Monsters should not walk the daylight, they should cower in the dark.... When the full moon haunts the sky, Evangeline prowls the dark as a Wendigo; a fearsome mix of human and beast. The night an injured outcast falls into her claws she must defy her keeper, the laws of nature and her own morality to protect him from the hunter who wants his head as a trophy. Struggling to reconcile her cannibalistic urges and gentle temperament, Evangeline must move beyond the ancient curse of her ancestors blood, and become legend. A Beautiful Damned Novella. Dark Adult Fantasy Romance. British English (BrE)
Penelope Jade Fletcher is a British author of genre romance. She has a number of international digital bestsellers, reaching the Amazon Kindle UK Top 100 chart in early 2011 with her third book, and the Barnes & Noble Nook Top 100 chart later the same year with her fifth.
Debuting at twenty two years old in 2010 with young adult fantasy Glamour, Penelope predominantly writes romance novels with supernatural elements, but recently penned a historical western, and has a regency romance in the works.
Penelope has independently sold over 100,000 eBooks. She loves nothing more than reading. Writing comes a close second.
So I was pretty much blown away by how much I liked this little novella. I picked it up for my Kindle because a.) it was cheap and b.) the premise sounded intriguing. As much fun as the PNR genre can be, the whole witches-vampires-werewolves thing gets old after awhile, and everything I know about Wendigos comes from a single episode of Supernatural. (For the record, I think this is closer to Horror than straight-up PNR anyway.)
And boy, it was definitely different. First off, you should probably be aware that this is rated 18+ for a reason, a detail that totally flew over my head until I hit the opening pages. This thing doesn't shy away from being dark, gritty, and sexual. Yet these elements never felt like they were there for shock value, but rather because our main protagonist, Evangeline, is pretty dark and gritty herself, and to try and PG-13 it up would hurt more than help.
The plot itself isn't overly complex: Evangeline lives a mostly isolated life in the mountains, occasionally shifting into her Wendigo form when she's forced to.It's a form she's disgusted by, since it's VERY bloodthirsty and fond of slaughtering humans. (Sidenote: Wendigos are BAD ASS. Like, there is no way a werewolf could take Evangeline down.) And suddenly, a male Wendigo shows up in her territory on the run from hunters. Gee, I wonder what could possibly happen next.
Like I said: not unpredictable, at least to an extent. But what drew me into it was that this is, more than anything else, a character-driven novella. Yes, there's a love interest. Yes, there's sex. But that's not the point of the story. In the end, the story is about Evangeline coming to understand and embrace herself, even the gory and bloodthirsty bits. It definitely raises some interesting questions. I think the shortness of the novella worked in its favor here, since the author is able to touch on the message without launching into soapbox territory.
I was also pleasantly surprised by Ms. Fletcher's writing style. Unlike most self-pub'd works, the writing style is polished, flows well, and is easily as good as (if not better than) some traditionally-published works. I'm definitely planning on checking out her other series, Rae Wilder.
I didn't hate this book, but nor did i like it. Less to do with the writing and more the story itself, although it could have done with editing. There were sentences that just wanted to be removed althogther. One problem i did encounter a little, was the telling rather than showing issue. It wasn't nearly to the same extent that i have seen in other works but if it had been edited properly it could have been removed completely.
My main problem, was that it was trying to hard to be different. I like it when authors realise that they aren't going to bring anything truly new to the table, so they work with what they know and make something new with what they have already got. And usually that works. This however doesn't. Fine by me if you want to move away from the traditional shapeshifters but if you are going to do that stick to shapeshiting. Didn't see the need or explanation for the changing of the weather. They already have stength and such what do they need to change the weather for?
The plot- well it wasn't a strong plot in the first place and i don't expect that in a novella. But it seems that the author forgot she was writing something with an atual plot and just went off into the land of smut. The occasional scene can make a book better, but there just wan't any need for them to be all over each other all of the time. Plus it didn't make sense that they would stop to have sex when they were meant to be chasing the man that was out to kill them. Especially not when they are part beast. Surely the wendiga part of them wouldn't let them stop when they had a potential threat to go and kill?
