Everand Logo

Welcome to Everand!

  • Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

    Only $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

    Blood Rights
    Blood Rights
    Blood Rights
    Audiobook10 hours

    Blood Rights

    Written by Kristen Painter

    Narrated by Abby Craden

    3.5/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    Born into a life of secrets and service, Chrysabelle's body bears the telltale marks of a comarre-a special race of humans bred to feed vampire nobility. When her patron is murdered, she becomes the prime suspect, which sends her running into the mortal world...and into the arms of Malkolm, an outcast vampire cursed to kill every being from whom he drinks.Now, Chrysabelle and Malkolm must work together to stop a plot to merge the mortal and supernatural worlds. If they fail, a chaos unlike anything anyone has ever seen will threaten to reign.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherTantor Media, Inc
    Release dateNov 5, 2012
    ISBN9781452680644
    Blood Rights

    Related to Blood Rights

    Titles in the series (4)

    View More
    View More

    Related audiobooks

    General Fiction For You

    View More
    View More

    Related podcast episodes

    Related articles

    • Article

      Crescent City

      Dec 1, 2021

      Crescent City
      5 min read

    • Article

      In Love And War

      Jun 10, 2021

      April 1943 - Krakow, Poland Irena was bent over her needlework, stitching the frayed seam of her skirt when she heard a single gunshot ring out. She jerked and then scowled. After four years of war, she ought to be used to it. Why, the other night a

      11 min read

    • Article

      To Save Arrhinsal

      Sep 1, 2021

      TOLIN CRAWLED FORWARD, staying alert. All around, the dense, wiry thickets of the hedge were strangely silent. That usually meant danger, when the green tangle of thorns should be cheery with the songs of finches, the dusky clucking of hedge hens. On

      8 min read

    • Article

      To Save Arrhinsal

      Nov 1, 2021

      Tolin lives on Arrhinsal, an island that floats in the sky two miles above the land below. One day, while hunting in the maze of tunnels that run through the island’s thick hedges, he encounters a girl who, her sword raised, has turned to face a huge

      6 min read

    • Article

      Paper Princess

      Apr 1, 2023

      Paper Princess
      3 min read

    • Article

      The Witch Finders

      Jul 16, 2020

      Beth pulled her cloak tightly around her. It was the very last day of October and the air was damp and chill. Dead autumn leaves lay in deep piles in the woods and smoke curled into the night air from her cottage. Not far to go now. She bent her head

      4 min read

    • Article

      10 Literary Witches To Hex Trump

      Mar 24, 2017

      In case you hadn’t heard, witches across America—including Lana Del Rey—are uniting to take down Trump via a binding spell, which calls on the spirits to keep the President from doing harm (it already seems to be working). Covens, communities, and so

      5 min read

    • Article

      On Uppermost Winds

      Mar 1, 2024

      On Uppermost Winds
      5 min read

    • Article

      Let’s Play Dead

      Mar 3, 2020

      There was a man, let’s call him Henry VIII. There was his wife, let’s call her Anne B. Let’s give them a castle and make it nice. Let’s give her many boy babies but make them dead. Let’s give him a fussy way of being. Let’s make her smart and sneaky,

      17 min read

    • Article

      O Fortuna, Velut Luna

      Sep 15, 2018

      What is Miss Treece’s trouble, according to a popular notion? The man A has failed to show up. Arousing herself at the restaurant, she fixes her lipstick when her solo supper concludes and takes herself down the stairs situated behind the bar. There,

      3 min read

    • Article

      Two Poems by Phillip B. Williams

      Dec 15, 2017

      The masters are yet dead. Wanting to be human,I tried to rewrite The Waste Land. The canon’s reachcasts ruinous light. The masters’ pens breachthis page where, above, my own hand spectates. Babylonrisen, exorcism in reverse, whose nature upended now?

      6 min read

    • Article

      The Silent Witness

      Jun 14, 2023

      The Silent Witness
      7 min read

    • Article

      Ursula K. Le Guin

      Jun 15, 2018

      He was thinking of Lookfar, abandoned long ago, beached on the sands of Selidor. Little of her would be left by now, a plank or two down in the sand maybe, a bit of driftwood on the western sea. As he drifted near sleep he began to remember sailing t

      15 min read

    • Article

      From Our Archives: A 1981 Interview With Toni Morrison

      Aug 7, 2019

      The award-winning author Toni Morrison died Aug. 5, 2019. We're reposting this 1981 interview conducted shortly after her fourth novel, "Tar Baby," was published.

