Bastard Reaction: Hot Blooded by Amanda Carlson

"Well I'm hot blooded, check it and see. I got a fever of a hundred and three..." sorry, couldn't help myself with a little bit of Foreigner, and I'm sure I'm not first one to lose control like this. I don't sing or dance, but I have a weak spot for 80s music. Much like a werewolf, I transform myself and this overwhelming urge just takes over. Which brings us to this novel, Jessica McClain is back and kicking ass as usual. Hot Blooded is the second novel in Amanda Carlson's urban fantasy series, and it doesn't disappoint.

The novel picks up right were Full Blooded left off. While Jessica's dad and Alpha goes to investigate the nature of a werewolf rebellion, she and a small group of old allies, new acquaintances, and one stubborn jackass go on a journey to save someone dear to her from the grasps of a powerful witch; a goddess. A female Lycan foreseen to create havoc in the supernatural world, her werewolf twin brother and a loyal werewolf friend, two not-so-friendly vampires, and the aforementioned jackass human detective...what can go wrong?

Hot Blooded was not what I was expecting. It's quite different in plot and structure to the first novel Full Blooded, which is good. I mean good because it conveys that Amanda Carlson is not afraid to do her own thing, and it alludes that she'll be keeping us on our toes on what to expect in future novels while keeping each installment unique and refreshing within her universe.

With a genre littered with mystery and thrillers, Hot Blooded was an invigorating Action-Adventure Urban Fantasy. It's the type of tale which we might find frequently in secondary world fantasies, the quest to save someone from the clutches of evil who is sequestered in a lair and the journey to surpass all the obstacles thrown in their way as they make progress to the destination. It had plenty of action, and as I've suggested previously, I really believe that Carlson has a knack to write good physical action sequences. It helps having a character that kicks ass and is not shy of meting a good dosage of extreme violence. And it worked.

It had a really straight-forward plot, and in this particular regard I liked the first novel better. That said, I enjoyed Hot Blooded more as a whole. I felt the characters came off as more comfortable in this world, the flow felt improved, and in all I thought it was better written. Plus there was a bigger focus on action this time around, so right up my alley. It helped set a brisk pace, but at the same time interposed with what I find to be long scenes.

The scenes are characterized by having an abundance of dialogue, something I always champion. I'm not entirely sure if the "correct" balance is there, but so far it's working for me, so I hesitate to encourage a different approach. I just can't help shake the feeling that if Carlson shortens some of these scenes a bit, particularly cutting a bit on some dialogue that can become a bit circuitous, that it'll  provide other, and hopefully better, opportunities.

The pace doesn't seem to be affected much by it, so who knows. There was only one particular scene which I recall where the forward momentum of the novel had going for it just stopped as they reached a certain trap with some beings behaving like flying piranhas. At the same time, it was during this portion that most of the important plot elements that would increase the intrigue and tension of the story occurred. It's also during this portion that most of the character development flourished, so it doesn't feel like a wasted opportunity at all. So the only conclusion I can come up with is that I'm a bit of a walking hypocritical contradiction. Just hope that something in this babble makes a semblance of sense.

Going back to the action, this time around there was a bigger focus on magic clashes. Depicted more as a battle of wills rather than physical and explosive type of spells, not that it was absent of the latter. I wouldn't go as far as say that it became too magic focused, but it became quite apparent that it took the spotlight in this novel. Considering the plot, it fit. We're dealing with a powerful witch after all, it is my hope though that it doesn't become as common place in the future as I think it takes away some of what makes the Jessica werewolf an awesome character to read about. I mean, there's just some quite awesome of seeing Jessica take care of some of her opponents with quiet violent efficiency; a broken neck here, an armed ripped-off there. There are some hints about Jessica's potential though that sounds promising, so will be looking forward to how the character adapts to each new circumstance.

The journey to the evil lair was defined by a few traps with "random monsters". Personally, I'm not a big fan of them, as they usually seem a bit impersonal to me, but I know plenty of people love them. But once again, for this novel it worked, in particular because it enhanced the world-building immensely, and the action was good too. I particularly like some creatures that were water based, and I hope we can see them in some fashion in future novels.

