Moon Rising (Moon Rising, #1)

Feb 23, 2011 Nathalie Brault rated it 4 of 5 stars

I absolutely loved it, I must tell you though that it's not violent like some of those vampire books out there.
I must also let you know that I do love my vampires to be true to themselves and be what they are, violent and very passionate and when it comes to their love lives I like them hot and steamy too. But that's just me. I'm intense in my life and when I read I can take a lot and I love to be pushed to the limit. But this story has a softer side to it but it still appealed to me very much....more I absolutely loved it, I must tell you though that it's not violent like some of those vampire books out there.
I must also let you know that I do love my vampires to be true to themselves and be what they are, violent and very passionate and when it comes to their love lives I like them hot and steamy too. But that's just me. I'm intense in my life and when I read I can take a lot and I love to be pushed to the limit. But this story has a softer side to it but it still appealed to me very much. I am still very open to other types of stories and authors, which is why I love to read. I am not completely closed to only one type of reading. The story starts with a young half vampire half human named Marinette, for short Nessy, who is running away from her own coven where she's been kept a prisoner ever since she's been turned. She was kept a prisoner mainly because she won't feed on humans and that she couldn't become like them and be cruel and savage as all the others in her coven and chase the humans and kill for the pleasure of killing. So they kept her a prisoner for hundreds of years and teased her with babies and humans as they devoured them in front of her.
Only one friend had the guts and strength to visit her in her cell and that would be a gulon named Hera. For him it was fun to pass the guards. A Gulon is a very big cat like creature who protects the humans from the vampires and who can kill them with great ease when he has to if a vampire trespasses it's territory.
He smelled in Nessy her half humanness, her goodness and knew of a great secret about her.

So on the night that Nessy was running away, she was so hungry, that her smell was giving her away and she fell face to face with some other vampires from the Eaves coven and they offered to help her. She says no until the head of the coven appears. His name is Charles, all of a sudden she feels something strange in her and she says yes, and so she flies next to him to his house, and all the way to his house, she feels something that she has never felt before, but one thing is certain, she's certain she's met her mate for life.
But also she must keep running because her maker is running after her and he is going to wreck havoc upon these vampires that are protecting her, and she doesn't want that. So she tells Charles that she must leave as soon as possible. But Charles feels the same for her as she for him. So they bond together and her smell becomes less and he swears he'll protect her against her maker. Meanwhile, Hera the gulon succeeds in convincing all the other gulons of his pack to help protect Nessy when her maker and his helpers from his coven come and attack because Nessy is such a special creature. Hera is also about to tell Nessy about the special secret.
This book is so fast to read from beginning to end. It is not your typical violent vampire characters neither does it have any steamy love scenes, but you'll enjoy the story as a whole. The Gulon creatures were a very nice addition to this story and they sure were sexy as she described them, or as I imagined them. I thought they fit well in there and brought something fresh to the world of vampires. Never heard of those before. Loved it.
I loved Nessy's character and she and Charles were quite the duo. But my favorite character has to be Hera the gulon, because he is so friendly, loveable, always making jokes and laughing. At some point I thought he was going to end up with Nessy.
I give this book 4 stars(less)

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Nov 10, 2010 Laurie Bowler rated it 5 of 5 stars · (Review from the author) · review of another edition

There is still a glimmer of hope for my writing in the following review that has been forwarded to me...

The link: http://www.bestsellersworld.com/2010/...

Moon Rising by Laurie Bowler

Reviewed by Douglas R. Cobb

Imprisoned for three hundred years by the Tellis vampire coven, Marinette (Nessy) is a half- vampire, half-human who survives by drinking the blood of rats or bags of infected human blood. She has sworn to never take a human life herself, so she has never been completely transformed into a...more

There is still a glimmer of hope for my writing in the following review that has been forwarded to me...

The link: http://www.bestsellersworld.com/2010/...

Moon Rising by Laurie Bowler

Reviewed by Douglas R. Cobb

Imprisoned for three hundred years by the Tellis vampire coven, Marinette (Nessy) is a half- vampire, half-human who survives by drinking the blood of rats or bags of infected human blood. She has sworn to never take a human life herself, so she has never been completely transformed into a vampire. She still has the feelings of a warm-blooded human, and can be more easily killed than other vampires, but she is stronger than them in some ways, having never succumbed to the blood lust that drives all other vampires to kill humans. She is unique in the history of vampires, and this makes her much sought after, because whatever coven she might add her power to would likely become the most powerful and unstoppable one of them all. But, Nessy is not interested in power, though she is highly skilled at fighting, nor is she interested in blood- letting. She really only wants what most of us want: to be loved. Can she find this love by becoming a member of the coven Charles Eaves runs, or is she doomed to an eternity of a solitary existence, pursued throughout eternity by Hervidor, and his Tellis coven?

