The spilling of blood as a way to power is certainly a topic that more than fantasy writers have embraced, war being the first thing that comes to mind. In fantasy the spilling of blood for power generally comes in relation to either war or magic. In the case of the Blood Runes’ novels we are talking about magic.

Laura R. Cole has written a trilogy about the attempted awakening of the old Dark King. The Dark King had become so powerful through his use of blood-magic that he could not be killed, only put to sleep.

In the prologue we are introduced to a couple of semi-awakenings of the Dark King. He really wants to wake up and come into the world again to wreak his special kind of havoc.

One of our main characters is Jezebel. Jezebel is power-hungry and does not let anything hinder her. Her problem is that she is easily manipulated (all the while thinking that she is the one doing the manipulating).

The other character that we meet the most in Unleashed Fury is Layna. Layna is the unassuming and stunning servant who ends up having unexpected powers. She is humble and pretty much everything else that a HERO is supposed to be. Her main problem is that she is Jezebel’s servant and Jezebel is not the best master to have.

The action parts of this novel were great. There was plenty of it and it was well-written. Jezebel’s character was fun. She is so wrapped up in her own world-view that she just does not see even the most obvious signals that she might be wrong. My problem, as usual, lies with the mushy bits. I don’t get them – plain and simple.