Customer Reviews

Blood Moon: Drake Chronicles, Book 5 (The Drake Chronicles)

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is the fifth book in the extremely popular Drake Chronicles series by Alyxandra Harvey. The story picks up after the events of 'Bleeding Hearts' with Solange struggling to battle her own vampire nature. At the same time, the Blood Moon ceremonies are taking place and vampire tribes have convened from all over the world to take part which means several new faces.

The focus of the story shifts between Solange, Nicholas and Lucy. Solange has never been one of my favourite characters but she undergoes quite a change in this book. There are reasons for her strange and unpredictable behaviour and they are pretty shocking! It will be interesting to see these explored further in the next book.

I loved the fact that much of the plot resolves around Lucy and Nicholas who are adorable together. They featured prominently in the first book of the series so it was nice to hear from them again and see events unfolding from their perspective. Lucy is trying to fit in as a new student at the Helios-Ra school and is also coping with her best friend not speaking to her. Although Solange has treated her quite badly, Lucy still wants to try and put things right and isn't willing to give up on her. Nicholas has his own problems too and faces a choice between his girlfriend and his sister. However, when they are with each other all these things seem to just fade into the background. There's one particularly romantic scene between them which left me feeling all warm and fuzzy inside!

The rest of the Drake family also feature too, as well as Hunter and Isabeau who it was good to see again along with their respective other halves.

The ending of 'Blood Moon' nearly killed me because it leaves you on such a big cliffhanger. Please tell me that I don't have too long to wait until the next book in the series because I don't think I'd be able to stand it otherwise. I love the way that Alyxandra Harvey always throws something new and unexpected into the plot and continually surprises me with the directions that some of the characters take.

This edition also features an exclusive bonus story about Liam and Helena Drake which was a nice added extra.

Blood Moon starts right after the end of bleeding hearts, where Solange has been drinking from humans, the blood moon is starting and huntsmen have arrived in Violet Hill.

Blood Moon is the darkest of the Drake chronicles and, while I did miss the humour and wanted more of the romance, this one kept you on the edge of the seat throughout the book and you could not predict what was going to happen next.

I did not like Solange in this book as I just wanted to slap her throughout it and even though we have some answers at the end of the book about why she is acting this way, we do not understand everything leaving us in suspense for the final book. I really did not like Constantine, a character we briefly met in the last book, and even though he seems to want to protect her, I think he is behind everything in this book although I might be wrong.

I really felt sorry for Lucy, Nicholas, Kieran and all the Drakes in this book as everything changes for the worst and I am not sure the Drakes and extended family will ever be the same again. I really liked hearing Nicholas's POV in this book as it shows us how he really feels about everything (unlike the others in which we had to guess) and how he is torn between protecting Solange and his love for Lucy. However I did miss the romance between Nicholas and Lucy as, even though Blood Moon was mostly told by them, they did not seem to spend much time together and when they did they were in danger.

Blood Moon ends on another cliff-hanger which is torturous as we have to wait so long for the last book. I would recommend this book to all who like Harvey's Drake Chronicles.

This is the 5th book in the Drake Chronicles so please be aware that this review will contain spoilers for previous books. Blood Moon is another fab instalment to a series I love though so if you haven't started it yet grab a copy of My Love Lies Bleeding (called Hearts at Stake in the US) now. If you're not up to date with the series then you should stop reading this review now so you don't pick up spoilers.

Anyone who read Bleeding Hearts was probably as shocked by Solange's behaviour as I was, she was acting very out of character and the ending left me really concerned about her. In Blood Moon she continues to do the unexpected and there were actually times where I found myself not liking the new Solange at all. I'm glad to say that there are reasons for what is happening though, I'm not going to say what or why but by the time you reach the end of the book you'll have a lot of answers. You'll also be left with questions though and this cliffhanger ending was just as bad as the last one! It really is going to be a long wait until the next book.

One of my favourite couples in this series has always been Lucy and Nicholas so it was great that they get to play such a big part of this book. The story is narrated by them as well as Solange but it was by far their parts that I enjoyed the most. Lucy never fails to make me laugh out loud and I just love any scene that contains both her and Nicholas in it. Watching Lucy try to adjust to life at the Helios-Ra school is quite amusing, she has never been one to do what she is told so she finds the strict rules hard to stick to. After the way Solange treated her in the last book I wouldn't have blamed Lucy if she had given up on her friend but Lucy proves her loyalty again and again in this book. She is incredibly worried about Solange and she cares a lot about all of the Drakes so she is determined to get to the bottom of what is going on.

Nicholas finds himself in an incredible difficult situation as he has to make choices between his baby sister and his girlfriend. Loyalty is tested all around and things will never be quite the same amongst the Drake family after the latest events. I really have no idea how Alyxandra Harvey will resolve things in the next book but I can't wait to find out! Fans of the series will love Blood Moon, it has everything you'd expect from these books - humour, action, romance, family bonds and loyalty.