There really wasn't any romance in this one at all, to the delight of some (me) and the chagrin of others. Well, can't please everyone, but I'm not complaining. I was more excited about the fact that the author appeased some of my concerns about how Jessica would react to certain developments. It had the potential to become a very angsty story, which I thought would have really ruined Jessica as a character for me, but this wasn't the case at all. I don't know what the future will hold on this regard, but I think Amanda Carlson is doing a very good job so far on balancing all the different potential elements this series has. I know some are fond of the love interest in this one, but I'm not convinced I like the guy all that much yet, so we'll see.

The novel ends with another cliffhanger, in many ways quite similar to the one which ended Full Blooded. I'm a fan of cliffhangers in a series though I'm quite aware that some have a strong dislike for them. The good thing is that the next novel is coming out within a few months, so the wait won't be long.

Considering the cliffhanger, Amanda Carlson is keeping Jessica quite busy with no time to breathe; jumping from one thing to another, solving one crisis just to jump into the next one. I don't see that changing any time soon considering how the novel ended and other set-ups that have been made. At some point I hope we can slow down for a bit because there's a lot of Jessica's life that I'm eager to find out about, and I think that can only be accomplished if we slow the action down for a bit, which goes against all my instincts of what I enjoy reading. But I'm very interested in seeing Jessica, even if it's for a short while, in a normal daily routine, and seeing her surrounded by her dad's pack, and see the different interactions and interplays that could go on in that environment.

Hot Blooded was a great follow-up to Carlson's debut. It showed us a different side to the series, and together with the highly energetic narrating style from Jessica McClain to go with the reliable violent action, it just provides a winning combination that should be sustained for the rest of the series. Keep an eye out for Cold Blooded coming out soon, I know I'll be reading it as soon as I can get my hands on it.

Buy Hot Blooded from The Book Depository.

For more information visit Amanda Carlson's website, blog, or follow her on Twitter @AmandaCCarlson.

Bastard Reaction: Full Blooded by Amanda Carlson

I don't envision this novel, which I enjoyed, will have many negative reviews around, and I'd hazard a guess that this one will be one of the more critical ones, and that's a good thing... I think. Full Blooded by Amanda Carlson is as close a sure thing debut as any I've read in the urban fantasy genre. It's appeal will make it a fan favorite right off the bat, and a novel that will surely charm its way to be among the favorites of the year for urban fantasy enthusiasts, particularly those that enjoy some kick-ass action accompanied by a small dose of the sexy.

It's just an ordinary night for Jessica McClain, waking up in the middle of a nightmare as she's turned into a werewolf. Completely normal, happens to everyone, wouldn't you say? Problem is that she's an impossibility, something that could never be; a female werewolf. Throughout all her life she's been subject of prophecies that indicate that she'll be the destruction of her race, which doesn't bode well for her now that she's turned. What follows is a story about how she, her family, and her friends will handle keeping her secret in the midst of traitors, of clan members that want her dead, and an overzealous detective that suspects her of being in league with the criminal underworld.

Full Blooded was an interesting novel, as far as plot structure and pace. As for plot, I felt it was a bit unfocused, something that I'd consider a big negative just about any read I'd stumble upon. In this case, I more than welcomed it. Will we be dealing with a traitor? Will we be focusing on the police that's out to get her? Will have to be concerned with keeping her new werewolf self a secret? Will we be dealing with the investigation aspects of her workplace? Will we be trying to figure out who's trying to kill Jessica? As the story went along I really didn't know where Carlson was heading with this story, until it clicked for me. It doesn't matter what the plot focuses on, when one considers it's really about Jessica's life and how she deals with the suddenness of her situation and adapting her life accordingly. And the answer is pretty much "yes" to all the above, which leads right into the interesting pace.

Pace was what I can only describe as patiently fast-paced. Patient because the scenes themselves took a bit to develop, and where at times lengthy. Fast paced, because not only does it have a lot of badass action, but because it deals with all the plot issues above in a timely and efficient manner. Some of the plot points could've easily been stretched and milked for all its worth in a span of several books, which is a tendency I find becoming more common as of late. Instead Amanda Carlson tackles all those situations without missing a beat, promising a fresh set of dilemmas for the sequel. I really enjoyed this aspect, no stringing the reader along with a lot of bullshit to avoid issues that can be dealt with in the present.

