Reviewed by Sadonna

TITLE:  Blood Pact

SERIES:  Youkai Bloodlines

AUTHOR:  Courtney Maguire

PUBLISHER:  City Owl Press

LENGTH:  302 pages

RELEASE DATE:  May 4, 2020

BLURB:

In Hiro’s world, youkai are a supernatural story used to scare children into obedience, and to keep men out of back alleys and brothels. Until Sakurai Hideyoshi walks through his door with a fantastical tale of a samurai who had killed a thousand men and drank the blood of his enemies, a man that lived in darkness but sought beauty to keep it at bay.

A story both terrifying and romantic…and completely ridiculous.

Unless it is true.

Convinced something softer lurks behind Hideyoshi’s hard mask, Hiro follows him home. And discovers the story is real.
Only instead of the blood of his enemies, it is innocent blood taken.

Hideyoshi tells him never to return. Yet after Hiro’s mother is mortally wounded, Hiro runs back to the one being he knows with the power to save her. When Hideyoshi can’t, Hiro begs him for the next best thing: the power to avenge her.

As Hiro becomes youkai, he faces a new threat, something darker, older, and far more dangerous. With Hideyoshi at his side, Hiro must decide what he’s willing to sacrifice–and what he’s willing to do–to protect this new life before he loses everything for a second time.

REVIEW:

Hiro is a geisha.  He was taken in as a street orphan by the proprietor of the establishment and was grown up as her son in all but blood.  He is beautiful and well-trained with a singing voice that many come to hear, from near and far.  But when he becomes the prize in a dirty fight between the local thug who collects “protection” money from his mother and the Samurai customer, Hideyoshi, who has captured his heart, things get deadly.  And when his mother is injured, he seeks Yoshi’s help and discovers a terrible secret.   Hideyoshi sends him away telling him never to return.

When Hiro’s mother lay dying, he is consumed with guilt and even more so, anger.  He returns to Hideyoshi demanding that he help him avenge his mother’s death.  Yoshi asks him if he knows what he’s really asking for and Hiro assures him he does and demands to be remade.  But when he does avenge his mother, he feels something besides satisfaction.  And thus begins his new life with the man who has drawn him in unlike any he’s ever met.

Things are not smooth in Hiro’s new life.  He and Hideyoshi face many enemies – almost immediately.  They return to Edo, but not without damage.  And while they settle into their new life, it becomes clear that they cannot rest, but must be vigilant.  And Hiro needs a lot of training as he’s never fought anyone in his life.  But Hideyoshi is an experienced teacher and he turns Hiro into a competent fighter.  But the danger they face – both from within their ranks and outside – will take everything they have and they will have to face it together as a team.

This series!  So intriguing.  I was expecting a lot more of Asagi, the main character from the previous book, Bloodlaced.  But instead, the MC is Yoshi – a secondary character from that book who has now been turned to youkai and is a powerful samarai.  When he meets Hiro, working as a geisha, he feels calm – he enjoys the beauty of Hiro and his singing.   But Hiro’s infatuation with the man who seems to relax in his presence becomes his undoing.  This push/pull relationship gets both of them into a lot of trouble – repeatedly.  I was surprised with Asagi finally entered the picture again – much differently than I would have assumed.  The continuing through line of the Hunters made for an interesting dynamic between and among the youkai, Hideyoshi, Hiro and Asagi, as well as the enigmatic Kyo.  This story has romantic elements, but is less a romance than a study of the good and evil and men do and what they are willing to do and sacrifice for the ones they love.  I’m hoping there will be more books in this series, because it’s a fascinating world and premise.  As I said with the first book, this isn’t normally the kind of book I would read, but I’ve become invested in this world and these characters.  Recommended particularly for those who are interested in the Japanese take on these vampires.

RATING:

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