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Moon Virus #1
Raven's Blood
Following the death of her wood nymph mother at the hands of vampires, Raven worked hard to build a life for herself in one of the few remaining human settlements. Her life takes a frightening turn when she finds herself an unwilling guest in a vampire settlement, but things are not anything like she expected them to be. Still, she cannot help but feel that her attraction to the vampire leader is a betrayal to her mother’s memory and her human friends.
From the moment Connor first laid eyes on Raven she has thrown his entire world off-balance. In order to prove his strength as a leader, he has no choice but to take her up on her offer to trade her freedom for that of her human friends. Having begun his life as a slave, he has no interest in keeping the wood nymph captive. As a man, he has no desire to feel this overwhelming attraction to a woman who hates him and his kind.
As Raven spends more time with the vampires, her feelings for Connor grow even stronger and Connor finds that she may be the one thing he cannot live without. Unfortunately, a new danger emerges that could threaten the survival of vampires and humans alike. As Connor struggles to unravel the mystery of the attacks from a new species of vampire, a madman will go to any lengths to get Raven’s blood.
No cliffhangers. Can be read as a standalone novel.
From the moment Connor first laid eyes on Raven she has thrown his entire world off-balance. In order to prove his strength as a leader, he has no choice but to take her up on her offer to trade her freedom for that of her human friends. Having begun his life as a slave, he has no interest in keeping the wood nymph captive. As a man, he has no desire to feel this overwhelming attraction to a woman who hates him and his kind.
As Raven spends more time with the vampires, her feelings for Connor grow even stronger and Connor finds that she may be the one thing he cannot live without. Unfortunately, a new danger emerges that could threaten the survival of vampires and humans alike. As Connor struggles to unravel the mystery of the attacks from a new species of vampire, a madman will go to any lengths to get Raven’s blood.
No cliffhangers. Can be read as a standalone novel.
300 pages, ebook
First published March 17, 2013
47 people are currently reading
895 people want to read
About the author
Cassandra Lawson
68 books164 followersCassandra Lawson lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her husband and her two youngest children. When she is not writing, she enjoys spending time with her family, listening to music, or curling up with a good book.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 62 reviews
April 6, 2014
Religion, the dominion of the human mind;
Property, the dominion of human needs; and
Government, the dominion of human conduct,
represent the stronghold of man’s enslavement
and all the horrors it entails.”- Emma Goldman
What my research told me is that a psychopath cannot change. You're born like that. - Jeff Lindsay
It was just supposed to kill the poor. Isn’t it ironic that the leeches of society turned into leeches in reality? – Charles Graham IV, Psychopath
Many of the books I have read lately have the same underlying message – the depredation of the poor by the rich – the rich, with a total lack of anything even approaching morality or ethics, a disintegration of the soul. Xenophobia, greed, and a total lack of conscience. As Albert Einstein once said, “We shall require a substantially new manner of thinking if mankind is to survive.”
Raven’s Blood takes this ideation and stretches and molds it, utilizing the beauty and creativity of the Fantasy genre to build a world both unusual and horrifying.
It is always hard for me when I find a book that totally enthralls me to draw a line between raving about the story, the characters, and the world building, and just flat giving away the story. So, here I go, and hopefully I will totally intrigue you without blowing the story!
In a world with a striking resemblance to today, a madman – a madman with wealth, connections, and power – has a plan. A plan that, if successful, will result in the death of millions. Millions of “normal” people, the working class, the poor, all who are not of the privileged rich. Of course, they will keep a “few” of the unwanted poor. Someone does have to take out the trash, right?
Only things don’t work out as Charles Graham IV, his father and small circle of friends expect. For the poor may die by the hundreds of thousands. But they don’t stay dead for long . . .
One hundred years later, America is no longer what it once was. Instead, it is a land of compounds and fenced communities, fear and danger and death. For the ones who came back are undying – and they want blood. And my favorite part is, this is not just another of the ubiquitous zombie novels so prevalent in fantasy today. No, these are vampires, vampires created by the injection of what comes to be called the “Moon Virus,” a virus developed by the Graham Pharmaceutical Corporation specifically to kill the poor.
This is one of the better depictions of vampires I have read. Cassandra Lawson has put much more thought and attention into her vampires, and her efforts are not wasted. Instead, in a world of UF vampires that verges on the boring, (come on, sparkles?) Lawson has developed a well-thought-out story of not only mindless killing machines, the “Turned,” but also the “Born Vampires.” While the Turned are mindless killers, Born are much as they were – only now with fangs, and a requirement for blood.
Raven is a half-wood nymph, half human who has known much pain and tremendous loss in her life. She witnessed the death of her mother at the hands of the Turned when she was still a child. Taken in my her human father, Raven comes to care for the humans who surround her, taking on the responsibility for a divergent group of human children, raising them as her own family.
Captured by a group of Borns during a raid for medical supplies, Raven throws herself on the mercy their leader in order to save her children. What happens next is an impressively well written story of personal growth and change and a dystopian novel which even a non-dystopian-lover like myself dove into with both feet and didn’t come up for air until the book was, much to my disappointment, complete.
There is a strong paranormal romance aspect to the book, which turned out to be a lot of fun, though the sociological and adventure aspects of the book were what truly inspired my love of the book. I am hoping for a second book featuring this interesting world.
While rationalism at the individual level is a plea for more personal autonomy from cultural norms, at the social level it is often a claim- or arrogation- of power to stifle the autonomy of others. Thomas Sowell
This book was provided to me in return for an honest review by the good people at storycartel.com. All comments are my own!
Property, the dominion of human needs; and
Government, the dominion of human conduct,
represent the stronghold of man’s enslavement
and all the horrors it entails.”- Emma Goldman
What my research told me is that a psychopath cannot change. You're born like that. - Jeff Lindsay
It was just supposed to kill the poor. Isn’t it ironic that the leeches of society turned into leeches in reality? – Charles Graham IV, Psychopath
Many of the books I have read lately have the same underlying message – the depredation of the poor by the rich – the rich, with a total lack of anything even approaching morality or ethics, a disintegration of the soul. Xenophobia, greed, and a total lack of conscience. As Albert Einstein once said, “We shall require a substantially new manner of thinking if mankind is to survive.”
Raven’s Blood takes this ideation and stretches and molds it, utilizing the beauty and creativity of the Fantasy genre to build a world both unusual and horrifying.
It is always hard for me when I find a book that totally enthralls me to draw a line between raving about the story, the characters, and the world building, and just flat giving away the story. So, here I go, and hopefully I will totally intrigue you without blowing the story!
In a world with a striking resemblance to today, a madman – a madman with wealth, connections, and power – has a plan. A plan that, if successful, will result in the death of millions. Millions of “normal” people, the working class, the poor, all who are not of the privileged rich. Of course, they will keep a “few” of the unwanted poor. Someone does have to take out the trash, right?
Only things don’t work out as Charles Graham IV, his father and small circle of friends expect. For the poor may die by the hundreds of thousands. But they don’t stay dead for long . . .
One hundred years later, America is no longer what it once was. Instead, it is a land of compounds and fenced communities, fear and danger and death. For the ones who came back are undying – and they want blood. And my favorite part is, this is not just another of the ubiquitous zombie novels so prevalent in fantasy today. No, these are vampires, vampires created by the injection of what comes to be called the “Moon Virus,” a virus developed by the Graham Pharmaceutical Corporation specifically to kill the poor.