Jessica McClain was a fun character. Not only was she strong physically, she's had to live through a shit plate of a life, and she's faced her problems head on determined not to become a victim. She's constantly positioned herself to improve her quality of life. Now that's she has turned into a werewolf, you can tell that she might be enjoying how the tables might be turning a bit... of course, when she's not worrying about those that are trying to kill her or undo all the life she's built for herself. She's a fun character and an energetic narrator. If you've ever had the chance to interact with the author, you can tell that the enthusiasm she seems to have in real life has influenced Jessica's persona.

Jessica is accompanied by a decent cast of side characters. Still am unable to commit fully to them, but I see two of them that I'll be looking forward to seeing more of. The main overall problem for me were that about three of Jessica's closest confidants were hard to distinguish from one another, they had similar voices. By the end of it though, they started to stand-out a bit more, so will be looking forward how Carlson further develops them. That said, I really enjoyed how they all interacted and I think most will find Jessica's relationship with her She-Wolf quite amusing.

I won't lie though, Full Blooded was a tale of two halves for me. And I won't lie either about how it was the promise of kick-ass action which attracted me to this novel in the first place, so that perspective influenced majorly on how I perceived the novel. In all, loved the first half, but I encountered a few issues in the second half that prevented me from enjoying this novel as much as I could have. Some of it are issues that I think the author can address and improve on, other have more of a personal taste nature (though I still think it can be handled better).

Let's start with the most obvious one as it concerns me, how the sexy, erotica, lust scenes were handled. Just to be clear, there was only one sex scene here, and all that went down was appropriate as far as I'm concerned. In the first half, there really wasn't anything that I found problematic on this regard, some great banter among friends and some good humor flirting which I could identify with as it resembles just fun dialogue between friends. At times surprisingly refreshing. The aforementioned sex scene was a bit awkward as it came about, but fitting with the story, so even then not much of a problem for me. The problem came in the second half when Jessica became isolated with certain character, after avoiding an action scene that had the making of being awesome, in favor of 26 or so pages I didn't handle well. It was filled with a lot of ogling and descriptions of how sexy this dude was, how the sweat was dripping off him, description of his muscles, etc. There was an amusing side to all of this with Jessica interacting with the wolf inside her, but just too much for me during this span. What made it worse was that it all occurred during a long trek which really interrupted the great pace the story had to this point. And of course, we had to go through a body of water, so an excuse to get wet and partially undressed so the characters could leer at each other a bit more.

Then there was the action, which is the aspect where I hope Carlson can improve on in the future, which is certainly doable. The evidence is in the novel itself. By this I mean is that in the first half, the action was some of the best I've read this year, and probably ever in this subgenre. It had all the elements I look for: limited dialogue, fast, hard, and violently detailed. It became even better with the good energy and excitement of Jessica's narration in a setting that was blissfully silent, except for the screams from pain. Also, surprisingly graphic which was great.  So it came as a bit of a disappointment when some of these attributes were dropped in the second half. The major problem was the dialogue, it became quite obtrusive to the action and plagued with characters cursing at each other that came off as a bit immature shouting and uninspired. I had made this observation previously in my Blooded novella review, and was encouraged by how well the action was handled in the first half of Full Blooded, so it was a bit of a shame that these problems crept back into the narrative as the climax to this novel was unfolding. That's not to say that the action was bad, it was still hard and awesomely violent, but these other issues prevented me from enjoying them to its full capacity despite how action packed it was.

All this said, I really enjoyed the novel and the above shouldn't be used to discourage interested readers from trying it. They're merely some areas I think could be improved on and could have made this novel much better for me personally. As mentioned, the first half was really good for me, and the second half shouldn't have bothered me as much as it did. Regardless of all this, I'm of the opinion that this is a well balanced novel that the great majority of urban fantasy readers will get a kick out of. Full Blooded fulfilled it's promise with a main character that kicks major ass amid a fun and energetic narrative, and I invite others to give Amanda Carlson's debut a shot. I know I'm just about ready for the sequel Hot Blooded, but it comes out during Spring next year.

