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The Sanguine Crown #1
Chaos Theory
Everything you thought you knew about vampires is wrong…
Chaos Theory brings vampires back in popular form. This new series pays homage to the classics, while breathing fresh and revitalized life back into the genre.
The vampire race is on the brink of extinction, and their fate now rests on the shoulders of an unlikely pair. Ryan Callan might be a badass seventeen-year-old with a mouth as sharp as her sai, but surviving the loss of her parents has come at the cost of isolating herself from everyone—even her best friend, Crowned Prince Nickolai.
When Nickolai is sent to integrate with the humans, Ryan is tasked with watching over him and ensuring his safety. But when a rogue vampire threatens to reveal the existence of vampires to the world, Ryan and Nickolai must put aside their differences to keep their world a secret.
Now, thousands of human lives are at stake… and so is the entirety of vampire kind.
Perfect for fans of Vampire Academy by Richelle Meade and Slayer by Kiersten White, Susan Harris’s young adult vampire romance is here to prove that vampires are back, and they’re more enticing than ever.
Future installments in The Sanguine Crown series by Susan Harris include:
Chaos Theory (Book One—May 20, 2020) Butterfly Effect (Book Two—Fall 2020) Additional novels in the series to be announced soon.288 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 20, 2020
196 people are currently reading
347 people want to read
About the author
Susan Harris
32 books189 followersSusan Harris is a writer from Cork in Ireland. An avid reader, she quickly grew to love books in the supernatural/fantasy genre. When she is not writing or reading, she loves music, oriental cultures, tattoos, anything Disney and psychology. If she wasn't a writer she would love to be a FBI profiler or a PA for Dave Grohl or Jared Leto.
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August 15, 2020🎁 FREE on Amazon today (8/15/2020)! 🎁
May 20, 2020
Fans of my reviews will know that you can always count on two things from me. Honestly, and the fact that vampire books always have a special place in my heart.
As the tagline from the book is from me - I think it is safe to say that I loved this book. For me, the general YA Vampire genre has been a little stale over the fast few years. I really think this is the book that is going to bring those YA Vamp readers back out of the woodwork. OK so, in reality, the new Midnight Sun announcement may take some credit for that, but this was out first and fans of the Vampire Academy series will be thrilled.
I don't recap the synopsis in my reviews, I am pretty sure as a reader you can look at that for yourselves, but I will say this story sucked me in and didn't let go. Book 2 is already available for pre-order and thank goodness! I have warned about the evil Susan Harris cliffhanger before, but I have never had a Kirkus review throw out the same response. This cliffhanger, in their words, "is gruesome", and I would say that is 100% accurate.
With new vampire lore, blended with aspects vampire lovers are familiar with, Susan does an excellent job introducing both this new world and the extremely vibrant characters that reside there. Never afraid to have a strong heroine lead, Ryan is particularly fabulous with her quippy comebacks hiding her beautifully broken past.
And easy 5 stars from me and this is 100% Melanie's Muses Certified!
As the tagline from the book is from me - I think it is safe to say that I loved this book. For me, the general YA Vampire genre has been a little stale over the fast few years. I really think this is the book that is going to bring those YA Vamp readers back out of the woodwork. OK so, in reality, the new Midnight Sun announcement may take some credit for that, but this was out first and fans of the Vampire Academy series will be thrilled.
I don't recap the synopsis in my reviews, I am pretty sure as a reader you can look at that for yourselves, but I will say this story sucked me in and didn't let go. Book 2 is already available for pre-order and thank goodness! I have warned about the evil Susan Harris cliffhanger before, but I have never had a Kirkus review throw out the same response. This cliffhanger, in their words, "is gruesome", and I would say that is 100% accurate.
With new vampire lore, blended with aspects vampire lovers are familiar with, Susan does an excellent job introducing both this new world and the extremely vibrant characters that reside there. Never afraid to have a strong heroine lead, Ryan is particularly fabulous with her quippy comebacks hiding her beautifully broken past.
And easy 5 stars from me and this is 100% Melanie's Muses Certified!
May 21, 2020
Holy smokes! I don't even know where to begin! Susan Harris has taken vampires to a whole new level. Her lore and the backstory of this vampire world is nothing like any other. The characters, the emotions, the badassery (I'm aware that's not a real word but I can't think of any other way to describe her) of Ryan blends perfectly. This was brilliant, original, wonderful beginning to a series I already can't get enough of. I have zero doubts any vampire/supernatural fan will become absolutely enamored with not just this book but a few of the characters as well. It ends on one heck of a cliffhanger but this sucks you in immediately so you'll be wanting more before you even get there.
