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Eldaen Light Chronicles #1
The Crimson Hunt
College junior Ariel Richmond is working on year three of Project Normalcy.
Her house reeks of keggers past and her bestie is just a slight bit vulgar. But the thing is—they both aid in making life refreshingly uneventful.
So much for hard-earned mediocrity when Luca Grinaldi appears on the scene.
Luca’s sudden presence on campus is hard to ignore. Those bright eyes act like a beacon to unsuspecting females, and with features like his, he’s got to be moonlighting for GQ. Luca hopelessly captivates Ariel with his confidence and charisma, but the mysteries surrounding him make him nearly untouchable. And just when Ariel grows close enough to unlock his secrets, a tragic event sends her life in a downward spiral.
That steady life is no longer an option and allies quickly become scarce. The mysterious Luca seems to be the only one willing to help her—but with that trust comes the burden of his secrets. He has a dark mission of otherworldly proportions, and is willing to sacrifice as many lives as it takes to see it completed.
Gone are the days of simply maintaining normalcy, and if Ariel isn’t cautious with her trust, so soon may be her future.
The Crimson Hunt is a New Adult Science Fiction Romance.
Her house reeks of keggers past and her bestie is just a slight bit vulgar. But the thing is—they both aid in making life refreshingly uneventful.
So much for hard-earned mediocrity when Luca Grinaldi appears on the scene.
Luca’s sudden presence on campus is hard to ignore. Those bright eyes act like a beacon to unsuspecting females, and with features like his, he’s got to be moonlighting for GQ. Luca hopelessly captivates Ariel with his confidence and charisma, but the mysteries surrounding him make him nearly untouchable. And just when Ariel grows close enough to unlock his secrets, a tragic event sends her life in a downward spiral.
That steady life is no longer an option and allies quickly become scarce. The mysterious Luca seems to be the only one willing to help her—but with that trust comes the burden of his secrets. He has a dark mission of otherworldly proportions, and is willing to sacrifice as many lives as it takes to see it completed.
Gone are the days of simply maintaining normalcy, and if Ariel isn’t cautious with her trust, so soon may be her future.
The Crimson Hunt is a New Adult Science Fiction Romance.
340 pages, Paperback
First published November 7, 2012
6 people are currently reading
1201 people want to read
About the author
Victoria H. Smith
51 books515 followersVictoria H. Smith has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. She puts it to good use writing romance all day. She resides in the Midwest with her Macbook on her lap and a cornfield to her right. She often draws inspiration for her stories from her own life experiences, and the characters she writes give her an earful about it.
In her free time, she enjoys extreme couponing, reading, watching Scandal, and general geekery in the form of Sherlock and DC Comics. She’s a bestselling author and the 2014 Swirl Award winner for Best New Adult Romance, as well as the recipient of the 2015 AMB Ovation Award for her new adult romance FOUND BY YOU. She writes both new adult and adult fiction in many genres, but mainly focuses in contemporary interracial and multicultural romances.
To be notified about my latest releases, sign up for my newsletter! - http://eepurl.com/MxQMj
In her free time, she enjoys extreme couponing, reading, watching Scandal, and general geekery in the form of Sherlock and DC Comics. She’s a bestselling author and the 2014 Swirl Award winner for Best New Adult Romance, as well as the recipient of the 2015 AMB Ovation Award for her new adult romance FOUND BY YOU. She writes both new adult and adult fiction in many genres, but mainly focuses in contemporary interracial and multicultural romances.
To be notified about my latest releases, sign up for my newsletter! - http://eepurl.com/MxQMj
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February 18, 2013Well, I did write this, so I think I may be a bit bias. Tehe. I hope you all love the book as much as I enjoyed writing it :)
**Updated cover design uploaded 2/18/13. Cover for the sequel soon!**
**Updated cover design uploaded 2/18/13. Cover for the sequel soon!**
July 18, 2019
This book made me consider giving Pamela Dean's Tam Lin another try. Tam Lin was a DNF because the novel's protagonist and her literary pretensions made me want to kick puppies. But...the writing was good and the college setting felt authentic.
On the other hand, this was yet another story featuring a supposed "new adult" whose maturity was several years shy of most YA protagonists. Ariel is college junior, but she sulks and snits and whines like a moody adolescent. Her idea of a crisis is when a class is moved from one classroom to another. Because, "Oh, noes!" she'll have to walk farther from one class to another. The professors are sooo inconsiderate. <=Her words.
Egads, talk about first world problems!
In just the first chapter, she slut-shames her best friend. By the second, there has been body shaming, ageism, and mean girl antics. Ariel's antagonist, a rich, skinny girl, is a caricature of a cinematic high school bully. Yeah, bullying happens everywhere, even with adults, but with "maturity" it becomes more subtle, more passive aggressive. I.e., adults, even young ones, don't act like this.
The love interest, apparently some kind of space alien, is stupifying-gorgeous, and Ariel falls into insta-lust after their first encounter. I smelled Eau d'Asshole Who'll Be Redeemed by the Tender Young Thing, and started burning incense to kill the stench.
The final coup de grace for this book? Ariel is just plain stupid: a human with no intellectual curiosity. Normally, I love protagonists who are artists, but not if creativity is a lazy device to justify a protagonist's stupidity about...everything else. Hint: good artists are insatiably curious because knowledge of the world deepens art. (Who the fuck mistakes a little blackbird for a crow?)
How did this get on my Kindle? Must be the work of ebook gremlins. Begone!
On the other hand, this was yet another story featuring a supposed "new adult" whose maturity was several years shy of most YA protagonists. Ariel is college junior, but she sulks and snits and whines like a moody adolescent. Her idea of a crisis is when a class is moved from one classroom to another. Because, "Oh, noes!" she'll have to walk farther from one class to another. The professors are sooo inconsiderate. <=Her words.
Egads, talk about first world problems!
In just the first chapter, she slut-shames her best friend. By the second, there has been body shaming, ageism, and mean girl antics. Ariel's antagonist, a rich, skinny girl, is a caricature of a cinematic high school bully. Yeah, bullying happens everywhere, even with adults, but with "maturity" it becomes more subtle, more passive aggressive. I.e., adults, even young ones, don't act like this.
The love interest, apparently some kind of space alien, is stupifying-gorgeous, and Ariel falls into insta-lust after their first encounter. I smelled Eau d'Asshole Who'll Be Redeemed by the Tender Young Thing, and started burning incense to kill the stench.
The final coup de grace for this book? Ariel is just plain stupid: a human with no intellectual curiosity. Normally, I love protagonists who are artists, but not if creativity is a lazy device to justify a protagonist's stupidity about...everything else. Hint: good artists are insatiably curious because knowledge of the world deepens art. (Who the fuck mistakes a little blackbird for a crow?)
How did this get on my Kindle? Must be the work of ebook gremlins. Begone!
March 4, 2013
Great read!
Loved the fantasy behind it! And Luca is now one of my new book boyfriends (cause I have only a handful, ha!).
Loved the fantasy behind it! And Luca is now one of my new book boyfriends (cause I have only a handful, ha!).
February 5, 2013
When we first meet our heroine, Ariel, she’s the lone survivor of a tragic accident that left her an orphan at a very young age and we get an idea that she’s no ordinary girl. Flash forward and we meet Ariel for real this time, as a college junior, moving into a campus house with her best friend, Piper. She comes across as a normal girl – she has a best friend that she loves and at times would cheerfully strangle, the usual problems with her classes and some fellow students along with a serious peanut butter brownie addiction (a girl after my own heart!).
Things start to change however, when she meets Luca Grinaldi. He is, of course, gorgeous and someone Ariel is instantly fascinated with to the point of distraction. The author also has one of the funniest descriptions possible as well, when Ariel first encounters Luca:
"I gulped and blinked, scanning down. He wore a collared, hunter green button-up shirt rolled at the sleeves. The material did very little to cover up the lean, muscular body beneath. And those jeans...good Lord those jeans. the dark wash, vintage style hugged every bit of him until they stopped at the brown leather shoes encasing his sexy feet. Sexy feet? Did I just think that?"
I seriously *loved* the sexy feet comment!!!!
Luca is quite rude and awkward the first few times they meet which confuses Ariel to no end as one minute she thinks he might be into her and then he seems to contradict that by treating her poorly. All this is enough to cause any college student problems but then the proverbial crap hits the fan and the meat of the story really begins.
Ariel was perhaps the best developed character in the book which isn’t terribly shocking as you read the story from her perspective. She was a main character that I could respect and didn’t feel the need to continually pound my head on my desk in frustration over her being ditzy or helpless all the time. She responded to her ever-changing and challenging circumstances in ways that made sense to me. She wasn’t always amazing – she was afraid, she cried and questioned but in the end, she also pulled up her big girl panties and got down to work. The rest of Ms. Smith’s cast of characters were all fairly well developed with my favorite being Ariel’s best friend Piper – who was loud and outspoken, along with being fiercely loyal and sweet.
I’m not sure when I began to see parallels to Twilight while reading this book but it completely hit me over the head once I’d had a chance to digest the story as whole. Ariel is a more believable (and much less frustrating) version of Bella – klutzy but capable. She has flaws and insecurities and really likes the hot guy who she cannot believe could really like her in return. Luca is a similar hero to Edward; he’s introspective and wants to protect Ariel at all costs, even to the detriment of their relationship or himself. This book is its own story though and while there are parallels to Twilight, don’t read it expecting Stephenie Meyer’s world to suddenly jump off the pages.
I don’t want to say too much more about the story as I would hate to spoil any of the authors’ well thought out twists and turns. I haven’t seen a lot of New Adult Sci-Fi on the shelves at Amazon and it was nice to dip into a story that had romance & drama but also a touch of the fantastic as well. I recommend this book to those looking for a story that is more than just your normal YA/NA fix (not that there’s anything wrong with that). It’s possible that you might just end up like me, eagerly waiting for book #2 to come out so you can read more of Ariel and Luca’s story.
Things start to change however, when she meets Luca Grinaldi. He is, of course, gorgeous and someone Ariel is instantly fascinated with to the point of distraction. The author also has one of the funniest descriptions possible as well, when Ariel first encounters Luca:
"I gulped and blinked, scanning down. He wore a collared, hunter green button-up shirt rolled at the sleeves. The material did very little to cover up the lean, muscular body beneath. And those jeans...good Lord those jeans. the dark wash, vintage style hugged every bit of him until they stopped at the brown leather shoes encasing his sexy feet. Sexy feet? Did I just think that?"
I seriously *loved* the sexy feet comment!!!!
Luca is quite rude and awkward the first few times they meet which confuses Ariel to no end as one minute she thinks he might be into her and then he seems to contradict that by treating her poorly. All this is enough to cause any college student problems but then the proverbial crap hits the fan and the meat of the story really begins.
Ariel was perhaps the best developed character in the book which isn’t terribly shocking as you read the story from her perspective. She was a main character that I could respect and didn’t feel the need to continually pound my head on my desk in frustration over her being ditzy or helpless all the time. She responded to her ever-changing and challenging circumstances in ways that made sense to me. She wasn’t always amazing – she was afraid, she cried and questioned but in the end, she also pulled up her big girl panties and got down to work. The rest of Ms. Smith’s cast of characters were all fairly well developed with my favorite being Ariel’s best friend Piper – who was loud and outspoken, along with being fiercely loyal and sweet.
