Blood And Fire: Alpha and Omega by Kim Mullican is set in a fantastic alternate world, where witches, mages, shifters, vampires, and demons are real. Despite their incredible powers, they still fear humans and live in their own hidden communities. The story begins in a hidden city called Atlantis. Maia Delacroix is a mage that works as a bounty hunter. Maia is suddenly thrown into the role of guardian of a young female relative whose mom recently died. Although she knows nothing of parenting, she reluctantly agrees and takes Elaina home. Maia feels a certain kinship as she recalls the loss of her own mother. Apparently Elaina's mother was killed by a demon and was accused of practicing dark magic. Maia agrees to look into these allegations, as Elaina feels something is off about it. To make things even more interesting, Elaina is manifesting powers Maia has not seen before. Will Maia and Elaina prove blood is thicker than water by making things work? What really happened to Elaina's mother?
I really enjoyed the world building as Mullican slowly adds new elements throughout the story. She has a way of introducing characters where each time we meet them we learn a little more, until they become an old friend. There is quite a bit of action in this book. It seems every time things are going well something pops up. There is an authenticness to Maia and Elaina's relationship. They are testing each other's boundaries, trying to see where they fit with each other. There is a warmth between them that grows as they get to know and trust each other.
One thing about the book that could have been improved was the pacing of the action. It was a little up and down. However, depending on the reader and their preference, this could be a positive. The other negative is that it seemed breed (supernatural being) stereotypes were emphasized. Maia seemed a bit surprised when characters acted outside their typical behavior, of course this may have been to aid in world building for readers.
This book was a fast, exciting read filled with mystery and drama that often centered on relationships. I would rate this book 4 out of 5 stars.
I would definitely recommend this book to fantasy and action lovers. It is written more for adults due to adult situations, profanity, and violence.

Great start to a new urban fantasy series. Well-developed characters with just enough sass and bite to make them believable and relatable.

Thank you #NetGalley and Syn Publishing for the advance reader copy, all opinions are my own.

Urban fantasy story with strong interesting characters. A great start to this series, even if some parts felt flat. I think the characters carried this story and no doubt the next book in this series will help round out the rough edges of the story. I appreciated how the story kept me intrigued and love the mystery element to it. I like how the main character, Maia, is a strong female lead, being a bounty hunter and in charge of her new ward Elaina. Lots of action and world building in an interesting fantasy world. Excited to see what happens next.

Vampires, magic, demons and more. What else could you ask for? This story follows Maia, a bounty hunter, as she becomes a guardian to a distant relative with unknown power. The adventure they go on is a wild one.

Blood and Fire is a fast paced, action packed story. A story that I sunk my teeth into and couldn’t put down. Worldbuilding is fun and gives you enough information. Of course it has some ups and downs but other than that, this story was very enjoyable. I cannot wait to see where this story goes.

Supernatural bounty hunter, vampires, demons, spells, magic - everything you need for an exciting beginning to a new series. Strong characters you quickly know and like - and a bit of slow burn that provides some added interest. Looking forward to the next one already!

My Thoughts
I generally read a lot of romance - reverse harem in particular of late, so I was expecting some romance with this and really there was just a good mystery. The investigation was pretty straight forward, but the mysteries among the characters were the truly intriguing parts. The story was a little predictable, but the characters were full of surprises. The world building is well structured, providing what you need and when through organic means as opposed to just throwing a ton of information at you all at once through large blocks of text. As a whole, the book lays down plenty of questions for this book and future books in the series to answer and keep readers interested.

About the Characters
Maia is a pretty easy going person who is honest and open minded. When she's unsure of what to do, she takes steps to learn so she can do the right thing. Elaina is a cool kid who is mature, but still a teenager capable of dumb, reckless things. She takes things well, but isn't out of touch.

What I Liked
I really like the characters. Maia and Elaina are great. I appreciated how Maia interacts with other breeds harboring no bias beyond her own experiences. Elaina explores her powers, but without getting too crazy. Liam is a walking contradiction and Doc is fun. The vampires were generally surprising. The shifters are good folk, but didn't have a big role in this book.

