story craft

Reasons to love:

-gifted heroes/heroines
-bonded animals
-mythical creatures
-darkness vs. light
-prophecy
-chosen one
-good vs. evil
-soulmates
-found family
-reluctant hero

Themes: love, sacrifice, forgiveness, choice

Cautions: no foul language; as a fantasy with themes of good versus evil, there’s a lot of violence and darkness in this book; hand-holding, a few semi-passionate kisses, and one scene depicts a villain’s intent toward sexual assault.

Format: Paperback

Genre: YA Fantasy

Main Characters: Jayden, Ethan, Ryan, Logan, Selena, Rebekah, Connor, Quinn, Anna, Kinsey, Wren, Chloe, Idla, The Mistress of Shadows, Beladonna, General Balton, Scarface, Westwind, Scout, Melanie, Gavril, Morgan, Madison, Dash, Zephyr, Stormcloud, Tessa 

Scarlet Moon (Book 1)

My rating: 4.8 out of 5 stars

My Take: The purpose God has for us is bigger than we dare to hope. Even when we don’t understand His action (or seeming inaction) we can trust what we know. And when we don’t, we can lean on the people He has placed around us to help us remember and believe.

Amber Eyes (Book 2)

My rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Favorite Quote: “There’s always hope if you look for it.”

My Take:  What we want can sometimes get in the way of our God given purpose, which is more fulfilling and wonderful than we might think at first glance. But when we fail—and we will—grace awaits, from God and those around us.

Black Blood (Book 3)

My rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Review: This book was my least favorite of the three, and it was still wonderful. Here we see the culmination of our heroes’ journeys and learn whether they’ll be successful or fail. I did love seeing how the characters grew, learned to forgive, stopped doubting themselves, and used their strengths to help others with their weaknesses. Of course, in this book, we see the romances that were only hints before blossom into full bloom, and that made my heart happy. These poor men and women deserved some happiness. I also loved Luc’s role in this book! He was a lovely surprise, as was Rebekah. I truly enjoyed the book and thought it wrapped up the story quite nicely. 

There were a couple of things that I struggled with—I think because I was so attached to the characters and the story at this point: (1) Several deaths came that seemed a little too quick, disproportionate with the kind of role the characters had played in the story. While they each served a purpose, I wish they’d felt a little less like someone needed to die at that point. (2) I don’t think I’m a fan of this in general, but the epilogue jumped seven years in the future, and I felt like that detracted from some of the magic of a story that already had a fabulous ending. 

All in all, I adored this series and definitely recommend checking it out!

Favorite Quote: “I hope I’m doing this right. . . . But I know that it’s my purpose. That I may want to doubt myself, but when I doubt myself, I doubt the Creator’s purpose. I believe he knows better than I do.” Quinn (page 183)

My Take:  What we want can sometimes get in the way of our God-given purpose, which is more fulfilling and wonderful than we might think at first glance. But when we fail—and we will—grace awaits, from God and those around us.