Under the Killing Moon | Order of Cerberus II

Self-Published

Community Rating

Description

The screams of the Moorlands were meant to be a nightmare, and nothing more. Not anymore. Henry Stone thought he was free, until his past returned and forced him to make what might be a last decision; fight or flight.

Henry still isn't very good at being a vampire, and while he may be avoiding Riley to keep him out of danger, he is in need of help -- even if it comes in unusual places. After all, with bloodthirsty family swiftly gaining, conducting their ritualistic sacrifices to an unknowable force, there's no denying that the whole situation is bigger than he is. Despite that, it's still personal, and one can only run for so long.

Information

Status: Completed
Year: 2023
Author: Kit Crane

Royal Road Stats

Rating: 4.5/ 5.0
Followers: 7
Views: 4,735

Chapters(13 total)

Reviews

No reviews yet. Be the first to share your thoughts!

Community Reviews(1)

Jay CampbellRoyal Road
★★★★★ 4.5
Because this sequel was so quick to emerge, I had the somewhat rare experience of being able to move into the next part of the series almost immediately after the end of Blood and Paradise.
This is the story of Henry, a pivotal character from Blood and Paradise, now in centre stage. But in crossing over into his direct narrative - from Riley's of the prequel - we lose none of the brooding darkness and macabre menace of Book 1. In fact, without ever seeming to push any deliverate envelope, I'd say it feels at all times considerably darker. Much of this, I suspect, comes from the particular emphasis on Henry's murky and troubled history; this in turn directing the plot in large part. Henry has a dstinctive tone and style of narration, more literary in some ways, which lends itself nicely to the more classiv gothic flavour. Never off-turning the feel of the comporary urban setting, I either! That environment, in fact, is even more richly presented and slickly handled than before, which again, is in no way a criticism of Book 1's shortfalls, rather a clear and gratifying "building upon" what's been established previously.
The structure of this book was well managed, book-ended as it was by prologue & epilogue, from an alternative POV which not only eased the transition into a new thread and character experience, but became absolutely essential in terms of the resolution of the story itself. Enabling, I think it's fair to say, a very daring ending.
As always, Kit Crane brandishes a firm and proficient hand in terms of prose quality. This is, as previously mentioned, a more sophisticated voice than Riley's, but it becomes obvious almost immediatley that the author is able not only to adopt the voice of a wholly different person, but to do so without affectation.
Sections of this story deal very closely and bravely with ideas of childhood trauma. I had some difficulty digesting these as presented; not because of any dislike of the subject per se, but because I was aware in