What do you think?
Rate this book
Drake Chronicles #5
Blood Moon
The author of Bleeding Hearts delivers a red-hot adventure in the young adult series featuring "vampires with bite and girls who bite back" (Kelley Armstrong, #1 New York Times-bestselling author).
Nothing about Solange Drake is normal. She's a newly crowned vampire princess, after all. But she's also having trouble with her bloodchange--too much trouble. Which is probably why she just tried to eat her boyfriend's face. The couple has survived treachery, vendettas, and bounties, but they might not be able to survive each other.
Nicholas Drake is starting to think that Solange, his little sister, is turning into a monster. That doesn't bode well for any of them, including his human girlfriend, Lucy, Solange's best friend. Because she'd rather kiss vampires than kill them, Lucy is already having trouble fitting in at Helios-Ra Academy. To make matters worse, dangerous new hunters have appeared on the scene . . . ones who live and die by the motto Better dead than undead.
Now it's up to Nicholas to protect Lucy from Solange and Solange from herself, without having to choose between love and blood . . .
Praise for the Drake Chronicles
"Witty, sly, and never disappointing . . . Fun, funny, and a relief from Twilight wannabes, this first installment in the Drake Chronicles has lots to offer for savvy readers and gives vampire addicts a nice twist on their usual fare." --Booklist
"An action-packed story full of intrigue, suspense, and romance with a great cast of characters." --School Library Journal
"An all-around kick-ass good time." --Fyrefly's Book Blog
Nothing about Solange Drake is normal. She's a newly crowned vampire princess, after all. But she's also having trouble with her bloodchange--too much trouble. Which is probably why she just tried to eat her boyfriend's face. The couple has survived treachery, vendettas, and bounties, but they might not be able to survive each other.
Nicholas Drake is starting to think that Solange, his little sister, is turning into a monster. That doesn't bode well for any of them, including his human girlfriend, Lucy, Solange's best friend. Because she'd rather kiss vampires than kill them, Lucy is already having trouble fitting in at Helios-Ra Academy. To make matters worse, dangerous new hunters have appeared on the scene . . . ones who live and die by the motto Better dead than undead.
Now it's up to Nicholas to protect Lucy from Solange and Solange from herself, without having to choose between love and blood . . .
Praise for the Drake Chronicles
"Witty, sly, and never disappointing . . . Fun, funny, and a relief from Twilight wannabes, this first installment in the Drake Chronicles has lots to offer for savvy readers and gives vampire addicts a nice twist on their usual fare." --Booklist
"An action-packed story full of intrigue, suspense, and romance with a great cast of characters." --School Library Journal
"An all-around kick-ass good time." --Fyrefly's Book Blog
304 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 19, 2012
74 people are currently reading
4777 people want to read
About the author
Alyxandra Harvey
59 books3,161 followerswww.alyxandraharvey.com
Alyxandra Harvey is the author of The Cinderella Society, The Dainty Devils, The Drake Chronicles, The Witches of London, Haunting Violet and more!
She likes chai lattes, tattoos, and books.
Sometimes fueled by literary rage.
Alyxandra Harvey is the author of The Cinderella Society, The Dainty Devils, The Drake Chronicles, The Witches of London, Haunting Violet and more!
She likes chai lattes, tattoos, and books.
Sometimes fueled by literary rage.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 310 reviews
July 4, 2012
3.5 stars
The music was bad, the fires were cozy. It was nice. Normal.
You know, until the screaming.
And that kind of scream in Violet Hill could mean only one thing.
Vampires.
Although I had a lot of fun reading it, the fifth and penultimate installment of the Drake Chronicles didn’t quite meet my expectations. Blood Moon is more like a really long chapter than an actual book. It starts exactly where Bleeding Hearts left off, with Solange’s three sets of fangs in Kieran’s neck, and it ends with another vicious cliffhanger.
Remember my Storm review from about a month ago in which I kept going on and on about the four hot Merrick brothers? Well, there are seven Drake brothers, they’re vampires and they’re all gorgeous. The youngest, Nicholas, is in a relationship with his sister Solange’s best friend Lucy, and they make the cutest couple in the history of the universe. Quinn finally abandoned his womanizing ways for Hunter, a vampire hunter and a student at the Helios-Ra academy. Logan is bound to Isaboe, a Hound vampire that survived the French Revolution. Connor is hopelessly in love with Christa, Lucy’s cousin who was recently turned into a vampire. But none of that matters now that the Blood Moon festival is approaching and their mother’s coronation is just day away.
Everyone misses the good old days when the Drake family was living in exile in Violet Hill and all they had to worry about were the Helios-Ra agents roaming the woods. Everyone, including me. I understand how a series works, I know that Harvey needed to up the stakes so close to the series finale, but the sheer number of tribes and groups, human and vampire both, that were going against the Drakes was staggering, and I was confused and lost most of the time.
Blood Moon is told from Lucy’s, Nicholas’s and Solange’s perspective. Although my favorite couple didn’t get to spend much time together, I could feel how strong their relationship has become and how much they love each other. Lucy has always been one of my favorite characters in the world, she’s what’s pulling me back toward these books and I can totally imagine her as my best friend. (She’d have to actually exist first, but you know, details.) Nicholas is not far behind, he is the perfect brother, the perfect young vampire (NOT of the vegetarian kind) and a perfect boyfriend to Lucy. I loved seeing his family and Lucy through his eyes again. Solange, on the other hand, was a disappointment. I can’t say I ever really liked her, but now she’s reached the point of no redemption. Of course the cause for her actions was made clear in the last part of Blood Moon, but I’d already stopped caring by then, and I don’t think I’ll ever care again.
Bloomsbury and Walker Children’s decided that it’s time to wrap up this series, and I have to say I agree with them. Harvey mentioned the possibility of writing a spin-off about Lucy and I truly hope she’ll get her chance. She and Nicholas are the only ones I’m not quite ready to say goodbye to. The last book is called Blood Prophecy and should be out in January 2013.
Also posted at The Nocturnal Library
The music was bad, the fires were cozy. It was nice. Normal.
You know, until the screaming.
And that kind of scream in Violet Hill could mean only one thing.
Vampires.
Although I had a lot of fun reading it, the fifth and penultimate installment of the Drake Chronicles didn’t quite meet my expectations. Blood Moon is more like a really long chapter than an actual book. It starts exactly where Bleeding Hearts left off, with Solange’s three sets of fangs in Kieran’s neck, and it ends with another vicious cliffhanger.
Remember my Storm review from about a month ago in which I kept going on and on about the four hot Merrick brothers? Well, there are seven Drake brothers, they’re vampires and they’re all gorgeous. The youngest, Nicholas, is in a relationship with his sister Solange’s best friend Lucy, and they make the cutest couple in the history of the universe. Quinn finally abandoned his womanizing ways for Hunter, a vampire hunter and a student at the Helios-Ra academy. Logan is bound to Isaboe, a Hound vampire that survived the French Revolution. Connor is hopelessly in love with Christa, Lucy’s cousin who was recently turned into a vampire. But none of that matters now that the Blood Moon festival is approaching and their mother’s coronation is just day away.
Everyone misses the good old days when the Drake family was living in exile in Violet Hill and all they had to worry about were the Helios-Ra agents roaming the woods. Everyone, including me. I understand how a series works, I know that Harvey needed to up the stakes so close to the series finale, but the sheer number of tribes and groups, human and vampire both, that were going against the Drakes was staggering, and I was confused and lost most of the time.
Blood Moon is told from Lucy’s, Nicholas’s and Solange’s perspective. Although my favorite couple didn’t get to spend much time together, I could feel how strong their relationship has become and how much they love each other. Lucy has always been one of my favorite characters in the world, she’s what’s pulling me back toward these books and I can totally imagine her as my best friend. (She’d have to actually exist first, but you know, details.) Nicholas is not far behind, he is the perfect brother, the perfect young vampire (NOT of the vegetarian kind) and a perfect boyfriend to Lucy. I loved seeing his family and Lucy through his eyes again. Solange, on the other hand, was a disappointment. I can’t say I ever really liked her, but now she’s reached the point of no redemption. Of course the cause for her actions was made clear in the last part of Blood Moon, but I’d already stopped caring by then, and I don’t think I’ll ever care again.
