The legend is true. Beware the red cloak…Sixteen-year-old Giselle has never strayed far from the watchful eye of her mother. While she's always looked up to the nurturing, yet powerful Adela, she wonders about the true significance of her mother's the Red Hood.
Giselle dreams of donning the red cloak herself some day. When the forces of evil gather to seek her mother's blood, the untrained Giselle is left on the sideline.
After a whirlwind of werewolves and tragedy strike the family, Giselle must quickly learn the true powers of the red cloak. Failure to do so will doom her to a fate much worse than death.
Little Red Riding Werewolf Slayer is the first book in a series of paranormal urban fantasy adventures. If you like fast-paced plots, bloodthirsty creatures, and reimaginings of classic tales, then you'll love Carl Waters' kinetic and powerful series starter.
Buy Little Red Riding Hood to get hooked on a new fantasy roller coaster today!
Get Carl Water's novella, Little Red Riding Hood: Werewolf Slayer for free at: www.BrightSons.com/RG1
Carl Waters, born and raised in Miami, Florida, grew up reading comic books and dreamed of being a new kind of superhero. He graduated with a bachelor’s degree from the University of Miami and moved to Atlanta, Georgia, where he now lives with his daughter.
Waters never forgot his childhood dreams, which over the years transformed into a desire to create new heroes, particularly African-American male heroes, through writing. His debut offering is Burning Uncle Tom’s Cabin, the first book in a series that reimagines Harriet Beecher Stowe’s classic novel, featuring strong characters who break out of the old stereotypes.
I am always weary of Fairy Tale spinoffs, especially with the Red Riding Hood/Werewolf mesh that has been done repeatedly. However, I was pleasantly surprised with this one.
Carl Waters has done a splendid job making this story gripping. I honestly read this entire book while getting my hair done today, i was so immersed into it and I couldn't put it done. I was so investing in the story that I blew through it wondering where the rest was at. It read like a short story in that you were left needing to continue along the journey. A brilliant shorter teaser story at a little over 160 pages.
Giselle's name also made me think of the movie Enchanted which was also a spinoff, which made me wish her name was different, but in the end, it really didn't matter. I loved the implications of the Red Hood, and this book got crazy really fast. I did find it interesting that werewolves die as a wolf instead of turning back into a human. The only other complaint I have is that there is a drastic shift in language to a much more crude level right at the end of the book with some almost out of place passionate kissing for a minute that felt like it may have come slightly out of left field.
Overall, I loved it, and I can't wait to learn more about Merlin's Hoods. 5 stars.
Hooray for a newer and darker and bolder Red Hood! Beware werewolves, Giselle is out for your blood!
In this Hoods series by Carl Waters, the reader is introduced to Angeline, the original Red Hood and her two competing daughters, Adela and Allison. Her decision to bestow the enchanted red hood to the rightful heir crushed her, but it must be done soon, because danger was lurking, especially when one of the Hoods died in the arms and fangs of a mighty vampire.
We also get a glimpse of the present Red Hood Giselle, whose mother died in the arms of her sister. Giselle had always wanted to prove to her mom that she was ready to be the next Red Hood, but tragedy made her think about the repercussions of that title. With little training, she wouldn’t stand a chance defeating the werewolves that went after her. But with the help of her Grandmere and Merlin and Theodore, there might just be a glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel.
This had been an exciting and intriguing prequel to Giselle’s journey to becoming the powerful Red Hood. I love this newest retelling of Red and Grandma and big bad wolf. I’ve always been a sucker for slayer stories and this one about werewolves excited me. Although this had been such a short story (prequel) I am already hooked and can’t wait to read more of Giselle and Merlin’s brotherhood. Carl Waters’ writing is superb and enticing, his words held me entranced until that cliffhanger. I will definitely read the next book in this series!
I received a free copy of this book from the author, through the David Estes Fans and YA Booklovers Unite! Goodreads group, in exchange for an honest review.
For as long as Giselle could remember, she's wanted to be the Red Hood just like her mother. But what does it really mean to be the Red Hood? Is the red cloak just a simple cloak, or is it much more than that? Giselle finds this out after tragedy strikes and she is forced to outwit a fearsome werewolf while wearing the red cloak.
Simply put, this book is another retelling of the classic fairy tale Little Red Riding Hood. This retelling was certainly an interesting and entertaining read and I really enjoyed it. The biggest downfall of this book, however, is it's brevity. The actual novel was only 65 pages long, the rest being excerpts of it's prequel and sequel, so it was basically a novella. The problem with short books: there's never enough details. Had this book been longer, I would have really liked it. As it stands, this book is a solid 3.5 stars for me.
