This week’s Book Trailer Wednesday pick is Ravenswynd Legends by Sharon Ricklin Jones. I broke from the historical romances for a day to read this story, feeling I needed a short respite. This is Book One in a paranormal romance series that revolves around vampires. To date, this series consists of four books.
[lyte id=”MUF4qC3G9_Q” /]
Synopsis:
There’s a legend… about a party… hosted by vampires. An event so exclusive — the invitation is by word of mouth — with strict rules that must–be–followed. So what happens when your best friend is invited and practically begs you to go along with her?
You go, of course!
Stepping over the edge of darkness and deep into the secret world of vampires, twins, Elizabeth and Melinda discover that their friend, Fiona was right: the legend is real.
Everyone’s having fun at the masquerade party, but all Elizabeth wants is to get through the night and return to her charming new love interest. However, as the evening grows ominous, chances are, they may never get home…
Melinda is getting drunk, Fiona’s gone missing, and a nightmarish clown is stalking Elizabeth. And even more terrifying — this sinister vampire thirsts for much more than what’s flowing through her veins.
Instead of a carefree evening of dining, dancing, and drinks — there will be danger, there might be hard decisions, and there may be despair.
But… there definitely will be blood.
My Thoughts:
As the first book in a series, Ravenswynd Legends was a great introduction in my opinion. A nice, clean, vampire romance that anyone can enjoy. This is not your typical vampire tween escapade. It tells the story of three women: Fiona and twin sisters Melinda (Lindy), and Elizabeth (Lizzy). This is a first person narrative with Lizzy starring as the main character.
The beginning was hard for me to follow, well maybe not follow as much as remain focused. The main character’s inability to stay locked on one moment was dizzying. Her thought process flitted around like an airhead on a sugar high, very distracting. About the time of the actual party things smoothed out and became easier to follow. The story reeled me in once more and held me captivated, curious to know where the author would lead us next. The story surprised me with the depth of its descriptions.
There were a few spots I might have been tempted to roll my eyes, due to its sappy nature. Considering the era most of the vampires were born in, I didn’t feel it was too overly done. Even the rendition of poetry added to the overall emotion of the story. I especially liked how she slipped Poe’s work into the storyline, it truly fit the mood.
My least favorite character – You would think my least favorite person would be the antagonist, but you’d be wrong. I can almost feel sorry for him. No, I greatly disliked the twin sister, Melinda. She was selfish and self–centered. She pretended concern for her sister, but really she seemed more worried about how Lizzy’s decisions, might affect her own life. She really rubbed me the wrong way.
Favorite Part – What I truly liked most about this story is the vampire folklore. It’s not your typical storyline. While I tend to find entertainment in the twilight style stories, mostly for a good laugh, my true addiction stems from the older legends. I found the turning process in general intriguing. Sorry, I won’t give away details, but I think most true addicts of vampire lore will enjoy the twist.
This is a full length novel, 260 pgs, with a nice price tag. As of this review the price on Amazon is only $1.99, a great bargain. The sneak peek of book two was just pure evil. I had to go buy it. Over all it was a sweet vampire story that I would recommend to others. I give it 4 hearts.
(4 / 5)