I’m not sure when I began to see parallels to Twilight while reading this book but it completely hit me over the head once I’d had a chance to digest the story as whole. Ariel is a more believable (and much less frustrating) version of Bella – klutzy but capable. She has flaws and insecurities and really likes the hot guy who she cannot believe could really like her in return. Luca is a similar hero to Edward; he’s introspective and wants to protect Ariel at all costs, even to the detriment of their relationship or himself. This book is its own story though and while there are parallels to Twilight, don’t read it expecting Stephenie Meyer’s world to suddenly jump off the pages.
I don’t want to say too much more about the story as I would hate to spoil any of the authors’ well thought out twists and turns. I haven’t seen a lot of New Adult Sci-Fi on the shelves at Amazon and it was nice to dip into a story that had romance & drama but also a touch of the fantastic as well. I recommend this book to those looking for a story that is more than just your normal YA/NA fix (not that there’s anything wrong with that). It’s possible that you might just end up like me, eagerly waiting for book #2 to come out so you can read more of Ariel and Luca’s story.
April 6, 2013
I've noticed lately that I rarely give too many low ratings. I believe the lowest I ever give is always three stars, unless I really can't stand the characters or no matter how much I tried I couldn't get lost in the story. I was intrigued by the title, cover and the synopsis for this book, I have no idea what possessed me to believe this was a vampire book, but I wanted to give it a shot. Well, it's not a vampish book at all. And to honest I am disappointed, I wanted to tango with the fanged creatures of the night.
Ariel Richmond is in her third year of college and she's determined to keep her life as uneventful and normal as possible. But her sudden run in with Luca Grinaldi sends her life into chaos, and when a tragic event unfolds sends her running, she must decide whom to trust. With Luca being the only one willing to help her, she places her life in his hands, even if Luca is hiding something.
It's sad that, right from the beginning I knew that if this character didn't get her shit together and grow, I wasn't going to be too happy about having picked this book up. First, and this might seem petty, but when she wakes up late for her first day of exams, everything seems be going utterly wrong. Her alarm never went off, her car brakes down, and she unfortunately lands her butt in a mud puddle, perfect right? Obviously not, and we'd be totally pissed and wishing the earth would just swallow us whole right then and there, but we'd at least try to maintain composure, some… maturity. All Ariel did was throw a tantrum until someone came to her rescue. Then there was the issue with her best friend. As much as she said she loved her, she was such a catty bitch to her. Enter Luca Grinaldi and he's all she can see. The guy is a total douche to her from the start, yet it's ok to pine over him because he's so hot!
Luca didn't turn out to be a vamp, instead he's an alien from a world called Elda. The Eldaens have a program known as The Hunter Program which places Eldaen children with placement families that will raise them on Earth until they are ready to begin training. What the Hunter Program does is send out its hunters to find "ripples", which happen to be the humans in this case, and eliminate them because Eldaens believe humans will eventually destroy their home planet. Even though this may not seem as interesting as it could be, there's more to the Hunter Program than just a bunch of aliens destroying humans for the sake of saving their planet.
As far as the romance I was unimpressed. It seemed rather insta-lovish and because of the fact that Ariel couldn't think of anything other than how utterly HOT Luca is, I didn't believe that she was interested in him other than physically. So how did they get from Point A to Point Z in matter of days?
The secondary characters did very little to impress me either, except maybe Gemini because he kicks her ass but good, lol. However, they all seemed to be cardboard cut outs just for the sake of having someone else in the book. The writing is light and the story told from first person perspective through Ariel, and maybe things get better during the second installment but I won't be continuing this series.
Ariel Richmond is in her third year of college and she's determined to keep her life as uneventful and normal as possible. But her sudden run in with Luca Grinaldi sends her life into chaos, and when a tragic event unfolds sends her running, she must decide whom to trust. With Luca being the only one willing to help her, she places her life in his hands, even if Luca is hiding something.
It's sad that, right from the beginning I knew that if this character didn't get her shit together and grow, I wasn't going to be too happy about having picked this book up. First, and this might seem petty, but when she wakes up late for her first day of exams, everything seems be going utterly wrong. Her alarm never went off, her car brakes down, and she unfortunately lands her butt in a mud puddle, perfect right? Obviously not, and we'd be totally pissed and wishing the earth would just swallow us whole right then and there, but we'd at least try to maintain composure, some… maturity. All Ariel did was throw a tantrum until someone came to her rescue. Then there was the issue with her best friend. As much as she said she loved her, she was such a catty bitch to her. Enter Luca Grinaldi and he's all she can see. The guy is a total douche to her from the start, yet it's ok to pine over him because he's so hot!
Luca didn't turn out to be a vamp, instead he's an alien from a world called Elda. The Eldaens have a program known as The Hunter Program which places Eldaen children with placement families that will raise them on Earth until they are ready to begin training. What the Hunter Program does is send out its hunters to find "ripples", which happen to be the humans in this case, and eliminate them because Eldaens believe humans will eventually destroy their home planet. Even though this may not seem as interesting as it could be, there's more to the Hunter Program than just a bunch of aliens destroying humans for the sake of saving their planet.
As far as the romance I was unimpressed. It seemed rather insta-lovish and because of the fact that Ariel couldn't think of anything other than how utterly HOT Luca is, I didn't believe that she was interested in him other than physically. So how did they get from Point A to Point Z in matter of days?
The secondary characters did very little to impress me either, except maybe Gemini because he kicks her ass but good, lol. However, they all seemed to be cardboard cut outs just for the sake of having someone else in the book. The writing is light and the story told from first person perspective through Ariel, and maybe things get better during the second installment but I won't be continuing this series.
November 15, 2012
When I first heard about this book, I was instantly intrigued. I love New Adult but I haven't really read any with Science Fiction mixed into it. I thought I knew how the book would unfold but to my surprise and delight, this book wasn't at all how I first thought it would be.
At first, I had a bit of hard time liking Ariel. She was just so ditsy and was all over the place. I get that she was trying to make her relate able and all but after the fifth time she fell or knock something over I just found it irritating. Another thing I didn't really like about her was the way she acted like a complete idiot whenever around Luca. I swear like most of the chapters in the beginning where just her going on and one about his looks and I'm like "I got it the first five times can we move on!" Luckily, eventually she moves past her moment of crazy fan girl and starts acting like a normal person around him; and that's when I really started liking her. Ariel is strong, has a really sad past and I loved how she never seemed to give up.
Luca wasn't exactly nice when Ariel first meets him so I was wondering how they would end up being friends. I didn't really like him much in the beginning but he grew on me very quickly and I knew there was a reason behind why he would act so hot and cold at times. I really like the paranormal aspect of this book. I really didn't know what to expect and half the book I kept thinking I knew what he was and what would happen only for something else to happen and I'd be back to square one again.
There is romance but it's not very detailed and doesn't seem to be the main focus of the story. They do get together but it always seems to just fade into the background. A lot of unfortunate events happen in this book and I was honestly shocked how some things went down. I wish some things could have been different but I know that some things were necessary.
I really enjoyed The Crimson Hunt and I'm definitely looking forward to reading more. And I especially enjoyed the bonus scene at the end of the book; it was great to see things from Luca's eyes. If you enjoy New Adult and like paranormal reads with a great mix of mystery and romance then I'd definitely recommend you pick up this book!
*Received from Author in exchange for an honest review.
**This review also appears on my blog World of Books
At first, I had a bit of hard time liking Ariel. She was just so ditsy and was all over the place. I get that she was trying to make her relate able and all but after the fifth time she fell or knock something over I just found it irritating. Another thing I didn't really like about her was the way she acted like a complete idiot whenever around Luca. I swear like most of the chapters in the beginning where just her going on and one about his looks and I'm like "I got it the first five times can we move on!" Luckily, eventually she moves past her moment of crazy fan girl and starts acting like a normal person around him; and that's when I really started liking her. Ariel is strong, has a really sad past and I loved how she never seemed to give up.
Luca wasn't exactly nice when Ariel first meets him so I was wondering how they would end up being friends. I didn't really like him much in the beginning but he grew on me very quickly and I knew there was a reason behind why he would act so hot and cold at times. I really like the paranormal aspect of this book. I really didn't know what to expect and half the book I kept thinking I knew what he was and what would happen only for something else to happen and I'd be back to square one again.
There is romance but it's not very detailed and doesn't seem to be the main focus of the story. They do get together but it always seems to just fade into the background. A lot of unfortunate events happen in this book and I was honestly shocked how some things went down. I wish some things could have been different but I know that some things were necessary.
I really enjoyed The Crimson Hunt and I'm definitely looking forward to reading more. And I especially enjoyed the bonus scene at the end of the book; it was great to see things from Luca's eyes. If you enjoy New Adult and like paranormal reads with a great mix of mystery and romance then I'd definitely recommend you pick up this book!
*Received from Author in exchange for an honest review.
**This review also appears on my blog World of Books
November 25, 2012
This review can be seen on my blog Escape2b.blogspot.com
The Crimson Hunt was such an emotional experience! It's been a week of trying to get my thoughts together and form a coherent sentence. There were times when I was thinking "NOO! Don't do it! AHHH! I can't take it!" -runs from room- Other times I was chanting, " Do it! Do it! Do it!"
As you can imagine The Crimson Hunt had many ups and downs as you learn more about the Luca and Ariel's role to play in these "mysterious" events. I have to say that this summary doesn't even cover all that happens in this book. There is so much much drama, romance, and action!
This isn't a story in which the entire book is about the heroine finding out about the hero's tragic secret. Those events happen pretty fast with Ariel finding out that Luca is really a *I'm sorry, I can't spoil it. Though hint, in the summary it says "unworldly". . . * Then instead of wimping out and having Luca do all of the work, Ariel and Luca fight for there relationship. Shh! I will not give away the entire book! Stop asking!
Ariel was a very realistic character who often acted a lot like me. (Expect I don't get a hot guy with science fiction "aspects" - something is wrong here.) She stood up for herself and the ones she loves. The connection between Luca and her was intense!
Speaking of Luca... *le sigh* Where can I get a guy like Luca? Seriously! I have nothing bad to say about him. He was intense, smart, sweet, and protective. I could go on and on.
Overall, I really, really, really liked the Crimson Hunt! It was romantic, fast moving, and full of action! It fully deserves four stars! I can't wait for the following book!
The Crimson Hunt was such an emotional experience! It's been a week of trying to get my thoughts together and form a coherent sentence. There were times when I was thinking "NOO! Don't do it! AHHH! I can't take it!" -runs from room- Other times I was chanting, " Do it! Do it! Do it!"
As you can imagine The Crimson Hunt had many ups and downs as you learn more about the Luca and Ariel's role to play in these "mysterious" events. I have to say that this summary doesn't even cover all that happens in this book. There is so much much drama, romance, and action!
This isn't a story in which the entire book is about the heroine finding out about the hero's tragic secret. Those events happen pretty fast with Ariel finding out that Luca is really a *I'm sorry, I can't spoil it. Though hint, in the summary it says "unworldly". . . * Then instead of wimping out and having Luca do all of the work, Ariel and Luca fight for there relationship. Shh! I will not give away the entire book! Stop asking!
Ariel was a very realistic character who often acted a lot like me. (Expect I don't get a hot guy with science fiction "aspects" - something is wrong here.) She stood up for herself and the ones she loves. The connection between Luca and her was intense!