An excellent reworking of Little Red Riding Hood where Little Red is the Red Hood in training, Merlin is the mastermind, werewolves aren't so romantic and family members strike the killing blow. This is an excellent glimpse into the world of the Red Hood and it only promises to get even better.
~*~ ARC was graciously provided by the author via StoryCartel~*~
Being a fan of fairy re-tellings (especially darker ones), I was looking forward to reading this.
The story centers around Red Hood--which is obvious. In this story, Red Hood works for the king and keeps the forest clear of horrible creatures. It's an honor, passed down from one generation to the next. But this story isn't about the reigning Red Hood, rather her daughter who is a Red Hood in training.
The story is short. Very short. And I think that's its biggest downfall. The little Red Hood is a sweet girl and comes across as a character I was ready to fall in love with. She's got spunk but not overly so and adores her mother, although the mother is a pretty hard nut to crack. From the first page, I knew that this was a little girl I could cheer for. She has tons of spirit, wields the heart of a hero and still is fragile enough to make one hope she can make it through. At times, she comes across a little younger that sixteen.
I was caught up in the story immediately and loved the way the author weaved the fairy tale character into a force to be reckoned with. Even the plot lures in as an unexpected twist arrives, promising a fantastic adventure. But then, the pending disaster happens too quickly and the gusto falls short of what it could have been. Still, little Red Hood kept me going, and I was eager to see how the adventure continued.
The ending--again--came too quick and a little too predictable. There are several questions left unanswered (which I'm assuming will be answered in the sequels) but none of this bothered me to the point I would have laid down the book. I was more disappointed that the story ended where it did. I was ready to follow little Red Hood anywhere and into every battle, but that was it. Her story ended before it really began. . .as if it was chopped off. That's why I'm a little torn between 3 and 4 stars.
Summed up, this was an enjoyable read--otherwise, I wouldn't have wanted it to continue. Considering it's the first in a series, I can only hope that her adventures will blossom from here because she'd been a fun character to follow.
I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review.
This is a great retelling of the well known fairy tale 'Little Red Riding Hood' putting a brilliant new twist on things. The book is extremely short and I was quite surprised when I reached the end, thinking that I would be carried beyond the original fairytale. However, I am so excited to learn that this is part of a series and I am eager to learn what will happen to Red Hood and how she will handle her new-found destiny.
I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review This is yet another retelling of the classic fairy tale of Red Riding Hood. I felt the pace was a little rushed and the end was abrupt - no doubt a set up for the next book. But the original/re-imagined characters in the book were fairly well fleshed out. An entertaining if short read. 2.5/5
I received this book in exchange of an honest review.
I really liked this book. It was a great retelling of the old story, with a few new elements mixed in. It's really short though, so I don't know how much I can tell without giving too much away. I would recommend to my friends and family and looking forward to the other books in this series.
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Quite honestly, the story is extremely short, but it is a complete story from start to finish. I read it in a single sitting. "Little Red Riding Hood - Werewolf Slayer" is a take off from Grimm's fairy tale, Little Red Riding Hood and written as if it were in that period of time. The location is France, and the "Red Hood" worked for King Agustus. Her job is to keep the woods and countryside safe for the innocents. When home, she spends many hours training her daughter, Giselle, in the arts of the "Red Hood" so that one day, she could become her successor - as she had in succeeding her mother before her. Unfortunately, that day quickly arrives when the Red Hood is murdered, and Giselle is forced to leave everything behind and escape with her mother's cloak through the forest. Werewolves are in hot pursuit intent on killing her and taking the Red Hood garment for themselves.
En-route to the safety of her Grandmother's house, who by the way was the Red Hood before her mother inherited that position, she discovers that the cloak has certain magical powers. But, she doesn't know how to engage them.
The werewolf arrived before Giselle, and now, the stage is set for a final showdown. Unfortunately, Giselle does not know how to fight and kill a werewolf and doesn't know how to use the cloak to help her. Who wins? Sorry, you'll have to read the story to find out.
I thoroughly enjoyed "Little Red..." and look forward to reading more about Red's adventures. Highly recommended, even if you don't normally read this genre.
This is a coming of age story with a strong female lead. I enjoyed reading about the family relationships, especially the relationship between the mother and daughter (Adela and Giselle).
It's an interesting take on little red riding hood, where red riding hood is a warrior. What I liked about this book was that its female lead was not just physically strong, but intelectually also. The writing was easy to read (I would say accessible to a wide range of readers) descriptive, and flowed smoothly. This book was short, but it is part of a larger series of books so readers will be able continue reading about Giselle. It was interesting how the characters not only were called out to fufill a heroic role, but actively sought out that role as well.
