Moonstruck is another wonderful addition to the highly addictive Crossbreed series. If you haven't read the previous books, you really need to as Book 7 picks up a few weeks after Nevermore finished. And you're crazy if you haven't, because they are fabulous! The Keystone crew are sent out on a top secret mission, the details of which are known only to Viktor. All are part of the covert operation except for Gem and Wyatt, who remain at the mansion. Even though my favourite elements that tie all the books in the series together and keep readers coming back for more are present in Moonstruck, the author has a real gift for giving each story its own unique flavour. Book 7 stands up on its own by having a slightly different feel with two separate stories taking place and most of the plot occurring outside of the mansion.
***Slight spoilers below***
Readers finally get to delve into Cyrus and his merry band of men that have been taunting and threatening Niko for several books leading up to this one. They'd taken a brief hiatus in Nevermore but are back with a bang in this book, leaving Niko to offer himself up in order to protect Gem. We find out more about Niko's past as well as the mysterious book that Cyrus is determined to possess. Even though Raven has a separate story line to these two in this book, Crush makes a welcome appearance, calling in favours from his Shifter friends to keep the mansion and its occupants safe when danger strikes and most of the team are away.
On a completely different tangent, Raven and the rest of Keystone are mostly unaware of what's happening back at the mansion due to a limited ability to communicate. They're tasked with transporting special human cargo to a secret location. This contributed to the book having a slightly different feel to its predecessors as most of the book is set out of Cognito and the readers unsure where the team is headed due to the secretive nature of their mission. We get to see Raven and the delicious Christian's relationship continue to grow - unfortunately, they didn't have a lot of time for too much steam, so I'm expecting a bit more eyebrow raising moments in Book 8.
Due to the particular case Keystone is handling, the team is all over the place and separated on and off throughout the book. There's an appearance by those pesky lion Shifters from Nevermore and I must say, this part of the story was fantastic and had me holding my breath in several parts.
What I really love about the Crossbreed series, however, is how we get to know the characters on a different level and this increases with each book that's written. In Moonstruck, not only do we get some brief time with Hunter whose story line I just adore, but we also get a glimpse into the previously unknown past of Claude and Wyatt as well as some more time and background on Gem and Niko. This also has me cursing the author because these guys feel so much like family that the wait is too long before the next book comes out. Just kidding, I still love you, Ms Dark.
I found that this book started a bit slowly for me, but once it got going I enjoyed the ride and there were several action-packed moments that had me unwilling to put the book down. There were a few obvious elements chucked in that you could tell would end up being relevant to parts of the story, but they added to the story so were forgivable. One sad point for me - no Houdini. I have a not so secret obsession with this guy and can't wait for him to pop back up, hopefully in a big way. The dynamic between him, Raven and Christian is delicious. On a positive, though, Switch makes a very welcome appearance and there's a big chance that this may be permanent. Fingers crossed it is because I think he's a great addition. Anything that gets a rise out of Christian has a thumbs up from me.
Moonstruck doesn't tie up the story line of some characters. We have Gem and Niko left in a conundrum which I won't spoil, and Blue's whereabouts aren't fully known as she was separated from the rest of the group. Raven is beginning to embrace her vampire nature and there were a couple of scenes in this book that were wonderful to read as she becomes more comfortable with who she is. There's also a possible future plot line concerning her dangled in front of us towards the end of Moonstruck. Christian remains edible - seriously, I almost want to lick every page this guy turns up on. Sorry, not sorry.
The dialogue and banter between not only Christian and Raven, but the entire Keystone crew, is fabulous and had me laughing out loud in several parts of the book. I love the dry sarcasm that's throughout the book and that this author does so well. One of my favourite quotes in the book was from Raven to Christian: "Go bite a few holes in the water hose with your fangs and make a sprinkler for Hunter to play in. I got this." Gold. Another thing that I love about this series are references to jokes and/or events from previous books. It's like catching up with old friends and creates a wonderful synergy in the story lines. Raven retains her usual craziness, making her character unique in a group of other misfits. I love how she's quirky, yet relatable, and there are several hilarious lines and actions from her. I really enjoy how the books embrace her as a killer, making it an important part of her character. We get some chapters from the point of view of other characters, including Gem and Wyatt and while I find this sometimes distracts from Raven's story (which is a personal thing because I love her character), it's still a welcome addition.
So, once again I find myself finishing a review similarly to how I have for the other books in this series: it was an amazing read that has left me wanting more because I love the world Dannika Dark willingly drags me into every time she brings out a book. She really has a gift for drawing a reader into the story and making it feel as though they're walking alongside the main characters. There were a few twists I didn't see coming as well as a couple of carrots dangled for future story lines. All I can say is I hope with every bone in my body that she's writing furiously so she can pump out Book 8 in the near future. No pressure ;)
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From the Publisher
An action-packed thrill ride!
Immortals live among us.
About the USA Today Bestselling Crossbreed series...
After years living on the streets and catching criminals for fun, Raven Black is given the opportunity of a lifetime when the leader of an elite organization offers her a job. The only catch? She has to partner with a Vampire. The stakes are always high in this action-packed series filled with dark secrets, unforgettable characters, humor, and the right amount of chemistry to keep you on the edge of your seat.
This 13-book series is complete!
CROSSBREED SERIES
- Vampire romance
- Hate-to-Love
- Spicy
- Banter
- Character growth arc
- Who hurt you?
- Action-packed
- Morally grey villain
- Strong protagonist
- Unique world of magic
MORE SERIES FROM DANNIKA DARK:
- Mageri Series
- Seven Series
- Black Arrowhead Series
- Crossbreed Series
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| CROSSBREED SERIES | MAGERI SERIES | SEVEN SERIES | BLACK ARROWHEAD SERIES | |
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| Customer Reviews |
7,411
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3,895
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7,046
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2,079
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| Price | $4.99 | $4.99 | $4.99 | $0.99 |
| Genre | Urban Fantasy | Urban Fantasy | Paranormal Romance | Paranormal Romance |
| Format | eBook, paperback, special edition hardcover, audiobook | eBook, original paperbacks, hardcover, audiobook | eBook, paperback, special edition hardcover, audiobook | eBook, paperback, special edition hardcover, audiobook |
| Series Complete | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Spice Level | "I would burn down the world for you." | Slow burn | The entire spice rack | The entire spice rack |
| Banter | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Tropes | Vampire romance, action-packed, emotional scars, morally-grey villain, banter, darkness and light, personal growth | Hidden magic, found family, protective mate, enemies to lovers, different worlds, fish out of water, forced proximity | Shifter romance, found family, grumpy/sunshine, who hurt you?, rock-star romance, hate-to-love, second-chance romance, friends to lovers, protective mates | Friends to lovers, diversity, found family, protective mates, strong women, protective mates, cinnamon roll hero, alpha hero, emotional wounds, different worlds |
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Reviews with images
So good!
I love this series. Dannika has done an amazing job. She had me roped in by page 2. The end gives quite a shock. Now I have to anxiously wait to see what happens in the next book.
