Adam Degore’s personal need to find a cure for vampirism drives him to ensnare a vampire, but the creature he captures is Dracula’s daughter. Worse yet, he’s drawn to her—a monster he’s vowed to kill. Despite her father’s wishes, Willow chooses to live among humans instead of the vampire conclave where she would be safe. She wants a life filled with more than shadows. Being captured by a human, … a human, not to mention falling in love with one, is not part of her plan.
With vampires and blood hunters closing in on their chosen prey, Adam and Willow need to trust one another. But will that trust come in time for them to survive and find a future together?
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First of all, what beautiful writing. The author manage to create a beautiful picture while avoid purple prose. In addition, I loved Willow, the character the author molded throughout the story. I appreciated the fact that Willow was a strong and intelligent female presence throughout the entire story and took the lead several times without falling and acting like a victim.
Willow has spent a lot of energy into maintaining her independence, even as she fell in love with Adam. I enjoyed the classic references to vampirism and the intertwining of Dracula themes into the story line.
Lastly, I’m a fan of good thrills, and this book had it. The author wrote the action very well, using excellent verb choices. At no point did I feel the story dragged, and the plot kept moving.
Willow has a secret she keeps from the people in her village. She’s a vampire and Dracula’s daughter. She doesn’t want to live in darkness so she keeps her identity a secret while living amongst the humans in her village. But when a vampire feeds on a villager, a blood hunter arrives to take care of the vampire scourge. Willow’s serene life is turned upside down and she finds herself a prisoner of Blood Hunter Adam Degore. They’re enemies but Willow finds herself attracted to him. Crazy, huh? But when she discovers Adam’s plan for ‘saving’ his brother, she does everything in her power to convince Adam he’s in the wrong. They’ve got both vampires and blood hunters on their trail, not to mention Dracula himself. Can Willow and Adam have a possible future together or will they be slaughtered by their own enemies?
Bloodborn is not your everyday vampire story… it’s so much more. It’s a tale about finding your own path, overcoming prejudice and yes, falling in love. The world-building is old-school, with classic vampire lore intermixing with never-seen-before vampire mythology. I’m a tried and true classic vampire fan and Bloodborn fed my fascination. The enemies-to-lovers subplot between Willow and Adam kept me turning the pages. Their emotions spilled across the text and into my heart. The conflict was intense, at times, but authentic. The romantic scenes are well done but don’t take over the plot. The characters, especially Adam and Willow, were complex and I felt an immediate connection. The ending had my heart in my throat but completely satisfying. Well written and I look forward to reading more by Sydney Winward. Highly recommend!
Favorite Character/Quote:
“You want me to die?” If he asked it of her, she would do it. He was her mate. Mates looked after one another. They had the other’s best interests at heart. But he wasn’t a vampire, which was why choosing him had been a gamble.
My Rating: 5 stars
I enjoyed this tale of Dracula’s daughter, Willow, and the blood hunter, Adam, falling in love. He’s fighting against his blood hunter vowels and his need to save his brother, while she is his prisoner. Enemies to lovers is my absolute favorite, so this book didn’t disappoint. Even though this is Willow and Adam’s story, I loved Dracula’s presence! Vampire fans will enjoy the book just as I did!
This is not your average vampire story.
Adam Degore…what a name! is obsessed with finding a cure for vampirism. To that end, he becomes a Blood Hunter, hunting vampires for a living. And he is very, very good at his job. When he is hired to hunt a vampire terrorizing a village, he encounters Willow and it doesn’t take him long to figure out she is a vampire. But not just any vampire. Willow is Dracula’s daughter. When Adam captures Willow he sets into motion a chain of events that could destroy everything and everyone he and Willow hold dear.
This story had everything. It was a rollicking good adventure, a love story and a family saga. Adam and Willow are surely opposites but they are unwillingly attracted. The author does a fantastic job of imbuing all of the characters, even Dracula himself with detailed, realistic backstories, and relatable emotions. Personality quirks and engaging dialogue draw the reader in.
Adam’s brother Zachariah practically broke my heart. I just downloaded Zachariah’s story. Can’t wait to read. Highly recommend.
Great entry into the paranormal romance genre. Great character development, exciting and enticing story. Love the twisted and chemistry between the characters and the pull between love and loyalty. Great story. I absolutely recommend this book and can’t wait to read more from this author. Excellent.
he tried cruring his brother took the last person he shouldnt have and started having feeling for her and tried to hide it
Bloodborn- Bloodborn Series Book 1)” by Sydney Winward is a tale of one Willow Ardelean…Dracula’s own daughter …captured and held hostage by Adam Degore…a blood hunter with a visceral enmity between himself and vampires…creatures of the night who have destroyed all he loved …except his infected brother Zachariah…who he has imprisoned until he can find a cure to reverse the taint of vampirism that has his brother in it’s grip and will not let go. Will Willow be the answer to his brother’s plight…can she undo the curse …can her blood be the answer?!? Yes…Adam’s experiments cause Willow great pain….but so is leaving his brother the way he is!!! Read and See….what happens!! Much enjoyed and Highly Recommended. I voluntarily reviewed an Advanced Copy of this book.
