✨A Dream of Blood and Magic✨
This book was giving me major vampire diaries vibes and I loved it! A Dream of Blood and Magic is a gothic urban fantasy romance that revolves around the rival vampire and witches factions.

Our FMC is Avery, who discovers her role in an ancient prophecy and the immense rare elemental magic she has as a witch. Despite growing up without knowledge of magic, Avery is thrust into a centuries long feud between witches and vampires due to her rare and powerful magic and begins to be hunted by warring vampire/witch alliances each led by an angsty vampire, who just happen to be brothers 🧛

I don’t want to give too much away but this was just fun and I think the way this book sets the stage means the next book is going to be awesome. This is definitely a slow burn so there isn’t much spice but I can see it heating up from here.

Also, Avery has familiars so be ready for a cute crow and fox to grace the pages 🐦‍⬛🦊

4⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

When Avery's life is turned upside down by a crow that crashes through her window, she discovers the truth about her life and questions everything she has ever been told. This books is how she begins to find her feet in her powers as a witch, and as she searches for the truth as well as why she has been seeing the lives of others in her dreams, particularly the two vampires who have taken an interest in her and are both on the hunt for her.

This book has SO much context and background woven into the first few chapters that I really felt like all my questions were answered before I even had a change to ask them. All the main characters are introduced quickly and the pace of the book was really fast moving. I liked that the book is in multiple POV, so you really feel like you understand what is happening with everyone as the story progresses. I am fascinated by the dynamic between Kane and Azriel and I feel that as the story progresses there will be so many twists and turns revealed about their shared history that I'm excited to discover. Kane fascinates me in his humanity, and I'm looking forward to see how he deals with Avery and their relationship as it develops.

I have rated this book four stars, I really enjoyed the writing style and found that the story really gripped me once I got into it. I often struggle with the first book in a fantasy series like this one as there is so much world building required but I found that I got into this book faster than normal. I'm eagerly anticipating the release of the rest of this series and I can't wait to see what happens with Avery and Kane!

I really wanted to like this book but ended up disappointed. I found myself getting bored sometimes and then other times I was entertained. I was expecting more romance since that was a major factor in why I was interested in this story but sadly it didn’t really deliver. I will admit there were a few cute moments. I understand that this series isn’t finished and that there will be more information in the next book but I felt like there was certain plots that were given and then never brought up again. For example, Azrael was never seen again or the twin girls from the beginning. I also felt like the ending was too abrupt. We didn’t get a closing or even a cliffhanger, which aren’t my favorite. I think Shadow’s POV at the end would have been a great closing and set up for the next book.

I personally didn’t like this story and won’t be continuing this series but I can see this may appeal to other people.

Thank you to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for this e-ARC

A Dream of Blood and Magic (Spirit Marked Book 1) by Olivia Boothe is a romantic fantasy novel. What a well written book. This book was definitely more fantasy than romance but it works for this novel. The plot was amazing and very well fleshed out. It definitely was what a classify as a slow burn paranormal romance.
The author did an effortless job with making timelines flow. The different worlds were described so well.
Avery is our FMC and she is full of depth. There are so many side characters that we meet that are interesting and appear to be important to the story as a whole.
The plot is twisty, the characters full of depth and world building fabulous. I can not wait to read more!

Thank you to NetGalley and Three Brothers Press for an eARC copy of A Dream of Blood and Magic by Olivia Boothe.

While the book started off very promising, it fell flat not long after. Though that is a personal opinion and others may feel differently on that. I wanted more character development, there was a lot of world building and too many introductions to new magical species. The development and world building could have been done so much better, rather than dumping it all right away. That was the real killer for me. Over all, it was hard to get into and aspects were clear enough.

It's hard to believe this is the first book in a new world, usually the intricate world-building feels heavy handed in order to provide enough context, but this felt smooth to read background as Avery discovered at the same time. I kind of liked that it was unclear if Kane or Azrael would be the love interest initially, although it was clear by the end. Avery's determination to get back to her friends were admirable, but I wished she had more than just CJ/more of a life to leave behind, it felt a little one-dimensional. Looking forward to the rest of the series!

I have mixed feelings on this one.

Overall, I enjoyed the story and the characters, but I felt that some characters weren't fully developed, like Azrael. We got a couple of chapters with him, but then he was left alone.

There was a lot of worldbuilding, too, which is good, but it actually detracted, at times, from moving the plot forward.

The ending felt like just a weird stop, kind of like the author didn't know how to conclude the book.