Buy Full Blooded from The Book Depository.

For more information about the author and this series, please visit Amanda Carlson's website. Also of interest is my interview with the author from earlier in the year.

Bastard Reaction: Blooded by Amanda Carlson

As a precursor to Amanda Carlson's debut novel, Full Blooded, we were treated to the Blooded novella back in April.

I'm not a fan of reading short stories and novellas, they rarely do anything for me. Decided to make an exception here as I was very curious about the upcoming Full Blooded novel, and in some regards this was true here, but that's quite all right. If the novella's purpose was to get me interested in this world, to get me to read Carlson's debut novel, then mission accomplished.

The Blooded novella is quite simplistic, just a combination of a few scenes to showcase a few of the characters we'll be following in the Jessica McClain series. But more importantly, at least as it concerns myself, it promised there'll be some kickass violence to be had. Other than a couple of short scenes, that's pretty much all this was, lots of action.

Won't get into much details of Blooded, but it mainly featured our main character Jessica McClain, a non-were, living among werewolves, and a girl at that, and how she has to fend for herself. Not to be a victim, but to go on the offensive even when the odds are stacked against her. There's some bullying (or simply attempts at) going on, some prophesies of how she'll be the ruin of them, and this is just giving us glimpse of what's to come set a handful of years or so before the start of the novel.

My only real observation, and I guess complaint, is that there was too much chatter for my taste in the action scenes. It was rationalized in the novella as a tactic to distract the werewolf opponents, so it became more palatable. That said, it's something I'll have to see how it's handled in Full Blooded. At least the character interaction outside of the action scenes seemed like fun.

Whether or not you are interested in reading the Blooded novella, take my word for it that Full Blooded should be a novel that gets well received by the urban fantasy community, and I'd be very surprised if it doesn't instantly get a big fan following, to go along with the character of Jessica McClain. At least this guy will be following. But for the price of $0.99, there's really nothing to lose here.

Buy Blooded from Amazon.

Full Blooded is set to be released on September 11, 2012. Buy a copy from The Book Depository.

Interview with Amanda Carlson on Bastard Books
Cover revealed for Hot Blooded, sequel to Full Blooded

Please visit Amanda Carlson's website for more info.

Interview with Amanda Carlson author of Full Blooded

Don't know what it is about Minnesota, but it's certainly been good to me. Late last year I had the first guest post on the blog by Carolyn Crane, who resides in Minnesota, and now I have the first female author interview on the blog with Amanda Carlson, a Minnesotan herself. Amanda's first novella was released last week, Blooded, a prequel to her debut novel coming later this year, Full Blooded in the Jessica McClain urban fantasy series.

I read the Blooded novella last night, and really enjoyed it. If it's representative of what we can expect in the novel, then I certainly will be looking forward to it. It promises plenty of action, and that's right up my alley.

In any case, hope you guys enjoy the interview, it certainly was fun for me.

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Bastard: Hey Amanda, glad to have you here. Welcome. Keep in mind that you're the first female author interviewed here, so no pressure. It's not like the fate of the world depends on it, or does it?

Amanda Carlson: I hope not! That may be too big of a burden for me to shoulder at the moment. But I’m certainly honored to break you in to doing interviews of the female persuasion. Us gals can write some kickass fiction, much like the guys. It’s not always about the sexy midriff, you know—just sometimes.

Bastard: Seeing how you interact with people, you give a vibe of someone who's very upbeat and friendly, and certainly very enthusiastic. Making a wild guess here, are you a morning person? Or just happy to soon be a published author?

Amanda Carlson: I’m actually not a morning person, but I am a seriously upbeat person. I love life and am so excited to become a published author! It’s been a dream of mine for a very long time. My philosophy in general is that life is too short to bitch and moan, so I prefer to spend it happy. And even though I’m not a morning person, after my first cuppa joe, life falls into place pretty damn quickly.

Bastard: So, a "Minnesota girl, born and bred," can you tell us a bit about how it was growing up and living there? I hear it's hot as hell during the winter and you got some nosy, or is it noisy, neighbors like Carolyn Crane.

