That's What I'm Talking About - VampBard 4 of 5 Stars to Caressed by a Crimson Moon (Rulers of Darkness #3)
Review:
Caressed by a Crimson Moon brings the reader a fabulous continuation of the Rulers of Darkness series.
Ms. Greene brings her characters to life, and allows the reader access
to the inner thoughts in a way that respects both the reader and
characters. Hadrian, the hero, is DEFINITELY on the list of favorite
heroes for 2013!
I think one of my favorite aspects of Caressed by a Crimson Moon
is the utter self-loathing both Eva and Hadrian have for themselves. I
mean, -zero- self-esteem for these two! The transformation of each
character, while incomplete by the end of the title, was a fabulous
glimpse at mending a wounded psyche. I think that I enjoyed watching the
inner turmoil of each character change and morph as much as I enjoyed
the interaction between the characters. HEAT INDEX: 4.5 out of 5.
However, this is because anticipation and the ‘pre-game show’ is
extremely erotic.
One of the things that I felt was interesting about Caressed by a Crimson Moon was
the sparse cast of characters. Seriously. We had Falcon, Hadrian’s
friend and second-in-command. There was a chef and a butler. We caught
glimpses of Dorian and Dmitri, as well as their mates, as well as
Sonya, and the Shaw Healer-in-Training. Not a lot of characters. There
was no movement for the other characters, except at the end – Sonya and
Falcon – I’m guessing they’ll be the axis for the next title. And… I.
Can’t. WAIT!!! I adore Falcon almost as much as I do Hadrian. Fans of
Nalini Singh’s Psy/Changeling series, Gena Showalter’s Lords of the
Underworld, and J.R. Ward’s BDB are in for a treat – this Rulers of Darkness title seems to blend them together in a manner that is simply delicious!
Eva is a truly interesting character. Raised to believe that
she was half jaguar shifter and half human, Eva has always felt like an
outcast to her jaguar clan. When her mom died, Eva was immersed in the
world of her father, and their pack didn’t have any use for remaining
current & relevant in technology. She was also treated as though
she were an abomination, and says so in Caressed by a Crimson Moon.
She endured nine years of abuse-by-neglect, at the hands of her
father. On the other side, Eva called herself a half-breed, and
dismissed her thoughts as unimportant. She felt she wasn’t deserving of
happiness because she had been made to believe so for many years. This
was totally evident in the way she thought of herself, and the way she
didn’t believe that there was any way that Hadrian would want her. I
found it interesting, after a major event for her character, that she
still didn’t believe that Hadrian felt anything for her. I must admit,
there were several times I wanted to tell her, “Suck it up, Buttercup.
The self-pity thing isn’t working for you.” Fortunately, it seems as
though she hopped off the Pity Train by the end of the title, when
Hadrian needed her support. Yay, you!
Hadrian. Rawr! He’s awake and ready to lead his clan through
rebuilding and keep the peace. Since he was in self-imposed exile for
350-ish years, Hadrian is a bit behind the times when it comes to
technology and social trends and norms. However, he’s ready to kick-ass
and take names later, if that is what needs to happen! When I found
out **why** Hadrian is so morose, my heart broke for him. Feeling
responsible for someone’s death is never easy. Much more difficult when
that someone is your TWIN BROTHER! I’m glad I felt like that was
resolved by the time we reached the end of the story. I don’t think I
could have handled the continuation of that storyline. What I’m not
entirely cool with is the demon which is Hadrian’s vampire. Previously,
vamps were created by a bite. Although, Hadrian is possessed by a
demon, and it was implied that the demon caused the vampirism. That
part of the plot confused me a little, but it was easy to take the leap
of faith and simply go with it. **VampBard, shut up the constant
analysis and enjoy the damn book!** Long story short, the demon played
nice, and Hadrian got his anger issues under control. As matter of
fact, his middle name should be CONTROL.
The compassion I had for Hadrian throughout the title was
immense. I cried, people. Giant, crocodile tears, when I found out why
Hadrian hated himself so much. Another round of tears when Hadrian
‘said goodbye’ to his brother. Seriously. I’ve warned you. Have
tissues at-the-ready. Ultimately, this vamp who felt himself unworthy
of love discovered that the true meaning of love is to accept someone as
they are, and not expect change as a condition of a relationship. This
is one of the reasons I fell in total lurve with Hadrian.
Caressed by a Crimson Moon is my favorite Rulers of Darkness title to-date. The third book in the series has me chomping at the bit for the next installment.
Description:
Consumed by madness and tormented by dark memories of blood and
death, Hadrian Lucretius, King of the Validus Clan, has returned after
living in self-imposed exile for nearly three hundred and fifty years.
To maintain peace with the vampires, Eva Maldonado is offered
as a sacrifice to the crazed vampire king by her father, the alpha of
the Silveria Shifter Pack. Hadrian’s reputation is both legendary and
lethal; he is ruthless, bloodthirsty, lusty, and soulless. When Eva
arrives at the ancient fortress high in the Carpathian Mountains, she is
shocked to find a ravaged man with dark burning eyes filled with
loneliness and dangerous desire.
Would she be his lover…or his prey? His savior…or his victim?
Would Hadrian lure her into madness or would their perilous passion be
their redemption?
Purchase
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