Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Sometimes a book will snag you with a title. Or a cover. Or a hook. This one managed all three.
The main character, Cas, is a bundle of badass held together with bandaids. He’s so tough. All the time. Too tough. I wish he’d been vulnerable a little more often. He veered into it sometimes, skirting the edge of human vulnerability, and then *zip* “I’m a badass and I’m better than all of you!” But I do love him, the inscrutable little love.
The villain…heroine? Villoine? I don’t know. Anna is amazing. Compelling and horrifying and amazing all at once. I can’t say much, but yes, she’s fascinating.
The supporting cast is staunch and steady. Thomas and Morfan are the most memorable, while Carmel and Will sort of shuffle to the back. I wish Cas’s mother had been more fleshed out.
I loved the storyline, how it began as a simple urban legend and spiraled into a fuller story. I think the plot twist at the end was a bit too unexpected and a little too rushed, but still. I really, really enjoyed this book. And I look forward to the sequel!
The Metaphor Girl 