Speaking of Luca... *le sigh* Where can I get a guy like Luca? Seriously! I have nothing bad to say about him. He was intense, smart, sweet, and protective. I could go on and on.
Overall, I really, really, really liked the Crimson Hunt! It was romantic, fast moving, and full of action! It fully deserves four stars! I can't wait for the following book!
November 24, 2012
Ariel is your average college student: she's got homework woes, a best friend with a killer sense of humor and an aversion to jumping headfirst into romantic relationships. Until she meets Luca, however. Who just happens to be gorgeous, sexy and wonderfully equipped with an oh-so-swoonworthy Italian accent. He's also interested in Ariel. But things get tense when it becomes apparent that Luca might not be, ahem, "normal" in the sense that he's just another hot human boy. He might be much more, but he's not alone in that category. Ariel might turn out to be quite a little treasure chest of surprises herself, with secrets of the science-fiction variety.
Oh, my. So much romance, so little time. Victoria really has a wonderful sense of humor that she puts in her writing, which is one of the things that makes this book so unique. Ariel is a believable main character and Luca is, of course, the very handsome love interest that you KNOW you're reading this book for. (You know it's true!!! We love our hot book boyfriends!) Like Victoria says, there's plenty of "smexy" going on in this book and if you love New Adult stories with romance (like yours truly) then you've found the next addition to your TBR shelf!
Oh, my. So much romance, so little time. Victoria really has a wonderful sense of humor that she puts in her writing, which is one of the things that makes this book so unique. Ariel is a believable main character and Luca is, of course, the very handsome love interest that you KNOW you're reading this book for. (You know it's true!!! We love our hot book boyfriends!) Like Victoria says, there's plenty of "smexy" going on in this book and if you love New Adult stories with romance (like yours truly) then you've found the next addition to your TBR shelf!
October 1, 2012
I had the amazing chance to beta this story and wowza :) Very, very cool. The only bad thing is I have to wait for the sequel!!
March 5, 2013
Loved it! A fresh story with a twist in the middle I, for one, was not expecting! Anxiously awaiting the next book in the series...
August 16, 2013
4.5 Stars...but I round up :)
“The Crimson Hunt was an exciting new adult science fiction romance book with just the right amount of twists, unexpected events, adventure and romance to keep you coming back for more!”
-Down the Rabbit Hole
I recently made the decision to spice up my reading a bit and read something completely outside of my element. I came across sign-ups for The Eladaen Light Chronicles blog tour and after reading the book summary, was immediately intrigued (See blog tour post here). I’ve never felt drawn to the science fiction genre before, so I figured, why not give it a shot. Prior to the tour, I was provided a copy of The Crimson Hunt and The Bringer’s Quest to read and review. Before I get to my thoughts, I definitely want to say thank you to Victoria H. Smith for providing me with copies of these books. This series has completely changed my opinion of new adult science fiction books and I have to admit, I think I might be addicted. Who would have thought otherworldly beings could be so darn hot? From Luca to Gemini *sigh* Victoria added just enough suspense and adventure to keep me on my toes, while balancing it out with just enough romance to give me the warm and fuzzies. This story was unlike any other that I’ve read and the change of scenery was refreshing. Original concepts in books are definitely hard to come by these days and Victoria was able to create a sci-fi world that I couldn’t get enough of.
We’re introduced to our heroine, Ariel, at the very beginning of this book. At the age of five, she has just suffered the tragic loss of her parents as a result of an unexplainable house fire. Fast forward about 15 years and we’re in the present. Ariel is beginning her junior year of college and is moving into an off-campus house with her best friend Piper. Life seems to be going according to plan until she runs into Luca Grinaldi. And by run into, I do mean literally. Luca doesn’t come off as the nicest person in the beginning and I couldn’t help but wonder how in the world these two were going to get together. I mean come on…he literally left her in the hallway to pick up her papers after running into her. Jerk alert! But after a little while, Ariel starts to break down his walls and we begin to see a sweeter side of Luca, which was a nice change. I did feel like it took a little while for some of the secrets to be revealed. You realize later that Victoria was just setting us up for another twist, which was awesome, but the question of whether or not sparks will fly between these two hung in the balance for a little while longer than I would have liked. I’m a big fan of romance so I wanted it all, hook, line and sinker and ASAP. But the romance between these two, while amazing, isn’t really the main focus of the story. It is one of my favorite aspects though :)
I don’t think I can say enough good things about these characters. I fell in love with Ariel right from the beginning. She’s quirky and fun and her inner monologues reminded me a lot of my own. Victoria really has a good sense of humor and it showed in her writing on more than one occasion…
“And those jeans…good Lord those jeans. The dark wash, vintage style hugged every bit of him until they stopped at the brown leather shoes encasing his sexy feet.
Sexy feet? Did I just think that?”
The banter between Ariel and Piper reminded me at times of my own bestie and myself and their interactions definitely made me laugh. While her spunky attitude is what drew me in, Ariel’s also a very strong character. Although she’s forced to deal with a tremendous amount of loss, she remains strong and I admired her for that. As secrets begin to unravel, we find that Ariel plays a much larger part in this story than we could have ever imagined! I loved the way Victoria set everything up. It all came together nicely and I never saw it coming. I can’t wait to follow Ariel’s adventures and see how she handles her new found role in The Bringer’s Quest.
Luca, on the other hand, is one complex character. At the beginning he’s so hot and cold that it’s hard just to keep up! And he was always so proper! Of course he’s gorgeous but I felt myself going back and forth about him for the first part of the story. I would be skeptical and think she couldn’t trust him and then spin around and be thinking “MAKE.A.MOVE!” However, with a little time I began to see his intentions were genuine and I found myself swooning over him the more I read. The chemistry between Luca and Ariel was off the charts and up until they got together, the sexual tension was crazy! Luca did his best to keep a good distance for a while and as I mentioned before, this frustrated me a little. I wanted nothing more than for these two to be happy and it seemed like their relationship was hopeless and going nowhere. He’s definitely a stubborn one that Luca. But once he admits his feelings, I seriously couldn’t put this book down! The romance between these two was both steamy and sexy. Combine that with the action packed sci-fi story line, complete with supernatural powers, and we have a winner!
I also want to add that Victoria did an amazing job with not only her main characters but with building up her side characters as well. I loved Luca’s parents! They’re so adorable and in love. It melted my heart. Then there was Gemini…I can’t wait to dive into his story in Incandescence. I have to say my favorite side character had to be Bailey though. She was so sweet and I’m anxious to read about her in the next book. Victoria did a great job of making me want to get to know every single one of her characters. Even though some were evil, I still found them interesting.
All in all, The Crimson Hunt was an exciting read and I was quickly drawn into the Eldaen world Victoria has created. It does start off a little slow, but once things picked up, The Crimson Hunt took me on an amazing adventure. I love Ariel and Luca as a couple and I can’t wait to see where this story goes in The Bringer’s Quest. I also can’t help but hope that we’ll get more of this story from Luca’s point of view. The bonus scene at the end of this book left me wanting more!
This review can also be found at onereaderswonderland.com.
“The Crimson Hunt was an exciting new adult science fiction romance book with just the right amount of twists, unexpected events, adventure and romance to keep you coming back for more!”
-Down the Rabbit Hole
I recently made the decision to spice up my reading a bit and read something completely outside of my element. I came across sign-ups for The Eladaen Light Chronicles blog tour and after reading the book summary, was immediately intrigued (See blog tour post here). I’ve never felt drawn to the science fiction genre before, so I figured, why not give it a shot. Prior to the tour, I was provided a copy of The Crimson Hunt and The Bringer’s Quest to read and review. Before I get to my thoughts, I definitely want to say thank you to Victoria H. Smith for providing me with copies of these books. This series has completely changed my opinion of new adult science fiction books and I have to admit, I think I might be addicted. Who would have thought otherworldly beings could be so darn hot? From Luca to Gemini *sigh* Victoria added just enough suspense and adventure to keep me on my toes, while balancing it out with just enough romance to give me the warm and fuzzies. This story was unlike any other that I’ve read and the change of scenery was refreshing. Original concepts in books are definitely hard to come by these days and Victoria was able to create a sci-fi world that I couldn’t get enough of.
We’re introduced to our heroine, Ariel, at the very beginning of this book. At the age of five, she has just suffered the tragic loss of her parents as a result of an unexplainable house fire. Fast forward about 15 years and we’re in the present. Ariel is beginning her junior year of college and is moving into an off-campus house with her best friend Piper. Life seems to be going according to plan until she runs into Luca Grinaldi. And by run into, I do mean literally. Luca doesn’t come off as the nicest person in the beginning and I couldn’t help but wonder how in the world these two were going to get together. I mean come on…he literally left her in the hallway to pick up her papers after running into her. Jerk alert! But after a little while, Ariel starts to break down his walls and we begin to see a sweeter side of Luca, which was a nice change. I did feel like it took a little while for some of the secrets to be revealed. You realize later that Victoria was just setting us up for another twist, which was awesome, but the question of whether or not sparks will fly between these two hung in the balance for a little while longer than I would have liked. I’m a big fan of romance so I wanted it all, hook, line and sinker and ASAP. But the romance between these two, while amazing, isn’t really the main focus of the story. It is one of my favorite aspects though :)
I don’t think I can say enough good things about these characters. I fell in love with Ariel right from the beginning. She’s quirky and fun and her inner monologues reminded me a lot of my own. Victoria really has a good sense of humor and it showed in her writing on more than one occasion…
“And those jeans…good Lord those jeans. The dark wash, vintage style hugged every bit of him until they stopped at the brown leather shoes encasing his sexy feet.
Sexy feet? Did I just think that?”
The banter between Ariel and Piper reminded me at times of my own bestie and myself and their interactions definitely made me laugh. While her spunky attitude is what drew me in, Ariel’s also a very strong character. Although she’s forced to deal with a tremendous amount of loss, she remains strong and I admired her for that. As secrets begin to unravel, we find that Ariel plays a much larger part in this story than we could have ever imagined! I loved the way Victoria set everything up. It all came together nicely and I never saw it coming. I can’t wait to follow Ariel’s adventures and see how she handles her new found role in The Bringer’s Quest.
Luca, on the other hand, is one complex character. At the beginning he’s so hot and cold that it’s hard just to keep up! And he was always so proper! Of course he’s gorgeous but I felt myself going back and forth about him for the first part of the story. I would be skeptical and think she couldn’t trust him and then spin around and be thinking “MAKE.A.MOVE!” However, with a little time I began to see his intentions were genuine and I found myself swooning over him the more I read. The chemistry between Luca and Ariel was off the charts and up until they got together, the sexual tension was crazy! Luca did his best to keep a good distance for a while and as I mentioned before, this frustrated me a little. I wanted nothing more than for these two to be happy and it seemed like their relationship was hopeless and going nowhere. He’s definitely a stubborn one that Luca. But once he admits his feelings, I seriously couldn’t put this book down! The romance between these two was both steamy and sexy. Combine that with the action packed sci-fi story line, complete with supernatural powers, and we have a winner!
I also want to add that Victoria did an amazing job with not only her main characters but with building up her side characters as well. I loved Luca’s parents! They’re so adorable and in love. It melted my heart. Then there was Gemini…I can’t wait to dive into his story in Incandescence. I have to say my favorite side character had to be Bailey though. She was so sweet and I’m anxious to read about her in the next book. Victoria did a great job of making me want to get to know every single one of her characters. Even though some were evil, I still found them interesting.
