Title: Ashen Moon
Series: N/A
Author: Esra Blu
Genre: Gay Erotic Romance/ Horror/ Paranormal/ Vampires
Length: Novel (190 Pages)
ISBN: 978-1-77111-862-0
Publisher: Extasy Books (May 1, 2014)
Heat Level: Explicit
Heart Rating: ♥♥♥2.5Hearts
Reviewer: Lisa
Blurb: An archeology student and the handsome vampire he resurrects in the Texas desert explore the moral and passionate possibilities of a life together.
When a century-old map leads archeology student Matt Collins to the burial mound of the legendary Bloody Man in the Texas desert, he unwittingly unearths not the grave of a serial killer as he expected but a real life monster. Ashe Pankhurst is grateful and smitten with the young man who’s saved him from a waking nightmare and offers him eternal life. Matt soon finds himself under the seductive influence of the vampire. He is tempted to accept Ashe’s offer only to find that his choice has been settled by fate.
Purchase Link: http://www.extasybooks.com/ashen-moon/
Review: This story was not quite what I expected. I am not really sure if I even liked it. I suppose some parts of it caught me and kept me, but at first, I thought about the romance these two men had but the fact that they had more sexual conquest then each other left me cold. It also showed me a side of the vampire that I did not really like at all. I can see them having to take blood from those but the story itself was just too dark.
Matt was an archeology student and had grown up on a story that came down from way in his family line. It was of a man who was called Bloody Man. He was told that the man left them cursed, the land would die, and there were more deaths in and out of the family, miscarriages, and just normal lore. So after finding a map that his grandfather had, he had to look. What he found was a grave with a man in it that didn’t quite look like a dead man should. Then the man’s eyes opened and so did his mouth. The fangs showed exactly what Matt had let out. Then the teeth were in his throat.
Ashe had not known what Matt’s family had told him about him. He was not exactly what they expected, he was a vampire though. He wanted Matt and would do everything and anything in his power for him. Including leaving him, that is until Matt called needing him back. After a deadly accident Ashe had to turn him, with is Matt’s mother telling Ashe he had to do it. She regretted it after learning what it truly meant. Ashe knew that if they were not careful Matt would turn into the monster that they were called.
Matt loved Ashe, but he felt that it was like a drug calling for him. He needed him and he knew the dangers that would happen for them. He had to learn what Ashe obviously knew deep down in his heart. Things were going to change and it might not be for the good.
Like I said I am not really sure if I liked it or not. It was in the present but it would switch back into the past letting you know how Ashe became like he was.
The part I really couldn’t stand was the fact that there were a lot of sexual scenes with women. That just made it depressing for me. Had they just stayed with attacking and drinking from men then it might have been different. But, that is just me. It was told with a flare and had a twist that many would like though. It was written really well, just not for me.
It’s always interesting people’s take away on a different books. Esra Blu, (from the two books of hers I’ve read), writes more Dark Erotica than Romance. I am thinking Amazon is long past the time where it needs better descriptive tags for all books sold. So you get what you think you’re going to get.
Because, yes, if you were expecting Romance here, there isn’t any in this book. What there is erotic power play which isn’t to every reader’s tastes. Myself, I quite enjoyed Ashe and Matt together. Maybe the plot could have been a bit more detailed, it was essentially focused on these two and their budding relationship throughout the whole book, but I liked the two big predators going up against each other. I also liked the flashbacks to the Civil War era of Ashe’s turning.