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Crusade (Crusade #1)

by Nancy Holder (Goodreads Author), Debbie Viguié (Goodreads Author)

3.67 of 5 stars 3.67 · rating details · 2,076 ratings · 289 reviews

The ultimate battle. The ultimate love.For the past two years, Jenn has lived and trained at Spain’s Sacred Heart Academy Against the Cursed Ones. She is among the few who have pledged to defend humanity or die trying. But the vampires are gaining power, and the battle has only just begun.

Forced to return home after death takes a member of her family, Jenn discovers that S...more

Hardcover, 470 pages

Published September 7th 2010 by Simon Pulse

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Nov 16, 2012 April rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: for-review, ya, paranormal, vampire

I do a little jig every time I read a book where the vampires don't glitter and have blood lust. Can I get a hell yes for a story that evokes Buffy? I won't lie, I love a good kick ass story. I enjoy a whole lot of action, especially when that action involves stakes.
Read the rest of my review here

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Nov 27, 2010 Morgan F rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult, vampires, 2010, series, fantasy, pulse-it, goodreads-author, good-sized, read-2010, multiple, terrible-parents, suckfest, e-book

At least thats one thing this book got right.

In this book, not only are vampires real and known, they are taking over the world, with only small numbers of Hunters to fight them off. The Salamancan Hunters are a band of Hunters, the first of its kind, and by the way things are going, it may be the last. This hodge-podge band of fighters are having a wee bit of trouble getting along. Even though they are based in Spain, they all come from different parts of the world. There is Eriko, a former Ja...more

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Nov 10, 2010 Kristi-The Book Faery rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: written-reviews

When I first started reading this book it took me a bit to get into it. After the first three chapters I couldn't put it down!

When we enter the story, the world has been taken over by vampires, or Cursed Ones (C.O.). They have taken over the world by force, using fear as a motivation to herd the Nation's leaders into compliance. Of course, initially they were very `human friendly' stating they only fed off animals, never `converted' anyone against their will and were willing to live peacefully...more When I first started reading this book it took me a bit to get into it. After the first three chapters I couldn't put it down!

When we enter the story, the world has been taken over by vampires, or Cursed Ones (C.O.). They have taken over the world by force, using fear as a motivation to herd the Nation's leaders into compliance. Of course, initially they were very `human friendly' stating they only fed off animals, never `converted' anyone against their will and were willing to live peacefully side by side with humans as equals. After the President's daughter is kidnapped a nationwide search is started with the help of the vampires. She is found and as a soldier is carrying her to safety, she mercilessly rips out his throat. Of course, this is publicized and is the beginning of the vampire/human war.

With the World being dominated by the C.O.'s, any resistance is met with swift repercussion. This leads us to our protagonist, Jenn. She is the daughter of a passive man who will turn on his own to stay safe and fly under the radar of the C.O.'s. Jenn, greatly influenced by her radical grandparents who always fought for what they believed to be right won't be compliant and leaves home at 16 to go to Spain to a Missionary there that trains people to become hunters.

As the story starts, Jenn, along with her hunter team, some of which have paranormal abilities are engaged in a mission in a small Spanish village that is being terrorized by some C.O.'s. They have been set up, someone has notified the vampires that they were coming and the hunters were ambushed and they realize there is a traitor in their midst. Is it Antonio, the seminarian who was converted almost seventy years ago yet remains a devout catholic, or Skye, a white witch who works magick's to protect and heal her team? Perhaps is Holgar, the Belgian werewolf or Eriko, the Japanese leader who received the only elixir designed to make her stronger, faster & more like the enemy they are fighting? Maybe it is Jamie, the ex-IRA Irishman whose family was killed by werewolves while the C.O.'s watched. Their team is fragmented and full of mistrust, it is only their trust in their mission and Father Juan, their mentor and leader of the Sacred Heart Academy that keeps them going.

Throughout the story, the authors give each characters POV, I loved this! It gives the reader a chance to get to know the character in the present and also their individual pasts. Each characters flashback gives us a chance to understand why they chose the hard life of a hunter.

Each of them experiences betrayals, heartbreak and angst which makes this story dark and a bit foreboding but there is also strength, learned trust and a bit of romance to even it out.
I wish that Jenn's character was a bit stronger, she came off as a bit of a cream puff and I didn't really see her bone up. I'm so hoping the sequel shows us a stronger Jenn, a bit more romance and definitely more triumph for the good guys. Along with that, I hope to see them become a bit more cohesive and trusting of one another. The action in the book is fantastic along with the thrills and horror. The descriptive scenarios are very realistic i.e. the sewer scenes in New Orleans. Altogether, this book rates as one of my favorites and again, I look forward to the next book.
(less)

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Sep 08, 2012 Olga rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2012