That said, I did enjoy it and will read the next one, as I feel that the family connections are going to get more heated and intense.

I have mixed feelings about this book. There are many aspects I enjoyed, but a few things I didn't. Overall, I'm leaning towards a 3.5 rating. The story started off strong, and I was intrigued by Azrael's point of view. The author excelled at world-building, and the distinct writing style for each perspective made it easy to identify the narrators. However, there is a lot of world-building—so much so that it felt like it took a long time to develop the storyline. Although this is labeled as a romantic fantasy, there's only a hint of romance in the last 20% of the book. The author did mention that the romance wouldn't kick in until the second book, but this one felt like it was just setting the scene for the sequel. Despite that, I had a fun time reading it and was fascinated by the vampires, witches, and spirit guardians. The dynamic between the two brothers slightly reminded me of Damon and Stefan from The Vampire Diaries, which I loved. This book would be ideal for those who enjoy detailed world-building and a large focus on fantasy.

Thank you to Victory Editing Net Galley Co-Op and Net Galley for the eARC. All opinions are my own.

If you love reading about vampires, familiars, witches, different worlds, and dream walking, you’ll want to pick this book up.

I found myself enjoying the contemporary gothic fantasy laced with romance book. Avery is the FMC that we follow as she comes into her powers, and is in the middle of a war between witches and vampires. Then there’s Kane, a vampire, in which forbidden love emerges. AKA Enemies - Lovers! Both characters are well written, and all very well thought through.

There’s very low spice in this book, but if you love the agonizing, white knuckled book holding, slow burn.. this book will satisfy that.

There’s so many wonderful twists and turns in this book. I really felt that this is a wonderful solid first book in the series. Boothe did a wonderful job weaving in the romance, fantasy, characters, slow burn tension. The storyline was easy to follow, and world building is super easy to digest for new fantasy readers.

I highly recommend this book!


Thank you NetGalley, and Three Brothers Press for the copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

Everything about this sounds wonderful at first thought but I have a hard time really getting into fantasy books that are connected to the real modern world like this. This is not a fault to the book, it just wasn’t for me.

I regretfully stopped reading this book around the 30% mark. While the premise of witches, vampires, and mystery in a gothic urban setting was intriguing, I found that the writing style didn't resonate with me, and I struggled to connect with the characters.

I want to clarify that this is purely a matter of personal preference and not a criticism of the book or its story.

A Dream of Blood and Magic is the first in a brand new series by Olivia Boothe. This is the first book that I have read by this author, but it certainly won’t be the last. I loved getting to know Avery’s character and couldn’t get enough of the start of her journey. I couldn’t put it down. It pulled me in from the very beginning. I love how independent Avery is, but that she also craves friendship and love at the same time. I love how her and Kane’s chemistry just leaps right off the page. This story is the perfect blend of swoon worthy romance and fantasy. A Dream of Blood and Magic does leave you hanging at the end, which means you won’t know what happens until book number two of the Spirit Marked series comes out.

Give me witches, vampires and magic and I’m hooked. Loved this book. Well written story with all the elements that I love. Can’t wait for more.

This book started off interesting and promising! But then... I no longer really liked the main character? And things started to go in every other direction? I'm not dismissing this book though - I am still curious to see where the author is going to take things, but I think it does need a bit of fine tuning.

Wow. Now THIS is how you tell a story!

Unpredictable, mysterious, riveting and elegantly seductive.

What a great start to this action-packed Urban Fantasy Romance about vampires and witches, that had me guessing the entire time. I cannot wait to get my hands on book 2 (no release date yet). The romantic tension just gets going towards the very end, leaving the reader wanting more. Such a tease! A complex world waiting to be discovered, with so many interesting characters.

What a thrilling ride! It is so beautifully and eloquently written, with the imagery, action, and emotions, all in perfect balance. It was very hard to put down. World building is complex but is written in a way that makes it accessible to the reader.

I also loved all of the characters (even the evil ones). Avery, our MFC is 21 years old, living in Brooklyn. Despite her young adult age, she’s been forced to mature fast, having been orphaned at a very young age. She’s a fighter with attitude. The two MMC’s are millennia old vampire brothers who’ve been at war for centuries. One of them seems to be more on the heroic side and the other more on the villainous side but I guess time will tell. Both are sexy and alluring. Although by the end of Book 1 the romance seems to point more towards one brother, I’m going with the “anything can happen” approach.

