THE CAPTIVE AND THE FIRST BLOOD GAME

In Linde’s supernatural novel, a young woman narrowly escapes from her vampire captor only to discover worse trouble brewing as a new threat bears down on the human world.

This second book in the Blood Type series continues the story of Reyna Carpenter, a human living in a world largely run by vampires. She is held captive and forced to act as a personal blood bag by the sadistic William Harrington, president and CEO of Visage, a vampire-run company that pairs vampires with matching blood donors (AKA “blood escorts”). After being terrorized by another one of Harrington’s captives—a seemingly crazed vampire known only as “B”—Reyna is rescued by members of Elle, an underground rebel group intent upon taking down Visage once and for all. During her escape, Reyna insists on also rescuing Jodie, a young woman whose blood is used to create an antidote that prevents vampires from having to rely on blood matches (a “huge leap for vamp-kind”). Finally reunited with her vampire lover, Beckham Anderson, Reyna dives deeper into Elle’s mission…and unwittingly stumbles across a horrifying plot. Attempting to stop it will put those whom Reyna loves the most—including her brothers and Beckham himself—at risk. A twisty continuation of Reyna’s ill-fated adventures in blood-escorting and love, this novel leans into its political undertones as the underground rebel group also deals with a new mayor who may or may not have their best intentions in mind. While some readers may balk at yet another unabashed cliffhanger that essentially forces them to read the next book if they have any hope for a satisfying conclusion, Linde includes enough genuinely surprising twists (including the identity of B and the ending itself) to make the reading experience worthwhile. The confident prose, steamy vampire–human sex scenes, and a rebellion worth rooting for ultimately result in a compelling page-turner that will more than satisfy fans of the genre.

An unpredictable vampire thriller with just enough action, romance, and politics to keep readers on the hook.