This is one of the better depictions of vampires I have read. Cassandra Lawson has put much more thought and attention into her vampires, and her efforts are not wasted. Instead, in a world of UF vampires that verges on the boring, (come on, sparkles?) Lawson has developed a well-thought-out story of not only mindless killing machines, the “Turned,” but also the “Born Vampires.” While the Turned are mindless killers, Born are much as they were – only now with fangs, and a requirement for blood.
Raven is a half-wood nymph, half human who has known much pain and tremendous loss in her life. She witnessed the death of her mother at the hands of the Turned when she was still a child. Taken in my her human father, Raven comes to care for the humans who surround her, taking on the responsibility for a divergent group of human children, raising them as her own family.
Captured by a group of Borns during a raid for medical supplies, Raven throws herself on the mercy their leader in order to save her children. What happens next is an impressively well written story of personal growth and change and a dystopian novel which even a non-dystopian-lover like myself dove into with both feet and didn’t come up for air until the book was, much to my disappointment, complete.
There is a strong paranormal romance aspect to the book, which turned out to be a lot of fun, though the sociological and adventure aspects of the book were what truly inspired my love of the book. I am hoping for a second book featuring this interesting world.
While rationalism at the individual level is a plea for more personal autonomy from cultural norms, at the social level it is often a claim- or arrogation- of power to stifle the autonomy of others. Thomas Sowell
This book was provided to me in return for an honest review by the good people at storycartel.com. All comments are my own!
March 28, 2014
A darkly delicious post-apocalyptic tale of Vampires, nymphs and other supernatural beings!
Raven’s Blood is a spectacular stand-alone novel that had me hooked from the very first page, and which takes an unusual slant {that’s different from the traditional Vampire tale}.
Action-packed, steamy and intense in places *with sex scenes* as well as shocking twists in places this exciting novel is utterly compelling. Taking a refreshingly original outlook on what is an incredibly popular genre was a risk…for instance YA novels {Morganville, Twilight etc.} to adult erotica and other Vampire fiction. Cassandra Lawson’s brilliant book is wonderfully realized and truly inspired, with great characters and a spunky main protagonist. Full of the unexpected and mysterious, the shocking revelations within the intricate plot will keep you sat in suspense and guessing throughout! The connection between Connor and Raven was electric – sparks sizzled off the pages and I was drawn into their relationship like a moth to a flame. The overwhelming attraction between them is so all-consuming that it adds even more depth to the dramatic tale…building another layer to the unfolding drama. Within this deadly dangerous world of immortals and the human race; the fight for survival is paramount.
Raven’s blood is a concept that I found to be a concept of pure genius, and something so remarkable and highly imaginative like nothing I have encountered before. The way in which the book is split into various factions with; born humans, born Vampires, turned Vampires and Nymphs created an eclectic mix of contemporary as well as reminiscent of Julia Kagawa’s ‘Blood of Eden’ series. I am so excited about this book and cannot wait to now delve into more of this author’s books!!
Without a doubt my ‘guilty pleasure’ and a must-read for the bookshelf! A 5 STAR novel.
* I would like to thank the author for providing me with an e-copy of her novel to read and review & ‘story cartel. Com’. *
Raven’s Blood is a spectacular stand-alone novel that had me hooked from the very first page, and which takes an unusual slant {that’s different from the traditional Vampire tale}.
Action-packed, steamy and intense in places *with sex scenes* as well as shocking twists in places this exciting novel is utterly compelling. Taking a refreshingly original outlook on what is an incredibly popular genre was a risk…for instance YA novels {Morganville, Twilight etc.} to adult erotica and other Vampire fiction. Cassandra Lawson’s brilliant book is wonderfully realized and truly inspired, with great characters and a spunky main protagonist. Full of the unexpected and mysterious, the shocking revelations within the intricate plot will keep you sat in suspense and guessing throughout! The connection between Connor and Raven was electric – sparks sizzled off the pages and I was drawn into their relationship like a moth to a flame. The overwhelming attraction between them is so all-consuming that it adds even more depth to the dramatic tale…building another layer to the unfolding drama. Within this deadly dangerous world of immortals and the human race; the fight for survival is paramount.
Raven’s blood is a concept that I found to be a concept of pure genius, and something so remarkable and highly imaginative like nothing I have encountered before. The way in which the book is split into various factions with; born humans, born Vampires, turned Vampires and Nymphs created an eclectic mix of contemporary as well as reminiscent of Julia Kagawa’s ‘Blood of Eden’ series. I am so excited about this book and cannot wait to now delve into more of this author’s books!!
Without a doubt my ‘guilty pleasure’ and a must-read for the bookshelf! A 5 STAR novel.
* I would like to thank the author for providing me with an e-copy of her novel to read and review & ‘story cartel. Com’. *
July 3, 2014
(Reviewer's Note: I received a printed copy of this novel from the author, in exchange for an honest review.)
I was really intrigued when I first heard of this novel, since the paranormal couple in it consists of a vampire and a wood nymph. I've been reading vampire romances for a long time now, and had never heard of such an unusual pairing before. So my curiosity was high as I began to read the book.
The mythology involved certainly does not disappoint! It's very obvious that Lawson has done her research well, and knows her wood nymph legends. She's also created a very unique way for the nymphs to manifest in the United States, since these legends originated in Europe. Raven the wood nymph is thus a very believable character, with an interesting background that explains her allegiance to humans, instead of her own kind.
The pairing of Connor, a somewhat jaded vampire, with Raven, the idealistic wood nymph fighting on the side of the humans, is a truly inspired one. She is, of course, a free spirit, although she's admired as a leader among her human friends. Connor is much more of a driven person; he takes his duties as leader very seriously, and is definitely addicted to rules and discipline. Both of these main characters are utterly likable, even though, at first, Connor comes off as rather arrogant and very much an alpha male. He is also absolutely gorgeous. Raven, who has a very strong dislike of vampires due to a childhood trauma, is no meek, cringing creature; she totally stands up for herself, refusing to be cowed. At the same time, however, she can't help but feel attracted to Connor, as he is toward her, since he finds her very beautiful.
Their love story starts off as lust-driven, which is understandable, given the nature of wood nymphs. However, it's obvious that there's more than lust under the surface, although I do wish the sex scenes had been more romantic. Still, these two had a lot of chemistry going!
I found Connor's care and concern for Raven very touching indeed, and she, too, was very sweet to him. I especially liked the fact that his male chauvinistic attitude toward her completely disappeared as their relationship evolved into one of love and trust. In fact, they were wonderful together!
The origin of the vampires is also a very unusual and creative element of this novel, one that makes it a refreshing addition to the vampire mythos. These vampires are, in fact, a madman's accidental creation, the product of a supposedly lethal virus intended to wipe out huge sections of the American population. Instead, it has turned them into vampires.
Another unusual aspect of the book is that, initially, the vampires are victims of the humans, instead of the other way around.
The setting is a future roughly a hundred years ahead of the present time, with a society that has disintegrated into isolated settlements of vampires and humans. For the most part, they hate and distrust each other. It's a very bleak world, one in which both groups engage in a constant struggle for survival.
