Kirsten Early Reviews: Tainted Blood by M.L. Brennan
Tainted Blood by M.L. Brennan
Generation V #3
In the third Generation V novel, Fortitude Scott proves that working with family can be deadly…
>Former film student Fortitude Scott is finally gainfully employed. Unfortunately, said employment happens to be with a group of sociopathic vampires—his family. And as much as Fort is loath to get too deep into the family business, when his brother, Chivalry, is temporarily unable to run the territory, it’s up to Fort to keep things under control.
So when the leader of a powerful faction of shifters turns up murdered, Fort finds himself tracking down a killer while navigating dangerous rivalries, longtime grudges, and hidden agendas. Even with the help of his foxy kitsune sidekick, Suzume, he’ll need to pull out all the stops to hunt for the paranormal assassin.
as he calls on fairies, witches, and ghouls for help, he discovers that the problem is much bigger than a single dead werebear. The supernatural community is preparing for a massive shift in power within the Scott family leadership—and Fort has landed right in the middle of the gathering storm.…
M.L. Brennan’s Generation V series’ third installment, Tainted Blood establishes both the gathering storm that is the fast-approaching shift of power within the Scott family, and Fort’s changing place within the supernatural community.
Fort at last has a steady job, the downside is that he’s picking up the slack for his brother Chivalry, who is, for emotional and physiological reasons, currently indisposed. Prudence might have otherwise helped out, but she’s still working off the black mark their mother gave her. So when a rusalka wants to talk about her lake, or some other creature has an issue, it’s Fort that has to step in for the family. But when the leader of the metsän kunigas, or ‘werebears’ is killed in apparent, and very bloody murder, Fort knows that he isn’t the vampire everyone wanted on the job.
Luckily Fort’s friend Suzume, a kitsune with a love of practical jokes and laughing at the expense of others, is along to help. She too is having family troubles, including some involving her sister Keiko, which Fort somehow finds himself involved in up to his neck.
As Fort looks into the identity of the killer, he uncovers tangled loyalties, old grudges, and quite a bit of political maneuvering that seems to include him. Although his style of problem solving might not always be looked on favorably by his family, there are those who are making a point to let him know where they stand when the Scott family selects a new leader.
To top it all off, Fort is having to cope with his ongoing transition into a full vampire, something he would have liked to postpone forever, but which he now has to deal with before somebody gets killed. It’s not as if Fort thought he was a kickass heroic type, but just staying ahead of trouble long enough to catch his breath is becoming his second full-time job, and he could use a break.
All told, the worldbuilding that the author is doing is steadily becoming more complex, and it’s complemented nicely by the increasingly dicey situations that Fort and co. find themselves. Anyone who likes a different sort of vampire mythos, family issues, and a good mix of other creatures will find this book to their liking.
(Received a copy from the publisher)
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Previous Books:
1. Generation V
2. Iron Night
