Luna Rising

Luna Rising Series, Book 1

By: Sara Snow

Narrated by: Meg Price

Length: 3 hrs and 54 mins

Publisher's summary

Xavier Blackwood is the man every girl at my college dreams about at night, myself included, but I'd never let anyone know that.

Standing at 6'8" with steel grey eyes, he's a walking dream, but he's also a world-renowned a-hole.

Who would have thought that one night, after dragging myself home after doing double shifts at the diner, I'd be jumped by three men...only to have Xavier come to my rescue.

Oh yes, Xavier bloody Blackwood saved my life...but the thing I saw, the creature that ripped those men to shreds, wasn't the Xavier everyone knows.

He wasn't human.

He was a wolf, a demon, a creature from myths, and it was the most amazing sh*t I've ever seen until he attacked me, too, and knocked me out.

Humans who learn about the existence of werewolves have to die.

There are no exceptions.

The werewolf Xavier saved me, but now, I am condemned to death.

To make things worse, both Xavier and Axel claim I am their mate. This can't be good. 

©2020 Sara Snow (P)2020 Sara Snow

Just a prologue

This book doesn’t have its own story. At the very end things start to happen, and then it’s over. It’s not even fair to call it a cliff hanger, as it’s the beginning of the actual story.

Look, I knew from the description this book was going to be full of cliches, when the description had the ol’ mate bond. But I was in the mood for some light shifter romance. So it’s not the book’s fault that I was disappointed in lack of chemistry, character development, well rounded characters, or anyone to root for. You don’t add the mate bond into a story unless you’re going for lazy instant chemistry. I get it.

However, I should have gotten a story with a beginning middle and end. Not a cheap ploy to make me buy another book. Which I won’t be doing. Because if your characters, world, and story were good, it wouldn’t need a cliff hanger to keep me interested.

Intriguing start but very short with cliffhanger end.

Yes I liked this book, but no I won’t be continuing with this series. I love fantasy but there doesn’t seem to be much character development or world building. I do like the idea behind it and this author shows promise. I might try this author in future. It just felt short and unfinished and once the book starts to get a bit more of an in depth plot it abruptly ends. Not for me. The narration was good too.

Do not buy!

This is not even a story. It is an introduction. A tease … do not buy!!!

Not for teens as is says it is

At the very beginning of the book it uses corse, vulgar language that is not acceptable in anyway. And this sort of language is not needed to get the message across either.

Won’t put it Down

Loved the storyline. I was up all night listening to the story, got so caught up in it that time got away from me. The narrator did an amazing job bringing the characters to life. I cannot wait for book 5 to come out. I’ll have to start again with book 1 when it comes out so I can read the series in order. Would absolutely recommend this series.

Why did it end so quickly??

It is a great book, keeps you guessing and wanting more!! Need the next book!

DONT WASTE TOUR CREDIT!

This is not even long enough to be a short story and it just ends with no conclusion! I want my credit back Audible!

Ladybug

I love this series looking forward to listening to the other series. Thank you 😀 wow

Loved this book

loved it!! can't wait to read book 2 then book 3. very exciting! ty

Really short

This book and book 2 could be combined together and form just one book. I enjoyed the writing, mostly, and the narration was good.

love Ruby

I really enjoyed Luna Rising. It was nice getting to know the character of Ruby purely through her personality and interactions with other characters. The reinvention of some of the werewolf lore is interesting too and very different from most books of the same genre.

Although we know nothing about Ruby's past, we are given scattered hints throughout the story but nothing concrete, we are still shown a strong, competent young woman who is smart enough to get herself a scholarship to college and find a job she is competent at and clearly fits well with the small team there if the few conversations we see between them are anything to go by. She also warm, funny with a touch of snark but not cruel,theres also an odd mix of brave and incredibly vulnerability to her character, she will fight against attackers and slap a werewolf all the while wanting nothing more than to be allowed to study and make a life for herself.

The lack of background to Ruby just makes her so much more interesting to see the young woman she is, the strength she has, and what she has had to go through to get there? When she has a troubling encounter with Xavier, what situation has she been in the past that makes her think he's going to hit her because he's angry? There are so many questions about why she is so used to fending for herself, why when she is in trouble even though she fights does she expect no one to help her, why does it seem she has been alone all her life? These are questions I hope will be explored in later books.

Ruby isn't scared of the werewolves, which is no surprise, considering the hints of her past and her outlook on the world that pretty much everyone has the right to exist. Seeing the friendships start to develop between her and some in the pack is nice, the conversation with Randal being the main one, seeming so open and honest and I hope that Ruby noticing the scars of bitemarks on his neck doesn't have significance later in the books.

The development of feelings between Ruby and Xavier is nice yo watch too his wolf knew they were mates but the human part of him wanted to give Ruby a choice, to let her come to care for him on her own terms, to decide for herself. He wants his Luna to be an equal to him, to support him and the pack and by allowing Ruby to explore her feelings about Xavier and the pack in her own time he's allowing her to make that choice and form her own bond. The playfulness that grows between them is sweet, especially seeing the bonding between Ruby and Xaviers wolf, telling him off for growling at her and threatening never to kiss him again made me smile, it felt like a natural progression in their relationship.

I really enjoyed Sara Snows way of telling the story from multiple view points, it really drew you in and helped you warm to the characters in a very short space of time. The pacing of the book was great. You just wanted to keep going and find out what happens next. Yes, darn you, you cliff hanger ending you! The curiosity this story fills you with is excellent, like Ruby you find yourself wanting to learn more about this new realm of shifters and myths come to life, add to that the mystery of our protagonists past and you have the recipe for a really great series and I can't wait to devour the rest of the books.