Overall, very enjoyable and fast paced.
I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review.
I didn’t know from this start if this story was taking place after the fairy tale or before it, but it became clear to me (after a while) that this is a true re-telling of Little Red Riding Hood. The major elements are still present, it’s just details that are added to the story which makes it more interesting.
We also get to explore the characters of the generic people in the fairy tale more, like the hunter and who the wolf was, and it’s kind of making me interested in where this series will go as they’ve now told the story, they can move on and expand more in their own universe they created with this book. This could get really interesting and have some interesting twists on the story in general.
Giselle is the new Red Hood. But did she really understand what her mother was and what she had been training her for? I love a good Fantasy read, and I love, love a well written series. I can’t wait to get inside the details of each of the other characters, I love watching the interactions and watching a well written story unfold. This story captivated me, I love the mix of the time trusted fairytale elements mixed in with a new story. The well told dialogue between the wolf and little red riding hood was expertly written and made me smile. I started this story and could not put it down. I wanted to dive right into both the sequel and prequel hinted at. I actually had to ask when the next stories would be released.
Two things you should know about this book: one, the story is short (REALLY short), and honestly, that's okay. It's designed to be a teaser for this world, and it works.
Two: this story is what happens when Little Red Riding Hood meets Buffy the Vampire Slayer with a dash of Arthurian lore thrown in because Why Not, and it's a fun little ride.
The world-building is unique enough to cover for any smaller issues. The characterization is pretty solid, and for me, I found the protagonist easy to empathize with 99% of the time.
It's just one bite of chocolate instead of a whole box, but just might send you to the store to buy more..
I received this short story free on exchange for an honest review.
Giselle has always wanted to be like her mother proud wearer of The Red Hood. Giselle always thought she'd always have her mother to support her into being The Red Hood. Until Giselle's aunt arrives on scene turns Giselle's world on it's ear. Can Giselle escape her aunt's schemes? Is Giselle ready for The Red Hood? Your answers await you in Little Red Riding Hood.
This new to me author truly brought a fairytale to life in a new and unexpected way. I thought Giselle's mother was a cold hearted bitch but upon reflection that's not the case at all. Giselle idolizes her mother and wants to be her. I look forward to more of this author's work in the future.
I received a copy of this book as part of an advanced readers' copy about 9 years ago. Motherhood got in the way, and I'm finally finishing the book. It's a decent retelling of Little Red Riding Hood. There were some new elements thrown in that added some interesting twists. I would have liked to read the full book as opposed to a shortened version.
The legend is true. Beware the red cloak… Sixteen-year-old Giselle has never strayed far from the watchful eye of her mother. While she's always looked up to the nurturing, yet powerful Adela, she wonders about the true significance of her mother's title: the Red Hood. Giselle dreams of donning the red cloak herself some day. When the forces of evil gather to seek her mother's blood, the untrained Giselle is left on the sideline. After a whirlwind of werewolves and tragedy strike the family, Giselle must quickly learn the true powers of the red cloak. Failure to do so will doom her to a fate much worse than death
Received Electronic Copy, in exchange of honest review
For as a long as I remember I loved fairy tales retellings, but then I am fan of fairy tales to begin with. I love to see what twists an author would put on fairy tales, especially my favorite ones. Little Red Riding Hood has always been one of my favorites as a kid, I even read to my students at daycare that I work at. That’s very memorable story. LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD:WEREWOLF SLAYER Is the 2nd Riding Hood re-telling that I have read and I was blown away. It was unlike any fairy tale re-telling that I had read, a fairy tale that will have you see Little Red Hood in completely different light, instead of Little Red Riding Hood it’s Red Hood in training. LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD: WEREWOLF SLAYER was just the type of the book that I love. It had action, adventure and of course, revenge. I couldn’t get enough of this book and once I started it reading it, I couldn’t put it down till I reached the end.
The one downfall of this book was fact that it was short, shorter than I thought it would be. Once I reached the end, I was craving for more. I wanted, no needed to see what happens with rest of characters next, especially Giselle and Allison. Would she find her? If she killed her own sister so that she could get Red Hood, I am sure if meant getting the hood, she would come after Giselle as well. Giselle had grown up pretty fast in this book, mostly because she had no choice after her mother was murdered. Honestly I am not sure how she stayed as brave as she did after what happened. First her mother murdered in front of her, followed by werewolf’s hunting her down, finding out her mother’s secret. That’s a lot to handle for someone who is only 16 years old. To me, Giselle was brave cause no matter what was going on, she didn’t give up.
