In this swashbuckling sequel to Coronets and Steel, Kim returns to Dobrenica to settle things with Alec and Ruli only to find out that Ruli had died in a car crash two days earlier. Half the populace thinks that Alec arranged the car crash to rid himself of an unwanted wife. The other half, including all of Kim and Ruli's relatives, thinks that Alec and Kim had plotted together to murder Ruli.

However, mysterious accidents begin to befall Kim's various cousins. Are all these incidents merely accidents or is there a murderer among them? How did Ruli really die? And why are there rumors of vampires swirling through the countryside? ( )

Kim is the granddaughter of a long-lost princess, but in a noble gesture she turned down a chance at love and Dobrenica's throne. She returned to the US to recover from the tumultuous events of [b:Coronets and Steel|7830913|Coronets and Steel (Dobrenica, #1)|Sherwood Smith|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1348532088s/7830913.jpg|10893363], only to have a strange vision of her cousin. Afraid something terrible has happened, she races to Dobrenica and discovers that her cousin has died in a mysterious car accident, and her husband (formerly Kim's love interest) is the primary suspect. Kim is sure something fishy is going on, and sure enough, all the obvious stuff has gone down--the mysterious bastard cousin has been making a play for the throne, as has the endlessly annoying Tony. (Tony is one of my major frustrations with this series, actually, because he is constantly making armed coup attempts, and yet everyone still trusts and socializes with him. Plus, the story seems to think he's a charming rogue that Kim is attracted to despite herself, whereas to me he's her creepy cousin who's not nearly as smart as he thinks he is. The fact that he's jumped to drastically incorrect conclusions and started holding guns to people's heads as a result in BOTH BOOKS supports my interpretation.) Less expected are the supernatural elements in this book; they work well, and were my favorite part of the story. If this series continues, I hope we get more interaction between Kim and Alec, and perhaps Tony will have a fatal accident or two. ( )

Coronets and Steel set up the initial, Prisoner of Zenda-esque story situation; this sequel goes in for a deeper dive. At the end of the last book, protagonist Kim nobly sacrificed her love for Prince Alec to keep him from having to make an impossible choice . . . but instead of everyone appreciating her sacrifice, they're all angry at her--especially when promptings both natural and supernatural push her to return to the tiny Eastern European nation of Dobrenica. And the story takes off from there.

Elements that were hinted at in the first book--ghosts, nature spirits, and vampires--are a much bigger part of this one. It all feels completely real and believable, and yet without sacrificing the aura of the supernatural. We also get more familiar with the rest of Dobrenica's aristocracy, who are very convincingly portrayed--a handful of people who've grown up essentially locked in a room together, always having to socialize with each other, knowing one another's likes and dislikes, romances and embarrassments ... though maybe one or two secrets have been kept. The wonderful Waleska sisters from the last book--the daughters of the woman whose house Kim stays in--also are back in this book, with one of them teaching Kim how to deal with ghosts and how to protect herself from vampires.

To enjoy this story properly, you must enjoy worldbuilding, political intrigue, and conversations about ancestors and old customs. You have to be in the mood for, "What if old legends were really true, in this real world?" You'll also have to content yourself with less of Kim and Alec together (though I'm happy to say we don't have to go through any tedious Hollywood misunderstandings or betrayals) and more of Kim with the other members of Dobrenica's aristocratic hothouse.

With that caveat, I think I can say that if you enjoyed Coronets and Steel, you're very likely to enjoy Blood Spirits ( )

Coronets and Steel set up the initial, Prisoner of Zenda-esque story situation; this sequel goes in for a deeper dive. At the end of the last book, protagonist Kim nobly sacrificed her love for Prince Alec to keep him from having to make an impossible choice . . . but instead of everyone appreciating her sacrifice, they're all angry at her--especially when promptings both natural and supernatural push her to return to the tiny Eastern European nation of Dobrenica. And the story takes off from there.

Elements that were hinted at in the first book--ghosts, nature spirits, and vampires--are a much bigger part of this one. It all feels completely real and believable, and yet without sacrificing the aura of the supernatural. We also get more familiar with the rest of Dobrenica's aristocracy, who are very convincingly portrayed--a handful of people who've grown up essentially locked in a room together, always having to socialize with each other, knowing one another's likes and dislikes, romances and embarrassments ... though maybe one or two secrets have been kept. The wonderful Waleska sisters from the last book--the daughters of the woman whose house Kim stays in--also are back in this book, with one of them teaching Kim how to deal with ghosts and how to protect herself from vampires.

To enjoy this story properly, you must enjoy worldbuilding, political intrigue, and conversations about ancestors and old customs. You have to be in the mood for, "What if old legends were really true, in this real world?" You'll also have to content yourself with less of Kim and Alec together (though I'm happy to say we don't have to go through any tedious Hollywood misunderstandings or betrayals) and more of Kim with the other members of Dobrenica's aristocratic hothouse.

With that caveat, I think I can say that if you enjoyed Coronets and Steel, you're very likely to enjoy Blood Spirits ( )

These books are a very strange mishmash of genres but there you have it. I'm still enjoying the series. ( )