Meg Price is an absolutely brilliant narrator. Each characters personality comes through in her reading, and you really share in the emotions of the characters.

I was given this audiobook for free from audiobooks unleashed and have left this review voluntarily.

Rushed

Not impressed felt very rushed and lacked depth.
Chapter one they meet , chapter 2 they are now in love the end . Will not buy the following books

luna series book one must read

it was great .I loved it cant wait to read the next one right now

Good book

It was really good but very predictable, I still enjoyed it a lot though and I would probably listen again and I will definitely continue the series

My honest opinion

To be honest I didn’t even finish the book. It wasn’t very descriptive. It went from the first day of school to suddenly a library with the first bit of Xavier and then to the dinner weeks later with more Xavier to after work at the dinner to getting attack with more Xavier to being at xaviers house. Everything revolves around her and Xavier there is no day to day life like Exploring the campus, her first class or meeting her boss for the first time and getting the job or her first opinions of the apartment she moved into. I don’t feel that the book is very well written. It’s to boy focus and not descriptive enough and feels hurried

Loved It

I picked this book up because the cover was beautiful and the blurb was intriguing. I ended up really liking it! And I cant wait to read the rest of the series!!

Intriguing

Enjoyed the book.

I definitely want to find out what happens in the next book, what happens to Ruby and what had Natalie experienced with the Enchanted

A gripping read

Wow, this book was amazing, I was glued to it from the beginning, and felt so disappointed when I finished the book! It had a great premise and was an emotional rollercoaster, the characters were easy to identify with and kept me invested. There is a cliff hanger but hopefully we won't be kept waiting for the next book, Meg Price's narration was wonderful.

Excellent start to series.

I received this book free from audiobooks unleashed and I am leaving an honest review.

Ruby is new in town and when she’s walking home one night she attacked by a gang of men but someone comes to her rescue. Xavier Blackwood saves Ruby however she sees he’s a Werewolf and their laws say any human that sees the must be killed however Xavier takes her to his home. When his Father confronts him about Ruby he admits she’s his fated mate but things are never that easy and it turns out she also a fated mate to a rival Alpha. Really enjoyed listening and as usual Meg Price does a fabulous job of all the characters.

Encouraging debut in the Luna Rising series

“It’s been years since a human was condemned to death because they’ve learned of our secret. My father isn’t going to be pleased that his son, a pure blood and Alpha-to-be for our pack, lost his cool. Now a smart-mouthed human girl who was just in the wrong place at the wrong time would have to die.” - Xavier

Ruby Saunders is a law major who has recently arrived in town on a scholarship. While working part time in a diner one day, she’s unnerved when she finds herself under the scrutiny of a pair of obsidian eyes and is surprised by the level of hostility aimed at her by the stranger who turns out to be Xavier Blackwood, the son of business mogul and millionaire, Mathieu Blackwood.

Later that evening she’s attacked by three men outside the diner but is luckily rescued by Xavier - although not before Ruby sees him transform into a wolf and tear the culprits apart.

An unconscious Ruby later comes to and finds herself a prisoner of the Alpha of the Blackmoon Pack, who happens to be none other than Xavier’s father, Mathieu. Attempts to alter her memory by an Enchanted named Natalie, fail due to a barrier in Ruby’s mind that she’s unable to penetrate. Natalie is also puzzled by the rare white aura surrounding Ruby which suggests she is possibly a supernatural herself.

Ruby discovers that not only are werewolves and other supernaturals real, but that any human who discovers their existence must be put to death. On learning Xavier’s reasons for saving Ruby - she’s his true mate - Mathieu decides to take a chance and trust Ruby. He’ll allow her to go to college and work at the diner under the condition that she stays with the Pack and keeps their existence a secret from the human world.

Matters take a complicated turn however when Axel Grimmwolf, the next alpha in line of a rival pack declares that Ruby is his mate too and when Ruby is later abducted, Xavier and his Pack desperately try to ascertain her whereabouts.

Meanwhile Natalie looks to Adolfa, (an old and powerful Enchanted) for answers relating to Ruby. Who and what is she and why has the goddess seen fit to have a human mated to two wolves?

Luna Rising is the first instalment of the Luna Rising series and was my first introduction to the author. From the offset I found myself completely immersed in the premise of the story about a woman who is rescued from 3 assailants intent on raping her, only to be rescued by a wolf shifter who turns out to be her mate. Complications arise when a alpha to be from a rival pack also claims to be her mate.

Told from three perspectives; Ruby, Xavier and Natalie’s, the book briefly introduces us to the characters and lays the foundation of her world building. Ruby is a snarky, appealing and relatable antagonist who readers will instantly identify with. Xavier and Natalie are equally likeable and it’s clear that the Blackmoon Pack are honourable and fiercely loyal to each other. In contrast however, their rival pack hate humans and while Xavier is like daylight, Axel is darkness personified.

The world building was fascinating. Humans, wolves and other supernaturals once coexisted side by side. Werewolves protected the humans until complications arose after a human girl fell in love with a wolf. War broke out which resulted in heavy casualties on both sides and wolves have since stayed hidden in order to stay alive ever since. Packs are ruled by an alpha and are overseen by the Council who keeps everyone in check. All packs have one Enchanted, some more powerful than others. Wolves can change at will but can’t transform during a full moon. Pregnant women give birth during this time. Pups born under a full moon are born in human form. A pup born outside of these three days can kill the mother as they are born as real pups.

All in all this was a well executed, fast paced debut in what looks to be a promising series. The cliffhanger has ensured that I’ll be looking out for the sequel, Luna Captured.

I received an advanced free audible copy of Luna Rising which was narrated by Meg Price. I was impressed with her clear, concise delivery which made it easy to differentiate between the characters.