This is the first book by this Author that I have read, I found it to be a story that grabbed my interest from the start. Willow the daughter of Dracula and blood hunter Adam Degore’s story, it is well written. I will be looking for more by this Author. I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Bloodborn is an enemies-to-lovers romance with a richly described world and cast of characters, including Dracula himself! I really enjoyed the story and watching Adam evolve and cast off long-held prejudices. If you’re a fan of vampires and the supernatural, check this one out!
Sydney Winward weaves together traditional vampire stories with new elements to present a fresh take on Dracula’s daughter in Bloodborn. Adam is a blood hunter, trained, and sworn to kill the paranormal creatures of Winward’s medieval world. I was fascinated by the hierarchy, powers, and training of the blood hunters. When they graduate, they are ranked to receive a different gem with a different level of power storage. Adam didn’t join because he was a born killer, he has a secret agenda. A secret agenda that requires a live vampire prisoner.
Adam’s luck is the worst ever because he nabs Willow AKA Dracula’s daughter. The interactions between Dracula, Willow, and Adam were my favorite parts of the book. Dracula carries his classic powers and storyline with the added layer of talking some sense into Willow. Because of an anomaly in vampires (it’s a spoiler so I’m not telling), he is too late to stop her from setting down a painful path. She ultimately finds her way but with more struggles than Dracula probably would have liked.
Toward the end of the book, we are introduced to Ickor Knell or Dracula’s city for vampires. Winward excels in scene-setting. Her vivid descriptions brought the city to life. I loved the paranormal creatures who use it as a haven and the effects needed to make them comfortable. I’m so excited that Book 2: Bloodbond promises to start within the city walls. Overall, I highly recommend this book to fans of the classic Dracula tales who are ready for the next generation.
Sydney Winward
Bloodborn (Bloodborn Series Book 1)
Adam and Willow
Ms Wynward created a world with great characters! This story is highly recommended!
Received this ARC and am leaving an honest review.
Adam and Willow are really good characters.
Loved reading their story.
Enjoyed reading..
This story was both good and interesting one page.. And the next page it was infuriating!
The basic outline of the story is good and had some good potential. The world building was OK and the supporting characters fitted in well. My main problem was how willow was portrayed.
She’s a freaking vampire, and Dracula’s daughter to boot, she started off good, an interesting character and then she becomes some fragile weak female, who can’t even fight a man and who seems to cry… A lot! She’s suppose to be a vampire and stronger than a human… But there are several times where she can’t overpower him and he’s not even using any of the hunter magic or stuff that weakens her!
This would have been a 5* review if they hadn’t of turned the kickass female vampire into some weak, fragile crying female!
It was a story that got me hooked from the beginning with the easy to follow the style and the characters.
I really liked Willow and her struggle to live her life being her own person. Adam was a bit more difficult to accept because he was too intense most of the time.
This story was more than simply vampires and vampire hunters. it is about finding oneself and love and fighting for both.
Great story put together. The story built up and characters fascinated me. I honestly recommend this book. I hope you will enjoy as I did.
This is a well written book with strong characters and an intriguing story line.The author does a great job building the story and keeping you glued to the pages right to the end. She gives Adam and Willow a strong connection and hot chemistry and brings the story to life with her vividly painted scenes. It’s an entertaining story and I would recommend reading.
I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book. All opinions in this review are my own and freely given.
I’m new to Sydney Winward’s books and I have to say, after reading Bloodborn, I will be coming back for more. This gritty read was a complete joy. Can’t wait for book 2!
From the start, I was captivated. As someone who’s a little hesitant about vampire stories, I didn’t find Bloodborn to be your typical vampire tale. It has so much depth to it. From the powerful themes such as acceptance and love to the layers of world building and character development.
Willow was like my go-to girl. I adored her. Not only is she a vampire, but she’s Dracula’s daughter. Eep! She’s clever and compassionate for others. She’s the cool cat in the story (maybe quite literally, hehe). Blood hunter, Adam, who hunts and kills her kind is hot on her trail. Adam is such an intense dude, but then again, so is Willow in her own way. And don’t get me started on her father, Dracula. He’s pretty scary too.
Strong points in Bloodborn was the world building, combat scenes, and well rounded characters who shared excellent chemistry. I highly recommend this read!