Scarlet Rain

The Escaped #2

by Kristin Cast

The co-author of the "New York Times" bestselling House of Night series returns with the mesmerizing second book in The Escaped series.
In "Amber Smoke," Kristin Cast introduced her legions of readers to Alek and Eva. Alek, immortal son of the Furies, has been charged to save his home and recapture the souls of the damned, evil creatures who escaped Tartarus into the Mortal Realm. He can't, however, do it alone...
Eva has discovered that she has been both blessed and cursed with powers beyond her comprehension. With a destiny to fulfill, she cannot escape the beings who will stop at nothing to destroy her.
Now, in "Scarlet Rain," the Nosoi spirits of plague have been unleashed on the Mortal Realm, releasing a pandemic as clever and adaptable as it is insidious. Alek and Eva must capture and banish the Nosoi back to their Underworld prison but Eva has yet to harness the abilities needed to defeat such a powerful enemy, and Alek sustains catastrophic wounds in the attempt. They must rely on detective James Graham, and Eva s best friend Bridget, if they are to even slow down the plague. But can mere mortals come through in the face of such overwhelming peril?"

Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult, Romance, Audiobook, Paranormal, Paranormal Romance, Supernatural

266 pages, Paperback

First published May 17, 2017

About the author

Kristin is a #1 NYT and #1 USA Today bestselling author with over 30 million books in print.

She is proudly neurodivergent (ASD + OCD) and deeply consumed by character-driven chaos, emotionally vulnerable heroes, and smart, sexy heroines who always get the last word and the hot guy. When she’s not writing, you’ll find her devouring thriller, horror, and romance novels, practicing witchcraft, and being the exact kind of unhinged that makes group chats worth opening.

Reviews

[Cora Tea Party Princess · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF at 11%

5 Words: Not my cup of tea.

The first book in this series abruptly stopped, and this second book didn't even pick up in the same place.

The 11% of this book that I did read was 90% dialogue. I would have welcomed the sickening flowery prose of the first book if only to break up the "he said, she said" but it never appeared. Just like the first book it was the two extremes - either too much or too little.

I did try to give this series and the author another go but it just wasn't happening. I had to force myself to read what little I did, and I did not enjoy it at all.

That said, I know that there is an audience for this. I know there are people that will like the writing style and the story and Alek walking around talking like a parody of Thor (which I have to admit did make me giggle at times because it's just so preposterous).

I received a copy of this for free via NetGalley for review purposes.

[Carrie (The Butterfly Reader) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had hoped this one would be better than the last. Not the case, it's honestly about the same if not worse in some spots. The characters just feel so immature for their age level. The plot is so easily placed together that I am not surprised by anything that happens.

I also wish there was more scenes between our two heroes. They don't get as much time together and it's kind of sad. The villains are pretty badass, I do have to give the author that. The ending really saved this book from being a one star read for me. That ending was pretty freaking awesome. Overall, I recommend this to anyone who likes the house of night series.

*This book was given to me by NetGalley*

[Megan · Rating 2 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book less than the first one and am left just as confused. It appears the last book hasn't been published, or at least I can't find it anywhere, so I guess I'll never know if it would've explained why Eva is so important. I get she's the "Oracle", though what that means exactly was never explained. She's supposed to have powers and be able to help fix the underworld, but so far she hasn't done anything. I personally find everyone so easily accepting their story unbelievable, no one is going to have a problem with it - really?

[Felicia [Felicia's Ink(t)] · Rating 5 out of 5]

""But First," Bridget said, her Coke bottle hissing as she twisted the cap, "you need to find your bra. I mean, seriously, those things are all free and jiggling around like two fat puppies.""

I seriously loved it. The quote I posted above is the humour I really like from Kristin. I reminds me so much of reading The House of Night series.

