Cursed to Death: A Crimson Moon Novel

Crimson Moon #4

by L.A. Banks

In this steely and intense novel from New York Times bestselling author L.A. Banks, lust, envy, and revenge prove to be the most lethal weapons of all…

Secret government operative Sasha Trudeau arrives at the scene of a murder, only to discover that a Fae creature has been killed―in a whole new kind of way. What is the meaning behind this mysterious ritualistic killing? What did the victim do to deserve it? Sasha fears that the Vampires and Unseelies have formed an unholy alliance…and they're ready to unleash their darkest arsenal of magick yet.

Teaming up with her mate and fellow Shadow Wolf, Max Hunter, Sasha tries to penetrate the paranormal community for clues. Meanwhile, members of the Wolf Clan are turning against one another as they race to uncover the meaning behind an ancient Unseelie curse. Even Sasha is not immune to this powerful magick, and soon finds herself drawn to a sensual, dangerous dance―one that could cost her own life…

Genres: Paranormal, Urban Fantasy, Fantasy, Paranormal Romance, Vampires, Romance, Shapeshifters

1 pages, Paperback

First published September 29, 2009

About the author

A pseudonym used by Leslie Esdaile Banks, she also wrote under the names:
Leslie E. Banks
Leslie Esdaile
Leslie Esdaile Banks
Leslie Banks
Alexis Grant

L.A. Banks, a native Philadelphian, was a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania Wharton undergraduate program. With many awards to her credit, Banks also held a masters of fine arts degree in film and media arts from Temple University. She lived in Philadelphia with her family until she passed away on the morning of August 2, 2011.

Visit L.A. Banks' page on the Macmillan website: http://us.macmillan.com/author/labanks

Reviews

[Accidental Huntress · Rating 5 out of 5]

I give this book a solid 4.5 stars! This whole series thus far has been very fast paced and exciting. Sasha is a Alfa she wolf/ US military/ highly coveted/ total badass. She’s tried the balancing act of the different worlds, but it gets harder to do with paranormal war at foot. Hunter is her mate and Alfa. With all the havoc and high tensions making situations likely to erupt, they have to figure out who’s targeting them and how to stop it. I recommend this series and I’m absolutely reading the next book never cry werewolf. Happy Reading!!!

[Angela · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sasha is one heck of a leader!

I loved how the author uses her human military experience to help the fae/werewolf/shadow wolf united in midst of dark chaos.

I rather not share in depth details of the book but read the book to find out how the dark curse is defeated.

[Kit Sheffield · Rating 1 out of 5]

Full disclosure. I picked this book up not realizing it was the fourth book in a series, and it is certainly possible that reading the first three would have given me a different attitude towards this one.

That said, I almost always finish any book I start. Probably fewer than five times have I just given up on a book, but this one I did. I kept waiting for a character - any character, even a minor one - to matter to me. One I could root for, or root against, or care about. None did. They were all unlikeable, but worse they were all dull.

There is also this thing authors do sometimes to show how in sync characters are, by having one intuit what another without any explicit words or action. So the other characters don't know what is going on, but those two do. Which is fine, but for it work, we, the readers, need to know what is going on.

[Madhellena · Rating 3 out of 5]

Seriously, this author manages to somehow ruin her chances of getting a 5 star every single time.... Again, a very good storyline that was ruined by some completely annoying aspects.
Sasha's and Hunter's relationship is so tenuous at this point in the series that it makes him look lame. I am seriously disappointed by the romance aspect in the series.

[Victoria Beers · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you're looking for a paranormal read, this series has it all. The female character is a bad a**. There is romance and a great storyline. The entire series had me hooked. It's not the traditional werewolf story, but it's still a good read

[Larissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Previously Published on my blog: Welcome to Larissa's Bookish Life

Series Review!
Series Rating = 4 Stars

*SPOILER FREE

I have never hidden my extreme love for Shifters, they are my favorite supernatural race followed by Vampires, taking a close second. The Crimson Moon series by L.A. Banks is all about the Shifter/Weres for me. Well, there are Vampires, Fae and a lot of other supernatural races, but for me is still all about the Shifters LOL.

Sasha Trudeau works for the government in a super secret team of Werewolves, working to eliminate terrorists. Well, they do have all the Werewolf ups, but they do not shift, because shifting means something went wrong. Means they have been taken by the rage and they need to be put down, so not shifting is good, right? When Sasha meets a man called Hunter claiming to be a Shadow Wolf, she realizes that the supernatural world is much more than she previously thought.

I LOVE L.A. Banks’ Crimson Series! I confess that I was bit overwhelmed and confused by the world building in the beginning, but after you get a grip on all the supernatural people and the different types of wolves, you get a chance to enjoy an awesome Urban Fantasy series with non-stop action and a great romance at it’s center.