Hervidor, who is Nessy’s maker, the vampire who had been her lover, her husband, and the one who caused her transformation by biting her neck hundreds of years ago, will always be searching for Nessy and trying to get her back and force her to become a full vampire and rule alongside him. This is especially his goal, after the death of his vampire mate, Scarlet. At one time, before her wedding night, Hervidor had seemed to Nessy to be very romantic and handsome, and she couldn’t help but to fall in love with him, and she felt he also fell in love with her. That may have been the case, but Hervidor failed to mention he already had a vampire mate, Scarlet, and that he, himself, was a vampire. Scarlet had been extremely jealous of Nessy, and, during Nessy’s long captivity, had been one of her cruelest tormentors.

With the aid of Charles and his coven, and that of the large, cat-like Gulons, lead by Heracio (or Hera, as he’s also known as in the novel), Nessy dares to hope that Hervidor won’t succeed in tracking her down and forcing her to rule alongside him, as Scarlet did. Hera, and unbeknownst at the time to Charles, his niece, Melody, had been the only ones who had been able to visit Nessy in her locked room during her lengthy imprisonment. Though the Golons are traditionally enemies of vampires, because vampires kill the very humans that the Gulons try to protect, Hera realizes that Nessy is different from all other vampires, and he befriends her. He and the other Gulons also have an arrangement with Charles Eaves and his coven to leave them alone as long as they sustain themselves with bagged human blood, and don’t kill any of them.
I am not, in general, a fan of overly gooey romance novels, often categorized as “Chick Lit.” However, Moon Rising is one I found I could–er–sink my teeth into (please forgive me for that lame attempt at humor). This is because the tale of Nessy and her attempts to not give in to her blood-lust by killing a human, and her not wanting to have happen to anyone else, due to her own actions, what happened to her, seemed to me to be an interesting take on the vampire novel. Also, reading about Nessy’s attempts to find true love, despite the cursed situation she is in, is a reminder that there is always a glimmer of hope in even the darkest situation. Just as she about resigns herself to a loveless existence, Charles Eaves enters her life.

Charles has a lot to catch Nessy up on, also. This was another part of the novel I liked, Charles teaching Nessy about how much things have changed in the world during her imprisonment. For instance, before Hervidor had bitten her and she was imprisoned, people traveled by horse and carriage. Nessy had never seen of heard of what cars are until Charles shows her. He also teaches Nessy about how music has changed over the years, and that it is now on CDs that are played on stereos. He teaches her new dances, and what started as just his wanting to protect Nessy and get her to become a member of his coven leads into them falling in love with each other.

Jealousy exists even within his own coven, though. Alejandra, one of the members, doesn’t think that someone who is half-human, and half-vampire, and who has never taken a human life, should be allowed to be a member. She wants Charles’ love for herself, and feels that Nessy is an unwelcome intruder. Can Nessy experience love and happiness for once since her transformation, or will Hervidor and his coven track her down and end her chances at finding these things forever, even with Charles and his coven and Hera and the other Gulons trying to protect her? If you’re a fan of supernatural romance novels, or just fine supernatural, page- turning stories in general, you’re sure to be bitten by the desire to read Moon Rising by Laurie Bowler.
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Aug 19, 2011 Tracy Smith rated it 4 of 5 stars

Really liked this book, very good story line, which would make an excellent movie.

Ideally suited to teenagers or early 20's, but im much older and still enjoyed it.

Needs some editing still, a few mistakes, but I think this was a pre-release copy so maybe it hasnt been edited at all yet.

Would reccommend this to any one who like The Twilight series, an excellent combination of horror and romance.

Would definately go to see this if it was made into a movie.

I won this book through Goodreads.

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Mar 24, 2011 Chris Chetwynd rated it 5 of 5 stars

This is the third book that I have read from this author, previously reading her first two books, Vanquished and its sequel.

Much like the two Vanquished books, the thing that really stands out about Moon Rising is the author's ability to put across the character's emotions. You get a real feel for how the characters are feeling and the romance between Nessy and Charles is very well written. The author's descriptive writing is impressive, painting a vivid picture of events and giving the reader a...more This is the third book that I have read from this author, previously reading her first two books, Vanquished and its sequel.

Much like the two Vanquished books, the thing that really stands out about Moon Rising is the author's ability to put across the character's emotions. You get a real feel for how the characters are feeling and the romance between Nessy and Charles is very well written. The author's descriptive writing is impressive, painting a vivid picture of events and giving the reader a strong mental image of the scene's in the book. The imagination with which the author describes each scene help add to the depth of the image she creates.

