thank you to netgalley and shelley wilson for the advanced readers copy. i gravitated toward "blood torn" because it possesses an element i am a total sucker for: vampires!! it was totally unbeknownst to me that this was the second book in a series, so suffice to say that i was a bit confused on the background lore of the book. i think that ultimately affected my reading experience. although i have not read the first book (blood born, i think it's called?), many scenes in this book came off as filler. it has that "second book curse", if you will. i think this book would appeal to avid enjoyers of the book "crave".

I will surely review in a proper way as the style of writing and the storytelling are excellent.
As it's quite a hard time I found hard to rate and and review it in the best way as it's novel that I enjoyed but also made me reflect even if it's a light one
It's aa good novel, a more extensive review will follow
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

thank you to netgalley for the advanced reading copy. I really enjoyed this and will be getting copies for my shop.

This book is the second in a series. I have not read the first book and I do not feel it is required to enjoy this book. However, I feel I would have understood more of the backstory if I had started with the first one.

I really like the covers of this book series, the first one, Blood Born is all dark with a light rose, and this one, Blood Torn is the opposite and is light with a dark rose. I love that it fits the book so well, in that Amelia and Emma are opposites.

Blood Torn picks up more or less a year later than where Blood Born left us, New Haven is now inhabited by half bloods with Cara at the helm and Pierce her second and Dustin, literally the only human in the group the keeper and updater of the codex. Emma is still coming to terms with the death of her father Thomas at the hands of her sister Amelia along with the betrayal of James whom she had fallen head over heels in love with. Emma is spending a lot of time in the woods surrounding Hartfield Manor away from her friends. Its whilst she is in the woods that James appears and warns her to be careful who she trusts and hints he may be having second thoughts about Amelia and her cause. Emma discovers she has both light & dark within her and she has to both accept this and quickly learn to use both to overcome the increasing obstacles in her way.

Murders are taking place and though its highly likely that it is Amelia, the evidence is leaving a trail pointing to Astley Manor, so the decision is made for Emma to go meet with the Immortal family. Emma meets head of the Astley family Charles Astley and his younger brother Henry in the hope of forming an alliance to take down Amelia and end the war between the Immortals and half-bloods. Amelia is also attacking New Haven half-bloods at every opportunity, openly taunting Emma when she takes two of Emma’s closest friend’s hostage. Amelia then cryptically demands that Emma choose which one lives and which one dies. There are sad losses in the book making the battles even more realistic and hard hitting. Amelia already knows how to push Emma’s buttons and doesn’t care who dies in the process. Emma has to come to terms with losing a battle or two in order to win the war.

Emma is really up against it in this book. When she separates herself from her friends at New Haven and goes off on a lone mission she is captured and at first thinks she has been totally betrayed but it soon becomes apparent Emma has more allies than she thought. Sadly, Amelia has not finished taking people that Emma holds dear away and once again kills to weaken Emma. Emma has to toughen up and quick if she wants to save her friends old and new. Can she tap into her darkness enough to convince her captor that she has switched sides and is fully on board with his crazy plans for the future. Emma has to be patient, and observant to discover Amelia’s weaknesses or rather her own particular areas of strength that she can use against both her captor and her sister Amelia. Emma has some difficult decisions to make and whilst she wants to keep her friends out of harm’s way, she will need them for the final confrontation and battle. Emma has to face and carry out some nasty tasks, doing things she vowed she never would, but when it comes down to it, she has to look to the greater good and hope she can put things right when the battle is over, presuming she is still alive to do so.

Characters I loved were of course Emma, Kai and Dustin. I enjoyed the “first love” between Emma and James. Then the friendship, turned budding romance between Emma and Kai which even though initially Emma stubbornly resists, Kai continues to be a supportive friend and is patient with her despite feeling hurt. I adored the quick friendship, almost kinship between Emma and Ruby. I really liked the new addition of Marcus to the group and his role he slips into within the New Haven group. I also adored the idea of Henry having a secret true love. Though there is plenty of destruction in this book there is also hope and hints at a future in it too. I guess the way it ends there could be more book set a little further in the future. There is potential with another Immortal family member still out there with a possible mistaken grudge against Emma. I would read them if there were more books, though the way the book finished it could just end there.

My immediate thoughts upon finishing the book were that Blood Torn had great characters old & new, and a plot full of suspense with plenty of clues to follow to work out who is on which side and that’s packed with action too!