Crusade was a book that originally ended up on my TBR list because of the cover. It was so full of promises of dark action and adventure that I immediately wanted to know what it was about. The blurb made me even more curious and when a copy landed in my mailbox last year I knew I'd get to it sooner rather than later. It didn't disappoint - the characters, the writing, the suspence and the action kept the story going and me glued to the book for a full two days. The premise of vampires revealing...more Crusade was a book that originally ended up on my TBR list because of the cover. It was so full of promises of dark action and adventure that I immediately wanted to know what it was about. The blurb made me even more curious and when a copy landed in my mailbox last year I knew I'd get to it sooner rather than later. It didn't disappoint - the characters, the writing, the suspence and the action kept the story going and me glued to the book for a full two days. The premise of vampires revealing their existence to the world, forming alliances with humans under false pretenses and then taking over was new to me and the idea of teens from all over the world learning to fight them at specialized academies seemed like a pretty cool counterweight and I liked the way it was executed.
Crusade packs an interesting cast of characters and in a series of flashbacks tells a bit about them. There's a witch, a werewolf, a devout Catholic vampire, an IRA fighter, a wannabe samurai, a priest who's got more secrets than all of them put together and those are the good guys. Holder and Viguié are very gradual with the revelations and by the time the novel ends it's clear that we don't know the half of it. That's actually one of the things that dampened my enthusiasm - you usually expect that by the end of the last chapter there'd be a resolution of sorts but here at the end of the book things are just getting started. Not a bad thing for a series of course, but I guess I expected more of an "ending" than a minor lull in action.
I'm not usually a fan of extensive flashbacks because they tend to slow down the action but here they were actually very effective at making the characters more real. Through their past we get a better sense of who they are which is great because they are secretive with each other and without these insights they'd be a lot more one-dimensional, which is never a good thing.
Another thing I didn't particularly enjoy was the angsty vampire and the much-heard/seen/read "I love her so much but we can't be together because I'm no good". Come on people, there are only so many ways this sort of thing can be spun and seems like they've all been done. And here's another thought - why not make the girl the dangerous one, the one who has to hold back? Why is it always the guy?
I liked the writing and the way things developed. The dialogue flowed well, every character had a unique voice and there was just enough suspence to keep me guessing as to the identity of the possible traitor in the midst of the Hunters. I think I know where things are heading but then again the authors have planted enough false clues to keep things interesting.
It was refreshing to see vampires as the bad guys and here they are very bad guys. Cunning, cruel, crafty and murderous. Sunlight and holy water hurt them and a stake through the heart is a sure way to get rid of one. (I can hear the Twilight haters cheering.) There's also black magic, warewolves allied with the vampires and humans ready to betray their own kind so this book is pretty juicy and it sets up the scene well for an even jucier sequel, which by the way is already out so look for Damned if you like this first book in the series. I sure will be looking it up at the library.

Read more of my reviews at Bibliophile's Corner (less)

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Dec 21, 2010 fooloveratook rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: own, 2010-reads, loved, young-adult

Crusade (Book 1)
Author: Nancy Holder (Website)
and Debbie Viguié (Website)
Release Date: 9/7/10
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Age Group: Young Adult (14+)
Source: Bought (Borders)
Go Buy It! Amazon/Borders
Rating: ☺☺☺☺☺ -Absolutely phenomenal. Mind-boggling!

"The ultimate battle. The ultimate love.

For the past two years, Jenn has lived and trained at Spain's Sacred Heart Academy Against the Cursed Ones. She is among the few who have pledged to defend humanity or die trying. But the vampires are gainin...more

5 likes · like · see review

Sep 06, 2011 Lisa (Bookworm Lisa) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011, purchased-by-me, young-adult

A group of six young adults trying to get past prejudices and cultural differences to form a cohesive unit to slay vampires.

Vampires have come out and pretty much control the world. They have taken over governments with the promise of changing the leaders into immortals. They terrorize humanity and basically governments and law enforcement turn a blind eye.

In Spain, a Catholic Priest has helped train and empower youth to take up the fight against the vampires. Father Juan used magic and his fait...more

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Aug 22, 2012 Melody rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

A book with no sparkling vampires is a good thing. There were a lot of characters and some jumping around from scene to scene but it wasn't as confusing as some books that do the same thing. It kept it interesting and it makes sure we don't forget any of the other characters. The team consists of Eriko (hunter), Jenn (human), Antonio (good vampire), Holgar (werewolf), Skye (white witch), Jamie (pissed off Irishman), and Father Juan (master). There's bloodlust, death, and destruction. There's als...more

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Dec 14, 2012 Heralis rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: great, fast-reading, bad-ass-protagonist, i-totaly-love-it, dystopian, vampires

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Can I just star by saying that I totaly love it?
crusade, take us to the world of Jennifer.she is a vampire hunter of the salamancas university. in this world, vampires have become known. led to believe that mankind is safe. deceiving everyone, then when peace can not be sustained when mankind realizes how terrible is the threat of the Damned, it's too late to fight back. The war was lost quickly. and not only that, many lose hope completely while others choose to ignore the truth and ally with...more

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Dec 04, 2012 Lisa rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Do you ever stumble across those books where they start off so uninteresting and you want to put them down, but before you know it you're completely hooked? That was how Crusade started for me. I struggled to get through the first couple chapters of this novel, but once I started to get to know the characters and their backgrounds I wanted to know more and fast.

This story is so much more than just Jenn getting betrayed. The group of Salamanca hunters is an eclectic group of elite individuals br...more

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Jul 25, 2012 Taylor rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: assasins, vampires, werewolves, witches-wizards, end-of-the-world

I don't know how I felt about this book. It had a very similar feel to that of the Wicked series (not surprising because it was the same two authors), but I don't really know how I feel about that book now after I've read so many good books between then, when I first read it two years ago, and now.

