Customer Reviews

Under the Blood Red Moon

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

 

 

I had never read this type of book before and really didn't think it would be my kind of thing but I was completely wrong!! This book had none of the stereotypical ideas about Vampires - no fear of garlic and sunlight and drinking human blood is distinctly taboo. The book is set in the early 1870's in London and it is obvious that the author extensively researched the time period which is definitely to the book's credit. The plot is fast paced and there is a really good twist at the end (never saw that one coming!). On the whole this is a pacy, well written and interesting novel and one which I would defibitely recommend. I am looking forward to more of the same from this author.

Princess Angelica Shelton Belanov would much rather be hiding away in the library of her family's English country estate than mingling with London society. But she needs to find a husband fast, so she reluctantly attends balls and other society gatherings, a chore made more difficult because of her ability to hear the thoughts of others. She thinks she is unique until she meets Prince Alexander Kourakin who can also read minds. There is an immediate attraction between the two, but Alexander has no time for love - he is the leader of a vampire clan and is hunting both a rogue vampire and a vampire slayer. Angelica and Alexander seem to be made for each other, but will circumstances keep them apart?

"Under the Blood Red Moon" is a historical romance novel with a nice twist. Set in the Victorian era, author Mina Hepsen does a nice job of capturing that era - a period of time when the only goal for women was to find a husband and produce an heir. Angelica is a strong heroine - intelligent, tormented by her ability to read people's minds, and very protective of her brother Mikhail who is not healthy. Alexander is a strong hero - as leader of the vampire clan he knows his love for Angelica is forbidden since he must marry another vampire and have a vampire baby in order for his clan to continue. He is still torn by the death of his sister years ago and determined to save his people from the slayer. The paranormal elements are well done with Hepsen doing some tweaking of the vampire myth -I loved her explanation of how vampires have been able to live among humans and escape detection all these years. There are some genuine thrilling moments in the book, especially towards the end, that will keep readers turning the pages to find out what happens next.

For the most part "Under the Blood Red Moon" is a well-written and engrossing novel. However, there were a few things I didn't like about the book. Angelica habit of quoting authors while talking to people got old fast. While trying to figure out the identity of the slayer is one of the fun parts of the book for readers, there is a major red herring about one of the characters that is never fully resolved. Angelica's Aunt tells her an important piece of information that, while crucial to the plot, comes far too late in the book and is awkwardly inserted - it should have been foreshadowed more. Finally, the ending seemed abrupt to me.

Despite some flaws, "Under the Blood Red Moon" is a nicely done historical romance with a unique twist.

In 1871 half Russian Princess Angelica Belanov detests going to parties, events, or anything with crowds because of her ability to hear what people think. The chatter is overwhelming her mind; her preference is to avoid society and hide at her Russian father's English estate reading a book. However, with the family fortune in jeopardy with the disappearance of three ships they own, she is in London with her brother Prince Mikhail seeking a wealthy spouse. However, the silent noise from others is driving her crazy.

Also in London is the head of the Eastern Vampire Clans Prince Alexander, who is on the trail of a serial killing vampire Sergey; he and his clans and those of the Northern Clans worry about their species dwindling numbers and Sergey exposing them to humans. When Alexander meets Angelica, they telepathically communicate. He assumes she is a vampire like him, but soon realizes she is a mortal. As she learns he is vampire, they fall in love with Servey and an ally stalking them.

Readers will fully enjoy this exciting paranormal Victorian romantic suspense thriller as Mina Hepsen makes vampires living in Europe seem genuine and even more so Angelica's ESP skills as the supporting details are wonderfully interwoven into a strong tale. The lead couple is a strong pairing and the support cast enhances the belief in the supernatural as natural. Sub-genre fans will welcome Ms. Hepsen with accolades and look forward for more exhilarating novels from her.

Harriet Klausner

An intriguing mix of history and the paranormal, "Under the Blood Red Moon" tells the story of beautiful Angelica Belanov, cursed with the ability to hear others thoughts but unable to control the power. She is drawn into the belly of the supernatural world when she stumbles upon another mind reader, the vampire prince Alexander. What follows is a twisting tale of romance, intrigue and betrayal that leads Angelica to some startling revelations about her own existence.

I very much enjoyed this story, though I have to say that the ending left me feeling a bit lost. An important episode of the book, that of Angelica's final meeting with her aunt, seems to have been haphazardly thrown into the last moments of the book. The secrets Lady Dewberry reveals might have better fit into the story if they had been spread throughout the tale, instead of being neatly but blandly shoved into the final pages. Likewise, the final moments we spend with Angelica and Alexander were too short - I would have liked to have seen more about their possible future together.

Overall, reading "Under the Blood Red Moon" was a pleasant way to spend an evening. The premise of the story will definitely appeal to lovers of supernatural romances. This author has great potential in this genre and I look forward to seeing her future works.

Set in Victorian England, the day to day life of Princess Angelica Shelton Balanov shows glimpses of how a proper lady would spend her time... and also how a intelligent woman can rebel without losing her grace and charm. Angelica's days take an interesting turn, however, when she discovers that there are others like her who can read minds. The difference between them? The mysterious man she meets is a vampire.

Mina Hepson's UNDER THE BLOOD RED MOON is a new twist on a vampire story, throwing the stereotypical myths out the window. Prince Alexander, the visiting leader of the Eastern Clan, can walk under the sun and doesn't appear to need a coffin or native dirt. Visiting London to hunt down a rogue vampire who is breaking the laws by drinking human blood, Alexander's carefully controlled life is disrupted when he meets Angelica, and finds that she is the first human that he has met who is a mind-reader. Unlike other humans, he cannot easily erase his existence from her mind... so what will happen if she discovers that he is a vampire.