Bloomsbury and Walker Children’s decided that it’s time to wrap up this series, and I have to say I agree with them. Harvey mentioned the possibility of writing a spin-off about Lucy and I truly hope she’ll get her chance. She and Nicholas are the only ones I’m not quite ready to say goodbye to. The last book is called Blood Prophecy and should be out in January 2013.
Also posted at The Nocturnal Library
June 15, 2012
4.5 stars
GAH! Harvey finally did it, she ended this book on a cliffy and I need the next book now!!
Wow, this book was so so good. Blood Moon is probably the most darkest and serious of the Drake Chronicles. Something that I'm not use to since Harvey has always balanced these books with just the right amount of humor, romance and excitement. But this book felt heart pounding and fast paced more then anything else. I kinda missed the humor, the Drake banter and the romance. Not to say that I didn't love this one, it just felt...so much dire compared to the rest of them.
It was so good to see Solange, Lucy and Nick's point of view in this one since we haven't seen it since the first. I gotta tell ya, for awhile there I've been really frustrated with Solange character. It's like she went through the blood-change and then went darker and darker with ever book and I couldn't understand why. So it was really great to finally get some understanding, even though I'm still not sure about everything that went down in this book.
I also love anything and everything Nick and Lucy and even though they only had two scenes together and I missed them (so so much) I still thought it was great to see what was going on around their perspective.
What happened to Nick broke my heart a little and now I'm dying to know what the hell happened!!
As for the ending? Whoa! Harvey usually wrapps up each book nicely but she left me shocked and thrilled.
My only hope is that the last book will also be in Solange, Lucy and Nick's pov again. I need to be inside these three heads. Any other character at this point would feel annoying and frustrating.
All in all, another Harvey win! Exhilarating, intriguing and completely compelling from start to finish!
Need.Next.Book.Now!!!!
GAH! Harvey finally did it, she ended this book on a cliffy and I need the next book now!!
Wow, this book was so so good. Blood Moon is probably the most darkest and serious of the Drake Chronicles. Something that I'm not use to since Harvey has always balanced these books with just the right amount of humor, romance and excitement. But this book felt heart pounding and fast paced more then anything else. I kinda missed the humor, the Drake banter and the romance. Not to say that I didn't love this one, it just felt...so much dire compared to the rest of them.
It was so good to see Solange, Lucy and Nick's point of view in this one since we haven't seen it since the first. I gotta tell ya, for awhile there I've been really frustrated with Solange character. It's like she went through the blood-change and then went darker and darker with ever book and I couldn't understand why. So it was really great to finally get some understanding, even though I'm still not sure about everything that went down in this book.
I also love anything and everything Nick and Lucy and even though they only had two scenes together and I missed them (so so much) I still thought it was great to see what was going on around their perspective.
What happened to Nick broke my heart a little and now I'm dying to know what the hell happened!!
As for the ending? Whoa! Harvey usually wrapps up each book nicely but she left me shocked and thrilled.
My only hope is that the last book will also be in Solange, Lucy and Nick's pov again. I need to be inside these three heads. Any other character at this point would feel annoying and frustrating.
All in all, another Harvey win! Exhilarating, intriguing and completely compelling from start to finish!
Need.Next.Book.Now!!!!
![Profile Image for Namera [The Literary Invertebrate].](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fi.gr-assets.com%2Fimages%2FS%2Fcompressed.photo.goodreads.com%2Fusers%2F1647896333i%2F31792110._UX200_CR0%2C96%2C200%2C200_.jpg&w=128&q=75)
November 22, 2020
This is the only book in the series where we get Nicholas's POV, and I'm glad to announce that he's as besotted with Lucy in his own head as he seems to be from everyone else's head.
This is also the book where the series takes a sudden dark turn. Harvey has always been great at showing the violent undertone to vampires; it's made clear throughout the series exactly how much the vampires in the books struggle not to bite their human girlfriends. Lucy and Nicholas are nowhere near ready to have sex yet, considering he ends all their snogging sessions struggling not to chomp on her. It's a very realistic balance - well, realistic considering the subject matter - so I don't even mind that they never progress beyond kissing in the whole series.
But anyway, the dark turn. There's some torture, non-graphic, in the book, and it just suggests a real veering away from the more high-toned humour of the previous instalments. It's still funny as hell - it can't not be, with Lucy as a heroine - but the torture really threw me for a bit.
[Blog] - [Bookstagram]
This is also the book where the series takes a sudden dark turn. Harvey has always been great at showing the violent undertone to vampires; it's made clear throughout the series exactly how much the vampires in the books struggle not to bite their human girlfriends. Lucy and Nicholas are nowhere near ready to have sex yet, considering he ends all their snogging sessions struggling not to chomp on her. It's a very realistic balance - well, realistic considering the subject matter - so I don't even mind that they never progress beyond kissing in the whole series.
But anyway, the dark turn. There's some torture, non-graphic, in the book, and it just suggests a real veering away from the more high-toned humour of the previous instalments. It's still funny as hell - it can't not be, with Lucy as a heroine - but the torture really threw me for a bit.
[Blog] - [Bookstagram]
December 8, 2015
Source: I own a copy of this book.
Note: These are my personal opinions. I received no outside person comments or opinions.
I am such a huge fan of the Drake chronicles. I absolutely love Harvey's writing. There is so much drama and action in every chapter and I am always engaged until the very end of the novel.
In this book, however, I found myself not liking Solange very much. I didn't really understand who Constantine was and what exactly his motive was or why Solange saw the need to protect him. He felt like a very minor character that Harvey tried so hard to make into an important character and did a really bad job at that. I found myself wanting to strangle Solange. I didn't sympathize at all with her.
Lucy was always one of my favorite characters next to Nicholas, and I love that those two characters are together. I love Lucy's snark and how she handles all those snobby kids at the Helios-Ra Academy. She's such a strong female heroine and I love how badass she is. Reminds me of Rose and Dimitri from Vampire Academy.
It didn't bother me much that Christabel and Isabeau or any of the other characters from previous books didn't get much storytelling time. I mean the book mainly centered around Nicholas, Lucy, and Solange. Those are the characters POV that told the story, and to be honest, those were always my favorite characters.
The Drakes have faced so many trials and tribulations and I love how each character has grown since the series started. What I love most about Harvey's writing is she is so good at her character plotting and characterization.
Another problem I had was towards the middle I found myself just skimming until I got to the end of the book. I really wanted to like this novel, but I just couldn't get into it.
2/5 Stars for Solange's characterization.
Note: These are my personal opinions. I received no outside person comments or opinions.
I am such a huge fan of the Drake chronicles. I absolutely love Harvey's writing. There is so much drama and action in every chapter and I am always engaged until the very end of the novel.
In this book, however, I found myself not liking Solange very much. I didn't really understand who Constantine was and what exactly his motive was or why Solange saw the need to protect him. He felt like a very minor character that Harvey tried so hard to make into an important character and did a really bad job at that. I found myself wanting to strangle Solange. I didn't sympathize at all with her.
Lucy was always one of my favorite characters next to Nicholas, and I love that those two characters are together. I love Lucy's snark and how she handles all those snobby kids at the Helios-Ra Academy. She's such a strong female heroine and I love how badass she is. Reminds me of Rose and Dimitri from Vampire Academy.
It didn't bother me much that Christabel and Isabeau or any of the other characters from previous books didn't get much storytelling time. I mean the book mainly centered around Nicholas, Lucy, and Solange. Those are the characters POV that told the story, and to be honest, those were always my favorite characters.
The Drakes have faced so many trials and tribulations and I love how each character has grown since the series started. What I love most about Harvey's writing is she is so good at her character plotting and characterization.
Another problem I had was towards the middle I found myself just skimming until I got to the end of the book. I really wanted to like this novel, but I just couldn't get into it.
2/5 Stars for Solange's characterization.
June 21, 2012
4.5 Stars
After the shocking cliff-hanger in Bleeding Hearts, Lucy, Kieran and Solange deal with the aftermath of Solange feeding off a human. Not only that, but with the Blood Moon just around the corner, all the Drake’s are on high alert and are forced to go into a two week lock down, which means – no leaving the safety nets. Sounds easy? Guess again! With the furies arrival and Solange’s struggles with blood lust, it’s about to get a whole load more dangerous in Violet Hills.