I liked the way it went from Spain to California to New Orleans, the changing settings kept it fresh. Though I sometimes was scratching my head at the random inserts of Spanish and French, but eventua...more I don't know how I felt about this book. It had a very similar feel to that of the Wicked series (not surprising because it was the same two authors), but I don't really know how I feel about that book now after I've read so many good books between then, when I first read it two years ago, and now.

I liked the way it went from Spain to California to New Orleans, the changing settings kept it fresh. Though I sometimes was scratching my head at the random inserts of Spanish and French, but eventually I just dismissed what wasn't explained and I didn't really miss much.

The different points of vies from the characters made it a bit more lively, as I know that if it was just in the one that it would be boring drivel.

And I haven't really talked that much about it, but I just don't know what to write. Yes the idea of Vampires ruling over the world is not a new one (or at least to me), but this one has differing degrees of Vampire overlordness that makes it seem that humans have a chance. I like how not everybodies secrets are revelled, which makes it more tantilizing to read the second one.

With bretrayals waiting around every corner, political unrest lurking in the background and show stopping twists and turns driving the book, I have to say that it was pretty darn good, in an odd "I like it, but I don't feel very hyper about it" kind of way.

Some things that I didn't find very good was Skye. Yes I liked her character, but her inter dialogue made me skip most of what happened with her. I didn't find her a very appealling narattor, and I really don't give a damn about her secret. Also, I disliked the ending. That is all I can say about that. Then there is Antonio's need to protect Jenn. He is a bit obsessive about it, and about his religion, and about hiding his vampirism from her. His reason for protecting Jenn is stupid in my opinion (all for a whore). His character gets constantly on my nerves... For Jenn, who is really the main character, one would think that I would be annoyed at her "Just Jenn" routine she pulls. However, everybody says that she was potential, but I really only see it once. The rest of the time she is getting hit by bullets, draping herself over Antonio, fainting, falling apart, or basically freezing up; it doesn't really give me any confidence about her. This means that by calling herself "Just Jenn" she really is telling the truth and thus it does not annoy me in the least. I am tentative about her new role in the next book :S(less)

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Jun 17, 2012 Anna rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction

Unlike the previous book I reviewed, which probably deserves more than two stars, this one probably deserves fewer. I kept reading nearly to the end because I hate to give up on two books in a row --- I usually figure that's me being moody, not the books being bad. But this book is just plain awful (as evidenced by the fact that I really don't care how it ends and stopped within 50 pages of the conclusion).

First and worst is the vampires. We immediately meet a very nice vampire who is the love i...more

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Mar 29, 2012 Star (The Bibliophilic Book Blog) rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: reviewed

She's 'Just Jenn'. She's part of a hunter team with "The Hunter", a werewolf, witch, and vampire, as well as an IRA member. Ever since the vampires 'came out of the coffin', Jenn never believed that they were as lily-white as they said they were. So she ran off to train with the best vampire hunters out there -
Spain's Sacred Heart Academy Against the Cursed Ones.

Now she's come back home for a funeral - her grandfather, who was her hero - and she learns that San Francisco is now a vampire strongh...more

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Dec 16, 2011 Joshua Coots rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: english-412

I enjoyed reading this book, for what it was. Unfortunately, what it was is nothing to write home about. The plot is predictable and cliche, bordering on satirical if it didn't take itself so seriously. I'm pretty sure if you took all the vampire books written in the last decade, divided up the major elements and through them in a hat, you could reach in at random, pull out a half dozen and come up with this book's plot. Other than that, it was great.
It is certainly a YA novel, with some element...more

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Oct 04, 2011 Chapter by Chapter rated it 4 of 5 stars

My daughter recommended this book to me. She kept on me, week after week, asking if I had read it, or if I had even started it, and I would just put it off. I had finished reading the Vampire Academy series and thought that this looked like it would be to similar and wouldn't stand out for me after devouring the VA books.
I was wrong (shakes head). This book was great. From the beginning of the first chapter, Crusade grabs your attention. It played with your senses, of needing to hide to live, of...more

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Sep 25, 2011 LH Johnson rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult, fantasy

Vampires are taking over the world. They have quite literally come out of the shadows and are, nominally, living with humanity.

But in truth, they're taking over.

And there's only random pockets of resistance and Hunters who are trying to stop them. The Cursed Ones sees us follow one such pack of Hunters; a group based in Salamanca and composed of a Good Vampire, a Girl With a Secret, a WereWolf, a Girl Who Doesn't Think She's Good Enough and several other stock cliches.

So far so Buffy right? T...more

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Aug 02, 2011 Kate rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: read-in-2010

Crusade was nothing like I expected it to be. What I was expecting? I am not completely sure. But whatever it was, it is not what I got. Crusade simply is amazing. From the very beginning, I was in shock at how original this novel is. Yes, the basic ideas for Vampires and their lore is there. But it is told in a completely fresh way.

