Reviewed by: Ms. Bliss
A Touch of Crimson
by Sylvia Day
Published October 4, 2011 by Signet Eclipse
Can a love that transcends death survive a war between angels, vampires, and lycans?
An angel with immense power and insatiable desire, Adrian Mitchell leads an elite Special Ops unit of the seraphim. His task is to punish the Fallen--angels who have become vampires--and command a restless pack of indentured lycans. But Adrian has suffered his own punishment for becoming involved with mortals--losing the woman he loves again and again. Now, after nearly two hundred years, he has found her: Shadoe, her soul once more inhabiting a new body that doesn’t remember him. This time he won't let her go.
With no memory of her past as Shadoe, Lindsay Gibson knows only that she can't help being fiercely attracted to the smoldering, seductive male who crosses her path. Swept into a dangerous world of tumultuous passion and preternatural conflict, Lindsay is soon caught between her angel lover, her vampire father, and a full-blown lycan revolt. There’s more at stake than her love and her life--she could lose her very soul...
For a complete review which may contain SPOILERS, please click 'Read More' below:
An angel with immense power and insatiable desire, Adrian Mitchell leads an elite Special Ops unit of the seraphim. His task is to punish the Fallen--angels who have become vampires--and command a restless pack of indentured lycans. But Adrian has suffered his own punishment for becoming involved with mortals--losing the woman he loves again and again. Now, after nearly two hundred years, he has found her: Shadoe, her soul once more inhabiting a new body that doesn’t remember him. This time he won't let her go.
With no memory of her past as Shadoe, Lindsay Gibson knows only that she can't help being fiercely attracted to the smoldering, seductive male who crosses her path. Swept into a dangerous world of tumultuous passion and preternatural conflict, Lindsay is soon caught between her angel lover, her vampire father, and a full-blown lycan revolt. There’s more at stake than her love and her life--she could lose her very soul...
For a complete review which may contain SPOILERS, please click 'Read More' below:
Sylvia Day’s first installment in the new Renegade Angels Trilogy delivers a well written plot and well defined characters. We are introduced to a world of Sentinel Seraphim, Vampires and Lycans with an unusual hierarchy and history. The Vampires were once angels who broke the golden rule and became involved with humans. Their punishment was losing their angel status and their wings. Since the angels survive by absorbing energy and the Fallen could no longer do so, they need blood to survive and became Vampires. The Lycan became servants to the Angels.
I really enjoyed this book but found the opening few paragraphs a little convoluted and confusing. I’m sure this is because Ms. Day is setting mythology in place but I felt it could have been a smoother introduction to the characters and their lives. As the story unfolds we find Adrian, the lead Sentinel Angel, experiencing a very difficult day. His second in command has been murdered by a Vampire, and an attempt has been made on his own life. He also encounters his “soul mate” Lindsay, who is eternally re-incarnated thanks to a failed attempt to turn her into a vampire by her Father, Syre, the leader of the vampires. Adrian has lived through many lifetimes with his love with no idea how long he will be allowed with her or what type of woman she will be. He does know that selfishly he has held the key to releasing her soul but has not been able to bring himself to kill her Father. It would mean losing her for all eternity. This time things develop differently though. He senses a difference in her and in his feelings for her. Rather than being his lost love, he finds himself falling in love with her human host, Lindsay. While dealing with one crisis after another (including the threat of an uprising among the Lycans) Adrian comes to the realization that he must release her this time. Lindsay becomes very close to her Lycan bodyguard, Elijah. I found the relationship between Lindsay and Elijah to almost have a little more depth than her relationship with Adrian. When there is an uprising, Elijah disappears and tries to contact her but is not successful. A set up, I am sure, for one of the upcoming books.
Lindsay meets her Father and decides that she will let him turn her, even thought she has been fighting and killing vampires for much of her life. She feels that she is an albatross around Adrian’s neck and that the repercussions of their relationship will be severe. She believes that all traces of her own personality will be lost with the change and only Shadoe, Adrian’s original love will remain. This turns out to be untrue. She realizes during the change how much she loves Adrian and fights to retain her personality, which she does. She and Adrian are reunited and we get a long set up for the next book. I had an issue with the fact that Adrian had been involved with his love through many incarnations and yet had not suffered any punishment when he had punished so many others for the same offense. It also seemed to me that there was perhaps a bit too much set up at the end of the book. Overall, this was a very good read once you get past the opening few chapters. I look forward to the next Renegade Angels release!
I really enjoyed this book but found the opening few paragraphs a little convoluted and confusing. I’m sure this is because Ms. Day is setting mythology in place but I felt it could have been a smoother introduction to the characters and their lives. As the story unfolds we find Adrian, the lead Sentinel Angel, experiencing a very difficult day. His second in command has been murdered by a Vampire, and an attempt has been made on his own life. He also encounters his “soul mate” Lindsay, who is eternally re-incarnated thanks to a failed attempt to turn her into a vampire by her Father, Syre, the leader of the vampires. Adrian has lived through many lifetimes with his love with no idea how long he will be allowed with her or what type of woman she will be. He does know that selfishly he has held the key to releasing her soul but has not been able to bring himself to kill her Father. It would mean losing her for all eternity. This time things develop differently though. He senses a difference in her and in his feelings for her. Rather than being his lost love, he finds himself falling in love with her human host, Lindsay. While dealing with one crisis after another (including the threat of an uprising among the Lycans) Adrian comes to the realization that he must release her this time. Lindsay becomes very close to her Lycan bodyguard, Elijah. I found the relationship between Lindsay and Elijah to almost have a little more depth than her relationship with Adrian. When there is an uprising, Elijah disappears and tries to contact her but is not successful. A set up, I am sure, for one of the upcoming books.
Lindsay meets her Father and decides that she will let him turn her, even thought she has been fighting and killing vampires for much of her life. She feels that she is an albatross around Adrian’s neck and that the repercussions of their relationship will be severe. She believes that all traces of her own personality will be lost with the change and only Shadoe, Adrian’s original love will remain. This turns out to be untrue. She realizes during the change how much she loves Adrian and fights to retain her personality, which she does. She and Adrian are reunited and we get a long set up for the next book. I had an issue with the fact that Adrian had been involved with his love through many incarnations and yet had not suffered any punishment when he had punished so many others for the same offense. It also seemed to me that there was perhaps a bit too much set up at the end of the book. Overall, this was a very good read once you get past the opening few chapters. I look forward to the next Renegade Angels release!