The story itself takes on the perspective of the Nessy character, viewing events from her viewpoint. Her conflicting emotions and struggle to deal with who and what she is, and trying to fit into the world around her, creates the backbone of the story, gripping the reader and giving an insight into her view of this magical world of Vampires and Gulons. The Gulon were an inspired addition to the story, taking it away from the usual vampire/warewolf battles. This new and interesting mythical creature intrigued me and I am looking forward to learning more about them in the future books in this series. The interaction between Nessy and Hera, the leader of the Gulon, is both touching and amusing. I particularly enjoyed Nessy describing Hera as cute, something that he would possibly have not been to pleased to hear given his fearsome appearance, but that added to the humour of their relationship.

The book starts slowly, building the picture of events that have lead to this point, but gradually the pace builds as Nessy comes under greater and greater danger as she is hunted by her maker, Hervidor. By the end of the book, the pace has increased and the action intensifies, without losing the description and emotions shown earlier in the book, and the book ends leaving the reader wanting more. Thankfully the sequel, Sunrise to Sunset, is already available and I have begun reading that.

If you like to read a good, descriptive book that shows imagination and doesn't try to conform with the other Vampire book out there at the moment then this is well worth a read. Top book from an exciting new author. (less)

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Feb 22, 2011 Giovanni Gelati rated it 5 of 5 stars

Got Vampires? Looking for a coven? Laurie Bowler has that and much, much more here in Moon Rising. Before we get to the novel, a piece of business: Laurie will be our guest on our blogtalk show The G-ZONE, on Thursday at 8am EST. You read that correctly, the live time is 8am EST. Laurie lives in England so there is a bit of a time difference. Our breakfast is her late lunch. What is between the covers of this vampire/romance/paranormal novel you ask?
“Marinette (Nessy) is half vampire and half h...more Got Vampires? Looking for a coven? Laurie Bowler has that and much, much more here in Moon Rising. Before we get to the novel, a piece of business: Laurie will be our guest on our blogtalk show The G-ZONE, on Thursday at 8am EST. You read that correctly, the live time is 8am EST. Laurie lives in England so there is a bit of a time difference. Our breakfast is her late lunch. What is between the covers of this vampire/romance/paranormal novel you ask?
“Marinette (Nessy) is half vampire and half human. She flees her maker Hervidor, the strongest of their kind and the ruler of the underworld of vampires. As Nessy flees to be able to live her life as she chooses, her vengeance for the coven Hervidor created, The Tellis coven, rises to the surface as she ventures into unknown parts of life that she has never seen or experienced. Hervidor has kept Nessy locked away for centuries, his taunting and those tauntings of his coven have made Nessy stronger and one day capable of fleeing his grasp. As she runs through the unknown woods with her thirst on high alert she meets Charles and his coven, their ways and teachings of the new world that Nessy hasn’t seen before are shocking and exciting to Nessy. She quickly learns to adjust and adapt so she can easily walk among humans during both day and night. Nessy quickly falls in love with Charles and they seal the bond that will capture and seal them together for eternity, their love being sealed and both of them finding their mate to walk the earth for as long as either one of them shall survive the passage of time and the changes it brings. With the threat of Hervidor constantly at their heels and Nessy trying to run and making that final decision to stand and face him in the fight that will decide her fate, the Gulon and their own pack of cats become involved. Heracio (Hera) is Nessy’s biological cousin and decides to impart to Nessy the many family traits she wasn’t aware off as a human, her own self-discovery becomes apparent as she too transforms into the Gulon creature. As the biggest and strongest of the Gulon and long ago destined to become their leader, Nessy hands over the reins of the leadership back to Hera, claiming the ownership is his by mutual right, mutual consent and adoration of his pack. As Nessy tries to come to terms with the changes happening to her and around her, she continues to slide on the path of love. Together Charles, his coven and Nessy make the final stand against Hervidor and the detested Tellis coven to banish them from the earth but will they succeed in banishing Hervidor and his coven? “
I think that gives you a hint at what is inside. If you are a vampire fan, a romance fan, then you have a bit of something here for you. Me, I am going to be honest with you, I am just starting to warm up to the whole vampire thing but did enjoy the different elements she incorporated in the novel. I learned a lot about vampires, enjoyed the romance elements and was struck by Bowler’s ability to convey her heroine’s strength and strong will. Being the father of seven daughters, I enjoy a good strong female figure on occasion. Laurie Bowler has many novels in her library and I plan on backtracking and checking them out. I did enjoy her newest digital short story series, Across the City, and plan on following that. Go to the archives to see my thoughts on that.
What are you reading today? Have you checked out our new blogtalk radio show The G-ZONE? Check us out and become our friend on Shelfari, The Novel Spot &Twitter. Go to Goodreads and become our friend there and suggest books for us to read and post on. Did you know you can shop directly on Amazon by clicking the Amazon Banner on our blog? Thanks for stopping by today; We will see you tomorrow. Have a great day. http://www.gelatisscoop.blogspot.com

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Dec 08, 2010 Juli Rahel rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I got this book sent to me a week ago and finished it in three days.