I loved it, I just loved it! Blood Moon is everything I expected it to be and more, and it sure is one hell of a shocking ride. From the very first page I was literally a bundle of nerves because I could not believe the shocking and fantastic way that Alyxandra Harvey has taken this series. It’s become so unpredictable and I can never guess what to expect next.
The story this time around was full of action with amazing and witty scene's but was a little different from the previous books. Before we’ve always seen a member of the Drake family finding love but in Blood Moon, this didn’t happen. There is still good romance to the story, especially with characters like Nicolas and Lucy – who are so, so cute but, I can’t help ask when will the other brothers; Duncan, Sebastian & Marcus find love? I’d really like to see their stories and get to know them as characters better.
The book alternates between Lucy, Solange and Nicholas and we get a small chapter from Kieran too and I really loved it. Their all my favourite characters and I enjoy how all the other characters are involved too. Solange’s character goes through a massive change and I was utterly frustrated with the storyline but in such a good way. I’m telling you now – you won’t believe what happens. And that cliff-hanger...ahhh! If you thought the one from Bleeding Hearts was bad, wait till you read this, it's a jaw dropper!
Overall, now were on book five in this series and it's still going strong as ever. It’s one of my favourite ones and I can’t wait to see what comes next with book 6.
Thank you to Bloomsbury UK for giving me the opportunity to review this book.
After the shocking cliff-hanger in Bleeding Hearts, Lucy, Kieran and Solange deal with the aftermath of Solange feeding off a human. Not only that, but with the Blood Moon just around the corner, all the Drake’s are on high alert and are forced to go into a two week lock down, which means – no leaving the safety nets. Sounds easy? Guess again! With the furies arrival and Solange’s struggles with blood lust, it’s about to get a whole load more dangerous in Violet Hills.
I loved it, I just loved it! Blood Moon is everything I expected it to be and more, and it sure is one hell of a shocking ride. From the very first page I was literally a bundle of nerves because I could not believe the shocking and fantastic way that Alyxandra Harvey has taken this series. It’s become so unpredictable and I can never guess what to expect next.
The story this time around was full of action with amazing and witty scene's but was a little different from the previous books. Before we’ve always seen a member of the Drake family finding love but in Blood Moon, this didn’t happen. There is still good romance to the story, especially with characters like Nicolas and Lucy – who are so, so cute but, I can’t help ask when will the other brothers; Duncan, Sebastian & Marcus find love? I’d really like to see their stories and get to know them as characters better.
The book alternates between Lucy, Solange and Nicholas and we get a small chapter from Kieran too and I really loved it. Their all my favourite characters and I enjoy how all the other characters are involved too. Solange’s character goes through a massive change and I was utterly frustrated with the storyline but in such a good way. I’m telling you now – you won’t believe what happens. And that cliff-hanger...ahhh! If you thought the one from Bleeding Hearts was bad, wait till you read this, it's a jaw dropper!
Overall, now were on book five in this series and it's still going strong as ever. It’s one of my favourite ones and I can’t wait to see what comes next with book 6.
Thank you to Bloomsbury UK for giving me the opportunity to review this book.
December 11, 2014
What. The Hell. She can't end it like this!!!!!! I guess I'll have to find the final book now... Oh god, this can't be happening. Evil Solange, evil Nicholas... I hope they'll kill Solange in "Blood Prophecy" but I guess she'll get cured and everybody's going to be happy for the rest of their lives. I just care about Lucy and Nicholas, by the way. The rest can go to hell. Especially Solange. Well, not the rest. Just her. I can't believe her! I know that she's possessed in some way, but acting like a royal bitch and then when the other bitch takes over being like "Oh please, don't kill my family. Oh god, what have I done?"? At least she came to her senses. And I can't wait to find out why is Nicholas acting the way he is. I want my Nicholas back!!!!!!
September 2, 2012
*Genre* YA Paranormal
*Rating* 4.0
*Review*
Blood Moon is the fifth novel in the Drake Chronicles. The story is told in the first POV by Solange, Lucy, and Nicholas. Blood Moon picks up right where Bleeding Hearts left off. (If you haven’t read that book, I shall not spoil what happened at the end.)
Solange Drake, the youngest of the Drake Clan and a recently changed vampire, has gone off the deep end by drinking human blood and is being lead around by the mysterious vampire named Constantine. Solange is a different sort of vampire in that she’s supposedly the prophesized one. This leaves Lucy Hamilton in an untenable position of having to save Kieran, her boyfriend, as well as herself, from her best friend.
Meanwhile, Lucy has had her whole world turned upside down. She’s now attending the Helios-Ra school with Hunter and Kieran and has to figure out a way to fit in at a school that believes she’s a traitor for loving a vampire (Nicholas). She is also having guilt trips over the fact that her cousin was left for dead and then changed into a vampire by a rogue vampire. There isn’t a lot of Nicholas and Lucy time in this book, which really doesn’t surprise me with all that happens. Lucy is too busy trying to say alive and learn about her new found hunter abilities. Lucy is still the most interesting character in the book and I can only hope that the last book has more in store for series readers.
Blood Moon is supposedly where Solange’s mother Helen is ready to take over as Queen of the vampire tribes. There have been all sorts of trials and tribulations for the Drake family since this series started. All of this comes on the heels of Christabel (Lucy’s book worm cousin) being attacked and turned into a vampire as well as new vampires and hunters appearing in the woods surrounding the camp itself wanting to make their presence known to the future Queen.
*(Christabel plays a very, very minor role in this book which begs me to ask the question to Ms. Harvey as to why she was turned into a vampire in the first place and not Lucy? What was the point of changing Christabel if she was only going to be a tertiary character like Isabeau who actually gets more story time?)
Obviously this book is a set-up for Blood Prophecy the last book in this series and the one that will end, hopefully, with all storylines answered including why Solange went off the deep end and changed so suddenly to the point where I can’t stand her. There are too many unanswered questions like whether or not Lucy will end up being the one to save her, or end her, or turned into a vampire like her cousin.
One of the more obvious questions is who is Constantine, and what does he want? It’s obvious that he and the mysterious voice have a lot of control over Solange.
It’s obvious to me that Harvey is a good storyteller who really knows how to bring a story to a conclusion. Over the past two books, however, Harvey has let her readers stew in their own aggravation after back to back cliffhanger endings. This particular ending left me with lots, and lots of questions which can only be answered with the release of Blood Prophecy.
In the end, this book was probably the darkest of the five released to this point. Once again, I am left with thoughts of throttling Solange instead of feeling any remorse towards her. I am also very glad that the series is wrapping up at the suggestion of the publishers. After 6 books, we could always do a spin-off instead of continuing onward!
Released: June 19th 2012
Publisher: Walker Childrens
Title: Blood Moon (The Drake Chronicles Book # 5)
Author(s): Alyxandra Harvey
ISBN: 0-8027-2848-0 / 978-0-8027-2848-7 (USA edition)
*Rating* 4.0
*Review*
Blood Moon is the fifth novel in the Drake Chronicles. The story is told in the first POV by Solange, Lucy, and Nicholas. Blood Moon picks up right where Bleeding Hearts left off. (If you haven’t read that book, I shall not spoil what happened at the end.)
Solange Drake, the youngest of the Drake Clan and a recently changed vampire, has gone off the deep end by drinking human blood and is being lead around by the mysterious vampire named Constantine. Solange is a different sort of vampire in that she’s supposedly the prophesized one. This leaves Lucy Hamilton in an untenable position of having to save Kieran, her boyfriend, as well as herself, from her best friend.
Meanwhile, Lucy has had her whole world turned upside down. She’s now attending the Helios-Ra school with Hunter and Kieran and has to figure out a way to fit in at a school that believes she’s a traitor for loving a vampire (Nicholas). She is also having guilt trips over the fact that her cousin was left for dead and then changed into a vampire by a rogue vampire. There isn’t a lot of Nicholas and Lucy time in this book, which really doesn’t surprise me with all that happens. Lucy is too busy trying to say alive and learn about her new found hunter abilities. Lucy is still the most interesting character in the book and I can only hope that the last book has more in store for series readers.
Blood Moon is supposedly where Solange’s mother Helen is ready to take over as Queen of the vampire tribes. There have been all sorts of trials and tribulations for the Drake family since this series started. All of this comes on the heels of Christabel (Lucy’s book worm cousin) being attacked and turned into a vampire as well as new vampires and hunters appearing in the woods surrounding the camp itself wanting to make their presence known to the future Queen.