All in all, The Crimson Hunt was an exciting read and I was quickly drawn into the Eldaen world Victoria has created. It does start off a little slow, but once things picked up, The Crimson Hunt took me on an amazing adventure. I love Ariel and Luca as a couple and I can’t wait to see where this story goes in The Bringer’s Quest. I also can’t help but hope that we’ll get more of this story from Luca’s point of view. The bonus scene at the end of this book left me wanting more!
This review can also be found at onereaderswonderland.com.
February 21, 2013
I can honestly tell you, when I started reading this book, for the longest time I didn't know what was going to happen. I seriously did not have a clue on what was going on plot wise in the book and which direction it was heading.
The book starts easy enough it introduces Ariel and her best friend Piper, on the surface the book portrays the girls' life as normal. The girls go to their classes, they have boy-drama, typical college life with college problems. *cue for Luca to enter*
The moment Luca enters Ariels life, everything spirals out of control. The world as Ariel knows gets clouded in absolute darkness, death and chaos everywhere, dark secrets that she has to unlock with Luca's help, not to mention the danger that lurks at every corner.
I loved this book, the only reason I didn't give it a five stra is because I wanted to fell more in depth with Luca's and Ariel's feelings, not to misunderstand, we get to know them as characters well enough., it's just because I'm bit of control freak, and I need like detailed explaination for everything the characters do and their background.
Other than though, this is one of the best sci-fi I've read, when I was reading this book, I never thought about the similarities it shared with another book, or thougths like "that sounds familiar".
The books concepts and plot is a complete original which is hard to find these days, when practically every plot and story ever imagined has been either used so many time or altere just a bit around the details. Not this book though, The Crimson Hunt, is like one in a million, I have encountered a book that even reminds me of this book.
The book is very well written, I loved how Victoria created such strong characters, honestly though I expected to be a bit twilight-ish in concerning how the characters were portrayed, but I'll take my words back. I love how strong Ariel is, and even though she loves Luca's she would not let him off easy, whenever he made a mistake, no siree she called him upon every dang thing he did. I loved that she was stubborn, yet could also compromise, that even though it took a her long time she could forgive everything that happened.
As for Luca, he is dark and mysterious, and the secret that he keeps, in dangers everyone around Ariel. I swear, when I was first introduced to Luca in the book, I thought that boy was bipolar or something. The ups and downs, and the confusion and emotional conflict he inflicts on Ariel. I wanted to smack absolutely silly and twenty-way-to-sunday. I was frustrated with him so many times, but in the end you could understand the reasons behind his actions and why he is the ways he is, when he shares his secret with Ariel, you can actually sympathize wiht Luca with what he had to go through.
All in all I absolutely love this book, I can't wait to read the sequel, I'm looking forward to finding more about Luca and Ariel.
The book starts easy enough it introduces Ariel and her best friend Piper, on the surface the book portrays the girls' life as normal. The girls go to their classes, they have boy-drama, typical college life with college problems. *cue for Luca to enter*
The moment Luca enters Ariels life, everything spirals out of control. The world as Ariel knows gets clouded in absolute darkness, death and chaos everywhere, dark secrets that she has to unlock with Luca's help, not to mention the danger that lurks at every corner.
I loved this book, the only reason I didn't give it a five stra is because I wanted to fell more in depth with Luca's and Ariel's feelings, not to misunderstand, we get to know them as characters well enough., it's just because I'm bit of control freak, and I need like detailed explaination for everything the characters do and their background.
Other than though, this is one of the best sci-fi I've read, when I was reading this book, I never thought about the similarities it shared with another book, or thougths like "that sounds familiar".
The books concepts and plot is a complete original which is hard to find these days, when practically every plot and story ever imagined has been either used so many time or altere just a bit around the details. Not this book though, The Crimson Hunt, is like one in a million, I have encountered a book that even reminds me of this book.
The book is very well written, I loved how Victoria created such strong characters, honestly though I expected to be a bit twilight-ish in concerning how the characters were portrayed, but I'll take my words back. I love how strong Ariel is, and even though she loves Luca's she would not let him off easy, whenever he made a mistake, no siree she called him upon every dang thing he did. I loved that she was stubborn, yet could also compromise, that even though it took a her long time she could forgive everything that happened.
As for Luca, he is dark and mysterious, and the secret that he keeps, in dangers everyone around Ariel. I swear, when I was first introduced to Luca in the book, I thought that boy was bipolar or something. The ups and downs, and the confusion and emotional conflict he inflicts on Ariel. I wanted to smack absolutely silly and twenty-way-to-sunday. I was frustrated with him so many times, but in the end you could understand the reasons behind his actions and why he is the ways he is, when he shares his secret with Ariel, you can actually sympathize wiht Luca with what he had to go through.
All in all I absolutely love this book, I can't wait to read the sequel, I'm looking forward to finding more about Luca and Ariel.
February 6, 2013
This was such a neat twist on the paranormal/sci fi storyline! Victoria Smith packs in captivating characters, action-packed thrills, suspense, and a genuinely unique plot into an otherworldly love story that I really enjoyed reading!
Most of the first half of this book lulls the reader into a sense of false normalcy, with Ariel carrying out her days as a college student with her best friend Piper. They deal with the usual college drama-boys, challenging classes, worries about their future careers, and finding time to squeeze in the occasional party. But the mysterious Luca has planted a seed in Ariel's mind that has him front and center of her thoughts, whether she wants him there or not. Sure he's gorgeous with a perfect body, but he's also rude one minute and flirtatious the next, leaving her confused and wondering why she bothers. There were many times where I wanted her to just grab Luca by the collar and plant one on him, but there's a reason for his hot and cold behavior. It all started to make sense once it became clear Luca was not just the hottie with a split personality disorder. He's in her life for a reason, and it puts her in grave danger from a threat not of this world, but it turns out she has a role to play, too...and it's a big one!
I loved that this story wasn't like anything I'd seen in the sci-fi genre, as original concepts are hard to come by these days. I don't want to give too much away, but Smith wove an intriguing web to create her Eldaen beings and to design their purpose on earth. Human-hunting assassins with supernatural powers, a determined young woman with something worth fighting for, and a prophecy of great change all came together while the future of two worlds hung in the balance. I do wish that it hadn't taken quite so long for the mystery to be revealed, as there was a section of the story that lagged for me. Once Luca shared his secrets with Ariel and he could admit his feelings for her, though, I was drawn into their romance and the suspense and danger that followed them. It was a sexy, exciting, thrilling adventure!
I really loved Ariel as a heroine, she was strong and had just the right amount of spunk in her attitude to keep me entertained. She and Piper together had me laughing over their banter, and she definitely brings out a side of Luca that made him easy to fall for. She's going to play a key role in the future of the human race when all is said and done, and I'm anxious to see how she handles her new fate. There are clearly some major battles ahead for her in this series, but I'm hoping she and Luca get the happy ending they deserve once the dust settles!!
A copy of this review can also be found at: http://www.autumnreview.com/2013/01/e...
Most of the first half of this book lulls the reader into a sense of false normalcy, with Ariel carrying out her days as a college student with her best friend Piper. They deal with the usual college drama-boys, challenging classes, worries about their future careers, and finding time to squeeze in the occasional party. But the mysterious Luca has planted a seed in Ariel's mind that has him front and center of her thoughts, whether she wants him there or not. Sure he's gorgeous with a perfect body, but he's also rude one minute and flirtatious the next, leaving her confused and wondering why she bothers. There were many times where I wanted her to just grab Luca by the collar and plant one on him, but there's a reason for his hot and cold behavior. It all started to make sense once it became clear Luca was not just the hottie with a split personality disorder. He's in her life for a reason, and it puts her in grave danger from a threat not of this world, but it turns out she has a role to play, too...and it's a big one!
I loved that this story wasn't like anything I'd seen in the sci-fi genre, as original concepts are hard to come by these days. I don't want to give too much away, but Smith wove an intriguing web to create her Eldaen beings and to design their purpose on earth. Human-hunting assassins with supernatural powers, a determined young woman with something worth fighting for, and a prophecy of great change all came together while the future of two worlds hung in the balance. I do wish that it hadn't taken quite so long for the mystery to be revealed, as there was a section of the story that lagged for me. Once Luca shared his secrets with Ariel and he could admit his feelings for her, though, I was drawn into their romance and the suspense and danger that followed them. It was a sexy, exciting, thrilling adventure!
I really loved Ariel as a heroine, she was strong and had just the right amount of spunk in her attitude to keep me entertained. She and Piper together had me laughing over their banter, and she definitely brings out a side of Luca that made him easy to fall for. She's going to play a key role in the future of the human race when all is said and done, and I'm anxious to see how she handles her new fate. There are clearly some major battles ahead for her in this series, but I'm hoping she and Luca get the happy ending they deserve once the dust settles!!
A copy of this review can also be found at: http://www.autumnreview.com/2013/01/e...
June 10, 2013
My Review
Favorite Quote(s):
"'When you saw me in the woods hat day I was walking away. I was walking away, Ariel. I physically could not make myself harm you. Because in that moment, I became completely and utterly aware of the fact that the plans stopped the day I met you.'"
Favorite Character: Luca. He's so swoony and adorable and sweet. And superpowers...those are always a plus.
First Line:
"Lights flashed in the night while smoke and the calls of the public service men and women filled the air."
My Musings: The Crimson Hunt was a uniquely written book about aliens. Although I usually do not gravitate much towards sci-fi, the blurb for this novel (as well as the promise of a swoonworthy male character!) reeled me in. And I am so glad that it did. The Crimson Hunt was a perfect combination of adventure, romance, and science fiction.
The novel was written in such a way that the plot flowed very well. The writing itself was very descriptive and it painted a clear picture of what was going on at the time in which events were occurring. There was no confusion as to what was happening in the novel. This was a plus, seeing as so many things took place in the novel. The plot itself was fantastically weaved, with fast paced action. We followed Luca and Ariel as they try to figure out Ariel's destiny--that is, of course, after some super dangerous situations and rebellion on behalf of Luca. There was honestly never a dull moment.
I enjoyed the characters immensely. Ariel was a well developed, relatable character. I enjoyed her personality, and she came off as a headstrong character that was willing to do what was right, even if it meant self sacrifice. I cannot wait to follow Ariel through her adventures in the coming novels. I also enjoyed Luca. Luca was a very complex character, what with being supernatural and all. The thing that I loved about his character was the way that he talked. The fact that he talked using formal language gave him an idiosyncratic characterization that helped to further his dynamics as a character. He was absolutely adorable and knew just what to say to make me swoon--plus! He's Italian, and foreign hotties are awesome! Their romance together was steamy and sexy to say the least, but without all the sexy times that are common in New Adult titles. Smith was able to create a passionate love without the physical intimacy, which was a very unique concept. Luca and Ariel are pretty much perfect for each other, and I cannot wait to see how everything pans out.
The Crimson Hunt was an extravagant novel that pulled me in and kept me there for the duration of the novel. A great mix of science fiction, romance, and action, The Crimson Hunt is a New Adult must read
Favorite Quote(s):
"'When you saw me in the woods hat day I was walking away. I was walking away, Ariel. I physically could not make myself harm you. Because in that moment, I became completely and utterly aware of the fact that the plans stopped the day I met you.'"
