Spanky Harrison here again after a long hiatus to bring you a review of the second book in the Ulrika the Vampire series: Bloodforged.

As you can surely tell by reading my my review of the first book, I enjoyed it quite a bit. As a follow up, Bloodforged does not disappoint. The characterizations are consistent and engaging, and while Ulrika continues to alternate between struggling with the limitations of her cursed existence and enjoying the power it gives her, Long manages to present it in ways that feel new and show character growth, rather than making it feel like I'm reading the same story all over again.

The pacing is just as good in Bloodforged as it was in Bloodborn, and the plot has plenty of twists and turns. (Some of which are quite twisty indeed.) The narrative is fairly distinct from the first book, but still manages to not only flow from the end of Bloodborn to the beginning of Bloodforged quite smoothly, but also ties back into the events of the first book very solidly at the end. The story contains its own beginning, middle, and end, while still advancing the overall plot of the series.

Overall, I was very pleased with this novel. It feels like a continuation of the first book, rather than a repetition, just as a good sequel should.

~ I rate this as another 5 out of 5. It is a great follow up to a great book, and I enjoyed it immensely.