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Once upon A Man #1
Snow Bite, Blood Red
A man-loving twist on a classic tale. The younger son of a powerful lord, Albion leads a comfortable but sheltered life in the castle with his father and half-brother, Rosarius. Everything changes for him one night when he is summoned to the palace of King Jasper, along with all the other eligible young men in the realm. Much to his brother's resentment , Albion is chosen to help break the curse that has befallen their ruler.
Forced to live as a creature who shuns the daylight and feasts on human blood, King Jasper has nearly given up hope of finding the true love who can restore his life and his humanity. Just as he starts to believe that Albion may be the one to heal him, a mysterious assassin tries to put a stop to their growing passion. With the forces of both envious men and dark magic working against them, Jasper and Albion must find a way to outwit death and forge a life together.
Forced to live as a creature who shuns the daylight and feasts on human blood, King Jasper has nearly given up hope of finding the true love who can restore his life and his humanity. Just as he starts to believe that Albion may be the one to heal him, a mysterious assassin tries to put a stop to their growing passion. With the forces of both envious men and dark magic working against them, Jasper and Albion must find a way to outwit death and forge a life together.
132 pages, ebook
First published June 30, 2012
10 people are currently reading
140 people want to read
About the author
Jade Astor
87 books48 followersJade Astor is a longtime fan of both paranormal and
male-male love stories. She was delighted to find a thriving
community of like-minded writers and readers in the ebook
industry. Moon Lake Wolves is her first trilogy to be
published by Silver.
When she is not writing, Jade enjoys sculpting,
tinkering with computers, and training (and retraining) her
small herd of unruly but adorable rescued Chihuahuas.
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
January 13, 2015
Still completely unsure what the guy in the armour on the cover has to do with anything in the book. Which is very disappointing, since I read the book because of the cover.
And you don't need to tell me that age-old rhyme. I've since realised my mistake :(
And you don't need to tell me that age-old rhyme. I've since realised my mistake :(
July 11, 2012
Review posted at The Armchair Reader.
I have only read one other story by Jade Astor, Darius, the first book of the Moon Lake Wolves series. I have to say that I found that book much better than this one. It was still a light and short novella, but with Snow Bite, Blood Red I was pretty disappointed and felt that it didn't even live up to that standard.
The blurb pretty much tells you everything about the story, and the one detail that is left out, the identity of the "forces of dark magic" is known from the very beginning. I admit that what I wanted was a light and sweet story, but I still found myself rolling my eyes many times at how overly done this was. The main character, Albion, was not just sweet and genuine, but a bit stupid. That sounds harsh but he didn't have much of a spine or much common sense. There are some references to being sheltered most of his life, which might explain some of this. That doesn't, however, make him a very engaging character. The king, Jasper, is a pretty typical brooding vampire, out to please Albion in any way once he realizes that Albion is the man who can break his curse.
I wondered while I was reading, whether some of these overdone characterizations and dialogue was from the fact that this is based on the Snow White fairy tale, but I can't decide. What I do normally notice about fairy tales wasn't present here. The Fairy Tale is generally of a way a story is written, not just the plot itself, and I found the lack of narration as a driving force general fable setup -- a play on the writing style that has been done over and over -- sadly missing here. It didn't feel much like a fairy tale while reading but a normal story, until certain classic fairy tale props would be brought in (i.e. apple, spindle, etc) to remind us. Since I really enjoy fairy tales, that was a bit sad for me.
There were a few other things that bothered me, but there's really no point going into them because I think it is pretty obvious by now that I didn't take to this story and most likely will not be reading further books in the series. I wanted a book to read while I could switch my mind off, but finding little bits here and there that didn't seem to fit or bothered me kept my mind active, so it wasn't a successful read for me, even when I want a bit of fluff. Not Feelin' It.
I have only read one other story by Jade Astor, Darius, the first book of the Moon Lake Wolves series. I have to say that I found that book much better than this one. It was still a light and short novella, but with Snow Bite, Blood Red I was pretty disappointed and felt that it didn't even live up to that standard.