Summing up, really loved reading this series! I will definitely be looking for more books by Shelley Wilson.

Thank you NetGalley and author Shelley Wilson for the copy in exchange of my review.

"Dying opened up a whole new world for Emma. A world of vampire gifts, cravings, and betrayal. Now a vital member of the team, Emma and her friends are hunting down the vampire responsible for the downfall of the Haven: her sister.

Emma knew it wouldn’t be easy, but the challenges soon become too much. Determined to destroy her sister and end the war between the Immortals and the half-blood rogues, Emma seeks out the imposing Astley brothers, Henry and Charles, hoping to form an alliance with the Immortal family.

As Emma is drawn deeper into the dark world of the Astley’s estate, she begins to question if the brothers are truly her allies or if they have a secret agenda—one that will put everything she loves at risk."

This is the 2nd book in the The Immortals Series. I did enjoy reading this book.

Blood Torn was a great read! I enjoyed the worldbuilding, the characters, and the overall feel of it. While it definitely feels like a YA fantasy, it could edge into NA fantasy. It's an interesting ride, even if you haven't read the first book.

"Blood Torn" explores the enthralling realm of vampire abilities, desires, and treachery, telling a gripping story of Emma's quest for revenge against her sister, the vampire who brought about the collapse of the Haven. This book was a work of pure genius. It was so fantastic that I read it all in one sitting, and it was well worth the time.

Thank you netgalley and BHC press

Blood Torn by Shelley Wilson was a gripping and entertaining YA vampire horror story.
A fun and exciting read that held my attention from the first page.
It was well written and enthralling with amazing characters.
Now I’m jumping onto Amazon to buy Blood Born.

Thank You NetGalley and BHC Press for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

I received a copy through NetGalley for review.

After initially reading Blood Born, I was hoping that maybe the plot hole issues and writing snafu’s would improve on the second book, but it really didn’t.

This one takes place a year after the events of Blood Born, Emma has settled into her role of Damphir and defacto leader of Haven. A open house for half blood vampires needing safety.
Emma’s sister Amelia had fled after killing their father, and dozens of half bloods on her way out, taking James with her, leaving Emma both devastated and broken hearted.

I had hoped after a year Emma would know more about her powers as a damphir, but she really hasn’t, and in order to defeat her sister and stop her from destroying both humans and the remaining vampires and immortals. And most of all Emma herself.

The plot is sort of all over the place. It took a while to get it there.

In Shelley Wilson's captivating novel, Blood Torn, Emma finds herself thrust into a world of supernatural intrigue, vampire gifts, and relentless betrayals. As a vital member of a team dedicated to hunting down the vampire responsible for the downfall of the Haven, Emma must confront her own sister, the enigmatic and dangerous antagonist at the heart of this conflict. Determined to destroy her sister and bring an end to the war between the Immortals and the half-blood rogues, Emma seeks out the imposing Astley brothers, Henry and Charles, in the hopes of forming an alliance with the Immortal family. However, as Emma delves deeper into the dark and seductive world of the Astley estate, she begins to question the motives of these enigmatic figures. Are they truly her allies, or do they harbor secret agendas that could jeopardize everything she holds dear? Wilson's writing is masterful, weaving a complex and immersive narrative that keeps readers on the edge of their seats. Emma is a compelling and relatable protagonist, a young woman struggling to come to terms with her newfound supernatural abilities while navigating the treacherous landscape of loyalty, betrayal, and forbidden love. The supporting cast of characters is equally well-developed, each possessing their own unique motivations and secrets. The world-building in Blood Torn is intricate and captivating. Wilson creates a vivid and believable supernatural realm, complete with its own mythology, rules, and hierarchies. Readers will delight in exploring this world alongside Emma, discovering its hidden depths and dark corners. With its fast-paced plot, heart-pounding action, and complex characters, Blood Torn is a must-read for fans of paranormal romance and urban fantasy. Wilson's skillful storytelling and vivid imagination shine through on every page, making this novel an unforgettable and immersive experience.

**ARC provided by NetGalley, BHC Press, and Shelley Wilson in exchange for an honest, written review.**

After reading the first book in this duology, I was pretty excited to see where the second book was going to go. So I guess you could say that I had decently high hopes for this book. But alas, it fell pretty flat.

