Bad Blood (Crimson Moon, #1)

Jan 22, 2010 Natasha rated it 4 of 5 stars

Bad Blood is the first installment in the Crimson Moon series by L.A Banks. This was actually my first L.A Banks book and I wasn't sure what to expect. I knew her Vampire Huntress legend is very popular, but I wasn't sure about this series. Once I started this book I could see why she's so popular. If her Vampire Huntress legend series is even half as good as this series, I'll be reading it asap. I've read both good and bad review for this, but honestly, I really enjoyed this book. I love werewo...more Bad Blood is the first installment in the Crimson Moon series by L.A Banks. This was actually my first L.A Banks book and I wasn't sure what to expect. I knew her Vampire Huntress legend is very popular, but I wasn't sure about this series. Once I started this book I could see why she's so popular. If her Vampire Huntress legend series is even half as good as this series, I'll be reading it asap. I've read both good and bad review for this, but honestly, I really enjoyed this book. I love werewolves to start and this book had everything you can think of about wolves. Now, add in the action, romance and suspense.. Whats not to love?

Sasha Trudeau is the main protagonist of this story, but we also get a glimpse into Max Hunters head and also some of her fellow team members. Sasha is a part of a very unique group of beings who are soldiers for the U.S government in this fictional world. They are have something in common that makes them team members... They were all infected with a werewolf virus. Bad Blood is science fiction meets paranormal and it fits together perfectly. I love the new introduction of the shadow wolf/demon wolves for the werewolf society. This new spin on the lore for wolves is a nice freshness to the plot. I really enjoyed the other characters that make appearances in the story as well.

Shotgun isn't as big a part as I thought he'd be, but it's obvious he'll make another appearance in the next books. But I'm not sure Max is going to be very welcoming to him. He doesn't seem the sharing type. And it's clear Shotgun has feelings for Sasha. I really liked Shotguns character, but since we seen more of Max, he's who I'm for as of now. As for the general story,the interplay between the different species are a big plus. The tention between werewolves and vampires is different from most books I've read. I like it, it's actually sort of funny.

I have a feeling the second story will fill in the blanks that were in this story. There wasn't much, but just random thoughts I was like.. hmm? L.A Banks is now a new favorite of mine. She's a very talented writer with a beautiful, amazing imagination. I can't believe I took so long to find this series. I picked up book 2(BITE THE BULLET) yesterday and I'm very exacted to get started tonight. I highly recommend this series. It's worth the read for sure.

SYNOPSIS:
Sasha Trudeau knows all about working beneath the shadows, back-alley deals, and things that go bump in the night. She also knows that the world is unaware of the existence of the paranormal and that the government would like to keep it that way.
As a highly trained Special Ops soldier, Sasha and her team are an elite group of individuals who are survivors of werewolf attacks, now trained to be loyal to only to each other and their government. But when she returns from a solo mission, she finds that her team has mysteriously gone missing. Shocking government conspiracies, double-dealing vampires, and a host of stunning revelations about who and what she really is are only just the beginning(less)

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Oct 04, 2009 Melindeeloo rated it 5 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Great start to Banks' new Werewolf series

Combine special ops warriors and werewolves in a story sprinkled with far-ranging plots and conspiracies, then stir in a healthy dose of steamy romance and you get Bad Blood, an enjoyable action packed read and a very promising start to the new Crimson Moon series by L.A. Banks.

There is a fair amount of complexity to the plot and the world with four different kinds of wolf-shifter/werewolf species. The type that draws the government's interest is a demon...more Great start to Banks' new Werewolf series

Combine special ops warriors and werewolves in a story sprinkled with far-ranging plots and conspiracies, then stir in a healthy dose of steamy romance and you get Bad Blood, an enjoyable action packed read and a very promising start to the new Crimson Moon series by L.A. Banks.

There is a fair amount of complexity to the plot and the world with four different kinds of wolf-shifter/werewolf species. The type that draws the government's interest is a demon infected strain. The victims of this virus eventually Turn becoming something in form that is between man and wolf but insane, powerful, vicious and deadly. The government is covertly running experiments to try and use the virus to make super soldiers and while trying to keep Turned wolves out of the hands of the various factions seeking to capitialize on the werewolf virus in some form or fashion. The heroine Sasha Trudeau and her team -- who all carry some type of werewolf virus, but are taking drugs to suppress the Turn -- are unwittingly part of the experiment.

I liked Sasha who is second in command to paranormal special ops unit tasked with hunting down Turned wolves to protect the public. Sasha is independant, capable and smart - she has always been the strategist for her unit. I also really liked the male lead 'shadow wolf' Max Hunter who is a non-demon infected kind of wolf shifter and I liked the Native American elements that his wolf clans' culture brings to the story. Sasha and Max have great chemistry and Max is an appealing mixture of wise, strong and vulnerable. They make a good team but the story is more urban fantasy than paranormal romance in that there is no happily ever after ending for the pair in this book.