The blurb pretty much tells you everything about the story, and the one detail that is left out, the identity of the "forces of dark magic" is known from the very beginning. I admit that what I wanted was a light and sweet story, but I still found myself rolling my eyes many times at how overly done this was. The main character, Albion, was not just sweet and genuine, but a bit stupid. That sounds harsh but he didn't have much of a spine or much common sense. There are some references to being sheltered most of his life, which might explain some of this. That doesn't, however, make him a very engaging character. The king, Jasper, is a pretty typical brooding vampire, out to please Albion in any way once he realizes that Albion is the man who can break his curse.
I wondered while I was reading, whether some of these overdone characterizations and dialogue was from the fact that this is based on the Snow White fairy tale, but I can't decide. What I do normally notice about fairy tales wasn't present here. The Fairy Tale is generally of a way a story is written, not just the plot itself, and I found the lack of narration as a driving force general fable setup -- a play on the writing style that has been done over and over -- sadly missing here. It didn't feel much like a fairy tale while reading but a normal story, until certain classic fairy tale props would be brought in (i.e. apple, spindle, etc) to remind us. Since I really enjoy fairy tales, that was a bit sad for me.
There were a few other things that bothered me, but there's really no point going into them because I think it is pretty obvious by now that I didn't take to this story and most likely will not be reading further books in the series. I wanted a book to read while I could switch my mind off, but finding little bits here and there that didn't seem to fit or bothered me kept my mind active, so it wasn't a successful read for me, even when I want a bit of fluff. Not Feelin' It.
June 30, 2012
This book was a good one which i recommend. I don't know if the ending will suit some people though as Jasper is cured of his vampirism and free to live his life as a happy mortal King with Albion, his destined true love. So forever with this two is not an immortal one.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Want to read
June 10, 2012After Caleb and Serge's story I wonder if it is smart to pre order this one. Darius' story was nice though so maybe her first books are always good?
October 25, 2023
Not much like Snow White
Very very little in common with Snow White, but that’s okay. The story was still different from what I’m used to, and pretty well told. (SPOILER) I hate that one of the bad guys got away and that’s the only reason it’s 3 stars and not 4.
Very very little in common with Snow White, but that’s okay. The story was still different from what I’m used to, and pretty well told. (SPOILER) I hate that one of the bad guys got away and that’s the only reason it’s 3 stars and not 4.
February 5, 2019
Sweet little fairytale - perfect escape read.
April 29, 2020
An interesting take on a classic tale
I enjoyed this retelling of the classic fairy tale. So much so that I am off to see what other treasures this author has penned.
I enjoyed this retelling of the classic fairy tale. So much so that I am off to see what other treasures this author has penned.
October 7, 2012
I totally agree with what the blurb says: A man-loving twist on a classic tale, because this is very true. Ms. Astor definitely put a creative and interesting spin on the much loved story, and made it into her own. I liked the author’s ability to draw me into the intricate world of these characters and I enjoyed the couple of hours of escape it gave me from my everyday life.
This book is hard for me to rate. I read it yesterday and still I’m unsure of exactly how I felt about it. Not to say the book wasn’t good, because it was, but there was something about it that felt a little off to me. Now, I love a retold fairy tale romance, and I thought this one in particular was quite unique so it’s not that. I also thought the characters were pretty well-written and found them to be interesting people. Sitting here, I think the reason why I liked the book, but didn’t love it is because I was never convinced that King Jasper really loved Albion for who he really was or what he could do for him.
Jasper was plagued with a family curse that has made him into a vampire. The only way to break this curse is if Jasper finds true love. The blood of his beloved mate will free him from his curse, so Jasper is more than a little anxious to find his true love. Every season he makes all of the landowners bring their newly turned18 year old males to court, so he can see and possibly meet these men who could possibly be the mate he’s been waiting for. He doesn’t notice Albion at first, (Albion’s father makes sure of it) but once he does notice him, Jasper orders his presence and into his bedchamber.