This book is by Laurie Bowler, has a 133 pages and 27 chapters.

Marinette, Nessy, has escaped her Maker, Hervidor, King of the Undead and leader of the terrible Tellis coven. She runs into Charles and his coven and feels an immediate attraction to him. Although she doesn't want to stay, she is convinced to stay by Charles and By Herqacio, Hera, leader of the Gulons, a feline animal that is the vampires sworn enemy.

Hervidor come...more I got this book sent to me a week ago and finished it in three days.

This book is by Laurie Bowler, has a 133 pages and 27 chapters.

Marinette, Nessy, has escaped her Maker, Hervidor, King of the Undead and leader of the terrible Tellis coven. She runs into Charles and his coven and feels an immediate attraction to him. Although she doesn't want to stay, she is convinced to stay by Charles and By Herqacio, Hera, leader of the Gulons, a feline animal that is the vampires sworn enemy.

Hervidor comes to visit Charles in his search for Nessy and Charles hides her in a cottage. There their eternal bond is deepened even more. Nessy is a very special vampire because she is still half-human. This is because she has never ever killed a human out of blood-thirst. Nessy has terrible nightmares, in which she relives the night she was turned 300 years ago. In these dreams there is also a man in the shadows, who simply watchesher suffer. It turns out Hervidor is also Charles creator.

After Hervidor has passed Hera ivited Nessy for a Gulon-dance. He reveals to her that her old house is in the gUlon-territory and that her father was the Gulon-leader, which makes Nessy a Gulon as wel. She doesn't know what would happen to her DNA if she turned into a Gulon, but these thoughts are interupted by the news that Hervidor is coming abch, after a hint that Nessy is still around. She decides to try and turn into a Gulon, hoping this will change her traceable smell.

Nessy is as strong and powerful as Hera as a Gulon and joins in when the Gulons go chasing a vampire. It turns out to be Tellis vampire and Nessy kills her by changing back to her human self and surprising the vampire by turning back into a Gulon.

Charles has decided to organise a dance in "honour" of Hervidor and Nessy attendes. Will she survive this confrontation? Will she be able to kill him and release herself from his hold on her? Can she be a human, a vampire and a Gulon at the same time?

I really liked this book. I think it has a really interesting take on the vampire-stories. In most vampire books a full human is the protagonist and has to choose whether to stay with her immortal love or not. This story centers around Nessy, who is a vampire with incredible morals. The book manages to stay away from msot cliches and the writer has a skill in writing descriptively.

What I loved were the flash-backs into her human and her vampire past. The writer also aknowlegdged the fact that a bunch of vampires in a forest can't go unnoticed by the human people in the village next to it. This is something Stephenie Meyer missed, which damages the credibility of her book.

My favourite character is probably Hera. He is really funny and serious at the same time. At the beginning I worried he'd be the JAcob in this story. But I was relieved to read that he had his own lover, Melody, Charles niece. This just makes the friendship between him and NEssy credible and enjoyable.

I give this book: 4 Universes!

If you like vampire stories you will definitly like this one. It is different and nice to read. I'm just readin the sequel, 'Sunrise to Sunset', and will post a review of that one as soon as I finished it.
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Dec 07, 2010 Lunamoth rated it 4 of 5 stars

Moon Rising is a love tale that is told quite well. This is the authors first novel and though it may sometimes shine through (things repeated alot, a few phrases that sounds a bit off) it flows easily and reads better then you would expect.

Nessy is on the run form her maker Hervidor, with the help of the Gulon Hera and her new love Charles she is kept safe from Hervidor, but for how long?

Nessy was a great charactor, she kind of felt like myself at times. A little scared, a little brave, loyal...more

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Oct 16, 2010 Samual Jackson rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Paranormal fans

Laurie Bowler has spun a tale of suspense and romance, this vampire story has all the traits we're used to reading with many more hidden secrets such as the Gulon.

A true story that grips you from the start and creates a pure fantasy world you cannot escape from.

Nessy is attracted to Hervidor and is overwhelmed when he asks her parents for her hand, they instantly accept only to find he has sinister intentions. Nessy is taken away and imprisoned because she doesnt want to feed from humans, she's...more

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Oct 15, 2010 Ellen Maze rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: vampire fans, YA, PG

Attracted to the wrong guy at the wrong time, lovely (and human) Nessy finds herself tossed into a half-life where her “husband” is the vampire king and he wants to make her his queen. But there’s a problem—Nessy doesn’t want to be a vampire. She refuses to kill humans or drink their blood, so when her behavior infuriates her mate and maker, Hervidor, he imprisons her. Nessy escapes and here is where our novel begins.