      11 min read

    • Article

      The Silent Witness

      Jun 14, 2023

      The Silent Witness
      7 min read

    • Article

      Forfeit

      Jan 1, 2021

      Forfeit
      7 min read

    • Article

      Three Poems

      Jan 1, 2024

      When the call cameshe ran. Outside, outthe back door, screamingNo No, got to thefence and ran back, droppedto her knees and pawedat the earth, clawingup handfuls of grass.She was howling. Aululation. Something I’d never heardbefore. Likea wild horse

      3 min read

    • Article

      A Lost Prayer

      Feb 2, 2023

      A Lost Prayer
      10 min read

    • Article

      Books

      Jan 20, 2020

      Theresa’s former husband Theo has been little but a shadow in her life: he’s spent the past two decades in an institution. Now that he’s dead, she finds herself unsure how to mourn for a man she’s tried so hard to put behind her. But going through a

      4 min read

    • Article

      Concerning The Future Of Souls

      Mar 19, 2024

      As a toddler she had caused a sensation in her family when she announced she wanted to live in a little hole like the ant. Not an ant, the ant. This might have been misheard. She was an easygoing child, not particularly thoughtful and stubbornly inar

      13 min read

    • Article

      The Symmetry Of Ruby Margot

      Feb 6, 2020

      The Symmetry Of Ruby Margot
      10 min read

    • Article

      Are You Lonesome Tonight?

      Aug 8, 2019

      Are You Lonesome Tonight?
      6 min read

    • Article

      Jack of Knives

      Jun 3, 2021

      WINNER £100 Jennifer is the author of four middle grade children’s novels published by Maverick (writing as Jenny Moore). Her latest book, The Misadventures of Nicholas Nabb, is set during the same period as her winning story and also includes a scen

      6 min read

    Related categories

    Reviews for Blood Rights

    3.5/5

    196 ratings28 reviews

    What did you think?

    Tap to rate

    Review must be at least 10 words

    • 4/5
      Blood Rights by Kristen Painter is a fresh take on a genre that has been done...and done...and done. Vampires and their culture has been around for so long that so many readers (including me) is getting pretty sick of them. However, Painter's new series has me sticking with vampires a while longer.In Blood Rights, vampires believe that they are the superior race. Their society structure is based on status determined by wealth and strength but the pinnacle of said status is truly gained by the quality of their comarré and the price in which they paid. These quality blood servants who are born in an academy of sorts and trained to be the best of the best go to live in their new master's households as a cherished member of the family. Comarré are raised without family ties, without even knowing who their parents were, so that their identity truly is supposed to be influenced by whoever purchases them. The comarré need to be fed upon - their bodies are unable to self-monitor and control the amount of blood in their veins like regular humans - and so their relationship with their masters, while usually impersonal, is a necessary one. Comarré are trained all their lives to fight vampires but they are not allowed to let anyone know so in essence, the comarre are like foxes in the vampires' henhouses. (And here the vampires think they're the biggest bad in all the land. I love the irony.) Chrysabelle is incomparable; she is considered to be the highest achievement in comarré lineage. Accomplished in everything, she is purchased by the master of the most prestigious House and has lived a satisfactory life until recently, when she decides to leave. This is where Chrysabelle's troubles begin when her master is found murdered in their home. She flees and becomes a fugitive.Being a cursed vampire who is tormented by the guilt and voices of everyone he has killed in his long vampire life, Malkolm now spends his time searching for a way to break his curse. He refuses to drink blood straight from the source and when he sees Chrysabelle, a comarré in disguise walking around in a vampire night club, he realizes that he's in deep trouble: she's beautiful, her blood sings to him, and she's a damsel in distress. So he tries to help her and after a rather rocky introduction, they end up working together in an unsure alliance to find out who killed her master.I really liked Blood Rights. It felt more like Malkolm's story to me than Chrysabelle's, much to my delight; in comparison, Malkolm's life has been much more interesting. So much of the plot is wrapped up in his history whereas Chrysabelle's life is really just beginning. Neither Mal nor Chrysabelle are in a position to be feeling romantic and I appreciated that the chemistry between these two is kept in check. The villain is a bit of the evil monologing-"I've got you in my clutches" type but it meshes rather well with the black humor and dark tone. All in all, I am most certainly going to be reading book two, Flesh and Blood, out on October 25th.
    • 4/5
      It took me a bit to get into this one , not that it was bad or anything just difficult to get into the characters as they were being brought in I wasn't quite sure what was going on or who was doing what or for what they were doing the things they were doing. It all came together though finally and I very much enjoyed this book. Chrysabelle is a Comarre in other words she is a blood donor who was bred and tattoed and trained to be this from brith for the Vampire Royalty. Comarre have thier own way and their own secrets as do the Vampires. She has a Patron (Vampire royalty that ownes her blood rights) in other words she feeds him and him alone and he pays to have her blood. After 100 years of services to a Patron the Comarre can actually ask for Liberta's which they are permitted to leave their patron and move on. Suddenly she finds her Patron dead, gets scared and runs. In turn some believe she has killed her patron and are after her. What they are really after is a ring that she has and they need Comarre blood to cast the right spell to actually become higher royalty. After, moving along alone for a short bit and finding her Aunt Maris home and hoping to keep her out of harms way she runs into trouble and moves on again to Mal. Mal being a Vampire who once was royalty and is now called Anathema because they were cast out by their royalty. Mal accidentally becomes Chrysabelles new Patron through FI the ghost. They have some action packed adventures and twists and turns that keep this book moving. I am looking forward to reading the next in the series
    • 4/5
      The cover art hooked me first. Then the summary. And on the list it went. Now that I'm trying to make a sizable dent in my 'to-read' list, I picked it up thinking I needed a good old vampire fantasy story to burrow into. It was actually better than I expected. I enjoyed how strong the female lead is and I enjoyed the battle of wills between her and the male lead. There is a little predictability in the budding romance, but we're still early enough along that a lot could happen to block that romance in the next book. Even though I'm trying to lessen my to-read list I will be adding the sequel of this book to the list to replace this title, because I am interested in seeing what happens in this plot.
    • 5/5
      I truly enjoyed this Author's first published Novel. I am looking forward to the next!
    • 4/5
      Blood Rights is an urban fantasy story with more unexpected twists to it than a roller coaster in the dark. It's not only a fresh take on the urban fantasy genre, but a fresh take on vampires as well.

