Society's collapse affected the weather, the government,
and the country's citizens. Now, distractoids -those weaned
on instant gratification who need constant musical, sexual,
visual, or chemical stimulation to distract them from the
bleakness of their lives and keep them from questioning
their government- live in hubs, water is the highest form
of payment, and many people try to drop off the grid. Some
of these are Mariah, Gabriel, and their shifter companions
from the Badlands. However, Mariah cannot control her
increasingly violent were-shifter nature, and Gabriel seems
to be losing the fight to maintain a semblance of humanity
despite his own vampiric nature. They are bonded, but he
tries to keep his distance, as Mariah and Gabriel have
difficulty being in the same room without feverish passion
igniting their animalistic natures. They aim east toward
outposts and hubs to search for a mythical cure. Meanwhile,
the dangers they hoped they'd outrun in the Badlands
continue to haunt them.
Returning to themes regarding "what
is a monster?", this second work in the Bloodlands series
depicts a gritty world where tough choices are a matter of
survival. Gabriel wants Mariah to find her inner strength,
but he fears not only what her journey will do to her; he
fears how it will affect him. As they try to get closer to
a potential cure, they learn more than they might survive;
riddles whose answers they might not wish to confront.
An excellent work, BLOOD RULES jets along with fascinating
depictions of a horrific potential future and encourages
the reader to ponder the characteristics or actions that
truly make one "human." Christine Cody's writing style is
excellent, as she keeps some of the cards close to her
chest; the reader gets to partake in the adventure with the
characters, and the plot devices are fresh and interesting,
quite a feat!
After the man named Gabriel came to the Bloodlands, Mariah
Lyander was forced to face her true nature, and the
horrible things she had done. To redeem herself, she
embarks on a quest to find a rumored cure for her were-
creatures hoping to recover her own humanity-and Gabriel's
love.
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