This book was about facing a new threat to both realms, the Nosoi spirits. It was a serious and dangerous threat. This is where the story deepens and gets more exciting. We see a lot more of Eva and Alek and how they learn to work together, how their relationship grows. It includes some hot and steamy scenes, but also very tough scenes concerning their relationship and keeping true to themselves. A story of The Oracle and her Warrior falling in love, having near death experiences because of protecting each other and steamy thoughts, dreams and visions of each other.

Bridget her role is even bigger in this book. She becomes an important key-role in the series. I like her character growth in this book. Kristin what the fuck did you do with that ending!?!?! Now I've gotta wait for book three... Okay, I got The Scent of Salt & Sand to read next [yay me!!]

Detective James, sounds like a handsome fella!! And I love how he grows in this book, not gonna tell you what happens with him other than the smoochy thingy with Bridget.. Go Bridget!! Hook 'em in!!

This book has a twist of The Walking Dead in there with the Red Mist/Nosoi Spirits spreading its terror in the hospital. It's gruesome, thrilling and so exciting to read... This book won't be the end of the Underworld plague.. I hope for at least 10 more books like with The House of Night!!

The roles of Pythia, Maiden, Mother and Crone are also very important in this story. I like how they appear when needed [no, not literally]. I like how Kristin portrayed Maiden, Mother and Crone. I loved to read their differences in character according to their names hahaha.

There is a heartbreaking event in this book, yes!! It's not fun to read, but I think it's important for character growth in the next books!!



I've just finished Six of Crows, my next read is The Graces and after that I'll start reading The Scent of Salt & Sand, so keep your eyes out for it!! =]

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[Danii · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had very high expectations for this book, considering I really enjoyed the first book, Amber Smoke. If I'm being honest, it really let me down.. The book starts off where the last one ended, where the plague demons have escaped from Tartarus. Alek and Eva team up with an unlikely ally to take them down.
The sex scene in this book I feel was very un-needed and pointless. The relationship between Detective James and Brooke seemed to come out of nowhere, and then Brooke gets him drunk and seduces him so he will give her a copy of a video.
The characters and writing in this book really annoyed me to the point where I almost couldn't finish it. She makes Eva and Brooke look like dumb teenagers that don't know anything about real life and only care about clothes, drinking and sex.
Another relationship that seemed to come out of nowhere was Eva and Alek. Don't get me wrong, I saw it beginning in Amber Smoke, but all of a sudden they were making out and couldn't keep their hands off eachother. I feel as though Kristen Cast was trying to hard with all the sex, and it kind of ruined the book for me. None of it was needed, and it became way too much of a big part in the overall story.
This book also ended on another cliff hanger. I don't know if I will be reading the next one because of how much Scarlet Rain disappointed me, but I hope to God that its better then this one was...
Overall, my rating is 3/5. Please try to not make half of the story based on sex scenes in the next book.

[Lea (drumsofautumn) · Rating 1 out of 5]

My full review can be found on YouTube!
My thoughts at this very moment are really just WTF. I'd have given this two stars if it wasn't for the last 10% of the book that were super rushed, had some cheesy unrealistic happy end stuff in it but then the on the last page still dropped a sentence so that the reader can't quite let go of the story and is teased for a potential sequel. I'm sorry to say, I would have loved to love this but this was ridiculous.

Thanks to Netgalley for providing me with an early review copy.

[Jessica (a GREAT read) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I dove straight into Kristin Cast’s Scarlet Rain, expecting heartbreak since it’s not looking like the final book exists. While I did experience a little bit of heartbreak I was surprised by the ending of this one. It was shocking and astonishing and I am filled with so many questions, but I guess I was expecting something bigger since this is a canceled series we’re dealing with.

In this one, we see Eva and Alek having to deal with a new enemy from Tartarus. This escaped evil soul is a plague and we caught a glimpse of it in at the end of Amber Smoke when it affected the married couple and it ended in screams of terror!