Favorite Character: Luca. He's so swoony and adorable and sweet. And superpowers...those are always a plus.
First Line:
"Lights flashed in the night while smoke and the calls of the public service men and women filled the air."
My Musings: The Crimson Hunt was a uniquely written book about aliens. Although I usually do not gravitate much towards sci-fi, the blurb for this novel (as well as the promise of a swoonworthy male character!) reeled me in. And I am so glad that it did. The Crimson Hunt was a perfect combination of adventure, romance, and science fiction.
The novel was written in such a way that the plot flowed very well. The writing itself was very descriptive and it painted a clear picture of what was going on at the time in which events were occurring. There was no confusion as to what was happening in the novel. This was a plus, seeing as so many things took place in the novel. The plot itself was fantastically weaved, with fast paced action. We followed Luca and Ariel as they try to figure out Ariel's destiny--that is, of course, after some super dangerous situations and rebellion on behalf of Luca. There was honestly never a dull moment.
I enjoyed the characters immensely. Ariel was a well developed, relatable character. I enjoyed her personality, and she came off as a headstrong character that was willing to do what was right, even if it meant self sacrifice. I cannot wait to follow Ariel through her adventures in the coming novels. I also enjoyed Luca. Luca was a very complex character, what with being supernatural and all. The thing that I loved about his character was the way that he talked. The fact that he talked using formal language gave him an idiosyncratic characterization that helped to further his dynamics as a character. He was absolutely adorable and knew just what to say to make me swoon--plus! He's Italian, and foreign hotties are awesome! Their romance together was steamy and sexy to say the least, but without all the sexy times that are common in New Adult titles. Smith was able to create a passionate love without the physical intimacy, which was a very unique concept. Luca and Ariel are pretty much perfect for each other, and I cannot wait to see how everything pans out.
The Crimson Hunt was an extravagant novel that pulled me in and kept me there for the duration of the novel. A great mix of science fiction, romance, and action, The Crimson Hunt is a New Adult must read
March 24, 2013
Author Victoria H. Smith has created an inventive and unique story that blends new adult romance, science fiction, and urban fantasy in a very compelling way. I have read only one other book of this type, and it's refreshing to find something new and different in a world of werewolves, vampires, witches, and angels. The college setting gives it a more adult feel and allows for more freedom for the story to take the reader in directions that wouldn't have been possible for a younger setting.
The characters were memorable, especially Ariel, who manages to bring something new to the young adult heroine. She's not your typical sweetsy girl, but also isn't the badass girl that are in a lot of YA books today. She's gentle and kind in such a way that made her very sympathetic to the reader. She's been through loss but still has such a big heart. It was so sad to see some of the things that happen to her, but she does have a layer of strength to her as well that makes you root for her. There are a couple of times in the story that she makes some bad choices and you just wanted to yell at her say, "you were warned not to do that! What are you thinking?" But this made her even more real, so it worked.
Luca was dark, mysterious, but not in a smoldering bad boy way. He was more of a gentle soul who can be bad at times and whom we know next to nothing about until later in the story when secrets begin to emerge. I loved the choices that he makes, and how devoted he is to Ariel. I definitely became a fan of this guy, despite the fact that I knew he couldn't be entirely trusted and was keeping secrets.
The romance was sweet, but also steamy with sexual tension. There were a couple really amazing scenes between these two which really locks the reader into the romance and has you rooting for them to be together.
When the secrets began to emerge and the mystery was slowly revealed, I was amazed and pleasantly surprised, because it wasn't at all what I was expecting. I enjoyed that aspect... the fact that the author knew just when and when not to reveal more layers. There was a gradually build up to the dark moment that was very compelling and made the pacing perfect. I really enjoyed the book, the writing, the characters, and the romance. I'm definitely looking forward to the next book in the series and to see what happens to these amazing characters.
The characters were memorable, especially Ariel, who manages to bring something new to the young adult heroine. She's not your typical sweetsy girl, but also isn't the badass girl that are in a lot of YA books today. She's gentle and kind in such a way that made her very sympathetic to the reader. She's been through loss but still has such a big heart. It was so sad to see some of the things that happen to her, but she does have a layer of strength to her as well that makes you root for her. There are a couple of times in the story that she makes some bad choices and you just wanted to yell at her say, "you were warned not to do that! What are you thinking?" But this made her even more real, so it worked.
Luca was dark, mysterious, but not in a smoldering bad boy way. He was more of a gentle soul who can be bad at times and whom we know next to nothing about until later in the story when secrets begin to emerge. I loved the choices that he makes, and how devoted he is to Ariel. I definitely became a fan of this guy, despite the fact that I knew he couldn't be entirely trusted and was keeping secrets.
The romance was sweet, but also steamy with sexual tension. There were a couple really amazing scenes between these two which really locks the reader into the romance and has you rooting for them to be together.
When the secrets began to emerge and the mystery was slowly revealed, I was amazed and pleasantly surprised, because it wasn't at all what I was expecting. I enjoyed that aspect... the fact that the author knew just when and when not to reveal more layers. There was a gradually build up to the dark moment that was very compelling and made the pacing perfect. I really enjoyed the book, the writing, the characters, and the romance. I'm definitely looking forward to the next book in the series and to see what happens to these amazing characters.
May 29, 2013
3.5 Stars!
Warning: this review is kind of rambly
Victoria H. Smith’s The Crimson Hunt is a good solid start to a series that has great potential. This book does have its flaws but Smith has written some very, very good things in this story. Let us get more into detail.
I will say that The Crimson Hunt has a slow beginning. Not a boring beginning but it is slow. It had the feel of a contemporary novel. But after getting through the slow beginning, things start to take off, and the reader is treated with a delicious read. The story becomes more dark and sinister and exciting and mysterious. It becomes something that I couldn’t stop reading.
When I said Smith’s story has great potential I meant it. She has a great idea and I can’t wait to see how she develops it. I can’t tell you what that great idea is since it would be a big, fat spoilery spoiler but I will say that it seemed like a interesting take on the science fiction genre to me. Though I am not the most avid reader is the genre so that is up to you.
It is when we start talking about the characters when I start pointing out the flaws of this book. There are some characters I really loved like the main character Ariel and her best friend Piper. Ariel was a subdued protagonist and she fitted well into the story. She is kind and tries her best. She can also be very brave when she wanted. Piper was loud and wild, and I loved her for that. She can talk a bit vulgar at times but I found her to be quite admirable.
But then there are some characters that aren’t remarkable at all. I felt that Luca is a bit bland and not very easy to feel for. The side characters were likeable but only that. There was one side character that truly stood out to me and that was Bailey, the girl with the red hair. I felt an unexpected kinship with her.
I also thought that the beginning stages of Ariel and Luca’s relationship to be a bit silly. This is mostly because of Ariel’s constant rambles about how hot Luca was and how he made her legs turn to jelly. Ariel does get better in the middle of the book so keep that in mind
Overall, The Crimson Hunt is worth reading and is a good start to a series. I can not wait to see what Smith will do next. I believe this series to be promising and that it can only get better!
*This post is part of The Crimson Hunt Blog Tour. An advanced copy was provided in exchange for a honest review.
Warning: this review is kind of rambly
Victoria H. Smith’s The Crimson Hunt is a good solid start to a series that has great potential. This book does have its flaws but Smith has written some very, very good things in this story. Let us get more into detail.
I will say that The Crimson Hunt has a slow beginning. Not a boring beginning but it is slow. It had the feel of a contemporary novel. But after getting through the slow beginning, things start to take off, and the reader is treated with a delicious read. The story becomes more dark and sinister and exciting and mysterious. It becomes something that I couldn’t stop reading.
When I said Smith’s story has great potential I meant it. She has a great idea and I can’t wait to see how she develops it. I can’t tell you what that great idea is since it would be a big, fat spoilery spoiler but I will say that it seemed like a interesting take on the science fiction genre to me. Though I am not the most avid reader is the genre so that is up to you.
It is when we start talking about the characters when I start pointing out the flaws of this book. There are some characters I really loved like the main character Ariel and her best friend Piper. Ariel was a subdued protagonist and she fitted well into the story. She is kind and tries her best. She can also be very brave when she wanted. Piper was loud and wild, and I loved her for that. She can talk a bit vulgar at times but I found her to be quite admirable.
But then there are some characters that aren’t remarkable at all. I felt that Luca is a bit bland and not very easy to feel for. The side characters were likeable but only that. There was one side character that truly stood out to me and that was Bailey, the girl with the red hair. I felt an unexpected kinship with her.
I also thought that the beginning stages of Ariel and Luca’s relationship to be a bit silly. This is mostly because of Ariel’s constant rambles about how hot Luca was and how he made her legs turn to jelly. Ariel does get better in the middle of the book so keep that in mind
Overall, The Crimson Hunt is worth reading and is a good start to a series. I can not wait to see what Smith will do next. I believe this series to be promising and that it can only get better!
*This post is part of The Crimson Hunt Blog Tour. An advanced copy was provided in exchange for a honest review.
December 25, 2012
First off, let me just thank the author, Victoria H. Smith, for letting me have a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Second, I really liked this book. It had a totally interesting and original premise, and a great heroine. Ariel is definitely one of my favorite parts of this book. She starts off as a very believable, normal college student, and you can really relate to her. Then, things start to happen, and this girl you could be great friends with in real life is going through all of these things, and you just get sucked into the story.
Then, there's Luca. There's so much to talk about here. At first, when he was introduced, there was a lot of narration about how great he looked, but I appreciated that Ariel was not immediately won over by his looks. I love that there is more to Luca than just his appearance. We come to understand so much more about him over the course of the story, and it becomes understandable why Ariel loves him. I always appreciate when the main romance in a story is reasonable, and not just physical attraction made to look like love.
I also loved a lot of the side characters, like Luca's family, Gemini, and Bailey. What a totally awesome little girl Bailey was, and what a wonderful family Luca had. I loved them.
The world-building was original, as I have already stated. It's always amazing to me when an author creates a whole world or mythology of his or her own. I love it, and it always makes a book more interesting. This certainly holds true for this book. I kept wondering what was going on, who people really were, and how the book would end. It got to be very unputdownable.
Therefore, with all that said, I'm so happy that I read this book. I was going to buy it, but I sincerely thank the author again, for giving me a copy to review. Hopefully I have given you all an incentive to read this book. I can't wait to see what happens next in this series, and it's a great introduction into the New Adult Sci-Fi category. Now, I must find more.
Second, I really liked this book. It had a totally interesting and original premise, and a great heroine. Ariel is definitely one of my favorite parts of this book. She starts off as a very believable, normal college student, and you can really relate to her. Then, things start to happen, and this girl you could be great friends with in real life is going through all of these things, and you just get sucked into the story.
Then, there's Luca. There's so much to talk about here. At first, when he was introduced, there was a lot of narration about how great he looked, but I appreciated that Ariel was not immediately won over by his looks. I love that there is more to Luca than just his appearance. We come to understand so much more about him over the course of the story, and it becomes understandable why Ariel loves him. I always appreciate when the main romance in a story is reasonable, and not just physical attraction made to look like love.
I also loved a lot of the side characters, like Luca's family, Gemini, and Bailey. What a totally awesome little girl Bailey was, and what a wonderful family Luca had. I loved them.