Amanda Carlson: Minneapolis is a beautiful city, and contrary to what out-of-towners believe, not surrounded by corn fields. Well, that is, until you get miles out of town. We have lots of lakes right in the city & Carolyn and I walk them together on occasion! I’d describe Minneapolis as artsy, urban & a great place to raise kids. It was a fun place to grow up, so we decided to stay. The winters are wicked, but my kids play winter sports, including hockey, and that makes it tolerable. We even build a huge backyard ice rink every year. But that said, I can’t wait to travel once my kids graduate. All my destinations will be WARM.

Bastard: Before I forget, thanks for Kevin Garnett (Boston Celtics fan here). How do you like this for #winning? Anything is possible!!!

Amanda Carlson: That was fun and I think I reacted the same way once I got my contract!! There was a lot of yelling and grabbing of my head. The press was all around me and I think I was in an arena. At least it felt that way, but I may have just been in my living room. Of course we wish Kevin had taken the Timberwolves to the championship, but you can’t fault a guy for being good. Maybe I can get him to read my novel?? ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE!

Bastard: We got Minnesota, we got timberwolves. On your website you mention a fascination for shifters. Seems to me that writing about werewolves was the natural thing to do. Before we talk about your novel, what is it about shifters and specifically werewolves that has attracted you so, and did living in Minnesota and all the talk about the timberwolves had any effect on this attraction?

Amanda Carlson: I am sorry to disappoint your male audience and say my love of wolves didn’t originate from basketball! Though that would be a great story (and especially since Kevin Love and Ricky Rubio are sporting full beards and look a little wolfish this season). My love of wolves started mostly because I was craving more hot-blooded supes in the books I was reading. There was something I really liked about the wolf heroes in the books I’d been reading – but there were very few females leading the “Pack” so to say (in the books I had read). When this great action scene started in my head, with this kickass shifter, the book began on its own and carried me with it. Voila! The progression of wolf love.

Bastard: I know I'm putting you on the spot, so my apologies, but on your website you have a list of urban fantasy authors you recommend others to read, about 24 or so. Curiously, none of them are male authors, although Ilona Andrews is listed there who's half man, half amazing...or something. There has to be some male authors you can recommend no?

Amanda Carlson: HA! I love male authors, especially for high fantasy. I love Tolkien, but who doesn’t? My husband just finished George R.R. Martin and I’m cuing up next. Joe Abercrombie & Brent Weeks will follow soon, when my time frees up. But the reason you don’t see any on my site is: For some reason in the urban fantasy genre specifically, I like female protags. It just works better for me in the urban fantasy setting. I don’t know any men who write women leads. Do you? If you do, send the rec my way! I have no bias or preference for that author’s sex, just the protag’s. In PNR, I enjoy the male perspective, but not as much in urban fantasy. But maybe I’m missing something?? I’m open to reading any good book, so if you have a favorite, lemme know. (Or whoever is reading, give me some good recs!)

Bastard: What have you read recently that's worth mentioning?

Amanda Carlson: I actually haven’t finished a book since I signed my contract. Every waking moment has been filled with writing or editing my own projects. My routine has been to fall asleep with my computer on my lap. But on my nightstand, and partially started, are: Amanda Bonilla’s SHAEDES OF GRAY & Sandy William’s SHADOW READER. I’m enjoying both, but it’s taking some time to make my way through. I’m hoping to even out my life soon, but deadlines are scary stressful.

Bastard: Full Blooded is your upcoming debut novel through Orbit. What can you tell us about it? All I know is that you had me at "if you love kickass".

Amanda Carlson: Yes, Orbit is my publisher; they are the sci-fi/fantasy imprint under Hachette Book Group. I feel so damn lucky to be a part of such a great publishing house. My experience so far has been so wonderful. My book, and specifically my protagonist, is all kinds of kickass. Lots of action and snark. Jessica McClain is born the only female and she’s not supposed to exist at all. In BLOODED, we see her fighting for a life off Compound. In FULL BLOODED, her life changes from the very first page. (BTW, if you buy the novella, BLOODED, you get a sneak peak at the first full chapter of FULL BLOODED.) The reader gets to go through every step with her as she figures out her new life. It’s full of action and I’m hoping everyone falls in love with her like I did.

