I enjoyed this more than I thought I would. There were a few things that were hardly believable and a few parts were a bit difficult to follow. For example, the fight scenes where it was described what hand goes where sort of lost me most of the time. Also, the climax of the story was a bit underwhelming for the same reasons of technicalities. It was like the descriptions didn't accomplish the role I was searching for.

I was hoping that by the end of the story I'll have a better grasp of some of the details, but they remained open and not fully explained. I imagine the answers might be found in the next books, but I'd have liked to get those answers anyway.

I'm considering going for the next book in the series.

Book Review
Title: Black Fall (The Black Year Series #1)
Author: D.J. Bodden
Genre: YA/Supernatural/Thriller
Rating: ****
Review: The opening to Black Fall was interesting as we are introduced to Jonas Black at his father’s funeral. Jonas immediately realises something is wrong as his father is being treated like royalty not the salesman he was in life, and this feeling is made worse when we learn that both of his parent’s suffered from a condition making it impossible for them to go in the daylight and with the supernatural tag it makes me think they are vampires or something similar but Jonas isn’t like them. As people leave the funeral his mother collects the ashes only to freak out saying that these aren’t her husband’s ashes and smashing the urn and she does make reference to knowing what human ash smells like. We then jump forward a year, and Jonas hasn’t seen much improvement in his mother’s behaviour but he does find some comfort with his girlfriend, Amelia but he is beginning to feel like someone is watching him and he is having strange dreams and decides to confront his mother about it. That night they are attacked by some men but his father’s friends come around and save the day but Marcus mentions an agency and Jonas begins putting the pieces together in his mind and when his mother says she and his father are vampires, at first he doesn’t believe her but he can’t erase the events of the past couple of days.
As we approach the ¼ mark in the novel, Jonas’ mother explains her vampire abilities and other abilities that some vampires have and despite his initial reaction Jonas is taking this surprisingly well. She also leaves him Marcus’ card although there is no address on it, he ponders this card for the next day when his two werewolf bodyguards take him to school. I believe the card reacted to Jonas’ need for answers and he visits Marcus after school, Marcus is also the director of the Agency which police and controls the supernatural population including vampire, werewolves, zombies, demons and more. Through Marcus, Jonas learns of his parents history as enforcers and that due to their immortality vampires need grounding, his father had a special coin and his mother’s grounder was his father and with him gone her mind is spilling away from her. It turns out Jonas was born due to a side effect of an experiment to give vampires the ability to walk in daylight which explains why he doesn’t have key vampire traits like his parents despite being one. Marcus also informs Jonas that someone has weakened his mind probably when he was hit on the head during the attack and begins to teach him how to defend himself from supernatural attacks.
As we cross the ¼ mark in the novel, Jonas continues his training learning how to defend his mind from attack, especially Madoc who is the creature that both Jonas and Marcus believe killed his father. He also learns through his mother that his training is so hard because they are trying to awaken the vampire part of him and they are succeeding as he drinks blood for the first time and he even creates Sam, a guardian for his mind. For a time, things are okay but I am getting weird vibes from Marcus especially when he shows Jonas a box containing his father’s special effects and that the secret compartment which contain something valuable can only be opened with his father’s coin but Jonas thinks it was just an illusion. One day Madoc does invade his mind but Jonas isn’t prepared for it since he is with Amelia as well and he suddenly realises that she can’t be part of his life as he would never forgive himself if she got hurt or worse turned because of him.
As we approach the halfway mark in the novel, Jonas continues his training and strengthens his mental defences but he learns a lot more from the people around him. From Phillip, he learns more about the werewolves and werewolf culture including the fact that Bert has gone missing just days before the full moon and his control isn’t the best. He also learns the Kieran is the White Wolf, almost god-like among the werewolves and Phillip encourages Jonas to befriend his son. Through Eve he learns more about vampires and even uncovers the fact that his history teacher is a hunter, although they come to an arrangement as Jonas isn’t like his mother and father as he can walk in the daylight but we see him becoming colder and slightly more callous than he was in the beginning. The last discovery Jonas makes is twofold, he learns that his father’s coin wasn’t real but he can recreate it as he saw it so often as a child but most others can’t and it is this coin that opens the box Marcus has and inside is a journal. Before Marcus arrives Jonas hides the journal and the secrets it contains as he also realises that Marcus is the demon that has been bothering the agency.
As we cross into the second half of the novel, Marcus pushes himself inside Jonas’ mind and tells him he has been trying to contain the demon within his mind but he is getting closer to taking over his body. The demon has had his mother kidnapped by Bert who has betrayed the werewolves and his father might still be alive. In his father’s journal he finds a letter from his father telling him how to get in contact with Madoc who will help him the best he can in the trying times to come. Madoc explains that everything he wants and everything he fears is inside in the Agency but he can’t enter there because it is warded and an army is waiting behind the doors. The only one that offers him any help is Eve as it seems like Jonas has almost completed his transformation into a full vampire but he can still go outside during the day giving him an advantage over most of the supernatural creatures but the demon will not stop until he gets the journal.
As we approach the ¾ mark in the novel, Jonas begins gathering some friends starting with the hunters including his history teacher when he learns that Bert has abandoned Kieran in a public place on the night of the full moon. Jonas immediately rushes to help and somehow becomes pack leader due to Kieran’s position as the White Wolf meaning none of the other werewolves can go against Kieran’s decision, which means he now also has most of the werewolves on his side. The demon is slowly working towards its goal of creating mayhem by setting Doris loose and she ends up killing one of the hunters and Jonas knows he needs to go to the Agency soon before more people die. The plan is for Eve, Jonas, and Kieran to go into the Agency as many won’t suspect them because they are kids but they are more powerful that people think they are. Inside the Agency they get side-tracked by a vampire who prompts Jonas to feed from a thrall which upsets Eve but they don’t have time to argue as they are about to come face to face with the demon, although this is delayed as they run into Bert.
As we cross into the final section of the novel, we get to see the battle between the Agency and Jonas’ army and while they win the battle they haven’t won the war yet as the demon will most likely return and they have to deal with all the mayhem it has caused. His mother has been found and been made the new director of the Agency but his father is still out there somewhere but some good people are lost in the battle including Phillip who was killed by the demon but Jonas promised Marcus he wouldn’t kill him unless it was necessary and there was no other way which Kieran might never forgive him. In the aftermath, Jonas meets with priest as he prepares to leave the country who shows him a vision of some of his closest friends dying in the summer, less than six months from now and the priest believes there is no way to prevent it from happened but Jonas won’t allow it to happen. Overall, Black Fall took a while to get into but once it got going it was quite enjoyable to read and I will definitely be continuing with the series in the future.