I really liked that Cast didn’t leave us hanging on all of Amber Smoke’s cliffhangers as we see right away what happened with the couple…as to what caused that all, well, that’s still the mystery but the blurb gives you some ideas. Then we go back to the detective, James, who had been chasing Eva and held a gun at her when she suddenly disappeared. Well, turns out she was brought to Tartarus by Alek’s mothers. Now James is trying to tell himself he’s not crazy, but he knows that something weird is going on in town that goes beyond the normal explanations.

I really liked how we got to see more of Eva’s best friend, Bridget and James starting to work together. I thought this series would just focus on Eva and Alek but Cast took me by surprise by having secondary characters get a bit of spotlight time. The chemistry brewing between Bridget and James came about fast and I wondered at its sincerity, just because of the novella length, but it ended up being genuine.

This book really packed its punches in the end. It was nonstop jaw-dropping action and I am still left reeling and now a bit upset as who knows what was meant to happen. As I peeked at the novella, it seems to go back in time or some such and focus on different characters. I wasn’t expecting it to be anything to give me better answers to what would’ve been the final fate of Alek and Eva and their worlds, but I guess a teeny tiny part of me was hoping for maybe something like that.

This one did end in a way that you almost think things are through, but then that last sentence packed a punch! Of course, once again, I am running a dozen theories in my head and am dying to know if any of them would’ve been right or not. I am hopefully meeting Cast at the end of the month, so hopefully I can get a few answers to see how things would’ve gone if she was able to finish this series.

I will say that I really enjoyed this installment better than the first one! It was quite exciting and the action and tension were intense and thick! There were some steamy romantic interludes as well, mostly the one with Bridget and James and a tease or two between Alek and Eva. But romance is romance! Lol. Let’s just hope Cast planned for everyone to be all lovey dovey and happy after saving both the worlds in the ultimate unfinished end.



Overall Rating 4.5/5 stars

[Catherine Couture · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wish I could find the last book, and then she would write another.
Loved this!
Then why the 4 stars? Well, I feel that some chapters could be erased as they do not bring anything to the story or the main characters. She just brought us to strangers for one chapter for no plus value. That caused disappointment and was just keeping adding stuff to the story without plus value.
It could have more information on the myth and legends and the background of the characters and their destiny. I felt she could have gone further. Besides that, it is a very good casual read!

[Sophia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was very curious to see what happened after the big cliff hanger in the first book so I was eager to pick up book two and continue with the story of Alek the warrior of Tartarus, Eva the Oracle, her best friend, the intrepid Bridget, and the stalwart and handsome cop, James. I don't know if it is because I've adjusted to the author's writing style or if the writing improved, but this sequel was an improvement on the first book for me.

And yes, this is a sequel. I suppose a person could pick it up and figure out what is going on eventually, but really it's probably best to be read in order after Amber Smoke.

The last book ended with the next escapee from the Tartarus prison beginning to wreck havoc on Tulsa. This time it's a demon of disease and pestilence. Alec and Eva are in Tartarus. Alec is recovering from having to come to Eva's rescue and nearly using up all his energy because he stayed too long in the earth realm. Eva is catching her breath and sorting out all the changes in her life and finally taking seriously her new duties as Oracle after meeting Alec's mothers the Furies and seeing the weakened Tartarus.

Meanwhile, back on earth, James is trying to figure out exactly what happened when Eva disappeared right in front of his eyes. He is under pressure for losing a suspect, but just exactly what is he supposed to tell people. They'll think he's crazy. Now, the captain has a new case for him and Schilling to work on. Arriving on site of a double murder, James gets one look at the corpses and the neighbor's security feed and knows the weirdness just got weirder. There is only one source he can think of to get answers- Bridget.

Bridget is tickled to have the hottie detective there asking questions and learning the truth. He doesn't want to believe her and yet the truth is there and he can't deny it. After she has a good time seducing the befuddled man, they form a tentative alliance to work together. Meanwhile the scarlet swarm is infecting more and more people.