*(Christabel plays a very, very minor role in this book which begs me to ask the question to Ms. Harvey as to why she was turned into a vampire in the first place and not Lucy? What was the point of changing Christabel if she was only going to be a tertiary character like Isabeau who actually gets more story time?)
Obviously this book is a set-up for Blood Prophecy the last book in this series and the one that will end, hopefully, with all storylines answered including why Solange went off the deep end and changed so suddenly to the point where I can’t stand her. There are too many unanswered questions like whether or not Lucy will end up being the one to save her, or end her, or turned into a vampire like her cousin.
One of the more obvious questions is who is Constantine, and what does he want? It’s obvious that he and the mysterious voice have a lot of control over Solange.
It’s obvious to me that Harvey is a good storyteller who really knows how to bring a story to a conclusion. Over the past two books, however, Harvey has let her readers stew in their own aggravation after back to back cliffhanger endings. This particular ending left me with lots, and lots of questions which can only be answered with the release of Blood Prophecy.
In the end, this book was probably the darkest of the five released to this point. Once again, I am left with thoughts of throttling Solange instead of feeling any remorse towards her. I am also very glad that the series is wrapping up at the suggestion of the publishers. After 6 books, we could always do a spin-off instead of continuing onward!
Released: June 19th 2012
Publisher: Walker Childrens
Title: Blood Moon (The Drake Chronicles Book # 5)
Author(s): Alyxandra Harvey
ISBN: 0-8027-2848-0 / 978-0-8027-2848-7 (USA edition)
June 27, 2012
I have been waiting for this novel since I finished Bleeding Hearts. I've been a fan of this series since Hearts at Stake, and I've thoroughly enjoyed every book. However, Blood Moon fell flat for me. The novel was nothing like Harvey's former work, and Solange has gotten so annoying that I wanted to throw my Kindle out the window every time a chapter said it was being told from her POV (The POV alternated between Lucy, Solange, and Nicholas. Keiran narrated the epilogue). The pacing was slow, the plot was scattered, it ended on a cliffhanger and there was a distracting error. I'm pretty disappointed in this installment. I'll be reading the 6th (and perhaps final?) book in the series, just to see what happens. Maybe it'll be as good as the previous four were.
My biggest pet peeve in this novel was Solange. She has turned into such a brat, I can't stand to read anything from her POV anymore. All she did was whine about how no one understands her and how hard her life is, then she throws fits, makes stupid decisions, and whines some more. Seriously, I wanted to stake her. I finally found out what was going on with her, but it would have been much more effective had that been disclosed earlier in the novel. Then maybe I wouldn't have been so irritated at her. I had to put the book down and walk away during every chapter she narrated. It took me five freaking days to read this book because of that. I really did not enjoy her chapters at all.
There was so much going on in the plot that I couldn't really keep up. Apparently neither could Harvey because a lot of balls seemed to be dropped. Maybe loose ends will be tied up in the next book, but this one ended with nothing being answered. Literally nothing was resolved, and half of the plot threads started and didn't really progress at all. I mean sure, every new thing kept getting mentioned, but instead of actually, oh I don't know, wrapping something up, Harvey just kept introducing new problems. It got to be ridiculous. I don't even remember what the book was about, and I just finished it. And the cliffhanger is just ridiculous. Basically, Harvey had two characters act really out of character, then she ended it. Yea, thanks for that. There weren't enough unresolved plot threads already. I'm glad you added a couple of more.
The error also took me out of the story. One error, which really bugged the crap out of me for about four chapters after I read it, was when Lucy was checking to see if her cell phone was working. She said it had a dial tone. Cell phones don't, and as far as I know, never have had dial tones. I mean everyone has a cell phone. Harvey should have known better than to write that, and an editor should have caught that and realized the mistake as well.
Overall, I'm really disappointed in this book. It's not horrible, and I finished it, but I expected more from Harvey and this series. If you're a fan of the Drake Chronicles, then I recommend you read it, if nothing else, just to know what happens next. For now, I'll just hope that Book #6 is better.
My biggest pet peeve in this novel was Solange. She has turned into such a brat, I can't stand to read anything from her POV anymore. All she did was whine about how no one understands her and how hard her life is, then she throws fits, makes stupid decisions, and whines some more. Seriously, I wanted to stake her. I finally found out what was going on with her, but it would have been much more effective had that been disclosed earlier in the novel. Then maybe I wouldn't have been so irritated at her. I had to put the book down and walk away during every chapter she narrated. It took me five freaking days to read this book because of that. I really did not enjoy her chapters at all.
There was so much going on in the plot that I couldn't really keep up. Apparently neither could Harvey because a lot of balls seemed to be dropped. Maybe loose ends will be tied up in the next book, but this one ended with nothing being answered. Literally nothing was resolved, and half of the plot threads started and didn't really progress at all. I mean sure, every new thing kept getting mentioned, but instead of actually, oh I don't know, wrapping something up, Harvey just kept introducing new problems. It got to be ridiculous. I don't even remember what the book was about, and I just finished it. And the cliffhanger is just ridiculous. Basically, Harvey had two characters act really out of character, then she ended it. Yea, thanks for that. There weren't enough unresolved plot threads already. I'm glad you added a couple of more.
The error also took me out of the story. One error, which really bugged the crap out of me for about four chapters after I read it, was when Lucy was checking to see if her cell phone was working. She said it had a dial tone. Cell phones don't, and as far as I know, never have had dial tones. I mean everyone has a cell phone. Harvey should have known better than to write that, and an editor should have caught that and realized the mistake as well.
Overall, I'm really disappointed in this book. It's not horrible, and I finished it, but I expected more from Harvey and this series. If you're a fan of the Drake Chronicles, then I recommend you read it, if nothing else, just to know what happens next. For now, I'll just hope that Book #6 is better.
September 13, 2013
This and my other reviews can be found at http://amethystbookwyrm.blogspot.co.uk/
Blood Moon starts right after the end of Bleeding Hearts, where Solange has been drinking from humans, the blood moon is starting and huntsmen have arrived in Violet Hill.
Blood Moon is the darkest of the Drake chronicles and, while I did miss the humour and wanted more of the romance, this one kept you on the edge of the seat throughout the book and you could not predict what was going to happen next.
I did not like Solange in this book as I just wanted to slap her throughout it and even though we have some answers at the end of the book about why she is acting this way, we do not understand everything leaving us in suspense for the final book. I really did not like Constantine, a character we briefly met in the last book, and even though he seems to want to protect her, I think he is behind everything in this book although I might be wrong.
I really felt sorry for Lucy, Nicholas, Kieran and all the Drakes in this book as everything changes for the worst and I am not sure the Drakes and extended family will ever be the same again. I really liked hearing Nicholas’s POV in this book as it shows us how he really feels about everything (unlike the others in which we had to guess) and how he is torn between protecting Solange and his love for Lucy. However I did miss the romance between Nicholas and Lucy as, even though Blood Moon was mostly told by them, they did not seem to spend much time together and when they did they were in danger.
Blood Moon ends on another cliff-hanger which is torturous as we have to wait so long for the last book. I would recommend this book to all who like Harvey’s Drake Chronicles.
Blood Moon starts right after the end of Bleeding Hearts, where Solange has been drinking from humans, the blood moon is starting and huntsmen have arrived in Violet Hill.
Blood Moon is the darkest of the Drake chronicles and, while I did miss the humour and wanted more of the romance, this one kept you on the edge of the seat throughout the book and you could not predict what was going to happen next.
I did not like Solange in this book as I just wanted to slap her throughout it and even though we have some answers at the end of the book about why she is acting this way, we do not understand everything leaving us in suspense for the final book. I really did not like Constantine, a character we briefly met in the last book, and even though he seems to want to protect her, I think he is behind everything in this book although I might be wrong.
I really felt sorry for Lucy, Nicholas, Kieran and all the Drakes in this book as everything changes for the worst and I am not sure the Drakes and extended family will ever be the same again. I really liked hearing Nicholas’s POV in this book as it shows us how he really feels about everything (unlike the others in which we had to guess) and how he is torn between protecting Solange and his love for Lucy. However I did miss the romance between Nicholas and Lucy as, even though Blood Moon was mostly told by them, they did not seem to spend much time together and when they did they were in danger.