*Luckily book 2 comes out later this year.
*Luckily book 2 comes out later this year.
May 21, 2020
This is my first book of Susan Harris. I really enjoyed Ryan's character and her kick ass attitude. Can't wait to read the next book. I'm thinking I need to go check out some of her other books while I wait for the second book to come out.
May 23, 2020
Awesome start to a new series. This book will keep you on the edge of your seat until the very end. The second book is available for preorder (thank Eve). Ryan is an awesome new character. If your looking for a book series with a kick ass vampire and supernatural goodies and pop culture references this is the series for you
June 2, 2020
I love this book. What a fresh new look on vampires! Ryan is the absolute best, but oh, how awsome is Krista. Great story, great characters. Can't wait to read the second part.
October 20, 2020
I'm in the minority. I like the concept of this book, tragedy makes you work hard to achieve a goal that most could not achieve. But when that goal and hard work is a means to an end? She made a promise to live to her dad and that's the only reason why she is even functioning? It drove me crazy that all this book can talk about is the tragedy that happened to the MC. We get it the first and the third time. But it's so repetitive that it was annoying and instead of feeling empathy for the MC, I just want to slap her. I found her to be whinny and bratty. What happened to her parents was part of their job and it was honorable. She grew up knowing what they did and the hazards of it all. she was even being trained to be one at such an early age. The tragedy is being left alone, but she chose to continue to isolate herself despite the fact that there are people that constantly try to show her kindness. Yes, she had it bad with the training group but it was also her attitude that brought that on. She blames other people for bad things that happen instead of realizing that she put herself in that situation. She played with fire and dragged her friend into her world and then blames someone else because "you made me make friends". Ah...he didn't make you, it was suggested to you since in the end, the mission is to assimilate with the humans. Which by the way, was her suggestion. I feel like the author made her unlikable for me, painted her as a hateful and bitter person. My favorite parts are the times she is in a hateful banter with Nattie.
August 18, 2020
Didn't really care for the main character.... she wasn't very likable.
August 6, 2020
The best way to describe Ryan Callan is in her own words: “I am not a princess who needs saving. I am the knight who rides in to save the day.” This proves true time and time again as Ryan saves Nickolai and fights every threat aimed his way. She is never a victim, never a damsel in distress. She’s been dealt an extremely unfair hand; life never gets easier or goes her way. But she keeps going, she never gives up.
Ryan won my heart from the first page. She’s bitter, broken, all sharp edges and sharper wit. She brings a dark twist to the YA genre and puts a fresh spin on the vampire sector that is desperately needed! The book handles some darker themes sensitively while providing a message of always having something to fight for.
I really like the vampire lore in this world. Especially that vampires are restricted to moving around only under the cover of night without there being any workarounds. So Ryan and Nickolai have to plan their human world adventures in accordance with the sun’s schedule, which I found refreshing (looking at you Twilight and Vampire Diaries). Additionally (looking at you again, Twilight and Vampire Diaries) I love the fact that vampires are not slaves to their bloodlust. Ryan craves it but she won’t go overboard, and they can be around humans without losing their minds. Reading this made me so happy! My main gripe with most popularised vampire fiction is the workarounds authors come up with for the traditional curses of sunlight and bloodlust etc. But Chaos Theory doesn’t tangle with these problems; instead it comes up with much more interesting problems for the vampires to grapple with.
I love a lot of things about this book but there were a couple of things which grated on me while I was reading. One downfall of this book – and many others within the YA genre – is the stereotype of the ‘mean girl’ character. In Chaos Theory, this role is filled by Nattie and the ‘Heathers’: characters who exist only to be mean and provide conflict with Ryan for no reason other than Ryan needs to be firmly established as an outcast by all other vampires. The reason provided in text for Nattie’s hate of Ryan is that Ryan missed one of her birthday parties when they were younger – a reason very familiar to me, because I have seen it many times before.
Life in the vampire court feels underdeveloped compared to life away from the court, where Ryan and Nickolai can really be themselves. I’d like to see the vampire court and all their rules and tradition explored more in the next book, as the concept of Ryan bringing down the patriarchy has me very intrigued – but, to really capture my attention the side of the ‘patriarchy’ (i.e. the male vampires at court) need to be more developed than simply hating Ryan and everything she does just because she’s a girl who doesn’t conform.
Nevertheless, the book is written engagingly and it is YA vampire fiction. Despite the tropes it reminded me of why I like the genre in the first place. Vampires are such an interesting and complex species to write about and I truly think this author does something different with it than a lot of the tired old vampire clichés that everyone is fed up of re-hashing. There’s a lot of potential with this series!