We see Nessy joined up with Hera, a good friend who comes from a race of beings...more

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Sep 14, 2010 BecksBookPicks rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Nessy is the main character. She has escaped from her maker Hervidor where she meets Charles and his coven of vampires. She is instantly attracted to Charles as he vows to protect her. She is special in many ways, and one of those ways is that she is the only half vampire-half human. She has never killed a human or drank human blood in her 300 years of existence. When her maker is killed, she will become human again and will forget everything from the time she was a vampire.

She has a best frien...more

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Aug 26, 2010 Melanie rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I loved this book.

Nessy's predicament is talked about from the first chapter, from the first line I was hooked. She has to flee her maker Hervidor, but meets Charles and his coven they fall in love. Their love is real, and they are eternally bound to be together.

The Author is very talented and did a great job, her descriptions of the characters and the places she talks about were great, making me feel as though I'd fallen into the book, into another world.

I love vampire stories, especially ones...more

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Dec 22, 2010 Raquel Vega-Grieder rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Review Of Moon Rising(Moon Rising Book #1) By Laurie Bowler

Pub. Date: August 2010
Publisher: Bowler, Laurie
Sold By: SMASHWORDS - EBKS
Format: NOOKbook (eBook)
File Size: 302 KB
ISBN-13: 2940011105777
ISBN: 0011105771
Available: Only in the U.S.
Source: Barnes and Noble (link to purchase HERE)
Purchase: Amazon.Com (link to purchase HERE)

Blurb:

Marinette (Nessy) is half vampire and half human. She flees her maker, Hervidor, the strongest of their kind and the ruler of the underworld of vampires,...more Review Of Moon Rising(Moon Rising Book #1) By Laurie Bowler

Pub. Date: August 2010
Publisher: Bowler, Laurie
Sold By: SMASHWORDS - EBKS
Format: NOOKbook (eBook)
File Size: 302 KB
ISBN-13: 2940011105777
ISBN: 0011105771
Available: Only in the U.S.
Source: Barnes and Noble (link to purchase HERE)
Purchase: Amazon.Com (link to purchase HERE)

Blurb:

Marinette (Nessy) is half vampire and half human. She flees her maker, Hervidor, the strongest of their kind and the ruler of the underworld of vampires, who has kept Nessy locked away for centuries. Nessy flees to be able to live her life as she chooses where she meets and quickly falls in love with Charles. With the threat of Hervidor constantly at her heels, Nessy tries to make the final decision to stand and face him in the fight that will decide her fate.

When I first read the blurb on this book I thought kool a new Vampire book I can read. But when I started getting into Marinette's (a.k.a.Nessy) story I found it to be that was hard to put down. Nessy isn't like regular Vampires because she has never drank human blood nor has she taken a human life. You see, if Nessy can keep that up and her maker gets destroyed, she can return to being a human again which she wants more than anything after centuries of suffering her Vampiric fate. All that seems to be changing when Nessy meets Charles a full blooded Vampire whom she is instantly drawn to. She can't explain how she feels she just knows that she wants to be with Charles. We also get introduced to Hera, who is a Gulon (which is a large cat), and are sworn to protect humans from the brutal Vampires of the world. Only this Gulon is a friend to Nessy and has allowed her to see his human form. Nessy is on the run from her maker Hervidor and feels no where is safe. Now that she has met Charles she doesn't want anything to happen to him nor Hera so Nessy is in a constant state of fight or flight. Through out this story Nessy comes into her own and realizes she is stronger than she ever thought she could be. She learns that she can't keep running her whole life. I found her to be a very empowering character. On a scale of 1-10 I give this book a 10. The ending had me going omg and running straight to Sunrise To Sunset (Moon Rising Book #2) because I just needed to know what came next. If you love Vampires like I do, you should definitely pick up a copy of Moon Rising and discover the world in which Nessy inhabits.

Link:

http://lauriebowler.com/(less)

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Dec 12, 2010 aobibliophile™ rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Moon Rising is a tale narrated by 300-year old Marinette (Nessy). hoping to undo the curse of being damned for eternity, she escapes from her maker Hervidor, the King of the Vampire Underworld. in her quest for answers, she encounters the vampire Charles of the Eaves Coven and Hera, leader of the Gulons - cat-like creatures who dedicate their supernatural lives in defending humans from the threat of the undead.
Nessy may be half vampire and half human but she is one with a conscience. refusing to...more Moon Rising is a tale narrated by 300-year old Marinette (Nessy). hoping to undo the curse of being damned for eternity, she escapes from her maker Hervidor, the King of the Vampire Underworld. in her quest for answers, she encounters the vampire Charles of the Eaves Coven and Hera, leader of the Gulons - cat-like creatures who dedicate their supernatural lives in defending humans from the threat of the undead.
Nessy may be half vampire and half human but she is one with a conscience. refusing to kill and drink fresh human blood, she would rather live on the blood of rats and rescue helpless victims from the clutches of her own kind.
as Nessy spins her tale, one bears witness to her internal conflicts. like the rest of us, there exists a duality within her - the good and the bad, the animal and the human - one side vying for supremacy over the other. her scruples though lord it over and in the end, she makes a stand and chooses the right path and not the lesser of two evils.
her journey speaks to me too of my own. like Nessy:

