Review: Blood of the Wicked by Karina Cooper

Blood of the Wicked is the first book in the Dark Mission series by Karina Cooper and a Paranormal Romance from Avon.

Book Blurb:

When the world went straight to hell, humanity needed a scapegoat to judge, to blame...to burn.

As an independent witch living off the grid, Jessie Leigh has spent her life running, trying to blend in among the faceless drudges in the rebuilt city.  She thought she was finally safe, but now she’s been found in a New Seattle strip club - by a hard-eyed man on a mission to destroy her kind.

A soldier of the Holy Order, Silas Smith believes in the cause: trawling the fringes of society for the murderous witches who threaten what’s left of the world.  Forced into a twisting web of half-truths and lies, he has to stay close to the most sensuous and electrifying woman he has ever seen and manipulate her into leading him to the witch he has to kill: her brother.

Silas doesn’t know that Jessie’s his enemy, only that he wants her, needs her, even as he lies to her...and must protect her until his final breath.

My thoughts:

Jessie Leigh and her brother, Caleb, lost their mother at a very early age.  Jessie did her best to raise her brother in a way that would make her mother proud.  And she thought she was doing a pretty good job - until one morning she woke up and Caleb was gone.  No note, no calls - nothing.

Making her way alone, Jessie is constantly on the move in the underbelly of New Seattle, staying away from the check points and those in authority.  
 
Those that hunt her kind.

Silas Smith is a witch hunter for the Holy Order.  He believes that all witches are evil - there is only black and white - no shades of gray.  All witches must die - painfully.

His latest mission is to find Caleb Leigh - and the best way to do that is by finding his sister, Jessie.  Silas has no idea that Jessie is a witch - and Jessie has no plans to tell him.  

But secrets have a way of slipping out - and this secret could mean Jessie’s death - despite what Silas feels...

Blood of the Wicked is a pretty good read.  I love just about anything that is post-apocalyptic, and Blood of the Wicked fits the bill for me.  The world Ms. Cooper has created is unique and I look forward to reading more.

I give Blood of the Wicked 4 out of 5 stars.