Sigh, and another problem, present in a lot of these types of books unfortunatly. I just don't buy the whole love at first sight deal. I can buy that they would lust after each other, and that fits in with the whole not being able to control the need to eat people. But people don't need each other that badly i mean come on, i'm sick to death of these mushy weak characters.
I could also rant about the Bobby dude, but i honestly can't be bothered. If he doesn't get eaten in the sequal then there is something seriously wrong. However, i will not be reading the sequal so i won't know either way.
In my opinion, this author should have scrapped this whole story and started on a new completely different project.
Considering the fact that most of the mythological lore shows Wendigos as vile,flesh-eating monsters the author did a good job of putting her own spin on the myth.This novella was short but still had a wonderful story packed in it. I loved the fact that the author didn't change anything about the flesh eating nature of the Wendiga nor did she romanticize it.
Though Evangeline hated herself for her needs it was good to see a strong and helpful woman at the same time who wasn't consumed by self loathing like other heroines in paranormal novels.The descriptions in the book are abundant and created vivid pictures.The lore surrounding the Wendiga and the matriarchal society that they had was ingenious.Luke was also a wonderful character.And do I need to mention the fact that he was absolutely hot?
The action and hunting scenes were well paced.Though the attraction between the two characters was sizzling it was still hard to believe the fast pace of their relationship, even if we remember the fact that Evangeline was mostly isolated throughout her life.I would love to see more of where the story goes and Luke's homeclan. Anyone who is tired of the usual vampires,werewolves,etc in the PNR genre and is looking for a short but well written story should definitely give this a try.
i had purchased this novel before the start of summer. i had read penelopes demon girl and demon day and thought what the heck why not have lunar light too? well i never got around to reading because of all the other books i was overwhelmed with. I then set out to read Die, my love and loved it. Penelope fletcher is one talented author, she absolutely knows how to grab her audience from the beginning and have them on the tips of their toes the entire time!
Lunar Light is by far one of my favorite books, this is no childs book. It is very raw and openning, so readers with clean souls stay out! I had thought Die, My love was explosive... i was very wrong. Die, my love is just a bullet, one little shot compared to this atomic bomb!
Eva is a strong character, very independent and loving. Her character was amazing, for once i had not dislikes. The same goes for Luke, they suited each other well.
everything was well lined out. no question went unanswered. beautifully written fletcher! Never stop writting.
I really loved this book... and you can imagine my feelings when I found out there wasn't a sequel coming out any time soon. Penelope Fletcher is a very talented author and has written one of my favorite books of all time (Venomous). I'm so upset she hasn't been writing ;(! I really want a sequel sooooon !!!!!!!!! This was like the first book about wendigos I've read. It was so unique and I felt that it was too short!!!!!!!!
Ok, it's not like this is a badly written book, the story wasn't just for me. I didn't get emotional invested with the characters, so if i don't care what happens to them, it's a huge sign that i'm just not into it.
Considering the fact that most of the mythological lore shows Wendigos as vile,flesh-eating monsters the author did a good job of putting her own spin on the myth.This novella was short but still had a wonderful story packed in it. I loved the fact that the author didn't change anything about the flesh eating nature of the Wendiga nor did she romanticize it.
Though Evangeline hated herself for her needs it was good to see a strong and helpful woman at the same time who wasn't consumed by self loathing like other heroines in paranormal novels.The descriptions in the book are abundant and created vivid pictures.The lore surrounding the Wendiga and the matriarchal society that they had was ingenious.Luke was also a wonderful character.And do I need to mention the fact that he was absolutely hot?
The action and hunting scenes were well paced.Though the attraction between the two characters was sizzling it was still hard to believe the fast pace of their relationship, even if we remember the fact that Evangeline was mostly isolated throughout her life.I would love to see more of where the story goes and Luke's homeclan. Anyone who is tired of the usual vampires,werewolves,etc in the PNR genre and is looking for a short but well written story should definitely give this a try.
