Damned

Crusade #2

by Nancy Holder, Debbie Viguié

There is a fine line between love and sacrifice….

Antonio would do anything for his beloved fighting partner Jenn. He protects her, even suppresses his vampire cravings to be with her. Together, they defend humanity against the Cursed Ones. But tensions threaten to fracture their hunting team and his loyalty—his love—is called into question.

With an even more sinister power on the rise, Jenn must overcome her personal vendettas.

Antonio and Jenn need each other to survive, but evil lurks at every turn. With humanity’s fate hanging in the balance, they must face down the darkness…or die trying.

Genres: Vampires, Young Adult, Paranormal, Fantasy, Romance, Witches, Paranormal Romance

544 pages, Hardcover

First published August 30, 2011

About the author

Nancy Holder, New York Times Bestselling author of the WICKED Series, has just published CRUSADE - the first book in a new vampire series cowritten with Debbie Viguie. The last book her her Possession series is set to release in March 2011.

Nancy was born in Los Altos, California, and her family settled for a time in Walnut Creek. Her father, who taught at Stanford, joined the navy and the family traveled throughout California and lived in Japan for three years. When she was sixteen, she dropped out of high school to become a ballet dancer in Cologne, Germany, and later relocated to Frankfurt Am Main.

Eventually she returned to California and graduated summa cum laude from the University of California at San Diego with a degree in Communications. Soon after, she began to write; her first sale was a young adult romance novel titled Teach Me to Love.

Nancy’s work has appeared on the New York Times, USA Today, LA Times, amazon.com, LOCUS, and other bestseller lists. A four-time winner of the Bram Stoker Award from the Horror Writers Association, she has also received accolades from the American Library Association, the American Reading Association, the New York Public Library, and Romantic Times.

She and Debbie Viguié co-authored the New York Times bestselling series Wicked for Simon and Schuster. They have continued their collaboration with the Crusade series, also for Simon and Schuster, and the Wolf Springs Chronicles for Delacorte (2011.) She is also the author of the young adult horror series Possessions for Razorbill. She has sold many novels and book projects set in the Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, Saving Grace, Hellboy, and Smallville universes.

She has sold approximately two hundred short stories and essays on writing and popular culture. Her anthology, Outsiders, co-edited with Nancy Kilpatrick, was nominated for the Bram Stoker Award in 2005.

She teaches in the Stonecoast MFA in Creative Writing Program, offered through the University of Southern Maine. She has previously taught at UCSD and has served on the Clarion Board of Directors.

She lives in San Diego, California, with her daughter Belle, their two Corgis, Panda and Tater; and their cats, David and Kittnen Snow. She and Belle are active in Girl Scouts and dog obedience training.

Reviews

[Saniya]

Did I just marked this book as-read because the boy in the cover is kinda hot?! o_O

[Kristi · Rating 5 out of 5]

THE FAERIES VIEW

Damned is a captivating sequel to Crusade, I’ve waited for this novel to come out and I was not disappointed! It’s Thrilling, Chilling and Bad to the Bone all while carrying romance and heart break making for a most fascinating read. The series continues to get better, which I thought impossible!

Nancy Holder and Debbie Vigue do a wonderous thing with building a dystopian like world that is ruled by vampires and humans are their sheep. It’s incredibly believable which is what makes it so scary; I can picture this world in my head without much difficulty. The Salamanca group continues to battle the vampires and the humans who side with them, the battle scenes are unbelievably realistic and at times I found myself setting the book down so I could absorb exactly what had happened.

Damned isn’t all about battling vampires; many in the group are battling what’s in their hearts. There is much unrequited love in Damned and with the addition of new characters it gets even more so. The plot while twisted and convoluted isn’t difficult to follow-in fact, it’s part of the thrill, trying to figure out what will happen next drove me crazy! Nancy and Debbie wrote the most amazing plot twists and turns so what I thought I knew turned out to be wrong-imagine that!
There are times when I’m rooting for and celebrating with Team Salamanca and there are times that I am feeling desperate and hopeless. I cried more than once through the book and there is one part that is particularly heart-wrenching-again, I had to set the book down to actually process what had just happened.

The Crusade series is amazing and quite frankly one of the best I’ve read. I am eagerly looking forward to Passing, the next in the series. I recommend starting with the first in the series Crusade before starting Damned and I also would recommend this book to all my Besties and Buds!

THE FAERIE SAYS: READ THIS BOOK




Thank you Simon and Schuster for the ARC/ARE!

[Erin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Damned & Crusade: An Epic Urban Fantasy Series in the Making

It felt wrong to write a review of Damned since I know both authors so well and I am closely connected to the series. So, instead I decided to write a rumination on the Crusade series since there are a few things about the series that have always struck me as significant within the fantasy genre, but haven’t really generated much discussion. Therefore, since the Damned Book Tour is stopping at Underwords today, I’m going to talk about aspects of the Crusade series that I find most compelling but haven’t really generated much discussion…until now.

Damned (which released on August 30th) is the second book in the Crusade series by Nancy Holder and Debbie Viguié, which features a group of vampire hunters who have come together to save the world from the insidious vampire horde that has taken over.

When I first read Crusade, the series struck me as being a unique story packed full of familiar fantasy elements. It is reminiscent of an old school epic fantasy trilogy with its band of misfit characters who have join together from different races, who each have a unique talent to lend to the group, and who are willing to fight for a hopeless cause in order to stop an impossibly powerful force from destroying the world. In true epic fantasy style, both Damned and Crusade are told using multiple points of view, and they send the team of hunters out on missions, forcing them to travel vast distances to foreign lands in their quest to conquer the invading vampires. However, the series doesn’t take place in a mystical world with a rural setting or historical feeling societies that are noticeably absent of modern science. Instead we get contemporary characters, modern technology, and familiar cities from our own world as well as a host of supernatural beings. These are definitely elements that do not belong in an epic fantasy, but would be right at home within the urban fantasy genre.

The result of this mixing and blending of urban and epic fantasy elements is the creation of a hybrid genre: Urban Epic Fantasy. While there are quite a few urban fantasy series like the Dresden Files by Jim Butcher, the Dark Fever series by Karen Marie Moning, and the Sookie Stackhouse novels by Charlaine Harris (all of which I love), they don’t have the same epic scope as Crusade in that they are either serialized novels or they take place in primarily one geographic region. Other than the Crusade series, there really aren’t many urban fantasies that also fit so well within the parameters of an epic fantasy.

Even better, Holder and Vigué avoid the trap of writing a paranormal romance that binds two characters, one human and one supernatural, into a romantic relationship that defies reason. In Crusade and Damned, Jenn and Antonio are the paranormal romantic couple who are desperately trying to keep their relationship going, but they have known each other for two years. They have fought together, dined together, and trained together before beginning their romantic relationship. They have a history together. As expected, they hit the inevitable vampire/human bumps in the road that constantly require them to fight to stay together, which is much more realistic than I had expected. Moreover, you get the very real sense that there is no guarantee that their love will overcome all. The dangers they face emotionally are as real as the dangers they face physically in battle.

There’s really nothing out there that I can compare to the Crusade series other than itself. It feels a bit like Joss Whedon’s Buffy with a dash of Anne Rice’s eye for history and elegance, a pinch of George R.R. Martin’s epic storytelling style, and a smattering of Bram Stoker’s and Stephen King’s big bad vampires mixed in with the relentlessness of the Terminator, the magic of Charmed, and hormones from Sex in the City. If this series were a film, it would be the perfect date movie because you get such a great mixture of exciting elements that gives everyone something to enjoy. Action. Romance. Fantasy. Reality. Holder and Vigué tease all of these threads into the story, giving it a wonderfully dynamic scope without sacrificing the narrative with cheap magic tricks and sex to keep readers interested.