Now, I have to mention the romance between Ryan and Nickolai. It crackled from every page and the sexual tension mounts as the story progresses without taking over the plot completely. The conversation and banter flows extremely well and they have a lot of chemistry. It’s a constant will they, won’t they, written very well and really bringing both characters alive inside a plot which holds up on its own but is enhanced by the romance.
That reminds me of another thing I love about Ryan: she has so much personality bursting on every page. She exists beyond romance, falling in love is not her only job. She has feelings, fears, anger, motivation, ambition, and a whole life outside of Nickolai. I can’t describe how much I love this about her! She really is a person, not just a character.
For the last third of the book I was rooted to the sofa, unable to put it down. The sexual tension between Ryan and Nickolai is unbearable and the fast-paced writing is brilliant. I couldn’t tell where it was going, with twists and turns that took my breath away and left me staring at the page not wanting to do anything else with my life after I finished it.
The plot wasn’t at all predictable – I was kept guessing the whole way through, and I did not expect it to end the way it did. I love a book that keeps me on my toes and makes me feel all the feels, which Chaos Theory certainly did. The ending chilled me to the bone, a brilliant cliff-hanger that’s made me a fast fan. I need to know what’s going to happen next!
The writing is excellent and I truly cannot wait for the second book in the series.
Ryan won my heart from the first page. She’s bitter, broken, all sharp edges and sharper wit. She brings a dark twist to the YA genre and puts a fresh spin on the vampire sector that is desperately needed! The book handles some darker themes sensitively while providing a message of always having something to fight for.
I really like the vampire lore in this world. Especially that vampires are restricted to moving around only under the cover of night without there being any workarounds. So Ryan and Nickolai have to plan their human world adventures in accordance with the sun’s schedule, which I found refreshing (looking at you Twilight and Vampire Diaries). Additionally (looking at you again, Twilight and Vampire Diaries) I love the fact that vampires are not slaves to their bloodlust. Ryan craves it but she won’t go overboard, and they can be around humans without losing their minds. Reading this made me so happy! My main gripe with most popularised vampire fiction is the workarounds authors come up with for the traditional curses of sunlight and bloodlust etc. But Chaos Theory doesn’t tangle with these problems; instead it comes up with much more interesting problems for the vampires to grapple with.
I love a lot of things about this book but there were a couple of things which grated on me while I was reading. One downfall of this book – and many others within the YA genre – is the stereotype of the ‘mean girl’ character. In Chaos Theory, this role is filled by Nattie and the ‘Heathers’: characters who exist only to be mean and provide conflict with Ryan for no reason other than Ryan needs to be firmly established as an outcast by all other vampires. The reason provided in text for Nattie’s hate of Ryan is that Ryan missed one of her birthday parties when they were younger – a reason very familiar to me, because I have seen it many times before.
Life in the vampire court feels underdeveloped compared to life away from the court, where Ryan and Nickolai can really be themselves. I’d like to see the vampire court and all their rules and tradition explored more in the next book, as the concept of Ryan bringing down the patriarchy has me very intrigued – but, to really capture my attention the side of the ‘patriarchy’ (i.e. the male vampires at court) need to be more developed than simply hating Ryan and everything she does just because she’s a girl who doesn’t conform.
Nevertheless, the book is written engagingly and it is YA vampire fiction. Despite the tropes it reminded me of why I like the genre in the first place. Vampires are such an interesting and complex species to write about and I truly think this author does something different with it than a lot of the tired old vampire clichés that everyone is fed up of re-hashing. There’s a lot of potential with this series!
Now, I have to mention the romance between Ryan and Nickolai. It crackled from every page and the sexual tension mounts as the story progresses without taking over the plot completely. The conversation and banter flows extremely well and they have a lot of chemistry. It’s a constant will they, won’t they, written very well and really bringing both characters alive inside a plot which holds up on its own but is enhanced by the romance.
That reminds me of another thing I love about Ryan: she has so much personality bursting on every page. She exists beyond romance, falling in love is not her only job. She has feelings, fears, anger, motivation, ambition, and a whole life outside of Nickolai. I can’t describe how much I love this about her! She really is a person, not just a character.
For the last third of the book I was rooted to the sofa, unable to put it down. The sexual tension between Ryan and Nickolai is unbearable and the fast-paced writing is brilliant. I couldn’t tell where it was going, with twists and turns that took my breath away and left me staring at the page not wanting to do anything else with my life after I finished it.