The world-building was original, as I have already stated. It's always amazing to me when an author creates a whole world or mythology of his or her own. I love it, and it always makes a book more interesting. This certainly holds true for this book. I kept wondering what was going on, who people really were, and how the book would end. It got to be very unputdownable.
Therefore, with all that said, I'm so happy that I read this book. I was going to buy it, but I sincerely thank the author again, for giving me a copy to review. Hopefully I have given you all an incentive to read this book. I can't wait to see what happens next in this series, and it's a great introduction into the New Adult Sci-Fi category. Now, I must find more.
March 18, 2013
This review is also posted on my blog, Anatea's Bookshelf.
I am always intrigued by reading books that feature aliens, and so far, I haven't read a book I did not like. There is so much to aliens and every author has their own vision of "the little green ones" that makes those books so interesting. The Crimson Hunt itself has a very unique storyline with a lot of twists that will keep you wanting more.
In the beginning of this book we meet Ariel and her best friend Piper. They live a normal life, go to college, have trouble in some classes, have boy problems, the normal stuff. But things start getting exciting when Ariel meets Luca and she can't seem to get him out of her head. Also his hot'n'cold act doesn't help a bit. While it's pretty obvious Luca is hiding something big, all the twists and turns in this novel will leave you surprised.
The characters in this novel are well developed and I pretty much liked them all. Ariel is a strong heroine. I admired her for her strength for being able to continue when she was left all alone, with no one to trust but Luca who had secrets himself. Piper was quirky and bubbly and I liked her a lot. I whish there was more of her though. She would have made a great addition later in the series. As for Luca, you all know that I have a soft spot for bad boys who act like they have bipolar disorder. Even though I did like him from the beginning, I really started to like him after we learn about his secrets.
The romance was sweet sometimes and sometimes intense. Just the way I like it! With The Crimson Hunt being a New Adul novel it also has some steamy and sexy parts.
Victoria H. Smith has been a great discovery for me, and I look forward to reading her other works aswell as countinuing this series. I'd reccomend The Crimson Hunt to lovers of paranormal books with Sci-Fi elements and of course to those who like aliens.
I am always intrigued by reading books that feature aliens, and so far, I haven't read a book I did not like. There is so much to aliens and every author has their own vision of "the little green ones" that makes those books so interesting. The Crimson Hunt itself has a very unique storyline with a lot of twists that will keep you wanting more.
In the beginning of this book we meet Ariel and her best friend Piper. They live a normal life, go to college, have trouble in some classes, have boy problems, the normal stuff. But things start getting exciting when Ariel meets Luca and she can't seem to get him out of her head. Also his hot'n'cold act doesn't help a bit. While it's pretty obvious Luca is hiding something big, all the twists and turns in this novel will leave you surprised.
The characters in this novel are well developed and I pretty much liked them all. Ariel is a strong heroine. I admired her for her strength for being able to continue when she was left all alone, with no one to trust but Luca who had secrets himself. Piper was quirky and bubbly and I liked her a lot. I whish there was more of her though. She would have made a great addition later in the series. As for Luca, you all know that I have a soft spot for bad boys who act like they have bipolar disorder. Even though I did like him from the beginning, I really started to like him after we learn about his secrets.
The romance was sweet sometimes and sometimes intense. Just the way I like it! With The Crimson Hunt being a New Adul novel it also has some steamy and sexy parts.
Victoria H. Smith has been a great discovery for me, and I look forward to reading her other works aswell as countinuing this series. I'd reccomend The Crimson Hunt to lovers of paranormal books with Sci-Fi elements and of course to those who like aliens.
March 21, 2013
The Crimson Hunt is really unlike anything I have read, and the storyline took me completely by surprise. It is not every day that you come across a book that has a plot unlike anything I have currently read out on the market. The differences in The Crimson Hunt make it a refreshing read, something that as an avid reader I do not come across often anymore. I believe the story will really take all readers by surprise, and that is what I enjoy the most about The Crimson Hunt.
The main character, Ariel, is different from most typical leading female characters. She has her flaws such as being uncomfortable about her weight. She is also unselfish and concerned about her friends, instead of focusing on herself. Ariel is not outspoken, but she has a loud and sometimes abrasive roommate, Piper. Piper tends to rope Ariel up into crazy schemes, and she is not afraid to voice her opinion.
Luca is the love interest for Ariel, who remains very mysterious for most of the book. I tried to figure out what Luca’s intentions were in the beginning, and most of the story, I was taken by surprise and defiantly did not see some of the curve balls coming from The Crimson Hunt. I really like Luca for Ariel, and I am curious to see where the story of Ariel and Luca continues from here.
I really like the story of The Crimson Hunt, and the buildup that is leading the next book in the series. I know that I will be reading the next book, because I want to know where Ariel’s journey is going to take her. The book starts with some pretty in your face events, and ends the same way, taking the story full circle, while still managing to lead into book number 2. Victoria Smith has a created a unique world and I cannot wait to explore more of it in the next installment.
**Unabridged Bookshelf received this book from the author, in exchange for an honest review**
The main character, Ariel, is different from most typical leading female characters. She has her flaws such as being uncomfortable about her weight. She is also unselfish and concerned about her friends, instead of focusing on herself. Ariel is not outspoken, but she has a loud and sometimes abrasive roommate, Piper. Piper tends to rope Ariel up into crazy schemes, and she is not afraid to voice her opinion.
Luca is the love interest for Ariel, who remains very mysterious for most of the book. I tried to figure out what Luca’s intentions were in the beginning, and most of the story, I was taken by surprise and defiantly did not see some of the curve balls coming from The Crimson Hunt. I really like Luca for Ariel, and I am curious to see where the story of Ariel and Luca continues from here.
I really like the story of The Crimson Hunt, and the buildup that is leading the next book in the series. I know that I will be reading the next book, because I want to know where Ariel’s journey is going to take her. The book starts with some pretty in your face events, and ends the same way, taking the story full circle, while still managing to lead into book number 2. Victoria Smith has a created a unique world and I cannot wait to explore more of it in the next installment.
**Unabridged Bookshelf received this book from the author, in exchange for an honest review**
December 17, 2012
So, I didn’t know exactly what to expect when I started reading this book. I mean, you never know just what you will get when you pick up a debut of a self-published author, but I was really pleasantly surprised.
The story is about a college girl, who meets this rude guy, and then basically her life turns to shit. She has a best friend, who has some issues, and a few other friends, but no one else. She has no family because her parents were killed in a fire when she was really young. She has issues trusting boys because of bad past experiences.
Then she meets Luca. Who is breathtakingly gorgeous, of course. He is pretty rude to her at first. And he talks super proper all the time, (his primary language was Italian) which is kinda annoying. But makes sense.
Some crazy bad things happen, that I wont spoil for you. Luca has a lot of secrets… and those secrets can really affect a lot of people’s lives.
The romance was pretty shaky at first. Basically he is rude, but gorgeous, so she likes him. And he is so quiet and reserved (which also makes sense as you figure out his secrets) you have no idea what’s going on with him. It does get a lot better as the book goes on though
One thing that bothered me was that it took a long time before I figured out the “sci-fi” aspect of the book. It was at least half way through- which is also about where her and luca’s romance starts to blossom. So… the start was a little shaky. I would urge people to continue reading though, because at the end, it was worth it.
Overall, it was a lot better than I expected, and though I had some issues, I still enjoyed it.
3.5 stars (but will round up)
Review by Theresa Jones at her BLOG
The story is about a college girl, who meets this rude guy, and then basically her life turns to shit. She has a best friend, who has some issues, and a few other friends, but no one else. She has no family because her parents were killed in a fire when she was really young. She has issues trusting boys because of bad past experiences.
Then she meets Luca. Who is breathtakingly gorgeous, of course. He is pretty rude to her at first. And he talks super proper all the time, (his primary language was Italian) which is kinda annoying. But makes sense.
Some crazy bad things happen, that I wont spoil for you. Luca has a lot of secrets… and those secrets can really affect a lot of people’s lives.
The romance was pretty shaky at first. Basically he is rude, but gorgeous, so she likes him. And he is so quiet and reserved (which also makes sense as you figure out his secrets) you have no idea what’s going on with him. It does get a lot better as the book goes on though
One thing that bothered me was that it took a long time before I figured out the “sci-fi” aspect of the book. It was at least half way through- which is also about where her and luca’s romance starts to blossom. So… the start was a little shaky. I would urge people to continue reading though, because at the end, it was worth it.
Overall, it was a lot better than I expected, and though I had some issues, I still enjoyed it.
3.5 stars (but will round up)
Review by Theresa Jones at her BLOG
March 17, 2013
Victoria!!! Wow Girlie!! I'm in love with this series already! It is at the top of my Favorite Books now! I automatically was hooked from the beginning. You have such a great talent for bringing the characters to life.
I'm no critic just a lover of books and I have no idea why anyone wouldn't love this book!!
I do believe I owe my hubby an apology since I basically ignored him through this entire book! Ha!!
I can't wait to have more Arial and Luca and this ride they are going on. And yes, Luca was hot enough!! Your hubby did good by listening. The cover of the book is beautiful and gave me a great visual to go by. I would of liked to seen a picture of Arial's eyes. I always look at eyes first,its my thing I guess ;)
I'm eagerly waiting to see what you do next, I enjoy being taken away by a story and this book took me into the story!! Amazing!! Hurry up with the 2nd, I'm sure it will be as great as the first. And hopefully a little more love scenes in mist of the battles around them;)
I'm a fan!! Great job!!
I'm no critic just a lover of books and I have no idea why anyone wouldn't love this book!!
I do believe I owe my hubby an apology since I basically ignored him through this entire book! Ha!!
I can't wait to have more Arial and Luca and this ride they are going on. And yes, Luca was hot enough!! Your hubby did good by listening. The cover of the book is beautiful and gave me a great visual to go by. I would of liked to seen a picture of Arial's eyes. I always look at eyes first,its my thing I guess ;)
I'm eagerly waiting to see what you do next, I enjoy being taken away by a story and this book took me into the story!! Amazing!! Hurry up with the 2nd, I'm sure it will be as great as the first. And hopefully a little more love scenes in mist of the battles around them;)
I'm a fan!! Great job!!
April 2, 2013
I read the first chapter of this book and was curious to find out more so I contacted the author, who then provided a free ecopy in exchange for an honest review.
This is the first New Adult Science Fiction Romance that I have read and reviewed and at 340 pages it was a little longer than I expected. However, the story was detailed, giving the reader a thorough understanding of the change Ariel’s life takes at the arrival of the mysterious Luca.
I enjoyed reading the first half more than the latter, and was sorry to see Piper go seeing as she added humour and fun to Ariel’s life.
From the beginning I knew Ariel’s necklace was important and I wished she would have it fixed sooner, but alas that was not how the story was meant to be.
The names in this book were ones not often used, which made the characters easier to remember. I found that the names used were what set this book apart to others I have read: Luca, Ariel, Ara, Gemini, Piper…
Overall, a recommended read (:
This is the first New Adult Science Fiction Romance that I have read and reviewed and at 340 pages it was a little longer than I expected. However, the story was detailed, giving the reader a thorough understanding of the change Ariel’s life takes at the arrival of the mysterious Luca.
I enjoyed reading the first half more than the latter, and was sorry to see Piper go seeing as she added humour and fun to Ariel’s life.
