A Lust for Blood by K. C. Smith is an amazing gothic fantasy novel from a debut author! I highly recommend giving this book a read.

4.5 stars out of 5!

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde retelling

Short blurb: Oriana is cursed. She wakes up surrounded by bloodshed, her bloodlust did it. Garren hunts the demons that plague his land. They cross paths. 🫠

I loved this book. The author did a great job with this retelling. The world building is very extensive and thorough. There were plenty of twists to keep me interested and for once I could never accurately predict what was about to happen. I loved the build up of the whole story. I would say it’s definitely slow burn BUT one little mild spicy scene near the end. Oh, our FMC has white long hair, I feel like we always see a male with white long hair so it was cool to see this!

My only tiff with the book is how quick the final battle is/how the overall problem at hand was rectified.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC of A Lust for Blood!

Oriana is cursed so that every month on the full moon her blood lust takes over and she kills any who are near here. Because of this she creates the Phantom Woods around the town of Sardorf in order to protect them and the outside world from her inner demon. However, while the forest protects Sardorf every full moon when the blood moon rises every 75 years the blood lust creature is able to make it through the forest. Several hundreds of years later Garren a self proclaimed demon hunter manages to make it through the impenetrable Phantom Woods in search of the demon that is terrorizing Sardorf. He meets Oriana and instantly has a connection with her while not knowing she is who he is really after.

This book reminded me so much of the movie The Village in that we have this village that is cut off from the rest of the world for years due to a creator that hunts them. However, unlike the movie the creature here is very much real. Sardorf due to being cut off for centuries has not developed like the rest of the world a fact that Garren notices right away.

There were a lot of surprises in this book. Garren is a huge mystery as we don't know in the beginning what/who he really is or why he has these strange abilities that make him perfect for getting rid of the demons that are terrorizing Svakland. Oriana is a heart breaking character who struggles with her blood lust and mourns the one's that are killed when it takes over. The two form a connection with each other and are definitely willing to do anything to save the other.

The world building was unique and I enjoyed it. I wish we had seen more of Oriana and Garren connecting with each other. I do think there may be more books so I am excited to see the world and characters explored more. Overall this was a perfect book for October and I highly recommend it.

This was the perfect book to read right before Halloween. Im not going to lie it took a few chapters for me to get into the story but once once I did I devoured this book and read it within two days. I absolutely loved the character dynamic with Oriana being a demon and Garren being a demon hunter. There is so much more I could say but I do not want to give anything away or spoil this for other reads. Overall this book was amazing 5/5 stars. Thank you to Netgalley, Phantom House Press and K.C. Smith for an opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest thoughts and opinions.

ARC review from Netgalley 4.5/5🌟

To be honest, I wasn't too sure what to expect going into this book. I thought the premise was interesting and the cover looked good.

But, A Lust for Blood had me crying. For being a debut novel it was really good and I throughly enjoyed K.C. Smith's writing and will definitely read other works in the future.

A Lust for Blood follows Oriana who had been crused by her father to become a monster of bloodlust on every full moon and on every blood moon.

Oriana had found a way to keep herself from killing during the full moons, but had been unable to surpass the bloodlust during the red moon.

A few months before her curse is set to end and for Oriana to become her greatest fear a eternity of being her bloodlust she meets Garren, a demon hunter who has no idea who he is.

The lovestory between Oriana and Garren is absolutely beautiful and I was very happy with how Smith has finished the story. I would love if there was another book with Oriana and Garren.

My favourite part of this book was how it switches up the attributes of the main characters to what we normally see in fantasy romance novel.
The FMC is the centuries old all powerful being with blood lust & a haunted past that she is trying to out run - the morally grey character.
The MMC is the one who is seemingly human, where there is more to them than meets the eye but they don’t know it, who has to look past the FMCS morally grey parts of themselves to find the good in them that’s there.
I also loved that he is 32 - it felt very adult & realistic (for a fantasy novel)
There was a lot of great intrigue that propelled me through the story where I really wanted to keep reading to find out the answers.
For a shorter book the world building was really good along with the lore of the gods - but I almost would have preferred more relationship building between the two characters over some of that. I still enjoyed the story but I just wanted a little bit more between them.
I think if it had that it would have been a solid 4 star read.