A decent supernatural tale set in Manhattan. I'm a sucker for any book set in New York and it is always a bonus when the story is as entertaining as this one.

The teaser and front description gave me the idea this was an ideal book for me. While ok/good it's not at the top of my list

Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion.
A few things: 1) I forgot I requested this book, which is why the review is so late, and 2) I'm not even sure WHY I requested it. Vampires, werewolves, etc are not my bag. But, I did read it anyway and here are my thought: for a book about supernatural beings, it's not bad. Not too campy, but a little to YA for my liking. I like Alice; she sounds like a real bad-ass. Jonas is a good kid. The Agency is a bit cliché. Overall, it's not a bad book...just not my style.

Jonas Black is 16 years old when his dad disappears. He ends up going to live with his mother. Little does he know about himself and his mother. His life will be changing rapidly. He is still going to school but has 2 oversized bodyguards that go with him. Why? He doesn't understand his new lifestyle. He wants to refuse it. Why?

This is a young adult paranormal novel. It shows the difficulty that Jason has with his relationship with his mother and his friends. It is written well but something seemed lacking - it didn't grab my attention that much. I do think that it is a good start for a series.

There’s something about getting review copies from publishers that sings to the inner nerd in me. Thanks to Netgalley, I’ve had the opportunity to review plenty of such books. Some of them were good, others were better.

‘Black Fall’ is a book I received from Netgalley.

Written by DJ Bodden, ‘Black Fall’ has restive vampires, honourable werewolves and a murderous lich.

I know. When I first realise this was a story about vampires, I blanched. But, I owed it to the publisher to finish the book, and boy! Am I glad I did.

This is a coming of age story with Jonas Black, the son of Victor and Alice Black, takes his first steps into the shadowy (not) world of vampires.

