Book Review #1: "Anna Dressed in Blood" by Kendare Blake

Book Review: "Anna Dressed in Blood" by Kendare Blake

Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Anna Dressed in Blood ***This Review contains spoilers***

They say 'don't judge a book by its cover' and that is so true, but what is also true that 'Anna Dressed In Blood' has one of the most strikingly awesome and at the same time, hauntingly beautiful covers that I've ever seen.

One thing writers have to do is make their star character as real as they can - so that you feel, what they feel. Another thing that is needed is a character to play off against, that is at least as interesting as the character of the title.

In this aspect, Kendare Blake has succeeded and then some. Anna is a truly terrifying ghost, but she's made more real to me not by her interactions with those she ***SPOILER ALERT*** ultimately kills (and who didn't cheer a lot when Mike got his comeuppance? Maybe I shouldn't be happy about that, but I was, as Cas says so honestly later in the book 'Mike was a d*ck').

The gore factor is rather high in this book, but that's okay - there is no need to spare readers of the 'gory details' because from the off, this book is about killing, and lots of it.

If the mystical story of the athame had not been so well built up, I am not sure I could 'buy' the fact it sends ghosts back to the nether world....but again, all the key points are told so well, you are just carried along with the story.

All the characters have a purpose, but it's Cas, our hero, and Anna - yes - our heroine - an anti-heroine' if you like, but still, the kind of girl I like :)

So Anna rips a few people apart and blood drips from her body, and she's got weird veins...also her dry clean bill must be horrendous - but she comes across as terrifying and yet you just can't fail to be attracted to her.

I totally buy the feelings Cas has for her, because they are two sides of the same coin - Anna kills because she can't help it - Cas kills because he simply has to. In both cases, it's in their blood.

This is not a 'young' YA book. I expect it would hit a 15 even an 18 certificate if it ever appeared in UK cinemas.

Thankfully, Kendare Blake has crafted a wicked tale that is not a case of 'Ooh! It's a ghost!' - no - the scares are more clever than that, and I honestly didn't see the twist until the end...which made the book even better.

It's such a pleasure to read a book that works on every single level - great story, believeable characters - and you will be rooting for Thomas, Carmel, and Cas's mom for different reasons to how you feel about Anna and Cas.

What will live with me is the vivid description of Anna. She's got her back to you on the cover, and be glad for that wise decision by the creator of the cover, because having read the book, you will be in no doubt what Anna looks like, and I'm not sure I'll be able to sleep without Anna's devilish stare pervading my sleep just before REM kicks in.

Kayako from The Grudge? Anna is MUCH more scary than that!

Bravo to Kendare Blake - I wait with great anticipation for 'Girl of Nightmares' in June 2013. 

New Cover Reveal: Dark Winter

Provisionally looking like a January 2013 release, I'm thrilled to show you the cover to my first YA novel, called 'Dark Winter'. This may seem a strange turn of events, because following the release of the totally non-YA-related martial arts book, The Essence of Martial Arts,  I initially planned to work on the follow-up to that.

I'm still teaching, of course, but the pull of writing something completely different from the MA arena was just too enticing.

Enough about that - this is the cover. Let me know what you think!

Book cover taking shape, and my thanks to Claudia at www.phatpuppyart.com !!!

I've been working with the wonderful Claudia McKinney at http://phatpuppyart.com/ and she has done the most amazing artwork on my fantasy horor novel. I'm going to reveal the cover when the font and typography are done over the next month or so.

Hoping to get the book cover sorted!

I've been working with Claudia at Phatpuppy Art.  A lot of email tennis is going on, but it's important to the book to give it everything it needs to be great. We will get there, I'm sure, just Claudia may need the patience of Job to deal with me!

Still, if it's worth doing, it is worth doing well.

My second book is going great on the final re-draft. Just in time for my holiday then.

A rainy day - perfect for writing / Challenging Facebook

I used to hate the rain a lot, but given that I did (and still do) a lot of martial arts training in all weathers, and I have to say, my students too, that well, you have to make your peace with it at some point. Since I started writing in earnest over two years ago, I find that I enjoy the rainy days more and more.

I'm also re-evaluating my on-line presence via social media sites such as Twitter, Facebook, and so on.

I've had a Facebook account for nearly two years, but after the second security breach, I decided I was going to pull away from it. I haven't deactivated the account, but I'm close to doing so. I just wanted to let those who do contact me via Facebook that I wouldn't be sticking around there.

For the time being, that is truly how I feel.

Back to writing then :)

UPDATE: October 2013...despite not really using it much, I have retained the Twitter account the publisher set up two years ago. I haven't returned to Facebook, and do not intend to!

Welcome to my books page

Hi, I'm John Hennessy. I'm a writer, and in 2011 my first book, The Essence of Martial Arts, was published. Even though it's only been out for a year,it's sold rather well for a martial arts book and, in my case, a first time writer. I learned a lot from the process, so if your aspiration is to be a writer, maybe my blog can offer you some tips.

I'm currently working on two follow up books, one about my first teacher, who had a great effect on me. The various publishers and editors I took my first book to, all agreed on one thing - that she was someone whose story should be told in a follow up book. So I'm working on that.

I try to write 5000 words a week, but this can vary wildly. Currently, I'm working on a re-draft of my first fantasy novel, which I wrote between December 2011 and May 2012.

There's another one too. It's a fantasy book as well, because, as much as I love martial arts, sometimes, it's great to step outside of that world and do something completely different. Expect more news as and when I have it.