I am not familiar with Banks writing or her vampire huntress series, so I can't speak to the comments about this being a repackaging of Banks' same old stuff - though it did reminded me a bit of Christine Feehan's Shadowalker books. I personally found it quite entertaining, and look forward to learning more about the werewolves and the wolf familiars and watching Sasha to continue to explore her shadow wolf heritage as the story continues in Bite the Bullet: A Crimson Moon novel (Crimson Moon Novels).
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Aug 29, 2009 Darcy Stewart rated it 1 of 5 stars

This book sadly is extremely terrible book by L.A. Banks. She makes too many references to sex. She uses too much cussing in her books. This book gave me a wrenching headache. L.A. Banks is one of the worst authors out there. This series is just like the rest of her. It makes me sick. The whole book is crap. The characters are crazy. The characters are terrible vampires that don't impress me. There is just one side to them. The language in this book is crude. Her writing style sucks. It amazes m...more

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Jul 30, 2008 Parallax added it

Shelves: fiction, 2008-read, fiction-poc, fantasy, horror, specfic-poc, specfic-women, author-poc

The Good: Interesting premise, fascinating set up of supernatural worlds, the shadow wolf concept, a love interest whose alpha male posturing was kept to a minimum and didn't get on my nerves. I also liked Sasha's reaction and understandable caution when Hunter declared they were mates after only knowing each other for a couple of days.

The Bad: Info dumping, info dumping, and more interminable dialogue with info dumping. Half way through the book, I was trying to figure out how to restructure t...more

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Aug 09, 2012 Stacey Brutger rated it 3 of 5 stars

3.5 Stars

DESCRIPTION:

Sasha Trudeau knows all about working beneath the shadows, back-alley deals, and things that go bump in the night. She also knows that the world is unaware of the existence of the paranormal—and that the government would like to keep it that way.

BAD BLOOD

As a highly trained Special Ops soldier, Sasha and her team are an elite group of individuals who are survivors of werewolf attacks, now trained to be loyal to only to each other and their government. But when she returns fr...more

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Jun 29, 2012 Doris rated it 5 of 5 stars

I have read other books in the Crimson Moon series, and enjoyed them. L.A. Banks does a good job building suspense and pulling the reader into a fantasy world that feels real. I started out I believe with #4 in the series, then read #6 now I have read #1. One of the biggest pluses for the entire series is, although they refer back to other stories, they stand alone quite well.

I do like the werewolf theme, and in this one I felt echoes of the J.R.Ward "Lovers" series, which I also enjoyed, in th...more I have read other books in the Crimson Moon series, and enjoyed them. L.A. Banks does a good job building suspense and pulling the reader into a fantasy world that feels real. I started out I believe with #4 in the series, then read #6 now I have read #1. One of the biggest pluses for the entire series is, although they refer back to other stories, they stand alone quite well.

I do like the werewolf theme, and in this one I felt echoes of the J.R.Ward "Lovers" series, which I also enjoyed, in that the wolves mate for life, and can be totally immersed in their mate's wellbeing.

The only negative in this, as in so many of the paranormal series, is that it dwells heavily on the sex. This book is a powerful story, well built with a great theme (family, betrayal, and government interference) without needing to sink to the gutter to depict the bed scenes. Okay, they are important to the storyline, but since I skim those, I could easily miss important "pillow talk".

Sasha Trudeau is the main character of this story, although there are seques where you see the story from other characters, such as her love interest, Max Hunter, and her mentor, Doc Holland, as well as some of her fellow team members. As part of a unique group of genetically modified soldiers for the U.S government, she and her team, her "pack" are sent to worldwide hot spots to find and eliminate threats, basically making them government sanctioned assassins.

The team/pack all were deliberately infected with a werewolf virus, in a misguided attempt to create a super soldier. The scariest part of Bad Blood is that although it is science fantasy, it is also close to the truth, since we can read that in the real world, people are trying to get access to procedures that will let them choose certain characteristics in their offspring. I feel that this story points out, in an entertaining way, how that could easily be misused in a way that could destroy our society.

I also enjoyed that there was more than one type of wolf. We have the good guys, the shadow wolf pack, including Sasha and Max, werewolves with demon blood, including one of the pack Sasha was raised in, plus an unknown element for the Asian continent, where wolves are not a natural part of the ecology, but exist at least in Korea, in the form of Shogun and his kin.

Shogun appeared early on, before Max was introduced, and I thought that he would be the love interest. Although the story makes it obvious that he is interested in Sasha, her only reaction is that he is a very attractive male, but he does attract her sexually as a male - but she does like him somewhat. No spoilers here though I do like that he is left open as a possible recurring character. I am not sure I liked him, although his appearance early on was necessary to continue the story and also to allow him to brought in for other plot appearances, although at the end of the story I never got a clear picture on if he helped the finale.