      What sets it apart from the competition is the strength of it's core characters, each of them cursed in some fashion, but stronger for it. For starters, we have Chysabelle - a comarre cursed by the circumstances of her birth. Born to the life of a blood-whore, and secretly trained as a lethal assassin, she is on the run from the most terrifying vampire of all, and accidentally bound to an outcast vampire just as cursed as she is. Malkolm, the outcast vampire in question, is a human hunter turned vampire, expelled from the noble ranks of the undead, and cursed to wear the names of his victims upon his skin, and to hear their voices in his head.

      Doc is a varcolai shapeshifter, also cursed. A loyal comrade of Mal, limited to taking on the form of a common housecat when transformed, he is forever tied by his own conscience to the vampire who rescued him . . . and to the ghost that he wears. That ghost, Fi, is the most tragic of the lot. As the victim whose death triggered Mal's curse, she's not just a name he wears and a voice that he hears, but a ghost who physically haunts him.It's her love for Doc that binds vampire, varcolai, and ghost together, and it is Doc's love for her that eventually ties the comarre to them all.

      As for that terrifying vampire I mentioned, the dangerously erotic Tatiana, she is cursed as well - both by her dark pact with the fathers of vampirism, and by her role in the curse of another . . . which is one of those delicious twists we only discover near the very end.

      This is a dark story, set in a dark future that's not too different from our own. It's not quite a dystopia, but certainly a future lacking in shiny monuments to progress. It's also a very edgy story, dealing with themes of slavery and submission, and with the more dangerous elements of vampirism (notably sex and the concept of 'pure' evil) that seems to have fallen out of favour lately. As a reader who is all too sick of friendly, sparkly, reluctant vampires who only want to be loved, this was a refreshing change.

      Having said that, there are several romantic subplots to the story, but they are handled very well. With the exception of Doc and Fi, the romances tie directly into the theme of slavery and submission, tainting the thrill of erotic discovery with the horror of the monstrous. On the surface, the romances are both curious and distasteful - to the characters, as well as the readers - but Kristen does a superb job of developing the characters so that that we accept the romances and find ourselves wanting them to work.

      There's a lot of work required here to establish the characters, the world, and the mythology, but the pace never lags. It's a story that grabs you from the start, and one that keeps you turning pages late into the night. The action is bloody and intense, with beheadings and exploding vampires galore, and the fight scenes are inventive enough to be exciting, without dragging on and becoming gratuitously showy. The writing itself is gorgeous, conveying as much about the world Kristen has built as the story itself, and the dialogue is sharp and smart.

      With the groundwork laid, and the next two books due to be released within months of this one, I cannot wait to see where Kristen is taking all of this, and what the ultimate payoff will be.
    • 4/5
      Blood Rights is the first book in the House of Comarré series by Kristen Painter.

      There was a lot of talk on Twitter and in different blogs about this book and this series in general and some of my friends recommended it. When I saw it available in NetGalley I knew I have to read it.

      I have to be honest, it took me some time to get into the story, the first chapters are packed with information but don’t go anywhere, but after chapter six or so the story picks up the pace, halfway in it becomes a book difficult to put down.

      There are so many stories about vampires, but even though this is a book with vampires the premises and the characters are somehow refreshing. The complex world Mrs. Painter created in Blood Rights is different and interesting making of this read a more entertaining one.

      I really liked Chrysabelle; on the beginning she fells like a damsel in distress but boy was I wrong. Her as other Comarrés are hiding a big secret, they are not the docile and fragile persons they pretend to be, they are a race of warriors waiting for the moment when their services to humanity are needed and soon they are going to be needed.

      Malkolm is the epitome of a torture hero, he not only has a dark and sad past but is the carrier of a deadly curse, a curse that makes him lose control of himself to a point he becomes a killer monster.

      The chemistry between them is palpable, but they are fighting it all the time. Chrysabelle doesn’t want to feel what she’s feeling for Malkolm and Malkolm doesn’t want to take the risk to get to close to her because of his curse, also he does’t feel worthy of a Comarré. But circumstances got them together and now they need to work close to each other. Despite all the buildup of the attraction between them nothing happened. There were many scenes in which I was sure something was going to happen but sadly it was just more buildup of their attraction.

      This book is told from many points of view, not just our many characters but others as well. And here is where I have a complaint. I think it was unnecessary to show/tell us the villain’s point of view. Actually I thought it would have been a lot better if it hadn’t been included. I got to a point that I skimmed over the parts with the villain’s POV.

