Nicole has found herself in quite the predicament. As an unwanted child left to abusive relatives herself, she doesn’t quite know what to do when she is presented with young Shelby. Shelby, missing since the night of her parents’ brutal murder, has stumbled upon Nicole. Their pairing is an odd one but at the same time destined to have occurred. Longing for her parents and her Uncle Tee, hurting, lost, and hungry, Shelby does the only thing she knows how--she eats. Her need to feed, however, is like nothing Nicole has ever experienced--Nicole herself is Shelby’s sustenance.
Crimson Moon is the third in a series by Georgiana Fields. The Dhampir are the focus of Fields’s work and provide readers with a whole new cast of characters who by far outweigh any vampire novel I have ever read. Their shapeshifting abilities and the way in which they can sense one another’s life forces makes for a truly engaging read. Shelby and her extended family are standout characters with a closeness most families would envy.
One of the most striking elements of Nicole’s character development is the way she regards Tristan’s behavior toward Shelby. Nicole is at a loss on how family could and should behave. She has never received love in any form or fashion. At the hands of what little family she has, Nicole has endured unimaginable abuse. Her attempts to start over have been thwarted, and she can’t possibly relate to the display of love she sees being shown to Shelby. After seeing her “family,” readers will deeply feel Nicole’s yearning for true affection when she observes Tristan and Shelby.
As with Fields’s first book in the series, Crimson Dreams, readers will find intense action sequences, bloodthirsty characters, and breathtaking moments. Right out of the gate, Fields grabs readers’ attention with a chaotic and heart-wrenching scene between Shelby and her parents. Readers will know what four-year-old Shelby can’t possibly understand as she makes her frantic, yet forced, escape on her own. Fields knows how to pull in readers and keep them invested from cover to cover.
Having devoured Crimson Dreams, I was eager to follow the saga and was not disappointed. Fields builds on the scene set in the first book and succeeds in keeping the momentum going. I highly recommend Fields’s books to those interested in branching out of the vampire genre. There is much to be gained by exploring the world of the Dhampir according to Georgiana Fields.