* i go through life hoping to find truth and answers to my questions
* i desire for a peaceful co-existence in a world where there is so much diversity
* i want to live freely without fear, without becoming prey to prejudice or a victim of retaliation
* i want to be accepted for who i am and not for what others choose me to become.

Nessy's narrative is also about loyalty, devotion, friendship, justice and love. i find it interesting that the writer manages to incorporate these themes in a book about supernatural creatures.
i certainly found something familiar in Moon Rising but i also discovered something entirely new as well. for a first novel, Laurie Bowler has written a refreshing take on the vampire story with her engaging characters and i look forward to meeting them again in the sequel Sunrise to Sunset.

Disclosure of Material Connection: i received the book Moon Rising from the author herself. i did not receive any payment in exchange for this review nor was I obligated to write a positive one. all opinions expressed here are entirely my own and may not necessarily agree with those of the author, the book's publisher and publicist or the readers of this review. this disclosure is in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255, Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.(less)

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Sep 16, 2010 Mary rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

A good read, I loved it and I was pulled into the book.

I couldnt put it down, Nessy is truly a strong character if not slightly confused about what she wants, then she meets Charles and wants to be with him and like him, but then she doesnt, she simply cannot decide. She doesnt want to be a vampire but wants to be with Charles so much, they were made for each other.

Hervidor sounds a complete nasty piece of work and one of them vampires you really dont want to meet on a stormy night, and especial...more

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Dec 07, 2010 Wenj rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: for-review

Review provided by Black Lagoon Reviews:

Moon Rising by Laurie Bowler is one of those novels that has such hidden potential that you really end up liking it despite a lack of overall polish. Mind you, I am not referring to the grammatical issues but more about the depth and development of the novel itself. The underlying story is full of hidden potential that I felt needed to be a bit better explored, but the premise itself is an interesting twist on vampire romance more akin to a long fairy tale...more Review provided by Black Lagoon Reviews:

Moon Rising by Laurie Bowler is one of those novels that has such hidden potential that you really end up liking it despite a lack of overall polish. Mind you, I am not referring to the grammatical issues but more about the depth and development of the novel itself. The underlying story is full of hidden potential that I felt needed to be a bit better explored, but the premise itself is an interesting twist on vampire romance more akin to a long fairy tale then a more traditional novel.

Truly, there are many things within the novel that I feel that I must critique, but not among them is the tempo of the writing. There is a sort of lyrical fluidity that lulls the reader in, much like the writings of fairy tales as I mentioned previously. This novel for some reason had an odd tendency to put me in mind of 'Peter and the Wolf' at times, with the images of a girl going into the dark woods only instead of finding a man-eating wolf, Nessy is met with a compelling vampire who is to become her true love. I even confess that at times I found myself humming the theme from that particular tale during the more adventurous parts of the novel. But, the downside of this comparison being that like 'Peter and the Wolf' this tale has a tendency to be a bit flat and one dimensional.

This has a lot to do with the characterization within the novel. Nessy, the narrator of the story, is never truly fleshed out. While we hear her history and her thoughts, we never really get to feel her emotions. There is a detachment there that the reader can't overcome. Several times there are moments when Nessy could be able to fully connect with the audience, for instance when she is recalling being turned into a vampire. The scene is set in a very minimalistic fashion: she and her betrothed Hervidor are walking in a garden, they enter a secluded portion and he bites her. Very little is revealed about the experience, the emotions or the environment where it occurs. Another example is when she was locked in her rooms and tormented by Scarlet or visited by Hera. Building those memories and moments would have greatly fleshed out Nessy's character and made her a far more inviting. The fact that this novel is told in the first person is another issue to overcome as Nessy never fully explores the characters around her. She never gives much in the way of thoughts or opinions about anyone past the fact that she either likes them or she doesn't. There is no follow up as to why she feels a certain way about someone. For instance, her attraction to Charles. She likes him and feels a connection to him, but she never really comes out and explains or expounds upon it, once again missing out on an emotional connection with the reader. However, despite these flaws with her character and the way she perceives those around her, I still felt compelled towards her. She has an innocent naivete and tenderness that is endearing. The fact that she rebels against completely becoming the monster that she is now meant to be reveals the strength within her character and makes you want to root for her. The same goes with the secondary characters. Despite the dimensionality, you still see the inner good and the warmth that the author tries to have them radiate.

