Rating: 3.5 stars out of 5
Down the twists and turns of the London alleyways, where Chinatown meets the highstreets, lies a small venue where unknown rock bands often play to crowds of less than one-hundred.
Isaac is nineteen, living on the sofa of his best friend’s brother – Eric – after his bible-loving parents tossed him aside because of his sexuality. After two years of struggling to make sense of his life, Eric and Charlotte convince Isaac to attend Red’s gig; an up and coming rock band with a small cult following.
All hell breaks loose and Isaac is left injured, with the whereabouts of his friends unknown and his body crippled on the ground. It’s then that the four members – Troy, Nicolai, Kyle and Moss – aid Isaac by infecting him with a ‘magical’ virus that grants immortality in exchange for consuming blood.
The ‘Paranorm’ world is exposed to Isaac. Vampires, werewolves and warlocks lurk in the depths of the city he has lived in his entire life, but he won’t become one with the night until he completes his nine-month transition, leaving him in the hands of the band and at the mercy of vampire politics.
This story is part of the Omega Moon universe, but is a standalone tale.
Seeing Red: Scorched by T.C. Orton represents both a new author and a new universe for me. I had not read any other books by this author so I was unfamiliar with the Omega Moon universe that this story is set in. That said, its true you don’t have to have read the other novel to be able to understand or enjoy this vampire tale of romance as it has very little to do with the werewolves of the Omega Moon story except for one thin plot thread.
I think what I enjoyed best about this story was the format and interesting manner in which Isaac is turned into a vampire. Its not an automatic process but one that takes nine months…sort of like birthing a baby. And it moves forward in increments of time just as you mark it off in a baby’s book. I liked that sort of progress chart. Funny, sort of ironic in comparison. At least I hope that’s what the author was going for. It marks the changes, inward and outward, that Isaac, really a 19 year old, has to go through. And that includes vampire royal politics, his old conservative family who kicked Isaac out, and so much more. Like puppy love and maybe the real thing.
I very much liked the four members that made up the band Red – Troy, Nicolai, Kyle and Moss. Each individualistic enough that I wanted more of each and didn’t get enough pages of this story to satisfy my need for that. Kyle? Adorable. And Troy? Yes, another favorite. Moss…darkness you want to follow down every alley. But Nicolai? He is most likely the weakest link here yet that’s the one that Orton pairs Isaac up with. I just couldn’t see it.
But I won’t spoil the story for so much happens that is coming as Isaac changes and matures.
But what did hold me back? Some of the more florid language. The pulsating members…yes…the purple prose that turns a sexy scene into something that starts me giggling instead. Luckily it wasn’t in every sex scene or I wouldn’t have made it through the book, but in enough that I snorted and snickered in certain places when I should have been fanning myself and that brought the rating down.
Still Seeing Red: Scorched by T.C. Orton had some very interesting elements as well as characters that I enjoyed. Love a vampire romance, like a new twist or two on the vampire culture and romance? Pick up Seeing Red: Scorched by T.C. Orton and see what you think about his idea of vampire love and HFN relationships. Then let me know…I’m curious as to what you think about it too.
Cover art represents Isaac well but this model is everywhere. Cute but really overused these days.
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Book Details:
Kindle Edition, 337 pages
Published May 6th 2016 by T.C. Orton
ASINB01F9WHM5E
Edition LanguageEnglish
Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words 