An astonishing re –telling of Little Red Riding Hood. I am happy that I got to read and review this novel, it was worth it. I am eager to see what adventures Giselle will face next. I can’t wait to get my hands on rest of the series. If you are fan on fairy tales, re-telling with a twist, a dark twist be sure to pick this book up. Be ready for a thrilling ride.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book for my fair review.
To be honest I was very curious about this book initially but wasn't sure I was going to like it as I usually don't like little red riding hood remakes. I've also had no previous experience with the author, Mr. Waters. Let me tell you though, this book was AMAZING! I was so surprisingly wrapped up in it that I actually was an hour late for work so I could finish it. Definitely didn't expect that. I really liked Mr. Waters re-telling of the little red riding hood story as it pertains to werewolves and magic - really really loved it and I can not wait for the next book! I am so excited for this series and have every intention on checking out any other of Mr. Waters books, as I really like his writing style. He writes with attention to detail without being too drawn out, which allows the reader to easily imagine the world he has created.
My two criticisms would be: 1) not nearly long enough :) and 2) there was a scene in the story that seemed to be somewhat forced, and this "forced" type feeling temporarily took me out of my imagination of the story. The scene is the short dialogue between Giselle and the wolf with the "how big your teeth are" quotes we are all familiar with from the original story. While I get why this dialogue is included, I think the book could have done without it and have been just fine - if not better. To me it seemed like it was only included in the narrative to tie this book to the original little red riding hood story. Likely if you're reading this book, you know the original story and do not need this reference.
Both are minor criticisms, as overall I absolutely loved the story, but I wanted to be as honest as possible about my takeaways. Mr. Waters has created a wonderful world and a great group of characters, and I sincerely look forward to more from him! Great job!
I'd like to start off this review by thanking the author, Carl Waters, for giving me the opportunity to review this novel by sending me this book! I truly appreciate receiving such fantastic novels! Now... back to the review...
I honestly really liked this book! There was always something about the fairytale Little Red Riding Hood that captured my attention. It was so unique and it was definitely one of my favourites. However, this book took that feeling over the edge by adding werewolves. I love werewolves so much so adding that to my favourite fairytale made it the perfect duo! This novel isn't exactly like Red Riding Hood though, don't get mixed up! The author did a wonderful job of adding elements and more world building to make this book similar to Little Red Riding Hood, yet so unique. This is a more complex and mature version of our childhood favourite. I liked how there was more than one issue that Giselle had to solve and how the novel even started off with action. There was no boring part so it was definitely worth reading! I remained hooked and captivated the entire time and just when you think you know what is going to happen (following patterns) the author adds twists to make it more entertaining, which made me like it all the more.
If I could suggest anything for this fantastic book, it would be to make it longer. I feel like they were really getting somewhere with all the world-building but they just stopped. I wish they took the story further, made more details, helped us understand this different yet similar world. Added more problems and took the whole idea of the hood and everyone who wants it further. I was looking forward to seeing how people tried to take it over the years and how she grew stronger. Other than that, it was very nicely done.
I recommend this book to people who like spin-offs of fairytales, werewolves, and fans of "The Queen of the Tearling" because it gave me very similar vibes. I loved this book!!
It was a real pleasure to get this alternative view on the Little Red Riding Hood. I love the fact that the story is based on the children's story but here the little Red Hood is not waiting for the hunter or the lumberjack to save her from the big bad wolf. In fact, the story of the Red Hood revolves around a lineage of strong, intimidating women who wield a great power.
The werewolves only just make an appearance in the first of the series, but I also got a taste of the next part of LRRH: Werewolf Slayer and I can tell you we are yet to see little Giselle grow and get into all sorts of werewolf-related situations. She must first learn how to deal with them, though, and that's no trivial task. Luckily, just as in the original story, the loving Grandmother, a.k.a. Grandmére, escapes the jaws of the big bad wolf and is available to dispense some priceless advice. The famous name from the magical lore - and the series title - also makes an appearance, but we'll find out more about him in the next book, and that's all I'm giving away for now. (Technically, all I could give away, the author hasn't left too many clues out in the open).
I am looking forward to it! For now, I will have to settle for the teaser I've got for the (technically) prequel to the story and find out more about Giselle's dear old bread-baking Grandmére. Ta!