There are the Shadow wolves {Native American origin} and there are the Werewolves {Asian origin}. The Shadow wolves are able to move through the shadows and Demon realms, but they need the protection of a special stone to keep from being attacked by Demon-infected wolves. Both Shadow Wolves and Werewolves can be infected and this one of the main problems that Sasha, Hunter and her team need to deal with. The mythology behind the shifter races is so unique in my opinion and one of my favorite things about this great series.

I love the cast of characters that make up this series. From Sasha’s team, to Hunter’s pack and including their allies the Fae, Crimson Moon is full of awesome characters that bring this amazing world L.A. Banks has created.

The Crimson Moon series is sure to please many Urban Fantasy fans out there and if you haven’t read it yet, you totally should! I can’t wait for the next installment in this brilliant series!

[Melindeeloo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Back to New Orleans but no R&R for Sasha

Manipulating the truth with her superiors in order to finagle some down time for her team, Sasha and Hunter are back in New Orleans to attend a big Fae Midsummers Night Ball. The possibility of getting some R&R is cut short when their Fae allies need help investigating the inexplicable death - by fire - of a Phoenix dancer. Sasha and Hunter are quick to take up the hunt for the killer, hoping to repay the Seelie monarch for his support of the wolf clans by solving the murder quietly.

But there is something in the air in New Orleans besides the humidity and pretty soon it is apparent that there is some strange magic at work - the Fae are losing their glamour and Sasha, her Shadow wolf mate Hunter, his brother Shogun and the rest of Sasha's wolvish comrades are all in a heightened emotional state and finding it hard not to succumb to the animalistic side of their natures. With new alliances hanging in the balance and enemies looking to exploit every weakness, Sasha and her team need to keep cool heads, and to discover the truth behind the magical attacks before it's too late.

I have been a pretty enthusiastic fan of Banks Crimson Moons series, and have really enjoyed the previous books with their smart and strong heroine, special ops soldier and alpha wolf Sasha, but it took author Banks a lot longer to reel me in with the story this time round. After thinking on it a bit, the reason that I didn't enjoy the beginning of the Cursed to Death as much as usual, was that not only were Sasha and her mate Hunter not acting like themselves, but also there was a high level of tension and conflict between the pair and among pretty much all of the returning cast. Once Sasha starts to think again and not just react, the story gets much better and, an improvement over the last book, Sasha's fellow special ops teammates actually are given something significant to do.

Even with the tough beginning, I actually did end up liking Cursed to Death, but if you are new to the series and haven't read the previous books, you probably aren't going to want to start here - with all of the significant players in the series acting out of character, it is unlikely that Cursed to Death will make you a fan.

[Kathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really a 4.75 Rating

Sasha Trudeau, shadow wolf and military agent and her team return to New Orleans for the fae's Midsummers Night Ball. Instead of having romantic dinners with Hunter and enjoying New Orleans nightlife, Sasha is assisting the fae with a trail of grizzly murders.

New Orleans has been cursed by black magic that only seems to have effect on the supernatural community. The Seelie fae have been stripped of their magic (which means no glamouring humans, who can now see their cute pointy ears), werewolves are pitted against each other, the demon doors have been reopened, the fairies are hiding and starving for food since they can now be seen when tending to their gardens; the supernatural community in New Orleans is in chaos.

Sexual tensions and dominance plays are high between Sasha, Hunter and Shogun. Even Sasha's familiars and her dad are affected by the curse; anyone with a sprinkle of magical beings in their blood is affected. The only escape seems to be the Shadowlands; however the unseen sorcerer's trap has made it impossible for any shadow wolf to enter Shadowlands. Without the supernatural community's natural cloaking mechanism to remain hidden within plain sight, humans are starting to take notice and ask questions, now everyone is at risk of exposure.

I really enjoyed this installment. It was full of action, mystery and lots and lots of fae. I love the strength of Sasha's alpha she-wolf, however I was a bit irritated at the way Sasha treated Hunter every time Shogun was around. Also, regardless of how intriguing the plot was, there was a bit more predictability and coincidental events than previous installments.

All-in-all this book was bewitching, engrossing and hypnotic. I would've loved to have seen more voodoo priest included, the story did take place in New Orleans after all; however, I did love that the Unseelie fae were included in this installment, I'm a huge Unseelies fan. I highly recommend this book and series to dark urban fantasy readers and also look forward to the next book in the series Never Cry Wolf due out 3/30/2010.

I also recommend:
They Call Me Death
Night Life (Nocturne City, Book 1)
Street Magic (Black London Novels)
Moon Called (Mercy Thompson, Book 1)
City of Souls (Sign of the Zodiac, Book 4)

[Theresa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This reads like a supernatural murder mystery, but the series main characters, Hunter, Sasha and Shogun, along with Sir Rodney, spend most of their time locked in a relationship battle. While the majority of the research, etc. is done by Doc, Silver Hawk and the PCU team along with occasional help by Bear and Crow Shadows. So it’s more their story. Shogun’s men are very involved also.