Blood Moon ends on another cliff-hanger which is torturous as we have to wait so long for the last book. I would recommend this book to all who like Harvey’s Drake Chronicles.
February 6, 2017
3,5 Sterne
Ja, was soll ich sagen? Wie befürchtet ist mir Solange ziemlich auf die Nerven gegangen und mit hat am Anfang auch eine neue Liebesgeschichte gefehlt, weil es dir in den anderen Büchern ja gibt.
Allerdings muss ich auch sagen, dass das Ende alles noch einmal herumgerissen hat. Bisher in meinen Augen eines der besten Enden der Reihe und ich hoffe, dass mich der fünfte Band dann wieder komplett aus den Socken haut :)
Ja, was soll ich sagen? Wie befürchtet ist mir Solange ziemlich auf die Nerven gegangen und mit hat am Anfang auch eine neue Liebesgeschichte gefehlt, weil es dir in den anderen Büchern ja gibt.
Allerdings muss ich auch sagen, dass das Ende alles noch einmal herumgerissen hat. Bisher in meinen Augen eines der besten Enden der Reihe und ich hoffe, dass mich der fünfte Band dann wieder komplett aus den Socken haut :)
June 22, 2012
Originally posted on www.yareads.com, reviewed by Kiona.
In Blood Moon, we return to Lucy’s, Solange’s, and Nicholas’s points of view. While I love all the Drakes and their various love interests, it’s definitely fun to return to the original characters we fell in love with. However, the events of this book are anything but fun. In a surprising but necessary turn of events, Blood Moon is dark, dark, dark; Harvey proves that her characters are more than just love-sick teenagers and Buffy-esque heroines. Lest we forget, they are vampires. And royalty. And there’s a lot of baggage that comes with that.
Though I’m a huge fan of the romance in this series, Blood Moon provides a nice reprieve from the steady stream of happily-ever-afters. Because the relationships have already been established in earlier books, we don’t focus on them as much. I mean, yes, Lucy and Nicholas still think about each other constantly, but the constant near-death experiences kind of take precedence. And if you thought the Drakes & Co. were in trouble before, that’s nothing compared to what goes down in Blood Moon.
At times, this book can be very frustrating. Well, not the book so much as Solange. She’s always been different, a vampire in a class all her own, and she’s beginning to embrace that, which doesn’t bode well for her family, friends, and possibly the world. I simultaneously sympathize with and hate her. Either way, I appreciate Harvey’s ability to keep us guessing. This book is more of a mystery than any of the others in the series (which is really saying something) and if your love for the characters doesn’t have you devouring the book, the suspense and the mystery surely will.
I would have liked to see more of Lucy at Helios-Ra. She’s only been there a little while, but she already spends more time sneaking off campus than not. A lot of my favorite scenes, though, involve her interacting with her new classmates and going on hunts. I love that she’s getting to know Kieran outside his relationship with Solange and of course I get a thrill out of any mention of Hunter and Quinn (still my favorite couple — I’d love to return to their POVs!). Speaking of Kieran, Harvey further develops a ton of interesting characters–though Kieran sticks out the most–like Jenna, Constantine, and Isabeau. At this point, all these characters really feel like they’re my family and friends.
My only problem with this book is the ending, only because I’m not really sure what’s happening. This might be due to a lack of close reading on my part, but there seems to be something more going on that I’m not quite grasping. Or perhaps it is supposed to end on one giant mystery, leaving a host of unanswered questions, in which case not cool. Of course, it does leave me hysterically begging for the next book nownownow. Every time I get a new Drake book, it sates my hunger for a day before I need the next one even more desperately. If you’re not invested in this series yet, go out and buy it immediately. And then beat yourself up for not having read it sooner.
In Blood Moon, we return to Lucy’s, Solange’s, and Nicholas’s points of view. While I love all the Drakes and their various love interests, it’s definitely fun to return to the original characters we fell in love with. However, the events of this book are anything but fun. In a surprising but necessary turn of events, Blood Moon is dark, dark, dark; Harvey proves that her characters are more than just love-sick teenagers and Buffy-esque heroines. Lest we forget, they are vampires. And royalty. And there’s a lot of baggage that comes with that.
Though I’m a huge fan of the romance in this series, Blood Moon provides a nice reprieve from the steady stream of happily-ever-afters. Because the relationships have already been established in earlier books, we don’t focus on them as much. I mean, yes, Lucy and Nicholas still think about each other constantly, but the constant near-death experiences kind of take precedence. And if you thought the Drakes & Co. were in trouble before, that’s nothing compared to what goes down in Blood Moon.
At times, this book can be very frustrating. Well, not the book so much as Solange. She’s always been different, a vampire in a class all her own, and she’s beginning to embrace that, which doesn’t bode well for her family, friends, and possibly the world. I simultaneously sympathize with and hate her. Either way, I appreciate Harvey’s ability to keep us guessing. This book is more of a mystery than any of the others in the series (which is really saying something) and if your love for the characters doesn’t have you devouring the book, the suspense and the mystery surely will.
I would have liked to see more of Lucy at Helios-Ra. She’s only been there a little while, but she already spends more time sneaking off campus than not. A lot of my favorite scenes, though, involve her interacting with her new classmates and going on hunts. I love that she’s getting to know Kieran outside his relationship with Solange and of course I get a thrill out of any mention of Hunter and Quinn (still my favorite couple — I’d love to return to their POVs!). Speaking of Kieran, Harvey further develops a ton of interesting characters–though Kieran sticks out the most–like Jenna, Constantine, and Isabeau. At this point, all these characters really feel like they’re my family and friends.
My only problem with this book is the ending, only because I’m not really sure what’s happening. This might be due to a lack of close reading on my part, but there seems to be something more going on that I’m not quite grasping. Or perhaps it is supposed to end on one giant mystery, leaving a host of unanswered questions, in which case not cool. Of course, it does leave me hysterically begging for the next book nownownow. Every time I get a new Drake book, it sates my hunger for a day before I need the next one even more desperately. If you’re not invested in this series yet, go out and buy it immediately. And then beat yourself up for not having read it sooner.
December 12, 2012
I first want to say that if you haven't read the other books in this series and you want to then you might not want to read this review. It's hard to talk about this book and not giveaway something.
I love The Drake Chronicles and Alyxandra Harvey is one of my favorite YA authors, but I am not sure if I like how this series is going. It only has one more book then it is finished but I didn't enjoy this book as much as the others, so I am hoping the next one will make up for it.
This book is told mainly in the three POV's of Lucy, Solonge and Nickolas, and I have to admit that Solonge really ticks me off in this book. I found myself wanting to skip over her parts and get back to see what was going on with Lucy or Nicholas. The ending leaves you hanging a little bit and is in Kieran's POV.
If you have read the series you know that Solonge is having a really hard time after she turned into a vampire. With each book she has become worse and worse and now she is really having a hard time with her blood lust. There is a voice in her head tricking her into thinking her family is against her. She also has a vampire Constantine who is not helping her as he keeps feeding her human blood when her family is a non-human blood family. He also keeps putting thoughts into her head about being a princess and accepting her blood lust nature.
We know from the last book that Solonge finally attached her human boyfriend, Kieran who is a Helio-Ra vampire hunter. So now she has broke up with him because she feels bad about it and thinks it is the best way to handle things. Kieran knows something is wrong with her but he is not sure what is going on.
Lucy has joined the Helio-Ra school, but only because she was forced too. The Drakes thinks it to dangerous for her to be around them right now. Being at a vampire hunter school and dating a vampire only subjects her to bullying by her classmates. Even though she is not the only hunter to be dating a vampire she has grown up with the vampires and so is seen to be more of a traitor. Lucy is still my favorite character out of all the characters in the series, she is just tough and sassy and I love it.
Nicholas is the next to the youngest Drake and very loyal to Solonge, but he is also Lucy's boyfriend so he is having some mixed emotions on what to do during Solonges feral state and at the end of the book I sort of felt sorry for the guy. Nicholas is also my favorite Drake.
The book is all based around Solonge's mother being crowned Queen at the Blood Moon, lots of vampires have come to town and not all of them are nice like the Drakes. So there is a lot of chaos in this book between the drama of Solonge, humans and vampires both being kidnapped, new more dangers huntsman in town, etc. I really don't feel that this is the best book in the series and I was a little disappointed, but I still enjoyed it enough to want to get right in to seeing how the series will end. If you haven't read the series I would recommend you give it a try.