Giselle has been training with her mother for years and cannot wait to wear the Red Hood with her. But her mother is insistent that she has not been trained enough and Giselle is not happy to hear this. But after foraging they return home to find Giselle’s Aunt Alison who is getting married and wants both Giselle and her mother at the wedding.
But Alison is clearly scorned that she didn’t inherit the Red Hood and wants one last fight with Giselle’s mother. Alison doesn’t play fair and Giselle has to go on the run. But when she is chased by a werewolf, which is not supposed to exist, she is going to learn that there is more to the Red Hood than she knows.
This is a great story. I love the twist on the classic Red Riding Hood story including Grandmother and the woodcutter. This is a short story but it packs a big bunch and has lots of action. I really liked this story and can’t wait to read the next ones in this series. If you like dark twists to original fairytales then this is one book that you need to read.
I received Little Red Riding Hood for free from Story Cartel in exchange for an honest review.
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I very much enjoy fairy tale re-tellings. So, being given the opportunity to read this? I was thrilled! This book tells the story of Red Hood who works for the king to keep creatures out of the forest. This is an honored task that's passed down from generation to generation. The current Red Hood, is training her daughter, who is our main character.
I was instantly taken to our Red Hood trainee. she's lovely and an easy character to adore. This young girl has a lot of heart and spunk, but not an annoying way. I wanted to really see her in action!
I really wish this book was longer, I wanted more of this character. The book ended before it even started, which is tragic. However, I will say, I look forward to reading the next book in this series.
Little Red Riding Hood Werewolf Slayer (Merlin's Hoods Book 1) by Carl Waters
An interesting twist on Little Red Riding Hood. This story is about a girl named Giselle whose mom is the Red Hood, sworn to serve King Philip Augustus as protector of the land. Giselle is being trained by her mom to hopefully one day take over her mom's duties. There are some great characters in this book, besides Giselle and her mom Adela. There is Grandmere, Aunt Alison, Claud, Bernard abd Theo. There are also intense action scenes with the Werewolves and an ending that leaves you wanting more. You can continue with Little Red Riding Hood Werewolf Slayer book 2 and Vampire in the woods.
I give Little Red Riding Hood Werewolf Slayer book 1 ☆☆☆☆ For its adventurous twist on the Fairy Tale. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys Fairy Tales with a twist.
I received this book free in exchange for an honest review
First off this was a super short first book, it almost felt unfinished. This came with a preview of the second book and I read it just because I needed more information. But since that was a preview it also cut off.
I feel like this stuck really close to the fairy tail, werewolf instead of wolf but we went over the river and through the woods and the what big ears you have, sequence of conversation was used, although it was used sardonically it still felt cliche.
I have read and seen a whole lot of different red riding hood retellings recently and I don't know why but this one just didn't feel like it was changed enough to be interesting and it was so short I was not able to connect with a character to really get invested.
As you can probably tell, Little Red Riding Hood: Werewolf Slayer by Carl Waters is a retelling of the classic fairytale of Little Red Riding hood. Except instead of the helpless little girl bringing cake and wine to her grandma, we get a well-trained combatant, and instead of a big, bad wolf we get big, bad werewolves. To be completely honest, that concept alone was enough for me to sign up when free copies of it were given out in exchange for a free review.
This was far better than I thought it would be, far better than I was expecting. It's a dark, fast paced story with some pretty action. I do have to say that the main character did not grew completely on me, I don't hate her but I don't love her either. I just think she's a little bit plain and naive. I wish the book was longer than it is but it's still enjoyable and it can be read in an hour or two. I will definitely look out for the next book.
.I received a copy of this book for free in exchange for an honest review, this in no way affects my review.
I give this book 4 stars because not only does it have a lot of potential as a plot, it is written so well. The syntax is so descriptive but not so much where you could get lost easily. This particular story mimicked the classic Little Red Riding Hood tale, but threw in heavier plot lines that would turn this into a series. It seemed a little short, but by no means rushed. It was a fun read and I look forward to the rest of the story.
This retelling of Little Red Riding Hood opens up a wonderful new world of danger and romance. The history of the hood and its power is revealed as is the true nature of the wolf. Nothing is as innocuous as it seems, and our hero isn’t the helpless little girl we read about in other versions. This story is a little dark in places, but it will definitely keep you on the edge of your seat. I highly recommend it.
Did not like the start of the book. I found the writing was too descriptive/flowery and the dialogue a little hard to swallow. But soon after, the writing and overall story and characters really began to improve. I feel that there were opportunities to grow the the characters and plot more but overall it was still good.
A bit disappointed that the author doesn't seem to be going to continue the series. Would have been interesting to see how things evolved/improved.