The mystery gets very interesting and complicated. There’s a lot of destruction and explosions. I don’t know how they’re going to keep the humans in the dark. But the parts with the Fae town are too sweet and unbelievable, even for Fae. Living there would make me fat and lazy. I love some of the features in the bedroom.

Yeah, I know they’ve been cursed, but now Sasha has three men panting after her. What has she got that the ladies don’t? I completely understand what Clarrisa and Bradley talked about. I’m glad they found each other. Need more ‘nice’ supe-women in this story.

Hunter behaves himself and keeps his common sense, mostly. Shogun’s attraction to Sasha is hardly there in this one. Sir Rodney is the main competition and his actions are really unbelievable. His people should have known something was wrong. He does know how to romance a lady though, if only she was free to be his. But I understand his problem with the Unseelie queen. Beautiful, but ice.

Quick Thought: 1)I think the Unseelie Queen and Elder Vlad are going to be worse than Baron Geoff and Kiagehul.

Fave Scenes: The Pixie in the tea garden, Safe Haven, Doc in the ambulance, Hunter and Sasha trying to shadow walk and the Wood Sprite.

[Dren · Rating 4 out of 5]

With the Crimson Moon Series Ms. Banks definitely takes the werewolf legend down a different path. I have been a fan of this series since book one, however I found myself a little distracted with her latest installment. In Cursed to Death, Sasha and her team investigates the mysterious deaths of two phonexies as a favor to her Sir Rodney, King of the Seelie Fae. However, dark magick is uncoverened that impacts the abilities of all Fae and those near and dear to Sasha.


I'm typically hanging on each page for this series, but this book left a me wanting more action less love triangle. The love triangle between Sasha, her mate, Max Hunter and his blood brother Shogun seemed stretched to the limit. While I love Sasha with Hunter -- I was rooting for his brother in this book (he's really really hot!) and I don't like splitting my loyalties. Don't get me wrong, the storyline was unique and interesting, but it just didn't seem to fit with the previous three. I hope Ms. Banks will devote less time to the love triangle in the next book.


Overall, I'd recommend this book to all. It's a unique twist to the werewolf legend. I recommend you start with her first book though, you'll have a better understanding of the intricate web, Ms. Banks created for her characters. Anxiously awaiting book FIVE!!

[Doris · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked this book up with a bunch of others at a clearance sale, and after reading several of the other books I almost tossed this into the discard pile unopened.

What a mistake that would have been!

This one has action, love stories, love triangles, intrigue, and international and interspecies warfare!

The story begins with secret government agent Captain Sasha Trudeau investigating the murder of a being everyone loves. Obviously they didn't since the poor girl was murdered, followed in a painful death by her friend, also a much loved being.

The investigation heats up from there, with a weird ritualistic sigil on the bodies, which the Fae community recognizes but won't identify. Its a black sigil, and portends death and disaster.

The story heats up, with brother pitted against brother, rivals all as the Fae and the Werewolves and the Vampires plot against each other, and somehow the magic affects relationships, especially those among all the Alphas.

It's a great story - the only thing I would like to have seen improved was a better explanation of the relationships between the players. Some of the information was probably given in earlier books, but some of the relationships were not explained until later in the story. Other than, great - good writing, good flow, and no ubiquitous sex scenes!

[TXreader Stacy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book sat on my desk for some time, kinda forgotten about, at the bottom of my to-be-read pile. I picked it up yesterday to reacquaint myself with the series. I had forgotten how much I like this series. If you have read Patricia Briggs Mercy Thompson series, you will love this one. Sasha has to deal with two very hot alpha males, one being her lifemate, while leading a wonderful team of wolves, psychics, and human paranormal experts. Bear Shadow and Crow Shadow are so funny, I really enjoy them, its like watching your brothers get into mischief. I have to say that the Fae King, Sir Rodney, got on my nerves a little and at times his part of the story seemed to drag for me, and there was the occasional cheesy saying. But there is always an endless supply of action to go along with this series. Sasha and her team have to save New Orleans again from the fighting factions of the paranormal world. I am again in love with the Shadow Wolves and am moving on to the next story, thankfully I already have it to read....

[Jax O · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the fourth book in the Crimson Moon Novels. Sasha Trudeau has seen her Wolf Mate Max Hunter through two near deaths. Though, she is still struggling with her consistent attraction to the half brother Shogun. After the major show down of Undead on Arrival enemies were to be expected in this book. My over all feeling for this book is that it was more of a conclusion and wrapping up the the lose ends from the previous three books. This was another fast paced and entertaining read from L.A. Banks, but I find myself becoming bored with the love triangle of this book. Please do not under estimate, this is not a bad book though I am more than happy with putting an end to the struggle between Hunter, Sasha, and Shogun. I find myself a little unhappy seeing as how I like Shogun better than Hunter, but the end of tormoil was necessary. I will continue to read the next book in this series, and I look forward to new direction that the Crimson Moon Novels with take.

