Blood Sacrifice: Thanks, Ms. Lima, for an enjoyable series

Blood Sacrifice by Maria Lima

On her blog, Maria Lima states that Blood Sacrifice is the final BLOOD LINES book — at least for now. Blood Sacrifice is a fitting conclusion, and one of the best installments in the series.

The end of Blood Heat was a doozy: Keira’s power-hungry ex, Gideon, had just crashed Keira and Adam’s royal bash and challenged their right to their lands. With him were two women: Gideon’s pregnant bride — the Seelie queen’s daughter — and Keira’s own mother.

Gideon’s claim is that the land does not recognize Keira and Adam as its rightful rulers. The Texas heat wave introduced in Blood Heat is used as evidence. As Faery magic is traditionally associated with life and fertility, there’s even a chilling possibility that Gideon is right, and that the land would prefer Gideon and his pregnant wife over Keira and her vampire mate. The terms of the challenge dictate that Keira and her entourage must leave Rio Seco and stay elsewhere until the holiday of Lughnasa. But when all hell starts breaking loose, Keira wonders whether they’ve made the right choice in leaving town.

The middle of the book can get a little frustrating to the reader for the same reason it’s frustrating to the characters. They can’t take action yet, and haven’t yet decided on the best action to take. This means a lot of inconclusive discussions about strategy. Lima’s dialogue writing is stronger here than in previous books, though, and the spooky Rose Inn adds intrigue. Keira learns some creepy secrets there and meets several interesting characters, one of whom becomes deeply important later.

Once Keira and her gang start taking action, the book becomes more compelling. I didn’t realize how attached I was to Rio Seco until Keira set foot there again, and Gideon’s dastardly plans could spell the end for the little town. Keira comes into her own as a leader, one person must make a terrible choice, and then it all ties up in an emotional finale.

Blood Sacrifice is a satisfying stopping point for BLOOD LINES. Lima resolves all the loose ends while leaving room to revisit these characters, should she choose to do so. Thanks, Ms. Lima, for an enjoyable series and a fitting ending.