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Author Reviews
Blood Moon
Dawn Thompson
ISBN-10: 0505526808
Love Spell, March 2007, 384 pp
England/Moldovia 1811
$6.99 US $9.99 Canada
Reviewed by Teresa
December 2006
From the opening scene in BLOOD MOON we are introduced to St. John Hyde-White, and quickly learn that he has been infected by a vampire and can shape shift into the form of a large black wolf. We also discover that Cassandra Thorpe, the woman he loves, has also been infected and that he is racing to meet her.
The rest of the novel moves quickly as Jon and Cassandra must keep one step ahead of the sinister vampire Sebastian, who will stop at nothing to destroy Jon and his beloved wife. They travel from England to Moldovia in search of answers to their cursed existence. After a narrow escape from angry villagers, they find an ally in the mysterious Milosh.
Jon and Cassandra are frightened fledglings and have almost no understanding of what they have become. They only know that they are able to tolerate the sun (though they become lethargic) and both have the ability to transform into animals, and they must feed on blood to survive. Their blood lust becomes hard to deny, especially when it comes to each other. Each having tasted the blood of the other, only their mate's blood will satisfy their hunger.
BLOOD MOON is a grippingly tense novel. The protagonists are being hunted throughout the novel, and each encounter with the grotesque Sebastian only adds to the intensity of the story. It is very reminiscent of Bram Stoker's Dracula, the hunter and the hunted, until a climactic battle near the end where it isn’t made quite clear if the villain has survived or not.
I was completely engrossed in this novel, I really felt for Jon and Cassandra, what should have been a normal and happy life together, was turned into something that neither one of them could have predicted. They did the best they could, and although they might have wanted to, they never gave up. They continued to fight and to learn to accept that the life they wanted will forever be out of reach. We get to see how each of them felt about their conditions and see them struggle with their inner turmoil.
The secondary characters were singular as well. The enigmatic Milosh; who helped the couple in their time of need, provided much insight into the myths and legends of vampires, while helping Jon and Cassandra to better understand what was happening to them. He was a great addition to an already fascinating tale. Sebastian was also an intriguing character, hideously vile and with a dogged determination to finish the nightmare that he had begun. The blood moon ritual was yet another facet of this fully rounded tale that I found particularly interesting.
BLOOD MOON was an impressive and evocative novel, Dawn Thompson's exquisite prose brought to life the lush Moldovian surroundings, from the mountainous terrain to the succulent flora and fauna that grew in the countryside. I felt as if I too were right there traveling through dark forests and exploring Sebastian's chilling castle. Blood Moon was a frightening, enthralling and stirringly erotic novel. I thoroughly recommend it to anyone who is not looking for a typical vampire novel. It is the first novel in a series, and I look forward to continuing the exhilarating journey.