Aside from the two main characters, there are several very memorable minor ones, such as the vampire Jack and his human wife, Muriel. Simon and Ian, two vampires who are members of Connor's group, are also memorable, becoming even more so as the plot moves along. I also liked Norah, Connor's best friend and ex-lover, who ends up becoming a fierce fighter.
With all of these interesting, unique elements, the book was bound to be a great read! However, I was unfortunately put off to some extent by the constant use of profanity, especially "the F bomb". This is something that really bothers me about novels written for the adult market.
In spite of the above objections, I really enjoyed reading this novel, and admire Lawson's creative world-building, as well as her very likable, well-rounded characters, pacing of the story, and ability to create a unified novel that smoothly mixes genres without missing a beat.
Readers of speculative fiction will definitely love this story of a futuristic, dystopian/paranormal world with a dash of mythology. Kudos to Cassandra Lawson for creating such a richly-imagined world!
For more of my reviews, please visit my blog, A NIGHT’S DREAM OF BOOKS.
http://anightsdreamofbooks.blogspot.com
I was really intrigued when I first heard of this novel, since the paranormal couple in it consists of a vampire and a wood nymph. I've been reading vampire romances for a long time now, and had never heard of such an unusual pairing before. So my curiosity was high as I began to read the book.
The mythology involved certainly does not disappoint! It's very obvious that Lawson has done her research well, and knows her wood nymph legends. She's also created a very unique way for the nymphs to manifest in the United States, since these legends originated in Europe. Raven the wood nymph is thus a very believable character, with an interesting background that explains her allegiance to humans, instead of her own kind.
The pairing of Connor, a somewhat jaded vampire, with Raven, the idealistic wood nymph fighting on the side of the humans, is a truly inspired one. She is, of course, a free spirit, although she's admired as a leader among her human friends. Connor is much more of a driven person; he takes his duties as leader very seriously, and is definitely addicted to rules and discipline. Both of these main characters are utterly likable, even though, at first, Connor comes off as rather arrogant and very much an alpha male. He is also absolutely gorgeous. Raven, who has a very strong dislike of vampires due to a childhood trauma, is no meek, cringing creature; she totally stands up for herself, refusing to be cowed. At the same time, however, she can't help but feel attracted to Connor, as he is toward her, since he finds her very beautiful.
Their love story starts off as lust-driven, which is understandable, given the nature of wood nymphs. However, it's obvious that there's more than lust under the surface, although I do wish the sex scenes had been more romantic. Still, these two had a lot of chemistry going!
I found Connor's care and concern for Raven very touching indeed, and she, too, was very sweet to him. I especially liked the fact that his male chauvinistic attitude toward her completely disappeared as their relationship evolved into one of love and trust. In fact, they were wonderful together!
The origin of the vampires is also a very unusual and creative element of this novel, one that makes it a refreshing addition to the vampire mythos. These vampires are, in fact, a madman's accidental creation, the product of a supposedly lethal virus intended to wipe out huge sections of the American population. Instead, it has turned them into vampires.
Another unusual aspect of the book is that, initially, the vampires are victims of the humans, instead of the other way around.
The setting is a future roughly a hundred years ahead of the present time, with a society that has disintegrated into isolated settlements of vampires and humans. For the most part, they hate and distrust each other. It's a very bleak world, one in which both groups engage in a constant struggle for survival.
Aside from the two main characters, there are several very memorable minor ones, such as the vampire Jack and his human wife, Muriel. Simon and Ian, two vampires who are members of Connor's group, are also memorable, becoming even more so as the plot moves along. I also liked Norah, Connor's best friend and ex-lover, who ends up becoming a fierce fighter.
With all of these interesting, unique elements, the book was bound to be a great read! However, I was unfortunately put off to some extent by the constant use of profanity, especially "the F bomb". This is something that really bothers me about novels written for the adult market.
In spite of the above objections, I really enjoyed reading this novel, and admire Lawson's creative world-building, as well as her very likable, well-rounded characters, pacing of the story, and ability to create a unified novel that smoothly mixes genres without missing a beat.
Readers of speculative fiction will definitely love this story of a futuristic, dystopian/paranormal world with a dash of mythology. Kudos to Cassandra Lawson for creating such a richly-imagined world!
For more of my reviews, please visit my blog, A NIGHT’S DREAM OF BOOKS.
http://anightsdreamofbooks.blogspot.com
February 16, 2015
I am a huge fan of paranormal and Cassandra Lawson’s vampires are among my top 5 favorites of all time! If you haven’t met any of them, I highly recommend them. I love her sexy vamps!
This book puts a different spin on vampirism and I loved it. A crazed lunatic came up with the bright idea (huge sarcasm here) to infect the poor with the Moon Virus to rid the world of homeless and poor people. His view that it was draining the country dry supporting them and wanted to free the world of such “leeches” (his word, not mine). Well the Moon Virus had an unexpected result: vampires. Now the world was going to $hit and fast! Crazed vampires were attacking the humans. Some vampires kept their sanity and were able to control themselves better. The humans took away basic human rights of the vampires and enslaved them.
Connor was born a slave. He was forced to do horrific things in order to receive blood. He was born a vampire. Tired of being a slave, the vampires revolted and started their own communities. Connor was the leader of his community and did everything he could to protect his people. They were still at war with the humans and also attacks from the crazed vampires.
Raven is a wood nymph. She watched as her mother was torn to shreds by vampires. Her human father took her in and she was raised in one of the many human communities. Raven had a bad taste in her mouth for vampires. Not knowing there was a difference in the vampires, she hated them all. She was a leader amongst her people and would do anything to protect her people.
On a mission to get medicine for her human community, Raven and her team and surrounded by vampires. She trades her life for those of her team. Connor is part of the vampires surrounding Raven and her team. He has no other choice but to accept her deal. Connor is torn in two. He knows what it is like to be a slave and doesn’t want to put anyone through that. He also knows to keep his position as leader he has to keep a human that once enslaved his people. Raven hates that she has to live with vampires but would gladly do it to save her people.
Once Raven has lived among the vampires, she learns that they are not all bad. She starts to make friends and enjoy living with them. She feels guilty for feeling that way and like she is betraying the memory of her mother. However, Raven cannot deny the growing feelings she has for Connor. At the same time, Connor knows that Raven hates his kind but cannot deny his feelings for the little nymph. Just as their feelings start to come to a head, an old enemy resurfaces tearing the two apart. Will they survive this threat? Will Connor and Raven be able to live a happily ever after?
Must read! I cannot wait to start the next book in this series! I loved it. Hot and steamy and full of adventure. Cassandra Lawson does real justice to vampires and the paranormal genre. The book is well written and kept me on the edge of my seat the whole time. You feel the plight of the characters and can’t help but to root for them all. Go 1-click today!!!
This book puts a different spin on vampirism and I loved it. A crazed lunatic came up with the bright idea (huge sarcasm here) to infect the poor with the Moon Virus to rid the world of homeless and poor people. His view that it was draining the country dry supporting them and wanted to free the world of such “leeches” (his word, not mine). Well the Moon Virus had an unexpected result: vampires. Now the world was going to $hit and fast! Crazed vampires were attacking the humans. Some vampires kept their sanity and were able to control themselves better. The humans took away basic human rights of the vampires and enslaved them.
