Yes, the reviews are starting to trickle in for BLOOD LAW. As is often the case, it's a mixed bag. Here's a glimpse of what people are saying so far:RT Book Reviews (Current RT subscribers can read the full review online. Non-subscribers will have to wait two months or find a print copy.)
4 stars -- "Another new voice makes a compelling debut in the urban fantasy genre. Set in a small Southern town, prejudice, fear and hatred bring Holmes’ story to a boiling point, as the heroine must face a complicated past and an uncertain future. Holmes gives every indication of being a promising new talent with a great future ahead!" - Reviewed By: Jill M. Smith
Booklist (Reviews for the American Library Association. Registration/subscription required to view.)
"Fast paced and full of action, the story never flags, from the discovery of the first body to the exciting (and violent) finale. The characters are fascinating and well developed, but plenty is left for the future: this has excellent potential as a series. With a world similar to that of Kim Harrison’s Hollows series (including Black Magic Sanction, 2010) and a main character with much of the same style as Harrison’s Rachel Morgan, this makes a great read-alike for Harrison fans. Followers of Charlaine Harris’ Sookie Stackhouse, who appreciate the small-town southern setting (with vampires), are another good audience." - Jessica Moyer
Booklist also gave BLOOD LAW a YA/M recommendation for mature teens. "YA/M: A must for teens fans of the Sookie Stackhouse novels, or the TV show based on them, True Blood." — Jessica Moyer
Publishers Weekly (Registration may be required to view.)
"With all the tension between human and vampire populations exposed, the story reads like a badly conceived morality play on racism, including 1960s vampire demonstrations for equal legal rights, which they earn in a scant seven years. A dash of religious zealotry and flimflammery adds little flavor. Holmes does deviate from tradition in that her vampires, while light-sensitive, are not night creatures—in which case, why bother?"
Um...okay. Thank you, RT Book Reviews and Booklist, for these wonderful reviews. I'm very happy (read: giddier than a cat with a new bag of catnip) and humbled to know my work is not only liked but is being recommended to others. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
I honestly debated posting the Publishers Weekly (PW) review. I don't know many authors who like to discuss their negative reviews, and as a debut author -- PW was the first review I saw for BLOOD LAW, by the way -- it was especially troubling. However, since we now live in an age in which 'transparency' is the new buzz word, I decided to post it in order to show BLOOD LAW at its fullest -- warts and all. Plus, since it's already plastered on Amazon.com, BarnesandNoble.com, and a handful of other sites, why hide it?
And...I suppose I should thank the anonymous PW reviewer. After all, he/she did take the time to read the book and express his/her opinions on it. Even though his/her opinion seems to differ wildly from RT, Booklist, and the feedback I've gotten from those lucky enough to score an ARC of BLOOD LAW, I respect his/her right to stand forth and proudly say, "I didn't like this book."
-- Jeannie