      My final thought: Blood Rights was a entertaining read, with complex and likable characters, a plot with some twist and turns along the way and written in a nice and easy style. Blood Rights also has an elaborate world building and a beautiful cover. Although I had some problems with its pace and the different POVs I can honestly say I liked Blood Rights and I’m looking forward to read the following books of this series Fresh and Blood and Bad Blood.
    • 4/5
      From the back cover:Gothic fantasy meets vampire fiction in this debut novel from Kristen Painter - full of politics, intrigue, and blood.Born into a life of secrets and service, Chrysabelle's body bears the telltale marks of a comarré -- a special race of humans bred to feed vampire nobility. When her patron is murdered, she becomes the prime suspect, which sends her running into the mortal world...and into the arms of Malkolm, an outcast vampire cursed to kill every being from whom he drinks.Now, Chrysabelle and Malkolm must work together to stop a plot to merge the mortal and supernatural worlds. If they fail, a chaos unlike anything anyone has ever seen will threaten to reign.My thoughts:When I first read the back cover I thought it said the comarre were bred to kill vampire nobility and I was intrigued. As I began reading I quickly came to realize that I had misread the back of the book but I was already hooked. Chrysabelle is an engaging character and Kristen Painter does a great job in making her seem real to readers. She is a very human character, making decisions based on what is important to her and without the sense of self-sacrifice that sometimes crops up in some fantasy novels. Readers get a sense of Chrysabelle as being her own person putting her needs above the well-being of the entire world.Her budding relationship with Malkolm, first out of necessity and later perhaps something more, also lends itself to depicting the humanity of the characters in this book, whether or not they are actually humans. Chrysabelle knows she owes Malkolm for what he's done for her but at the same time she isn't necessarily willing to risk her life to fulfill that debt. These are all things that made me like this novel much more than the average female heroine fantasy novel.One of the flaws of this book is the villain. While Kristen Painter does a great job describing just how horrible Tatiana, I think it might have gone a little too far. Tatiana is too good of a villain for my tastes. I enjoy being able to emphasize with the antagonists, even if its just a little bit. To me that aspect, the ability to imagine why the antagonist is doing what they are doing, is an important aspect of a novel. Additionally, I would've enjoyed learning a bit about the other fantastic creatures in the books such as the different types of fae and the shape-shifting cats but sadly that was not included.This novel was a great entry into the field of adult fantasy. The vampires were authentic and the relationships between the characters and their motivations were believable. Fans of Patricia Briggs' Mercedes Thompson Series as well as anyone looking for a strong, confident, if somewhat naive, female main character and complicated relationships will enjoy this book and I would highly recommend it. However, if you are looking for a Twilight type romance that happens to involve vampires and werewolves I would steer clear of this one.
    • 4/5
      3.75
      The Comarré are a fascinating addition to the vampire world. Blood Rights sits in that space I love between urban fantasy and sci-fi/fantasy, reminiscent of Laini Taylor's brilliant 'Daughter of Smoke & Bone.' There's a nice splash of paranormal romance too. I look forward to seeing how strong a role that plays in future novels.

      Chrysabelle is an intriguing mix of innocent and badass. You never can tell how she'll react to something. Mal steals the show for me. For whatever reason, I felt like he was the one we got the most insight into, but that could be that his background is so much more wrenching and memorable. Bad guys were classic evil villains.

      The 3.75 isn't a 4 b/c the finale was a bit confusing as far as some of their decision-making skills, but I won't go into that. Others have done that well. Mostly, I was simply confused at the very end, at the epilogue so to speak. (no spoiler, just being general) Why was Mal angry at her after he's the one that killed who he did. It's just a bummer to get to the finale and have to reread to see if you missed something and ultimately end a little confused. I figure the next book will clear up my confusion.

      I think if I were to have only 5 minutes with the author at this point, I would ask what the 100 years was like for Chrysabelle when she she had her patron. There were tidbits of information here and there, but I still don't have a clear image of where she's coming from. It makes it hard to understand her, to try to relate to her.

      Overall, thoroughly enjoyed. I'll be picking up the next.
    • 4/5
      Fans of Kushiel will find a similar vibe in BLOOD RIGHTS, though not so overtly sexual. The mythology of this series is more complex and deeply explores than the average urban fantasy, and the addition of a modern setting and ass-kicking heroine compliments the high fantasy elements to a T.
    • 3/5
      I was indecisive between 3 and 4 stars, but gave it 3 in the end, because some plot twists were obvious and book ends in relative cliffhanger (most of the things are not resolved).
    • 2/5
      I was drawn to BLOOD RIGHTS because it sounded like an interesting spin on the vampire/dhampir mythos, with the heroine as a member of a high-status slave race whose blood is especially attractive to vampires. Chrysabelle is wrongly accused of murdering her master after spending 100 years in his service and goes on the run partly to escape justice but partly because she wants a taste of freedom.