A short novella about a lone female wendiga who is found by an outcast wendigo. She saves him and they end up mating and falling in love and then she saves him again. It's a story about two ugly beasts. There's no beauty in this description, no wendigos crave and eat humans. The beauty in this story is how Luke gets Eva to fall fir him and realize her father is abusive. Beware: It's erotic, there's cussing, and a bit of cannibalism.
Applause for Penelope Fletcher for using her imagination and creating a character unlike every other author. She made a beast that intimidated me, turned me on, and that I didn't want to see go so quickly. I understand that the author may have wanted to stick to a short story but, Penelope if you read this ***please write about these characters some more!!*** The read is quick and at moments lacks the substance of background story that you may be used to if you usually read novels. However, if you keep in mind that this is a short story and getting straight to the point is the goal - then have fun and chomp on this one. Please note that this story is very, very sexy. You will blush if you're not used to this kind of read. If you enjoy paranormal fiction and want something a little different from the usual vampire or werewolf then this book is a must read.
Encore**Encore**(please!)
I read this book with such speed and appetite. Penelope Fletcher writes with such description and strength that you can easily picture the creature she has created even though NO ONE else has made one like it before. This is paranormal fiction, but there are no vampires or werewolves or ghosts. No, she designed a new breed that you will adore and by the end of the book yearn for more.
The book is not for the faint of heart gore-wise but the glory in the creature is worth it! Finally something new, something fabulously feminine, something strong and voracious. Overall, a delight.
I want to tell you more, but I wouldn’t want to spoil anything about it for you. It’s so refreshing to get a new character that I want you to have that experience when reading it.
Content is adult both in guts as well as sexual content.
This is the second book of Penelope's I've read and W-O-W is her writing improving. Still a little lengthy in descriptions for my personal taste but I'm rather succinct in that sense ;p An intense, erotic and shocking read. It's going to stay in my mind for a while, I'm really very impressed. Technically perfect? No. No book is. Enough to warrant any rude comments on grammar/style/formatting etc etc. Certainly not. And I say this due to the attitude many reviewers have regarding indy books. If you've read Demon Girl (The Rae Wilder Novels) it really doesn't compare to this. And I enjoyed Demon Girl (..must place a review at some point) but this book is fantastic. An incredible story from a writer who is improving before her readers eyes. Such a pleasure.
Tiny word of warning - if you don't like graphic descriptions of any kind don't read this. I'm not sure the blurb gives enough you a proper idea of the starkness of some of the concepts in this book. I found it very refreshing.
I am not entirely sure what the fuck this book was really supposed to be about. I get the feeling it was just supposed to be about strange sex...technically beastiality. To each their own, I suppose.
I was actually excited to read about a wendigo...but no, that's not what you get here. So don't get your hopes up. What you get is werewolf with a different name that can control the weather. Yeah...
Most wendigo are not supposed to take a mate....well it contradicts itself in here. Then there is some strange past for Evangeline that doesn't really add up or satisfy you. Luke's past is a bit more engaging, i suppose because it's dragged to the center, but even then it's nothing worth raving about. And the ending was just not worth any of the read. I won't look further into this. It wasn't the worst book, and I certainly didn't hate it. But it did not even touch the tip of the ice berg on my expectations.
I was really surprised by this one, it wasn't what I was expecting at all.
I loved the story, although I would have preferred a little less smut - (Can't believe I just wrote that!), I think it would have benefitted from a couple of the sexy scenes being removed, I would have been able to focus more on the story.
The Wendingo's were interesting and the description of the transformations was graphic and realistic - well as realistic as I imagine shapeshifting to be, definitely not "sparkly".
Another thing that let it down for me was the insta-love. I would have loved this to be extended into a full novel, taking a little more time to set up the love.
I still gave this 4 stars and will definitely read more from this author.
Hmmmm.... Where do I start?? Did I enjoy this book? For the most part - No. Please let me explain though. I am a very big fan of YA because I like the pure-ness in them. That being said, I was in for a Huge suprise reading Lunar Light. I was fine with the whole eating people thing but for some reason I was not fully aware that this was not YA since I just finished reading Demon Girl by the same author. Didnt take me long to relize that though, LOL. Anyways, I just felt as if the depth of the relationship was way to rushed given the time frame. Personally I'm not interested in another round but I dont think this book is a bad read.