From the very first page, readers will quickly realize that Crusade is not your typical vampire novel. Gone are the many stereotypes that reader are familiar with. T...more

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Jul 15, 2011 Sara rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 4-5-stars

Plot: 5 Stars
I will always love a young adult novel in which the vampires are evil and scary. I also really enjoyed the way the vampires, or Cursed Ones, wormed their way into governments and basically took over. Some areas had a real martial law feel to them, and it was an interesting take. The Salamancan Hunters were also a very interesting mix. Where most areas had one hunter, these six individuals worked as a team, even if they didn't always get along. The string of events in this novel brou...more Plot: 5 Stars
I will always love a young adult novel in which the vampires are evil and scary. I also really enjoyed the way the vampires, or Cursed Ones, wormed their way into governments and basically took over. Some areas had a real martial law feel to them, and it was an interesting take. The Salamancan Hunters were also a very interesting mix. Where most areas had one hunter, these six individuals worked as a team, even if they didn't always get along. The string of events in this novel brought them across the Atlantic and had them running all over the United States in a race against time. The revolutionaries they ran into in New Orleans were an interesting addition to the martial law idea. All in all, this novel had a lot of depth and creativity.

Pace: 4 Stars
This novel was a bit slow at some points. I think it had to do with the separate story lines in the first half of the novel. While Jenn was back in the states, the rest of the team was on another mission. Bouncing back and forth between the two different events seemed to drag each of them out. But once the whole team was brought back together, the pace picked up. There was a bit of slowing down here and there while they're in hiding, but the end picks up the pace to a sprint and is action packed.

Characters: 5 Stars
The interaction between the member of this vampire hunting team really made the book for me. Not only did you get to see them interact from the eyes of other team members, you also got to see the interactions from each characters' head. I feel like I got a pretty good understanding of each character as the novel progressed. Some characters were hiding things that wouldn't have come out if the story was only from one or two characters' points of view. My favorite character was Jenn because she was vulnerable and questioned herself, but still came out fighting. I also really liked Skye because there was a lot more to her than the other members of the team knew. I wasn't a big fan of Jamie, but he did balance the group out in his own way.

Cover: 4 Stars
There were many important characters in this novel, so I'm glad they didn't pick and choose which to include or try to jam them all into this cover. The wrought iron gate makes sense as the cover image for this novel, even if I don't remember one being specifically mentioned. It still brings to mind the idea of these hunters hiding from and fighting against the Cursed Ones. Although the gray on gray of the gate and the sky blend into each other a bit, the blood red accents really draw the eye to the cover and give it an ominous feel.

Overall: 4.5 Stars

Disclosure: I bought this book for my own enjoyment. (less)

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May 01, 2011 David rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: teen, 1-in-series, full-series-review, crap-stay-away

The evil vampires are taking over! And the only people who seem to give a shit are a group of six completely unlikable charactors who are either shallow as a rock or so mean/helpless/stupid for anyone to give a shit about.

First off, it is obvious thet the author seem to think 99.9% of humanity are completely blind assholes who seem to be about as trusting as a dog if you have food (more 'bout dogs later). When an obvious evil is attacking, what does the ENTIRE WORLD do? Oh, they bow down to it...more

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Apr 12, 2011 Stephanie rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy

Well-regarded paranormal writing duo Nancy Holder and Debbie Viguie, best known for their Wicked series, have returned with a new series in which the “cursed ones”, the blood-lovin’ folks of the world, have had enough of behind-the-scenes living, and have made their presence known to the world. However, unlike the vamps in the Sookie Stackhouse books (see our reviews), the nocturnal critters in Cursed Ones aren’t sexy, and they aren’t especially friendly. In fact, they have a bit of the ol’ worl...more Well-regarded paranormal writing duo Nancy Holder and Debbie Viguie, best known for their Wicked series, have returned with a new series in which the “cursed ones”, the blood-lovin’ folks of the world, have had enough of behind-the-scenes living, and have made their presence known to the world. However, unlike the vamps in the Sookie Stackhouse books (see our reviews), the nocturnal critters in Cursed Ones aren’t sexy, and they aren’t especially friendly. In fact, they have a bit of the ol’ world domination on their minds, and that, combined with an insatiable blood-lust, makes them rather formidable foes. So formidable in fact, that the developed world is slowly crumbling beneath the onslaught of these dastardly folk.

But where there are vampires, there’s always a vampire hunter, or in this case, a team of them. Eighteen-year-old Jenn Leitner is one such “hunter”, having stepped into the role after a rigorous, Tarantino-worthy training schedule at Spain’s Sacred Heart Academy . Working as part of a team of butt-kicking comrades, it’s Jenn’s duty to go about dusting any of the fanged and the fabulous. But things quickly become complicated when one of Jenn’s own family betrays her, and when her little sister Heather is kidnapped by a fearsome gang of blood-thirsty vamps, and Jenn finds herself facing down her greatest fears, and foes, all at once.

My thoughts

Perhaps I’m showing my reviewery age, but I’m quite the jaded cynic when it comes to all things vampire-related. As a reader, I tend to find myself liking a book despite it including vampires rather than because it does, so any author trotting out vampiric tropes before me is facing some harsh initial hurdles indeed. I’ve certainly been pleasantly surprised by some authors in the past year or so, but I’ve also found myself groaning through a morass of cliched dross.

The Cursed Ones certainly isn’t the latter, but I’m afraid that it didn’t quite light my fire the way it might have. Despite an exotic setting (Spain, glorious Spain), and a racially diverse cast (hooray!), the book struggles somewhat in the plot stakes (pardon the pun), perhaps in part because of the challenge involved in setting up a new series, which I admit is far from an easy one.

