Book Review: Blood Moon by Alyxandra Harvey

Blood Moon (Drake Chronicles #5)

Alyxandra Harvey

Reading Level: Young Adult
Publication: June 2012 from Walker Childrens
Pages: 320
Format: paperback
Acquisition: bought

Synopsis:

When the vampire tribes convene for the rare Blood Moon ceremonies, Solange Drake is plunged into a battle with her feral nature. The Drake brothers have been raised knowing they had to protect their younger sister at all cost. But forbidden magic and a mysterious stranger have put all of them in terrible danger.

Nicholas is going to have to make a difficult choice: between his girlfriend, Lucy, and his little sister, Solange - blood or love?

Goodreads

My Thoughts
With only 1 more book in the series to go, Alyxandra didn't pull any punches with Blood Moon!

The Drake Chronicles have always been a character driven series and book 5 is no exception. Unlike previous books in this series, Blood Moon isn't focused on a new set of potential romantic partners within the Drake family. Instead we get the point of view of 3 central characters - Lucy, Nicholas and Solange. Since these 3 have always been my favorite, I was very happy :)

If you know this series you know that the Drake's are always getting themselves in trouble one way or another. Although this is central theme to each book, it doesn't get old. The Drake's and their world are both a uniquely wonderful and grounded in enough traditional vampire lore to make for a hell of a story line - no matter what the specific focus is.

Without giving too much away -- if you're gotten this far with the series book 5 is a must read! (after the mini cliff hanger of book 4). The last tale in the chronicles is already on shelves and I recommend gobbling up books 5 and 6 in quick succession!

Will I continue the series?
Yes! With only 1 more book to go I'm really curious how things turn out for the Drakes.

Rating

4 / 5 Stars

The Drake Chronicles
#0.1 Corsets and Crossbows
#0.5 Lost Girls
#1.0 Hearts at Stake
#2.0 Blood Feud
#3.0 Out For Blood
#3.5 A Killer First Date
#4.0 Bleeding Hearts
#4.5 A Field Guide To Vampires
#5.0 Blood Moon
#6.0 Blood Prophecy

The Drake Chronicles Short Stories by Alyxandra Harvey

The Drake Chronicles are one of my favorite YA vampire series to date and I'm a huge fan of short stories and series novellas in general.

Short stories, especially when they take place between series books can add a lot of depth to a story line in my opinion.

To date there are 4 short stories in the Drake Chronicles and I've devoured them all!

Corsets and Crossbows (#0.1)
This one takes place well before the events in book 1. The year is 1816 and Rosalind Wild is ready for full membership into the Helios-Ra -- and she'll have to fight very hard to get it. Told in letters, it's a bit one sided as we are only seeing Rosalind's point of view. It's a bit awkward overall but it's a quick read and it's a small glimpse into the early times of the vampire hunting society which I liked.

Read it yourself in ebook format on your Kindle, Nook or iOS device - currently $.99

Lost Girls (#0.5)
Takes place in 1983 and tells the story of the first time Liam and Helena meet. Now, I love vampire stories but really, the one thing that always gets me is the age difference thing. Liam is 81 and Helena is 16. Because Liam turned into a vampire as a teenager, this isn't weird….only it still is for me. It always weirds me out when supernatural beings get away with dating people decades younger then them. But because I love this series so much, I try not to focus on things like this.
Overall, this story was awesome. We get some great back story on Mom and Dad Drake and lots of details about Helena's past.

Read it yourself in the US print edition of book 4, Bleeding Hearts

A Killer First Date (#3.5)
A short and sweet story about Lucy and Nicolas and their attempts at a first 'real' date. Lot of evil vamps around, of course and a few meddling brothers so of course everything goes perfectly :) This is the first short story that takes place in time line of the full text books and I loved it. Lucy is one of my favorite characters and I love how she 'deals' with Nicolas and his brothers.