Connor was born a slave. He was forced to do horrific things in order to receive blood. He was born a vampire. Tired of being a slave, the vampires revolted and started their own communities. Connor was the leader of his community and did everything he could to protect his people. They were still at war with the humans and also attacks from the crazed vampires.
Raven is a wood nymph. She watched as her mother was torn to shreds by vampires. Her human father took her in and she was raised in one of the many human communities. Raven had a bad taste in her mouth for vampires. Not knowing there was a difference in the vampires, she hated them all. She was a leader amongst her people and would do anything to protect her people.
On a mission to get medicine for her human community, Raven and her team and surrounded by vampires. She trades her life for those of her team. Connor is part of the vampires surrounding Raven and her team. He has no other choice but to accept her deal. Connor is torn in two. He knows what it is like to be a slave and doesn’t want to put anyone through that. He also knows to keep his position as leader he has to keep a human that once enslaved his people. Raven hates that she has to live with vampires but would gladly do it to save her people.
Once Raven has lived among the vampires, she learns that they are not all bad. She starts to make friends and enjoy living with them. She feels guilty for feeling that way and like she is betraying the memory of her mother. However, Raven cannot deny the growing feelings she has for Connor. At the same time, Connor knows that Raven hates his kind but cannot deny his feelings for the little nymph. Just as their feelings start to come to a head, an old enemy resurfaces tearing the two apart. Will they survive this threat? Will Connor and Raven be able to live a happily ever after?
Must read! I cannot wait to start the next book in this series! I loved it. Hot and steamy and full of adventure. Cassandra Lawson does real justice to vampires and the paranormal genre. The book is well written and kept me on the edge of my seat the whole time. You feel the plight of the characters and can’t help but to root for them all. Go 1-click today!!!
November 16, 2014
I have found a new paranormal romance series that I love. Raven’s Blood has something that you usually don’t see in a vampire book. It explains how vampirism came to be. Specifically by an engineered virus that is called the Moon Virus. Made specifically to ease the overpopulation of the earth by mostly wiping out the poor, criminals and burdens of the human race.
The Moon Virus somehow made 2 different sets of vampires, crazed ones and ones that are normal and just need blood to survive. The ones that are normal are called blood brats. They were kept for horrible reasons by the humans. Decades later a lot of humans didn’t know there were 2 types of vampires that the moon virus created, that knowledge was kept secret from most of them.
Raven is part nymph and part human so when her mother dies her father takes her in and she ends up living in a settlement with other humans. While out on a medical supply run with a group of friends she runs across what she thinks are crazed vampires only to find out that they aren’t crazy and they don’t blindly attack her and her friends. She offers herself as prisoner in exchange for her friends release. The leader of the vampire group, Connor, takes the deal because he is drawn to her and sees her sacrifice as admirable. He doesn’t plan on keeping her prisoner but she doesn’t need to know that. He just has to keep his libido in check until he can release her without suspicion from anyone but that’s not going to be easy because she’s a nymph after all. As Raven gets to know her captor and his friends, she starts to fall for him. Will she ever see her friends again? Especially with a threat looming from an unexpected source.
Baddies, hot alpha vampires and tough heroines, OH MY. There was never a dull moment in this book, it was very well plotted out and has a great set of characters. The author has a great series here and you don’t want to miss out on this first book of The Moon Virus Novels.
The Moon Virus somehow made 2 different sets of vampires, crazed ones and ones that are normal and just need blood to survive. The ones that are normal are called blood brats. They were kept for horrible reasons by the humans. Decades later a lot of humans didn’t know there were 2 types of vampires that the moon virus created, that knowledge was kept secret from most of them.
Raven is part nymph and part human so when her mother dies her father takes her in and she ends up living in a settlement with other humans. While out on a medical supply run with a group of friends she runs across what she thinks are crazed vampires only to find out that they aren’t crazy and they don’t blindly attack her and her friends. She offers herself as prisoner in exchange for her friends release. The leader of the vampire group, Connor, takes the deal because he is drawn to her and sees her sacrifice as admirable. He doesn’t plan on keeping her prisoner but she doesn’t need to know that. He just has to keep his libido in check until he can release her without suspicion from anyone but that’s not going to be easy because she’s a nymph after all. As Raven gets to know her captor and his friends, she starts to fall for him. Will she ever see her friends again? Especially with a threat looming from an unexpected source.
Baddies, hot alpha vampires and tough heroines, OH MY. There was never a dull moment in this book, it was very well plotted out and has a great set of characters. The author has a great series here and you don’t want to miss out on this first book of The Moon Virus Novels.
April 3, 2016
This book started with big time jumps and I was like, what's going on. I soon realised it was just explaining the history and soon settled into realtime. I have to admit i had a hard time putting this book down, I loved the characthers and story.
This book is a post-apocalyptic book, I think that's the best way of describing it! There are a few factions in this book, humans, born vampires, turned vampires and nymphs. These vamps are not your normal vamps, they were man made a couple centuries ago.
Connor is the leader of the born vampires, his bossy, moody and stubborn and runs a settlement where they live there life's just like humans. Raven is a wood nymph and needs lots of sex and to be near nature to survive, she's a very talented and spirited characther, she lives in the human settlement.
One day their paths cross and they are both forced into a situation they never imagined. What a couple they make, I loved reading their relationship develop. It wasn't an easy ride both are strong willed, raven just speaks her mind which is amusing at times. Connors relationship with the other vamps is very strong but they all find his predicament amusing.
I really liked all the characthers - except the baddies! All were very real, if I had to pick another couple of fave characthers from the book it would be Jack and Muriel, they were adorable.
If you are looking for a different take on vampires this is a great read, it's full of developing relationships, action, sex and a few surprises and twists along the way.
Recommended to all PNR fans.
How to rate this book.... I sometimes think I give 5 stars to much, but I can't fault this book, it had everything I needed and I did not want to put it down. Soooo Five strong stars from me.
* I was gifted a copy of this book for an honest opinion. *
This book is a post-apocalyptic book, I think that's the best way of describing it! There are a few factions in this book, humans, born vampires, turned vampires and nymphs. These vamps are not your normal vamps, they were man made a couple centuries ago.
Connor is the leader of the born vampires, his bossy, moody and stubborn and runs a settlement where they live there life's just like humans. Raven is a wood nymph and needs lots of sex and to be near nature to survive, she's a very talented and spirited characther, she lives in the human settlement.
One day their paths cross and they are both forced into a situation they never imagined. What a couple they make, I loved reading their relationship develop. It wasn't an easy ride both are strong willed, raven just speaks her mind which is amusing at times. Connors relationship with the other vamps is very strong but they all find his predicament amusing.
I really liked all the characthers - except the baddies! All were very real, if I had to pick another couple of fave characthers from the book it would be Jack and Muriel, they were adorable.
If you are looking for a different take on vampires this is a great read, it's full of developing relationships, action, sex and a few surprises and twists along the way.
Recommended to all PNR fans.
How to rate this book.... I sometimes think I give 5 stars to much, but I can't fault this book, it had everything I needed and I did not want to put it down. Soooo Five strong stars from me.
* I was gifted a copy of this book for an honest opinion. *
April 4, 2014
I received a copy of this book for an honest review.