The book’s painfully confusing in media res opening had me flailing about as a reader, and I admit to going back to check whether this was indeed the first in the series, or whether I’d missed a volume or two somewhere down the track. We’re immediately thrown into the action, with an array of seemingly disparate characters slaughtering vamps and monsters all over the place. While these openings can be great on camera, in a novel the reader needs a touch more time to find a character with whom to empathise so that they can hitch on and enjoy the narrative ride. As it was, I found this book rather like a Japanese hot spring: far too terrible to leap into immediately, and requiring a few tentative toe-dippings before I could fully immerse myself in it.

While things certainly pick up after this awkward opening, the plot struggles to bring much anything fresh to the table, meaning that the reader is left relying on the characters to carry the novel. While there are some interesting characters introduced throughout the novel, there’s rather a sense of a D&D game to it all, with characters picked deliberately in order that they might contrast with the others in the book (the Planeteers from Captain Planet rather come to mind here…). There are some interesting personal challenges highlighted, with Catholic vampire Antonio’s quest for redemption being a particularly interesting one, and the difficulty in resolving human and inhuman aspects, such as those doing battle within the werewolf character Holger. However, I felt that the fact that much of the narrative focuses on Jenn, who spends most of her days swamped by feelings of inadequacy, resulted in the novel being less successful than it might have been if we’d spent more time in the point of view of the other characters.

That’s not to say that we don’t flit between POVs, because, oh, we do. While for the most part this works, some of the head-hopping becomes a little vertiginous after a while, and I found myself in so many different heads that I was beginning to wonder if I’d developed psychic powers. I can’t help but wonder whether a tighter approach to point of view might have resulted in a streamlined book. And just as an aside, I always find it weird when non-native speakers slip into their native tongue for basic phrases such as “yes”, “no”, or “thank you”. Surely these phrases are amongst those learnt by rote, and it’s the more challenging parts of the language, such as idioms or exceptions, that would require one to fall back on one’s native tongue?

Perhaps the major issue with the book is that each character’s kryptonite is so explicitly stated that much of the mystery is taken out of the narrative. We know that Jenn’s sister’s asthma will play a role in the plot. We watch as Jenn and the vampiric would-be Catholic priest struggle through the most challenging demonstration of starcrossed loverdom since Romeo and Juliet. The careful telegraphing of the various characters’ motivations, weaknesses, and actions results in a plot that’s neat, but unfortunately rather inexorable, which is a shame.

Finally, I did find myself struggling a little, as I usually do, with the characterisation of the vampires. With the exception of Antonio, who is rendered as a counterpoint to the rest of his brethren, this whole race is drawn in rather broad brush-strokes (read: “baddies”). Such approaches always unnerve me a little in fiction, as it’s hard not to draw analogies with historical minority groups, and I always find myself mentally flagging these instances.

Conclusions

Admittedly, as someone who is lukewarm about paranormal fiction at best, The Cursed Ones isn’t quite my cup of tea, but if you skip the few first chapters you’ll find yourself in for a neat and tidy, if not especially memorable, read. I suspect that since this book was largely dedicated to laying the groundwork for this series, things will pick up in the next offering from this powerhouse duo.(less)

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Feb 21, 2011 Arya rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

he hunters of Salamanca are an unlikely band of warriors, mix-matched in more ways than they could have ever thought possible. Some joined the team in hopes of finding their place in a topsy-turvy world, some casting their lot for the new Holy Crusade. But most--are in it for revenge.

As vampires take over nation after nation, spilling innocent blood, there are few who are willing to stand up for what is right. And fewer still who have the skills to do it. Those few would be the Hunters, banded t...more he hunters of Salamanca are an unlikely band of warriors, mix-matched in more ways than they could have ever thought possible. Some joined the team in hopes of finding their place in a topsy-turvy world, some casting their lot for the new Holy Crusade. But most--are in it for revenge.

As vampires take over nation after nation, spilling innocent blood, there are few who are willing to stand up for what is right. And fewer still who have the skills to do it. Those few would be the Hunters, banded together and trained hard in the art of killing vampires. Armed with holy water, wooden stakes, and crosses they wage a shadow war against the enemy of humanity. Even against their own countries.

Crusade is a bloody thriller. Action and suspense combine with mysterious and complex characters to set the stage for an amazing novel. Nancy Holder and Debbie Viguie have done it again creating a magically written story that will keep the best of us flipping pages late into the night.

The interesting thing about Crusade is that it could almost be a sequel. The training is over, the relationships are already formed, and the battle is on. The way it is written informs you of all you need to know in order to follow the story, while still keeping you guessing. The first half of the book seemed to shine a suspicious light on almost all of the characters. I wasn't sure who I could trust and who I couldn't. Through changes in point of view and a series of flashbacks from the different characters, the pictures became clearer toward the end. These characters can't be called anything if not complex.

The writing is the perfectly paced and characterized voice of experienced authors who know how to tell a story. They bring light to several dark time periods (including their fictional one) with the use of well-made and greatly varied characters. One of my favorite parts, strangely, was Aurora's flashbacks. She has such an atmosphere of evil around her it was interesting to see how hard she tried to resist it all during the Inquisition when she was imprisoned as a Jew. She reminded me a bit of Katherine from the Vampire Diaries, one of those complex characters that really make you think.

