3.5 stars.
First of all thank you to NetGalley for this ARC.
If you are looking for a turning page Urban fantasy book, this is the one for you (but the reasons why I decided to read this book were the cover and caption “THE VAMPIRES ARE BACK” because I wanted to read something with vampires so bad 😂).

The story follows Ivy, an Inquisitor, who was framed for a crime she didn’t committed. Thanks to a little help, she manages to escape from prison with the intention of proving her innocence. She doesn’t know what awaits her will be something greater than her, but she won’t be alone in her journey.

I really enjoyed the book. It was well written and engaging. The story is good and plenty of mistery, magical creatures, action and plot twists. As the other readers I think Ivy is a little bit too much but I loved her.

More like 2.5 stars

I really wanted to love this book but I just couldn't connect with the characters, I didn't care about them, they made me feel nothing, and since this book is character driven, we had a problem since the beginning.

My main issue was Ivy, the main character, and don't get me wrong, I don't hate her, is just that she's the definition of Mary Sue, many of her actions and thoughts felt contradicting, in one moment she was the most naive girl and the next moment she was more clever than Sherlock Holmes, it didn't make sense, therefore I couldn't make myself believe everything that happened in the book.

The other characters are ok, I just didn't feel attached to them and I kinda didn't care about them.

And it's sad, because the premise, world building and narrative are excellent, and I really want to give the author another chance with more books, I just hope I like his future characters better.

Well written story, fascinating characters & captivating plot. My first book for this author but definitely not the last. It’s highly recommended.

I will be honest. Going into this, I was expecting something not so great. Just a basic Urban Fantasy romp. However, I was pleasantly surprised.
You start off in media res of this investigation that Ivy, the main character, is conducting. You get the typical catalyst event and then things roll from there. As Ivy continues to move through her investigation, dealing with blockades and fights along the way, she picks up a marvelous group of side characters.
You have Dryden, the sexy wizard, Cleg the fabulous Fashion designer dwarf, and Sophie the somewhat spoiled elven princess. The group all come together and finish the adventure. I am being super vague as to avoid some spoilers, but overall, it is kind of run of the mill found family adventurey stuff but done well enough that it doesn’t devolve into cringey trope territory.
Which is a good thing about the Characters as a whole. For the most part, while they followed classic tropes, ‘Tough loner fighter girl’, ‘Cocky powerful one with a secret’ etc, they weren’t too overdone. Which I enjoy. Tropes can be fun and enjoyable, that is why they are tropes, if the author knows when to use it sparingly and still remember to flesh the character out.
There were some issues I had with Ivy a bit. There were a lot of times where she would constantly mention how Gorgeous Dryden was, like in the middle of a fight constant. Or one part where she got super hyperactive about a closet full of shoes, in the middle of this 24-hour life or death investigation. It could either be my own biases as being a person not a fan with the overly feminine, or just a way that the author was trying to show that Women can be strong and tough etc, while still having their moments of the more traditionally ‘Feminine’ traits, but it just did not work for me and annoyed me a lot when it happened. Ivy was a fun character, very classic Roguish hero. Lots of back talk, snark, and general disregard for Prim and Proper, so that seemingly random bits just were weird to me.
I did love the world building. I was getting annoyed at first because it felt very jumpy and disorientated, with random info dumps etc. But as the book got going, after the first quarter, it smoothed out and everything began to piece together better. There are a few fun bits of lore that are established that I thought were pretty cool, ie taking on spirits after a defeat or how the prison works. I would love to see more in the future.
I will say, the ‘twist’ was okay. I didn’t expect it. I thought I knew what was going to happen early on, however when it was revealed as something different, it wasn’t in a way of ‘Oh! Everything makes sense now’ it was more of a ‘Wait huh? That was an option?” As someone who love foreshadowing and going back and picking the clues a second time, it’s kind of a bummer when it seems to come out of nowhere. Even so, the climax of the book was really fun.
This book is definitely written as if it is going to be the start of a series. It could be stand alone, but is left super open ended, so the author has lots of room to go with it, and I really hope he does, because I had a lot more fun reading this book than I thought I would.

NetGalley ARC Educator 550974

Think Van helsing meets Wonder Woman. Fealty to all that you know but wanting to do what's right for the greater good. Ivy is a fighter but she has a chip on her shoulder. With the help of an unlikely Ally, she attempts to clear her name. I hope the next installment provides a bit more background on the characters and hierarchy that's in place.

If you like vampires, fae, wizards and magic,, this is definitely for you! I felt it took a while to really get started, and I was a bit confused by what was actually happening. I also wasn't sure that I had much liking or sympathy for the main character. The other characters are varied and .vivid. The story, at times confusing leads you on a fraught 24 hour journey to solve a riddle and a puzzle and hopefully save the heroine's live. Plots, intrigue, betrayals and by the final showdown, I realised that did feel very much for our heroine and her team, My lot was definitely thrown behind them in the inevitable struggle between good and evil. Finally I realised it all made sense and I had very much enjoyed the ride.

This story had magic and action, heroes and villains, and a bit of mystery. Some of it was a bit confusing to me, but all in all was a good story. I'm interested to see what the author does next! I do wish that a good explanation of what the chosen were had been included in the beginning. I feel like the heroine was strongly written and I loved her humor! I especially like.the fact that she has flaws!

I liked Ivy, the action, and the whole setting with mysterious warlocks and vampires and all that fantasy stuff. However, it was difficult to follow in the beginning as there was a lack in backstory and world building. I felt confused most of the time and didn't really know why things were happening. Though I'd say that the action was intense and pretty well-written. I'd probably enjoy it more if the storytelling was better.

