Book Review: Blood Crave

Blood Crave (Blood on the Moon #3)

By: Jennifer Knight

Published By: Running Press Kids

Publication Date: August 2012

Page Count: 496

Buy it at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or IndieBound

Source: Kindly Provided by Publisher

Audience: Young Adult/New Adult - Paranormal Romance/Urban Fantasy

Read my review of Book #1: Blood on the Moon

Blood Crave picks up right where Blood on the Moon left off. I really appreciated the lack of downtime because of the cliffhanger in the previous book. I was anxious to find out what happened to one of my favorite characters. This edition still had the "Twilight Goes to College" feel to it, but again there was something compelling enough to keep me flipping the pages. I love the werewolves and the politics surrounding the pack; the scenes in Gould were some of my favorite aspects of the book. Also, I adore Lucas. He is truly what makes this series in my opinion.

There are so many things I want to say about this book, but I didn't want to spoil anyone who hasn't read book one. Some MAJOR things happen to a few characters. Every time things seem to calm down, Knight throws another curve ball into the mix. Furthermore, the ending of this one left me so frustrated that I threw the book. Knight is a master of the cliff hanger. I cannot believe that this one ended the way it did - yet again - another major character's life hangs in the balance. I can only hope there is another book. I need resolution.

This installment also steps up the conflict quite a bit. The wolves are still trying to figure out what the vampires are up to and Faith is learning more about her ability as an empath; throw in some typical college drama, a love triangle, and some steamy romance and you walk away with an entertaining read. However, I do think it needs to be said that even though this is billed as a YA book, it reads more like a New Adult book in my opinion. The level of intimacy, drug use, and profanity isn't what I would recommend to younger teen readers. These characters are in college and their actions and words fit that age group, but I felt compelled to mention that fact.

One of my biggest complaints about this series is Faith. I want to like her and every time she convinces me to give her a chance, she turns around and does something irrational or stupid. You can't tell me one minute you're heartbroken over one guy and then start making out with another one. I don't care how conflicted you are - that is not reality - or its not my reality. Perhaps that is the true crux of the situation - I don't see anything of myself in Faith so I cannot relate to her. I often find myself wishing that Derek or Lucas would take over the narration. Since these novels are written in first person perspective I can't escape Faith's thoughts. She does have some redeemable qualities and I think she has massive potential to be a strong female protagonist; I just would like to see more consistency and rationale thinking develop in her character. 

In the end, I liked this one, but I didn't love it. I felt like the middle dragged on and on. I found myself zoning out during vampire sections and craving more time with Lucas and the wolves. I just don't find these vampires to be intriguing; they are just villains who serve no other purpose than to be bad guys. There was a little too much Volturi and Sookie Stackhouse moments for me to take them seriously. I don't think these allusions are anything that Knight is doing on purpose, but it is hard for me to not make those leaps when I have read so many paranormal novels. It is hard to put a totally new spin on this genre and I applaud Knight's efforts; I would just like to see her break free of the typical paranormal mold in the future. There is so much potential lurking in her writing and characters. I feel like it doesn't get the chance to shine when the typical plot devices continue to make appearances. The last chapter of this one took me completely by surprise - I want more of this sort of writing in the future. It was full of conflict, drama, and description; I liked that I didn't predict this outcome at all. I do feel that Knight's writing is stronger in Blood Crave than it was in Blood on the Moon; I am looking forward to watching her grow as a writer.

I would recommend this book to fans of werewolves, paranormal romance, and to anyone whose dreaming of a hot male lead to keep them company on these long, cold winter nights. This is the perfect time of year to dive into this series.

One Last Gripe: I hate that terms, like Blood Bitches and Bloodies, are used frequently. I can't help rolling my eyes and wondering why these terms were chosen. They just seem trite to me and I feel that they disrupt the flow of my reading.

My Favorite Thing About This Book: The evolution of Lucas

First Sentence: It starts with heat.

Favorite Character: Lucas

Least Favorite Character: Rolf

Summary:

Headstrong heroine Faith Reynolds returns in this thrilling sequel to the paranormal romance Blood on the Moon!

After surviving being kidnapped by a vampire, Faith would just love to focus on some alone time with her hot (though occasionally furry) boyfriend, Lucas. Unfortunately, with a vampire uprising on the horizon and her best friend, Derek, about to wake up and find himself transformed into a half-werewolf, half-vampire being without a beating heart, Faith has a few other things to take care of first.

Faith is not without help, in the form of her newfound powers of sensing people’s emotions and being able to influence werewolves’ actions, not to mention her begrudging but rather helpful boyfriend. Even so, convincing a werewolf packmaster to prepare for an epic battle may be difficult to do without solid evidence.

Lose yourself once more in the deliciously suspenseful world of werewolves versus vampires, otherworldly boys with deadly charm, and addictive, spine-tingling action and romance!