I love that is was dual pov & a stand alone story. It was a nice quick read with a little bit of spice.

I received an arc from netgally for an honest review.

3.75 ⭐️
1.5 🌶

This book was awesome! I loved the story and thought it was original and exciting. There is a content warning that should be abided by. There was a little more gore than I am used to reading, but nothing distracted from the story. Garren and Oriana are great leading characters. They have strength and emotion and great chemistry together. The world building is amazing and I’m a sucker for a good map. The side characters are great too! I loved it and can’t wait to read more! I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving a free copy.

This Witcher Vibes book was fantastic!!!

Dr Jekyll Mr Hyde have nothing on Oriana and her Monster!

Garren can give Geralt a run for his money. Tall dark, handsome and a demon hunter? Sign me up!

The story in the book was a huge page turner I couldn't put down. It kept me on my toes and had me guessing. I can't wait for more book in the series to come out.

A perfect read for Spooky season and well anytime of year!

In short, this book tries to fit too much into one book. I found the idea of everything to be good, just not very well executed.
There was not enough time for these two characters to fall in love as hard as they did, and it seemed very rushed from the beginning.
What I did like about this book very much is that our main character is a sort of villain and an immortal! We so rarely see this combination, which is why I wanted to love this book so much.

I enjoyed the atmosphere and the world! I found the plot to be well developed. However, the story felt flat in some places. While the characters were well developed, I didn't believe the romance between Garren and Oriana. I also felt the story moved a little slowly, especially in the beginning and the writing fell flat.

I gave A Lust for Blood, 3 stars. Some of the time jumps were confusing as well as information overload. I feel it could've been split into two books or even a small novella as a prequel. I was utterly confused at times because of the different realms, creatures, and how some things connected. It caused many chapters to be reread because it felt like some information was missing or not explained enough.
I will say that I enjoyed the ending immensely, but that's cause it's my guilty pleasure of endings. The writing style did match the Era vibe the author gave off, however again some items felt misplaced or I misread.

The blurb is what drew me in initially for the book, which is the whole point, right?

Thank you NetGalley for the chance to read A Lust For Blood by K. C. Smith before publishing.
All thoughts spoken are my own.

GR rating: 5 ⭐'s
My rating: 4.5 ⭐'s

A Lust For Blood follows Oriana, a cursed immortal who transforms every full moon into a monster out for flesh and blood. In order to protect the people of her village, she creates an enchanted forest to act as her cage when she shifts. A demon hunter with a devastating past, Garren, hears of an ancient demon that has been attacking a long forgotten town every 75 years, and he sets out to investigate.
When the two meet, Garren awakens something in Oriana, and she now not only has to navigate her change, but the immediate sparks between her and the demon hunter.

Normally I don't love books with different timelines, but A Lust For Blood was different. I liked the insight into the early years if Orianas curse, and how she handled it. I did enjoy when they finally blended though.

Overall, the novel was fast paced and exciting, and kept me on my toes. The plot twists were great! My only real issue was that it seemed like the romance was instant love (which I'm not a fan of), but I was able to look past it.

The world building was great, and I loved the plot and heavy Lore. Quality of writing was beautiful, and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. I will definitely be recommending it to others!

Releasing November 1st 2022

*review posted to Goodreads. Will also be posted to my instagram upon release day.

This novel follows Oriana and Garren as they work to break Oriana’s curse. Love blossoms against all odds. But is it enough to save Oriana?

I felt this novel was fast paced with lots of exciting things. I would have read it all in one sitting if time had allowed! I was rooting for Oriana and Garren the whole time, all the way to the end.

I would say that some parts of this novel felt fast overall, but it was a fast paced novel so I felt that it made sense in the context of the story.

I loved reading about the curse and trying to figure out how it could be broken, if it could be at all.

I’m excited for the next book in this series!