Now, I totally understood this and I definitely saw where the author was going with it. I liked the sweet and naïve Albion and understood why the slightly jaded Jasper would be interested in him. Albion is definitely like Snow White. He’s been sheltered and sees the world through rose colored glasses. He doesn’t like to believe that there are people out there that are capable of evil, especially if it is a relative or someone close to him. I liked him. I thought he was interesting and an all-around nice guy. I think in my mind I wanted more for him. I wanted to see Jasper really wine and dine him. I wanted to see them spend more quality time together, and make their relationship more than what I thought it was.
Please do not misunderstand me. This is still a good book. There is a lot of danger and intrigue that follows these characters around and there is definitely a lot of physical chemistry between Albion and Jasper that was steamy and very sensual. I also liked the spin on Albion’s half-brother Rosarius. Ironically, I thought Rosarius was extremely interesting and at the beginning of the book I hoped he too, would get his own story, *this just proves I’m a sucker for bad boys too* but since he ended up being not what he first seemed to be, that isn’t going to happen. I also thought the world Ms. Astor created was an intriguing and interesting one and all in all I really liked this book. If you like fairytaled themed romances, this is definitely a book you should consider. Ms. Astor definitely has a way of writing unique characters with an interesting twist in her storylines. I’m looking forward to reading the next book in the series and seeing what other journey this author will take me.
Reviewed By: Gabbi
This book is hard for me to rate. I read it yesterday and still I’m unsure of exactly how I felt about it. Not to say the book wasn’t good, because it was, but there was something about it that felt a little off to me. Now, I love a retold fairy tale romance, and I thought this one in particular was quite unique so it’s not that. I also thought the characters were pretty well-written and found them to be interesting people. Sitting here, I think the reason why I liked the book, but didn’t love it is because I was never convinced that King Jasper really loved Albion for who he really was or what he could do for him.
Jasper was plagued with a family curse that has made him into a vampire. The only way to break this curse is if Jasper finds true love. The blood of his beloved mate will free him from his curse, so Jasper is more than a little anxious to find his true love. Every season he makes all of the landowners bring their newly turned18 year old males to court, so he can see and possibly meet these men who could possibly be the mate he’s been waiting for. He doesn’t notice Albion at first, (Albion’s father makes sure of it) but once he does notice him, Jasper orders his presence and into his bedchamber.
Now, I totally understood this and I definitely saw where the author was going with it. I liked the sweet and naïve Albion and understood why the slightly jaded Jasper would be interested in him. Albion is definitely like Snow White. He’s been sheltered and sees the world through rose colored glasses. He doesn’t like to believe that there are people out there that are capable of evil, especially if it is a relative or someone close to him. I liked him. I thought he was interesting and an all-around nice guy. I think in my mind I wanted more for him. I wanted to see Jasper really wine and dine him. I wanted to see them spend more quality time together, and make their relationship more than what I thought it was.
Please do not misunderstand me. This is still a good book. There is a lot of danger and intrigue that follows these characters around and there is definitely a lot of physical chemistry between Albion and Jasper that was steamy and very sensual. I also liked the spin on Albion’s half-brother Rosarius. Ironically, I thought Rosarius was extremely interesting and at the beginning of the book I hoped he too, would get his own story, *this just proves I’m a sucker for bad boys too* but since he ended up being not what he first seemed to be, that isn’t going to happen. I also thought the world Ms. Astor created was an intriguing and interesting one and all in all I really liked this book. If you like fairytaled themed romances, this is definitely a book you should consider. Ms. Astor definitely has a way of writing unique characters with an interesting twist in her storylines. I’m looking forward to reading the next book in the series and seeing what other journey this author will take me.
Reviewed By: Gabbi
June 11, 2020
Snow-white retelling.
After the 50%-ish mark, past the part where they roll around in bed for the second time; I was just gone. There was something so wrong about how that mash of an ending played out. Before that, I quite enjoyed it.
After the 50%-ish mark, past the part where they roll around in bed for the second time; I was just gone. There was something so wrong about how that mash of an ending played out. Before that, I quite enjoyed it.
July 3, 2012
3 1/2 Hearts
First published at MM Good Book Reviews
http://mmgoodbookreviews.wordpress.co...