What I Didn't Like
As a rule, I try not to comment on editing, especially when I'm reading a review copy that may have been pre-publication, however there were a couple things that caused some clarity issues. What little perspective shifting there was felt a bit messy and I think Elaina and Maia's names were exchanged in a previous draft and not fully fixed yet. Everything got better as the book went on.

More Thoughts
There is a lot of action and it gets pretty bloody. The resolution to the investigation was exciting, yet felt pretty quick at the same time. The case was the only thing resolved leaving us with so many unanswered questions. At least there's plenty of content for more books.

Bottom Line
Overall this was a light and fast read all things considered. It left me wanting more in a good way and I look forward to more.

I did enjoy this and how it twisted and turned but I also found it lacked a spark for me, don’t get me wrong I really enjoyed it and the story line and characters but I felt like something was missing for me and when it finished it bugged me but it may just be me.

This book is way better than I thought it would be. I got an ARC for it and it sucked me in quite quickly. Pretty much at the point where Maia found out Elaina had magical powers. I’m so pumped to read the 2nd book.

Blood and Fire by Kim Mullican
Publisher: Syn Publishing
Genre: Sci Fi & Fantasy
Published January 17, 2022

Blood and Fire is the first book in the Alpha and Omega series by Kim Mullican. This is the first book I've read by the author and I am hooked!

I love books with a strong female lead and this book delivered! Maia is a tough, independent, bounty hunter mage, who suddenly finds herself as the guardian of a teenage girl. Together, they have to figure things out....and boy are there a lot of things to figure out!

Vampires, witches, shifters, demons, oh my! This book has it all! I found this book to be truly captivating and could not put it down! The story was incredible and I loved the characters! Sarcasm and snark are my love language!

I highly recommend reading this book!!!

I can't wait to see what happens next in Blood and Bone, which is set to be published in February 2022!

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Through NetGalley, I received a free copy of BLOOD AND FIRE (Book 1 of the Alpha and Omega Urban Fantasy Series), by Kim Mullican, in exchange for an honest review. Maia Delacroix is surprised with the guardianship of an orphaned teenaged relative. Soon, mages, witches, necromancers, vampires, and demons challenge that guardianship by legal, magical, and physical means. Maia, meanwhile, has to deal with her powerfully magical ward who is accursed with a severe case of being a teenager.

I liked this book. It was action-packed. I thought it was a pretty decent start to a new series.

#BloodandFire #NetGalley

Blood and Fire is the first book in the Alpha and Omega series by Kim Mullican. I am Maia Delacroix and I hunt people and relics. My life does not lack excitement or danger. I have it in spades. Then the Mageri surprised me with an orphan...yes, an orphan. I can’t even keep a house plant alive, let alone a kid. It turns out I’m her only living relative, and even though we’ve never met, I’m her only hope. Great. Can I feed her after midnight? What does she eat? I have no idea what I’m doing. They tell me this little witchling will need care for a few years until she comes of age. The bizarre fire leaking out of Elaina’s hands is a pretty good indicator that she is no witch. Then the coven comes—they want her back. Necromancers show up, turning my vampire friends into enemies. If that isn’t bad enough, I have a demon problem now too. Join me, and see if we can make it out alive!

Blood and Fire is a book grabbed my attention from the beginning. I liked the character building from the start, and the development of personalities and history that were reveal throughout the book was entertaining and well paced. There was a great deal of information about the different kinds of magical people, and how they interact, that needed to be included for the story and set up for future adventure to work. At no point did it feel like an information dump because of how well it was woven into the story. I thought the emotional reactions through the book were realistic for the situation, and I enjoyed seeing Maia and her unusual collection of friends and antiquates play their parts in this book. I look forward to continuing this series and will be on the lookout for more from this author.

Blood and Fire is a solid start to a new series, with quality world and character building. I am eager for more.

The story is more of a finding your footing and a whodunit. I really enjoyed the premise of this book and most of the world building. But, it could have used another round of edits due to some typos.

A different paranormal story about Maia who is a mage and a bounty hunter.
Maia became guardian to a distant relative who happens to be a teenager with unknown powers...
Lots of drama,action,suspense twists with some great characters that add to the story.
Enjoyed the story looking forward to the next.
Voluntarily reviewed.

Great start to this series! Maia reminded me of myself if I would suddenly be in charge of a teenager. A lot of interesting stuff happened it this first book that makes me really excited to read the next one!