Thank you NetGalley and Phantom House Press for an eARC in exchange for an honest review....

A Lust for Blood follows Oriana who has been Cursed for all eternity. In order to keep the town and its people safe Oriana uses her magic to create and enchanted forest; creating a prison to keep the monster within herself from further killing the townspeople. Garren, a demon hunter with a tragic past, has learned of a centuries old demon who lies in wait in an enchanted forest. He decides he must continue to rid the world of the demons that haunt their world.. and this demon is the next on his list..

Oriana our FMC is morally grey heroine of the story. Strong and loving. She struggles with the two sides of her. And because of this she compartmentalizes the horrors she creates and tries to tuck it away. Like so many of us do in reality.

Garren our MMC is our trauma baby. He wants revenge on all the demons because of what they have done to him. He is handsome and extremely smart! I loved his happy outlook on life even with the trauma he has endured. He is a protector! And I just love that so much about him.

Side characters were great!!!! I love Orrick and Oriana relationship, especially towards the end. Haldis!!!!! I love her so much. She made me feel every emotion! I love her wittiness and loving/forgiving nature! She is such a perfect side character.

What To Expect:
▪︎Dual POV
▪︎Enemies to Lovers (in a way... you will read for yourself.. its the only way I can kind of desribe it)
▪︎Demons
▪︎Demon Hunter
▪︎Curses
▪︎Fate
▪︎Secrets
▪︎ Magic
▪︎ First book in the Realm of Curses series
▪︎ Please Read Trigger Warnings (may contain spoilers) ⚠️
*Graphic scenes of death, gore, and blood
*Self harm/attempted suicide
*Sexual situations

I love the concept of this book and where this world is going. Also, I love the direction K.C is taking with the characters. I can't wait to see more development of Oriana and Garren as she continues on with this series. My only criticism is I wish there were more details..so events and people seemed more rounded out. Things seemed a bit rushed because of this. Again overall I love this book and the direction it is taking. I can't wait to read the next one.

Lust for Blood by K.C. Smith
Overall 3.75
Spice 3
• Graphic violence
• Gods Monsters and Magic
• Fast-paced
• Dual POV (
• Flashback and Timeline Jumps
• Hard to follow 1st half
• Engaging 2nd half
• Starts with a BANG
• Diablo & Witcher Vibes
• Dr. Jekyll& Mr. Hyde
• Miscommunication & Secrets
• Curses
• Awesome Concept

Thanks to NetGalley and Phantom House Press for an ARC of debut author K.C. Smith, A Lust for Blood. Smith does not hold back on descriptions of violence and gore however this isn’t exactly a “dark” romance, I felt like I was reading a standard fantasy romance set in the Witcher or the Diablo universes. The retelling of Dr. Jekyll& Mr. Hyde as a curse and a demon hunter as the love interest plays a touch into the enemies to Lover vibes however the secrets and miscommunication tropes made it hard to see. (we literally have characters running off before they can share) The story really takes off around 65% when you get to Part 3 now that we are past the confusion/miscommunication/secret keeping we get to the real story. Which is fantastic. Though by this point you have a chapter of info dumping to make up for all of it. As a debut this is STRONG and I look forward to seeing how KC Smith grows as an author as these concepts dialogue and action sequences are FANTASTIC.

"You misunderstand what it is to be a god."

A Lust for Blood is the perfect Fall read: it is filled with convoluted curses, gods, monsters, and a gothic romance subplot.
So let's break it down:

Quality of Writing:
The world-building and magic system in this book is just *chef's kiss*. It's easy to digest yet at the same time brilliant and complex. Smith has a splendid manner of writing where you think you have everything figured out, only for the most perfectly plotted plot twist to pop up. I have zero complaints - only compliments.

Pace and Plot:
If you're a fan of books that have different parts/sections (i.e., Six of Crows), then this book is for you. Each section had a new element to the same overall mystery of the world/curse that it made the ending all the better. To put simply, it all tied together perfectly in a way that made the book hard to put down. Pacing-wise, I would put this book around a medium-to-fast pace.