Eva and Alec return just in time to team up with Bridget and James to stop the latest evil that threatens humankind and needs to be returned to prison in Tartarus. Things grow dire and Eva is forced to make the ultimate sacrifice, but will it be enough. And again, things end on a shocking note.

The first book was confusing and loose to me. In fact, there were times I wanted to set it aside because it was pieced roughly together as it offered plot threads and flipped scenes. The world building was half explained and somewhat confusing. The characters felt like caricatures at times. But for all that, it was an exciting story and I wanted to know what happened next.

I'm glad I stuck with it and kept going. While some of what I mentioned above was present in this one, it was smoothed out better and the plot was stronger and more engaging. Alec and Eva worked better in their roles and I liked that though they are attracted that they are not forcing it faster than it should be. Now Bridget and James? Those two jumped in with both feet. That passionate encounter gave me whiplash. First, he's there at her place because he's freaking over the weird woo woo stuff and next thing, their going at it like bunnies. It was awkwardly described. But, even then, I sorta laughed because this is so Bridget and it showed an interesting side to James. I'm actually okay with them together.
The action side was exciting and was filled with the good kind of tension and pulse-pounding danger. I don't know what it is about plague and taking over people's bodies, but that stuff is the scariest for me.

So, all in all, this was a good comeback. No sophomore slump here. I hope the books keep getting better as they go and I look forward to what comes next for this group. I would recommend it to New Adult Urban Fantasy lovers who don't mind a different and sometimes confusing sort of read.

My thanks to Diversion Books for the opportunity to read this in exchange for an honest review.

[Miranda - Life Between Chapters☕ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thanks Netgalley & Diversion Books for allowing me to read & review Scarlet Rain.
Originally posted @Miranda's Book Blog

Kristin Cast sure knows her way around Greek Mythology! This story has a modern day feel & takes place in Tulsa, but is meshed with ancient Greek Mythology. I had so much fun reading Scarlet Rain! This is the second book in The Escaped series, I recommend you read the first book Amber Smoke before jumping into Scarlet Rain.

The storyline was quite provocative, especially with the secondary characters Bridget & James. I felt as if they stole the show from the main-characters Eva and Alek! I would have liked to have seen more relationship building between Eva and Alek, the chemistry was there but the swoon-worthy scenes were few & far between.

The concept of the Nosoi was completely original and really added an exciting layer of suspense to the story! Imagine the movie The Happening + 28 Days Later. Yeah, the Nosoi don't play around! I would have liked to have seen just a little bit more into their origins, but overall I enjoyed this layer of the book.

The very best part of this book is the ending. Goodness gracious, my exact words were along the lines of “Oh Shit!” Okay, I know this book is new but I ALREADY NEED THE NEXT BOOK!!

While I did thoroughly enjoy this book, I’m rating it a 3.5 out of 5 stars since I would have liked a bit more romance between Eva & Alek. Also I felt a twinge of second book slump syndrome while reading this. (Not counting the ending, I LOVED THE ENDING!) That being said, I will be highly anticipating the release of the next book in this remarkably original series!

[Artemiz · Rating 3 out of 5]

At the beginning of Scarlet Rain Alek and Eva are in Underworld, so that tehy could recuperate from their last ordeals. Even if Eva has this new power to heal quickly, she still needs time to heal from her last injuries and Alek has even harder time, since his powers were really low when he returned. But Eva has to leave Underworld, since she does not belong there.

At home Police is looking for her, since her last contact with them was not friendly and she is still suspect. James has not written in his rapport the whole truth about her escape, since he is sure they would consider him nuts if he would say what really happened. So he'll go to see Bridget, to find out what she knows.

In Tulsa some weird deaths had accrued - it seams like peoples head had exploded. James gets hold of a video about the first incident and with it he goes to Bridget, to find out, what she know about Eva, since he is sure, Eva has something to do with it. But he gets from Bridger much more than he bargained for :).

When Eva finally gets to Bridget, she finds out what has happened in a city while she was absent and Alek is sent to the heart of things - to the hospital, where new headless victims are added.