Read it yourself in ebook format on your Kindle, Nook or iOS device - currently $.99

A Field Guide to Vampires: Annotated by Lucy Hamilton (#4.5)
A vampire guide for students of the Helios-Ra Academy. A quick read made quirky and fun by Lucy's added notes.  A fun read for fans of the series and a good guide in general for help in keeping track of all the factions and characters in the series.
I don't know that you would have to read this one after book 4 but I could be wrong - there might be spoilers so reading it as book 4.5 is probably a good idea.

Read it yourself in ebook format on your Kindle, Nook or iOS device - currently $.99

The complete Drake Chronicles

#0.1 Corsets and Crossbows

#0.5 Lost Girls

#1.0 Hearts at Stake

#2.0 Blood Feud

#3.0 Out for Blood

#3.5 A Killer First Date

#4.0 Bleeding Hearts

#4.5 A Field Guide to Vampires

#5.0 Blood Moon

#6.0 Blood Prophecy (January 2013)

Book Review: Bleeding Hearts (Drake Chronicles #4) by Alyxandra Harvey - Spoiler Free!

Reading Level: Young Adult
Publication Date: December 2011
Publisher: Bloomsbury / Walker Books
Pages: 347
Series: 4th in a series
Acquisition: NetGalley

Summary:
Goodreads Link

My thoughts:
I love this series! The Drake boys are always a treat to read. Told in the same fast passed way as the previous 3 books, Bleeding Hearts gives us the story of Drake brother number 4, twin Connor.

We get a few new characters, most notably, Lucy's cousin Christabel, along with some vampires who are a bit...different then the norm we have come to except.

One of the things I love about this series is the pace. From book 1 to book 4 only a few weeks? Maybe months have passed. It's this driving force forward that makes these books very hard to walk away from.

I really enjoyed reading about Connor, the 'nerd' of the family that everyone is so quick to make fun of. Lots of Lucy and Nicholas too! Sloange is there...but there is something going on with her…

And OMG! The ending! I was gasping! Book 5 I'm sure will start off with a bang and I can't wait!

Final verdict:
With ever Drake Chronicles book I have read I have fallen even more in love with the world Alyxandra has created. I highly recommend this series to fans of vampire YA stories. The Drake family both encompasses what I love most about vampires and is different enough as to not be boring or predictable. Every book has been a big win for me.

Overall Rating:

5 / 5 Stars

Books and short stories in The Drake Chronicles:
Corset and Crossbows short story e-novella
Lost Girls short story found in the US print copy of Bleeding Hearts
#1. Hearts at Stake
#2. Blood Feud
#3. Out For Blood
#3.5 A Killer First Date short story e-novella
#4. Bleeding Hearts
#4.5 A Field Guide to Vampires: Annotated by Lucy Hamilton short story e-novella
#5. Blood Moon (June 2012)

Linkage Love:
Author's website
IndieBound

Book Review: Stolen Away by Alyxandra Harvey

Reading Level: Young Adult
Publication Date: January 2012
Publisher: Bloomsbury / Walker
Pages: 288
Series: ?
Acquisition: NetGalley

Summary:

For seventeen years, Eloise Hart had no idea the world of Faery even existed. Now she has been abducted and trapped in the Rath of Lord Strahan, King of Faery. Strahan was only meant to rule for seven years, as Faery tradition dictates, and then give up his crown to another. But he won't comply, and now chaos threatens both worlds.

The only one who can break his stranglehold on the Faery court is his wife. . . Eloise's aunt Antonia. Using Eloise to lure Antonia, Strahan captures his wife, desperate to end the only threat to his reign. Now Eloise must become the rescuer. Together with her best friends Jo and Devin, she must forge alliances with other Fae, including a gorgeous protector named Lucas, and Strahan's mysterious son, Eldric-who may or may not betray them.  (from Goodreads)

I was: caught up in the pace of the story but felt like a lot was missing.

My thoughts:
I don't know if this will make any sense but reading Stolen Away, for me, was like reading a really long short story. All the pieces where there - beginning, middle, end - but after reading the last page I felt like the story itself wasn't complete.

I don’t want to give the impression that I didn't enjoy this book, because I very much did. I'm a huge fan of Alyxandra Harvey's writing and I can't say I've ever really been disappointed with her books. But maybe I was just a little disappointed with this one.