Albion gets his first glimpse of the King, when he is taken to court after his coming of age. He can scarce believe the tales his brother tells him and is shocked to learn his brother wishes to ensnare the King. But, his brother’s plan backfires, when Albion is chosen instead. Jasper has fallen foul of a curse laid upon him because of his father’s actions, now forced to drink blood and living in darkness he only wishes to break the curse. But, finding the one man who can break it is difficult, when Albion seems to have an effect on him, someone sets out to get rid of Albion.
This is a well written twisted rendition of Snow White with a bit of Beauty and the Beast thrown in. Albion is a sheltered young man who has just passed his eighteenth birthday and with his coming of age, he is invited to the King’s yearly party to introduce all the newly eligible young men to the King. Albion is dragged into a ploy by his brother to ensnare the Kings attention and when Albion is chosen, Rosarius is far from happy. Jasper just wants to find the one who can break his curse, but it is getting harder and harder to live with the lonely existence and dashed hopes, until Albion brings hope back into his life and it puts Albion’s life in grave danger.
Albion really has been sheltered and is very naïve about life. He has had his own secret longings and when he meets the King those longings take on a life of their own. Albion is just so trusting that you want to protect him from all the evil in the world. And Jasper, well, with Jasper you want to take all the hopelessness and loneliness away. They make a really sweet couple, and you can’t help wondering if it isn’t because he has the right blood and more because of how they feel for each other.
So, I will recommend this to those who love a fairy tale with a twist, danger, intrigue, witchcraft, erotic lovemaking and a very happy ending.
First published at MM Good Book Reviews
http://mmgoodbookreviews.wordpress.co...
Albion gets his first glimpse of the King, when he is taken to court after his coming of age. He can scarce believe the tales his brother tells him and is shocked to learn his brother wishes to ensnare the King. But, his brother’s plan backfires, when Albion is chosen instead. Jasper has fallen foul of a curse laid upon him because of his father’s actions, now forced to drink blood and living in darkness he only wishes to break the curse. But, finding the one man who can break it is difficult, when Albion seems to have an effect on him, someone sets out to get rid of Albion.
This is a well written twisted rendition of Snow White with a bit of Beauty and the Beast thrown in. Albion is a sheltered young man who has just passed his eighteenth birthday and with his coming of age, he is invited to the King’s yearly party to introduce all the newly eligible young men to the King. Albion is dragged into a ploy by his brother to ensnare the Kings attention and when Albion is chosen, Rosarius is far from happy. Jasper just wants to find the one who can break his curse, but it is getting harder and harder to live with the lonely existence and dashed hopes, until Albion brings hope back into his life and it puts Albion’s life in grave danger.
Albion really has been sheltered and is very naïve about life. He has had his own secret longings and when he meets the King those longings take on a life of their own. Albion is just so trusting that you want to protect him from all the evil in the world. And Jasper, well, with Jasper you want to take all the hopelessness and loneliness away. They make a really sweet couple, and you can’t help wondering if it isn’t because he has the right blood and more because of how they feel for each other.
So, I will recommend this to those who love a fairy tale with a twist, danger, intrigue, witchcraft, erotic lovemaking and a very happy ending.
November 28, 2012
I read this believing I would not care for it much. As a general rule I like this author's work but when it comes to well known fairy tales being rewritten, I cringe with distaste. I like my traditional stories left alone and not used or abused. So I rarely read them, knowing my opinion is generally skewed from the get go. I tend to find adaptations of traditional stories written with a heavy hand and the new story becomes a bad mimicry or mockery of the original.
I am much relieved to be able to say that is NOT the case here. I enjoyed this story very much. Yes it is a rewrite of Snow White, but its been done respectfully, tactfully and in many ways more closely to the original Grimm's tale than many of other traditional adaptations of the story. Albion as Snow White is naive and to be honest a bit stupid about the world around him, which the character himself fully admits. King Jasper falls quickly for his young and trusting lover, as the two try to cure the king of his vampirism.
This is a unique and yet completely familiar and utterly captivating adaptation of the story. I would recommend it for all lovers of Snow White, vampires and romances with that perfect fairy tale happily ever after ending. Well Done!