As an extra bonus the UK paperback includes the Lost Girls novella which tells the story of how Liam and Helena first met. I don't want to say much about the story because it would be too easy to give spoilers but I really enjoyed getting to see them both before they married and had the children. It's easy to see them just as parents in the rest of the series and not think about the lives they had before they met so I liked this extra side to them. It was also great to get a better idea of how and why Helena became the kick ass mum that she is now.

I was enjoying this book right up until it suddenly stopped in mid air. It was as if I was reading a weekly magazine story.
I was really interested in Solange's story and expected a proper ending with a solution.
I had previously read the Quinn/Hunter book in the Drake series which was a complete and exciting tale in its own right and expected the same with Blood Moon, so I was totally disappointed. I did not find the short story at the back sufficient compensation for the abreviation of the actual story line.
Don't think I'll bother with the next one if this is now going to be M/s Harvey's style. I am not prepared to wait months or years between installments.

I'm shocked at the ending of this one! I can't believe how everything's changed! Of to buy the next one!

Seriously someone punch solange in the face tell her to get a grip and move on
Nicky what the hell
I love this series but this book just wasn't the same and i personally didnt like the change, it was once again well written and made me giggle but thats Lucy for you. However most of the time i found myself skipping parts because Solange was winding me up. I am also very very unhappy with the ending!!!
I doubt i will be reading the next book however 'a killer first date' i will be reading due to it being all about Nicky and Lucy who i believe to be the only worth while characters in this book... Except maybe Hunter and Quin because they do make you giggle.

I would recomend the previous books my favourite one being the third however each book is fantastic and they just kept getting better though this one didnt live up to my expectations. However, as i said this isn't a bad book i just dislike Solange and every choice she makes especially around Constantine who needs to take a hint and get lost!!!!!

I would say to those interested that they should read this book as parts of it are very entertaining and there is some good romance and good fights. If you have read the previous Drake books then don't be too disapointed when you see that this one doesnt focus on the love, this is mostly a book about hunters and vampires and history where as the other books focus more one the love between two people which is pretty much what makes them so brilliant.

Thanks for reading this and i hope this helps, if you decide to read this book then that's brilliant because Alyxandra deserves lots of praise. Due to this being... Well i wouldnt say worst book because the book is still brilliant but i would say its not in the top 5, please don't be disapointed but i would recomend you give it a read and decide for your self xx good luck guys and by the way I'm totally team Lucy and Nicky xx

Good book keeps u on the edge of ur seat from beginning to end. The last chapter tells u a bit about Helena and Liam. All in all a gd book.

Great book I would recommend this to any one I really love the drake books they are a great read

The Drake Chronicles is one of my favourite Young Adult series and I'm always so excited to get my hands on the newest book in the series. Blood Moon begins straight after the events of Bleeding Hearts and there is no waiting around when it comes to the action. Solange is a vampire princess who comes from a family well known for not killing and drinking from humans. However, in the last book she was beginning to act a bit strange and that continues in Blood Moon.

Although Blood Moon does really focus on Solange and the changed which she is going through, the book is narrated from a few different characters' points of view. Knowing that this book was going to be done like this, I was worried that there was going to be too many voices being used. However, Alyxandra Harvey manages to keep each voice very much their own and very different from anyone else's in the book. I actually really enjoyed the different narratives because as there is so much going on, I got to find out what was happening from numerous different angles.

So, the beginning of the book shows Solange going slightly off the rails and not being able to control herself. This causes problems for pretty much everyone around her, especially her family and boyfriend Kieran. I know many people didn't like the new Solange but I did. Ok, she was a complete bitch and wouldn't listen to reason but then this made for entertaining reading. Nothing is ever too nicey-nicey in these books but it was about time one of the Drakes went a bit wild and who better to pick than Solange. Also, Solange's new attitude to life paved the way for some serious shocks and excitement throughout the book.

Lucy and Nicolas have been my favourite characters in this series, as they were really who started it all off. I was glad to see both of these characters getting to narrate the story at different times. The events of this book means that Lucy and Nicolas are forced to spend some time apart which again, makes for some exciting events. However, one character more than the other suffers through some terrible things in this books and I'm not saying which one to keep you all guessing. I loved the twists which these characters were involved in and it made me love them both even more.

Plot wise, this was one of my favourite books. The next one is the final book in the Drake Chronicles so Blood Moon leaves on a pretty big cliff-hanger with some intense things happening. All in all, this was by far one of my favourite books in the series as it had so many amazing things going on. I'll be so sad to see the end of this series with the next book but can't wait to see what Alyxandra Harvey comes up with next.