      A character we never actually meet and have no reason to trust suggests that Chrysabelle seek help from Mal, an outcast vampire of noble descent. He's living with a couple of pretty horrific curses which are slowly driving him insane, so who knows why the off-stage helper thought Mal would be a great go-to guy, but it doesn't matter because Chrysabelle and Mal never get around to doing any of the things you'd expect: they never go hunting for the actual murderer, and they don't run anywhere, either. Actually, they spend the first half of the book - HALF, literally HALF - just fighting about whether or not he's actually going to help her.

      The lack of forward momentum is maddening. Chrysabelle can't decide if she wants to go or if she is going to stick around and demand Mal's aid. Mal can't decide if he's going to toss Chrysabelle out or lock her up and keep her. They're much too busy having dumb fights to cooperate. Here's a prime example: Chrysabelle goes a little crazy if she doesn't drain her blood regularly, so she's frequently after Mal to drink from her. Mal tries to resist the temptation, though it's very strong. And yet, at one point, Chrysabelle gets all mad and accuses Mal of thinking of her as food. What? She spends most of her time REMINDING him that she's food!

      The only thing worse than Chrysabelle and Mal's stupid drama are the many scenes written from the perspective of BLOOD RIGHTS' one-note villain, Tatiana. Man, Tatiana is annoying. All of her thoughts are like this one, which is taken from a scene where she's made her boy-toy perform some difficult task on her behalf, and she leads him off to bed with this bit of internal monologue: "He deserved a reward for his efforts, and what was better than being allowed to pleasure her." How...very...boring. I can handle a one-note villain but I'd bet that at least 20% of BLOOD RIGHTS is written in Tatiana's POV and I cannot stand THAT MUCH one-note villain. She's arrogant and power-hungry and she kills people without remorse, I get it, enough already.

      The really cool thing about BLOOD RIGHTS is the mythology. I really dug the different houses, the curses, and especially the culture of the comarré, the vampire blood-slaves. Everything about them is meant to remind vampires of daylight - they're pale, blonde, they wear white and decorate themselves with gold tattoos, they even have summery, floral scents and glow to supernatural eyes. I like the contrast between how wealthy the comarré can be as a group and even individually, and yet how powerless they are. Painter went deep with her worldbuilding and I think the results could have been awesome, if she'd put even half that effort into crafting a decent story. Unfortunately, the story is awful.