The plot wasn’t at all predictable – I was kept guessing the whole way through, and I did not expect it to end the way it did. I love a book that keeps me on my toes and makes me feel all the feels, which Chaos Theory certainly did. The ending chilled me to the bone, a brilliant cliff-hanger that’s made me a fast fan. I need to know what’s going to happen next!
The writing is excellent and I truly cannot wait for the second book in the series.
May 31, 2020
All vampire legends are turned on their heads as this heroine takes her broken life and heart, and learns to wield them as deadly weapons.
Ryan is a seventeen-year-old vampire, who is as determined and deadly as they come. Her mother and father died as personal guards of the King and Queen, and she will continue to fulfill their responsibilities and join the Royal Guard...even if she's only the second female vampire ever to accomplish this feat (her mother being the first). But as tough as her exterior is, she's shattered beyond repair inside. When the Crown Prince is sent on a mission among the humans in hopes of finding a way to save the slowly dying vampire race, Ryan is forced to watch over him. But what she saw as simple guard duty suddenly turns into not only a battle for life and death, but hidden secrets unfold, which might be enough to end them all.
The minute I saw the cover, I wanted to get my hands on this book, and I'm glad I did. It's been awhile since I've hit a vampire read, and this one wasn't only refreshing but held me in the pages from beginning to end.
Ryan has a very troubled past and carries the baggage around to the point where her personality is so harsh, she borders are being annoying . But there's a spark of justice and longing in her, which make her hard not to root for...and eventually like quite a bit. She is a tough, kick-butt heroine, who can more than hold her own in any fight. While this isn't usually my favorite character type, the fact that she's a vampire with super strength made it, at least, easier to swallow. But then, it is fun to have her fly through those action scenes, and there are plenty of those.
While Ryan's big problem lies in trying to accept her past and find away to live again, the plot rushes along on its own, quick-paced path. There are vampire attacks, murder, mystery and tons of secrets waiting in the shadows—all those things a vampire novel should have. But this one also packs a bit of royal drama, beginning romance, and a little college drama, making it a nice fit for the young adult audience, who likes a building, teenage romance to flow along with the harder action. (Also, trigger warning: there is also the beginnings of a possible rape scene, but only the start, and there aren't any graphic moments.)
While the entire book builds and hints at an exciting and deep evil intrigue in the future series, the ending seals it with a bang. This part came very unexpected, and if I had thought that the drama aspects might be getting a little thick, the last scenes made it clear that there is much more excitement to come. And not a subtle kind.
Ryan is a seventeen-year-old vampire, who is as determined and deadly as they come. Her mother and father died as personal guards of the King and Queen, and she will continue to fulfill their responsibilities and join the Royal Guard...even if she's only the second female vampire ever to accomplish this feat (her mother being the first). But as tough as her exterior is, she's shattered beyond repair inside. When the Crown Prince is sent on a mission among the humans in hopes of finding a way to save the slowly dying vampire race, Ryan is forced to watch over him. But what she saw as simple guard duty suddenly turns into not only a battle for life and death, but hidden secrets unfold, which might be enough to end them all.
The minute I saw the cover, I wanted to get my hands on this book, and I'm glad I did. It's been awhile since I've hit a vampire read, and this one wasn't only refreshing but held me in the pages from beginning to end.
Ryan has a very troubled past and carries the baggage around to the point where her personality is so harsh, she borders are being annoying . But there's a spark of justice and longing in her, which make her hard not to root for...and eventually like quite a bit. She is a tough, kick-butt heroine, who can more than hold her own in any fight. While this isn't usually my favorite character type, the fact that she's a vampire with super strength made it, at least, easier to swallow. But then, it is fun to have her fly through those action scenes, and there are plenty of those.
While Ryan's big problem lies in trying to accept her past and find away to live again, the plot rushes along on its own, quick-paced path. There are vampire attacks, murder, mystery and tons of secrets waiting in the shadows—all those things a vampire novel should have. But this one also packs a bit of royal drama, beginning romance, and a little college drama, making it a nice fit for the young adult audience, who likes a building, teenage romance to flow along with the harder action. (Also, trigger warning: there is also the beginnings of a possible rape scene, but only the start, and there aren't any graphic moments.)
While the entire book builds and hints at an exciting and deep evil intrigue in the future series, the ending seals it with a bang. This part came very unexpected, and if I had thought that the drama aspects might be getting a little thick, the last scenes made it clear that there is much more excitement to come. And not a subtle kind.
