Blood Instinct Review – Lindsay J Pryor

I thought long and hard about which book to review first on my brand new blog site – but in reality, the choice was not a difficult one. I first discovered Lindsay J Pryor’s Blackthorn series when Blood Roses (Blackthorn #2) was released through a recommendation from a friend, and I’ve anxiously anticipated every release since then.

Blood Instinct is the sixth book in the Blackthorn series (there will be eight in total). Now we have arrived at the sharp-end of this amazing series, you can really see the threads of the story coming together, and I, for one, can’t wait to tug on them.

In Blood Instinct, we revisit Jask Tao and Phia McKay, first discovered in Blood Torn (Blackthorn #3), but all our heroes and heroines make an appearance at some time during the novel (including my beloved Kane Malloy).

By page 2, I was hooked, inevitably drawn into the dark and dangerous world of Blackthorn. No longer was I simply sitting in my living room reading a book. No, I was a part of that world, a voyeur of sorts, watching it all unfold before me. And I use the word ‘watching’ purposely. Lindsay’s prose is so wonderfully descriptive, I can see everything going on, the words turning into clear images in my mind.

There are so many twists and turns in Blood Instinct, and I can honestly say I did not see them coming. The shocks come thick and fast, slapping you around the head with their intensity. My emotions were pulled in so many directions; one minute I was laughing at how Phia challenged Jask, and I could feel his frustration, almost see him rolling his eyes, the next I was crying (I warn you, there are some very sad moments in this book).

One of the most thrilling parts for me was watching Phia’s character grow. She really comes into her own in this book and whilst I had my doubts in Blood Torn that she (a mere human) would ever be able to fill the role of Jask Tao’s mate, I have happily been proved wrong. She’s still feisty and frustrating as hell, making snap decisions which have catastrophic implications, but I just love her. She makes me laugh and cry in equal measure.

We are definitely getting closer to the inevitable war between the First and Third species, and the arrival of the Fourth species adds brilliant tension.Trouble is coming at the Third species from all angles, and I can’t wait to see how they cope.

Well done, Lindsay J Pryor. I didn’t think anything could top Blood Dark, but it seems you have achieved the impossible!

A whacking great big Jaskilicious Five Stars.

Roll on the next release – Blood Bound!