When they all get together, they have to do things that are extremely dangerous, but that is the only way to recapture Nosoi and send it pack to Tartarus.

In a way, it felt like a empty story, but at the same time it was extremely interesting.

[Diane Lynch Lynch · Rating 3 out of 5]

Alek, immortal son of the Furies, was tasked to recapture the creatures that escaped Tartarus and ventured into the Mortal Realm. He is helped by Eva Kostas, the new Oracle. This new adult fantasy takes place in Tartarus and Tulsa.

Let me preface this review with, when I started reading the book, I did not realize it was the second book in the series. I could follow the story with no problem, but it is possible I would have enjoyed it more if I read the Book one, Amber Smoke, first.

I liked the characters. Eva recently learned that she is the new Oracle and is still discovering her powers. She deals with a lot in a short amount of time. Alex is brave and determined. The two have good chemistry. I like that detective James Graham follows his instincts and helps Eva and Alex. Bridget is an excellent friend. The characters are believable and well developed.

There were a few times that the story did not hold my interests, and I found myself skimming. I love Greek mythology, so I am always interested contemporary stories base on the myths. Kristin Cast does a good job of incorporating the old with the new.

Complimentary copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Crystal · Rating 1 out of 5]

kinda stupid back and forth between tarturus and the normal realm so that he can heal. then i had to sit through a sex scene i could care less about. couldnt it just say she had sex with him without all the details. i literally almost stopped reading completely because it annoyed me so much.

[Megan =^..^= · Rating 5 out of 5]

Unlike anything else I've read. Definitely one of the best sci-fi/fantasy romance genre novels that I have read in a long time. Highly recommend if you're a romance or sci-fi/fantasy fan!

[Storm · Rating 1 out of 5]

In this second book of Kristin Cast and PC Cast's The Escaped Universe, the walls that separate Tartarus from the mortal realm have been breached, releasing every variety of evil into the world, this time focusing on the Nosoi who have released a clever, insidious pandemic on an unsuspecting world where authorities have no idea what they're up against, and how to deal with it.


This time detective James Graham, and Eva's best friend Bridget, are center stage. While I did use to enjoy detective James' character I kind of lost a lot of respect for him for two big reasons. First, in order to continue the investigation he kind of strings along a woman for security access in what would be considered an illegal act. I mean, if this happened in real life it would be grounds for termination.


Secondly, because he all too easily fell for it, when Bridget the hook up bimbo queen who decided to seduce him. I get that he's older, lonely and horny, but ... dude, you have a BADGE and a career, and you're getting into shenanigans with a suspect's best friend and witness, there are so many things wrong about this plus he has a lot to lose but oh no, he's thinking with his dick. And Bridget, well the spoiled rich girl is kind of written to be a sexually aggressive "loose" type of girl, so I'm a little worried about her standards, or lack thereof.


The only good thing Bridget does is decide to spill the Tea, which is great for James because NOW he has a working theory on the case that is plaguing their town! We have two final couples, and a short story The Scent of Salt & Sand with a mermaid? So while I didn't quite enjoy this pulp paranormal romance, I guess I will need to be a completionist and finish the last book of this trilogy to see what happens at the end.

[Brandon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall this book was a decent second instalment in The Escaped series. I really enjoyed the villain that was formed in this book and the ending was another cliffhanger which leaves you wondering what will happen in the final novel.

Some things I DIDN'T like;

-> the sex scenes...don't get me wrong, I'm always down for an epic love story and the things that come with it :P But these scenes were just soo raunchy and out of the blue. I felt like a completely different author was writing these sections of the book because it was being written so differently than the normal style of their writing
-> the relationships (I know this one kind of blends in with the point above) however, I felt like the relationships between the four main characters were just rushed. I feel like Eva and Alek have barely even really talked to each other in the books and they are already falling in love with each other... and Bridget and James are randomly having dirty sex with each other and it's pretty much the first scene they have with each other. and Bridget and James are randomly having dirty sex with each other and it's pretty much the first scene they have with each other.
-> this last one is kind of a personal preference; but it seems like each book is focusing on one villain per instalment... I think this is a good way to kind of start one story and cleanly finish it off at the end of each book. However, I think it would have been cool to have an ongoing story in addition to these sub plots.