August 31, 2020
At first when I started this book I thought it would be a just a simple read to pass the time, of course it's never that easy. I was hooked and pulled into from about page 2. The strong characteristics of the main character pulled me in and her snarky hilarious attitude contributed to her being a very dimension character. The other characters are just as strong and dimensional as she is which made the story enjoyable. If you like a strong female lead, hilarious commentary and the push and pull of trying to figure out life all the while trying to not die in the process, this book is for you. Of course this book is about the Supernatural and specifically about Vampires. Although in my opinion this is in my top 5 of best Supernatural books in the genre. If you like Supernatural books you will not be disappointed if you give this a go.
April 30, 2021
The story started off long winded. I feel bad for the main lead who feels so alone and out of place in her existence. She carves out a small place for herself and is content to stay isolated from her kind. Her peers treat her like a social pariah. The adults think she's a mess. All she wants is to be seen as strong.
Her first official assignment as Royal Guard trainee is to be the Crown Prince's shadow, his bodyguard, and follow him to the human university to interact and blend in with the humans. Through him, she sees a glimpse what a normal teenage/college life could be. To have friends, to have fun, to be free of duty, and royalties, and live for herself.
Her first official assignment as Royal Guard trainee is to be the Crown Prince's shadow, his bodyguard, and follow him to the human university to interact and blend in with the humans. Through him, she sees a glimpse what a normal teenage/college life could be. To have friends, to have fun, to be free of duty, and royalties, and live for herself.
August 3, 2023
Wow, this Title truly fits this read!!
The characters are remarkable and I enjoyed getting to know this new bunch of characters in this new world that was created.
The storyline was incredible!! Harris has a way of telling her stories to make you continue to want to read and find out what will happen next. A great read that has drawn me in and needing book two ASAP!! I highly recommend this book!!
The characters are remarkable and I enjoyed getting to know this new bunch of characters in this new world that was created.
The storyline was incredible!! Harris has a way of telling her stories to make you continue to want to read and find out what will happen next. A great read that has drawn me in and needing book two ASAP!! I highly recommend this book!!
May 24, 2020
This is amazing!
I have been a reader of Vampire books a long time. Some are great some eh, some as in this one take on bits of real life historical people and add an original way for why and how the Vampires exist. I love it. And let's hurry with the next one uz dammit Susan is the queen of cliff hangers!
I have been a reader of Vampire books a long time. Some are great some eh, some as in this one take on bits of real life historical people and add an original way for why and how the Vampires exist. I love it. And let's hurry with the next one uz dammit Susan is the queen of cliff hangers!
October 2, 2020
A wonderful, well written book
This is a different kind of vampire novel. Vampires are not turned, they're born from full blooded vampires.
And that is part of the problem. Because of new technologies, it is harder to get a meal, except for rogues.
Ryan's parents were killed when she was seven, defending the Queen and King. This is her story at 23 yo.
This is a different kind of vampire novel. Vampires are not turned, they're born from full blooded vampires.
And that is part of the problem. Because of new technologies, it is harder to get a meal, except for rogues.
Ryan's parents were killed when she was seven, defending the Queen and King. This is her story at 23 yo.
May 30, 2020
I read this book in 1 1/2 days. I couldn't put it down. The characters drew me in. I was on the edge of my seat wondering what was going to happen next. Susan Harris has never let me down. A wonderful author. All her books are worth the read.
August 17, 2020
Read by Shon
Solid 4 Star Read!
Nice start to a new series.
Just from reading the blurb I knew I was going to love this story.
It has been a very long time since I picked up a YA.
Some books just grab you, pull you into their story and you just can’t put it down until you know how it ends.
Solid 4 Star Read!
Nice start to a new series.
Just from reading the blurb I knew I was going to love this story.
It has been a very long time since I picked up a YA.
Some books just grab you, pull you into their story and you just can’t put it down until you know how it ends.
October 26, 2020
Excellent book
I have already purchased the second book in the series and will start reading it after I post this review. Very, very good story, and I live the characters. You have me hooked!
I have already purchased the second book in the series and will start reading it after I post this review. Very, very good story, and I live the characters. You have me hooked!
May 22, 2020
Can't wait for book 2
Love it. Ryan is a complete badass with a broken heart but Nikolai sees the real her. Állainn ar fad.
Love it. Ryan is a complete badass with a broken heart but Nikolai sees the real her. Állainn ar fad.
August 19, 2020
OMG loves this book and can’t wait to read the next one❤️❤️❤️
January 10, 2021
Loved it cant wait to read the rest of the series
May 22, 2021
TW: sexual assault
November 2, 2022
This is one I just couldn't put down.
August 1, 2021
Exactly what I needed. The story is romantic and fierce. I lived every line and I found myself in Ryan more than I thoughed. Cant wait to read the next one.
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews