Customer Reviews

Crimson Shadows

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

"Crimson Shadows," the third book by Trisha Baker featuring the characters Simon Baldevar and his consort/wife, Meghann O'Neill mainly revolves around the lives of of their twins, Elizabeth and Mikal. Elizabeth is the mortal, loving, and normal child while Mikal is an evil vampire-born creature that is the realization of the philosopher's stone. Simon originally got Meghann pregnant to produce the philosopher's stone knowing that this vampire child would be able to walk in daylight and possess powers that other vampires could only dream of possessing.

There is a lot of violence, mainly on the account of Mikal and his desire to seek and destroy his family starting with Simon, but there is also a lot of love shared between the other characters. While this book was not as exciting as the previous two, there was much action and suspense. The book also showed Simon, a ruthless killer in the previous books, as a loving father, whose heart had been so hardened, softened to a degree when the lives of his daughter, wife, and friends were in jeopardy.

I would highly recommend this book, especially to those who have read "Crimson Kiss" and "Crimson Night". "Crimson Shadows" is a good continuance of an incredible story with some surprises that will leave you shocked! I hope Trisha Baker continues with this series because she definitely leaves you wanting more and mores from these intriguing characters!!

A story of passion, murder, incest, and much more. A good read, and deffinitely a reccomendation for those who have read the first two, or those who are fans of the vampire erotica, a quickly rising class of books with a great mixture of romance and action.

The first chapter of the book lived up to my expectations. For the next 100 or so pages (even though it was well written) I was a little disappointed and sometimes bored with the story of Ellie & Jimmy because it lacked the same action and intensity as the first two books. I thought Crimson Shadows would pick up with the story of Meghann & Simon's twins Ellie & Mikhail. I would like to have known more about Mikhail's life as I read about Ellie & Jimmy. However, once the book focused on Mikhail, it was full speed ahead. Hair-raising horror -- I thoroughly enjoyed the second half of this book. Ms Baker has flair and style and inasmuch as this is the third book in the series, it is worth reading.

Well, I wouldn't give this book five stars, more like 4 and half, but since that isn't offered i decided to round up. I was thoroughly taken with this trilogy. When I first read Crimson Kisses, I couldn't decide if I should like Simon or hate him. But like Meghann, I was powerless against him and found myself desiring his character more and more.

In Crimson Shadows Simon and Meghann are reunited along with their daughter Elizabeth to do battle against their estranged son Mikhal. Unfortunately, not much is learned about Mikhal from his prespective which leaves much to be desired in terms of understanding how his mind works. However, of what is told, Mikhal is evil itself with no conscience. And the atrocities of the final scenes of the book should cast no doubt on who is the antagonist of the book.

But throughout the story are glimpses into the bond between Meghann and Simon and the powerful love they have for each other. I absolutely love the possession Simon has over Meghann and her sexual response to her mate.

I only wish this wasn't the end to a radically different kind of vampire story. The violence Trisha Baker brings to life in her stories, I think, truely reflect the violence that is being a vampire. Please keep on writing, I thirst for more!

While I didn't enjoy this book as much as the first two, I thought it was a nice way to tie up the trilogy. I did feel the ending was too rushed and would have liked another scene in the last chapter, to show Simon's remorse. It wasn't the story I expected, and I haven't decided if that's a good or bad thing. In the end, I felt Mikal came across as a bit too...pathetic...to be the villain of the piece. When you have an antagonist/protagonist as strongly portrayed as Simon Baldevar, he overshadows the other "bad guys".

If you've read Crimson Kiss and Crimson Night, you owe it to yourself to read Crimson Shadows. This book ties up enough loose ends that it could be the finale of a solid trilogy. But it leaves enough openings to continue the series (which I sincerely hope happens). The characters are well developed and believable. Mikal is just plain sick, twisted and evil - you'll love to hate him. Simon is still damaged goods, but he's learning to swallow his ever so abundant pride and chose his actions based on what's best for his family, not just proving his own strength and utter dominance. Meghann is stronger, less codependent. I loved this book and hope to see more from Trish Baker in the future.

