Crimson Moon by J.A. Saare

Crimson Moon by JA Saare
Review copy provided by author

You can win this book on this blog! ---> Here!

PJV's QUICKIE POV: Not often in my reading journey have I come to experience something so very different from book to book as I have come to experience with J.A. Saare's writing. I read Dead, Undead, or Somewhere in Between earlier in the year and I would swear that another author wrote Crimson Moon another good author, but I'm still kinda reeling from the experience of both books. I believe this makes for a fantastic author, because you really don't know what to expect. Maybe it is because I get stuck in series so often - that the author's voice is always so similar from book to book, or characters run into each other because they are so alike. I guess what I'm trying to say is if you've read Saare before, expect to experience a new side of her personality with Crimson Moon, - the evil twin wrote Dead, and the innocent twin wrote Crimson Moon.


REVIEW: Emma was all alone in the world, orphaned, abandoned and raised by her grandmother, whom she has recently had to put in a home because she doesn't even know who Emma is anymore her Alzheimer's is so bad. In this state of mind, Emma is going through her life in sort of a holding pattern, unsure of her next move - when out of blue, zombie/monster type creatures attack her and she is literally swept off her feet by her "wolf in shining armor" Caleb.

There is almost instant attraction once Emma settles down from her near miss and the newly acquired knowledge that her father is a very powerful vampire and the reason she is being attacked is because of some power play within the vampire world. During the adventure that plays out within the pages of Crimson Moon, Emma and Caleb form a bond and begin the descent into the territory of love. But, they might not get their happily ever after. As more and more of the vampire and werewolf world are revealed to Emma she starts to realize that you really can't live in both worlds - and the world she wants to live in might not be an option, no matter how badly she wants it.

Saare introduces the familiar world of the werewolf and vampire in a very unfamiliar way. A very unique take on all things furred and fanged I really felt like something like this could exist, which is always interesting! There was a lot of witty one liners and entertaining character inner dialogue which  kept the tone lighter, but didn't detract from the overall dark tone of the novel. On top of it, this book also had a rather charmingly innocent main character. This is usually a huge turn off for me - I'm not a fan of naive, innocent or virgins --- bah - but while Emma was innocent she wasn't that pudding type of character that you find a lot in romance novels. She had a backbone and intelligence and the depth of the character showed through, making her more real than other romance heroines that I have read. In the PNR genre especially I find that authors tend to fluctuate between two very different characters - the snarky ass kicker, or the wilting virgin violet. While Emma could be shuffled into that virgin category, I wouldn't describe her as a wilting violet.

I was rather impressed with this book, if you can't tell, and I recommend it to PNR fans for a more lighter read than the usual black leather and throbbing --- umm pectoral PNR novels. This one does have some hot scenes, but the main focus is really just love and the trials and tribulations that surround falling in love. It was almost reminiscent of a paranormal YA novel. Sticky sweet, with a light watermelon flavor.

There are very few books that I find perfect and this one while very good, I did have a few issues with, but nothing major. There were a few scenes that I thought didn't move the plot along and thus dragged and I skimmed. This seemed to happen a few times and while it advanced the Emma/Caleb interaction I found it was unnecessary. Nothing major though, a great read and I'm looking forward to the second installment.

RECOMMENDATIONS: This is like the perfect book for people to transition into PNR with. Have you just been reading teen paranormal stories, ready to move up from Twilight to the big girls? Give Crimson Moon a try...you just might like it.

3/4 BWB Rating

Crimson Moon Giveaway!

Today Blog with Bite is giving it's readers the chance to win a copy of J.A. Saare's Crimson Moon!

Crimson Moon by J.A. Saare

Trueblood vampires. Those set apart from commons by right of blood. Graced with extraordinary abilities such as telepathy, clairvoyance, and precognition - they are the most powerful and feared among their kind. The secret lies within, a legacy evolving from the truest form of magic, and their living bloodlines are the key.

An average routine morning is exactly what twenty-year old Emma Johnson hopes to avoid when she visits Joe’s Café for a steaming cup of coffee and freshly made donuts. She’s jaded by her small town, the community that has ostracized her, and the empty house that symbolizes what her life has become; a hollow shell. Yet things are not entirely as they appear, and Emma is about to discover she isn’t the normal girl she once believed.

After she is rescued from a horde of demonic bloodthirsty creatures by Caleb, the most captivating and enigmatic person she has ever met, she struggles to accept the unimaginable truth he imparts. That he has been dispatched by the Father she has never known, a powerful vampire from the house of DeViard, to see her safely home. For Caleb is also unique, a werewolf procured to protect the invaluable royal bloodlines from harm.

Soon, the undeniable connection Emma and Caleb share evolves beyond mere attraction into something more substantial. But their time together is short lived, forced to an end when she is sent to the trueblood vampires that claim her as one of their own.

Excerpt:

“I won’t beg you for anything,” I vowed rashly, uncaring if it incensed his variable temper.

He was going to kill me. I knew that with absolute certainty. And he wasn’t going to be quick about it. My death would only be a symbol, a representation of what he intended Caleb to suffer. His pride had been destroyed, and it would only be restored when vengeance was served.

“You will,” he cooed, his face smoothing in understanding of my plight. Careful fingers caressed the skin along my neck tenderly. “I promise.”

Unyielding fingers thrust into my hair again, driving me over the bed. My body shuddered painfully as I fell heavily into the waiting carpet, skin and bones aching. I stumbled on liquidly legs, attempting to stand upright as the world spun uncontrollably. My disoriented eyes located him across the room, bringing his massive body into focus.

Parker watched me intently while his body shifted, enjoying the fear that widened my eyes and engulfed his nose. His arms bulged as sinewy muscles expanded, chest broadening and jaw distending. His features were a mixture of man and wolf – nose elongated, teeth lengthening, hair sprouting from his body and face – becoming lupine. His growl was animalistic, raw, beastly, and intense.

Nothing in the final days could have prepared me, not for what was about to happen. Knowlege about things howling at the moon or drinking blood in the night wouldn't save me. I was out of options and out of time, my extended period of lucky finally coming to an end.

There was no one here to stand in front of me, no one to protect my too human body from what he intended. I couldn’t fight him. I was too weak and too frail, and he reveled in that singular truth.

Yellow eyes gleamed as did perfect white teeth in the soft glow of the lamp. He prepared to devour me, snapping his lethal teeth and snarling a threat – a precursor. I suppressed a shiver but he could sense my fear as he advanced, ready to do as he’d promised. And because I had no other choice, I faced him head on.

Contest Deets:

• One (1) will receive a copy of J.A. Saare's Crimson Moon
• Domestic shipping only (US & Canada)
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• Contest ends July 19th, 2010 11:59 CST
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