The characters all feel like real people with pasts, desires, and needs that compel them to make choices that may not always be wise, but are always understandable. The use of multiple points of view may be a little confusing at first, especially for people who are unfamiliar with the epic fantasy genre. However, by telling this story through multiple points of view, Holder and Vigué allow readers to get to know each character from the inside out as you see them operate from their own perspective as well as through the perspectives of others. For example, you see how painfully scared Jenn is and how questionable her choices are when viewed through Jamie’s eyes, but you also understand why she won’t just surrender to her circumstances when the story is being told from her perspective. As with most epic fantasy series, you get a very three dimensional story that takes you behind the scenes and also places you on the front lines of the action from the perspective of the humans as well as the vampires.

I highly recommend both Damned and Crusade to anyone (guys or girls) who loves reading epic fantasy, urban fantasy, horror, or paranormal romance. Just be warned that you’re going to get real relationships, friendships, and fights–flaws and all. You’re going to get adventure on a grand scale with a plot that reads like World War III. Romance, drama, and mystery – the Crusade series is wonderful fun and embraces its nature at an urban epic fantasy.

From start to finish both Crusade and Damned will have you wondering “what happens next?!!” For me, the Crusade series combines everything that I love best into one exciting series that I don’t want to put down. I hope to see more series like this.

[ephrielle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book! There is such conflict and overwhelming odds against them. Yet they struggle on regardless. It is such a great view into the strength within each of us. The ending is really tragic. Holding with the trend of the book things are dire and show no real possibility of change. Still, I loved every page.

I wasn't super happy with what happened to Antonio. I just don't like seeing anyone in a position where their free will is taken away. Without that who are you really. At first when it happened it seemed temporary something like a spell but as the book progresses it seems less likely. I think the authors are trying to point out that each of us has the ability to be bad or good. We are what we choose to be with each passing moment. Yet under a certain set of circumstances would we chose differently. Would we chose so differently as to become almost the opposite. I have mixed feelings on where they are headed with Antonio. At this point I think I will keep the doubts at bay and hope for the best. Should you whole life be blighted by a few mistakes or should your current actions hold more sway. I guess we will find out next year.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nobody is safe. Everybody is hiding something. Nothing will ever be the same.

This book broke my heart, built it back up, and then broke it all over again.

There's my description of Damned, by Nancy Holder and Debbie Viguie. Before I say anything else, let me tell you how amazing these two authors are when they work in tandem - They're freaking brilliant. I think each of them are pretty good on their own, but they only reach this level of perfection together (and, in my oppinion, only in the Crusade series. I didn't even like Wicked, but these books are some of my favorites of all time, for the epic storytelling).

With epic storytelling that rivals George R.R. Martin's Game of Thrones, and emotional journeys up-to-par with the best contemporaries, and enough rules placed on the Fantasy to make it almost sound like Science Fiction (which I love with a passion), I thought Damned was pretty much the perfect book. Of course, I thought the same about Crusade, but right now that's not the point.

Plot: Similarly to it's predecessor, Damned didn't have just one plot. I mean, it did but it didn't, if that makes any sense. There's the part in Russia (what the cover displays), then there's the part in Las Vegas, then the part in Montana, and then there's the part back in Salamanca, Spain. Each location comes with it's own goals and challanges, it's own exposition, rising action, and mini-climax (until the actual, real-live climax back in Salamanca), and almost reads like it's own story. Which was one of the reasons I couldn't stop reading. I could tell myself "Oh, just another two or three pages to the next section" (and by "section" I mean those headings that say the date, location, and who's there, and they usually switch P.O.V.'s) and then when I got there, I'd say the same thing again. "Oh, come on, Andie, there's only a few more pages to the next section". Needless to say, I was up all night reading. Who knows how I did on today's French quiz.

***This Next Part May Contain Spoilers. Read At Your Own Risk.***

Characters: Once again, I'm going to have to break this down, because despite what the cover and description tell you, there are actually at least six main characters, and really more like nine.

Jenn is once again a great, developing character. Her world has been turned upside down in this book. Her sister has been turned into a Cursed One. The man she loves may be hiding his true nature (and that's before he gets kidnapped and brainwashed), and she's been promoted to head of her team, but isn't sure she knows what she's doing. But Jenn soldiers on, because that's what she does. That's what her grandfather, Papa Che, would have wanted her to do. That's what Antonio would want if he were in his right mind. So Jenn continues, with a little help from somebody new...(I'll talk about him in a minute).

Antonio in Crusade was one of my favorite Catholic fictional characters of all time. I'm a Catholic, and usually it's portrayed as a bad thing in literature. (With the Spanish Inquisition, and the original Crusades, it's hard to blame anyone for that - but the Church has reformed at lot since either of those horrors). Antonio was...admirable. Holder and Viguie portrayed the Catholic faith really, really well through both Antonio and Father Juan. It was fantastic. (Despite this, I don't want Antonio to become a priest. He's a Cursed One, so he can't anyway, and I think he belongs with Jenn. He can be faithful and not be pastor, he just needs to figure that out). In Damned, a lot of horrible things happen to Antonio (aforementioned kidnapping and brainwashing included). Antonio is led to question, in his few moments of lucidity, everything he ever thought was real. He makes quite the journey in this book, and I can only hope he'll be firmly back on Team Salamanca's side by the final novel...but you never know. The point is that not even our "good" vampire is good.

Skye is probably the character who's narration I like the most, although I'll never understand her crush on Jamie. She needs to get over it, because there's not a chance in hell he's ever going to like her back, and they're not good for each other anyway. Personally, I ship her and Holgar more than I've rooted for any couple in a long time. That scene with the earphones in the car? (if you've read it, you know what I'm talking about). Is that not the most adorable thing you ever saw? Well, I thought so. Holgar is undeniably a good guy. In fact, he's the only member of the team who is. I think he and Skye belong together. If she ends up with Jamie, I'm going to scream, because it wouldn't make any sense. Skye and Holgar, however? well, her getting over Estefan for good, and getting over her futile crush on Jamie would be great character development, in my oppinion. But, you know, these are just the ramblings of a hopeless-romantic teenage girl. You can ignore me if you like. Oh, and then Skye's fate in this book...well....um...let's just say her psychotic ex is back with a vengeance, a hankerchief soaked in a chemical we've all seen on cop shows, and a truckload of loose ends. Cliffhanger beware.

Holgar is wonderful, yet again. He's the good guy. He's got secrets, just like everybody else, but he fights against everything he is to do the right thing (literally, in the climax. Oh, you'll see). He clearly has feelings for Skye (earphones scene, scene in the forest sleeping in the snow, when he saves her from the bomb and Estefan's mind-control mirror hallucination), and I can only hope both he and Skye come to that realization in the last book. Because I love them together. I think they're adorable. They would also be good contrast to the darker, more complicated Jenn/Antonio situation.