A year after his father mysteriously died, Jonas discovers he is a rather unconventional vampire, the rare vampire offspring who also happens to be the result of an experiment to enhance the vampires’ resistance to deadly sunlight.

As a result, Jonas can go out in the Sun and not get burnt to a crisp.

But that’s where the story just begins.

The easiest parallel I can draw to this book is ‘Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone’. Think Harry and his initiation into the parallel wizarding world.

It is much the same for Jonas, the only difference(s) being that he is not being hunted by a dark lord, and the world of vampires, werewolves and “supernaturals” is prone to violence.

Jonas, who spent all his life oblivious to his heritage (at one point, a character refers to him as vampire royalty), assumed he was an ordinary human child with a regular girlfriend.

But then his genes (?) kick in and he is yanked navel first into the world.

But he adapts admirably, and even leads the charge to cleanse the governing ‘Agency’.

In a nutshell, Jonas Black and his allies, Eve the vampire, Kieran the unusual werewolf, Madoc the spectre and many others, must take on the bad guys, in this case the ‘Order of Shadows’, and win the battle for a journal that could very well change the lives of vampires forever.

It is a testament to the author’s skill that I was easily drawn into the world. There is not a single word or phrase or even a sentence that feels out-of-place. The style of writing is very economical and, by that virtue, very effective. There is no unnecessary flair; Bodden wants to tell a story and tell it in the simplest way possible.

For that reason, there is very little exposition in the book. The few instances when the characters must expound, they do it so in a matter-of-fact manner, making it easy for the reader to flow along.

The characters too are very well fleshed out. They fall into three broad categories — the good, the bad and the ambiguous, and it makes for a thrilling read to see the characters develop.

I cannot wait to lay my hands on the next book in the series, ‘White Winter’.

This book started out as a typical "young man discovers he has special powers and learns to use them" story. But, unlike most books in that genre, he isn't instantly amazing at everything. In fact, he's kind of terrible at using his new abilities until someone actually teaches him how to control them. While the idea behind this story is strong, the main character isn't really that interesting. I would much rather read a book about his mother's origin story (or almost any of the secondary characters actually), as most of the background characters were way cooler than the main kid. I'll probably read the next book in the series, just to see where it goes.

Thoroughly enjoyable. Jonas is a very likeable guy, and I liked watching him awaken to his new world and come to grips with his potential power as the son of one the oldest vampires in the Agency. While also having a go at saving the world - no pressure!

I appreciate this fresh angle on the vampire/werewolf/hunter trope. It's as if too much in the vampire/supernatural genre is written for hormone-drenched teenage girls and the adventure and action has taken a back seat (pun intended) to romantic supernatural/human entanglements. So over it!!!

Well done and thank you for bringing back the adventure!!!

This book was odd. In the sense that it's not my usual type of book to read. Though I liked it regardless, and the writing was very well done.

I do enjoy a good read, and this one was that for me. It's hard to have good stories in certain genres of late. This one filled the bill. This one covers all the teen-age stuff, as well as all the fun things too! I might even read the rest of this series. It was a very strong first book in a series.

My copy came from Net Galley. My thoughts and opinions are my own. This review is left of my own free volition.

Apologies - lost access to this book when my kindle died. Thank you for the opportunity.

Jonas Black is a 16 year-old trying to figure life out after the disappearance of his father. As his mother begins acting more withdrawn and reclusive, more falls to Jonas. If that wasn't enough to cope with, he soon finds out that he's actually a vampire- his mother has never told him, and he's about to be thrown into a whirlwind of supernatural adventure and danger as ancient and powerful family enemies seek to destroy him and his family.

Meanwhile, he also tries to maintain the "human" relationships that he has a a normal 16 year-old. No problem, right . . .? This novel strikes a great balance between being a young-adult coming-of-age novel and a supernatural thriller. The teenage drama stuff is done well, without being overly sappy or taking over the story. And the story is a great ride, with tons of adventure, intrigue, vampires, demons, werewolves, etc. . . . A couple of the battle scenes were hard to follow, and I had to re-read them a couple times, but overall an interesting take on the young-adult vampire novel. The author brings a lot of research to the story, as the battle sequences were great, especially the ways in which Jonas attempts to fortify his mind and create a barrier against supernatural attack. It was clear that the author really enjoyed digging into that aspect of the story. The way Jonas attempts to balance the natural and supernatural world as a teenager, felt real and believable, and I think readers of all ages, not just young adults, will enjoy it.