    • 5/5
      What can I say that hasn't been said already about this novel? It is amazing, and that is coming from someone who truly doesn't like to read vampire novels. The thing I loved about this book was that it wasn't centered around the vampires as much as it centered around the Comarre, even though the Comarre serve the vampires. The characterization, the world-buildling, the descriptions, and the relationships where all top notch.
    • 4/5
      OK not much in to vampires but having said that I loved this book....the paranormal part I felt was the icing on the cake so to speak...it lead you on a very interesting journey and was a good old fashioned who done it...I defiantly will be reading more of these.
    • 3/5
      I liked this book. I was not blown away or anything, and even considered to put it away after the first quarter of the book, but I stuck it out, and in the end rather liked it. It has quite some action, and interesting characters, even though I never got a real bond with them. I liked that the main female character, Chrysabelle, is exceedingly competent. I didn't like that the main male character, Mal, kept emphasizing that she would never be able to take down a vampire, but well, I guess it could have been way worse. I liked that it didn't stop her from using her skills and that in the end they were working a bit better together. The other characters felt a bit like filling. I strongly disliked the bits about the bad characters. Fortunately, they were short (not the characters, the text bits), because they bored me a bit. The world was good. I liked the concept of the othernatural species, and how it is connected to biblical events. I especially liked the comarré society, and would have like to learn more about them. Well, maybe in the next books...
    • 4/5
      It took me a bit to get into this one , not that it was bad or anything just difficult to get into the characters as they were being brought in I wasn't quite sure what was going on or who was doing what or for what they were doing the things they were doing. It all came together though finally and I very much enjoyed this book. Chrysabelle is a Comarre in other words she is a blood donor who was bred and tattoed and trained to be this from brith for the Vampire Royalty. Comarre have thier own way and their own secrets as do the Vampires. She has a Patron (Vampire royalty that ownes her blood rights) in other words she feeds him and him alone and he pays to have her blood. After 100 years of services to a Patron the Comarre can actually ask for Liberta's which they are permitted to leave their patron and move on. Suddenly she finds her Patron dead, gets scared and runs. In turn some believe she has killed her patron and are after her. What they are really after is a ring that she has and they need Comarre blood to cast the right spell to actually become higher royalty. After, moving along alone for a short bit and finding her Aunt Maris home and hoping to keep her out of harms way she runs into trouble and moves on again to Mal. Mal being a Vampire who once was royalty and is now called Anathema because they were cast out by their royalty. Mal accidentally becomes Chrysabelles new Patron through FI the ghost. They have some action packed adventures and twists and turns that keep this book moving. I am looking forward to reading the next in the series
    • 5/5
      I'm a huge Painter fan. I love all of her vampires. The family she's created is wonderful in detail and the escapades they get into are fabulous and varied. Read all of her books! They are well worth the time... Beautiful
    • 3/5
      Originally posted at The Wandering Fangirl.A really nice, lush vampire novel. The world building in this was fantastic, and I've gushed about the cover before. Though at times I felt it seemed to drag a bit under the weight of what Painter was trying to do with her characters and her world, Blood Rights was exactly the vampire novel I needed at the time. I could have done without the sexual tension between the main characters, but I enjoyed them both on their own. (Even if the angsty vampire who can't/won't drink blood is so overdone at this point.) I enjoyed it, and I'll be picking up the rest of the series when I can.
    • 3/5
      First book in the series. Would definitely try the next two. Vampires and courtesans. How can you go wrong?
    • 4/5
      Chrysabelle is a Comarré, a human who is specially bred for their exquisite blood and then trained in the art of serving vampire nobility. The Comarré are a secret society identified by the gold tattoos that adorn their skin, their blood rights are auctioned off to the highest bidder who then becomes their patron, someone who keeps and looks after them. Comarré are highly desired and are a status symbol amongst the vampire community. One night Chrysabelle’s patron is found murdered and Chrysabelle is the number one suspect. She flees her patron’s home along with a magical ring to find safety with her Aunt but ends up in the home of vampire anathema Malkolm. Mal has been cursed twice firstly so that he cannot drink straight from the vein without killing his meal, if he does he will be haunted by their ghost, secondly he hears all the voices in his head of the people he has killed over his long life. Together they must stop the evil Tatiana from bringing down the Covenant and exposing all supernatural creatures.Blood Rights is the first book in a three part Urban Fantasy series by Gothic Urban Fantasy author Kristen Painter. First of all if you read this as an eBook I would recommend going to the end of the book before you start reading as you will find a glossary of all the terms that are used. I only found this when I finished and it would have helped in understanding things better. After reading lots of positive reviews I had high hopes for this book however I was disappointed with it. I thought the story and the world building that Ms Painter created was excellent it was original and exciting however I found the book to be quite slow in places especially the first half of the book. At times I did struggle a little to keep on reading, however the second half of the book the pace picked up and we journey deeper into the otherworld, I especially enjoyed venturing into the club Seven. The book is written in the third person so we get to see events from both Chrysabelle’s and Mal’s point of view and I found their differing opinions interesting. However I didn’t like it when the story turned to Tatiana’s point of view and I wanted to skip past this pages. I really liked Chrysabelle and Mal and the relationship between them, in particular the whole vampire and Comarré angle. It has intrigued me enough that just for this reason I want to read the second book. Whilst there is sort of a romantic background story taking place with flirting and teasing between Chrysabelle and Mal I would have liked the tension between them to have been amped up a bit and I look forward to seeing how this plays out in book 2. There is a good cast of supporting characters however I didn’t really warm to Doc who is a were and Fi who is a ghost. Because of the pacing issue I would like to give this book 3 and half stars.
    • 4/5
