Sixteen years have passed since the corrupt Council of the First was purged. Since then, the Nash’terel, shapeshifting essence vampires from a distant world, have resumed their quiet lives on Earth, hiding their true nature from their human prey.
In small town Ontario, Travis lives with his adoptive grandpas, dividing his time between school and hockey practice. Everyone, including Travis, thinks he’s an ordinary Canadian teen, until a series of uncontrolled shapeshifts and a growing telekinetic talent reveal his Nash’terel heritage. Having “superpowers” sounds great, until he has to put his dream of NHL stardom on hold and move across the country to train them.
He may not be happy, but he’s going to need control of those powers in order to survive. Someone has put a bounty on dashkra, the alien mineral that all Nash’terel carry inside them. While Travis struggles to adjust to his new existence, his grandpas and their contacts must work to find out who has turned their kind into prey—yet again.
ISBN: 978-1-998795-09-3
Genre: Urban fantasy/Science fiction
Series: The Nash’terel, book 2
Age: 14+
Pages: 300
Formats: Paperback, ebook
Released: March 2024
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Fans of morally gray societies or aliens like Marvel’s Skrulls should give this a look.
Booklist
“The Godfather meets Tom Clancy.” It’s a lot more complex in plot and characterization than first appears but is so well put together the blossoming revelations ease the reader’s eyetracks and draw them further and further into the story… if you like to enjoy reading and like to be entertained while you read, “The Bloodstone” is well worth reading.
Amazing Stories
I read THE BLOODSTONE without reading the prequel and, while it was clear there was interesting history, the book stood nicely on its own. A fresh, sf take on those hidden among us. While I won’t spoil it for you, I absolutely loved the way Marks used hockey to showcase “Rocket Man” and those around him as the teenager confronts the secret of his alien heritage in the midst of a tournament. Lively, compassionate, and full of action, this is a story I’m glad the author plans to continue. Bravo!
Julie E. Czerneda, Author of TO EACH THIS WORLD
Marks ramps up the vampire genre big time, turning action and intrigue into a story I couldn’t resist. A unique and fascinating cast of characters, alien kill zones, and hockey? I loved it.
Sally McBride, Aurora Award-winning author
Well thought-out characters (including a zany adolescent transformation that’s pure fun on the page), and a thrilling plot with many twists and turns–all in all, a joy to read.
Zanne Raby, author of The Chronicles of Deneb series
Vampires among us, intergalactic wars and raising teenagers who are really into minor league hockey. Arlene Marks mashes up stuff that really shouldn’t go together – but they do so beautifully, creating a unique and masterful experience of the supernatural and super-normal. The Bloodstone is a terrifying, witty and delightful book.
Hugh Spencer, author of Extreme Dentistry and The Hard Side of the Moon
Alien refugees. Teenage angst. A murderous plot. Stolen pendants. Vampires. Hockey. In The Bloodstone, Arlene Marks weaves these into a story that takes us across Canada and deep into the life of the alien Nash’trel, refugees from the planet RinYeng.
Cathy Hird, author of UNSEEN