I liked that there are more than one type of fantasy character, especially with the thoughts Sasha has that maybe those stories she has heard are real, and maybe certain characters are really mythical creatures. She thinks about a small person who brings food to church, wondering if that person is really a brownie. I would be interested in seeing if that works out to be true, and if we will see additional "special" characters, including more of the terroritial disputes between the wolves and the vampires.

That said, the vampires felt a little out of place, for some reason. The wolves felt natural and the other possible special characters felt like they could exist, but somehow the vampires did not feel like they belonged in this fantasy world. However, they are the bad guys, and every story needs a bad guy.

Overall, though, I can highly recommend this series to readers of fantasy. It is probably more appealing to the female audience, but men may enjoy it as well, as there is powerful weapons action and paramilitary infiltration, which, although lightly touched on, is still well written and worth reading, maybe more than once.
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Dec 20, 2010 Natasja rated it 3 of 5 stars

Sasha Trudeau is part of a Unique Special Ops team that is charged with keeping humans away for the paranormal community. This special team takes down the demon-infected wolves that threaten humanity. When Sasha is send on a mission without the back-up of her team, she is confused because of the werewolf virus in their blood they stay together and see it through that the other members take their meds.

But her mission in Korea will change thing forever, especially when Sasha discovers she cannot...more

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Aug 15, 2010 Ronnie rated it 4 of 5 stars

I am a paranormal, preternatural, supernatural fan of the utmost level. One of the things that's lacking about the genre is the infusion of more characters and writers of color. I read many books where their are supporting characters of color but most often than not, the main character isn't. So I was thrilled when I discovered L.A. Banks vampire novels that were written around a main character that was a woman of color. (GO DAMALI) When I went to the store to buy the book, I was surprised to se...more

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Oct 31, 2009 Mishel Zabala rated it 3 of 5 stars

Sasha Trudeau (I'm so curious as to how correctly pronounce her last name) and her teammates have a unique bond that holds them together and keeps them loyal to each other and the government they work for; they are all survivors of werewolf attacks. As long as they take the medicine provided by Dr. Xavier Holland they will be safe from turning, or so they thought. When Sasha is sent on a solo mission in Korea she briefly worries about being separated from her team but follows through with the or...more Sasha Trudeau (I'm so curious as to how correctly pronounce her last name) and her teammates have a unique bond that holds them together and keeps them loyal to each other and the government they work for; they are all survivors of werewolf attacks. As long as they take the medicine provided by Dr. Xavier Holland they will be safe from turning, or so they thought. When Sasha is sent on a solo mission in Korea she briefly worries about being separated from her team but follows through with the orders without question. The rest of her team is sent on a separate mission that results in a terrible tragedy and few survivors. Government secrets and betrayals weigh heavily on Sasha and the dwindling number of her team as they find out who they really are and how they came to be.

I love the characters. It was great getting to know Sasha and getting introduced to Max Hunter was fun. Silver Hawk, Max's grandfather was also a strong character that provides a lot of background information on the Shadow wolves. And the mysterious Shogun was an interesting character. Something I really loved about the book and continue to love about L.A. Banks' writing is the earth-shattering attraction and passion of her couples. Max and Sasha have such a strong connection that I instantly became jealous. But I must add that the two don't get along all the time. But no matter how often they bicker and argue they are continually pulled to each other with such a great force.

I had a really hard time visualizing the "shadow-jumping" that the couple does along with all other Shadow wolves. Basically they can disappear in whatever casts shadows both in daylight and at night. And in one scene Max and Sasha are shadow jumping very quickly through the forest and onto the highway. I just didn't really grasp the concept well.

I have to admit I was terribly confused while reading the book. While the concepts were original and exciting, I felt that most of the storytelling and information was rushed through too quickly. Pretty much every paranormal anomaly exists in this book and they were tossed into it very haphazardly; from dragons and psychics to vampires and fae entities, with a number of different councils that governed all that is paranormal. It didn't sit well with me. And it wasn't until the very end of the book (and with a visit to the book's website) that I sort of understood the differences between a Shadow wolf, a werewolf, and a demon-infected werewolf. I still don't have a firm grip on it yet. But the second book is helping.

The characters really made me enjoy the book enough to overlook the (way too) fast paced action scenes and the back story that was sort of jammed together. I'd say give this book a try, maybe by borrowing at the library.(less)

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May 14, 2009 c w rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: disappointing, romance, werewolves, series

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. It wasn't awful, but it was very disappointing.

Also, it absolutely should not be shelved in horror. (A lot of books in horror shouldn't be there, but this is the most egregrious example I've seen.) It's a romance and should be shelved there. My dissatisfaction doesn't stem from the romance, I just have a problem with the rampant mis-categorization going on in horror.