Characters:
This is the only section I found slightly lacking (but the plot and lore more than made up for it!). This wasn't so much about the individual personalities of each character, but their interactions with others. As much as I ended up loving the blossoming relationship between Garren and Oriana, there relationship felt very implausible at first. There was more telling than there was showing, but as the characters grew, so did the plausibility of their relationship. Individually, however, they were both powerful, strong characters. I genuinely enjoyed them both, as well as side characters such as Orrick.

Would I Recommend?:
Overall, this book was very well-written and a perfect Fall read. I fully plan on picking up a physical copy of this book once it hits the shelves as well as recommending it to all of my friends. I would also recommend this book to fans of Furyborn, adult fans of Percy Jackson, and/or The Witcher.

My deep thanks to NetGalley, K.C. Smith, and Phantom House Press for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review! A Lust For Blood is out November 1st!

In this twist on Jekyll and Hyde, Oriana is cursed to give in to her need for bloodlust on every full moon. After being stuck in this curse for centuries, a strange man wonders into her enchanted forest and causes something in her to awaken.

I loved pretty much everything about this book except 2 things in particular:
The beginning was a bit confusing with the back and forth between Orianna and Garren's POV and the timeline. I had to look back for a second to make sure I wasn't in the present.
And Orrick seemed out of character towards the end of the book ( I would say more but I think it could be too much in the 'spoiler' category) so I was a bit thrown off.

Otherwise the writing was stunning and so was the plot.
I can't wait to continue the series!!

Thank you NetGalley and Phantom House Press for an early eARC.

A Lust for Blood was a very twisty and somewhat dark fantasy romance. It is aptly titled and there are graphic depictions of blood and gore throughout the novel. The author uses vivid imagery to immerse the reader in the fantastical world where demons and gods exist and curses last centuries. The main characters are fully fleshed out and have wonderful personalities and motivations. It is easy to relate to them both and they each show excellent emotional range. The romance aspect of the book is a very slow burn, but there is good sexual tension throughout. I was hooked from the beginning and found the story to be compelling. The final 'battle' to overcome the curse left me wanting but the ending was good, if a bit anticlimactic. Overall it was a very good book and I would definitely read more by this author; their skill with vibrant descriptions really stands out. I love when a writer gives me a visceral sensory experience with their imagery and this author does just that. .

Upon waking up in a field, surrounded by bodies, covered in blood, Oriana starts having flashbacks to the night before. But how could she have done these things? Why did the bloodlust suddenly take over after so long of her keeping it under control? Centuries later, still coping with this curse, she meets a demon hunter who may finally hold the answer to ending her suffering.

The plot is intriguing, sprinkled with some good mystery. The curse and Oriana's history keep the readers guessing until the end. It feels like a mash-up of a traditional monster horror novel and M. Night Shyamalan's The Village. One of the high points is how it forces readers to contemplate the morality of how Oriana chooses to protect the world from herself. A book that causes those thought processes makes for a far more entertaining read.

The issue with all that mystery is the unanswered questions it left behind. The details of the curse and its undoing remain vague even at the end. Readers may find themselves asking "Why?" again and again throughout the novel without ever gaining the answers.

Overall, I rated A Lust for Blood three out of five stars. It was an enjoyable read, though a little predictable, and seemed to be missing some important context and background information. I would also say it requires a trigger warning for attempted suicide and graphic violence.

Really enjoyed this!
I will update the review with the link to on our blog closer to publication date.

I'd like to thank the publisher Phantom House Press and Netgalley for providing me with a review copy in exchange for an honest review

A Lust for Blood is a deliciously dark and morbid book. I was surprised at the (unwilling) viciousness of the female MC Oriana, but I loved every second of it. This book is the PERFECT spooky/dark/luscious fall read. We have: a sometimes monstrous/sometimes demonic (again, unwilling) female MC, a demon hunting male MC, and a sentient and eerie forest. I read this in one sitting and I can’t wait to see what comes next.

Thank you NetGalley and Phantom House Press for an early eARC.