If I could give this book 10 stars I would! Raven and Connor meet because Raven and some of her friends break into a hospital in order to get the medicine that they needed in order to save those who were ill in their settlement, however in the process they get caught. Raven let herself be captured in order to save the lives of her friends as well as get the medication to the ill.
Raven didn't expect to live, she expected that the vampires would kill her. She never expected to fall in love with Connor, nor did she expect to fight on the side of the good vampires.
I could not put this book down and I honestly suspect that once you pick it up that you will not be able to put it down either. I strongly encourage you to read this and fall in love with Raven and Connor and follow their story. I can only hope that there is a book two so we can continue to follow Raven and Connor!
If I could give this book 10 stars I would! Raven and Connor meet because Raven and some of her friends break into a hospital in order to get the medicine that they needed in order to save those who were ill in their settlement, however in the process they get caught. Raven let herself be captured in order to save the lives of her friends as well as get the medication to the ill.
Raven didn't expect to live, she expected that the vampires would kill her. She never expected to fall in love with Connor, nor did she expect to fight on the side of the good vampires.
I could not put this book down and I honestly suspect that once you pick it up that you will not be able to put it down either. I strongly encourage you to read this and fall in love with Raven and Connor and follow their story. I can only hope that there is a book two so we can continue to follow Raven and Connor!
dnf
April 27, 2017I found this book distasteful so I quit pretty early. The setup is that vampirism was caused by a virus engineered by an evil corporation looking to make a buck. Our vampire hero was a sex slave until he was 17 when he and some friends bust out of the vampire reservation. 85 years later he is leading a vampire town. Our heroine is a wood nymph/human whose mother was murdered by vampires when she was 17. 85 years later she is captured by the hero and has a collar put on her. The collar will cause excruciating pain if she tries to move away from the bracelet on our hero's wrist. So, she is now a prisoner just like he was, but the sex stuff hadn't yet started when I gave up.
Despite his being very nasty to her she is aroused by him. This conversation is while he's tied her to his car. She had just seen children running around and hadn't realized they were vampires so she was shocked.
"Do not speak to me that way in front of my people or I will be forced to discipline you," he said with deadly calm.
"How about if I just speak to you that way when we're alone?" she snapped.
"He smiled at her with his lips parted slightly to show his fangs. "When we're alone, I prefer it if you talk to me that way. It gets me hard."
I'm not a big fan of Stockholm syndrome stories and I think an ex-sex slave who's turned on by his captive's fear and anger is disgusting. Hence, my failure to get very far in this book.
Despite his being very nasty to her she is aroused by him. This conversation is while he's tied her to his car. She had just seen children running around and hadn't realized they were vampires so she was shocked.
"Do not speak to me that way in front of my people or I will be forced to discipline you," he said with deadly calm.
"How about if I just speak to you that way when we're alone?" she snapped.
"He smiled at her with his lips parted slightly to show his fangs. "When we're alone, I prefer it if you talk to me that way. It gets me hard."
I'm not a big fan of Stockholm syndrome stories and I think an ex-sex slave who's turned on by his captive's fear and anger is disgusting. Hence, my failure to get very far in this book.
June 15, 2017
I didn't know what to expect from Raven's Blood it being an impulse read, so I'm not entirely sure how I feel about it. The characters were interesting, and so was the lore. I do feel like the book was a bit of a hodge podge of different mythical creatures, but it actually worked fairly well. I don't like how a few things were never explained even though this was supposed to be read as a stand alone, such as Connor's connection to the wolves. I also felt bad for Ian, because everyone was reuniting with literally everyone but him. I think the ending was a little too sudden and the climax was extremely rushed through.
August 25, 2014
I went into this book not really knowing what it was about and what to expect. But I can say I honestly didn't expect this book to be what it was. I thought that it would just be another vampire romance (which I don't mind) and it kind of was but it had so much more than just romance. The plot and the story was really interesting and refreshing. Cassandra Lawson created this futuristic world in which vampires are not made in nature but created by humans. One of the fascinated parts in this book is the back story of how the humans created the vampires, well actually it was more of a why. I don't want to get into the story a lot, but it really does show how some humans can be even worst then the monsters they fear.
So in this book we have two different types of vampires: the evil non emotional, vampires with no conscious and no soul, the dead and the born vampires that actually have humanity, they can hate and love just like we can, its just that their diet is a little different. But the thing is that humans and everybody else don't know the difference, they think that all of them are monsters and cold blooded killers. So when Raven, the wood nymph was captured, she thought that it was definitely the end. She thought that she would become a slave and be dead soon enough. She wanted to rather die than live with them especially since she witness first hand of what the vampires are capable of. But when she arrived at their camp, she was shocked at what she saw. As the book progresses Raven and he captor Connor started to have feeling for each other. They couldn't act on it because they both tried hard to hate each other instead. Well at first....it gotten really steamy later on, which I didn't expect at all. Let me tell you this is definitely a 18+ read. This book was really sexual, like really.
I mostly liked all of the characters in this book, even the douchebags and this book had a few(; But to tell you the truth the main two characters bothered me at times. Even tho I liked their hate-love relationship, at times it just become annoying. Like they created their own image of how the other person felt, so they didn't even want to listen to one another because they thought that they knew how the other person felt...if that makes any sense? At times their voices were way to similar. This book is from Raven POV and Connor POV, plus it had a pov from couple of side characters, which I really liked! But it's just that Raven and Connor had way to similar of a voice and thoughts. But they were a pretty bad ass characters. Especially Raven, I liked her sass.
What I loved about this book is the background story of the characters and the story of how the whole vampire thing come into existence. I would recommend to read the book just because of these reasons and you should. The romance was not the main thing but it was important. In conclusion I would recommend this book to paranormal lovers! It can be read as a standalone so you definitely should give it a shot!
So in this book we have two different types of vampires: the evil non emotional, vampires with no conscious and no soul, the dead and the born vampires that actually have humanity, they can hate and love just like we can, its just that their diet is a little different. But the thing is that humans and everybody else don't know the difference, they think that all of them are monsters and cold blooded killers. So when Raven, the wood nymph was captured, she thought that it was definitely the end. She thought that she would become a slave and be dead soon enough. She wanted to rather die than live with them especially since she witness first hand of what the vampires are capable of. But when she arrived at their camp, she was shocked at what she saw. As the book progresses Raven and he captor Connor started to have feeling for each other. They couldn't act on it because they both tried hard to hate each other instead. Well at first....it gotten really steamy later on, which I didn't expect at all. Let me tell you this is definitely a 18+ read. This book was really sexual, like really.
I mostly liked all of the characters in this book, even the douchebags and this book had a few(; But to tell you the truth the main two characters bothered me at times. Even tho I liked their hate-love relationship, at times it just become annoying. Like they created their own image of how the other person felt, so they didn't even want to listen to one another because they thought that they knew how the other person felt...if that makes any sense? At times their voices were way to similar. This book is from Raven POV and Connor POV, plus it had a pov from couple of side characters, which I really liked! But it's just that Raven and Connor had way to similar of a voice and thoughts. But they were a pretty bad ass characters. Especially Raven, I liked her sass.
What I loved about this book is the background story of the characters and the story of how the whole vampire thing come into existence. I would recommend to read the book just because of these reasons and you should. The romance was not the main thing but it was important. In conclusion I would recommend this book to paranormal lovers! It can be read as a standalone so you definitely should give it a shot!