Jamie is a character I love to hate. Seriously, I hate his guts most of the time, but I really like hating him. He must be a blast to write, because he doesn't give a damn about anyone (except for Eriko), and anything (except for Ireland). He wants pretty much everybody (except Eriko) dead. If it weren't for the fact he's fighting for the right side, Jamie would make a great villian - because he has little to no morals. The only thing he's ever acted moral about was rescuing children - usually ones who remind him of his dead sister - and even that backfires on him in Damned. Jamie's morals have been compromised, a long time ago. And...they're about to get so much worse. The climax and falling action of this book include the death of the woman he loves (crap...should I not have said that? I did warn about spoilers), and a fistfight almost leading to his death with the leader of his team. Let's just say that Jenn is tougher than she looks.

Eriko, oh Eriko. I'll try not to give anything away. Our former Japanese pop-star, now Hunter, is having a harder time than most. The elixer she took at graduation has some unforeseen side-effects (mostly because every Hunter before her has died before these side effects even showed up), and she feels like it's ripping her apart from the inside. Jamie knows, although she doesn't tell him. He loves her, after all, and she thinks that in time she might learn to love him back (they really would've been the perfect couple...for them). Even though she's no longer the leader, she can still keep control of Jamie. And her non-leader position on the team? She loves it. Everyone's lives are no longer in her hands alone. That's Jenn's problem now. The poor American girl is just going to have to figure it out, because Eri doesn't want her job back, under any circumstances. In this book, we get a recap of why Eriko joined the Salamancans, as well as a present-day return of her former Pop-Star persona - someone the team is shocked to see from Eriko.

Father Juan is as mysterious as ever, and more and more clues are dropped that he may be St. John of The Cross after all. (lines that go something like "God won't let you die until you've completed your work" and "when the team found out what he was" drop further clues). Personally, I love the mystery surrounding him. I love how he's portrayed (and that's not just because I'm glad to see a Catholic good-guy), and I think the enigma that is Father Juan is fantastic.

There are two (well, kind of three by the end) new characters added to the Salamancan Team in Damned, the first of which is Noah Geller. Noah intrigues me greatly. He's a young widower from Israel in his mid-twenties, and he's using his ex-military skills to fight Cursed Ones. The Salamancans meet him, and his partner Taamir, in Russia - and they pretty much join the team. Noah also fascinates me because he's kind of a love-interest for Jenn, and he's most definitely a good guy. I'm pretty positive that Jenn will end up with Antonio at the end of the series, but I ship Jenn/Noah anyway, right along with Jenn/Antonio. This is one of the few cases where I wouldn't be disappointed with either result. I do hope they don't kill Noah off, but that's definitely another possibility. I really like him, though. And he's quitting smoking, so that's another plus.

Taamir is Noah's friend and partner, and a great example of the major theme in these books: Religious tolerance brought by banding together against a common foe. Noah is Jewish. Taamir is Muslim. They've put their differences aside in order to fight for the greater good - to save the world from Cursed Ones. They consider themselves brothers, because the differences between their peoples doesn't matter anymore. It's a lesson Team Salamanca needs to learn as well, but is taking more time handling. Taamir is a much less developed character than Noah, but he's interesting all the same. His fate...well, you'll just have to read.

Now, I may as well go through all the villains in one fell-swoop. Aurora is scary as hell, as always, and her motives are both sociopathic and understandable at the same time. Don't ask me how. Sergio is also frightening, but no where near the evil that Aurora is. Estefan is perhaps, in my opinion, the most interesting villain. He's still convinced he's in love with Skye (although he's clearly just obsessed with her, and probably has confused obsession with love for as long as he's known her). Then there's Holgar's former pack, who have become evil. There's Solomon, the vampire leader. There's Jenn's father, who may or may not have redeemed himself through Morse Code. There's Dantalion, who may or may not have survived. And last but certainly not least...there's Antonio. Who may or may not be able to fight back what he's become.

***End Of Spoiler Zone***

Writing: Excellent. Nancy Holder and Debbie Viguie are amazing writers, together and apart. Personally, I'm a bigger fan of Viguie (I've loved all of her books that I've read), but I really like both of them together. Crusade, and Damned are really incredible books. I'm sure the third one will be just as good...if I can survive waiting a year for it.

Setting: They constantly change setting in this book, but every one is well developed. They also spend some more time in different parts of the United States, which is interesting to see through the P.O.V. of Europeans.

Themes: The major theme of these novels is that people can join together in face of a common enemy, despite their differences. It's that all walks of life, and all kinds of religions, can come together for the common good. It's about tolerance for the purpose of saving everyone involved. It's about how our differing religious and cultural beliefs don't matter in the face of something we must defeat together. These themes are the other reason, besides the characters, that I so adore these books.

Cover: Don't let it fool you. This is not a fluffy, vampire romance novel. The vampires are evil. The "good" vampire may be evil. The romance comes second fiddle to the epic fantasy story-line, and the individual character development. In fact, in this book, the romance is more one-sided Jenn loving Antonio, but not really knowing who he is, and sometimes Antonio loving Jenn, but he doesn't know himself well enough to trust himself. So, the romance bit is out, but the epic story is amazing.
The best part about the cover is the background. It's Russia, and quite a large chunk of the book takes place in Russia in the snow. I like how that's represented on the cover. Along with the fact that Antonio doesn't get cold.
Also, the cover model is really hot. That's always a plus.

Overall: Another wonderful book. It's brilliant, funny, heartbreaking, inspiring, heart-wrenching, tragic, wonderful, adventurous, epic, and everything else it is that you will just have to find out if you haven't read it yet. I do have one warning though: Don't Start With Damned/. READ CRUSADE FIRST. You don't want to miss the beginning of this epic story. And it's a continuous story, so you're not going to want to start in the middle.

If you've already read Crusade, then you NEED to read Damned. It's amazing, and you won't be disappointed.

Now, it's time for me to get some sleep, considering I was up all last night reading. No regrets. Reading is more important than sleeping.

[Natalie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Review will be posted on my blog, Mindful Musings, on 9/7/11.

In a Sentence: Damned was an extremely fast-paced, suspenseful sequel, and I ended up enjoying it more than its predecessor, Crusade.

My Thoughts

As I mentioned in my review of Crusade last year, I felt that Nancy Holder and Debbie Viguie did a wonderful job of building the world they created for the Crusade books. After finishing Damned, I stand by that statement. Crusade and Damned take place in a dystopian-esque world in which vampires are quickly becoming the dominant race on the planet. And these vampires aren't the brooding, self-loathing, searching-for-redemption sort (with one exception, of course). They're EVIL! They view humans as lesser beings and have no trouble preying upon their weaknesses. However, while bringing this world to life certainly required some creativity, it's not what caught my attention. What I found to be most impressive about the world of Damned was how the authors managed to include detailed examples of a variety of characters, cultures, locations, and weave these in seamlessly with that dystopian world, as well as including a series of flashbacks that would have definitely required even more research. Kudos to both Holder and Viguie for all of the time and effort that went into developing this series. I'm sure it had to be a lot!

Following up my comments on the world-building and research that went into Damned, I also have to say that I loved how spirituality played a part in this book. Now before you get too excited or roll your eyes, let me explain what exactly this "spirituality" entails. With all of the nationalities and cultures represented in the characters of Damned, it's only natural to have to include differing philosophical (or religious, if you prefer) beliefs. There were Catholics, atheists, Muslims, Jews, Wiccans, and everything in between. Most importantly, the main characters (for the most part) respected and appreciated their differences in beliefs. Considering all of the religious hypocrisy and close-mindedness that is present in our own world today, it was refreshing to see this topic addressed, though subtly, in Damned.