I honestly wasn't sure what to expect when I started reading this book. I had never heard of the author or the series before but I fell in love with the description so thought I would give it a go and I wasn't disappointed.

25-year-old bounty hunter and mage Maia is content with her life of danger. Abruptly summoned by the Mageri the last thing Maia expects is to be given custody of a young recently orphaned witch.

The budding relationships between all of the characters were captivating and really helped to bring the story to life.
The plotline felt very fresh, straying from the path of the usual girl meets guy. Though I do hope the little spark between Maia and Liam grows throughout the series.

Blood and Fire is a very easy read, perfect for teens and ya fantasy lovers. The characters and plot were very enjoyable with so much to expand on. I can't wait to see what the rest of the series brings!

The only negative I have about this book is the editing. There were just too many grammatical errors, wrong names used, and stilted sentences. Every time I was getting into the flow of the story I would hit an error and have to spend a few minutes trying to work out what the author had wanted to say. If this problem is fixed then I would say this is book would be a solid 4/5.

It started out a bit slower than anticipated, but once it got going, it picked up the pace and really held my attention. I've never read anything quite like it, and I look forward to future books from this author. I LOVE Harry Potter, so I really appreciated those references!

I actually enjoyed this one. I will give this author another go. The writing was easy to follow and the characters were cool.

A very promising start to a new Urban Fantasy series

This was great. I think I've read (or at least started reading) every Urban Fantasy series on the planet at this point and am pleased to report I have a very good feeling about where this series could end up once we're a few more books in.

It follows perennially 25-year-old bounty hunter and mage, Maia, who's somehow both well-liked and a bit of a loner. Maia is abruptly summoned before the Mageri and informed that she has a young relative who's been recently orphaned. Maia has not kept track of her mortal family since her transformation to a mage some 30-odd years ago and had no idea 15-year-old witchling Elaina existed.

Talk about a turn up for the books...

I loved the fledgling relationship between Maia and Elaina. Maia definitely gives off cool aunt vibes rather than anything parental. I was getting flashes of familiarity in a good way to a couple of other series I love where there's a teenage character and that sort of mentor-mentee relationship. They can be very rewarding to read and I can't wait to see more of this as the series goes on.

Elaina, quite naturally, has a few issues in this book. She's a teenager, for one. I mean, need I say more? But she's also just lost her mother, been dumped with a stranger who doesn't even have food in her fridge and has some rather unsettling powers that don't seem to gel with her status as a teenage witch.

I thought Maia handled everything Elaina threw at her with way more chill than I would have. I liked the way she talked to Elaina right off the bat as an equal and a friend. Maia's character is pretty laid-back despite being a kick-ass bounty hunter. She strikes me as someone who only chooses violence when she has to. She's a naturally caring and protective person and she's made a name for herself as someone trustworthy and decent among the many different supernatural breeds she comes into contact with and has some friends in high places because of it.

Now, there wasn't any romance in this book at all, but... don't think I don't see what you're up to, Kim. I know what you're doing and where you're going but I'm willing to play along. After all, I love a sloooooow burn. ;)

The plot was shared between a couple of different mysteries as well as establishing some worldbuilding and the characters, of course. Quite a busy little book but I thought it all balanced out beautifully. I'm looking forward to being able to delve deeper into the characters and relationships and for a more in-depth mystery in future books that don't have quite so much groundwork to take care of.

I think if you like series such as Shannon Mayer's Rylee Adamson series or The Beginner's Guide to Necromancy series by Hailey Edwards, then I have a strong suspicion you may like this one also. It's early days yet to know if it will reach such levels of awesomeness, but it's looking good.

4 Stars ★★★★
ARC was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this story so much! Maia is brave and adventurous but scared when a teenage orphan is left in her care. She has no experience with child raising and did not even now her distant family member that was murdered. Plus, a coven of witches is trying to take her ward. With the assistance of her friends and allies, the group works to maintain safety and that is no easy task.

Marie Delacroix, who should be kin to Mercy Thompson, is one tough female. I can't wait to see how this character develops in the future. Good story plot. Lots of fantasy fun! Thanks #netgalley and #SynPublishing for the eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are mine.