The unique world Bowler created is another source of potential that I felt could have used a bit more fleshing out. For example, the Gulons are a very interesting shifter race that are essentially the protectors of humans from the vampire clans. I would have liked to see the Gulon history explored a bit more as well as how it was that Hervidor could have fooled Nessy's Gulon father. Truly the addition of the histories of both the vampire and Gulon races would certainly help in building the world further. Or just the history as pertaining to Nessy on a more in depth scale would have sufficed. What I think was wonderful here was the sort of timeless quality within the world that Bowler was able to capture. A world were these factions still remain undetected by humans gives a since of an era long past. Paired with Nessy's rigid proper dialogue, you can even come to believe it is a Victorian age. However, the fact that the world is as it is today gives it a bit of that fairy tale edge that I was speaking about earlier. There's a whimsical quality involved while Nessy is brought up to speed on the modern world and all of the inventions and styles that have passed her by.

Despite any of these lacking attributes, however, this story still managed to hit a soft spot. Bowler's sense of storytelling is wonderfully crafted to keep you wanting to know what happens to these characters throughout the story. Is true love enough to conquer all? Will Nessy ever escape Hervidor? These questions follow the reader and draw them into the story as all good tales should.

Overall, this is an enchanting novel that has the potential to be so much more. Definitely not a tale for readers who crave depth or an epic journey, but it still holds an appeal to those readers who enjoy good storytelling with a nice romance that is appropriate to all ages.
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Sep 14, 2010 Melissa rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The book had a good story line and an interesting twist on vampires. Their was a lot of misspelled words and some sentences had to be reread because they were not edited correctly. Towards the end Nessy is talking about how she wants to stay with Charles by being the same as him, but one of the sentences says that she doesn't want to be a full vampire. It is easy to figure out the correct lines though. Another correction was in the beginning of the book they say Nessy has black eyes which indica...more

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Oct 10, 2010 Rachel rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I enjoyed this book so much. I was intrigued to hear about Nessy's life and hooked from day one.
The narration reading it in the way it was written was grand and beyond expectations, its truly a book that has you hooked from the first page, each turn of the pages was amazing with more adventure and passionate interludes that gripped me.

Anyone who doesnt buy themselves a copy of this book is completely crazy, I read it more than once and each time I wasnt unhappy with the experience. It takes you...more

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Sep 15, 2010 Book_warmer rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Fantastic and easy to follow, for an author in the United Kingdom this is brilliant.
I liked the new twist on vampires and the added Gulon instead of werewolves, I thought that was unique. It has power, suspense and is descriptive, the author is incredibly talented and imaginative.
A few things such as eye colour did come across a little odd but I got the idea of what the author was saying, and it definately deserves 5 stars for a great read.
From the first page I was hooked and I couldnt put it d...more

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May 06, 2012 Bex 'n' Books rated it 5 of 5 stars

Loved the twists, turns and suspense in this novel. Nessy's character was full of complexities, yet she was easy to follow and like. Her blooming relationship with Charles was sweetly done, with an increasing level of passion and fire.

The development of her character, being one of self awareness and discovery, was effectively written to create a well rounded character, who I was eager to follow and cheer on. Nessy, like many is full of flaws and insecurities, and Bowler guides us beautifully thr...more

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Dec 08, 2012 ABookVacation rated it 2 of 5 stars

To see my full review:

http://bookvacations.wordpress.com/20...

I have to say that this novel just isn’t for me. I struggled to get through it due to the storyline—I just wasn’t connecting with the characters as I read. The plot itself seemed very brusque, as in, the character’s interactions with each other were more choppy than I like in my novels, and the amount of typos made it a bit difficult for me to read, as well. The novel opens with Nessy running for her life, but she runs across another...more

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Oct 18, 2010 Michelle rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: vampires, paranormal, romance, reviewed

Vampires. Romance. Vampire Romance. This should have been right up my alley, but I had to give up on this one about 1/3 of the way through the book. So sadly, this will be my first one-star DNF (did not finish) review and will only cover the first third of the book.

On the positive side, I think the story concept was okay and I also found myself interested in the Gulon characters (large cat-like shifters that hunt vampires) though I didn’t really experience enough of them in the time I had with...more Vampires. Romance. Vampire Romance. This should have been right up my alley, but I had to give up on this one about 1/3 of the way through the book. So sadly, this will be my first one-star DNF (did not finish) review and will only cover the first third of the book.

On the positive side, I think the story concept was okay and I also found myself interested in the Gulon characters (large cat-like shifters that hunt vampires) though I didn’t really experience enough of them in the time I had with the book to get a complete feel for these characters. If there was one thing that might have encouraged me to stick with the book, it was seeing more of the Gulon. However, it just wasn’t enough to force myself through more of this book.