(mild spoilers)

The cover text gave me the impression that the main narrative was going to follow Sasha's search for the rest of h...more It wasn't awful, but it was very disappointing.

Also, it absolutely should not be shelved in horror. (A lot of books in horror shouldn't be there, but this is the most egregrious example I've seen.) It's a romance and should be shelved there. My dissatisfaction doesn't stem from the romance, I just have a problem with the rampant mis-categorization going on in horror.

(mild spoilers)

The cover text gave me the impression that the main narrative was going to follow Sasha's search for the rest of her werewolf black ops team, with the likelihood that they would be re-united and continue working as a unit (military or otherwise) to resolve this novel. That possibility was quickly dismissed.

That's the story I would've preferred. I'm a huge fan of such team interaction, whether there's a romance nested somewhere in it or not. Instead the plot shrank to focus on two people against the world, with some non-combatant back-up assistance here and there. (However, this book does suggest that Sasha and Max could have a team with four other wolfs in subsequent novels.)

I don't have a problem with romance and / or sex in my fiction -- in fact, I love it when it's well integrated -- but the whole plot de-railed about halfway through to give Sasha and Max plenty of time to screw. I also don't care for the way the romance is framed as that all-consuming desire and attraction even thought the characters have just met. I know that's a popular trope, but I'm not a fan.

Within that all consuming attraction, I was happy that Sasha made herself stay a step back. Her world just turned upside down, and she's not going to jump into a life-long commitment no matter how much she likes Max.

So the romance completely de-railed the plot about halfway through, but when the plot eventually gets moving again, it never quite gets back on the rails. A lot of worldbuilding details are crammed into the last quarter of the novel -- which you do expect in the first installment of a series. However, the details 1) continue to overturn *everything* that Sasha knew and 2) come too thick, too quickly. The overall effect left me disoriented in this new universe.

I'm not going to continue with the series. I prefer that romance be nested seamlessly within the plot, and I didn't like how isolated from the rest of the narrative that left Sasha and Max.

Ultimately, while the premise of the book isn't bad, it doesn't grab me either.(less)

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Jun 22, 2011 Maria rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: demons-magic-weres, vampires

Werewolves, vampires and special ops warriors are some of the characters in the first book of the Crimson Moon series, “Bad Blood” by L.A Banks. A very good and fast paced plot which includes a lot of adventure and conspiracy theories. And of course, the book has its share of romance!
The general idea in the book is about the difference between various werewolves species and specifically about a demon infected kind. The government is trying to create soldiers infected with the demon virus but it’...more

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Jan 28, 2011 Michelle Randall rated it 5 of 5 stars

So I was looking for something a little different, not your typcial romane, or mystery or action story and I found this series.

It's the Crimson Moon Series and book one is Bad Blood by L.A. Banks.

This is a werewolf, vampire and other supernatural beings book, interspered with CIA and FBI and covert military objectives.

The two main charaters in Book One are Sasha Trudeau and Max Hunter. There are the other members of sasha's elite military team, and other members of Max's clan, but it centers...more

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Jan 28, 2011 Michelle rated it 5 of 5 stars

So I was looking for something a little different, not your typcial romane, or mystery or action story and I found this series.

It's the Crimson Moon Series and book one is Bad Blood by L.A. Banks.

This is a werewolf, vampire and other supernatural beings book, interspered with CIA and FBI and covert military objectives.

The two main charaters in Book One are Sasha Trudeau and Max Hunter. There are the other members of sasha's elite military team, and other members of Max's clan, but it centers aro...more

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Jan 03, 2010 Paige rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: couldn-t-finish

I purchased the entire series with an optimistic attitude. I was not terribly familiar with the author but had read one of her short stories and was willing to take the plunge.
I usually purchase an entire series because when I enjoy them I prefer to consume them quickly (and not wait to find the next book).

I started reading this with hopeful expectations but had trouble with it. There was too much information being given. I am honestly not a military fiction (or nonfiction) fan and this book is...more

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Jul 09, 2012 Jessica (Find the Time to Read) rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012, reviewed

Originally posted at Find the Time to Read

I’ve heard many good things about L.A Banks and the various series that she has written. Reading the first few chapters I wanted to know what everyone was raving about. I found the characters to be flat, and the writing to be confusing. There was SO much information piled onto the reader that it was overwhelming. As the story progressed I started to like Sasha a little bit more, but for the life of me I couldn’t identify with her at all.

Towards the end o...more

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Mar 13, 2012 Jadaloves rated it 5 of 5 stars

I really ended up enjoying this book a lot. It was touch and go in the beginning for me because there was so much technical and military jargon that I just didn’t completely grasp it all. The info dumping was a bit frustrating, but once you read past all of that the story is compelling and the characters are quite engaging.