I have next to zero words as well, which is odd as I'm typically pretty verbose in my reviews and have to edit them down for brevity prior to posting. My overall reaction when asked by a pal how it was after I finished was, and I quote, “it was a book.”

I feel like half of the chapters were unnecessary fillers, and there was nothing in this book that left me with a sense of suspense or intrigue during or after reading. I feel like there was a lot that could have been done in regard to character development, as well as the climax and resolution. The build up to the climax was almost nonexistent and it fell flat. There was nothing revolutionary or exciting about the “mission” and subsequent ambush by the Haven. After that, I felt like we did a speed run to the ending, and in that time, nothing interesting happened...

I'm also unenthused with the epilogue. I feel like it didn't need to be included, or at the very least... It could have been about Amelia and not Henry and Naomi, considering the fact that the books center around the conflict between the sisters and the last line in chapter fifteen is literally “perhaps one day the sisters would be reunited”.

I don't know, it was a book. I do know several people who are the target demographic for this book, and who have read the first book, so I will be encouraging them to pick this one up as well instead of giving them the TL;DR bullet points.

I would like to thank NetGalley, BHC, and Shelley Wilson for giving me the opportunity to read this book prior to it being published and I look forward to more opportunities to do so.

I was able to read this thanks to the publishers and Netgalley. This is my honest review.

Blood Torn is the second book in those series. Unfortunately I haven't read the first book. Though, that didn't really affect the readability. Yes, you don't know a few of the past situations, though a bit of it seems to be explained in the sequel. It is YA, but I would say probably a little more towards the upper YA age bracket. Due to the "violence," some of it is descriptive, but I definitely enjoyed the scenes and the fighting!

It took me back to my HS years and reading Vampire Academy and watching The Vampire Diaries. This series definitely makes me feel like it is the lovechild of these two amazing series. The author does a very good job at world building, character building, and story building. I was sucked in! There were a couple of predictable moments, but they weren't a deal breaker for me. There were moments where I almost cried, due to character situations, and these are characters that I didn't fully know as their building happened in book one. This is how entrancing the author's writing is.

I hope there is another book, because I definitely want to read it. This is my first 4-star read of the year, and I totally recommend it, but I probably read the first book first ahaha. Thank you again for the ARC!

Gives Vampire Academy and Crave vibes. Pretty good for the length of the book. Loved Henry! Over all a pretty good read.

Hey all! This one was a decent ya sequel if too short for my taste and for the story to me. I must admit I hadn’t read the previous book but this one was definitely able to stand on its own. For fans of Vampire Academy or even Twilight. 4.25-4.5. Thanks for the ARC and cheers!

This book is a great read for romance, intrigue, conspiracy, and fixing your true self. I liked how Emma was able to reflect and learn from the past, experience the heartbreak needed for filling a prophecy. The team work and camaraderie are something that you do not always find with different species.
I would recommend this book to others as I enjoyed reading it very much.

I didn't realize going into this that it was a sequel, but it wasn't too hard to follow, surprisingly. However, after having read it, I now want to go back and read the first one, and then maybe read this one again to have a better understanding of the story. Overall, I did like this book, and I will probably like it even better after I read the first one. 3.5 stars!

Thank you NetGalley and BHC Press for the ARC!

This book is definitely a better version of Twilight and gives off major Vampire Academy vibes. I didn't realize it was a sequel until I started reading it. However, it was still easy to follow and understand without having read the first one. Definitely will be going back to read the first book.
Writing style was simple thought some chapters where very long despite it being a shorter book.

Dying opened up a whole new world for Emma. A world of vampire gifts, cravings, and pain. Now a vital member of the team, Emma and her friends are hunting down the vampire responsible for the downfall of her sister.

Really well-done! I enjoyed the characters and the world-building a lot.

“Blood Torn” by Shelley Wilson is a vampire horror YA about Emma. Emma, now a dhampir, and her friends are hunting her sister Amelia. Amelia has been killing them off and creating havoc and they must stop her before it’s too late. Emma needs to build an alliance with one the Immortal families, the Astley brothers Henry and Charles. Questioning who friend and foe is challenging but a necessary evil.

I really liked this book. It is important to read the first book in The Immortal duology to better understand what is happening. I loved the characters the most and was heartbroken whenever something bad happened to them, especially Emma and her being so relatable. I liked Henry’s character the most and his flirtatious ways. It is a short read and well worth it. I gave it a 4 out of 5 stars.