The theme of perseverance in times of hardship is one that is common in literature, but it's also one that I never get tired of reading about. Many of the main characters in Damned, especially Antonio and Jenn, have to deal with extreme emotional and physical problems, yet they keep going and fighting for what they believe in, even when there's little to no hope. Holder and Viguie did a good job of capturing the emotions that are associated with these struggles. In fact, there were several beautifully written passages that I marked while reading Damned. Here's one of them:

"It's hard to let go. It's the most difficult lesson to learn, regardless of whether or not you're a hunter. We spend our whole lives seeking and building connections--families, friends, mentors, lovers--and then, in a moment, they can be taken from us. These relationships can end along with a human life, or these relationships can fall apart, until they are as dead to you as if that person were in their grave, though they still walk.

These are the hardest deaths in so many ways, the deaths of a thousand tiny insults or omissions. You wake up one day and realize that the person you counted on most just isn't there for you. Worse yet, you might not even care. This is the true horror. Physical death is easy to understand, and no one blames you when you mourn. Intangible death is so inexplicable, that when you realize the loss it seems like the time for crying has passed and you must hide your pain from everyone. Even yourself." (p. 330-331, ARC)

See what I mean? It was passages like this that allowed me to identify with some of the characters in Damned. However, with that being said, there were some characters in the book that I thought could have used some more development, in particular, Noah--a fellow hunter who is introduced as a potential love interest for one of the main characters, Jenn. Maybe it's just because he didn't get enough page time, or maybe it's because the authors are intending to further develop his character in later books, but I found him to be flat and uninteresting. And when a character in a possible love triangle is flat and uninteresting, it's hard to get involved with the romance in the story. Because Damned obviously isn't the last book in the series, I'm hoping that this problem will be remedied in future books.

Overall, I felt that I enjoyed Damned more than Crusade primarily because it was the second book in the series. What I mean by this is that a first book in a series tends to take up a lot of page time with introductions--to characters, to plot points, etc. While this is necessary at times, it can often make a book drag. With most of the back story and introductions already made, I found Damned to be a much faster and entertaining read, and when a book is topping out at 500+ pages, that's an important aspect to keep in mind. Damned didn't completely blow me out of the water, but I found it to be a creative and fun and overall, a worthwhile read.

[Chelsea · Rating 3 out of 5]

This review was originally published at Vampire Book Club.

After reading Crusade, I was curious if we were going to get to know Skye better. She’s the witch who fights alongside the hunters — the only witch willing to step across that line and officially align herself with the team who seeks out to destroy the Cursed Ones. She still keeps to the rule of doing no harm, as best she can. If humans are involved, then Skye is out. But we got a hint to a dark past for her in the first novel, and Damned delivers on revelations. Not only will readers find out who Skye is running from and why — she can’t run forever, as past and present collide — but also secrets of Holgar, Jamie, Eriko, Antonio and even Father Juan.

Jenn and Antonio are still the story’s main focus, and their love story gets more complicated in Damned. Really. But in Damned, the door is opened for insight into everyone else. The tale isn’t Jenn’s alone, and each of the hunters are pivotal. In time, we’ll see how much so.

One doesn’t become a hunter, doesn’t leave their family behind to take on a life of death and fear, without a tale of woe. The friction within the team gains clarity as we discover the root to Jamie’s fervent need to kill all vampires and werewolves. The emotional ties pulling the hunters closer and those barriers they refuse to cross begin to chafe. The unrequited love is bubbling over. With so much pain in their pasts, one can’t help but want to see these characters find solace in a bit of love. There are bright moments, but nothing is easy or direct while fighting a vampire war.

And in Damned the stakes have been raised. In addition to dealing with Aurora and her obsession with Antonio (the only vampire with a soul, the one who is a hunter), other vampire leaders are an issue. One has spent years trying to develop a hybrid, the ultimate vampire. He’s created variations, most merging human, vampire and werewolf DNA. Really, his main goal is to synthesize a way for vampires to walk in the sun. And his work is being shared.

With the humans losing the war with the vampires, the hunters have agreed to work with resistance fighters. One never knows if those they’re to work with are really on their side. Trust is no longer freely given, and more governments have appeased the Cursed Ones and blatantly ignore the cruelty and killings within their boundaries.

Fall into (Urban) Fantasy with VBC and MBWDamned conjures great plot twists, but takes a bit to get going. If you’ve completely forgotten the key points of the first novel, the opening of the book hammers it in. However, once you’re past the rehash, things pick up and we’re treated to some great flashbacks, huge emotional turns and lots of vampires you’d like to stake. I always enjoy Nancy Holder’s writing as her descriptions are simultaneously visceral and eloquent, and she and Debbie Viguié continue to impress me with their storytelling. Damned is no exception.

Also, you’ll get to learn a few foreign words in this one. The book is good about explaining what they are, but by the time you finish Damned, you’ll know how to say “cool” in Russian. Just in case.

[Ruby · Rating 1 out of 5]

This review was first posted on http://www.rubysreads.com.

This review contains spoilers for Crusade.

Okay, so you may or may not remember that, at the end of the last book, everything went all to hell. Jenn's dad betrayed her to the vampires in order to save her sister, Heather (and the rest of the family). Unfortunately for him, the plan totally backfired (duh) and Heather was, instead, captured and, ultimately, "converted." Whoops.
Heather's "conversion" is a complicated issue on so very many levels. For one thing, it brings up the only question--Why is Antonio different? Why was he able to recover his human modes and morals? It's a sticky issue, especially since Antonio firmly believes that his faith is responsible and Jenn...well, Jenn doesn't really buy into religion. Which begs the question--does it really matter whether Jenn buys into it or not? Shouldn't the issue be whether Heather is at all religious? But, since Heather spends most of the novel in vampiric blood-frenzy, I guess they can't really ask her.
More to the point, though, is that, with the addition of Heather to the party, the Salamanca team of vampire hunters is now harboring two of the very creatures they've been training to kill. Naturally this causes conflict. Jamie, in particular, is especially pissed. Boy, I didn't see that one coming. I'm not sure exactly why the authors felt they needed to create yet more conflict amongst a group that was already tenuously assembled...but they did. Just in time for them to add two more members--one of whom is a potential love interest for Jenn.
This book felt largely repetitious to me. I'm kind of tired of Jenn's self-confidence issues. I thought they were supposed to be resolved in the first book? Why are we dealing with this again? I mean, I don't expect Jenn to miraculously become a fantastic leader, but the impression I got at the end of Crusade was that she had embraced her leadership role. I will be gravely disappointed--though not terribly surprised--if Jenn fights the exact same internal battle in each book of the series.
While I admit to some curiosity about what makes Antonio different, I don't find him to be compelling in either of his guises--good vamp or evil. He's so obnoxiously good that I find myself thinking that he deserves wishy-washy Jenn. Unfortunately, Jenn and Antonio aren't this series' only problems. It hasn't endeared itself to me on behalf of any of the characters. I wasn't stirred by the action and I didn't grieve over the death at the end of the book. The series began with a large cast of characters, and what do the authors do but add more? That pretty much killed it for me. I don't think I'll be continuing with this series.

[Lisa (Bookworm Lisa) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read about 3/4 of the book from Simon & Schuster's Galley Grab, but then it expired on me before I finished the book. I then purchased the book (in the middle of the night) from an eBook store. One of the things that I love about eReaders. You can have instant access to books right when you need it.

The word that comes to mind when I think about this story is strife. This book is full of strife. It's set during a war. The vampires are taking over the world. Most humans hide their head and pretend that life is normal, while a select few do something about it.