This novel was probably a 4.5 star book for me, and I recommend it.

Who is the real enemy? Is there someone who could be trusted? Amazing story! Captivating characters that led this reader into dark rooms, and down shadowy pathways! BLACK FALL by B. J. Bodden has a uniquely different beginning describing a quiet ceremony and how Jonas Black felt as evening approached. The reader captures a clear picturesque view of the cathedral as the mourners, in slow motion, file in for a sad gathering. This story is filled with fear, anger, amusement, bullying, and even wrath. But, does this extreme or violent rage, or bullying really help when someone is in deep trouble and doesn't want to, or tries with all their might not to fight, yet, in the end, has to?
Jonas Black just lost his father, and his mother does not want to believe he is gone. Jonas wants and needs to know why and how this happened. He sought the truth about himself from his mother. But will he find out what is really happening? Are there secrets that are about to be released?
Jonas and Amelia had been dating for about two years, but then, something happened and along came another girl. Amelia was a suitable girl, but lately she had become very demanding and had been listening to her friends at school instead of concentrating on the relationship between Jonas and herself. Will she walk away, or will she fight to keep him? Will the other girl be able to understand Jonas' problem better than Amelia can? Or will she become part of it? This fast-paced story kept my attention all the way through to the end. As I savored each page, my curiosity hung on for the duration as I waited to see what was about to occur around each corner or what hidden shadows might appear. A well developed and remarkable read!

★ ★ ★ 1/2 (rounded up)
This originally appeared at The Irresponsible Reader.
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Jonas Black is a typical sixteen year-old, with a very driven girlfriend (who's pretty much mapped out the next few years of their lives), a decent home life, a couple of invested parents, and so on in NYC. Which makes him not that typical, I guess -- but he's the kind of kid people think of as "typical." When we meet him, however, he's reeling from the unexpected death of his father, and his mother doesn't seem to be acting all that normal at the funeral.

Not long after that, strange things start happening to Jonas -- he blacks out unexpectedly, his mother's behavior gets even stranger, lastly he and his mother are attacked at home, and rescued by someone unlikely (leading to 2 very large men escorting him to school). He's able to pin his mother down and she explains to him that she's a vampire, as was his father -- and he is, too. There was a problem with my download and so the conversation where his mother describes the experiment that made him into the vampire he is (born, not made) and whatnot. Thankfully, I don't want to get into details anyway, because I'd probably get it wrong. I really appreciate that Jonas isn't a Chosen One kind of character -- more of an Engineered One. But even at that, I don't think anyone planned on him tackling things that he did at this stage of his life (I'm semi-prepared to be proven wrong in future books).

So, while juggling school and his girlfriend, Jonas is basically enrolled in a self-defense course for vampires (there's more to it than that, but . . . ) where he meets some other vampires and a reticent werewolf. He befriends/is befriended by a vampire, Eve, about the same age -- but who knows what she's doing -- and wants to get to know the werewolf, Kieran. While I'm largely on the fence about the older vampires Jonas meets -- I really like Eve. Kieran and the other werewolves are cool -- and not just because I prefer lycanthropes to vamps. Before long the three of them -- and a small army of others -- find themselves in the middle of an effort to put a stop to a demon's schemes.

Bodden's vampires are pretty interesting -- I like some of the tweaks he makes to the standard profile. Ditto for his werewolves. His entire supernatural taxonomy and how it relates to the world is pretty well-realized and elaborate. I was pretty impressed by it, and am curious about it as well. I'm not saying they're drastically different (vampires don't glow or anything), but Bodden's vamps aren't the same as Hunters's, Butcher's, Briggs', etc.

A word of warning: There's. Just. So. Much. Exposition. I get it, really -- Jonas needed to be introduced to this world, and acclimatized really soon for his own safety. Which was mighty convenient, because it helped the reader learn about The Black Year's take on vampires, werewolves, lichs (is that the proper plural form? lichen doesn't seem right), specters, hunters, etc. On the whole, Bodden did a decent job blending character moments and infodumps, merging what we need to learn with keeping things moving. Still, it frequently felt like this was a guide to the supernatural world more than a novel -- he might as well have named a couple of characters Ryan and Esposito.