I think the main reason this was a lukewarm read for me was the fact that I never really felt connected to the characters. Everything happens rather quickly - the entire book is only a few days worth of time - so I never really felt like I got to know any particular character very well. Jo, Eloise's best friend, made an impact, but only because she got on my nerves a little. Her British slang just for the heck of it and her insta-love infatuation didn't win her any points with me.

Eloise was a pretty interesting character - or at least her family was pretty interesting. Eloise herself I didn't feel very invested in. Her insta-love relationship got to me as well. It wasn't the relationship itself it was how very fast these characters were thrown together, fought together, saved the world, had time to make dinner and became the bestest omg I can't live without you friends forever - in about 3 days.

Now, the story itself. The fairy lore and the interplay between the different 'families' of fae - this I really loved. There were a lot of characters and a lot of information but I loved it all! I would love to read another book about this world. There were some common fairy themes going on but a lot was new (at leas to me) and there seems to be a lot more to this story that can be told.

Final verdict:
Not my favorite Harvey book but still one that I'm glad I read. If you like faery stories with some suspense and action thrown in, you'll enjoy Stolen Away. I read an e-galley but this is one that I intend to purchase.

Overall Rating:

4 / 5 Stars

Linkage Love:
Author's webstie
Goodreads
IndieBound

Can't wait to get my hands on...those lovely Drake boys :)

Two books from one of the best YA vampire series out there, in my opinion :)

Ruling Passion by Alyxandra Harvey

Contains Hearts at Stake, Blood Feud and Out for Blood - the first 3 books in The Drake Chronicles

Releases TODAY! from Bloomsbury
Goodreads / Amazon

I'm not always a fan of bind-ups but I absolutely love this series so even though I already own the 3 individual books, you can bet I'll be picking up a copy of this one.

Bleeding Hearts (Drake Chronicles #4) by Alyxandra Harvey

October 3, 2011 from Bloomsbury
Goodreads / Amazon

Like I said, the Drake Chronicles are pretty much my favorite YA vampire books. Book 4 features another yummy Drake brother, Connor and Lucy's very human cousin Christabel. Looks like we get more Lucy and Nicholas as well - love those two!

So what do you think? Are you a fan of bind ups? Have you started this series?

Can't wait to get my hands on...

I haven't done one of these posts in a while!

Here is my little contribution to your ever growing Wishlists and TBR piles...hehehe :)

A deadly imaginary friend, an angelic fantasy world, a new series from a new favorite  and an new reprint from an old favorite - check out what books I can't wait to get my hands on!

Damage by Anya Parrish
September 2011 from Flux

There was a time when I prayed for Rachel to be real. Until the night I learned she'd always planned to kill me.
When Dani was eight, she fell from a building. No one believed her claim that she was pushed by Rachel . . . her imaginary friend. It took years of therapy to convince Dani that Rachel wasn't real.
Now fifteen, Dani wants to make it as a dancer. But a deadly freak accident sends Dani a terrifying message: Rachel is back, she's real, and she'll stop at nothing to kill Dani.
Complicating matters is Jesse, the school bad boy who's being stalked by his own invisible childhood nemesis. Dani and Jesse join forces to learn why their astral tormenters are back. Their investigation leads to a horrifying discovery—and the terrible experiment that binds them to each other. Goodreads Link

The Space Between by Brenna Yovanoff
November 15, 2011 from Razorbill

Everything is made of steel, even the flowers. How can you love anything in a place like this?
Daphne is the half-demon, half-fallen angel daughter of Lucifer and Lilith. Life for her is an endless expanse of time, until her brother Obie is kidnapped - and Daphne realizes she may be partially responsible. Determined to find him, Daphne travels from her home in Pandemonium to the vast streets of Earth, where everything is colder and more terrifying. With the help of the human boy she believes was the last person to see her brother alive, Daphne glimpses into his dreams, discovering clues to Obie's whereabouts. As she delves deeper into her demonic powers, she must navigate the jealousies and alliances of the violent archangels who stand in her way. But she also discovers, unexpectedly, what it means to love and be human in a world where human is the hardest thing to be. Goodreads Link

