soon realizes that he might need to tap into the darkness within him to save them all. A choice he would make over and over again if it means his precious Lenore can keep on living–regardless of what it will cost him.

“You are mine for the ages, Lenore, and that will never change… This black heart belongs only to you, my dear.”

A new Karina Halle novel with vampires, witches, and other supernatural beings? Sign me up! The Blood is Love was an angsty but darkly seductive conclusion to the Dark Eyes duet where everything was at stake for Lenore and Solon–including their future together.

‘The feeling of him taking from me, consuming me, taking my lifeforce in order to sustain his is a feeling like no other. I’ve said it so many times, but the blood is love.’

My first thought after finishing The Blood is Love was “what did I just read?” (lol) Because holy cow what a tangled up, duplicitous, extremely dangerous, kinky yet romantic story. The crazy twists and turns and the amount of blood and gore actually reminded me a bit of Gena Showalter’s Lords of the Underworld series. Basically where you let the author take you on a roller coaster ride while their creativity runs free. So as you can imagine, the world-building was wonderfully detailed here and really painted a picture of the different locations (and dimensions) while Lenore and Solon fought to take down Skarde.

I will caution that it would be best to read Black Sunshine (book one) first before picking this one up. There were so many facets to Solon and Lenore’s relationship as well as how she finds out about her heritage and powers that you need that full backstory for this final book to make sense. I still got a kick out of Lenore, even if she did act very young and impulsive a few times. She learned a lot more about herself this time around. And if anything, her love for Solon grew even stronger.

Now Solon, he was still broody of course and very much in love with Lenore. From the measures he was willing to take to keep her safe to how he treated her when they were together, there was no doubt about Solon’s devotion. And it made for an achingly romantic story, even with all the darkness they had to get through first. Sigh…

The Blood is Love was a wildly imaginative paranormal romance that I just couldn’t stop reading. Compelling characters, intricate plot, a balance of heavy subjects and moments of levity, Karina Halle certainly crafted a memorable tale.

Book Info:

Publication: Published July 1st 2021 | Karina Halle | Dark Eyes #2

From the fog-shrouded bay of San Francisco to the dark cobblestone streets of Helsinki and all the hidden places in-between, The Blood is Love takes the reader on a sensual and twisted journey deep into Lenore and Solon’s lush vampire world in this thrilling sequel to Black Sunshine.

When Lenore Warwick turned twenty-one, she expected lots of bar-hopping, parties with friends, and the occasional hookup. What she got was the realization that she’s both a witch and a vampire, and that there are things in this world that want her dead. Thank god she has her enigmatic vampire lover, Absolon Stavig, to help show her the ropes. But while Lenore struggles to fit into her new topsy turvy world, full of blood, sex, and magic, she also has to contend with her messy and complicated love for a vampire who isn’t always what he seems.
To make matters worse, her real father, Jeremias, a powerful warlock from the dark side, has professed an interest in her, while Solon’s father, the depraved vampire king Skarde, is intent on destroying everything she loves. When Solon and Lenore have to travel to Finland to work alongside Solon’s charming and vicious brother, Kaleid, in an attempt to defeat Skarde once and for all, the two of them enter a bloody new world that neither of them are prepared for. Even if their love survives the carnage to come, the chances of them getting out of there alive are slim.
Good thing they like to take their chances.