Bastard: Getting back to the werewolves, you know that there's going to be those readers who are going to roll their eyes at another werewolf book in urban fantasy. Care to enlighten us about the werewolves found in this series that may change their mind? For the record, I love werewolves.

Amanda Carlson: Every author has their own take on supernaturals; their own style to tell their story, their own voice and world they’ve created for the reader to explore. That’s the reason I love this genre! My wolves are my own and they act and operate by my rules, so when a reader dives into the story, they have a chance to experience it the way I see it. Will they like it? I hope so! What my agent & editor hold to is: Great writing sells. No matter what. If you have a good story to tell, people will read it. I think everything has been done before, really. And trying to keep up with the next “trend” is exhausting. I do agree that the bottom line is: a reader wants a really good story. And, personally, I’ve never cared if I read about vamps or weres, angels or demons, swamp things or possessed hags. Gimme something great to read. That’s exactly what I’m hoping I’ve created for you. I wrote what I loved, and I hope like hell it comes across in the pages!

The Howling II: ... Your Sister is a Werewolf

Bastard: Romance and erotica seems to always be a going concern among some urban fantasy readers. Female werewolf surrounded by male werewolves, I think it's clear what everyone is wondering. Are you going to subject us to a paranormal orgy?

Amanda Carlson: *coughs* That is such a hilarious take, it could’ve only been conjured up by a guy!! I think most women, when presented with the same plot scenario, would think: Lone female must overcome many obstacles to be a good as a man. While a man may think: Hmm, hot chick all alone surrounded by men? SEX! And the answer is NO, LOL. No orgies! This is very much an urban fantasy. Personally, I like my UF with a little steam on the side, but with the main focus on the action. Those are the rules I live by. If I want a lot of steam I read PNR. I think that’s a good divider for steam and sex.

Bastard: Blooded is your novella released on April 11, 2012. It's set in the same world as your soon to be debut novel. Anything we should know about the novella?

Amanda Carlson: My novella, BLOODED, releases April 11^th (so it’s out now) & I’m so damn excited!! It’s a prequel to the series and it was a blast to write. It’s set seven years prior to the novel and gives us a look at what my heroine, Jessica McClain, went through growing up and how she was shaped into the woman she will become. There’s a lot of punching and fighting. She gets the shit kicked out of her for most of the novella. If you want more character depth, check it out, but it’s not necessary to understand the novel. You could also read it after the novel to see where she came from. Either way, I hope you like it!! It was so fun to write. It also gave me a much better sense of who she was, so moving forward, I have a very clear sense of her character, which was so helpful.

Bastard: At the moment, what are your current plans for the Jessica McClain series, and does she die at the end?

Amanda Carlson: HA! I can promise you she doesn’t die at the end. You have my solemn oath. I have more books up my sleeve, and if I sell well, maybe I’ll get a chance to write them all. That would be the dream! I see at least six books with Jessica roughly arced in my head, and then I’d love to write some spin-off books with some of your favorite characters. If you have any, LOL. Still NO orgy books, however. They will all be kickass, with heavy emphasis on the kick.

Bastard: Crap, almost forgot. Please scream at the top of your lungs what your favorite beer is, and I'll let you go to run with the wolves.

Amanda Carlson: CORONA WITH LIME!

Bastard: Thanks for the visit Amanda, hope you have enjoyed your stay at Casa de Bastard, where we treat our guests as if they were royalty, and good luck with your releases. Give us your best howl.

Amanda Carlson: I had a great time being here! Thanks so much for hosting me. I hope I was masculine enough for your male brethren!! Can’t wait to come back for the novel. Okay, here’s my howl: AR AR AROOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!! (Okay that may be the silliest thing in an interview to date. But it was fun.)

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Thanks Amanda and of course you're more than welcome to return when Full Blooded comes out. It's been great having you here.

If you haven't done so, buy yourself the Blooded novella and after that go pre-order the Full Blooded debut novel. For more information please visit Amanda Carlson's website.