Blood Engines

Blood Engines

“Pratt is a deft storyteller whose blend of suspense, magic, and dry humor kept me entertained and turning pages. Blood Engines is one of the most absorbing reads I’ve enjoyed in a long time, gluing me to the couch. I adore Marla, her done-at-all-costs character is someone I can relate to and want to cheer for. Best of all, I didn’t figure the ending out until I got there. It’s a book widower, and I can’t wait for the sequel.”-Kim Harrison, NYT-bestselling author of For a Few Demons More

“Blood Engines wastes no time: by page three I knew I was reading an urban fantasy unlike any I’d previously encountered. The characters and world are real, immediate, and unapologetically in-your-face, throwing you into a story that trusts you’ll keep up with the fast pace without flinching. It charges along with crisp pacing, a fascinating range of secondary characters, and a highly compelling lead in Marla Mason. She may be one of the genre’s requisite sharp-tongued females, but her ruthless pragmaticism gives her a completely different feel from her fictional contemporaries. I genuinely look forward to the next book!”-C.E. Murphy, author of Coyote Dreams

“A fast-paced, thoroughly fun, satisfying read.”-Kelley Armstrong, author of No Humans Involved

From the Paperback edition.

User Ratings and Reviews

4 Stars Great read !
Marla is a character I enjoyed meeting. I had to buy the rest of the books.

3 Stars Hmm, it was free so I guess I’ll give it three stars instead of two.
I had high hopes for this book after reading some of the reviews, and it is set in San Francisco where I live, but after reading it, I was pretty disappointed. It had some great elements like strong descriptive language, and very inventive plot devices (loved the Possible Witch), and I liked the urban feel to it. My problem with the book was Marla. It’s not that I disliked her, I even understood her motivations and appreciated her pragmatism. However, for some reason, she was just flat to me. She didn’t engage my interest. She didn’t excite me to want to read more about her and her adventures. The funny thing is that I really liked Rondeau, B, and Chang Hao, so I guess it is possible for the author to write a decent character. Unfortunately, that’s not enough to make me stick with this series.

I also didn’t understand why the book was set in SF other than the fact that the author is from Oakland, so I guess he decided to stick with what he knows. The problem with that decision was that it weakened the book considerably. I think the book would have been much stronger if it had been set in the city that Marla is from and supposedly is devoted to. In this book, there was a big disconnect between the character and her surroundings. Maybe that’s why she felt so flat to me. Felport is the place she loves and where she wants to be, yet we never see her there, so we never get a sense for who she really is. Time enough to take her on a road trip in the second or third book once her world is firmly established in the reader’s mind.

5 Stars Absorbing and unique urban fantasy
I had heard some of Mr. Pratt’s stories on fantasy/sci-fi podcasts I listen to and his style intrigued me. When I saw that this book was free for Kindle, I snapped it up. I was not disappointed.

Blood Engines is an urban fantasy set in a world that is close to modern day but with complex magics. I really loved the reality set forth in these books. The magical possibilities described were varied and fascinating, and I get the sense that there are many others waiting to be utilized in future books. Very creative.

I also found myself enjoying the characters. Sometimes Marla’s ultimate practicality is a little off-putting, but the author does not compromise his character for audience comfort. She is harsh because she has to be, and I ended up loving her anyway. Her companion, Rondeau, could have been explored a little more, but I suspect his secrets are gifts to be unwrapped further as the series progresses. The wizards/sorcerers/creatures they meet throughout the book are as varied and fascinating as the magical realities they work in.

I found this book impossible to put down, and I will definitely be checking out the others in the series.

4 Stars I really enjoyed this book
I like this book,and it kept my attention from the 1st page to the last.

I really felt like I knew the characters.

This was a fast paced great book.

I will definitely look into more books by this Author.

3 Stars Ok
I am giving this book three stars because I think it was an "ok" book. Marla, the main character was totally unlikeable at times. She acted like the almighty powerful one but couldnt stop a lesser sorcceror from almost blinking her out of existence? The action was minimal, the characters were alright. The only one I liked was B. Overall, it was okay and more importantly it was free.

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