This book follows the Salmanca team. They are trained at a Catholic campus in Spain. The team is loaded with strife. There is personal, family, cultural, supernatural, and emotional strife. The team can't get it together emotionally. The thing that they have in common is their desire to rid the world of the vampires. I do like that they were able to come up with a society that a Jew and a Muslim were able to work together and put aside their differences to save the human race.

It was wonderful that the author's included the personal struggles that the characters are going through. They showed us a glimpse of their past and what brought them together to hunt vampires.

I really enjoyed this book and had to purchase it in the middle of the night. My biggest regret is that I have to wait a year until the third book.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jenn's got a lot on her mind - she's just been made the Hunter, and her sister's been turned by the vamps. Then there's Antonio, who'd do anything for her, even if it means suppressing his vampire nature. Together with their team, they continue the fight against the Cursed Ones, but it seems the enemy is always one step ahead. Is there a traitor in their midst?

This is the second book in the Crusade series, and as such, it has a lot more action than the first book. This time it's all about internal struggles - with love, with faith, with self-doubt. It's also an origin story of sorts. We see each team member through flashbacks and discover the personal vendetta that led them to the team.

The team itself is crumbling. This is mirrored in a larger issue; the Vatican has decided to close the Academies, and it's time to choose - give up or continue to fight alone. It's strong imagery; if the walls fall, do the ideals fall with them.

Antonio takes more of a central role here. He' trying to be everything and everyone to Jenn, and failing. He's haunted by his personal demons, and the belief that by saving Jenn's sister, he can also save himself.

This is an excellent read. The characters have depth, and their underlying issues are familiar to us all. You know these people, you go to school with them, you work beside them. It's like watching a car crash; you can see what's going to happen, and there's nothing you can do to stop it.

[Lisa Green · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very dark - but that's the way I like it! Better than the first book in the series. The authors pull off the omniscient POV very well. Love Antonio, Holgar and the others. I won't say anymore, I don't want to spoil anything.

[Stacey · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was pretty amazing! I honestly did not know how I would like it, been kinda tired of the vampire stuff, but this book was really good. I really wish that I read the first book first.
I like the shared bond within the Team, how intune with each other as they are.

[Liliyanne]

DAMMNNN, he is cute <3

[Kimberly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Team Salamanca was put to the test in this sequel to Crusade. Damned is an action based sequel, with a theme of never giving up, even when things are not looking good.

[Sydney LaForest]

HOLGAR HOLGAR HOLGAR !!
Jenn and HOLGAR need to be together!

[Tiffany May Ross · Rating 4 out of 5]

***Read the Entire Review at BigBooksTinyVoices***



Damned is the 2nd book in the Crusade Series, and I definitely would not recommend reading it first, as it picks up where Crusade leaves off. (On the same note, if it’s been a while since you’ve read Crusade, the authors do a good job of filling you in throughout the book so that you won’t feel lost- which can also be a bit daunting at times). After a somewhat failed mission in New Orleans, Team Salamanca has retreated to their university in Spain and are trying to pull themselves back together. Amidst accessing who their allies truly are and the lurking rumors of a super species vampire threat, we find Jenn trying to adjust to her new role as leader- and she’s not the only one struggling with her new position. Further deepening the complexity of the story, in Damned we are offered great insight into the lives of the other major characters, which we’ve only briefly gotten to know before. Through flashbacks and by following several points of view, Nancy Holder and Debbie Viguié weave a compelling world built on sub-plots, all the while telling a larger story. What we find at the heart of Damned are the internal battles plaguing the minds of each team member as they struggle to unite and fight together for a purpose they all passionately believe in. Ultimately, this is a great continuation, surely worth reading if you enjoyed Crusade, and definitely carries its’ weight in entertainment. At the same time, while I couldn’t help myself from frantically flipping page after page and never wanted to just shelf it (for me it’s simply a guilty pleasure), there are some massive holes in the plot as well as intriguing but confusing themes that I would like to address. Since Damned, very much like Crusade, is diluted by multiple POV’s, I am going to break this down as simply as possible- by character.



***The Following Segment Contains Spoilers***

Antonio: Jenn and Antonio, their forbidden love and twisted pasts are the driving force of Crusade. However, the story begins on a different foot in Damned as Jenn has distanced herself from Antonio in light of seeing what a monster her sister Heather has turned into as a vampire. She is somehow blaming him and/or can no longer trust who he is at his core. This is the very essence of the plot in this book. Who is Antonio and why is he the only vampire on Earth with a conscience, or even worse, a soul? As soon as the story picks up and gets juicy, Team Salamanca finds itself on a mission to Russia where there is a rumored vampire creating a super species that can withstand daylight. At first Antonio stays behind to continue his effort with Heather, hoping to bring back her humanity (after all, if he can fix Heather he is both helping Jenn and gaining back her trust). However, as the imminent threat of the team is made known, Antonio can’t resist the urge to go and try and protect the girl he loves. Unfortunately, as it turns out, while on this mission in Russia the team is infiltrated by Aurora, the vampire villain we met in Crusade. We are given more insight into her interest in Antonio through a series of flashbacks. It boils down to the obsession of her unnamed sire (the Father of all vampires in-sorts), who desperately wants to understand how Antonio defied the basic nature of vampirism. Antonio’s existence threatens his plans to over-take the world. Therefore he has sent Aurora to capture him, and this time she succeeds.



I have mixed feelings about Antonio’s part in this story. On one hand, it is through him that we find all the action, excitement and fun as his capture forces the team to go on a rescue mission in Las Vegas. However, between the time he is captured and the team actually getting there, Aurora somehow manages to “break” him and he resorts back to being a vampire through and through. When the team finally finds Antonio to rescue him, it is just moments after he has ventured into a church, just for fun, killing every praying member present, and just before he is about to kill the last human there- a wailing infant. It’s during this scene that I realized I just really didn’t care. This should have been a horrific scene, yet I found myself mostly indifferent. Through the building blocks of this story Antonio never proves to be that compelling of a character; if he wasn’t that interesting as a vampire hunting vampire… he certainly wasn’t interesting as a murderous one. I do realize that the authors are trying to hammer in the underlining question of how Antonio can be so different. Fair enough. But I would have just preferred exploring that question without the daunting drama that comes with his digression and now rehabilitation. There is an aspect here concerning religion that I would like to touch on later, but as far as the love story goes between him and Jenn- I just can’t see, especially now, how they can ever work out. Honestly, they were never really together in the first place, but if Jenn was having her doubts after seeing the state of her sister, how could she ever see past this? I also think this is because I was never fully convinced that they were actually through and through right for each other. I mean, he wants to be a priest and somehow feels that his commitment to God is sustained through a celibate life and she’s an atheist who has committed her life to hunt down vampires- the very thing that he is. All-in-all, in other stories where passion seems to trump the obvious road blocks, perhaps this would have worked. But this is a story where passion is hidden deep beyond every other smaller dilemma that always seems to take precedence. Their love story really causes conflicting emotions in me, because ultimately I know this is the couple the authors want us to be cheering for, but there is just something missing between the two of them, and on a simpler note, there is just something missing about him.



