Book: Blood & Claw: A Celtic Romantasy (Song of Savage Hearts) by Jayne Castel
Reviewed by Suzy Wickedly Good Reads
Rating: 4/5
🩸🌿 Blood and Claw — Jayne Castel
Song of the Savage Duology, Book 1
Vampires Meet Scottish Folklore and Forbidden Druid Magic!
Give me Scottish folklore, ancient Druid magic, and a brooding, mysterious protector, and you've already got my attention! Add vampires and magical tattoos to the mix? Oh, I'm IN! 🖤 Blood and Claw was my first book by Jayne Castel, and I've already downloaded the second book in this duology. That should tell you something!
Ailsa is a sheltered young woman apprenticed to her foster mother, Kayla, a tattoo artist with a rather extraordinary gift. Kayla doesn't simply create beautiful tattoos- she channels ancient earth magic into her work through forbidden Druid practices. And apparently, that gift has attracted some very dangerous attention. When Kayla is kidnapped, Ailsa is determined to find the woman who raised her. Unfortunately, while Ailsa possesses some Druid magic of her own, street smarts are NOT among her talents. 😂 Enter Darach. A mysterious bodyguard who becomes her protector as she searches for Kayla. And thank goodness for him, because I'm fairly certain Ailsa wouldn't have survived very long on her own! But Darach has secrets. He's been searching for Kayla himself, hoping her magic can help control a dangerous curse he's been living with. So while Ailsa needs Darach's protection, Darach has his own reasons for staying close.
I really enjoyed the blending of vampire lore with Scottish and Celtic mythology. The forbidden magical tattoos were an especially intriguing element, and I loved the way Druid magic was woven into the story.
The romance is a slow burn, with the bodyguard/protector dynamic developing alongside the mystery surrounding Kayla's disappearance and Darach's curse.
And yes, it ends on a cliffhanger!
But since this is the first book in a duology, I expected that. Thankfully, Book 2 is already available, because I am definitely not finished with this story!
My verdict: A wonderfully intriguing blend of Scottish folklore, vampires, Druid magic, and slow-burn romance. If you enjoy Celtic mythology with a darker paranormal twist, this is absolutely worth checking out!
Now excuse me while I go find out what happens next. 🩸🌿🖤