Book Review: Crusade by Nancy Holder and Debbie Viguie

 
Crusade by Nancy Holder and Debbie Viguie

Publisher: The EDGE

Publish Date: September 7, 2010

Hardcover, 240 pages
Young Adult Paranormal

My Review:
Why I read this: The title, the blurb for the book, and the cover all three sucked me in and no I have read the Wicked books yet, but I have them.


How is the novel driven:  This one is mainly event/action/plot-driven, but there is some character-development as well.



My thoughts: Honestly, I had a hard time getting into this one at first, but once I caught on to the society and how things worked and what was going on I was able to get into it.  It's an interesting premise, a group trained to kill vampires even as society as a whole is starting to embrace vampires.

The characters were interesting, this book focuses on Jenn, I'm not sure if future books will focus on the others, or she will remain a main character.  Jenn feels she is the weakest of the group she is a part of and really has no self-confidence.  Then she has to return home for her beloved grandfather's funeral, and what awaits her at her home is not what she expected.  Things go crazy and Jenn is just trying to stay alive until she can meet back up with her group and find her sister.

After the world-building is set up the book starts to speed along, though at times I thought it felt a little choppy.  No matter that, it is still an entertaining book.  One I would recommend, but not one I'm shouting from the rooftops.

If you enjoy a different take on vampires where they can be bad guys and where an elite group hunts them, then give this book a try.  I think the series has promise so I will be checking out the next one as well.


My Rating: 3.75/5.0

About the Book:
The ultimate battle. The ultimate love.

For the past two years, Jenn has lived and trained at Spain’s Sacred Heart Academy Against the Cursed Ones. She is among the few who have pledged to defend humanity or die trying. But the vampires are gaining power, and the battle has only just begun.

Forced to return home after death takes a member of her family, Jenn discovers that San Francisco is now a vampire strong-hold. As a lone hunter apart from her team, Jenn is isolated—and at risk. She craves the company of her fighting partner, Antonio: his protection, his reassurance, his touch. But a relationship with Antonio comes with its own dangers, and the more they share of themselves, the more Jenn stands to lose.

Then Jenn is betrayed by one who was once bound to protect her, causing her to doubt all she had held as true. To survive, Jenn must find the courage to trust herself—and her heart.


About the Author:
Nancy Holder has published sixty books and more than two hundred short stories. She has received four Bram Stoker awards for fiction from the Horror Writers Association, and her books have been translated into more than two dozen languages. She has written or cowritten twenty Buffy and Angel projects. Her books from Simon Pulse include the New York Times bestselling series Wicked and the novel The Rose Bride. A graduate of the University of California at San Diego, Nancy is currently a writing teacher at the school. She lives in San Diego with her daughter, Belle, and their growing assortment of pets. Visit her at nancyholder.com.

Debbie Viguié has been writing for most of her life and holds a degree in creative writing from U.C. Davis. Debbie loves theme parks and has worked at both Knott's Berry Farm and Disneyland in California. When Debbie is not busy writing she enjoys traveling with her husband Scott. Debbie grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area and now lives in Florida.

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Debbie's webpage
Crusade's fan page on Facebook


FTC Information: I received this book through Book It Forward Tours for review.  I have Amazon links on my review pages but I do not make any money from these because of NC laws.  I put them solely for people to check out the books on a retail site.