Jenn: Life for Jenn is more complicated than ever. She’s dealing with the ultimate betrayal of her father, the feat of saving her sister who no longer recognizes her, loving a person who is the very thing she hates and, in the meantime, being placed into the leadership position on a team that lacks any essence of cohesion. Here’s the thing- if I found it odd before that “just Jenn” (as she often refers to herself in Crusade) was named leader at the end of the first book, my feelings have at least quadrupled after reading this one. Finding her identity as leader is a huge and exhausting theme throughout these some odd 500 pages. I found myself constantly charging; ‘just because you call someone a leader doesn’t make them one!’. Jenn’s character is meek, indecisive, wishy-washy, emotionally-driven, and basically lacks just about every possible leadership quality out there- not to mention her teammate’s respect. I just don’t get the point. Why is it even necessary to have her be a leader? Is it just to give her some essential role to the story? But as it is, this is a major driving force in the story so we have to endure endless banters from both her and the other characters as they constantly go back and forth concerning her ability or rather inability to lead. This whole theme continues to build until the end where she suddenly, and somewhat miraculously, has a split-personality episode and ends up taking charge in a way that winds up feeling very unbelievable.

Skye: The White Witch Skye adds an interesting element to this story as her history and character become significantly deepened. We finally get to meet her mysterious ex-boyfriend, Estefan who kept popping into her mind in Crusade and scaring the life out of her. As it turns out he is a dark witch who has teamed up with Aurora and is part of the ambush in Russia. He is also apparently still very much in love with her, despite the twisted manner in which he chooses to show it. Since Skye has kept him a secret all this time, much at the expense of her team’s safety, she is driven by guilt throughout this story. She feels personally responsible for Antonio’s capture and his murderous actions which in turn drives her capability of using magic to a new level as she seeks to heal him (a.k.a find his humanity). In particular, I really liked the scene where she and Father Juan decide to call upon her Goddess to help with Antonio and through a ritual Skye actually becomes completely filled with her spirit. The authors are clearly trying to set something up here for the next book, as we find shortly after the ritual, she sees the Goddess’ mark on Antonio. In that, paired with Skye’s inconsistent ability to hear Antonio’s thoughts, we are seeing that they are somehow spiritually connected, we just don’t know how yet. Overall, I like Skye’s role in this story. She is a peace-keeper, encourager, healer and consistent within herself. I do wish at times that she’d be able to use magic in a way that would make her more capable in battle- but that goes against her commitment as a witch to ‘never cause harm’. That is perhaps the only downfall to her character- she is constrained by this belief which in turn makes her really weak in battle and frankly a liability as a team member. The only other completely confusing thing about Skye is that she apparently loves Jamie. This is only slightly focused on and probably just a simple element of drama to spice up the story. Either way we are given no foundation for why these feelings exist or what she really sees in him.



Jamie: Out of all the characters in this story, Jamie grows the least. We aren’t given that much more insight into who he is other than a very hardened young man that, back in Ireland, lost his whole family in a tragic and brutal werewolf attic. His harshness was only further cultivated as a result of being raised by a ‘real men don’t cry’ sort of grandfather. He and Jenn are the only two on the Salamanca team who have no supernatural qualities, but his engulfing hatred of the C.O and knowledge of explosives make him an asset in battle. That, however, is his ONLY strength as a character, and it doesn’t count for much. (Well, that and the fact that he is somewhat secretly in love with his fighting partner Eriko and works very hard to protect her). That being said, I don’t think I have ever hated a ‘good guy’ as much as I hate Jamie. He argues just to argue. He goes against every decision that gets made. He verbally beats down every single person he comes in contact with, which is particularly annoying with his teammates. Everything out of his mouth is a jerk-ish remark making him the embodiment of negativity. In this way the authors’ way over-do it. He just simply isn’t compelling. There were so many times I wanted to jump into the novel and kick him off the team (or have someone punch him in the face, take your pick). Now that being said, and as many times as I thought to myself “he has what’s was coming for him”- I cannot express how utterly ridiculous this is when it happens. Jamie’s attitude and Jenn’s leadership theme finally come to head at the end of the book and Jenn’s solution is to challenge him to a fight. Give me a break. Not only do I find it unimaginatively unbelievable that little Jenn could win this fight, if the authors were trying to teach us anything insightful about leadership (or just simply trying to convince us that she could lead)- well they completely missed it. They spent the whole story building up to this final moment, attempting to cement Jenn in as leader and they do it through a barbaric duel?!? After she beats Jamie, apparently so badly that ‘he would need magic to survive’, I couldn’t help but laugh as she turns and asks each person there, one by one, ‘will you follow me?’ I know this was meant to be somewhat of an epic moment but it just felt so hollow and cheesy. Why couldn’t she have just given Jamie the choice to stay and follow her or leave? I mean just simply standing up to him would have been more of a challenge than she posed to anyone in the entire book.



Father Juan: I both love and hate Father Juan’s part in the story. Okay, in fairness I just love him, it’s just that after finishing the first two installments of this series (and plenty of hinting around), we’re still left with the question of who he really is (and I really want to know!). Is he a saint sent from heaven for the end days? Is he an immortal being? Can he die? Is he human? This is sure to be a major part of the next installment, as they’ve spent too many pages building it up for it to go overlooked in the third and final book. Regardless, the authors have done a great job developing his character and making it a vital role. You really can’t imagine these books without him in it, because even though he’s largely absent at times, he’s still somehow the story’s nucleus.

On a deeper note, I saved Father Juan (FJ) to talk about last because you can’t talk about his element of the story without talking about the theme of religion, which is a rather huge aspect here. FJ, despite all of his mystery, is a devout Catholic priest. There is no denying this or confusion concerning his life commitment to the church. However, he also seems to be very practiced in other religions. For example, during the scene I mentioned with Skye, when she is filled by the spirit of the Goddess- well this is apparently a very complicated ritual that can’t be done without FJ’s help. The role that he plays required him to completely set aside his Christian faith and commit himself to the Goddess. Regardless of the fact that he somehow knows every single part of this ritual (as if he’d done it 1000 times before), I find it perplexing that someone as committed to a certain faith as much as he is, would so easily set it aside for another. I’m wondering what underlining statement the authors are trying make. Is it that we are stronger when we are spiritually united? Even later, we see this theme of intertwining religions become highlighted as Skye talks about seeing the mark of the Goddess on Antonio, who as far as we understand has found his humanity through his strong Catholic faith. So what does it mean that the Goddess has now claimed him? The authors have clearly made religion a huge aspect in these novels, by over and over again joining people together from very strong, but different religious (or anti-religious) backgrounds. I’m just not exactly sure what they are trying to convey as we see this both strengthen individual characters but weaken the group. My confusion is further compounded in that they also send a clear message that religion can be restraining in an unhealthy manner. For example, Skye believes that Antonio’s cure to finding his humanity will be found in his love for Jenn. However, Antonio is convinced that he needs to give her up to further his commitment to the church as a priest. We slowly see towards the end of this book that this is not the answer, but rather the solution might be found by both allowing himself to have his faith and his love for Jenn. Furthermore, we see countless times where Skye is also restricted by having such fundamentalist interpretations of her own beliefs. Her ultimate commitment ‘to not do harm’ leaves her defenseless on the battlefield, thus allowing her to be taken hostage in the end. So we see here that religion both weakens and strengthens the characters, but we're still left wondering, which is it? Ultimately, there is an unclear theme involving religion here that is arguing both for the positive and the negative. Either way, I appreciate that the authors are bringing to light a very basic notion- that it is impossible to tell a story about immortal beings without pondering what their very existence says about the afterlife, religion, and where those belief systems began. This idea, in its simplest form, is the basic driving force of the story now. Is Antonio different from other vampires because of his faith? Who has given FJ such supernatural abilities, if not God? And finally, can religion be the uniting force that finally makes this dysfunctional team cohesive?