October 17, 2014
3 1/2 stars!
What worked for me?
Raven’s a wood nymph who’s been living in human settlements ever since her mother was killed by vampires. But an encounter with the leader of a vampire settlement thrusts her to another life and another settlement especially when she finds herself bound by blood to Connor, the leader. It was good to watch her adjust to her new environment, break down prejudices against the vampires and discover that what she might have been led to believe about them (some of them, in this case) might not have been the complete truth, and maybe find herself in a place she can call her own home, more than the nymph forest where she grew up with her mom or the human settlement where she stayed.
Connor, on the other hand, is a really interesting character. His history was dark with the painful memories of slavery and torture. But at the same time, he did not let the darkness form his future. It’s admirable that he’s been able to lead a vampire community to survive and even to thrive. Reading about him trying to fight his attraction to the nymph was enjoyable because you just know he’s fighting a losing battle. But when these two both gave themselves the freedom to be together, hot fireworks.
This book has an interesting premise with regard to how the virus that can turn a human into a vampire came into existence. The villain was really diabolical, there’s just no other word to describe him. And it was a little disconcerting that he has such a rational and intelligent mind. In any case, he made a pretty worthy point of conflict for the whole story.
What did not work for me?
I was a bit thrown off by the beginning because it was a series of time skips wherein the author narrates the passage of time through the villain’s actions.
I had also the unfulfilled expectation of wanting more from Raven’s and Connor’s relationship. Don’t get me wrong, I really, really like them and how they developed their feelings for each other. But I wanted more basis, I guess, more foundation.
There were several gaps in the book that left me wanting to know more and I thought weren’t given that much detail or explanation beyond what was basically needed by the plot development. And it was such a shame because it was looking to be an interesting world to be in, at least story-wise.
My over-all take on it?
This is the first Cassandra Lawson book I’ve read and her writing style works for me. I really enjoyed that mix of romance, suspense, and action in this book. I’ll still be checking out her future releases because there’s definitely the promise of growth when it comes to her writing.
What worked for me?
Raven’s a wood nymph who’s been living in human settlements ever since her mother was killed by vampires. But an encounter with the leader of a vampire settlement thrusts her to another life and another settlement especially when she finds herself bound by blood to Connor, the leader. It was good to watch her adjust to her new environment, break down prejudices against the vampires and discover that what she might have been led to believe about them (some of them, in this case) might not have been the complete truth, and maybe find herself in a place she can call her own home, more than the nymph forest where she grew up with her mom or the human settlement where she stayed.
Connor, on the other hand, is a really interesting character. His history was dark with the painful memories of slavery and torture. But at the same time, he did not let the darkness form his future. It’s admirable that he’s been able to lead a vampire community to survive and even to thrive. Reading about him trying to fight his attraction to the nymph was enjoyable because you just know he’s fighting a losing battle. But when these two both gave themselves the freedom to be together, hot fireworks.
This book has an interesting premise with regard to how the virus that can turn a human into a vampire came into existence. The villain was really diabolical, there’s just no other word to describe him. And it was a little disconcerting that he has such a rational and intelligent mind. In any case, he made a pretty worthy point of conflict for the whole story.
What did not work for me?
I was a bit thrown off by the beginning because it was a series of time skips wherein the author narrates the passage of time through the villain’s actions.
I had also the unfulfilled expectation of wanting more from Raven’s and Connor’s relationship. Don’t get me wrong, I really, really like them and how they developed their feelings for each other. But I wanted more basis, I guess, more foundation.
There were several gaps in the book that left me wanting to know more and I thought weren’t given that much detail or explanation beyond what was basically needed by the plot development. And it was such a shame because it was looking to be an interesting world to be in, at least story-wise.
My over-all take on it?
This is the first Cassandra Lawson book I’ve read and her writing style works for me. I really enjoyed that mix of romance, suspense, and action in this book. I’ll still be checking out her future releases because there’s definitely the promise of growth when it comes to her writing.
June 18, 2014
The Good
•Refreshing story
•Well developed characters
•The chemistry
•The editing
The Bad
•Nada
The Gif
From the very first page, I was hooked on this book. With Raven's Blood, Cassandra Lawson breathes new life into the age old vampire myth. It was the perfect deviation from all of the other stories on the market right now and had no problem standing out as one of my favorite vampire reads of 2014. A layered plot that was paced so well easily kept my interest until the very end.
Cassandra Lawson shows her finesse with the written word through this book. Her writing was very easy for me to read and appreciate. Also I'd like to note that the editor of this book did a superb job. I'm always prepared to forgive mistakes in self-published books, but there were none in Raven's Blood that I noticed. It was certainly appreciated.
Raven was the epitome of what I like in a main character. She's a kick ass female. It isn't one of those cases where she's said to be self-sufficient but really isn't. Raven truly is, and I admired that. It made it such a much more enjoyable read to have a protagonist that I loved. She reminded me a lot of Sookie Stackhouse.
Wow, Connor and Raven. They definitely worked for me as a couple. Their interactions seemed plausible and I found myself speeding through the story to follow their journey. There are some sex scenes in this book, but I feel like they are cohesive to the story and don't stand out like a sore thumb.
If you're a paranormal romance fan, I cannot recommend Raven's Blood enough. It was definitely a breath of fresh air for the genre.
**I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. My thanks to Cassandra Lawson.
•Refreshing story
•Well developed characters
•The chemistry
•The editing
The Bad
•Nada
The Gif
From the very first page, I was hooked on this book. With Raven's Blood, Cassandra Lawson breathes new life into the age old vampire myth. It was the perfect deviation from all of the other stories on the market right now and had no problem standing out as one of my favorite vampire reads of 2014. A layered plot that was paced so well easily kept my interest until the very end.
Cassandra Lawson shows her finesse with the written word through this book. Her writing was very easy for me to read and appreciate. Also I'd like to note that the editor of this book did a superb job. I'm always prepared to forgive mistakes in self-published books, but there were none in Raven's Blood that I noticed. It was certainly appreciated.
Raven was the epitome of what I like in a main character. She's a kick ass female. It isn't one of those cases where she's said to be self-sufficient but really isn't. Raven truly is, and I admired that. It made it such a much more enjoyable read to have a protagonist that I loved. She reminded me a lot of Sookie Stackhouse.
Wow, Connor and Raven. They definitely worked for me as a couple. Their interactions seemed plausible and I found myself speeding through the story to follow their journey. There are some sex scenes in this book, but I feel like they are cohesive to the story and don't stand out like a sore thumb.
If you're a paranormal romance fan, I cannot recommend Raven's Blood enough. It was definitely a breath of fresh air for the genre.
**I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. My thanks to Cassandra Lawson.
September 10, 2014
This is the fourth book I've read from this author, and I'm looking forward to read more.
Closely related to zombie stories, this vampire book could also be classified as post-apocalyptic. Raven's blood starts with the events that led to the creation of vampires. After greedy, selfish humans decided that the poor and the sick were a nuisance that leeched out of society, they plotted a way to eliminate them while staying under the radar. From this stupid mistake two kinds of vampires emerged: turned and born ones. The first are savage killers, the others (and a few exceptions of the first kind) sought the help of humans; yet, both were hated equally. (I'll stop at this in fear of revealing spoilers.)