When special ops soldier Sasha Trudeau learns her whole team has been wiped out, she goes searching for clues and finds a man who can shed light on who and what she is. Max Hu...more I really ended up enjoying this book a lot. It was touch and go in the beginning for me because there was so much technical and military jargon that I just didn’t completely grasp it all. The info dumping was a bit frustrating, but once you read past all of that the story is compelling and the characters are quite engaging.

When special ops soldier Sasha Trudeau learns her whole team has been wiped out, she goes searching for clues and finds a man who can shed light on who and what she is. Max Hunter has been searching for Sasha for a long time and revels in the fact that she has no prejudices against him. Together the two explore the world of the shadow wolf and investigate to find out whose trying to use bad blood to create a super soldier and living weapon.

Beyond the background info, I was totally swept up into this novel and really loved getting to know the characters and loved the atmosphere and environment of the book. The author did an excellent job of introducing the world of special ops agents, and the mysterious shadow-wolves. How I’d love to be a shadow wolf! The experience was beyond exhilarating and it made me feel a bit free and uninhibited while reading.

Sasha was a fearless and strong female lead. She was such a kick-ass heroine and could hold her own beside her equally kick-ass counterpart Max Hunter. The relationship between the two was so fast and frenzied, but completely believable and appropriate. I love Hunter teaching Sasha about herself, and his fierce, yet patient and kind nature. Despite being a powerful wolf, Hunter was still damaged and vulnerable. The relationship between him and Sasha was raw, and primal, and beautiful.

Sasha and Max epitomized the power and strength of the shadow wolf, and the sensuousness was sometimes overwhelming in a good way. The action was crazy and breath taking, and an amazing adrenaline rush! I do love me a good werewolf book and this one was an awesome read for me. I’ll definitely be reading the rest in this series!

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Aug 16, 2011 Shdnx rated it 1 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Nobody

Shelves: fantasy, werewolves, romance, shapeshifters

Well, this is clearly a first. A book that I will just drop, because it's just terrible.

The entire book was a chaos. There were perspective, place and time changes without any indication or warning, which made it difficult to keep track of the story.
Nothing was ever properly explained either. Attempts at explanations always ended with sex.

The first 20% of the book was promising, if chaotic - but I was hoping it would be all cleared up when there was some good explanation of the different kinds o...more

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Jan 10, 2012 Heather Tisdale rated it 2 of 5 stars

The beginning wasn't good. It made me want to put the book down. There was just so much going on that couldn't been shown and had to be told, so it was a complete data dump. The end picked up. Although, a little awkward, it got more and more interesting. I'm curious to see where it goes and will give book 2 a try. Maybe it'll start moving, but since the world she's written is so overly complex, it might just end up being the same. What the book does have going for it happens to be interesting ch...more

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May 25, 2011 Isavarg rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: urban-fantasy

What annoys me about this book is that the author can't decide whether she wants it to be a paranormal romance or a military-style take on the werewolf genre. The paranormal romance aspect of the book takes over to such an extent that the main character, Sasha, fails to rescue her team-mates (which are rescued by someone else) and ends up spending all her time fantasing about a male werewolf she encounters. Gone are the days it seems of strong female characters with a brain like Sarah Conner, Sa...more

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Feb 01, 2013 Clare rated it 4 of 5 stars

I really enjoyed the story and the characters. It introduced me to the Shadow Wolves which have abilities exceeding those of Werewolves. Up until now in my understanding werewolves are usually portrayed as mucsel enforcers lacking abilities beyond the transformation from human to wolf. Shadow wolves can do so much more with additional abilities such as travel through shadows, lifting abilities/properties from objects, etc. I am pleased that this is part of a series as I enjoyed the strength of t...more

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Oct 12, 2010 Dj added it

For some odd reason my friend told me to read this book in 8th grade. For some odd reason I did read this book. I never took health class, and after reading this book I don't think I will. I like conspiraces (or however you spell it) and vampires and occult stuff and this book had a lot of that which was good. I understood all the concepts in the book and I was only 12/13 so I was kinda disapointed that it wasn't all adult and philosophical and such. anyway it was an okay book. NOT FOR CHILDREN...more

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Apr 21, 2012 Melliane rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Mon avis en Français

My English review

J’étais très curieuse de me lancer dans cette nouvelle série et je pense que j’en attendais beaucoup dès le départ. Peut-être un peu trop… Il faut dire que j’ai tout de suite été attirée par la couverture française que j’ai adorée.

Sasha fait partie d’une unité très spéciale, contrôlant l’activité des loups garous. Elle-même porte le virus mais ses médicaments lui permettent de rester telle qu’elle est et de ne pas se transformer. Ses supérieurs l’envoient rég...more Mon avis en Français

My English review

J’étais très curieuse de me lancer dans cette nouvelle série et je pense que j’en attendais beaucoup dès le départ. Peut-être un peu trop… Il faut dire que j’ai tout de suite été attirée par la couverture française que j’ai adorée.