I love The Drake Chronicles and Alyxandra Harvey is one of my favorite YA authors, but I am not sure if I like how this series is going. It only has one more book then it is finished but I didn't enjoy this book as much as the others, so I am hoping the next one will make up for it.
This book is told mainly in the three POV's of Lucy, Solonge and Nickolas, and I have to admit that Solonge really ticks me off in this book. I found myself wanting to skip over her parts and get back to see what was going on with Lucy or Nicholas. The ending leaves you hanging a little bit and is in Kieran's POV.
If you have read the series you know that Solonge is having a really hard time after she turned into a vampire. With each book she has become worse and worse and now she is really having a hard time with her blood lust. There is a voice in her head tricking her into thinking her family is against her. She also has a vampire Constantine who is not helping her as he keeps feeding her human blood when her family is a non-human blood family. He also keeps putting thoughts into her head about being a princess and accepting her blood lust nature.
We know from the last book that Solonge finally attached her human boyfriend, Kieran who is a Helio-Ra vampire hunter. So now she has broke up with him because she feels bad about it and thinks it is the best way to handle things. Kieran knows something is wrong with her but he is not sure what is going on.
Lucy has joined the Helio-Ra school, but only because she was forced too. The Drakes thinks it to dangerous for her to be around them right now. Being at a vampire hunter school and dating a vampire only subjects her to bullying by her classmates. Even though she is not the only hunter to be dating a vampire she has grown up with the vampires and so is seen to be more of a traitor. Lucy is still my favorite character out of all the characters in the series, she is just tough and sassy and I love it.
Nicholas is the next to the youngest Drake and very loyal to Solonge, but he is also Lucy's boyfriend so he is having some mixed emotions on what to do during Solonges feral state and at the end of the book I sort of felt sorry for the guy. Nicholas is also my favorite Drake.
The book is all based around Solonge's mother being crowned Queen at the Blood Moon, lots of vampires have come to town and not all of them are nice like the Drakes. So there is a lot of chaos in this book between the drama of Solonge, humans and vampires both being kidnapped, new more dangers huntsman in town, etc. I really don't feel that this is the best book in the series and I was a little disappointed, but I still enjoyed it enough to want to get right in to seeing how the series will end. If you haven't read the series I would recommend you give it a try.
October 2, 2014
This is the 5th book in the Drake Chronicles so please be aware that this review will contain spoilers for previous books. Blood Moon is another fab instalment to a series I love though so if you haven't started it yet grab a copy of My Love Lies Bleeding (called Hearts at Stake in the US) now. If you're not up to date with the series then you should stop reading this review now so you don't pick up spoilers.
Anyone who read Bleeding Hearts was probably as shocked by Solange's behaviour as I was, she was acting very out of character and the ending left me really concerned about her. In Blood Moon she continues to do the unexpected and there were actually times where I found myself not liking the new Solange at all. I'm glad to say that there are reasons for what is happening though, I'm not going to say what or why but by the time you reach the end of the book you'll have a lot of answers. You'll also be left with questions though and this cliffhanger ending was just as bad as the last one! It really is going to be a long wait until the next book.
One of my favourite couples in this series has always been Lucy and Nicholas so it was great that they get to play such a big part of this book. The story is narrated by them as well as Solange but it was by far their parts that I enjoyed the most. Lucy never fails to make me laugh out loud and I just love any scene that contains both her and Nicholas in it. Watching Lucy try to adjust to life at the Helios-Ra school is quite amusing, she has never been one to do what she is told so she finds the strict rules hard to stick to. After the way Solange treated her in the last book I wouldn't have blamed Lucy if she had given up on her friend but Lucy proves her loyalty again and again in this book. She is incredibly worried about Solange and she cares a lot about all of the Drakes so she is determined to get to the bottom of what is going on.
Nicholas finds himself in an incredible difficult situation as he has to make choices between his baby sister and his girlfriend. Loyalty is tested all around and things will never be quite the same amongst the Drake family after the latest events. I really have no idea how Alyxandra Harvey will resolve things in the next book but I can't wait to find out! Fans of the series will love Blood Moon, it has everything you'd expect from these books - humour, action, romance, family bonds and loyalty.
As an extra bonus the UK paperback includes the Lost Girls novella which tells the story of how Liam and Helena first met. I don't want to say much about the story because it would be too easy to give spoilers but I really enjoyed getting to see them both before they married and had the children. It's easy to see them just as parents in the rest of the series and not think about the lives they had before they met so I liked this extra side to them. It was also great to get a better idea of how and why Helena became the kick ass mum that she is now.
Anyone who read Bleeding Hearts was probably as shocked by Solange's behaviour as I was, she was acting very out of character and the ending left me really concerned about her. In Blood Moon she continues to do the unexpected and there were actually times where I found myself not liking the new Solange at all. I'm glad to say that there are reasons for what is happening though, I'm not going to say what or why but by the time you reach the end of the book you'll have a lot of answers. You'll also be left with questions though and this cliffhanger ending was just as bad as the last one! It really is going to be a long wait until the next book.
One of my favourite couples in this series has always been Lucy and Nicholas so it was great that they get to play such a big part of this book. The story is narrated by them as well as Solange but it was by far their parts that I enjoyed the most. Lucy never fails to make me laugh out loud and I just love any scene that contains both her and Nicholas in it. Watching Lucy try to adjust to life at the Helios-Ra school is quite amusing, she has never been one to do what she is told so she finds the strict rules hard to stick to. After the way Solange treated her in the last book I wouldn't have blamed Lucy if she had given up on her friend but Lucy proves her loyalty again and again in this book. She is incredibly worried about Solange and she cares a lot about all of the Drakes so she is determined to get to the bottom of what is going on.
Nicholas finds himself in an incredible difficult situation as he has to make choices between his baby sister and his girlfriend. Loyalty is tested all around and things will never be quite the same amongst the Drake family after the latest events. I really have no idea how Alyxandra Harvey will resolve things in the next book but I can't wait to find out! Fans of the series will love Blood Moon, it has everything you'd expect from these books - humour, action, romance, family bonds and loyalty.
As an extra bonus the UK paperback includes the Lost Girls novella which tells the story of how Liam and Helena first met. I don't want to say much about the story because it would be too easy to give spoilers but I really enjoyed getting to see them both before they married and had the children. It's easy to see them just as parents in the rest of the series and not think about the lives they had before they met so I liked this extra side to them. It was also great to get a better idea of how and why Helena became the kick ass mum that she is now.
September 23, 2015
After the shocking cliffhanger to the last book, I had high hopes for this one but I found it very disappointing. The standard of the other books was high but there were so many things about this book that I didn't like. Frankly if it hadn't been the second last book in the series I might have even quit during it. This book is narrated by Lucy, Nicholas and Solange.
Solange becomes the royal bitch from hell in this book and I hated her. She was behaving like a spoiled whiny brat, hurting Lucy, breaking all the rules and being cruel to her family. I had suspicions about what was happening but even being proved right about it didn't change my feelings towards her as the damage was done. I think if the author had shown her hand earlier we could have had sympathy for Solange as she struggled not to do bad things, especially with her as a narrator. Instead we don't get the why until I had turned against her and I have never warmed to her again since.
I liked seeing how Lucy fitted in at Helios-Ra, watching her trying to learn to protect herself while having a vampire boyfriend and trying to work out what to do about Solange. I love her character and her narrated chapters were the bext thing about the book by far. I still enjoy the relationship between her and Nicholas who are the best couple in the series.
I wasn't interested at all in the Blood Moon gathering. I don't enjoy it when urban fantasy descends into vampire politics and endless talk about who hates who and diplomatic relations between tribes and their security teams attacking people. I found the whole thing to be long drawn out, boring and tedious. The vampire politics is one of the reasons I lose interest in the Anita Blake books and it had the same effect here. I started to disengage with the book and several of the characters.
I had no interest in Solange and Constantine. I didn't find him interesting in any way as a bad guy, and the scenes between the two were boring in a mind-numbing way. I really wanted to skim every time the story switched to them. I didn't enjoy the whole Viola storyline either.
