A wolf, a Druid, a hunter and his assistant…sex or violence, blood or sperm, human or beast, but you never really know which is which.
There’s a hidden treasure inside everyone. Some show it, but only a few can afford it. Sometimes, you only need to know how to manage other’s treasures, even if self-destructive. But in the end, it’s like seeing yourself in a mirror. So how to explain the violence?
Synopsis
Abandoned by his mother to a Druid’s care, Cedric grows in the forest, learning the ropes of an age-old calling, trained in the art of healing and divination. But he’s not sure he is right for the role since strange, disturbing dreams visit him often, leaving behind a bloody trail at least in his mind. But it isn’t until he meets the hunter Rhory that the nightmare spill into reality, taking a more definite and sinister shape in the form of a beast terrorizing the villages. Together, they will find a way to defeat the predator, particularly after it starts attacking humans, too, and in the process discover a bond neither would have thought possible, especially in its disturbing side effects.
Excerpt
“Do you think it’s her?” Rory asked softly.
“What?”
He was kneeling, studying each wound closely, inspecting the measures and depth of each cut. “I said, do you think it’s her?” he repeated.
“Who?”
He turned his head to look at me. I was still standing, unable to bend on my knees to take a closer look as he was doing. “The girl we were with last night. What’s her name?” He frowned in search of a name.
“Beryl,” I supplied, dropping on my ankles next to him.
“Right, Beryl.” He looked at her head. The killer had taken his swings at her face, too, slicing thin red lines on her cheekbones, under her eyes, on her chin and forehead. The final effect though, didn’t convince me at all. At a superficial observation, the killing looked like the consequence of a fit of rage, the murderer striking hard, furious and blind. Yet, despite the dried blood covering the marks, the complicated pattern I glimpsed was hardly casual or random, more similar to a premeditated design than to a madman’s strikes. Anger or cold-blooded murder? I wondered. “It doesn’t look like her,” I said, turning to Rory, “at least as far as I can tell.”
The hunter nodded slowly. “Yeah, doesn’t seem to me either, but she looks a lot like Beryl.”
“Most girls her age look almost the same,” I pointed out tartly.
Rory grinned despite the situation. “I forgot you don’t like women, but I thought you could at least distinguish one from the other.”
“I can’t tell the differences,” I scoffed. “Not my fault they all dress alike and try to look as much like each other as possible.”
Rory sighed. “Maybe you’re right,” he agreed at last, turning his scrutiny back to the lifeless body. “Strange, don’t you think, lover, the way these cuts go?”
“What do you mean?”
“Apparently, they seem to be random, sprung out of a furious rage. But if you study them carefully, there is a sort of—“
“Pattern as if someone was copying a picture from his head.”
Rory nodded. “So you see it, too?”
Professional Reviews
Bittem by Books (BBB) rated it 4.5 Tombstones
Bloody Passion by Laura Tolomei was a dark story full of magic and bloody dreams that can take you to the edge of sanity. I loved it! Laura keeps you at the edge of your seat trying to stay one step ahead of the characters in her book.
Amy Ramsey’s Review
There are a lot of emotions, sex (m/m – m/m/m – m/m/m/f), quests, and sensuality in Bloody Passion for me to go into detail, so I will just say; I honestly loved this story, far more than I thought I would. Laura Tolomei has created a diamond in the ruff, well worth experiencing for your-self. The only thing is we will have to wait for a sequel. (pout). Thank you, Laura, for the intense pleasure and sweltering heat you have given me by reading your book. I look forward to any of your stories in the future.
dark Diva Reviews (DDR) rated it 4 ½ Divas
If you are looking for a dark fantasy book with a large dose of suspense and erotic play, then Bloody Passion is certainly the book for you. I look forward to reading more from Laura Tolomei.
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