[Garima · Rating 2 out of 5]

Could have been better. Almost started disliking the lead characters by the end of the book. Sasha makes a poor heroine in this one, what with her 3 timing Hunter and seriously the whole Hunter being a perfect guy who forgives all was just getting on my nerves. She doesn't even come clear on the whole cheating nonsense and almost all the books are ending with her realizing she loves only Hunter, but then again in the next book she is going all gooey-limbed with others.

As far as the story premise goes, I liked the whole cursing aspect. But as per the entire series, it gets resolved very very randomly and the climax always seems to leave me in a 'huh?' moment. I can't actually decide whether I like this book, maybe even the series right now. The story always starts out fine, builds up nicely and then gets resolved in the most vague way. Anyway, planning to move on to next book, hopefully that one is better.

[Hannah Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book did take me longer to read, mainly because of all the school work I had to do, especially during the summer. From my point of view, it was a trial that has been ongoing and now a second trial of different case is going to take place in the fifth and sixth books. In addition, I did like the part in the book when group is trying to keep the operation as covert as possible. There was some romance in here that popped up every now and then, but it did have a nice little ending to it

[Knoartwp · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just finsh the series but was wondering well the doc ever think about how he could turn on his or the orher soldiers Fisher, or Woods Shadow wolf genetic code and if that maybe something the author could revisit in
another book. I could see it in my head because over the pass week I have learned to understand the character. This would not be far from the Doctors thought process. what do the fans of the Crimson Moon series think? or even the author just a theory

[Country Goose · Rating 2 out of 5]

I should have stopped at the third book. It was a suitable place to stop, it left an "I want more" but could have been left without needing more. After getting about half-way, and Sasha still can't figure out what she wants, I just see a hoe! L.A. is seriously sexually repressed, and is taking it all out in her books... I reach book four, and the characters relationships haven't changed. L.A. can't mature her characters, and it's not going to happen any time soon.

[James · Rating 3 out of 5]

The so called romance in this book is nauseating. "Oh the 3 men lust for me, which one do I choose. Whoa is me." "I am Hunter, Ug Ug. Woman be mine, Ug" "Ours is a forbidden love, for she can never be mine" This just pissed me off.

The story was better than the last book, but I wish the action moved faster. Also, there are still to many leaps in the story. It goes from A to C without any B.

[Tamara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not as good as the last book, but it was still good and a fast read. I found myself wanting to see more of the romance(for lack of a better word) side between Sasha and Hunter. The whole Shotgun/Sasha attraction isn't doing it for me at all. I hope the author getts away from this "I want one guy, but I love this other guy" theme in the next book. Its getting kind of tired.

[pianogal · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just started reading this one, and it's already better that then 3rd book. We'll have to see if it stays better...

Did stay better. I like books better when the conflict is between outside parties - not the main characters. I felt like parts of this were a little choppy, but overall it was a good read.

[Cheryl · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. So far into the Crimson Moon series it's by far my favorite, it has a lot/the most action; a plus for me. Makes me winder what's gonna happen next.

I know this is so random but Sir Rodney couldn't have said it better "We all want what you two have...someone loyal and kind in our corner "

[Cindi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well, considering this series started out looking to be a favorite of mine, I am questioning whether I will continue to read it after this one. I feel this installment was just so far off of the quality and content of the previous books!

[Veronica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really good book. I usually have a hard time getting into the Crimson Moon series, but this one kept me very interested. I didn't want to put it down. This one has to be my favorite so far in this series.

[Rosabelle Purnama · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book started out good... well it's only good for the first 20-30 pages... After that I lost interest in the book... and started to skip on some parts and finally with 100 pages more to go, I just gave up

[Belinda · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was really hard to get into! I had to put it down & read another it was just hard slog reading. However once I got 1/3 to 1/2 way through all the action jotted up and the rest was a quick read which I enjoyed.

[Meagan]

Eh.. I accidentally read this one instead of the first one. I didn't like it at all really. I didn't like the way the characters presented themselves and it just wasn't cohesive. Will not be reading the others in the series.

[Sage · Rating 4 out of 5]

so far its been rather interesting...

[Nicole · Rating 1 out of 5]

This series is no longer holding my attention. It feels like the same stuff over and over and over. I'm also annoyed with the constant "ghetto" speak.

[Delma L. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Stories/Books to the L.A. Banks (Crimson Moom Series)!!

[Mitzi]

Won a copy