The Sweet Scent of Blood (Spellcrackers, #1)

by Suzanne McLeod

Genevieve Taylor is a Sidhe, one of the noble fae, and she's unusual, even in present-day London where celebrity vampires, eccentric goblins and scheming lesser fae mix freely with the human population. Genny is a rising star at Spellcrackers.com, where she finds the M' in magic - and that invariably leads to mischief, malice and - too often - murder. Spellcrackers.com is affiliated to the Witch Council, whose ancient tenets prohibit any contact with vampires. Genny also works as a volunteer at a clinic which treats victims of vampire attacks. Then there's her extra-curricular activity, extracting vulnerable fae lured by the local fang gangs. Genny certainly doesn't wants any closer involvement with the vampire community. But when Mr October, one of the hot calendar pin-up vamps, is accused of violently murdering his girlfriend, Genny's called on to repay an old debt and prove his innocence. And that means consorting with some of the sexiest vamps in London! THE SWEET SCENT OF BLOOD is the first book of SPELLCRACKERS.COM, a sexy, sassy new series guaranteed to spice up your reading life!

• ISBN10: 0575084286
• ISBN13: 9780575084285
• Publish Date: 4 September 2008
• Publish Status: Out of Print
• Out of Print: 11 June 2010
• Publish Country: GB
• Imprint: Gollancz
• Format: Paperback (UK Trade)
• Pages: 368
• Language: English

Reviews

[Linda]

Extraordinary attention to detail! If I knew how to draw, I could totally draw all of the characters, plus all of the houses, parks, streets and offices as well. Very well written, with a lot of suspense, a little romance, some big-time scary vampires, and a huge betrayal. I loved this book, and for the first time ever, I really, really loved a fae! Gen is wonderful, strong and funny, and a little bit sneaky too, but she had to be in order to try to make it. Exciting read, and a page-turner through-out the whole book.

[wyvernfriend]

Based in London this is the story of a Sidhe Fae, well a part Sidhe Fae, working for spellcrackers.com, a company that finds magic for people and break or crack it. In a world where Vampires have rights and where becoming a vampire is sought after.

I found it quite a compelling read (I got sucked in and missed sleep over this one) but in some ways frustrating. Things aren't quite spelt out enough to be satisfying, the author doles out information like pennies from a miser so a lot of the conflict is a bit off pace.

I found it interesting though, it's an interesting slant on the world and I'm curious to see what happens next.

[Jo]

Genny Taylor is a sidhe fae living in London - a London full of paranormal creatures the humans all know about. Vampires are no longer feared and some even have celebrity status thanks to a successful PR campaign, but Genny knows not to trust them.

She works for Spellcrackers.com, a company run by witches, that sorts out magical problems by finding and 'cracking' spells. But when a well-known vampire is charged with the murder of his girlfriend, his human father comes to Genny for help prooving his innocence, and Genny is forced into checking it out by a previously made magical bargain. Things get stranger when other powerful vampires take an interest in the murder and Genny's findings. With the attention of the vampires, Genny knows things are going to get dangerous.

I loved this book! It was so awesome! I loved the mythology used for all the different paranormals; far, vampires, goblins, trolls witches, faelings, brownies, etc. But what I loved most was reading an urban fantasy that takes place in my home town. I have wrongly been of the impression that urban fantasy couldn't be set in the UK; Britain is far too British to be a good urban fantasy set here. The Sweet Scent of Blood proved me wrong! It is fantastic to have this exciting plot, and actually being able to picture the places where things are happening because I've been there!

Speaking of the plot, it was awesome! There was suspence and mystery throughout the novel, and you're kept guessing right until the end, not knowing who did what in regards to the dead girl and why, and taken completely by surprise when Genny finds out.

There are various characters in the book the book that I love; Agatha the brownie is just adorable and I love her accent, Finn the Satyr is so sexy it's hard not to have a literary crush on him, Katie, a human girl, us so excitable and such a teenager, it's funny, and Hugh the troll is just the lovliest person ever! Then there's Malic, a vampire who is hot and scary and mysterious, you're never really sure what to think of him. Genny herself is pretty cool; very strong, brave and smart, with such a cool sense of humour. She bugged me sometimes with her constant "so not what I wanted to hear" thoughts, and similar, but you can forgive her them for how awesome the book is. The possibility of a future love triangle is hinted at, which I just love! Though I think I know who I'd prefer Genny to go for.

I can't recommend this book enough; it's so exciting, suspenceful and just generally wow! I can't wait to get my hands on the second novel in the Spellcrackers.com series, The Cold Kiss of Death. Read this book now!