From the wood nymph, Raven to the born vampire, Connor and everything in between, we learn of their story. What happened between now and a hundred years earlier after the world changed drastically. Reading about how life was altered after the events, how low people fell and what they did kept me turning the pages. Sure, the story itself is about those two protagonists and the first part is just a tiny part, but everything, back story included was so well depicted that I felt I was there with them. The introduction was so well done that I hurt with them, and even cried with them. This was not just 'another' vampire story for me. It was so different from the usual PNR. Sure, there was romance. Nymphs are in fact all about sex, they need it as much as they need to breathe, yet, there was so much more to Raven's Blood than that.
I'd recommend this book to both lovers of vampires and post-apocalypse/dystopian genre alike.
Closely related to zombie stories, this vampire book could also be classified as post-apocalyptic. Raven's blood starts with the events that led to the creation of vampires. After greedy, selfish humans decided that the poor and the sick were a nuisance that leeched out of society, they plotted a way to eliminate them while staying under the radar. From this stupid mistake two kinds of vampires emerged: turned and born ones. The first are savage killers, the others (and a few exceptions of the first kind) sought the help of humans; yet, both were hated equally. (I'll stop at this in fear of revealing spoilers.)
From the wood nymph, Raven to the born vampire, Connor and everything in between, we learn of their story. What happened between now and a hundred years earlier after the world changed drastically. Reading about how life was altered after the events, how low people fell and what they did kept me turning the pages. Sure, the story itself is about those two protagonists and the first part is just a tiny part, but everything, back story included was so well depicted that I felt I was there with them. The introduction was so well done that I hurt with them, and even cried with them. This was not just 'another' vampire story for me. It was so different from the usual PNR. Sure, there was romance. Nymphs are in fact all about sex, they need it as much as they need to breathe, yet, there was so much more to Raven's Blood than that.
I'd recommend this book to both lovers of vampires and post-apocalypse/dystopian genre alike.
March 31, 2014
When Raven offers her life for the freedom of her human friends she has no idea what she’s gotten herself into. Connor, the leader of the vampire settlement, accepts Raven’s offer and enslaves her to the settlement. Raven sees something she doesn’t agree with and puts her life on the line again. This forces Connor to react in a way no one ever thought he would.
As their story continues, Raven must come to terms with her feelings about the vampires and decide if she can handle the feelings brewing for Connor. Meanwhile, Connor sees all of his kind settling down and he find himself thinking about things he never thought he would have or want in his life. Connor struggles with his attraction to Raven, who oozes sexuality. He must decide whether to fight his feelings for her or give in to the attraction and show her that not all vampires are bad.
When Raven and Connor discover they have a common enemy they must put aside their attraction to one another and decide if they will fight the battle alone or together. Can they bring the world of the vampires and humans together for the greater good, or are they as doomed as the past they are trying to fix?
I really enjoyed this dystopian paranormal romance. It’s not just one or the other it is the best of both. No matter which genre you like you will fall in love with Raven and Connor’s story. The characters are likeable and each one is given a voice which gives depth to the story. If you are looking for a great read that is a standalone, then this story is for you.
I was given a complimentary copy from the Author, Cassandra Lawson, in exchange for an honest review.
OVERALL RATING – 4 STARS
As their story continues, Raven must come to terms with her feelings about the vampires and decide if she can handle the feelings brewing for Connor. Meanwhile, Connor sees all of his kind settling down and he find himself thinking about things he never thought he would have or want in his life. Connor struggles with his attraction to Raven, who oozes sexuality. He must decide whether to fight his feelings for her or give in to the attraction and show her that not all vampires are bad.
When Raven and Connor discover they have a common enemy they must put aside their attraction to one another and decide if they will fight the battle alone or together. Can they bring the world of the vampires and humans together for the greater good, or are they as doomed as the past they are trying to fix?
I really enjoyed this dystopian paranormal romance. It’s not just one or the other it is the best of both. No matter which genre you like you will fall in love with Raven and Connor’s story. The characters are likeable and each one is given a voice which gives depth to the story. If you are looking for a great read that is a standalone, then this story is for you.
I was given a complimentary copy from the Author, Cassandra Lawson, in exchange for an honest review.
OVERALL RATING – 4 STARS
January 19, 2024
This book starts off with leaps in time but don't think that the whole book is like that. This is absolutely necessary to fill you in on the thoughts and actions of those who feature in this story as it brings you up to the current date. Connor has a bad start in life as he was born in a prison cell and lived on a reservation for the first years of his life. Raven lived the first part of her life with her mother in the woods and not seeing much of her father. As the time comes for her to see her father, her mother is murdered in front of Raven and she learns more than she should about the violence that is around in her world.
The story continues with Raven and Connor both trying to survive the best way they know how but with limited resources and information. They both learn more about the other and the differences in species as they go on. The relationship between Raven and Connor is excellent and one that makes for excellent reading. If you like a smart and sassy female lead who ties the male into knots, and a male who is pure Alpha with tricks of his own that stumps the female, then you will definitely like this book.
This is a standalone novel but I'm really hoping for more in this series as I loved this book and didn't want to put it down once I had started to read it.
**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Apr 14, 2014
The story continues with Raven and Connor both trying to survive the best way they know how but with limited resources and information. They both learn more about the other and the differences in species as they go on. The relationship between Raven and Connor is excellent and one that makes for excellent reading. If you like a smart and sassy female lead who ties the male into knots, and a male who is pure Alpha with tricks of his own that stumps the female, then you will definitely like this book.
This is a standalone novel but I'm really hoping for more in this series as I loved this book and didn't want to put it down once I had started to read it.
**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Apr 14, 2014
April 14, 2015
Marie's Tempting Reads Review:
I want to tell you right off the bat, that one of the BEST things about Raven's Blood by Cassandra Lawson is it can be read as a stand alone story. Its not that I don't mind if you have to read it in order, but it is better getting a story where you don't always have to worry about reading it in order. I really liked Raven's Blood too. Its full of action, suspense, zesty romance and all the things that I LOVE about paranormal. We have vampires and Nymphs and other paranormal activity going on that drew me like a moth to flame. I loved Raven and Connor. Connor is definitely the kind of alpha male any red-blooded woman would desire. He is strong, sexy, confident and exudes sex appeal like you wouldn't believe. Raven is a good match for him because she is feisty, caring, and beautiful.
The story itself was sexy and was a real page turner. I think Cassandra Lawson is a new favorite author of mine, especially after reading Raven's Blood. With that said, I gave Raven's Blood a FINE FOUR AND A HALF SHOOTING STARS!! Its well written with a strong plot, sexy vampires, and feisty nypms! A paranormal delight!
I want to tell you right off the bat, that one of the BEST things about Raven's Blood by Cassandra Lawson is it can be read as a stand alone story. Its not that I don't mind if you have to read it in order, but it is better getting a story where you don't always have to worry about reading it in order. I really liked Raven's Blood too. Its full of action, suspense, zesty romance and all the things that I LOVE about paranormal. We have vampires and Nymphs and other paranormal activity going on that drew me like a moth to flame. I loved Raven and Connor. Connor is definitely the kind of alpha male any red-blooded woman would desire. He is strong, sexy, confident and exudes sex appeal like you wouldn't believe. Raven is a good match for him because she is feisty, caring, and beautiful.