The religious aspect in the book was also very nice to me. It wasn't just Catholicism, but so many other religions stewed together within the story. They all served to add even more depth to an already winding plot.

Overall, Crusade is an amazing book. If you like prissy, sparkling vampires it might not be for you. But if you like a fast-paced story full of action and an incredibly complex plot... You would love it! This is definitely one of my most suggested books of 2010.

For fans of: Devil's Kiss by Sarwat Chadda

~Review by Arya @ A Sea of Pages (http://seaofpages.blogspot.com) <---Check it out!(less)

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Feb 18, 2011 Rebecca P rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: first-in-series, owned, read-in-2011, ya

The main gist of this story (which will be drummed into you head by the time you've finished) is that an academy in Spain trains people to become hunters to try to rid the world of its overpopulation of vampires. The main team, mentored by Father Juan the priest consists of Jamie, northern-irish military man, hell-bent on destroying everyone in his way. Eriko, the Japanese Buddhist who is the leader of the team. Sky, the English White Witch that can do magick. Holgar, the Dutch werewolf who some...more The main gist of this story (which will be drummed into you head by the time you've finished) is that an academy in Spain trains people to become hunters to try to rid the world of its overpopulation of vampires. The main team, mentored by Father Juan the priest consists of Jamie, northern-irish military man, hell-bent on destroying everyone in his way. Eriko, the Japanese Buddhist who is the leader of the team. Sky, the English White Witch that can do magick. Holgar, the Dutch werewolf who sometimes attacks people by scratching and biting them. Antonio, the vampire in the team that is impervious to crosses, garlic, churches and all other things that are supposed to upset vampires, and the love of his life, Jenn, the normal American girl who's parents aren't too happy about her being in Spain, and who's Grandparents used to be part of a resistance.

There are parts of this book that have a really great concept, for instance the leader of the vampires appearing on T.V with the president. I wanted to see more of this, the changing dystopia. Instead the book is detirmined to make you see how this group of hunters shouldn't have survived their training, how they are never usually in a group, and how they are never going to get a long. This got on my nerves a lot. It kinda felt like reading a badly written sequal, where you are constantly being reminded of the events of the previous book.

All the exciting events in this book had no real lead-up, they sort of just, happened, and left me having to reread bits to see if I had missed something. I really wanted to like it, it had such a great concept, but it just wasn't everything it should have been. The narration was also all over the place, and could have done with introducting the seperate paragraph with who was actually speaking, as it moves back and forth rather quickly. The flashbacks, especially Skyes, were rather interesting and definitely a redeeming feature of this book. but there were so many different voices it was sometimes hard to get a purchase on the voice of each character.

I would still reccommend the book to anyone who likes an easy read and probably those who love Twilight, even though there isn't as much romance. Or anyone who want's a younger version of Laurell K. Hamilton's Anita Blake series.
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Jan 22, 2011 Allison rated it 4 of 5 stars

I went into this book knowing nothing except it was about vampire slayers.

Premise 4 of 5
The idea of vampire slayers was something I hadn't yet explored, so I was eager to pick up Crusade.

Plot 4 of 5
This wasn't the most exciting plot ever, BUT I felt like... Even though I know vampire aren't real, like this book could happen, which was why I liked it so much.
This book is about vampires, who, years ago came out into the world saying that they were totally good, and that they didn't feed off humans...more

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Dec 19, 2010 Annie rated it 3 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I can't hate this book, honestly. It's one of those books that don't bring vampires up to be "glittery" or glam up the term of "evil, undead creature." This book states that vampires are evil and should be stopped, and I respect that.

Now, onto the characters. Let's start with the side ones.I actually liked the fact that the team weren't best friends and always looking out for one another. Of course, everyone knows that in the end they'll be singing Kumbaya around the campfire together by the end...more I can't hate this book, honestly. It's one of those books that don't bring vampires up to be "glittery" or glam up the term of "evil, undead creature." This book states that vampires are evil and should be stopped, and I respect that.

Now, onto the characters. Let's start with the side ones.I actually liked the fact that the team weren't best friends and always looking out for one another. Of course, everyone knows that in the end they'll be singing Kumbaya around the campfire together by the end of the series (depending on if they live to see the end or not!) But it definitely added humor to the book. Yeah, their reluctant teaming was probably the only thing that makes me laugh in this book. It's very serious and dramatic above anything else -- even romance!

Let's go in alphabetical order, here, 'kay? Antonio, the love interest to the main character (Jenn). I had a crush on him, but my heart belonged to Holgar, hands down. He's the vampire, and even though many people don't like they're relationship, I think Jenn and Antonio are cute together. I pity him and feel like giving him a hug while I read this book at some points. Hopefully, his days of "preisthood thoughts" are way behind him. Because that just won't do for me, though I love that he's a Christian. In so many books you hear them saying "I'm too badass for God" blah blah blah. So, he's a keeper for me and I hope the Jenn/Antonio-ship lasts.

Eriko: She's got like five lines in this book, so there's not much to say about her. She was probably the most boring team-member of the group. Her background story is okay, I guess . . . but not really anything compared to Antonio's or Holgar's or Skye's. She's too serious for me to think she'd ever be a friend.

