Review--The Captive and The First Blood Game by K.A. Linde

 

Before The Wren in the Holly Library, there was The Monster and the Last Blood Match and as the provocative, sensual Blood Type series continues, the rare bond between Reyna and Beckham is threatened by betrayal, greed, and twisted secrets.

Everyone wants a piece of her.
He wants it all.

Reyna Carpenter trusted the wrong people…and paid the price.

Held captive in the heart of a vampire empire, her freedom stripped and blood claimed, Reyna survives the only way she knows how—hope. Hope that she’ll find a way to escape. Hope that she’ll be reunited with Beckham. Hope that when she gets out of here, love will be waiting on the other side.

Except escape isn’t salvation. It’s only the beginning.

Because the world outside has changed. Lines have been drawn. Allegiances have shifted. And Reyna? She’s no longer the girl who walked willingly into the dark.

But she’d do it all over again for Beckham.

Now she has to decide how far she’ll go to reclaim her freedom…and the vampire she’s fallen for. Because power runs through Reyna’s veins, power others will do anything to control—which means she’ll have to do more than just survive.

She’ll have to fight back.

The Captive and The First Blood Game by K.A. Linde picks up where we left off in the first book of this trilogy that takes place years before The Oak and Holly Cycle series begins! I belatedly realized I should've finished this trilogy before reading the latest installment of the other series, but oh well. At least I won't go crazy while I write this review and start the next book! Lol. This second installment of the trilogy was a true nailbiter! The tension runs thick in this story as the ante and danger are amped up. No one will walk away unchanged from this book!

It has been almost two months since Reyna was taken from Beckham, since she became Harrington's prisoner and personal blood bag. Reyna is given the shocking information that she was never meant to be a blood match for Beckham, that it was always Harrington who she was meant to "serve" but Beckham intervened to help protect her, but things epically fell apart.

Reyna now spends her days in a luxe bedroom with a library of her own, a personal gym, a big comfy bed, but a prison cell is still a prison cell even with gilded bars. She's forced to donate blood to Harrington test tube style, which is its own blessing in some ways. Reyna hasn't given up hope that Beckham will eventually come for her, but the wait is agonizing.

As you might imagine, Reyna does not stay prisoner for long and eventually makes an escape and joins the rebel group known as Elle who is working to put an end to Visage, the vampire led company that has been matching up humans with vampires who share the same blood type. Things eventually become a hot mess as Reyna begins to learn who Elle really is as a rebel group and who its members are. There's a dark, sordid history behind all of the inner workings and we learn about some of the highlights throughout the book. This book was definitely what you would call a gamechanger. 

Beckham does eventually make his appearance back into Reyna's life and though they have issues they need to work through, it's not long before their romance picks up right where they left off. Although, I must say, I completely forgot about Penny's intentions in things. Penny is also a part of Elle and has been acting as Beckham's fake girlfriend and secret blood donor for years. She becomes one of the many obstacles to Reyna and Beckham's relationship and for some reason, I do not remember her being so unlikable! But apparently, I forgot to make a note of that! Because yes, this woman is definitely an obstacle! Lol. But nonetheless, it was refreshing to see Beckham and Reyna persevere. 

I guess depending on your preferences, this book will either be a fast paced read or not so fast paced. To me, I found it incredible fast paced and finished it in record time because I did not want to put it down. Going from being a prisoner to planning a great escape and joining the rebel group to take down the evil vampire corporation, this book was a delightfully fast paced thrill ride! I kept needing to know more about what was going on and seeing if any of my developing theories proved fruitful, which at least one did! 

Of course, now we get to the somewhat problematic cliffhanger. Yes, I have the next book, but now I learn that I should not have read The Raven at the Ash Door just yet, because of minor spoilery things. But in the same sense, I can't help but wonder if I would've thought anything differently. Things happen in this book that would've made the wait for the next book painful. But since I read "ahead" I know the eventual outcome. So I'm not quite driven to the insanity that I would've normally had. But given the genre, I of course, would've been pondering certain things anyway. I spoiled it for myself by reading ahead, but I would've suspected certain things as well.

Needless to say, The Captive and The First Blood Game was an epic paranormal romance set in a dystopic future that really shook things up for the characters. I would not call this a middle book at all, as truly things were only just getting started before and now everything has gone up a level! I am most eager to dive into the final book of this trilogy and see how things will play out! This is not a series any book loving vampire reader should pass up! You can essentially read this trilogy without needing to dive into the Linde's other series, but that one is truly amazing as well and I highly recommend it too! Just maybe read this one first to not jumble things up like I did for myself! Lol.

Overall Rating 5/5 stars