Sasha fait partie d’une unité très spéciale, contrôlant l’activité des loups garous. Elle-même porte le virus mais ses médicaments lui permettent de rester telle qu’elle est et de ne pas se transformer. Ses supérieurs l’envoient régler des problèmes partout dans le monde. Ces missions l’emmènent toujours dans des lieux atypiques et mettent bien sûr sa vie en danger à chaque fois. Mais quand, un jour, elle rentre d’une de ses missions en solo et qu’elle découvre que son Alpha et mentor Rod est devenu lui-même rogue, elle n’a qu’un seul choix, s’occuper de lui. Elle rencontrera ainsi Max Hunter, cet alpha si énigmatique mais qui ne se ferait pas prier pour être avec notre héroïne. Il lui fera découvrir le monde des ombres, son monde. Il nous fera comprendre l’univers dans lequel tous nos personnages évoluent. C’était fascinant de découvrir cet environnement, L.A Banks a eu de très bonnes idées et c’était un plaisir d’en découvrir plus.

Max est un personnage pour lequel on est très curieux au départ, du fait de ses facultés hors du commun. Mais plus l’histoire avance et plus on comprend que la seule chose qui l’importe est de faire de Sasha sa femelle. Notre héroïne elle est plus indépendante, et tout se passe vraiment trop vite pour elle. Ce que je comprends tout à fait, mais il faut dire qu’on ne sent pas vraiment une grande résistance de sa part non plus.
Je pense que je n’ai pas vraiment accroché à ces personnages. Bien sûr ils sont intrigants, mais je dois dire que je les ai aussi trouvés assez plats. Certaines parties du roman m’ont aussi un peu ennuyé. Ce n’était pas bien grave, non, mais par conséquent je ne l’ai pas apprécié autant que je l’aurais pensé.

J’ai trouvé Shogun, ce personnage que l’on rencontre au début du livre plus intéressant que Max et j’espère qu’il sera plus approfondi dans le second tome. Nous n’apprenons que si peu à son sujet et je suis sûre qu’un plus grand développement serait parfait. Je n’ai pas trouvé qu’il se passait tant de choses que cela dans le roman, bien sûr il y a beaucoup de découvertes qui compensent ce fait. Après vous me direz, c’est le premier roman de la série donc il sert aussi à poser les bases et présenter les personnages. Je pense qu’il me faudra lire le second tome pour vraiment savoir quoi en penser.(less)

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Feb 26, 2011 Francesca the Fierce (Under the Covers Book Blog) rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: werewolves-shifters, books-read-2011, genre-urban-fantasy, military-special-ops, series-crimson-moon

I was pleasantly surprised with this book. This is the first book by L.A. Banks I've read (no, didn't read Anita Blake yet!) I was more attracted to the descriptions of this shifter series.

Sascha is part of a special government Delta Ops, and, along with 3 other operatives, have been infected with a "werewolf" gene. They take drugs to keep the change at bay, and usually don't work missions during full moon nights.

There is a lot of world building in this book and background story, which I know is...more

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Nov 07, 2010 Kathy rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, fantasy-other-world, fantasy-romance, werewolf-shapeshifter, vampire

1st read a short story by banks...

In this mythology, there are werewolves, that shift with the moon; demon wolves, from an alternate reality that eat humans & infect humans; and shadow wolves, who can shift at will... over history, they policed their own... The coeexist with vampires, but vampires & werewolves do not get along - they stay out of each other's way...

Sasha, Hunter, Woods, Fisher, Bear, Crow, Dr. Xavier Holland, and Shogun... they seem to be the ones who will be fighting the...more 1st read a short story by banks...

In this mythology, there are werewolves, that shift with the moon; demon wolves, from an alternate reality that eat humans & infect humans; and shadow wolves, who can shift at will... over history, they policed their own... The coeexist with vampires, but vampires & werewolves do not get along - they stay out of each other's way...

Sasha, Hunter, Woods, Fisher, Bear, Crow, Dr. Xavier Holland, and Shogun... they seem to be the ones who will be fighting the good fight...

Dr. Holland works for the government... a government that learned about the existence of werewolves and vampires... want to harvest the were gene to make supersoldiers, and who are failing... they do not understand the full picture... He stays to try an protect the weres and to work for an antidote for humans bit by demon wolves... and he has a special love for Sasha...

Sasha, Hunter, Woods & Rod are pack... they are a black ops team, and submit to the drug regime to keep the wolf from taking over, yet enjoy the benefits of some extra wolf strengths... They were born of a test tube after the science team working on 4 infected soldiers are killed when the last of them turned... Dr. Holland was the only one to survive, and he obtained some dna from the shadow wolves to bolster Sasha's zygote...