From the beginning I knew Ariel’s necklace was important and I wished she would have it fixed sooner, but alas that was not how the story was meant to be.
The names in this book were ones not often used, which made the characters easier to remember. I found that the names used were what set this book apart to others I have read: Luca, Ariel, Ara, Gemini, Piper…
Overall, a recommended read (:
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 28, 2013
Meet Arial: average college student with the stress of homework, accompanied by her wicked best friend and an incredibly talent for using humour in the right places. Ariel swore off boys after being in a few difficult relationships.
Meet Luca: gorgeous, sexy, brooding, mysterious and a swoon worthy Italian accent.
Attraction: check. Sparks fly: check.
Only problem: Luca isn’t from this world and Ariel might have some surprises of her own up in her sleeve as well. In a world where people die a mysterious death, one girl and one boy are the key to solving the puzzle. Can they save each other? Can they save their worlds?
Add a steamy romance, some incredible side characters and a great plot and you have all the ingredients for an amazing book. This was an enjoyable read and I’m looking forward to the sequel.
Meet Luca: gorgeous, sexy, brooding, mysterious and a swoon worthy Italian accent.
Attraction: check. Sparks fly: check.
Only problem: Luca isn’t from this world and Ariel might have some surprises of her own up in her sleeve as well. In a world where people die a mysterious death, one girl and one boy are the key to solving the puzzle. Can they save each other? Can they save their worlds?
Add a steamy romance, some incredible side characters and a great plot and you have all the ingredients for an amazing book. This was an enjoyable read and I’m looking forward to the sequel.
January 18, 2013
I really enjoyed this story. I liked the main characters and really liked the storyline. It is a very different story from what I've been reading but it was highly enjoyable an can't wait to continue reading.
October 28, 2013
Loved the sassy and witty writing, and a well thought out plot that was perfectly paced, although the editing was a little bit pants!I like the characters, the storyline really made them shine. It was a really intricate story, but easy and entertaining to read. I can't wait to read the next one! x
March 12, 2013
GENRE: New Adult Science Fiction
THEME: Romance, Supernatural, Worlds
RECEIVED: Blog Tour
BLOG: http://seeingnight.blogspot.com/
REVIEW:
The Crimson Hunt follows Ariel Richmond a third year college student who is trying to get through college and pass her Zoology class. But college is never so simple and when she bumps into the mysterious Luca, she can’t seem to get him out of her head. When more strange deaths happen on campus and Ariel discovers that Lucas is not what he seems, she is sucked into a world of mystery and supernatural powers.
Ariel is an interesting character; the readers are introduced to her as a young girl after a horrible incident happens to her and her family. The book jumps forward to her college years. She is now living with her roommate Piper and struggling to pass her hardest class and beat the annoying popular girl in getting chosen for the Art Showcase. There is a lot to her that is a mystery and slowly unfolds throughout the book and how she is connected to all the occurrences that happen. I enjoyed her relationship with Piper; they were opposite and could be blunt to the point where they can understand one another and just trying to help each other. It was a great dynamic that I felt should have continued. Piper was definitely my favorite character and I was sad that she wasn’t a more prominent one. I also wanted to know more about Ariel’s talent in painting and why she liked painting and how she became so good.
Luca is a whole bunch of mystery. At first the readers meet a moody and very unapproachable young guy. Ariel is attracted to him and also annoyed with him at the same time, which frustrates her. But he soon starts making his way into her life and to the annoyance to her friend Piper; who thinks there is something off about him. Luca was a character I sadly could not connect too or really understand why Ariel would like this guy, until about half way through the book. Then she forgives him for something I would totally run away from a guy for. So, in the end it took me a while to like Luca until he proved it way later in the book.
The plot was really heart pumping and seriously had me worried for Ariel and how she was going to get out of this dangerous situation. I was however confused about what was going on for a while and I started to loose interest until the readers were finally introduced to some science fiction goodness. Once I found about Luca’s task and the other world I was hooked. The readers discover some secrets about this world and a group of people assigned missions to help prevent something happening to their world. I loved the idea of duel worlds and how these Hunters have supernatural powers.
In the end I really was sucked into the mystery side, trying to figure out why Ariel was chosen, what really happened to her when she was little and why this other world is doing what they are doing. It was an interesting twist that kept me guessing. The romance was sweet, steamy and the readers will get to see the sexy and romantic side of Luca. The ending will leave you with some questions but its just getting started with what’s next for Ariel and Luca in their next journey. Ariel has a lot to prepare for and I can’t wait to see what the future has in store for her as she now has a very interesting role to play.
RECOMMENDATION:
This is a New Adult novel with minor adult content and lot of science fiction awesomeness that will keep you glued in to the end. Fans of the Crescent Chronicles by Alyssa Rose Ivy and The Forever Girls by Rebecca Hamilton will enjoy The Crescent Hunt by Victoria Smith.
THEME: Romance, Supernatural, Worlds
RECEIVED: Blog Tour
BLOG: http://seeingnight.blogspot.com/
REVIEW:
The Crimson Hunt follows Ariel Richmond a third year college student who is trying to get through college and pass her Zoology class. But college is never so simple and when she bumps into the mysterious Luca, she can’t seem to get him out of her head. When more strange deaths happen on campus and Ariel discovers that Lucas is not what he seems, she is sucked into a world of mystery and supernatural powers.
Ariel is an interesting character; the readers are introduced to her as a young girl after a horrible incident happens to her and her family. The book jumps forward to her college years. She is now living with her roommate Piper and struggling to pass her hardest class and beat the annoying popular girl in getting chosen for the Art Showcase. There is a lot to her that is a mystery and slowly unfolds throughout the book and how she is connected to all the occurrences that happen. I enjoyed her relationship with Piper; they were opposite and could be blunt to the point where they can understand one another and just trying to help each other. It was a great dynamic that I felt should have continued. Piper was definitely my favorite character and I was sad that she wasn’t a more prominent one. I also wanted to know more about Ariel’s talent in painting and why she liked painting and how she became so good.
Luca is a whole bunch of mystery. At first the readers meet a moody and very unapproachable young guy. Ariel is attracted to him and also annoyed with him at the same time, which frustrates her. But he soon starts making his way into her life and to the annoyance to her friend Piper; who thinks there is something off about him. Luca was a character I sadly could not connect too or really understand why Ariel would like this guy, until about half way through the book. Then she forgives him for something I would totally run away from a guy for. So, in the end it took me a while to like Luca until he proved it way later in the book.
The plot was really heart pumping and seriously had me worried for Ariel and how she was going to get out of this dangerous situation. I was however confused about what was going on for a while and I started to loose interest until the readers were finally introduced to some science fiction goodness. Once I found about Luca’s task and the other world I was hooked. The readers discover some secrets about this world and a group of people assigned missions to help prevent something happening to their world. I loved the idea of duel worlds and how these Hunters have supernatural powers.
In the end I really was sucked into the mystery side, trying to figure out why Ariel was chosen, what really happened to her when she was little and why this other world is doing what they are doing. It was an interesting twist that kept me guessing. The romance was sweet, steamy and the readers will get to see the sexy and romantic side of Luca. The ending will leave you with some questions but its just getting started with what’s next for Ariel and Luca in their next journey. Ariel has a lot to prepare for and I can’t wait to see what the future has in store for her as she now has a very interesting role to play.
RECOMMENDATION:
This is a New Adult novel with minor adult content and lot of science fiction awesomeness that will keep you glued in to the end. Fans of the Crescent Chronicles by Alyssa Rose Ivy and The Forever Girls by Rebecca Hamilton will enjoy The Crescent Hunt by Victoria Smith.
Read
March 10, 2013The Crimson Hunt starts off in a shroud of mystery with the prologue. We know that there might be something otherworldly involved, but what. We experience Ariel’s somewhat normal life in the first part of the book. She is a college student trying to make it into the big Art show but thwarted by her mean girl arch nemesis. Then enters Luca the mystery boy crush who is a jerk one minute and then charming the next. The next thing you know the book takes a turn for the dark and sinister as people start showing up dead, including ones close to Ariel.
As far as the book tempo it did start off slightly slow, but it was appropriate for setting the scene and keeping you in suspense. I found myself anxious to find out what was going to happen so it kept my attention. Once it picked up, it hit the ground running and there was action around every corner. What a great concept for the book, I loved the sci-fi mix with a dash of paranormal. I also loved the idea of why there are these beings here and that as humans we are almost just unfortunate causalities in the bigger picture.
Ariel was a strong self-reliant character. I liked the way she interacts with her friends and other characters. I also like that she has a history of relationship failure, I’m not even sure why but it made it seem more real. She is a little more reserved when she meets Luca, even though she is attracted to him she tries to keep her head on straight and not fall to hard. Even though she ends up doing just that of course who wouldn’t.
I’m not all together sure how I felt about Luca; I didn’t feel like Ariel needed him which was kind of nice change. He liked to run hot and cold but once he warmed up it was hard not to be at least fond of him. He had trained himself to not feel so when he really starts opening up to Ariel we see a different side of him. He is sweet, kind and of course gorgeous. He might be the next great love my life but I thought he was a good character and also a good match for Ariel.
At first I did not like Piper, Ariel’s best friend; I was like why is she friends with this girl. I don’t understand this relationship. As we get to know Piper we find out how she truly is loyal to Ariel and actually a really good friend. There were other side characters involved all that I found some kind of fondness for. Even the villains were interesting and very evil at times.
I really enjoyed this book and I loved the fact that it’s New Adult. The College Campus setting is perfect for this type of story and it really gave the characters more leeway with things. I really don’t want to give away too much of the mystery because that’s the best part about it. It mixes in a little mystery as we learn about the characters roles, which makes it intriguing to the last page. I will definitely pick up book two because I’m curious about how everything will end up resolved.
As far as the book tempo it did start off slightly slow, but it was appropriate for setting the scene and keeping you in suspense. I found myself anxious to find out what was going to happen so it kept my attention. Once it picked up, it hit the ground running and there was action around every corner. What a great concept for the book, I loved the sci-fi mix with a dash of paranormal. I also loved the idea of why there are these beings here and that as humans we are almost just unfortunate causalities in the bigger picture.
Ariel was a strong self-reliant character. I liked the way she interacts with her friends and other characters. I also like that she has a history of relationship failure, I’m not even sure why but it made it seem more real. She is a little more reserved when she meets Luca, even though she is attracted to him she tries to keep her head on straight and not fall to hard. Even though she ends up doing just that of course who wouldn’t.
I’m not all together sure how I felt about Luca; I didn’t feel like Ariel needed him which was kind of nice change. He liked to run hot and cold but once he warmed up it was hard not to be at least fond of him. He had trained himself to not feel so when he really starts opening up to Ariel we see a different side of him. He is sweet, kind and of course gorgeous. He might be the next great love my life but I thought he was a good character and also a good match for Ariel.
At first I did not like Piper, Ariel’s best friend; I was like why is she friends with this girl. I don’t understand this relationship. As we get to know Piper we find out how she truly is loyal to Ariel and actually a really good friend. There were other side characters involved all that I found some kind of fondness for. Even the villains were interesting and very evil at times.