#bloodycharming #netgalley

First I would just like to say that this is my own opinion and not a reflection of the auchotor as a person.

I didn’t like this book very much, I feel like it should maybe have gone through another round of editing. The story felt very rushed and very predictable. And maybe a little bit too cliche.

It had a lot of potential and I had just hoped it had done a little bit more than it did. The characters didn’t really make me feel for them or get very invested and the relations of the characters towards each other feel a little too surface level.

I didn’t think it was a bad book in general, I just think it might have been published a little too soon.

With plenty of twists and turns, a fast pace and a good story, I still struggled to finish the book. Maybe more character development? I really tried to like it but it wasn't in the cards for me. Thanks #netgalley and #IBPA for the eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are mine.

I really enjoyed the book. I think if I wasn't so busy, I would have finished the book sooner. The chapters were short and sweet, so it was easy to get a chapter in here and there while waiting for something. The world-building was clear and easy to grasp and was really action-packed. The plot twist really got me, so that was nice. Also, the romantic tension - I wanted more, but the author built it up nicely. You could read this as a standalone, but there could be a sequel, which I'd be interested in (for reasons I will not mention cause spoilers.)

This was sadly a DNF for me and entirely my fault, since it is quite a bit outside of my normal reading sphere, just thought, I try something different only to find it's not for me.

Ivy, a monster hunter, must stop a conspiracy (that no one in her organization believes) before it destroys her city. Of course, she has help in the shape of a handsome wizard.

A fun story with plenty of adventure. Ivy definitely knows how to throw a punch. I had a problem with her in the beginning because she just had to needle everyone even when she was in a very bad position. The author had to show she had a chip on her shoulder but it was a little too much. She grew on me and she also grew as a character as the story continued.

An entertaining Young Adult fantasy novel that seems to be the first in a series. While there seems to be a backstory that is missing, you can understand what is going on without it.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in return for an honest opinion.

It was the cover of Bloody Charming by A.D. Winter that first attracted my attention. It has the kind of cover I normally can’t resist. I had to stop and read the blurb really quick to see if was also going to be total package attention grabber. An inquisitor that can’t follow orders. Framed for a murder they didn't commit now forced to betray what they swore against. Vampires, mysterious wizard, faced with a greater horror. You can stop right there. I’m sold! I want in. So, I start this little nugget and hope it lives up to its eye catching appeal.

Good story, not intensely great but good. Plenty of plots and twists to keep me guessing. Just the right amount of humor to make the story entertaining without making it silly. The pacing was fast and steady with a good build-up that it made it hard to put down. The characters were great. There’s definitely something there between Ivy and Dryden that I would like to read more of. Just enough at the ending to not be a cliffhanger but definitely enough for me to want to find out what happens next. I see plenty of potential with this author and series that I would certainly be willing to read more.

The only thing I had issues with I didn’t feel this was the first book in the series. It felt like I was missing some background history which had me confused when I first started reading. Had to poke around the author’s information to find out indeed there is a prequel. *Sigh* I’m not going to say the prequel is a necessary read (although it would have helped). It just would have been nice to know I wasn’t jumping in at the very beginning. And as for that prequel, at the time of posting this review it’s not listed for sale anywhere. Hmmm…


Stars: 3
I received this book from Netgalley. I was not compensated for the book other than the entertainment it provided. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I loved this book! Ivy is so feisty band I just love it. The story has excitement and quite the twist. I definitely guessed wrong on who the villain was. I can’t wait to see what becomes of Dryden.

This book had a lot of promise, with a familiar and exciting premise at the forefront; however, I think my problem lies with the execution.

Due to the writing, one that tells rather than shows in exposition dumps that prompts you to have the world unfold in only a few paragraphs, instead of discovering it through pacing and subtle unraveling.

The characters lay flat in their presence while the story does not engage you. It is not the argument of not being unique. I believe that any book can be a good book whether the premise is familiar or not; however, I think how the book was laid out was the problem.

I could not truly enjoy it due to how frustrated I was, to be honest, but I do believe that it is not a bad book.

I had fun in reading this story: it's highly entertaining and I liked the characters and the world building.
Want to read other stories in this series.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

3.75 stars

<i> Thank you netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an arc of this title in exchange for an honest review </i>

As a huge fan of the urban fantasy genre I have to admit this caught my eye pretty quickly, specially after reading the sinopsis and taking a look at that cover.

Following Ivy a type of hunter who is wrongly accused of a crime, we are set loose in a world that now only is full of interesting characters and creatures but also has a lot of development potential for future books. Altho Ivy to be quite honest is a very cliche character and gets on your nerves it kinda works with the whole settup and the love interest we kinda encounter later on in the book.

I agree with some of the other reviewers who say that Ivy's sarcasm and defensive attitude was sometimes to much and it atcually made the story quite heavy but it didnt made her a bad character.

The plot is very fast paced and interesting however it still has potential for the world to be a bit more developed and the characters to be a little less cliche.

I really enjoyed this book. Its been a while since i read a book in a day but that was how drawn in i was to this book. I can't wait for book 2 as I really need to know how it goes. The characters worked well together and made it a really fun read.

The fight scenes are repetitive, like so repetitive I had to reread the section to make sure I didn't accidentally reread the same line 4 times in a row. The main character is not likeable but can be mildly relatable. I love the world it's written in, and the sass is top tier. I feel like the author was fighting too hard to make the idea unique that the characters became flat instead of 3D. Initially I expected the main character to be more focused on fighting, but for some reason any time she meets a man she describes how absolutely blindingly handsome every single man is, despite being in the middle of fighting for her life.