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| Blood Brothers (Sign of Seven Trilogy, Book 1) | 
 enlarge | Author: Nora Roberts
Publisher: Jove
Category: Book
List Price: $7.99
Buy Used: $0.01
You Save: $7.98 (100%)
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Avg. Customer Rating:  129 reviews
Sales Rank: 612
Media: Mass Market Paperback
Edition: 1st
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 336
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.4
Dimensions (in): 6.7 x 4.1 x 1
ISBN: 0515143804
Dewey Decimal Number: 813.54
EAN: 9780515143805
ASIN: 0515143804
Publication Date: November 27, 2007
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Condition: Help save a tree. Buy all your used books from Green Earth Books. Read -> Recycle -> Reuse!
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| Customer Reviews:
 Intriguing approach to 'horror' May 28, 2008
5 out of 7 found this review helpful
Other books would focus on the details of the demon's attacks on the town, the 'infection' and madness, suicides, assaults, murders. Instead, while these come up now and then, they aren't the focus of the book. Blood Brothers is as much a mystery as it is a horror novel.
You could say that this series was written for those of us who chuckle every time we read one of those 'lessons learned from a horror movie' emails that goes around, or who roll our eyes when the girl in the horror movie freaks out and runs straight into the bad guy's arms. It's for all of us who want to know why the good guy imprisoned the bad guy centuries ago, risking release centuries later, rather than eliminating him. It's for readers who get frustrated with horror characters that run around getting mown down by evil rather than fighting back.
When the demon tries to drive the women away from the town they've been drawn to, they don't run away. They decide it's time to find out why things are happening they way they are and how to end them. The whole group goes into research mode, interviewing Cal's 97-year-old great-grandmother, reading the journals of an ancestor, consulting with experts on demonology in Europe, figuring out the women's connection to the town, and trudging out to the Pagan Stone in the forest where everything started.
This being a Nora Roberts book, characterization is beautiful, and key to the story. Every character is fascinating and unique, from Cal and Quinn (the foreground characters in Blood Brothers) to Cal's extended web of relatives and acquaintances, and yes, even his dog. I've often wondered how Ms. Roberts can keep up such entertaining and fun descriptions and dialogue for book after book; it feels as though she writes them with every bit as much joy and mirth as radiates from the lines she's written.
Blood Brothers is part horror/paranormal, part mystery, part romance, and all amazing. Due to the research angle I imagine there are some people who might find it too 'talky' if that isn't what they're in the mood for. However, the plot & background are so fascinating as they get teased apart, and the characters and their dialogue so interesting, that I daresay as long as you aren't specifically in the mood for something else, you'll get quite a charge from this engrossing story.
 Below standard June 3, 2008
5 out of 5 found this review helpful
This novel has a long list of things wrong with it from my perspective. I will lump together just a few:
(1) The paranormal stuff just doesn't work. It's supposed to be scary, but it doesn't pass the giggle test. I've liked some books about monsters and ancient magic and such, but this wasn't one of them.
(2) The three men and three women central figures are annoying yuppies who I suspect would drink expensive wine with bologna sandwiches--just for show. They seemingly have no money problems, dress expensively, have nice vehicles and say, "Good point" a lot in an attempt to convince the reader that the story makes sense. Their discussions about what to do next and their conclusions with respect to what is and has happened are silly. I found myself hoping the boogey man would get them.
(3) The best thing about Nora Roberts' novels is her sense of place and the ability to take th reader there. It was completely absent for me in this book. We're somewhere in Maryland, mostly in winter, in some little burg, but the specifics were lacking. I never felt transported.
(4) The book has no ending, no satisfying clincher chapter. I realize this is part one of a trilogy, but in other Roberts trilogies there was a denouement of sorts for each book. The ending here is--well--as goofy as the plot, which is goofy indeed. I can't be more specific than that without someone saying I ruined it for them because they were still reading the book.
This is well below the better books by this author. Somehow I don't have much hope for the next two books, given the absurdity of the premise, the yuppie characters, and the lack of atmosphere.
Good Beginning December 13, 2007
4 out of 4 found this review helpful
As previous readers have noted, Nora really is the queen of dialogue, the queen of writing family/friend dynamics in a way that makes them seem real. She has a knack for writing characters that I really like to read about. I loved Cal and Quinn and all the rest of the gang. I loved Lump. Add a little paranormal into the mix, and the book becomes a winner for me.
True, this is not her best book ever, but it's far from the worst. We're building up the series in this book, so I expect it to be a lot of background information, and I don't expect the overall story arc to be resolved yet. That'll happen in the third book since this is book one of a trilogy. I understand that, so I didn't got into it expecting a nice tidy package all wrapped up with a bow.
What I expected was an enjoyable read with characters I like and want to read about, and that's exactly what I got. No, the romance between Cal and Quinn wasn't the most hot and steamy I've ever read...it was more comfortable, and that was just fine. (Though the scene in Cal's office was pretty hot, if you ask me). If you're looking for a book with lots of raw, desperate, passionate sex scenes, this isn't the one. Maybe that'll happen with Gage's story.
The point here is that I'm eager to stick around and find out what happens next, and that's really the mark of a good book to me. I have no problem recommending this.
Another Author Jumps On The Paranormal Bandwagon December 26, 2007
4 out of 6 found this review helpful
I am a die-hard Nora Roberts/J D Robb fan but this trilogy appears to be another disappointing one. Didn't like the vampire, shapeshifter, werewolf one & this seems to be following that same disappointing vein. I know that all the 'women' oriented authors seem to be trying out these other world, evil entities &/or ESP themes & it is sad that Nora has felt compelled to join this parade. As other reviewers stated, Nora is not up to her usual high standard in character development. Perhaps she will do more in the two subsequent stories. I also have a problem suspending disbelief enough to swallow that Evil can be imprisoned only to be released inadvertenly, in this case by 3 innocent young boys. Then this Evil comes back only once every 7 years, wreaking havoc in only this small town USA. But, all that being said, better so-so Nora then no Nora story. Just hope she gets away from following 'trends' & stays true to her own muse.
Daggone it, should have waited for all three April 13, 2008
4 out of 5 found this review helpful
First off, I'm a big fan of Nora Roberts's writing, in general. That probably skews my review. However, I have disliked some stuff she has written, so this isn't a blind recommendation.
For the overview: this is paranormal romance. Three boys - most likely relatives - are tied to a demon who wants to wreak havoc. These boys - men - spend their lives containing the havoc and trying to find a way to stop it.
After 20 some years of this hold play, something changes: the players. Suddenly, there are three women in on the action. Of course, since this is romance, there will be three full romances. This book is the first in the trilogy.
N.R. is famous for her trilogies, and for the most part, I really enjoy them. This is no different. I love the way she writes both male and female characters, and her plots, though not exactly fresh, still read like something new.
The only thing I found disappointing in this book is the finale of it. There really isn't one. In the Three Sisters trilogy (probably the next most popular paranormal fiction series of hers, though she has so many!), each book had an established battle at its conclusion. This book really lacks that, I think. There is a "battle", but it's more like something that should have happened somewhere in the middle of a book. Not at the conclusion.
For me, I wish I had waited for all three to come out, because I think that book three is gonna kick serious bootie.
(*)>
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