Crimson Shadows concludes the love story between Simon Baldevar and Meghann O'Neill. It picks up eighteen years after the moment Simon and Meghann separated in order to keep their children safe. He to an isolated Highland island with their vampiric son Mikal and Meghann to New York to raise their human daughter, Elizabeth. Unfortunately Simon can't save their son and Mikal leaves home, going on a murderous rampage. He engages in a cat and mouse game with his parents and delights in taunting his mother and sister at every turn.

Despite the darkness both mother and father feel in Mikal, they think he'll get better in time. Unfortunately, he doesn't. In fact, Simon has an MRI done on Mikal and it shows the boy has no sense of right or wrong, nor any sense of pleasure or pain. He's a sociopath in every sense of the word. One second he's reading children's books and the next he's trying to kill his father. Herein lies one of the problems. Trisha Baker doesn't give Mikal any emotional depth, no reason for his actions or unreasonable hatred towards his family. If it was hinted at that he was angry because his mother abandoned him and jealous of his twin sister for the happy life she has led, I would have understood. Even Simon and Meghann fear that that would be his natural reaction. But there doesn't seem to be any rhyme or reason for his hate. It's just the eye rolling childish anger aimed at parent from child. At one point when Mikal is bragging to his father about his exploits, he actually pouts when he doesn't get enough awe. Mikal was just a one dimensional character that I didn't feel for at all. I was still surprised when he crossed that indefinable line though. Trisha Baker hadn't shown he was irredeemable in the beginning, before he goes insane. Even Simon was thought to be irredeemable and look what a pussycat he turned out to be. But when Mikal started using some pretty disgusting methods for humiliating his twin sister, that about made me retch. I guess physical and emotional abuse doesn't bother me because it didn't stop me from absolutely loving the first two books but throw in a little incest and I start heaving all over the place. Jimmy Delacroix was also a character I could have done without. His constant protestations that Simon was brainwashing Meghann was getting damned old, as was his childish name calling when he catches the reunited lovers in bed together. It flirts with Jimmy being TSTL. While I'm complaining, Meghann annoyed me too. Anytime something goes wrong she blames Simon. Sure, he's a bad guy and he is to blame for a myriad of problems but it smacks too much of the hysterical, capricious heroine who shrieks, "I hate you, I love you!" Simon just blames her tempestuous Irish temper, but for someone who is almost a hundred years old, she acts like a brat. Even Alcuin chastises her.

Still, I loved when Simon was reunited with his daughter and with Meghann. It was such a shame that he missed out on Elizabeth's childhood when it's known he's wanted a child for almost five hundred years. Especially when his time with Mikal was such a failure. Also Simon and Meghann's reunion was very passionate! Simon is still the best thing about the Crimson series though he seems subdued here. Some of that charisma is missing, as is the larger than life personality.

I would still continue reading if Trisha Baker wrote more books in the Crimson line. I think the first two books were absolutely magnificent and I'm sure that's hard to live up to. It's just this book dealt in subject matter that's abhorrent to me. I know other people have liked this book and despite the taboos, I liked the book too, if only for the conclusion and Simon. It would be interesting if Trisha did continue, where would she take Simon? I can only wish I could read more.

I was really shocked at just how bad this book was. I wasn't too happy about the pregnancy from the get go. It's a trite and cheap plot trick. But I thought Bakers would do something interesting with it as her previous books had been so enjoyable. Boy, was I wrong.

What in the hell? Simon and Megan are barely together. And when they finally are, it feels like they're cousins up there. The emotion was just sucked right out of this book and all the characters. Which is what made M fall flat as an antagonist. You can't make someone be evil just for the sake of being evil.

End the series with Crimson Night. You'll be happier for it.

hi, i thought this book was great eventho i have not read the others in the series. this book seemed to carry me to the end of the book. :( i was sad when Crimson Shadows ended. it was a great book that i will never forget. i am what you would call a vampire addict i cannot stop reading books about them. this is the best one i have read yet. that is saying something:).

This book was great, but the two of the characters, Jimmy and Ellie, were so annoying after a while. Jimmy is such a cry-baby and Ellie is so fake. She's a typical "I could do no wrong and I'm such and angel, but I'm really a total slut." By the end of the book, I was wishing Mikal would do mankind a favor and do them both in.