Holgar: Okay, can I just say he's my soul-mate? Do you hear me out there in Spain, Holgar? I'm right here, waiting for you to sweep me off my feet! He was the only one who didn't make me mad once! I loved his personality and his interesing past. I like the friendship between him and Antonio and how much they connect. A lot of it has to do with the fact that they're both creatures of the Underworld, and the other because they both hate Jamie, which makes me love them both! :) I think Skye should be in love with HIM, not Jamie. It's ridiculous for her to be, really. I keep wondering who he likes, and there's hints that it's every girl. I don't care who, he's just my favorite and I can't wait for the sequel mainly because of him.

Jamie: I hate this douche. Everything he says is a slam against either ethnic groups or werewolves or witches or vampires. I laughed so much when Holgar put a deer's head in Jamie's bed. I don't understand his liking for Eriko. The relationships in this book doesn't make much sense. Everyone just has a crush on someone, like it's magic or something. And Jamie, this goes out for you and you alone. There is such a thing as too much jackassness. And you're flirting with that. I hope he gets punched in the face int he next books.

Jenn and Skye: Jenn needs to grow a pair, honestly. She can't keep hiding behind her vampire-boyfriend. I feel terrible for her when her dad hands her over to Aurora and her sister gets turned into a vampire, but her slef-confidence level makes me think she's suicidal or something! She wears me out with her constant personal attacks! And the only reason she's special is because she's the only one who doesn't have a special talent. Even Jamie has super fighting skills. Jenn seems to always mess everything up, yet they all think she's "special" for some weird reason. And Skye, what drugs are you on? What makes you have a crush on JAMIE when HOLGAR is your assigned team-member???!!! You're insane! Although she's probably my favorite female character, aside from Jenn because I'm a redhead and can't help but always defend red-headed femal leads. (They're rare, leave me alone!) :)

Warning: There's cussing, tons of violence, loads of DRAMA, intimate scenes. It's very serious and somewhat sad for me, and only little quips bedtween the teammates makes you laugh. There's not a lot of romance besides Antonio and Jenn, mostly. Wait a flying second!!! Do you think Holgar and Heather could ever be a couple? I know she's a vamp and all and there's a little age difference, but there's always a chance! OMG! I'm a genius!!! (less)

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Dec 01, 2010 Mundie Moms & Mundie Kids rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2010-100-book-challenge, arcs-i-own, books-i-own, mundie-moms-reviews

4.5 stars!

I'm picky when it comes to reading vampire books. Honestly, there's actually very few vampire books I've read and the few I have, I've enjoyed. Crusade is one of those books. In a world being over taken by vampires, humans and paranormals have little places to hide. The few who get turned are the lucky ones. The only hope humans and paranormals alike have, rests on the shoulders of an elite vampire hunting group from Sacred Heart Academy in Spain. Made up of humans and paranormals, the...more 4.5 stars!

I'm picky when it comes to reading vampire books. Honestly, there's actually very few vampire books I've read and the few I have, I've enjoyed. Crusade is one of those books. In a world being over taken by vampires, humans and paranormals have little places to hide. The few who get turned are the lucky ones. The only hope humans and paranormals alike have, rests on the shoulders of an elite vampire hunting group from Sacred Heart Academy in Spain. Made up of humans and paranormals, they travel the world taking out clans of vampires, but it does come at a cost.

Being on a hunting team with paranormals, Jenn starts off questioning her own human strength and what good she can really do. When she's forced to leave her hunting group and return home to San Francisco due to a family member's passing, she finds herself in the middle of a vampire strong hold. Where a lone hunter should not stand a chance, Jenn fights to protect those she loves and herself. It's during this time that she finds her inner strength and her fierce protectiveness of her sister Heather is one of her most enduring characteristics. When Jenn is betrayed by someone close to her, she starts questioning everything she's been taught and everyone around her. Now she's in a race against time to save her sister, and the ones she loves.

With a traitor in their midst, the whole hunting team starts questioning who they can really trust. If they can't trust each other, then there's no hope for anyone in the fight against The Cursed Ones. In a world where alliance are forged, and dark magic is used, Sacred Cross's Vampire Hunters bring hope to the few survivors left in the world. I really liked Crusade's characters. They are all diverse not only in what they are, but where they come from and their beliefs. Nancy and Debbie have done a fantastic job at introducing some great paranormal characters, and providing a sense of why they have joined the fight.

Some of my favorite characters are Skye the Witch, Holgar the werewolf, and Antonio the ex-preist turned Vampire. Antonio's character has the most history, as he's been around for a number of years. He struggles with the choices he made when he was first turned and the type of man/vampire he's trying to become. Through the flashbacks of each of their back stories, which are intertwined into Crusade's fighting scenes, I was able to understand the heartbreaking reasons that brought them all to Sacred Heart Academy. I also liked getting to know more of Jenn's story through some short snippets of her journal entries. I was thoroughly impressed that I not once felt like I didn't know which character was talking and what was going on.