The story itself was sexy and was a real page turner. I think Cassandra Lawson is a new favorite author of mine, especially after reading Raven's Blood. With that said, I gave Raven's Blood a FINE FOUR AND A HALF SHOOTING STARS!! Its well written with a strong plot, sexy vampires, and feisty nypms! A paranormal delight!
April 20, 2014
I must say thank you to Cassandra and goodreads who sent me a signed copy.
I am not normally a vampire fan in modern fiction, although love Dracula by Bram Stoker, I wont go into the plot, because that can easily be seen elsewhere. But, in my opinion the book has been written very well, and kept me captivated in the story - I didn't want want to put the book down when I went to bed - didn't give me nightmares though!!!!
Thoroughly well written and I recommend anybody who likes the style of story to read this, but you will have to overcome the switches in time at the beginning so be sober !!!!
I am not normally a vampire fan in modern fiction, although love Dracula by Bram Stoker, I wont go into the plot, because that can easily be seen elsewhere. But, in my opinion the book has been written very well, and kept me captivated in the story - I didn't want want to put the book down when I went to bed - didn't give me nightmares though!!!!
Thoroughly well written and I recommend anybody who likes the style of story to read this, but you will have to overcome the switches in time at the beginning so be sober !!!!
April 1, 2014
This book was not was I expected at all. I started reading it and thought ok a zombie story. Not at all. You have born vampires, vampires that are created and vampires that changed from a virus and wood nymphs. You can say Connor and Rave are the main characters of the story but it's just not only them. I read this book in two days. I just didnt want to put it down, I wanted to koww what happened next. to see all the reason's everyone distrusted each other or hated was scary. To see all the suffering and how one person had teh ability to change the lives of everyone with one vaccine. I would recommend this book to all my friends.
June 25, 2015
Raven's Blood was had a really refreshing twist on a vampire love story. I enjoyed the dystopian part of the book kind of like 28 days later meets twilight with a wood nymph thrown in.
the only reason i haven't given the book 5 stars is the dialogue and actions used between characters, sometimes i found it a bit immature and unrealistic. I thought at some parts no one mythical creature based on humans would speak or act like that but then some parts where fantastic, was a bit like dipping in and out of a Jackie Collins novel at some parts it made me cringe but only occasionally.
overall i really enjoyed it and would recommend it to anyone, its got a nice twist too...
the only reason i haven't given the book 5 stars is the dialogue and actions used between characters, sometimes i found it a bit immature and unrealistic. I thought at some parts no one mythical creature based on humans would speak or act like that but then some parts where fantastic, was a bit like dipping in and out of a Jackie Collins novel at some parts it made me cringe but only occasionally.
overall i really enjoyed it and would recommend it to anyone, its got a nice twist too...
August 29, 2015
I actually really enjoyed this. I loved the fact it wasn't a typical vampire story as well, it was incredibly original and that's probably why I enjoyed it so much. Okay, I also really loved Raven. Like a lot. She was a bad arse female who didn't back down. She didn't let a man tell her what to do and she was her own person and had her own mind. That was very refreshing.
I would recommend this book and then you decide for yourself if you continue the series. I also liked how it is a stand alone novel, it doesn't end on a cliffhanger so you have to buy the rest of the series. I will most probably continue because I'm intrigued by Simon.
I would recommend this book and then you decide for yourself if you continue the series. I also liked how it is a stand alone novel, it doesn't end on a cliffhanger so you have to buy the rest of the series. I will most probably continue because I'm intrigued by Simon.
March 25, 2014
I read this book in one sitting and loved it. If you are looking for an adventurous book for a plane ride or Sunday afternoon, this is it. This book moves quickly, it's engaging and really well structured. At first I was a bit concerned about the sexual situations, however it became clear very early on that like every other situation in the book, Lawson's scenes are justified, well placed and honest. The author does a great job letting her characters work through situations rather than grandstanding or forcing her opinion on the reader. I can see this becoming a movie.
April 1, 2014
Well I got this book in exchange for a honest review.
Honestly I wasn't sure what to expect. I loved the cover and the description, but I have really been fooled. Sometimes the books are great other times.... not so much.
This was one of the really good ones! There are so many vampire books and shifter novels, and books out there that I am always surprised when new life is breathed into them. I have found very few books with wood nymphs and to combine creating vampires with a wood nymph heroine was very cool. This book had everything.
Honestly I wasn't sure what to expect. I loved the cover and the description, but I have really been fooled. Sometimes the books are great other times.... not so much.
This was one of the really good ones! There are so many vampire books and shifter novels, and books out there that I am always surprised when new life is breathed into them. I have found very few books with wood nymphs and to combine creating vampires with a wood nymph heroine was very cool. This book had everything.
January 20, 2015
I absolutely loved this book. It had my favorite PNR parts, the characters were well built and i never felt that I was out of the loop or missing any info. I enjoyed the humor, the chemistry, the banter and over all feel of the book. This book could have gone on another hundred pages for me. Once the story was picking up speed for the ending I felt it ended to fast for me, but I will definitely be reading the next book in the series and more from this author.
March 25, 2014
I received a copy of this book to review and I must say that I really loved it.
This was the first book by Cassandra Lawson that I have read and I'm so glad I did.
Wonderful world and character building. If your a fan of paranormal romance this is a must read.
I can not wait for the next book in this series
This was the first book by Cassandra Lawson that I have read and I'm so glad I did.
Wonderful world and character building. If your a fan of paranormal romance this is a must read.
I can not wait for the next book in this series
March 20, 2014
This is a must read! Fell in love with characters and was hooked immediately! It has it all sex, romance, fantasy and drama! Leaves you wanting more without the cliff hanger ending. Can't wait to see more from Cassandra!
November 30, 2014
Being introduced to Wood-nymph's was awesome and I really enjoyed the Authors style of writing. I am Hoping there will be a sequel or more following the character "Raven"!...:)
I am planning on Reading Mrs. Lawson's other books as well.........
I am planning on Reading Mrs. Lawson's other books as well.........
January 17, 2015
I didn't think I would like this book because it's not the usual genre that I read. I loved this book. The story is a cool concept. There is enough action and not too much unbelievable romance. Love love love this book.
January 30, 2015
Awesome read. This is a complete book
This books has bad and good vamps that are arrogant. It has a human villain and heroine that is a kick butt wood nymph. I can,t wait forefathers secondary characters stories! Check this book out if you dig big bad alpha male vamps.
This books has bad and good vamps that are arrogant. It has a human villain and heroine that is a kick butt wood nymph. I can,t wait forefathers secondary characters stories! Check this book out if you dig big bad alpha male vamps.
February 24, 2015
Great exciting read
I loved this book, definitely recommend it,full of a love story and sex ,loyal friends and betrayals ,dark character s who get whats coming ,couldnt put itdownto them
I loved this book, definitely recommend it,full of a love story and sex ,loyal friends and betrayals ,dark character s who get whats coming ,couldnt put itdownto them
August 21, 2015
What a great story!
A different kind of vampire story ... i loved it!
I grabbed this book when it was free, I believe it still is ...this was my first Cassandra Lawson book ... I'm hooked!
A must read!
A different kind of vampire story ... i loved it!
I grabbed this book when it was free, I believe it still is ...this was my first Cassandra Lawson book ... I'm hooked!
A must read!
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