Hunter has his own history... raised by his grandfather, he is a mixed breed shadow wolf, who had some of the demon wolf in him as his mother was attacked & killed, and some crossed the placenta... his shadow part keeps the demon at bay, but the demon blood gives him extra strength... his mission is to destroy demon wolves & protect his pack - where he has earned the right of alpha... He is not entirely accepted by his pack... but deeply loved by his grandfather... he is patient, and recognizes in Sasha a potential lifemate.

Sasha meets Shogun in Korea... while on a mission to stop the Koreans from experimenting on a demon wolf... Up to now, the government only told/trained her & the pack to fear Turning (shifting into a wolf) and to take their meds to prevent it... Shogun tells her of a long history of good werewolves, and proposes an alliance... The concept of good werewolves is amazing to her...the

She returns home & finds that the restof the pack has not returned... unbeknownst to her, on their mission Rod turned, and the others shot him... when they called for the chopper, the chopper shot them (their orders were to kill them if they came in blood - assuming that it was contaminated blood)... Fisher & Woods barely made it to protection, but the human friend/soldiers were killed... they call the Dr. who tells them to 'go to ground', and not to trust anyone... that he would get help to them.

Sasha meets Hunter for the first time, and is very wary... she goes to each of her pack brothers home, and finds nothing awry until she gets to Rod's... where she finds the carcuses of cat, dog, deer, and finally a woman... then Rod appears to her - and she kills him... Hunter is there, and she cautiously goes with him - 1st to a diner, and ultimately to his home... he explains more to her... and teaches her how to find her own shadow wolf... they can move within the shadows - taking flight with a bird, or a car, or a tree...

They become lovers, confront their pasts via his grandfather & the doctor (who are also friends), confirm their dedication to the mission to protect humans & good were... He feels lifematey towards her, but though she claims him as hers during sex, she will not commit to being his lifemate...

and a vampire stole vials of Rod's blood - it was stolen by the shadow wolves... who are empowered by the demon blood... somehow the shadow blood can control and/or defeat the demon blood, but these pack brothers of Hunters give up control - and they plan to sell the blood to other countries etc... and are trying to set up a supply chain of setting free a demon were, who would infect a human - and take the human's blood right before the full moon.... and they to harvest shadow blood to counter act the effects...

Sadly, Hunter & Sasha must kill his packmates who were seduced by this power - and Sasha gains the trust of the government for resources to fight this evil... with Hunter for sure as her partner... where will Shogun fit in? she holds some attraction for him, and his pack is different from Hunters... he comes to her prior to their ambush on Hunter's pack, as backup and with an invitation to liason with him, and a reminder that she is her own woman... mmmmmmm.... I sure do like Hunter, and don't want her to hurt him....(less)

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Oct 19, 2011 chucklesthescot rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction, urbanfantasy

Sasha and her black ops team are infected with the werewolf disease but a wonder drug prevents them from wolfing out. Their job is to hunt down dangerous werewolves who are fully changed and infecting others. Sasha is on a solo mission to Korea to kill one when she meets a werewolf who tells her that the truth is not so simple and that she does not know the full story. There are good and bad kinds of werewolves out there and he wants an alliance with Sasha to track down the bad. Meanwhile the re...more

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Jun 11, 2012 Nairabell rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2012, 4-star, urban-fantasy

Sasha Trudeau is a highly trained Special Ops soldier, part of a team of survivors of werewolf attacks working for the American government to prevent the world from discovering the paranormal. But when Sasha returns from a solo mission to discover her team has mysteriously disappeared, she knows something isn't right. Turning to the mysterious Max Hunter Sasha uncovers dramatic secrets, government conspiracies and shocking realities about her own nature.

This is the first book in the Crimson Moon...more Sasha Trudeau is a highly trained Special Ops soldier, part of a team of survivors of werewolf attacks working for the American government to prevent the world from discovering the paranormal. But when Sasha returns from a solo mission to discover her team has mysteriously disappeared, she knows something isn't right. Turning to the mysterious Max Hunter Sasha uncovers dramatic secrets, government conspiracies and shocking realities about her own nature.

This is the first book in the Crimson Moon series and one that I've been looking forward to reading as I enjoyed books from the author's other series Vampire Huntress Legends. The narrative is grittier than I expected which took me a little while to adjust to and I was a little disappointed with how long this book took to get going. It suffers a lot from first-in-a-series-itis and there is plenty of info-dumping near the beginning which meant I struggled to get into the book itself.

That said, the book picks up about halfway through and once the world has been laid out the info-dumping subsides rapidly. The world building is complex, albeit poorly handled, and is very unique. Rather than just having werewolves there are three distinct species of wolf: shadow wolves who can literally move through shadows; demon wolves who are crazy and infected with a demonic virus; and werewolves or familiars who just have the basic wolf gene. There is also a demonic realm running parallel to our own with gates that allow demons to cross over.