      Others have said it before but I have to add to the chorus of people exclaiming about the beauty of the cover art. It's amazing and full of wow!Chrysabelle is a Comarré. A race of humans bread to feed vampires, in fact they have to bloodlet or they start to get ill, so it's a mutually beneficial situation. The Vampire feeding from them gives them longer lives, they are beautiful and prized. When Chrysabelle's master is murdered she's the prime suspect so she flees to an "aunt" for help. This eventually leads her into the hands of Malkolm a vampire outcast who has serious problems.Together they have to try to save the world.Set in the near future this has potential. A lot of the first book was involved with setting up the characters, exploring some of the secrets in their world and creating an interesting world. I'm looking forward to reading the rest in the series but not the lack of sleep.The cover is actually text appropriate and beautiful.
    • 4/5
      The book started a little confusing for me- it wasn't at all what I expected (really my fault since I picked the book simply for its cover and didn't bother to actually READ the summary ha ha!). It is about vampires- but it is much more geisha girl meets Buffy the Vampire slayer than Twilight or Blue Bloods. The story is set in the not so distant future and revolves around one girl who is a fugitive blamed for the murder of her patron. The books starts right in with action and doesn't bother with explaining much to the reader. I enjoyed the pace of this book and my confusion about what was going on ended about a third of the way into the book. The pacing of this book was brutal- I never wanted to put it down! It was exciting, passionate, and everything a good vampire novel should be. I will admit- I spent some time wondering if this was meant to be published as a young adult novel or an adult fantasy novel. By the time I was done reading though- I noticed for all the passionate buildup- nothing happened between the two characters. (Tricky author, making me come back for more!) Anyone who loves Buffy, a good fantasy story, or vampires will enjoy this story. It also had the same feel of Cassandra Clare's novels (which is a great compliment from me- she is one of my favorite authors!) So- go check this story out!
    • 4/5
      3.5 stars. I had high expectations for this book, and it was good, but not great. The politics and hierarchy of the vampire world was important but also a little confusing. Just a little more exposition on who was what and the families and the leaders and all of it would have been welcome. I'll keep reading this series, for sure, but it's beginning could have been even better.
    • 4/5
      Read the full review here.This is an entertaining novel with a new twist on vampire lore. Although the major plot developments were predictable, the story is well executed. Some of the laws in the vampire word were not clearly explained, but I found the glossary at the back of the book to be helpful in this regard. However, there were too many far fetched revelations at the end of the book, which were probably added to set up the story in the sequels.Chrysabelle is refreshing as a kick ass female protagonist who is trained in battle and can hold her own against the monsters of the night. She is smart and witty, and I enjoyed her narration of the story because of her honest opinions. Her inexperience in romantic matters is endearing, especially when she misinterprets the reactions she provokes from those around her. On the other hand, Malkolm is wonderfully realised as a tortured vampire with a unique curse that not only kills every being he drinks from and returns their ghost to haunt him. His human past and memories make him very different from most vampires in literature and easy to sympathise with.This debut urban fantasy novel by Kristen Painter is very good, and those who enjoy paranormal or urban fantasy will enjoy it immensely. If the rest of the series is as exciting and unique as this book, then I look forward to reading it!
    • 4/5
      Requested on NetgalleyOverall Rating 4.25Story Rating 4.25Character Rating 4.25NOTE: I am going to preface this by saying the things I LOVED LOVED LOVED about this book I cannot talk about! This will be a spoiler free zone *evil laugh*! However, I totally picture Rufus Sewell as Mal---YUM YUM YUM!What I Loved: ****** and ***** and OMG ******! Seriously though Blood Rights is a great character driven story with great action and emotionally tugging moments. There were quite a few times where I totally went "Did she just do that?" and then "OMG Yes she did!"! I met Kristin Painter and she seems so nice---hehe but no one is safe in her literary work evidently (I am not just talking death but also twists, turns, and tortured spirits)! It was an amazing thrill ride.What I Liked: I thought the pacing and story arching in Blood Rights was pretty spot-on. There was only a little lag about 3/4 of the way into the story but then BAM--it was right back on track!Complaints: NoneWhy I gave it a 4.25: I really enjoyed Blood Rights and since I was a little behind in reading it I picked up Flesh and Blood immediately :)
    • 4/5
      The premise: ganked from publisher's website: Born into a life of secrets and service, Chrysabelle’s body bears the telltale marks of a comarré -- a special race of humans bred to feed vampire nobility. When her patron is murdered, she becomes the prime suspect, which sends her running into the mortal world . . . and into the arms of Malkolm, an outcast vampire cursed to kill every being from whom he drinks.Now, Chrysabelle and Malkolm must work together to stop a plot to merge the mortal and supernatural worlds. If they fail, a chaos unlike anything anyone has ever seen will threaten to reign.My Rating: Worth Reading, with ReservationsBlood Rights is a relatively fast read with an interesting take on vampires and their culture, especially with the invention of the comarré. Painter is able to manage her audiences expectations about vampires and twist those expectations just enough to give the reader something different, and yet familiar at the same time. While the book could be a little bit shorter, and certain areas of the book tightened up, the straight-forward plot is engaging and manages to pack a few surprises by book's end, and the romantic subplot doesn't bother to conform to any expectations. Given that this is at least the first of a trilogy, it makes sense that Painter is taking her time and not rushing anything, which helps keep the focus of the book on the characters and crisis at hand. Not a bad read at all, and if the proper circumstances presented themselves, I'd be willing to read more in this world.Also, may I just praise the publisher for releasing the first three books a month a part? If you get sucked into this world, you only have to wait for November for book two, and then you get book three in December. I really, really like this publishing model. It's risky for the publisher, but immensely satisfying for the readership.Spoilers, yay or nay?: Nay. It's a new enough book that I don't want to spoil any surprises, so have fun. For those of you interested, the full review is at my blog, and as always, comments and discussion are most welcome. REVIEW: Kristen Painter's BLOOD RIGHTSHappy Reading!
    • 4/5