📚 Series: Book 1 in the Spirit Marked series (definitely not a standalone)
🎬 Ending type: To be continued… no shocking cliffhanger but the story is definitely not over
🏷 Genres / Tropes: Urban Fantasy Romance. Witches, Vampires
👫 POV / Tense: Triple POV (Avery, Azrael & Kane), 1st person, past tense.
🌎 World building: Set in present time, there are flashbacks to events that happen in other realms and other centuries (even other millennia), creating a complex history between witches and vampires.
🌶 Spice: 1 out of 5 for Book 1 which was perfect in my opinion, seeing as it would have been out of place at this stage in the story. There is exquisite tension build up with some teasing naughtiness towards the end. Author mentions that the heat cranks up in book 2
🤦🏻‍♀️ Issues: Absolutely none. I loved EVERYTHING about this book
⚠️🚩 Triggers / Warnings / Audience: Author says it’s intended for audiences 18 years+. Blood and gore, death and graphic violence, explicit language, some mildly sexually explicit content, stalking, abductions, mention of young girls being trafficked for blood, mention of mental illness and emotional childhood trauma.

i really enjoyed a dream of blood and magic! the premise was amazing and i knew i had to read it. the gothic and darker imagery in this story made for an immersive reader experience. i can appreciate a slow burn plot, but keep it mind when the author said slow she really meant it! lots of worldbuilding in this book for those who are fans. the ending was questionable and definitely leaves your wanting answers. all in all, i rate adobam 3 stars!

thank you so much olivia boothe and netgalley for the ARC! ☾₊ ⊹

“You’ll need to work on masking your desires, little monster.”

📖5⭐️

This book gripped me right from the start! I was so sucked (pun intended🤭) in reading I didn’t realize when I was at the end! Lol imagine my disappointment that I have to wait to see where this story goes. I really hope we get book 2 soon!

Kane and Avery. This is all. I’m rooting for them! I enjoyed the world building and the direction the book was headed. If you like reading about vampires, witches, and magic then I highly suggest reading this book! The author does an excellent job weaving this story together!

✔️Romantasy
✔️Vampires
✔️Witches
✔️Dual POV
✔️Forced Proximity
✔️Shifters
✔️Enemies to..?
✔️🌶️🌶️.5
✔️Book 1 ends in a cliffhanger


There are minor punctuation or spelling errors but a fun read nonetheless!

Thank you NetGalley for the E-ARC in exchange for an honest review

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️

This prologue of this book had me hooked from the start. The back story was interesting, and I was thoroughly invested in this world, characters, and magic. The 5,000 year time jump into present day New York in our world was a little bit jarring after that.

The beginning of our actual story was a little bit of a slow start. There were different types of supernaturals to learn about, as well as factions within them that I wasn’t fully invested until about 20-25% into the book. Once I had my bearings though, I couldn’t put it down and read the whole thing in one sitting.

I found the different POVs to be really well done. I honestly wasn’t sure who I’m supposed to be rooting for (other than Avery and her spirit animal things) for pretty much the whole book. I know I definitely do NOT like Luthor, but I still don’t know about Kane and Azrael. I feel like they both could go in either directions as characters and I like that I was kept on my toes the whole time and likely will be into the next book as well.

The author is definitely setting up a love triangle here, or possibly even a square, or maybe just straight up why choose. I honestly can’t tell you which of the men she may end up with (I vote all 3!) but there’s some tension and things mentioned with 3 guys and I’m excited to see where that goes. There’s not really any romance or spice yet, but there’s some pretty good banter and some scenes that let you know the spice will definitely be good when we get to it in later books.

So far we haven’t learned too much about the side characters, but the baseline is there and I’m excited to learn more about them.

I wouldn’t say it ends on a cliffhanger, but it ends right before we’re about to get so many answers and I hope book 2 comes out soon!

Overall I really liked the book and will definitely be continuing the series.

Beautifully written and engaging. I loved the way the beginning of the book took different pov and a mystery to try and figure out what was going on. I only wish I was longer to see where Avery’s story is going.

Oh how I wished this book was for me.
Vampires, witches, ancient secrets and world building?! It was all the right things for me. But, I struggled with it.
Cons for me was the parts of the book that were slower, moved glacier slow. I didn’t really like the FMC all too much. But aside from that, the parts where pacing was fast I was enraptured and completely lost in the world. I really like Azreal character a lot. His POV was always my favorite when I came to it. I am giving this a solid 3.75 because I just know that someone else will fall in love with this book.