Stolen Away by Alyxandra Harvey
January 17, 2012 from Walker / Bloomsbury

For seventeen years, Eloise Hart had no idea the world of Faery even existed. Now she has been abducted and trapped in the Rath of Lord Strahan, King of Faery. Strahan was only meant to rule for seven years, as Faery tradition dictates, and then give up his crown to another. But he won't comply, and now chaos threatens both worlds.
The only one who can break his stranglehold on the Faery court is his wife. . . Eloise's aunt Antonia. Using Eloise to lure Antonia, Strahan captures his wife, desperate to end the only threat to his reign. Now Eloise must become the rescuer. Together with her best friends Jo and Devin, she must forge alliances with other Fae, including a gorgeous protector named Lucas, and Strahan's mysterious son, Eldric-who may or may not betray them. Goodreads Link

Amanda / Miranda by Richard Peck
January 19, 2012 from Speak

"Your future lies beyond a mountain of ice, where you will die, and live again." The wisewoman's prophecy disturbs Miranda, a maidservant who bears an uncanny resemblance to her rich and arrogant mistress, Amanda Whitwell. Thrust into a tangled web of lies by Amanda, Miranda watches helplessly as one fateful night, a prophecy once foretold becomes reality . . . aboard the Titanic. Richard Peck's newly abridged edition of his popular adult novel is an enthralling adventure that will capture the reader's imagination. Goodreads Link

Book Review: Haunting Violet by Alyxandra Harvey

Reading Level: Young Adult
Publication Date: June 1, 2011
Pages: 352
Series: no
Acquisition: received for review

Summary:

Violet Willoughby doesn't believe in ghosts. But they believe in her. After spending years participating in her mother's elaborate ruse as a fraudulent medium, Violet is about as skeptical as they come in all matters supernatural. Now that she is being visited by a very persistent ghost, one who suffered a violent death, Violet can no longer ignore her unique ability. She must figure out what this ghost is trying to communicate, and quickly because the killer is still on the loose.

Afraid of ruining her chance to escape her mother's scheming through an advantageous marriage, Violet must keep her ability secret. The only person who can help her is Colin, a friend she's known since childhood, and whom she has grown to love. He understands the true Violet, but helping her on this path means they might never be together. Can Violet find a way to help this ghost without ruining her own chance at a future free of lies? (from Goodreads)

My thoughts:
Historical, paranormal fiction? Pretty much rocks if done right and Haunting Violet is oh so very right! A ghost story that is so much more. I was pulled in pretty much from the first page.

What I really liked about Haunting Violet is the way all the elements of the story work together. We have Violet and her newly discovered ability to speak to the dead. Violet's mother, a fraudulent medium with some deep issues of her own. The Victorian setting, the ghosts, the mystery -- it was all spot on! And it all worked!

The romance was also very very well done. No love triangles, no instant infatuations. Falling in love with Colin was easy. Despite his role, he is an honest and sincere person. Really, everything he does, he does for Violet. The certainty of their love for each other, mixed with the uncertainty of their situations made for some really sweet scenes. I would read Haunting Violet again for the romance alone.

The ending, while dramatic, was maybe a little too good to be true? Unrealistic perhaps but even so, I really loved it. All the pieces fit together.

Reminded me of:
Not all books remind me of others but Haunting Violet did. The setting and even some of the characters had me thinking of The Vespertine by Saundra Mitchell. The paranormal elements and the settings aren't exactly the same, but the overall feel of both books are. As for the mystery - I was reminded of Lauren Baratz-Logsted's The Twin's Daughter. No ghosts in that one but the enclosed, secretive worlds that spurred on both mysteries are the same.

Final verdict:
A really great read for me. Whether writing about vampires or ghosts, Alyxandra Harvey's words are always captivating.

Haunting Violet is a stand a lone novel but I can see it working as the first in a series as well. No loose ends to tie up but I would very much enjoy reading more about Violet, Colin and the new world they have found themselves in.

Overall Rating:

5 / 5 stars

Linkage Love:
Bloomsbury
Author's Website
Goodreads