***Read the Rest at BigBooksTinyVoices***Nancy Holder and Debbie ViguieNancy Holder and Debbie Viguie

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I started this series a few weeks ago and I'm on book 3 now. OMG!!! This is amazing. The author is awesome and puts enough detail in the story to the point where you can feel as if your really there with the team. I love that there is a group of hunters who are regular ppl besides the vampire, werewolf, and witch they have in their team. It makes it interesting tho. There is bickering between the teammates and everything. I can't help but laugh out loud sometimes. There is a romance going on between the main character and the vampire and then they have to face a lot of trials and tribulations together. I love 💘 jenn the main character and Antonio the vampire who loves jenn. Jamie it's funny and has anger management issues. Holgar is the werewolf and he is fiercely loyal and super awesome. He likes being called a good boy lmao. Skye the witch is awesome worth her Rasta braids. Erico is the actual hunger who was chosen but they are all considered hunters in this post apocalyptic world that had been taken over by vampires. Each book gets more and more addiction packed, fun, funny, loving. And etc.This is an amazing MUST READ SERIES!!! I didnt want to put the books down its going to be upsetting when i finish this series which should be very soon.

[CreativeAfterDark · Rating 3 out of 5]

A bit of a nostalgic trip for me, since I read this back in highschool. I realized that my love for this series stemmed solely from my teen-self's romanticism towards a majority of the characters, including some of the villains; it's also where I realized how much I loved villains. Now as an adult, my feelings are different and I was having trouble figuring out what I liked about Damned.
I concluded that the things I enjoyed the most was the world-building, the battles and the handling of different beliefs; I feel like each subject was well written and engaging. As for what I didn't like, here we go. I feel like each character kept becoming sidetracked and their flashbacks ruined the pacing because they just hadn't been timed right. And the describing of the characters doing innocuous things such as sleeping and traveling to their destinations served only to drag the story on rather than push it forward. Not to mention that we read very little of Jenn whose supposed to be the leader of Salamanca's hunting team.
I was very close to giving Damned a two-star rating, - not that two-stars are bad, in my opinion, - but it felt wrong to do so because I still really liked Damned and I still consider it one of the best vampire series I have ever read.

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

OMG Antonio has been captured by Aurora and she is trying to convert him back to being evil! This really sucks for Jenn.
I absolutely loved Jenn and her team of hunters. Holgar is an awesome funny as hell werewolf, Skye is an awesome witch and powerful. Eriko and Jaimie are still great. Jaimie is still in love with Eriko but of course Eriko doesn't notice haha. Eriko is in way more pain and hurting always because of the serum she took to become the Hunter.
This team goes through so many trials and tribulation. They are still needing to learn how to be an actual team. I think things would go a lot better if they worked together better.
This story has a lot of super sad parts with twists and turns. It is super heartbreaking on some parts.
This is one of my favorite series though. I have already read it once but just needed to read it again. It is still just as good if not better than the first time I read it.

[Turner · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.75. This book I felt was better than the first, but there were a couple things that bothered me. 1. Noah. He comes into the story and right away is trying to get with jenn. It seems like the authors are trying to force a love triangle that is unneeded. 2. Jenn does not have a consist emotional state throughout at least half the book. Which makes her seem under developed. And 3. Some of the big important scenes such as: ‘boss’ battles or trying to bring Antonio back seem more skimmed over instead of taking time to develop in depth the characters emotions. If that was done properly I would have felt more traumatized when characters died instead of “oh that sucks”. I did enjoy the book as a quick read and a book that will help you vampire fix and will be continuing on.

[Michele · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was even better than the 1st book. Especially the huge action scene at the end. Really makes you want to immediately jump into book 3. And the writing is great. Definitely recommend if you're into fantasy.

[Halie · Rating 5 out of 5]

FANTASTIC NOVEL! characters are very expressive and life like its scary. so very thankful that i had the time to read this amazing novel

[Haily · Rating 5 out of 5]

loved it and wished the characters were real.

[Lucy Leggett · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't remember much about this as I read it during High school but I loved the series!

[Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! Holder and Viguie really outdid themselves on this one! Clocking in at a little over 500 pages (yes, you heard me...500 PAGES!!) I expected it to have some lulls, as well as some highs. I can't believe how wrong I was! Each page was jam packed with action!

I loved the twists and turns that the plot would take, especially with the fogginess surrounding Aurora's and Sergio's mysterious sire. Just who is he? And, when I finally was given a name I was left with even more questions.

One of my favorite parts of this series (so far) is how each character seems to be battling some kind of inner demon. This was evident in the first installment, but even more so in the second. Every character, and I do mean EVERY character, has some kind of obstacle that they must overcome. This makes me want to root for them even more, even Jamie 😂.

I can't say for sure which installment I like better, but what I do know is that this one introduces more characters. Some I absolutely love, while others just need to make an exit already!

I cannot wait to see what is in store for Jenn and the gang! I'm hoping that the conclusion is bursting apart with action!

[Marisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

{May contain some spoilers}

Jenn is the second most character I love reading about. She's isn't some Mary Sue or like how I like to call whiny characters "Bella Swan'. I'll admit, in the first one, she kind of is since she's feels like she's 'just Jenn' since she was the only one in her group that was normal. But in this one, she's has grown into such a strong character.

And just like how it says in the back, this book does have a 'fine line between love and sacrifice. . . ' cause in this book, Jenn has a lot on her chest and I feel so bad for her, but she still able to keep her head up and fight.

In this book, you get to find out about Holger past and I feel like he and Jenn past is what makes them great friends. I like him, he's loyal and a good guy. Holger had to battle his past in this one and he has to make a huge sacrifice.

Eriko body is changing and she's growing weaker from exilir. She's getting tired and it's draining her. We go into her past again.

Jamie, well, that hot head, he makes me angry. He's has a good role and his past is also told about. I can understand how he could be so angry, but at the end, I just want to do what Jenn does.

Skye, the little good which, grows. She become a much stronger and less whiny about who and what she is. But her past finds her in this one and she scared, I can understand how. She in love with Jamie, but Jamie in love with Eriko, what a love triangle I don't hate, but feel pity for.

Antonio. . . Antonio de la Cruz, I don't know what to say. He's gorgeous on the cover, I mean, come on! I couldn't help stare at the guy sometimes! Antonio kind of annoying into this one and not because of what happens to him. You also learn a little more of his past and how he, Sergio, and Aurora are all somehow connected to each other. In the beginning and even in the first one, he's kind of to much like a protective brother or father. I get he loves Jenn and wants to make sure nothing ever happens to her, but you need to lighten up a little. I still love you though!!

There are two new characters, Noah and Taamir. I'll start with Taamir, who if I can remember, is Israeli and also a part of the resistances. We don't get much from him cause he's like the 'shy and quite' type. Noah, I have a mix feeling about him. All I can remember about his past is that he's Jewish and he's somewhere in like his early twenties. He's also a resistances and he's smart and knows a little medical stuff.

So like, we know Noah like Jenn, but unlike in other love triangle book, he doesn't try to do anything but small flirting. He doesn't pull her aside and try to kiss her. I'll admit, he's kind of charming. That's why I have mix feelings about him! But yeah, if Jenn doesn't end up with Antonio, I would want her to be with him.

But forever Team Antonio!!

Anyways, I loved this one just like I did with Crusade. So much action also! I loved it! It starts to get get throw the last half of the book and I never wanted to put it down. This book is diffidently five stars! Why isn't it more famous?? It deserve to be and made a movie! But if they did, they better not ruin it!!