I would have preferred a more straightforward grab for the crown plot instead of this confused attempt at a storyline which was neither entertaining or exciting. Instead we had a book that was padded out to look bigger but totally lacked the kickass action and intrigue that made the other books so good. Sections of the story were so slow that I considered stopping several times because I was bored. Only Lucy and Nicholas kept me reading.
I really hope the final book in the series dekivers more of a punch than this.
Solange becomes the royal bitch from hell in this book and I hated her. She was behaving like a spoiled whiny brat, hurting Lucy, breaking all the rules and being cruel to her family. I had suspicions about what was happening but even being proved right about it didn't change my feelings towards her as the damage was done. I think if the author had shown her hand earlier we could have had sympathy for Solange as she struggled not to do bad things, especially with her as a narrator. Instead we don't get the why until I had turned against her and I have never warmed to her again since.
I liked seeing how Lucy fitted in at Helios-Ra, watching her trying to learn to protect herself while having a vampire boyfriend and trying to work out what to do about Solange. I love her character and her narrated chapters were the bext thing about the book by far. I still enjoy the relationship between her and Nicholas who are the best couple in the series.
I wasn't interested at all in the Blood Moon gathering. I don't enjoy it when urban fantasy descends into vampire politics and endless talk about who hates who and diplomatic relations between tribes and their security teams attacking people. I found the whole thing to be long drawn out, boring and tedious. The vampire politics is one of the reasons I lose interest in the Anita Blake books and it had the same effect here. I started to disengage with the book and several of the characters.
I had no interest in Solange and Constantine. I didn't find him interesting in any way as a bad guy, and the scenes between the two were boring in a mind-numbing way. I really wanted to skim every time the story switched to them. I didn't enjoy the whole Viola storyline either.
I would have preferred a more straightforward grab for the crown plot instead of this confused attempt at a storyline which was neither entertaining or exciting. Instead we had a book that was padded out to look bigger but totally lacked the kickass action and intrigue that made the other books so good. Sections of the story were so slow that I considered stopping several times because I was bored. Only Lucy and Nicholas kept me reading.
I really hope the final book in the series dekivers more of a punch than this.
June 23, 2012
I cannot say enough good things about Alyxandra Harvey's The Drake Chronicles. And Blood Moon was, so far, my favorite book in the series. It's darker and a lot more serious than the other books, but it still has that same sense of humor that made me fall in love with The Drake Chronicles in the first place. There was so much action, and all of the characters were present. All of the Drakes are there, along with my favorite Hunters as well!
I can't even begin to tell you how in love with Harvey's characters I am. Not only do I love all of the Drake boys, I even love their mom. I even love their crazy aunts and uncles. Harvey creates a family that you want to be part of. (Or more like you want to be their crazy neighbor, Lucy, so you can ogle all the hot family members and have it not be weird...) That's part of what I love most about The Drake Chronicles. Harvey's ability to create fully fleshed out characters that actually interact with one another. They all have this chemistry with one another, like they're a real family.
And Holy. Moly. Batman! Blood Moon was the most insane book in this series by far. That's the only word to describe the crazy twist Harvey took with the storyline. Blood Moon was so utterly, heartbreakingly perfect. I didn't want it to happen, but as it was happening it still just felt... right. I seriously can't wait to see what happens next! I'm going to be holding my breath until the next book comes out. (So if I pass out, it's all your fault Alyxandra!)
If you love the Drake's the way I love them, you NEED to get your hands on Blood Moon as fast as you can! If you're one of the poor unfortunates who's never had the privilege of meeting the Drake boys, go out and buy Hearts at Stake (Drake Chronicles #1). Right now!
I can't even begin to tell you how in love with Harvey's characters I am. Not only do I love all of the Drake boys, I even love their mom. I even love their crazy aunts and uncles. Harvey creates a family that you want to be part of. (Or more like you want to be their crazy neighbor, Lucy, so you can ogle all the hot family members and have it not be weird...) That's part of what I love most about The Drake Chronicles. Harvey's ability to create fully fleshed out characters that actually interact with one another. They all have this chemistry with one another, like they're a real family.
And Holy. Moly. Batman! Blood Moon was the most insane book in this series by far. That's the only word to describe the crazy twist Harvey took with the storyline. Blood Moon was so utterly, heartbreakingly perfect. I didn't want it to happen, but as it was happening it still just felt... right. I seriously can't wait to see what happens next! I'm going to be holding my breath until the next book comes out. (So if I pass out, it's all your fault Alyxandra!)
If you love the Drake's the way I love them, you NEED to get your hands on Blood Moon as fast as you can! If you're one of the poor unfortunates who's never had the privilege of meeting the Drake boys, go out and buy Hearts at Stake (Drake Chronicles #1). Right now!
January 16, 2016
This series is still the funniest vampire series I’ve ever read, but this book was not the best in the series. I liked Out For Blood the best, and I don’t think any of the others were as good. This book was not as exciting. Lucy is one of my favorite characters, and I love her voice/narration. The events in this book weren’t done as well as some of the other books. Having it switch between 3 perspectives, rather than two, is taking away from the story, even if it’s showing more. The opening was pretty good, but Solange’s behavior was just so weird. I’m hoping we get to see Kieran’s perspective in the next book. I think the next book is probably the series conclusion. Also it’ll probably rotate between Kieran, Lucy and Solange.
Sorry for the short review, I wasn’t in a vampire-book mood, and I was just hoping for more. Some people like might this 5th book, some won't. I liked it, just not enough. Not like I loved book 3.
Cover Art Review: Generic/boring. I do like the swirl textures, though. I miss the old covers.
~Haley G
My blog:
http://breathlessbookreviews.blogspot...
October 24, 2012
I have one question: How? How am I supposed to wait until JANUARY to see what happens to this family I've grown to love so much?
I'm going to try to do this without spoilers here but if you haven't read any ofthe books this might give away a couple of minor things. You have been warned ;)
I was glad Vivian came to light, it made me feel better (and worse) about Solange. I don't trust Constantine. I might hate Constantine. I think Nicholas is okay because of something the author hasn't let us understand yet. Lucy still kicks butt. I wanted more Christabel and Aiden (I'm curious about that aspect!). What was WITH those guys in the mountain? I'd like a short story on Spencer just to get his perspective as a newbie (and well-informed individual) on what's going down. Do we get to know more about this Bryn girl? And, How in heck are they going to fix all of this? And how am I going to keep from dying while I wait?
Excellent, distressing, awesome, and driving me insane. Five stars!
I'm going to try to do this without spoilers here but if you haven't read any ofthe books this might give away a couple of minor things. You have been warned ;)
I was glad Vivian came to light, it made me feel better (and worse) about Solange. I don't trust Constantine. I might hate Constantine. I think Nicholas is okay because of something the author hasn't let us understand yet. Lucy still kicks butt. I wanted more Christabel and Aiden (I'm curious about that aspect!). What was WITH those guys in the mountain? I'd like a short story on Spencer just to get his perspective as a newbie (and well-informed individual) on what's going down. Do we get to know more about this Bryn girl? And, How in heck are they going to fix all of this? And how am I going to keep from dying while I wait?
Excellent, distressing, awesome, and driving me insane. Five stars!
Read
May 7, 2012can not wait i love wen its solange point of view
Want to read
May 18, 2012Thank God! I've been waiting t5o get into Nicholas's head forever! Can't wait to find out WTF is going on with Solange.
November 6, 2012
**Read in November 2012**
Thank you to Bloomsbury Australia for providing me with a copy of this to read and review!
Find my complete review here: http://rachybee-the-rest-is-still-unw...
Blood Moon is the 5th book in Alyxandra Harvey’s seductive Drake Chronicles and will captivate you from start to finish with it's thrillingwith danger, romance and excitement!
This series is a thrilling one to read! Whoever said vampires were dead and gone have never read this series. Each book is fast paced, and endlessly exciting and Blood Moon is no exception. Unlike the previous books in the series where Harvey featured heavily on one specific couple, or two in My Love Lies Bleeding’s case, Blood Moon features heavily on Solange and the internal conflict she is continuing to struggle with after her transformation.
Featuring the POV’s of Solange, Lucy and Nicholas, Blood Mood is extremely heart pounding. Alexandra Harvey continues to build on the Drakes, with new dangers and new enemies coming into play. The plotline of this story was quite mysterious and there were many moments where I wasn’t a hundred percent sure what was going on. The Huntsmen that make their appearance in this book proved to be an intriguing development and I’m eager to find out what their intentions are and who they work for.