Now for what I didn’t like--unfortunately, it was almost everything else. The writing style was awkward and I found myself constantly having to reread sentences or paragraphs that seemed nonsensical or poorly structured. The grammar and punctuation appeared off to me. I’m no expert in this area, which is why I usually don’t nitpick on this much in my reviews, but in this case it jumped out at me on a regular basis. Then there are the typos. I experienced about 12 or more in just the first third of the book so if you factor that out to the rest of the book I can only assume there are considerably more to be found. There were misspellings (or maybe just simply use of the wrong word) like “baited breath” instead of “bated breath” or “innocence” instead of “innocents”. There was also an inconsistency I noted in Nessy’s eye color. Early in the book Nessy is described as having black eyes and later they are “greenie-blue”. At times I honestly wondered if this book received any objective editing.

The main characters, Nessy and Charles, seemed one-dimensional and wooden. I felt absolutely nothing for them. As far as the relationship between them, there was no romantic connection or spark at all. Zip…Nada…Nothing. The romance was completely underwhelming. The dialogue followed suit; it felt unnatural and stilted.

The pacing of the book wasn’t too bad at the very beginning. I was pulled in at first, but it quickly slowed down. Perhaps it picked up later but I wasn’t compelled to find out. As for the plot, I cannot speak much for that since I only got through one third of the book. I just couldn’t get past the poor mechanics and execution of this book.

Since I did give this book a low rating I looked for other reviews to provide a balance. I was also interested to know if my review was in the general flow of traffic or if I was traveling down my own road. I found quite a few reviews here on Goodreads and a handful on Amazon (some appear to be cross-posted). Well, color me surprised that this book had a high number of 5-star reviews. Upon closer inspection of these reviews, I am a bit wary of the validity for many of them. You can make your own judgment.

I cannot honestly recommend this book to anyone, but it appears somebody out there likes it and in the end a review is simply one person’s opinion. So, if you are curious about this book, then by all means try the free sample and judge for yourself whether it is worth pursuing.

http://indieparanormalbooksreviews.bl...(less)

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Oct 10, 2010 Rachel rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I loved the narration of this book.

The storyline was fantastic and Nessy sounds amazingly strong, and confident with what she decides to do.

Her life becomes and adventure when she tries to run away from Hervidor, and she meets Charles and becomes apart of his family.

Seeing it through from her perspective was wonderful, and the romance was well written.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and I cant wait for the sequel to be released.

Definately a must read for vampire lovers.

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Jan 17, 2012 Kristi rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012

I get a lot of free ebooks for my Kindle from Amazon, as is the case with this one. I'm normally extremely lenient about grammatical issues in these types of books since I realize many authors are self-publishing and don't have an editor. However, the grammar and awkward sentence structuring in this book forced me to throw in the towel less than a quarter of the way into the story. The plot itself had promise, but the dialogue was quite juvenile. So frustrating!

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Oct 05, 2010 Claudine rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I thought this book was really good.

I liked the way it was from the perspective of Nessy, I thought it was fun this way.

I havent read a book in this style before or with this amount of romance, but it was great and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. The romance element wasnt to heavy which was great and I could feel their love for each other which made it realistic.

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Jul 25, 2011 Michelle Vasquez rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Moon Rising by Laurie Bowler is a creative and captivating story that will take you into a fascinating underworld of vampires and other strange creatures. Please read my full review here:

http://lifeinreviewblog.wordpress.com...

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Jan 24, 2012 Cheryl Whitty rated it 4 of 5 stars

This book is the first one of 3 I've downloaded in this series,good start to a series about 300year old half vampire and her escape from her coven.I don't want to spoil this so i will say an interesting twist on a well used subject.

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Jan 25, 2012 Annemieke rated it 3 of 5 stars

im not sure what to think about this book,cant help compare it with the twilight series.
Couldnt really indentify with main character and she was repeating herself alot, but i finished it so
thats why its getting 3 stars, but wouldnt run to shop to buy part 2

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Sep 16, 2010 Katie Reader Fanatic rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Extra cool, full of enthusiam and descriptive.

Adding suspense throughout and a romance storyline, Charles and Nessy are meant to be together that much is for sure.

Excellent and easy to follow, nice take on vampires.

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Jan 28, 2011 Suza Kates rated it 5 of 5 stars

Wonderful book! I really enjoyed this one. Laurie Bowler has a fresh new angle on some of our favorite paranormals. These vamps are unique and one glimpse into their secret lives makes you greedy for more! More of a review to come soon. So glad I got to read this book!

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May 06, 2011 Josie Green rated it 5 of 5 stars

A lovely book to read I loved it. Nessy's world and all the things surrounding her and hearing it from Nessy's perspective.

A good read.

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