I'm not going to be exaggerating when I tell you I have about a million quotes from this book written down on random scraps of paper. When something makes you laugh as much as this made me, it's criminal not to write it down. Now I can't even tell you guys how amazing this book was. It's so many kinds of awesome it's untrue. If you haven't read this series yet, I'm gonna do the book review equivalent of begging on my knees. I... am going to say please, IN CAPITOL LETTERS!
PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE read the Drake Chronicles and discover the awesomeness for yourself. It's so utterly and all-round amazing: you'll love it forever. And you'll love every single one of the Drake brothers too. 'Cause they're yummy. Very, very yummy...
"Solange was gone.
"I wasn't sure who was standing in front of me. She might have Solange's ethereal beauty and her ballerina grace, but she wasn't Solange..."
Solange Drake changed when she became a vampire. Now she's struggling to hold onto her humanity, to keep the feral side of herself at bay.
Her brothers have been raised to protect Sol, knowing they must keep her safe no matter what.
But with the vampire tribes gathering for the Blood Moon ceremony, bringing with it a mysterious stranger who is putting them all in terror danger, can Nicholas keep Solange safe?
Especially when he's forced between Lucy, the girl he loves, and Solange, his baby sister...
This series... Oh, how I love it. It's shot way up my fave series list: no matter how many books I read, it never gets even the tiniest bit dull. I could actually read about it all forever and ever. And then a little more. If you haven't read this series, please, please do! All the books are amazing, addictive, almost drug-like in the addictiveness. Whenever I put Blood Moon down, I was instantly desperate it pick it right back up and read and read and read. And yes, it really was that good!
I love all the characters in this series, even the smaller one. But Lucy is just my favourite character ever. She totally kills me, with her loathing of taking orders and that insane vampire rights activist side, what with her hatred of "rampant vampire racism"! God, she's awesome. People could learn from the way she handled bullies. Well, y'know, the ones she doesn't punch in the nose or pepper-egg... Nicholas Drake, how I love you! How can you not when he says things like: "I knew damn well if Lucy broke up with me I'd still love her until I turned to dust." He's so brave, strong, wonderful, and just perfect. But please, oh please let that last bit not be true!! Solange was just... whoa. Terrifying. I wanted to jump into the book and slap the stupid outta her. I am so insanely glad there's a reason for the freakiness, but man! She was scary!
And I loved seeing some of my old favourites, like Chloe, a Helios Ra student and Lucy and Hunter's friend. And I almost forgot how kickbutt awesome Hunter is! I also really liked newcomer Jenna - the snarky retort scenes between her and Lucy had me cracking up! I also love Kieran, especially as we learn more about his past. But Constantine: grr! He reminded me of Spike from Buffy, but without the yumminess. I trusted the guy about as far as I could throw him (not far at all, given my lack of upper body strength). I just couldn't get a read on the blasted guy: ergo, grr-ing.
Mirror, mirror on the wall, who's my favourite Drake of them all?*
God, I love the Drake family - the brothers in particular. They kill me! I love the banter and jokes and how they'd do anything for one another. They're all so loyal, protective and yummy. And their parents totally rock too! But why must you make me fall head over heels in love with this family, Alyx, and then terrify me about their safety? Why, why; WHY?! *sniffles* Nicky...
I adore the writing in this series. I love the split POV, how we get into everyone's heads, how all the voices sound unique. And, oh, how awesome it was to finally have Nicholas as a narrator! While I loved the Sol chapters (though they were mega creepy), Lucy and Nick just stole the show! They're both so funny and my two favourite characters - and my favourite couple ever! And, man, I love the plots in these books. Action-packed, suspenseful, twisty and addictive - double dollop of each with a nice spoonful of romance too. But after I finished Blood Moon... Damn it, Alyxandra Harvey: another worst freaking cliff-hanger EVER! You're gonna drive me insane - my sanity (already pretty sketchy) is at stake here! (See what I did, with the joke `bout the stake? Heehee, I thought it was funny anyhoo... But it could just be me going crazy already...)
With more suspense, twists, mystery and the WORST EVER CLIFFHANGER, Blood Moon quite literally rocked my world. I could not put it down. At all. Ever. It was so addictive, so amazing, so... wow! I can't put into words how all round awesome it was. So I'll just say this: if you only read one vampire series ever, please, please, PLEASE make it this one! It's my favourite vamp series... Plus, the Drake boys are all so totally yummy!

Extra Mini Review of Lost Girls by Alyxandra Harvey
The short story at the end of my book, Lost Girls, was more than awesome. I love Helena - she's the coolest mom ever - and it was awesome getting to see why she's so kickbutt! It made me love her even more! And Liam Drake has always been 'Dad', but in this... he's actually kinda hot. Maybe it should be weird, fancying Nick's dad, but really it's just another Drake boy for me to love. It's so easy to just think of them as parents, but after this they're so much more! I love them even more and totally get them now too. And the story line of Lost Girls totally rocked! It was just such an awesome little novella! I loved it to pieces! I always knew Helena was kickbutt, but I never knew how kickbutt! As for Cass, Lucy's mum? Man, can I see the mother-daughter resemblance!

*P.S. This is a reference to the inspiration of the story: Snow White and the Seven Dwarves: get it, Sol is Snow and her brothers are the dwarves! Ha!