I was engaged enough to keep going, but at a certain point, I'd just about given up hope of really enjoying the book, and just put my head down to plow though and get it over with so I could move on. I was surprised a little later to find out that I was invested in the fate of these characters, and was really getting a kick out of Bodden's work. I can't point to what it was that got me there, but it probably had something to do with Kieran. I do want to stress that it was after the 50% mark, so stick with it if your experience is like mine. By the time I was finished, I was ready for book #2 (...and probably 3....and most likely 4).

I will not say that this is the best thing since sliced bread, but it's a fresh take on many UF staples from a YA point-of-view, with compelling characters, a well-built world, and a solid plot (especially when it gets around to moving).

Disclaimer: I received this eARC from the author via NetGalley in exchange for this post -- I appreciate the read.

When is a vampire not a vampire? When is a werewolf not a werewolf? Or a zombie not a zombie? D. J. Bodden’s Black Fall is a fast paced read where nothing is what it seems and sometimes that is really bad. Jonas Black is a 16 yr old whose life begins to unravel when his father dies. The funeral is at night. His mother breaks open the urn and claims it is not her husband because she can tell “human” ashes. Poor Jonas is about to spend the next few months constantly thinking, “Whiskey. Tango. Foxtrot.”

Black Fall is a supernatural mystery built around a teenager, who used to have normal teenage problems until he found out the truth about his parents, himself and the world. The beings that populate the book were fascinating. Different than the normal run of the mill supernaturals. I did have some confusion about the power structures in the different species as well as Jonas’s existence. I am not sure if more of this will be dealt with in the next three books (Black Fall is the first of a projected four book series). It was an enjoyable read that I obtained from Netgalley in exchange for a fair review. I would love to hear it as an audiobook read by someone like James Foster (hint, hint author). I would have no problems recommending it to anyone over eighteen and probably any mature high schoolers. I would have to reread it again with my “mother” senses engaged before I would go any younger. I will be looking forward to picking up the sequel when my library gets it. And seriously Mr. Bodden - Audiobook - James Foster.

My name is Jonas, and until last week, I thought I was human. My parents are vampires and were enforcers for the Agency; my mom is one of the most feared vampires in centuries, but she's been kidnapped. The Agency controls all of the supernaturals in the world, but there is unrest. My vampire abilities are slowly developing, so I've started training at the Agency. My new training partners consist of a young vampire and werewolf. The werewolf is learning to control his anger, but I can sense there is something special about him. The Agency Director is friends with my parents, but he's struggling to control the demon trapped inside his body. It will be disastrous if the demon takes over the Director's thoughts, since supernaturals will be unleashed on humanity. My family name is usually enough to keep the peace, but my abilities will be challenged by werewolves, vampires, and other creatures.

I received a copy of this book from Net Galley, and it quickly captured my interest. It will probably be more appealing to tween-age readers. I don't read many vampire books, but the author added creative twists to the plot. Many of the confrontations were set inside Jonas's mind. I don't mean they were imagined; I mean there were actual battles being fought in his mind. He spent much of his time building a fortress to defend his thoughts against the mental attacks of other vampires, and it became a major factor in the climax of the story. He even had a mental character named Sam who was left in charge of Jonas's defenses when the setting moved to the "real" world. The plot's movement between these two settings was sometimes tricky to follow, but it's what made the book great. So many vampire books have been written that it's hard to find ones with fresh ideas. The author indicated this book is supposed to be the first in a four-part series, and I can't wait for the second one to be published. Check it out if you're looking for some imaginative reading!

Brilliant from start to finish! This book packs a punch and keeps you wanting more. Move over Cullen there's a new vampire in town! I will be honest and say I am not really a supernatural fan but this book has made me want to go and read the next one as soon as I finish typing this review. Bodden writes his characters brilliantly introducing them in a way that makes you drawn to them. Jonas Black thinks he's just an ordinary kid who loses his dad, an incident at his own home brings out that truth that he is a vampire and there are people set out to kill him. With his parents gone he allies with those who want to kill him and fights his own kind. The ending is an action packed dual on various planes! leaving Jonas fighting both head vampire and demon! This book left me wanting more and I cannot recommend it enough! now onto the next in the series