      There are very few adult books that I enjoy. Some of the only ones are Colleen Gleason's Gardella Vampire Chronicles and most of Lynn Kurland's books. Kristen Painter's Blood Rights is a great start to what could turn out to be another one of my favorite adult series.Chrysabelle is a comarré, a special breed of human with blood so pure, raised to feed the vampire nobility. When her patron is murdered, all signs point to her as the prime suspect. Chrysabelle must make a run for it in hopes to save her life, as well as the lives of all the mortal world.The foundation of this story is fantastic. I love the concept of the comarré. Reading about the gold tattoos that cover their bodies and then seeing the cover of this book, it's absolutely gorgeous. The idea of your one sole purpose being to feed vampire nobility, I couldn't imagine it. I understand that it's kind of a win-win situation, they get something special from your blood and you get special otherworldly strength and what-not, but still... wouldn't you want something more out of life? The thing is, Chrysabelle does. She just finds it harder than she imagined to escape that world.Painter created a great cast of characters. Not all are specifically human or vampire. There is such a mixture of breeds in this story that I was utterly intrigued while reading about each different one. As I stated, I enjoyed Chrysabelle. She's mouthy and spunky, definitely not afraid to fight back. Malkolm was such a tortured soul and I ached for him. He suffered such loss and despair, it was kind of heart-wrenching to read about everything he'd been through. I was glad to see Chrysabelle begin pulling him out of that dark pit he'd been in for so long. I utterly despised Tatiana. She disgusted me in every way and I was a bit shocked to find out a few things about her.The world-building is fascinating. I enjoyed the history given of the vampire hierarchy (Anathema, Fringe, Elder, Dominus) and learning more about the comarré/comar. I also liked learning about all of the different types of creatures Painter added to this story.There wasn't any overly raunchy romantic interactions between the characters, which I appreciated. Sometimes I think that that takes away from the overall story. I liked the small amount of romance that took place.Kristen Painter has given us the perfect start to a new series. It is incredibly well written, perfectly paced and immensely engaging. I can not wait to finish the rest of this series and I'm so glad that each of the books are being released so close together. If you're a fan of adult series and vampire lore, I highly recommend you take a shot at this one!
    • 5/5
      This is the first book in the House of Comarre trilogy by Kristen Painter. The second book, Flesh and Blood, is supposed to release in Nov of 2011. The third book, Bad Blood, is scheduled to release a month later in December 2011. This was a great book. There are some very creative ideas in here and some great characters; it made for a wonderful and engaging story.Chrysabelle has spent a hundred years serving as a Comarre to a high ranking vampire. On the eve of her test to escape service by combat; her master is killed. This leaves Chrysabelle free but she is also forced to flee since she is suspected of murdering her master. Now Chrysabelle is forced to try and blend in with the human world until she can clear her name. When Chrysabelle tries to get help she runs into Mal. Mal is a royal vampire who has been declared anathema. Mal and Chrysabelle don't get along well, but working together may be the only way they can both get what they want and clear Chrysabelle's name.This was a very well done book. The world created is interesting. The book is set in the near future, 2060 I believe, most of the common things are recognizable but some of the technology has changed quite a bit. With the futuristic setting the book ends up being a pleasant blend of sci-fi, urban fantasy, paranormal romance, and mystery.The most intriguing part of the society Chrysabelle comes from is the House of Comarre. The House of Comarre has a lot of secrets, some you find out in this book but there is still a lot of mystery involving this group of individuals. The whole idea behind the Comarre is fascinating even at face value, but when you find out about all the mystery behind this House it becomes an even more fascinating and engaging idea.The book is very well written, easy to read, and moves at a quick pace. The action scenes and romantic tension between characters is very well done. It was hard to put down and when I finished it I immediately wanted to read more.The characters are wonderful; lots of mystery and dimension to all of them, even the side characters. Chrysabelle and Mel make great leads; they have great tough personalities, yet are complex. The banter between these two is wonderful and had me laughing out loud a few times. The romance between them is sweet, steamy at times, but never graphic. There are also a lot of relationships/romance going on between various side characters in this book; love seems to be a big driving force in the plot in general.The mystery that Chrysabelle is trying to solve is set up nicely and very well done as well. The result of the mystery totally surprised me; I love it when I can't predict where the story is going to end up. The book ended at a good place; the main mystery is solved but Chrysabelle and friends will also have a bigger mystery to deal with in future books.I also have to mention the cover, this has got to be one of the most stunning covers I have seen all year. When I saw this cover I had to read the book. I'd like a print of this cover to hang up in my house, it is just so darn beautiful.Overall I really really enjoyed this book. The world is very interesting and creative; the mystery behind the House of Comerre absolutely sucked me it. The characters (even the side characters) are very engaging, likable, and fun to read about. The book is well-written, well paced and easy to read. I was really impressed with how Painter blends sci-fi, urban fantasy, romance, and mystery elements together to make an intriguing and engaging story. Pretty much everything in this book was well-balanced. There are some sensual scenes in the book but they never get too detailed or graphic, so older young adults could probably read this book (although the book is about adults, not sure about future books though). I really look forward to reading Flesh and Blood, I can't wait to see what happens next...and I don't have to wait very long either!I would recommend this book to those of you who like urban fantasy with some romance or paranormal romance books.
    • 5/5
      I have to admit that it took till Chapter 6 to then get me interested in the book. But after that chapter it was like wildfire! I couldn't get enough from each page.Blood Rights: House of Comarre is an alluring mix of elegance, fangs, seduction, thrill, romance, and some nitty gritty. A series you most definitely not want to miss out!Since birth, Chrysabelle was raised to be a comarre. The most praised of all the comarres. But when her patron vampire nobel is found dead and her being MIA, all eyes are on her for the murder. Limited to whom she can trust and where she can go, she's left to do things she never imagined she would. Going against all the things she's been raised to do for more than a century.Malkolm, an anathema among vampires has his own personal demons. He bares not one, but two curses that ceases to give him a breathe of air. Not that he needs it. But you know what I mean. Curse 1.) For killing his own sire, he is cursed by whomever he sinks his fangs into he will drink them dead. Curse 2.) For every soul he kills through drinking their last drop of life, their names will forever be inked on his body and their voices will plague his mind. Always telling him to "drink" "kill" "feed." An unending struggle to stay sane from all the voices. Blood Rights just beckons you to read it all the way through and begging for more. It's well written, perfectly paced, and the twists are spellbinding. I'm just blown away on how engaged I was. I'm so happy that the series will release a month right after each other.Blood Right Book #1 - October 2011Flesh & Blood #2 - November 2011Bad Blood #3 - December 2011Another one to add to the 2011 MUST READS and Favorites!