Penelope Fletcher is a talented writer and I loved her Rae Wilder series. This book is written in a very different style. It is definitely erotic fantasy and the sexual scenes are both explicit and frequent (they form a greater part of the text). The Wendigo and Wendiga are unfortunate inasmuch they are born the way that they are (half human and half beast) but it is a little hard to feel much empathy for cannibals. They transform with the full moon and are harmed by silver but are not werewolves. I have mixed feelings about this novella, as despite the authors skill, it did not leave me eager to continue the story as the Rae Wilder books did and I have no desire to read a sequel.
Honestly, I often felt confused while reading this book. I think the idea of the story was interesting, but the interaction between the characters seemed too jumbled. I interpreted one emotion and then it would go another way. Maybe because it was a novella, there were just not enough words to smoothly lay out the storyline, I dunno. It just came off very choppy. I will say that Penelope is a very creative writer and with more focus to the small details, she will provide some excellent reading in the future. BTW- I love the Demon Girl Series!
I loved reading this book that although is in a genre that I love, was not one like I have read before. There aren't many books out there regarding Wendigos or Wendigas. This gives you an 'insight' into both and is extremely well written.
There is a warning re extreme violence and explicit sex but as far as I'm concerned this is no more than you could watch on the TV, except you use your own imagination. I've read more ... ahem, .... detailed accounts!
This book is unusual, enjoyable and definitely a keeper for all fans of paranormal!
I wasn't expecting to like this as it's about a Wendigo(a), and they're not really perceived as sexy supernaturals. And the only one I've seen on tv was on Supernatural, so bad notions of it. This book made the whole mythology much better & not revolting, but an intrinsic being of nature.
I liked Evangeline's strong character & her I rule the land attitude. Luke is crazy smoking hot. Like burn a whole village down hot. Same can be said of their interactions with each other. Hot hot hot.
I'm now awaiting the sequel, which was supposed to come out in 2012. Sooooo, where is it?!
When I pay for a book/eBook, I expect the book to have close to zero typos, great punctuation and grammar. This book just had far too many errors and it honestly got to the point where it took the focus away from the story. At times the words were missing in its entirety: e.g. I [missing: went] to the store. The only parts the author seemed to care about was during the sex scenes and even those scenes were extremely fragmented.
OK, I seriously don't know how other people give reviews, b/c I never know what to say, and I have a hard time figuring out what exactly I love about a book, I just know I love it. I had NEVER heard of Wendigo's before, and reading about something new was so exciting! But more than just that, I LOVED the characters, and really felt for them. Can't wait for more from Penelope (though I still volunteer to be her proof reader).
Evangelina is a good charature who is scared of who she is thanks to her dead beat dad. Then she saves a man who is just like her and he opens her eyes to a life she should be living and shows her not to be scared of what she turns into.
She finds it hard to risist this stranger who wakens ip feelings inside her she was scared of and she sees him for whohe is and not what he thinks he is.
This book was about a girl who turns into a Wendigo. Different from what I normally read but I liked it. The parts where she finds a lover was a little too racy for me...I felt like I was reading porn or a really racy Harlequinn romance book. Those parts could have been cut out and I probably would have liked the book better.
I think the idea for the book was very interesting, something I would have enjoyed if only it was written better. There were so many spelling errors and missing words. In some parts of the book I felt completely lost. Towards the end I actually started skipping paragraphs just so I could get to the end. I think I am being generous with giving this book 2 stars.
Penelope Fletcher has an great imagination and this book has great imagery. Only two chapters in and there was so much to take in. The transformation from human to Wendigo and back sounds horrifying. Not something I would like to run into even in a well lit alley.
I've read Penelope Fletchers other books and they were all very good, but they all had typos and this one is no exception. :(
to say wow isn't the correct phrase, holy crap that blew my mind sounds closer. never new much about a wendigo but it was nice to have a story told about them. the sex scenes where in my book rated R. the emotional thrill ride of everything this woman / beast went through just made it hard to put this book down. good job Penelope hope there's more to this story soon.