[Gmr · Rating 4 out of 5]

How to summarize book 2...there's a lot going on! Let's see...Eriko, the Hunter and former leader of the Salamancan group, is dealing with the changes....though not in her position but rather physically and mentally due to the changes granted her by her role. Holgar, our resident good guy werewolf, is dealing with echoes of his past as he struggles to maintain the life and health of his fighting partner Skye. Speaking of Skye, this time around she's not simply the White Witch they defer to for power boosts, protective spells, and healing....she has some soul cleansing of her own to do and her past is about to be dragged out front and center. Then there's Jamie the hot headed Irish man who harbors a strong hostility towards the Cursed Ones and werewolves alike making him totally focused in a fight but we're about to see a semi softer side of him...yep, that's right, he has a heart and it beats right now for a fellow fighter. (Oooh ...)

Side stepping a bit to Antonio, a Cursed One yes but with his eyes on the cross (studying to be a priest as he was doing in life) and his heart with his fighting partner and new team leader, Jenn...his will may be strong be he's not invincible as we're about to find out. Then there's Jenn. Formerly sweet and somewhat innocent, she's been betrayed by family, lost her sister (sorta) to the Cursed Ones and lost her heart to someone that loves her yes but can never truly be with her. Oye...add to that the new role of leader to this motley crew and well, let's just say she has A LOT to deal with and it's about to increase ten fold. As Jamie would say...there's a blimey lot of trouble ahead. The battle for our lives, our souls continued as the Cursed Ones gather in strength and numbers but this group as well as a few others we'll meet along the way....never say die.

It's brash. It's action packed. It's a lot heavier than your typical YA paranormal novel not only with relationships and characters but with the dose of religion injected. That's not to say it preaches because honestly it doesn't; rather it takes a more accepting few of many belief systems asking the reader to keep an open mind about them all as the story is woven. With underlying messages of good will to all but what would truly be bad about a more cohesive society where we can live side by side and respect one another, you know? Something to think about....


In conclusion, a series addition that lives up to the power held in book 1. You'll grow to love the characters even more as you experience their pasts and follow along as their stories continue to unfold. Recommended read for teens and older due to violent content...it's not extreme but better suited for that age group.

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

First Impression:
After being so impressed by Crusade, the first book in this series, I have been (im)patiently awaiting the release of Damned. In the first novel, Holder and Viguié blew me away in their presentation of a vampire war. I adored and applauded Crusade for its originality and gusts. And was super excited to get transported into this world again.

While Reading:
Where do I start with this? Ever since I have finished the last page, so many different thoughts are going through my brain. And if I ever thought that Crusade was dark, then I have no idea how to classify Damned. Maybe super dark? Darker than black? Well, whatever shade of darkness it is, Damned is DARK, with all caps. Holder and Viguié definitely seem to know what I want in my vampire books. Here the enemy vampires are not sparkly, friendly, or something inbetween. They want world domination or nothing. I fear that Holder and Viguié have spoiled me. Leaving me to never look at a (wimpy) vampire book the same again.

Damned opens with the characters having to pick up the pieces from the last mission. Jenn's sister has been transformed into a vampire. Antonio seems to be on the outside looking in with his relationship with Jenn. Eriko is struggling to keep up. There are plenty of refresher details interwoven from the last book, Crusade, to get readers back into the flow of things for Damned.

Holder and Viguié took things into a totally new level with Damned. Our characters are faced with new struggles and hardships, some that I am not sure even they saw coming. The team is under attack... from the inside. Trust, baggage, struggles are key components. And throughout all of this, Holder and Viguié constantly pulled on my heartstrings. I was left on the edge of my seat as I watched the team crumbling. Met new characters. Debating on who I wanted to be with whom. There are so many thoughts swirling through my head that I feel like I just cannot do this book justice.

Verdict:
Damned really raised the bar for this series. Watching our characters struggle. Going through all the twists and turns that Holder and Viguié threw my way, I am just left dizzy trying to fully absorb everything. Damned is one hella of a second novel. And with plenty of plot threads setting up for the next book, I know that I will be in for another ride.

[Andye.Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

I seriously love this series! There are only a handful of books out there that can cause this much anxiety and emotion in me, but this is definitely one of them. I love it!

Crusade was non-stop action, and Damned certainly followed suit. In fact, as far as bloody battles go, I think this book topped Crusade. The vampires (Cursed Ones) are absolutely relentless, and so the hunters have to be just as relentless, fighting constantly for their lives, their sanity, and their souls. Nancy Holder and Debbie Viguie must be two seriously kick-butt ladies because they definitely know how to write a fight scene (or twelve). I can't tell you how many times, while I was reading, I realized that all the muscles in my body were tensed up and I was holding my breath. And I'm pretty sure they also like to torture a poor girl, because my heart is seriously BREAKING for these people/vampires/werewolves. I mean how much can they take??

One of the things that I love about this series, is the way that it's written. Debbie and Nancy are accomplished authors and it really shows. The point of view is constantly shifting, as is the setting, and the characters we are following. This seems like it would be confusing, but they pull it off brilliantly. It is obvious that there was so much thought, history, and detail put into this story. I love seeing it all unfold. It's complex and dark and harsh, but underneath all of that, it's hopeful.

The characters are so perfect and so completely screwed up. I love them all for so many reasons. They're constantly struggling with themselves and with each other. The relationship between Jenn and Antonio, the only vampire who fights to overcome his desire for blood, is subtle but so compelling. And in Damned even more than Crusade, their struggle to be together is just heart-wrenching, as are the relationships of all the team members.

If you read Crusade, you will not be disappointed with Damned. It is more intense, the characters are more evolved, and the story just takes twist after twist. If you haven't, you should check it out! If you love non-stop action, deep plot lines, and being completely sucked into a story, I think you will love this series!

Andye

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review: If there is one thing I can say for sure about this series, you will never have a dull moment while reading! The story is fast-paced and the action is off the charts! This is one of those books where you feel exhausted after reading certain scenes. I needed to take a break just to catch my breath!

I mentioned before in my Crusade review that this is like an adult series with YA characters. That idea continued for me during this book. Nancy Holder and Debbie Viguie wrote scenes that are so detailed and dramatic! It really reminds me of something you would find in some great paranormal adult novels. Plus, this series doesn't just revolve around a few characters. We are able to read about an entire group of characters -- Jenn, Antonio, Jamie, Eriko, Skye, Holgar, Father Juan-- so many involved with Team Salamanca. Each character is so different, which I guess is why they make such a great team. Their strengths and weaknesses balance out perfectly.

Of course, the main characters here are Jenn and Antonio. There are so many drastic differences between the Jenn we meet at the beginning of Crusade, and the Jenn at the end of Damned. She has matured so much. She is now 100% hunter! She seems to be at the point where she can tackle anything head-on.

Antonio is difficult to describe because he is so complex. He has lived a very long life, and as a vampire, he has struggled with things much more than the others. I could picture looking at him and just seeing a soul with thousands of stories. His level of compassion and commitment to Jenn and the team is inspiring. There is no denying the love he feels for Jenn or the lengths he would go to in order to keep her safe.

This series provides a shifting point-of-view, which is actually nice. Although, at the same time, it could get a bit distracting. That could just be me though because during certain parts I would get so into the story I wouldn't want it to shift to another character at that moment.

If you are looking for a kick-butt paranormal story with several multidimensional characters, you gotta pick up this one! Nancy Holder and Debbie Viguie have created a fascinating world readers will quickly jump into.