I really enjoyed this book and I loved the fact that it’s New Adult. The College Campus setting is perfect for this type of story and it really gave the characters more leeway with things. I really don’t want to give away too much of the mystery because that’s the best part about it. It mixes in a little mystery as we learn about the characters roles, which makes it intriguing to the last page. I will definitely pick up book two because I’m curious about how everything will end up resolved.
April 2, 2013
The Crimson Hunt has all the potential to be a great science fiction romantic thriller. It has aliens, action, beauty and the beginnings of a very interesting world filled with some awesome super powers. I am such a fan of science fiction when it incorporates a sweet love story or a heroine coming into her own powers. The Crimson Hunt has both. But it is not without flaws.
Ariel lost both her parents, and nearly her own life, at the age of five in a fire. She has spent most of her life alone. Now, a junior in college, she is finding a life for herself. She is burgeoning artist doing well in school, she has a small close knit group of friends and Piper her bestie that doubles as a roommate. She's content until the day she, literally, bumps into Luca.
Luca is a conundrum. He's hot and cold within seconds. Ariel can not get a handle on him and is becoming more and more drawn to him. It's the relationship between Ariel and Luca that gave me the first pause. I am in no way a fan of instant love but the drag out of this relationship was so long and torturous it was almost as painful as if they had fallen in love at first sight. The attraction is there from the start but there is no action of any kind until somewhere after the books halfway mark. In fact the romance is quite tame and could be handled by many young adult readers.
As Ariel's relationship with Luca develops, her relationship with Piper strains and strange events begin to happen around them. Eventually the events become tragic for Ariel and she must go on the lamb with Luca in order to preserve her own life. This run begins the unraveling of the science fiction aspect of the story, which was my favorite part. The last ten percent of the book is where the action really picks up and I wish there had been more of it spread throughout.
I understand the need for details and buildup with this sort of a storyline but The Crimson Hunt felt overly long and wordy at times. I think there was too much time spent on the relationship at the beginning of the book and the story lagged there because of it.
Don't mistake me, I think there are many fans of romance that will enjoy the love story here. Luca is quirky, sweet and old fashioned and makes for an interesting hero. I just found the other aspects of the story more my suit and wanted more of it. I get a little rush from alien action, be it from books like the Lux series or shows like Roswell. I love to see how the creators come up with these alternate beings and the powers they wield. Smith is on to something with it in The Crimson Hunt, she's created an interesting take and I want to see how it all hashes out.
I look forward to the second book due to so many of the details being let out in book one. I am hoping it makes for more action and aliens as that is really the gem of this story.
Ariel lost both her parents, and nearly her own life, at the age of five in a fire. She has spent most of her life alone. Now, a junior in college, she is finding a life for herself. She is burgeoning artist doing well in school, she has a small close knit group of friends and Piper her bestie that doubles as a roommate. She's content until the day she, literally, bumps into Luca.
Luca is a conundrum. He's hot and cold within seconds. Ariel can not get a handle on him and is becoming more and more drawn to him. It's the relationship between Ariel and Luca that gave me the first pause. I am in no way a fan of instant love but the drag out of this relationship was so long and torturous it was almost as painful as if they had fallen in love at first sight. The attraction is there from the start but there is no action of any kind until somewhere after the books halfway mark. In fact the romance is quite tame and could be handled by many young adult readers.
As Ariel's relationship with Luca develops, her relationship with Piper strains and strange events begin to happen around them. Eventually the events become tragic for Ariel and she must go on the lamb with Luca in order to preserve her own life. This run begins the unraveling of the science fiction aspect of the story, which was my favorite part. The last ten percent of the book is where the action really picks up and I wish there had been more of it spread throughout.
I understand the need for details and buildup with this sort of a storyline but The Crimson Hunt felt overly long and wordy at times. I think there was too much time spent on the relationship at the beginning of the book and the story lagged there because of it.
Don't mistake me, I think there are many fans of romance that will enjoy the love story here. Luca is quirky, sweet and old fashioned and makes for an interesting hero. I just found the other aspects of the story more my suit and wanted more of it. I get a little rush from alien action, be it from books like the Lux series or shows like Roswell. I love to see how the creators come up with these alternate beings and the powers they wield. Smith is on to something with it in The Crimson Hunt, she's created an interesting take and I want to see how it all hashes out.
I look forward to the second book due to so many of the details being let out in book one. I am hoping it makes for more action and aliens as that is really the gem of this story.
March 19, 2013
Going into Crimson Hunt I didn't really know what to expect, so I am glad to report Crimson Hunt ended up being a pretty good read, I read it in one sitting, and will definitely be picking up book 2!
Crimson Hunt was a very slow paced read in the beginning, but it still keeps the readers attention. I found myself determined to find out what Luca was up to, then once I found out I was determined to find out what him and Ariel were going to do. So although Crimson Hunt was often a slow paced read, I never felt it got boring. It did a great job at keeping my attention and keeping me curious throughout the whole story.
I liked the characters in The Crimson Hunt, I especially liked our main character Ariel. I felt so sorry her for everything she had been through, and while she broke down quite often (which is understandable and realistic after everything she went through) I felt she was a very strong character. I can't say if I was going through the same things she was if I could have kept my head.
Sadly I did not like our main leading man Luca as much as I did Ariel. I don't know why, but I just could not connect with him as much as a character, I know he was suppose to be this really dreamy guy, but I just never felt that personally. I'm not a huge fan of characters that are hot and cold, and while Luca was only hot and cold in the beginning it still bothered me, I felt like Ariel was investing way too much into him considering how he was acting towards her. Luca was just the 'meh' part for me, sometimes I really liked him considering how much he was putting on the line for Ariel, but other times I just found him boring.
I really enjoyed the sci-fi aspect of The Crimson Hunt, a new adult sci-fi story? Awesome idea! I loved the idea of the 'hunters', and learning about them and where they came from. They also had bad ass powers, and glowing eyes which is always a plus. It was nice reading something that was different compared to my lately vampire/werewolf stories.
Overall I enjoyed The Crimson Hunt. I felt it was a good opening book for a series and I look forward to reading the rest of the Eldaen Light chronicles. If you are someone that likes New Adult books and want to try something different than the usual contemporary romance then I would suggest The Crimson Hunt, or if you're someone who enjoys reading something that's different than the everyday paranormal books, then Crimson Hunt is a book I highly recommend.
Crimson Hunt was a very slow paced read in the beginning, but it still keeps the readers attention. I found myself determined to find out what Luca was up to, then once I found out I was determined to find out what him and Ariel were going to do. So although Crimson Hunt was often a slow paced read, I never felt it got boring. It did a great job at keeping my attention and keeping me curious throughout the whole story.
I liked the characters in The Crimson Hunt, I especially liked our main character Ariel. I felt so sorry her for everything she had been through, and while she broke down quite often (which is understandable and realistic after everything she went through) I felt she was a very strong character. I can't say if I was going through the same things she was if I could have kept my head.
Sadly I did not like our main leading man Luca as much as I did Ariel. I don't know why, but I just could not connect with him as much as a character, I know he was suppose to be this really dreamy guy, but I just never felt that personally. I'm not a huge fan of characters that are hot and cold, and while Luca was only hot and cold in the beginning it still bothered me, I felt like Ariel was investing way too much into him considering how he was acting towards her. Luca was just the 'meh' part for me, sometimes I really liked him considering how much he was putting on the line for Ariel, but other times I just found him boring.
I really enjoyed the sci-fi aspect of The Crimson Hunt, a new adult sci-fi story? Awesome idea! I loved the idea of the 'hunters', and learning about them and where they came from. They also had bad ass powers, and glowing eyes which is always a plus. It was nice reading something that was different compared to my lately vampire/werewolf stories.
Overall I enjoyed The Crimson Hunt. I felt it was a good opening book for a series and I look forward to reading the rest of the Eldaen Light chronicles. If you are someone that likes New Adult books and want to try something different than the usual contemporary romance then I would suggest The Crimson Hunt, or if you're someone who enjoys reading something that's different than the everyday paranormal books, then Crimson Hunt is a book I highly recommend.
May 21, 2013
The Crimson Hunt is my first voyage into the New Adult category and I can definitely see the appeal. New Adult characters are usually in their early twenties. They are slightly more mature than YA characters, ver the high school mentality, but still in the "I'm invincible" stage common to YA. While some Big Six publishers are dipping their toes in to the NA water, indie authors are heading in full force.
The Crimson Hunt follows the story of Ariel Richmond, a college junior who just wants to get her Art degree and start a life for herself. Growing up an orphan, Ariel has always been fierce and independent and the only person she lets past her wall is her best friend, Piper. But when Ariel locks eyes with the bright eyed and beautiful Luca Grinaldi everything she knows begins to shatter. People start dying around her and now Ariel is on the run, trying to figure out why everything seems to be centered on her and what Luca has to do with it.
Smith's writing style is youthful and easy to fall in step with. The story is intense, but the plot peters out a little towards the middle of the book when Ariel is on the run. Because she (and the audience) is kept in the dark for so long about what the supernatural element is, the end feels like a plot dump. The villains of the story felt like cardboard and I wish we could have more backstory on them before we started hating them.
Ariel is a relatable character and she does take control of her story pretty well once Luca lets her. Luca, is the usual quiet brooding love interest with a godlike physique. While I get this is more of a romance novel and "hotness everywhere" is a mainstay of the genre, the near physical perfectness Ariel sees in him made it hard for me connect with as a character. He starts to feel unrealistic in his perfection both physical and personality wise.
During this project, I've tried to compare indie novels to traditional novels, but this one is a bit of a challenge. I think fans of Obsidian by Jennifer L. Armentrout will easily relate to and enjoy this novel. It also has similar elements from Altered by Jennifer Rush.
Although it's pacing can seem a bit off and the male protagonist typical, The Crimson Hunt ends on an action packed note, complete with plot twists and unexpected turns. Overall, it is a solid debut NA romance from Victoria H. Smith.
The Crimson Hunt follows the story of Ariel Richmond, a college junior who just wants to get her Art degree and start a life for herself. Growing up an orphan, Ariel has always been fierce and independent and the only person she lets past her wall is her best friend, Piper. But when Ariel locks eyes with the bright eyed and beautiful Luca Grinaldi everything she knows begins to shatter. People start dying around her and now Ariel is on the run, trying to figure out why everything seems to be centered on her and what Luca has to do with it.
Smith's writing style is youthful and easy to fall in step with. The story is intense, but the plot peters out a little towards the middle of the book when Ariel is on the run. Because she (and the audience) is kept in the dark for so long about what the supernatural element is, the end feels like a plot dump. The villains of the story felt like cardboard and I wish we could have more backstory on them before we started hating them.
Ariel is a relatable character and she does take control of her story pretty well once Luca lets her. Luca, is the usual quiet brooding love interest with a godlike physique. While I get this is more of a romance novel and "hotness everywhere" is a mainstay of the genre, the near physical perfectness Ariel sees in him made it hard for me connect with as a character. He starts to feel unrealistic in his perfection both physical and personality wise.
During this project, I've tried to compare indie novels to traditional novels, but this one is a bit of a challenge. I think fans of Obsidian by Jennifer L. Armentrout will easily relate to and enjoy this novel. It also has similar elements from Altered by Jennifer Rush.
Although it's pacing can seem a bit off and the male protagonist typical, The Crimson Hunt ends on an action packed note, complete with plot twists and unexpected turns. Overall, it is a solid debut NA romance from Victoria H. Smith.
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