Blood Will Tell (Warriors of Ankh #1) by Samantha Young

Eden is a Soul Eater. While that hasn’t meant much to her in the past, she’s pretty sure any minute now she’s going to go all "Carrie" on her eleventh grade class.

Noah is an Ankh. As an immortal Warrior, his purpose in life is to hunt down and kill Soul Eaters.

Eden is Noah’s next assignment. Problem is… this is an assignment with a difference. Eden’s not your average, run of the mill, Soul Eater. Noah’s job? To test Eden for possible redemption.

It’s a risky business.

Especially if Noah awakens Eden’s inner monster.

It would be kind of hard for Eden to listen to the angel on her shoulder when the devil on the other is telling her, her new best friend is a lying, scheming, immortal enemy...

....betrayal is such a bitch.

So is Eden when you get on her bad side.

YA Paranormal Fiction for mature teens+ (some content may not be suitable for younger readers)

Where to find more info:

Goodreads:  http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11201519-blood-will-tell

Samantha Young (author): http://samyoungyafantasyauthor.blogspot.com

 Shelley's Review

Ankh origin: Egypt; the Key of Life, the immortal, balance between the male and female

  Blood Will Tell is the first book of Warriors of Ankh trilogy. This is by far the darkest, most chilling tale to date of Samantha Young's works. And just as delicious. A unique take on the demon world, with a strong cast of characters and just enough humor to make the harsh and often violent truths of Eden's reality a bit easier to swallow. In Eden's view, it's a ugly and unwanted way of life. Most would agree.
  Eden is not your ordinary heroine. I'm not certain you can really call her a heroine. Yet. We know immediately that she is a Soul-eater, though outside of her household and race, no else knows her secret. She has no choice but to consume the souls of humans to survive. And though she's always known this, she hasn't fully awakened yet. And so, has not fed on a human soul. She fights her very nature to be a good person. Not like the repulsive, deviants that make up her family and all of her kind. But the time has come for her Awakening Ceremony. Soon she'll have no choice but to become one of the Beloved and feed. Or does she?
  Enter Noah, the young(?), handsome guy who befriends her. Eden doesn't know Noah knows "what" she is and Noah has a secret or two of his own. He's a warrior whose sole purpose is to eliminate the Soul-eaters. Despite his job and instinct to kill, his next assignment is to protect and save Eden from herself and her family. The more time he spends with her, the more he finds himself drawn to her. As is she to him. Despite her hunger for his very soul, she yearns to be close to him and hungers for his friendship and affection. So the struggles begin...
  I prefer to be as spoiler free as possible so I'll tread lightly here and tell you a bit more about our characters and their fight for Eden's humanity. Eden spends as little time as possible with her family. Her home is anything but homey. Rituals and feedings are carried out without a thought and even though much is still hidden from Eden's view, she knows and hears enough of the heinous acts they commit, to know she wants no part of it. The only relative Eden has any kind of relationship with is her brother Stellan, who like Eden wants desperately to hang on to his human side. Unfortunately, he has been awakened and now must feed to survive. Eden loves Stellan unconditionally. Even though Stellan is in fact a demon, he is sweet and fun loving and loves and protects his sister fiercely.
   Noah's life is just as complicated and his obligations are difficult to fulfill as he becomes closer to Eden. I don't want to say much more about Noah. His story unfolds slowly after we learn of some brief history of the Ankh's and the others who fight to protect the world from the life suckers, the Beloved.
  This story flows beautifully and seamlessly. You are immediately drawn into Eden's world. Sam chronicles Eden's emotional and physical struggles with such exquisite detail, you can't help but get caught up in her anger, fear and need. It just feels so real. Eden and Noah are both strong, smart individuals. Though Eden is often emotionally driven, and doesn't always play well with others (she has anger issues and everyone at school knows she's different. They just don't know she could kill them in an instant), her heart is kind and she wants nothing more than to be normal. To be just an ordinary teen and fit in.
  Eden's birthday and ceremony draw near quickly, escalating tensions and fear among both the Beloved and the Ankhs. And of course, there's more to Eden than meets the eye. Events swiftly take place and set in motion a war that begins with tragedy. Every choice that Eden and Noah make will affect not only their destinies, but the fate of mankind as well. Nothing is to be taken lightly. Not a doubt, a kiss. Not even a breath. And no one can truly be trusted.
  Much of this first book of the trilogy is intense and action packed. Sam weaves just enough sexual tension between the two to keep you entranced and rooting for their success at saving Eden from her unfavorable fate. There are several twists and turns, some shocking and unexpected, some inevitable yet still hard to digest. Histories and secrets are revealed and Eden's world is not at all what it seemed. This story will tear at your heartstrings, piss you off, make you smile and sigh and send your mind reeling over the absolute tragedy of it all. How could this possibly end well? We'll just have to read the next two books and see...

Kathryn's Review

I have wanted to read Samantha's books for a while and as I spoke with by Shelley about this book and great giveaway, I just knew I needed to go ahead and jump in.  I will tell you...I WAS NOT DISAPPOINTED...

I ABSOLUTELY LOVED IT!!!
Totally amazing and I could NOT put it down! Blood Will Tell is a book that grabs your attention from the first page and keeps pulling you in all the way til the very end. There was never a dull moment and all I can think about is that I need to finish this and get started on book 2.


The world that Samantha Young has introduced us to here is so unique and refreshing when the majority of the time I reading about vamps and shifters. But, the world of Ankh warriors and Soul-eaters and the legend behind how they came to be is phenomenal and of course...GENIUS!!


Blood Will Tell allows us a glimpse in to the world of Eden. Eden is a 17 year old girl that is struggling with who she is and it shows in every area of her life. The one person that she has relied on all her life is her brother, Stellan, and I have to say, I wish he was my brother. The relationship that Eden and Stellan have is so endearing and I will end it there so I don't give anything away.
The other major relationship in Eden's life is her best friend Noah. He offers so much to Eden and gives her so much strength that again, you envy what she has.
But, this book is not all about happy good times. Blood Will Tell takes you on a roller-coaster of emotions. There are surprising twists and heartache and when you come to the end... you let out a deep breath not knowing how long you were really holding it because this book is just that FABULOUS!!
I highly recommend this book!

WE BOTH GIVE 

 = SCORCHER

                          ***NOW FOR OUR GIVEAWAY!***
  The entire Warriors of Ankh trilogy is now available in an ebook omnibus. All 3 in 1! How awesome is that? Samantha has generously offered 2 of these little gems for 2 of our followers. What do you have to do? Simply leave a comment with your EMAIL on THIS post! Easy-peasy!
The contest will run from Sunday, January 29 through midnight EST Friday, February 3, 2012.
                             Good luck and happy reading!