Crusade's setting is dark and set in the real world. At times I felt like I was reading a great historical fiction, and other times I felt I was reading an action packed book. Crusade's writing and characters were engaging, as I wanted to learn more about them. While I wasn't expecting Crusade to end the way it did, I'm really looking forward to reading the next book in the series. Action packed, dark, twisty, and engaging, I highly recommend picking up Crusade.(less)

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Nov 05, 2010 Shadee rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-world, magic, vampires, violence, war, teen

I liked this book, thought it was a little long and some character description at the end would've worked better towards the beginning. You could tell that it'll be a series (aka a Crusade).

A few years in the past vampires came out of the closet (think True Blood). A gorgeous vampire was on TV told the public how vampires and humans could achieve peace, convincing viewers they didn't need humans for their blood, they could feed off animals instead.

It was all lies. Some countries decide on a fal...more

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Sep 03, 2012 Wafiyah rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Anyone who likes a book with lots of action

Recommended to Wafiyah by: Local library

Shelves: action-suspense, family, fantasy, horrible-romance, paranormal-romance, not-so-good, terrible-protagonist, stupid, romance, sloooww-progress, vampires-etc, werewolves-etc

This book seemed so... meh. There wasn't very much special about it. Lots of the characters were annoying and under-confident, and the shifting points of views irritated me. There would be small cliffhangers from, say, Jenn's perspective, and then the spotlight would go to someone else's. Jamie was also very frustrating and was becoming so much of a jerk. There was this small portion in which he was "sauntering alongside Jenn", and Antonio apparently felt jealous of this, who knows why. I don't...more

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Jan 14, 2011 Amy Bailey rated it 3 of 5 stars

What did I learn from this book? If during an apocalypse where vampires are taking over humanity and I just happen to be a priest whose duty is to create a band of hunters to battle the evil forces, absolutely under no circumstances should I rely on moody teenagers to get the job done. They basically couldn't decide whether they were fighting vampires or each other, and it got irritating. There were some definite similarities to Twilight, although I'm glad this book was supposed to be a bit more...more

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Sep 12, 2010 Lacey Weatherford rated it 5 of 5 stars

I'm a visual girl, so of course, the first thing that attracted me to this book was the cover and the title. I added it to my TBR list and went right out and bought it. I started reading it immediately and only stopped when I was done with it.

For those who like the Vampire Academy series, I called this book "VA on Steriods". This book though had an edgier, engaging, storyline that started right out in the middle of the action, sweeping you directly into it. There are several people that make up...more I'm a visual girl, so of course, the first thing that attracted me to this book was the cover and the title. I added it to my TBR list and went right out and bought it. I started reading it immediately and only stopped when I was done with it.

For those who like the Vampire Academy series, I called this book "VA on Steriods". This book though had an edgier, engaging, storyline that started right out in the middle of the action, sweeping you directly into it. There are several people that make up the main group of characters, and they are all well written, each with their own little hang ups and personality quirks.

I enjoyed that the Hunters were not this well oiled machine that did everything perfectly together from day one, but that they were a group of unique individuals trying to find their place as they struggled and clawed for common ground amongst each other. It was much more realistic and believable.

There is romantic potential, and even some romantic back stories, of several of the main characters, but I was particularly touched by the relationship between the human protagonist, Jenn, who is a Hunter and her Hunter counterpart, the sexy Antonio, who happens to be a vampire, though most people around them aren't aware of that fact. Vampires are the big bad evil in this story, but Antonio has dedicated his life to helping the Hunters bring that race to destruction. The chemistry and love between Jenn and Antonio is inspiring, but left me desperately wishing for more interaction between the couple, though the reason for a lot of their separation is due to the fact that Antonio is trying to protect her from himself.

The setting of this Vampire/Human war torn world was terrifying, taking the reader into a place where no one is ever on the same side as the person standing next to them, leaving everything on shaky ground, not knowing who to actually trust. Even questions about the "good guys" swirl around, hinting that all may not be as it appears. Action abounds in this adventure, with constant conflict of some kind from every direction, while occasionally flashing back to other time periods to fill in the back story of other characters.

I thought this was a very engaging book and I look forward to what will follow(less)

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Mar 12, 2012 Rjsmommy rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya-vampire

A young adult trilogy about when vampires revealed their existence to humans and soon a revolution began with the humans seemingly capitulating. A resistance movement begins and the story centers around a team of seemingly mismatched hunters including a werewolf, witch, IRA fighter, female samarai, a vampire (something unheard of) and a girl from California , Jenn, the main character.

Overall I think this book is just setting up a lot of plot for the coming books. Many of the members have hidden...more

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Mar 07, 2011 Stephanie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya-vampires, witches, vampire-hunters, werewolf

The description sounded interesting and didn't sound like anything that I have read. Most of the books I read have the vampires (or most of the vampires) as the "good guys"; this book was the complete opposite with the vampires being the "bad guys" with the exception of Antonio. I haven't read any books by either author so I didn't know what to expect but I am very glad that I bought it. I thought that it was very good and realistic. There were several action parts but it also had its slower par...more

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About Nancy Holder

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 t...more 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.
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Wicked 2: Legacy & Spellbound (Wicked, #3-4)

The Rose Bride: A Retelling of "The White Bride and the Black Bride"

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Quotes from Crusade

“The holiness of love inspired ordinary men and women to act like angels. It lifted them on wings closer to God.” — 12 people liked it

“Para siempre. Forever.” — 11 people liked it

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