Things I DID like;

-Eva's relationship with her Mother. The bond that these two shared with one another really struck a cord with me. Being as close as I am with my Mom, I related a lot with Eva's character. Especially near the end of the book, where she is willing to do anything to protect her Mom. I felt so bad for her when her Mom ends up dying because the Nosoi take over her body. What even gets to me more is when Eva sacrifices herself for her mother.

And that's all for now. I'm looking forward to finishing this series off when Cerulean Sea comes out in October of this year.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book so much and i loved the characters,espically Bridget she was one of the characters that i thought would be a side thing and never talked about in the regular story but reading this book i was amazed how she was coming into her own and making it so she wasnt a side character that she was just as important as eva in every way shape and form. I felt really bad when Eva's mom Lori died i cried when i read it but like her mother said its like skyping with her while shes dead you may not be able to hug but at least talking to her helps make things ok. Alek o the other hand made it hard for me to love him love him, i know he is the warrior of Tartarus but he should be allowed to have some feelings instead of just being the tough and robust warrior the Furies want and need him to be he deserves to love who he wants to and not have one of his bickering mothers get in his head and say it is a bad idea, honestly i believe if he loves Eva enough he will have more understanding of the human world and see what he is trying soo hard to protect it is not just Tartarus on the line but the human world as well. Honestly with James i just really wanted to smack him across the head hard headed men are difficult to work with but i guess the power of the Vajayjay as Bridget so eloquently put it is strong with this one lol.

[Sarah Stanley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book!! I felt it followed the first book Amber Smoke so we'll. I love this paranormal world Kristin cast has painted. It falls in line with the other works from House of Night and you can tell she gets her writing skills from her mom P.C. Cast. The Friendship Eva and Bridget have are similar to Zoey and Stevie Ray and I just love the banter between them. I half expected to read that Neferet would end up being the queen in this story. :-p

[Ciecie · Rating 5 out of 5]

It usually does not take me so long to read something this good! Two puppies will do that. I am hoping this is not the end. I really loved all of the characters in this book. The witty humor had be cracking up. What I was not expecting was to feel the characters so much that I cried. Loved it! Encore encore!!!

[Kayla · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm a fan of the Cast Clan authors. I came to no them first through the House of night series. The same performer performed this series. the problem with that similarity is the main characters sound the same. that's not to say that the performer isn't good she is.I thought her presentation has been great.

[Margaret · Rating 5 out of 5]

This better not be the last of these stories/books the first two were awesome and the characters were well developed. I felt totally as if I knew the female lead character mostly when she met up with the male lead character. Numerous and places and tearful in others.

[Mari Shimota · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was written trying to be in the new adult category, but the way it is written is so young and was very annoying. I gave it a chance because house of night was my favorite series when I was younger, but this book was an huge disappointment.

[Niki · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quite predictable and the characters felt too young. Still reading as I've started the series just hope something happens soon as it's a bit boring in all honesty x

[Holly · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fantastic second book to this series. Action and adventure on every page. Many unexpected twists and turns. I highly recommend this book/series.

[Traci · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. I just wish the next one was out already!

[LAURIE BOYKEN RILEY · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very very very good book
I highly recamend it
You much read this book.

[Hamza · Rating 4 out of 5]

İlk kitabı öyle çok beğenmemiştim ama ikinci kitap aksiyon dolu, ilkinden daha iyi. Farklı bir fantastik kitap oldu benim için. Üçüncüyü bekliyorum

[Carmin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book!

[Jennifer Mangrum · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love it.

[Holly Marks · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really Loved this book series I want to read the last book but I can't find it anywhere