Considering Lucy is still my favourite character in this series to date, I was thrilled to be in her head once again. There’s no one out there like Lucy and I eat up any moment where I’m inside her brave, daring, extremely snarky and devoted head. Solange is a whole other story. I’ve always adored her, and I was surprised to see how much she’s struggling in their book. Harvey’s inclusion of a voice in her head; driving her and influencing her is interesting. And certainly not something I was expecting. I want to know what this means for Sol now that Viola has control of her and is acting so cruelly.
I was delightfully surprised to discover so many chapters of Nicholas’s POV in this book. Unlike Solange and Lucy, this is the first time his POV has appeared in the series and if by golly I don’t love him more after Blood Moon! His devotion and the love he has for Lucy is simply beautiful and I just adore these two together. They have such a sweet, endearing, yet electric relationship. Nicholas truly was brave during his kidnapping, but I’m nervous about the effect it will have on him in the future. It’s obvious already that’s it’s changed him and I really don’t want that to happen.
All the characters I’ve come to love throughout this series make an appearance in this book. Kieran, Hunter, Isabeau, Christabelle and all the Drake brothers are back; Quinn, Connor, Logan, Duncan and the rest appear, as well Helena and Liam Drake, Bruno and a cast of others that I love.
In a special treat, our Australia edition of Blood Moon also sports a bonus story featuring Helena and Liam Drake, back before they were the heads of the Drake family. In fact this is the tale of how begin to fall in love and I for one found it a beautiful touch to the series. Helena has always been a kick-ass vampire mum and I adored getting to see her and Liam in their younger years! My only issue is that as a short story it seemed rushed and seemed to skip over all the best parts I was looking forward to witnessing the most—their initial meeting, dating etc—and I think it would have been tones better if their tale had been a full length story in the Drake Chronicles.
Blood Moon’s ending seems to come on rather quickly and leaves me quite unsatisfied. As with all the books in this series, I wasn’t ready for it to end and I cannot wait to get my hands on the next instalment in the series!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 19, 2012
Cliffhanger -- aarrgghh! Okay, now I got that out of the way...
If you are smarter than I am, wait until a week before the final book comes out before reading this one!
Normally I'm sick to death of vampire ya books, but these are a fun read - not because of the vampire stuff, but because the characters are all unique and interesting. Also, the books are action-packed, no waiting around for stuff to happen. Blood Moon is book 5 of 6. Which means all my questions (or most of them) will be answered, but I have to wait for the next book =(
Drake Chronicles:
1. My Love Lies Bleeding
2. Blood Feud
3. Out for Blood
4. Bleeding Hearts
5. Blood Moon
6. To Be Announced/Untitled early 2013
Okay, about this one:
It's told from Nicholas, Solange, & Lucy's point of view. Everything is falling apart, the blood moon is approaching, the Drake family is dealing with all the incoming vampires and assorted supernaturals, and youngest and only daughter Solange is losing it. Can't say much more without giving too much away, but Harvey puts Nicholas, Lucy, & Kieran through the wringer.
If you are smarter than I am, wait until a week before the final book comes out before reading this one!
Normally I'm sick to death of vampire ya books, but these are a fun read - not because of the vampire stuff, but because the characters are all unique and interesting. Also, the books are action-packed, no waiting around for stuff to happen. Blood Moon is book 5 of 6. Which means all my questions (or most of them) will be answered, but I have to wait for the next book =(
Drake Chronicles:
1. My Love Lies Bleeding
2. Blood Feud
3. Out for Blood
4. Bleeding Hearts
5. Blood Moon
6. To Be Announced/Untitled early 2013
Okay, about this one:
It's told from Nicholas, Solange, & Lucy's point of view. Everything is falling apart, the blood moon is approaching, the Drake family is dealing with all the incoming vampires and assorted supernaturals, and youngest and only daughter Solange is losing it. Can't say much more without giving too much away, but Harvey puts Nicholas, Lucy, & Kieran through the wringer.
March 6, 2013
Putting into words how amazing this book was... Nope just not possible. Everything that has lead up to this ... Oh my god I just can't. This book has been the most amazing, the most irratating one as well. I love Solange but in this book she just right out ticked me off.
But I know its not her, its viola and whatever she us doing to her. The ending was just a cliff hanger. My heart went out to Nicholas, who would have never hurt Lucy no matter what and had to do what she did to her. Aaaah I am in fear to read the next and final book because it is the final I can' bear parting with this world but all stories come to an end.I am also afraid of the outcome to all this... but I am hoping for the best all in all this book was amazing definitely the one that keep me at the edge of my sit the most.
But I know its not her, its viola and whatever she us doing to her. The ending was just a cliff hanger. My heart went out to Nicholas, who would have never hurt Lucy no matter what and had to do what she did to her. Aaaah I am in fear to read the next and final book because it is the final I can' bear parting with this world but all stories come to an end.I am also afraid of the outcome to all this... but I am hoping for the best all in all this book was amazing definitely the one that keep me at the edge of my sit the most.
August 4, 2016
Trust me, I want to like this book, Alyxandra Harvey is a good story teller and her series about vampire tribes and romances among vampires/vampire hunters/humans are interesting, but in the end I only found Blood Moon just okay.
The first thing I dislike is Solange, the vampire princess, she changes from an okay-character into a selfish and stupid girl that I want to throw the book across the room.
My other major complaint is this book feels like it doesn't really have an ending.
Last but not least, we get a love triangle.
The Bonus Story: Lost Girls, gets 2.5 stars from me. I don't hate it but again it feels like there are some subtexts which the author had failed to include in the story.
The first thing I dislike is Solange, the vampire princess, she changes from an okay-character into a selfish and stupid girl that I want to throw the book across the room.
My other major complaint is this book feels like it doesn't really have an ending.
Last but not least, we get a love triangle.
The Bonus Story: Lost Girls, gets 2.5 stars from me. I don't hate it but again it feels like there are some subtexts which the author had failed to include in the story.
February 28, 2015
He de confesar que convence el libro hace un monton de tiempo, pero entre una cosa y la otra lo deje un buen tiempo hasta que lo retome y lo finalice.
Este libro encontramos tres puntos de vista, el de solangel la protagonista, quien a lo largo de la trama va descubriendo algo de inseguridad en ella mismo y que tiene un lado oscuro, Lucy quien se translada a un campamento de cazadores de vampiros, como si el entrenamiento con Helena Draker no fuera sufiente, y quien se ve envuelta en un paradigma de quien es su amiga...
y Finalmente Nicolas.. quien se encfrenta a un monton de cosas y solo le mantiene la cordura lucy...
Este libro encontramos tres puntos de vista, el de solangel la protagonista, quien a lo largo de la trama va descubriendo algo de inseguridad en ella mismo y que tiene un lado oscuro, Lucy quien se translada a un campamento de cazadores de vampiros, como si el entrenamiento con Helena Draker no fuera sufiente, y quien se ve envuelta en un paradigma de quien es su amiga...
y Finalmente Nicolas.. quien se encfrenta a un monton de cosas y solo le mantiene la cordura lucy...
November 22, 2012
This was not my favorite in the series. I mean, I know it's essential to the story to have Solange be a dumbass, But it doesn't mean I have to like it. Plus because Nicolas was occupied with other things during this book, There wasn't as much romantic attention. And thats fine, but I still miss the cutness of it!
April 10, 2013
This is the 5th book in the series. The other books were cute, romantic, kind of fun, vampire books. With this book, the series has taken a dark turn, really dark. I struggled to get through it. It was okay. I still like the books and am interested enough in what happens next, that I will be picking up the next book. It probably won't be right away, though.
June 22, 2012
I CANNOT GIVE THIS FIVE STARS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
DAMN IT ALYXANDRA WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING TO THE CHARACTERS!!!!
im so close to throwing the book at the wall in frustration its not even funny :@
DAMN IT ALYXANDRA WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING TO THE CHARACTERS!!!!
im so close to throwing the book at the wall in frustration its not even funny :@
June 28, 2012
The cover is now up on her web page!!! So excited to read book 5 in this refreshing series!!! Come on June!!!
February 27, 2013
Meep! Blood Prophecy is right beside me. I'm reading this thing A.S.A.P.
December 9, 2012
Lucy vs Solange
Displaying 1 - 30 of 310 reviews