This novel is a wonderful combination of romance and the paranormal, without going to the extreme with either. I finished the last page believing the the characters could actually exist, unseen because they are a "normal" part of our world, hiding their uniqueness behind closed doors and strict laws. I would highly recommend this novel to anyone who is burned out by the seemingly sameness of romance novels, and also to those who enjoy a bit of magic in their lives... Mina Hepson brings originality back to fans of both romance and the paranormal.

I was a little skeptical at the first five pages or so, and then BAM!!! It took off and I like it very much. As someone else commented, there was a lot of un-stereo typical things taking place and that put a new twist on it in a good way.

An enjoyable, fun read!

The chemistry between the lead characters, Alexander & Angelica will leave you sufferocating for air. The fire, the intensity, & devotion for each other is much to be desired for alone. After reaching each moment they had shared, my pulse went into hyper-drive. I thought about this book every moment of the day, unablet to STOP reading it. After I read the last word, I clung onto it for dear life, as it was my ultimate lover. It will lead you to the edge of your seat, wanting, & yearing for more. If you are searching for a book with an immense source of passion, action, suspense & explicate detail; you will not be disappointed with this book. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS BOOK, DESERVES BEYOND A 10 STAR RATING!!

This is more like a vampire mystery/romance than the expected
"let me bite you on the neck".

Angelica Shelton Belanov has always been quite happy with her secluded life in the country. After all, it afforded her the much needed distance from the "noise" of hearing other people's thoughts. However, circumstances have forced her to London, where she is having a hard time controlling the immense influx of stranger's thoughts. Thoughts which have served to hinder her search for a husband. But when she meets Prince Alexander Kourakin not only does Angelica discover that she is not alone in her "talent" of hearing other's thoughts, but her involvement with him plunges Angelica into a world that she never imagined could be real, much less so close to home...

Prince Alexander Kourakin has dedicated his life to his clan, taking little joy in life since his sister's death many years ago. However, the resurgence of a rogue vampire that is going around London killing people while trying to stir up another war with Vampire Slayers has forced Alexander to once again join the current society. But, what Alexander never counted on was encountering a woman like Angelica, who stirs all of his passions that have lain dormant for over a century.

Under the Blood Red Moontakes a different view of the vampire myth, while reflecting that societies, of any kind, will always have malcontents that strive to divide, while always having some symbol of hope of a better future. Angelica is a charming character with her steely demeanor and refusal to bow to society's expectations of a woman. Alexander, however, is the classic tortured hero who uses an icy demeanor to keep the world at bay. I immensely enjoyed Ms. Hepsen's unique writing style that was peppered with funny, insightful and sardonic quotes to poke fun at the characters themselves and the action around them. Over all, Under the Blood Red Moon is a wonderful debut into the romance genre for writer Mina Hepsen, which reveals her to be a writer to watch for in the coming future as she breaks out of the traditional mold and expectations of historical romance heroines. Get yourself Under the Blood Red Moon when you are looking for a romance that will engage you from start to finish!

Sabella
Reviewed for Joyfully Reviewed

REVIEWER'S OPINION:
Everything was too ordinary: characters, plot, events, and dialogue. Nothing surprised or delighted me. I was not drawn in emotionally. A couple events near the end annoyed me. There was one thing of interest, many famous sayings quoted throughout the book. In addition, on page 225 Angelica and Lord Jeffrey had a heated debate, throwing historical facts and famous sayings back and forth. That was the most interesting part for me, but not enough to recommend the book.

STORY BRIEF:
Alexander is the leader of a vampire clan. They can read and put thoughts into the minds of humans. They have a set of rules which state vampires must not drink blood from humans and must not hurt humans. A rogue vampire, Sergey, wants to start a war against humans and is killing them. Alexander and his group are looking for Sergey to stop him. Angelica is a human who reads thoughts. She meets Alexander and he teaches her how to block others' thoughts at will. She accidentally discovers that he and his group are vampires. Due to a recent financial setback, she needs to find a rich husband to support her and her brother.

CAUTION SPOILERS:

I found it unsettling when the dialogue consisted of three people just saying the name Alexander as the primary conversation over three pages, excerpted below.

Page 313: Alexander was fighting Sergey. James said "Alexander?" Alexander said nothing and kept fighting. Sergey yelled "Alexander." They continued to fight. James said "Alexander." Alexander ignored him and walked to Angelica and said "Is she" as he held her. Margaret said "Alexander." He said nothing. Margaret again said "Alexander." Then Margaret pointed at a mark on Angelica's body saying "What is that?" She looked again and said "Alexander?" Alexander never responded or said anything back to these people saying his name. It felt odd.

I was also annoyed with the following event. There is danger, two killers are around. Angelica is at a party and decides she wants to be alone. She tells her brother she wants two minutes alone outside without a chaperone. He reluctantly says ok and leaves. She goes outside to a dark place where she won't be seen and is immediately kidnapped. I would have preferred seeing a kidnapper do something creative to get her, rather than her own stupidity placing herself in harms way.

DATA:
Story length: 321 pages. Sexual language: none/mild. Number of sex scenes: 2. Length of sex scenes: 1.4 and 6.3 pages. Setting: 1871 London. Copyright: 2008. Genre: historical paranormal romance.