The military angle is well handled and reminded me somewhat of Christine Feehan's Ghostwalker series. Adding a military aspect can derail a narrative, but in this case it runs alongside Sacha's personal journey and gives her a fascinating background and interesting skill set. It isn't surprising that a military force would try to harness the paranormal and the idea that they would actively fight to remain the only one with it is equally realistic. I loved the conspiracy angle and how cleverly it was handled.

Sasha is a great lead character, managing to be seriously kick-ass but also human too. Her world changes immensely in this book and she copes in a realistic way. Max manages to be the perfect mix of love interest and truth teller, and his Native American background gives the book a unique feel. I loved how Sasha didn't immediately fall madly in love with Max, despite their connection and her resistance is a refreshing change from most paranormal books these days.

All in all, this was an interesting read and I'm looking forward to Bite the Bullet.

Plot: 8/10
Characters: 8/10
Ending: 9/10
Enjoyment: 7/10
Cover: 8/10

Overall: 40/50 (less)

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Jun 10, 2010 Jill Dunlop rated it 4 of 5 stars

Sasha Trudeau is part of an elite military team made up of a handful of people who have been infected with the werewolf virus. They have enhanced speed, strength, sight and smell, but they take medicine to keep them from changing fully into werewolves. They get assigned to missions that are aimed at keeping this technology out of enemy hands who are trying to make super soldiers. When Sasha comes back from one such mission she finds that one of her teammates completed the change and has gone rog...more Sasha Trudeau is part of an elite military team made up of a handful of people who have been infected with the werewolf virus. They have enhanced speed, strength, sight and smell, but they take medicine to keep them from changing fully into werewolves. They get assigned to missions that are aimed at keeping this technology out of enemy hands who are trying to make super soldiers. When Sasha comes back from one such mission she finds that one of her teammates completed the change and has gone rogue and her other teammates are missing. She is learning that there is more going on than what she has been told and now she has to try and find out what this virus is exactly that she has her blood.

I was pleasantly surprised with this story. I found it started off a little slow because the author had a lot to explain in the beginning. Things are complicated with all the different types of wolves and demons in the story. Plus, there are several different factions that Sasha has to be weary of and she, like the reader, are not sure what is going on and who she can trust. Once she meets up with Max Hunter though, I was thoroughly hooked. Wow!

Now, I don't believe that this is considered a romance. At least at my library they had it shelved in the science fiction/fantasy section. On the spine it is labeled as dark fantasy. I don't know the rules for how a book is classified, but romance readers would definitely be satisfied with Sasha and Hunter's relationship. Both Sasha and Hunter have something about them that sets them apart from others and they have always felt like outsiders among their peers. It is very easy to empathise with them.

One of the things that really stood out in this book was how well the pack nuances and wolf behaviors of the characters were expressed. I think out of all the werewolf books I have read, this one felt the most realistic and true to how an animal would behave. At times, because of this, the book could be considered very gruesome. I felt it was in keeping with the mood and tone of the book and gave a more realistic feel to the characters.

The plot of the book is complicated and there are a lot of questions that go unanswered with its conclusion. There was one little thing that annoyed me at the end of the story. One of the characters that Sasha meets early on in the story, who is not in the rest of the book, just randomly pops up during the culmination of a very important scene and it was completely a WTF moment for me. I believe it was a way for the author to set up the next book and get readers hooked, but it annoyed me all the same. The next book, Bite the Bullet is already in stores and continues Sasha's story.(less)

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Jan 25, 2011 (´*•.¸ღBexღ¸.•*´) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: e-books, own

Sasha Trudeau is a Special Ops soldier. She and her elite team of soldiers are highly trained and unique to their unit because they are sole survivors of past werewolf attacks.
While on a solo mission Sasha receives important Intel relevant to their war on infected werewolves. Upon her return home and subsequent interview with her commanding officer, Sasha discovers that her team members haven't reported in from their mission and are MIA.

Max Hunter is a shadow clan wolf who is also tracking inf...more

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Feb 07, 2011 Larissa rated it 3 of 5 stars

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

Series Review!
Series Rating = 4 Stars

*SPOILER FREE

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

Sasha Trudeau works for the government in a super secret...more Previously Published on my blog: Welcome to Larissa's Bookish Life

Series Review!
Series Rating = 4 Stars

*SPOILER FREE

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

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

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

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

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

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

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May 27, 2010 Cindi rated it 5 of 5 stars

Altho I try to reserve 5 stars for life-changing books, I had to give Bad Blood top scores just because I was so enchanted by a book again.

First, let me say I've not ever gotten into Banks' Vampire Huntress series and have only read a few books by her. This new series is totally different; new theme, characters and worldbuilding. The unique thing about L.A. Banks is her multiracial characters, I understand, and the Crimson Moon characters are no different. They are also wolves.

I really enjoyed t...more

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Bad Blood (Crimson Moon #1)

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