Friday, August 3, 2012

Review of Lifeblood (Darkside: Book 2) by Tom Becker


Overview
Follow Jonathan Starling on another creepy adventure on the dark side of town in the highly anticipated second book in the thrilling DARKSIDE series!

A series of unexplained murders on the Darkside of London has Jonathan tangled up in another dangerous mystery. With the help of his ally, private detective (and werewolf) Elias Carnegie, the pair discover that Jonathan's mother was investigating similar murders before she vanished. Jonathan becomes obsessed with solving the crimes and finding his mother. Meanwhile, the Ripper family is involved in a deadly scandal that goes right to the heart of Darkside society and they're watching Jonathan. In his desperation, can Jonathan solve the murders and find his mother before the Rippers find him?


Recommended: Heavily recommended.


About Lifeblood

                                                  Recommended Ages: 15 and Up
                                                             Hardcover: 288 pgs.
                             PublishedSeptember 1st 2008 by Orchard Books

                                  For This Review: *Borrowed Public Library Book Copy*
Buy Darkside




If you like this review - Like It on Goodreads.com


It was on a day a while ago when headed to the public library to venture to discover some good/amazing book finds that found Darkside by Tom Becker. The book cover was so exquisite and, oh, the premise just as mouth-watering. When headed home soon took of at an earnest pace to make progress with it. The hours of entertainment that went by were many. It was at that moment that realized it was one of those novels, a reader, gets in a hard time putting themselves away from further reading. The anticipation builds and builds or more-over excitement of having got yourself a truly genuinely entertainment-rich treasure. Darkside was just that! Once you head down the road you are, one entity, with the book. The very reason for the creation of this blog and vision for it was to find novels that are amazing works of writing and Darkside is a prime example. With it can rejoice in presenting, everyone, who hopefully happens to read this blog, with the news that they should take a look at this book so as not to miss out! 

On to Lifeblood, Book Two of Darkside, readers who read Darkside encountered a whole new horizon with a place in London with inhabitants of the most vile nature around. Jonathan a boy who is in actuality half-Lightsider (normal person from let's say London) and half-Darksider (tainted with a bad seed of evil people from let's say London) meets some new friends in Rachella (a vampire's servant girl) and Carnegie (a Wolfman detective). While also making some new enemies mainly of which Vendetta (a vampire banker) who has a mysterious agenda but as of now hates Jonathan's guts for weakening him when Vendetta tried to, oh yeah, drain and thereby kills Jonathan's father. Who happened to be Jonathan's enemy at first besides Jonathan's other enemy, Marianne, who seems to not hold a grudge with Jonathan this time around in Lifeblood. Some of it could have to with Jonathan having another dangerous adventure on his plate after all, Darkside, being a place of people of ill-intention where it was originally reigned over by Jack The Ripper who-then passed on his rule to his descendants. But now his descendants are being threatened. Jonathan and Carnegie are soon caught in finding who is doing it. All of it being strange since The Rippers are not exactly people you would want to mess with.


Jonathan again is further taken into Darkside's depths. We get to see that with Jonathan's interference he gains another enemy. Jonathan though is determined to find who is murdering Jack The Ripper's blood descendants considering it might lead to his mother's (Theresa) disappearance. Lifeblood shows a more emotional turn around here with Jonathan. He's growing more mature. Other characters grew  particularly Rachella and Vendetta being the main ones. Lifeblood has a more darker visual turn in its writing than Darkside where Darkside is further explored. 


Another genius novel in the Darkside series! For followers of the series there is more new places to see and growth of characters new and old. Nighttrap is the third book which should be just as attractive (Oh, and as of June 1, 2013 have gotten myself a copy from Amazon.com). For anyone not familiar with this series please do get familiar. Great sweet, Entertainment with this series.
Overall: Amazing read!
Genre: Fantasy, Dark-Fantasy, Fiction, Vampires, Werewolves 



About the Author

Tom Becker's Website: 

Since Tom Becker learned to hold a pen, he wanted to become a writer. In fact, when he was 5 years old, he wrote in a notebook that it was his dream to be an author. Aged 25, Tom has realised that dream with publication of his first novel, Darkside in January 2007. 

Tom's early enthusiasm for books and reading was encouraged by his parents who were voracious readers. Their family home was cluttered with bookcases and piles of novels. Tom spent most of his childhood curled up in an armchair reading fantasy novels by Brian Jacques, and later graduated to grown-up novels by David Eddings and Guy Gavriel Kay.

Tom studied History at Oxford University and was struck by the otherworld-ly atmosphere of this academic institution. He used to spend long days studying and reading in the University library and always felt intrigued by the atmosphere there - perhaps that is why a library is such an important setting in Darkside.

Tom started writing Darkside in 2005, it took him three months to complete and he is now working on more books in the series. He drew inspiration from film noirs such as The Asphalt Jungle and The Big Sleep (hence the glasshouse scene in Darkside), and comicbook writers such as Alan Moore.

Aside from reading, Tom's big love in life is music. He is still reeling from the break-up of his two favourite bands, Rocket From the Crypt and Sleater-Kinney. Tom's other passions include supporting Everton Football Club and consisting on a diet of fry-ups and fish fingers!

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