Review - Blood Kin by M.J. Scott (Half-Light City # 2)

Holly Evendale is a spy and thief nicknamed the Owl. She is part fae, but truly despises her father for the way he abandoned her mother and later when he forces a geas on her in order for her to do his bidding when she refuses to help him. Holly is an interesting character. She isn't an innocent bystander in this story but one who is prone to cause trouble for others for what she considers the right reasons. She spies on people and steals things for money and for a way to keep her mother comfortable and her dress shop opened.

It's not until she's drawn into a world that she's not accustomed to that she ends up working with Guy DuCaine. Guy is a Templar Knight who has sworn to protect the city and innocents at the cost of his own life if necessary. Holly literally falls into Guys arms while spying for her client and it's sparks love at first sight.

Guy was introduced to readers in Shadow Kin when he was trying to protect his brother Simon from being killed. His willingness to put his life on the line for the Knights Templars is admirable. Guy carries a heavy burden in that he hasn't forgiven or forgotten that the blood murdered his younger sister. When Guy meets Holly, his heart is forever changed and there's sparks right from the onset of their first meeting.

Holly and Guy find themselves working closely together in an effort to find out who is causing problems for the Templars (who are being ambushed on a nightly basis) and why they are threatening the peace accord that the Lady of the Fae created. It also appears that Simon and Lily are far from out of harms way or the spotlight in this series.

Blood Kin continues the story loop where Shadow Kin left off after Simon and Lily found a way to defeat Blood Lord Lucius which left a power vacuum within the Night World. In my humble opinion, Blood Kin isn't as good as Shadow Kin but it's still an interesting story. The world building is interesting in that you have everything from Templar Knights, Beasts (werewolves), Blood (Vampires), Fae, and humans all mixed together and living within the confines of Half-Light City.

The one thing that grates on my nerves and thus a lowers my review is the continued change of POV's in the middle of a chapter. I realize that as readers we need to be able to understand the two separate characters as the story is developing. I realize that at times it's fun to see what the other character is thinking when things suddenly change for the good, or the bad. Yet, I don't mind saying I don't like it!

It should be interesting to see who the next players are in Iron Kin (Half-Light City # 3) which will release April 2, 2013.

Title - Blood Kin
Author - M.J. Scott
Publisher - ROC
Released - June 5, 2012