I am much relieved to be able to say that is NOT the case here. I enjoyed this story very much. Yes it is a rewrite of Snow White, but its been done respectfully, tactfully and in many ways more closely to the original Grimm's tale than many of other traditional adaptations of the story. Albion as Snow White is naive and to be honest a bit stupid about the world around him, which the character himself fully admits. King Jasper falls quickly for his young and trusting lover, as the two try to cure the king of his vampirism.
This is a unique and yet completely familiar and utterly captivating adaptation of the story. I would recommend it for all lovers of Snow White, vampires and romances with that perfect fairy tale happily ever after ending. Well Done!
February 25, 2013
I thought it would be Snow White, Rose Red, but it's actually more...classic Snow White?
It's...inane. Stupid, in many ways. I can't quite say I find it endearing.
Sigh. I thought it was kind of good before it devolved into a poofy cloud of tropes and purple glitter...
It's...inane. Stupid, in many ways. I can't quite say I find it endearing.
Sigh. I thought it was kind of good before it devolved into a poofy cloud of tropes and purple glitter...
March 3, 2016
Clean writing and pacing, and well-written, if short, take on a classic. I am mystified by most of the criticism by other readers here. This definitely could have been developed more fully into a longer, deeper, richer noevel, but most fairy tales are short and sweet. It's innate to the genre. I enjoyed the tale very much.
EDIT: I should add that I just noticed that it is categorized as the first in a series, so I expect the story will continue (I have just read the first and not yet looked at any sequels).
EDIT: I should add that I just noticed that it is categorized as the first in a series, so I expect the story will continue (I have just read the first and not yet looked at any sequels).
February 13, 2013
I'm such a sucker for fairy tales so I took a chance on this one. It was ok but there were a few problems. All in all it's way to short, on plot and actual story, especially for the price. About 2 too many TSTL moments for both protags brought on eye-rolling and they never interacted much beyond those few meetings so I didn't buy the connection that the author was trying to sell other than the blood tasted good? Disappointing.
2.5 stars
2.5 stars
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 12, 2014
Silly purple prose.
No heat. No character development and no drama. Yes, I know it's a re-telling of a beloved fairy tale but at no point did I care what happend.
Another reviewer/author recently remarked "what if I die reading this shit?" Well, thankfully this story was short enough I was able to finish it quickly.
I gave it two stars simply because I didn't notice any editing problems and the premise was good. To bad it didn't reach it's potential.
No heat. No character development and no drama. Yes, I know it's a re-telling of a beloved fairy tale but at no point did I care what happend.
Another reviewer/author recently remarked "what if I die reading this shit?" Well, thankfully this story was short enough I was able to finish it quickly.
I gave it two stars simply because I didn't notice any editing problems and the premise was good. To bad it didn't reach it's potential.
August 5, 2015
A Quick But Good Read
I just finished and I do have to say it was fun to read. The story line is your typical fairytale with the twist of it being man finding true love with a man. It is written pretty well, so even if it's pretty basic, it keeps your interest. I will say the intimate scenes are a little too short, but there's a good number of them that happen, so it makes up for it. Overall, it is a good read and I would recommend.
I just finished and I do have to say it was fun to read. The story line is your typical fairytale with the twist of it being man finding true love with a man. It is written pretty well, so even if it's pretty basic, it keeps your interest. I will say the intimate scenes are a little too short, but there's a good number of them that happen, so it makes up for it. Overall, it is a good read and I would recommend.
February 15, 2015
This re-interpretation of the classic fairy tale was an enjoyable enough read. It was interesting to see the elements of the original retold in this version.
Not sure what the hot knight on the cover had to do with anything...
Not sure what the hot knight on the cover had to do with anything...
June 29, 2012
This was a sweet romantic fairy tale about cursed King, need for blood and love. It was a fine light story, but to simply for my taste.
July 11, 2012
I seem to be enticed by Jade Astor's blurb all the time but it seems that I am always at the short of the stick at the end.
September 6, 2012
I am a sucker for fairy tales and this one fit the bill from start to finish.
September 25, 2016
Fairytalish story about s cursed royal who's seeking a remedy for the spell that plagues him.
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews