Crusade Review

Title: Crusade (Crusade #1)

Author: Nancy Holder and Debbie Viguie

Publication Date: May 3, 2011

Published By: Simon Pulse

Format: Paperback, 496 pages

*This book was purchased by me

Summary

For the past two years, Jenn has lived and trained at Spain's Sacred Heart Academy Against the Cursed Ones. She is among the few who have pledged to defend humanity or die trying. But the vampires are gaining power, and the battle has only just begun. 

Forced to return home after death takes a member of her family, Jenn discovers that San Francisco is now a vampire strong-hold. As a lone hunter apart from her team, Jenn is isolated—and at risk. She craves the company of her fighting partner, Antonio: his protection, his reassurance, his touch. But a relationship with Antonio comes with its own dangers, and the more they share of themselves, the more Jenn stands to lose. 

Then Jenn is betrayed by one who was once bound to protect her, causing her to doubt all she had held as true. To survive, Jenn must find the courage to trust herself—and her heart.

My Thoughts

Crusade is a great book with a complex and intriguing plot. This is one of those books that should be made into an action movie. The action scenes remind me of movies like Blade, very intense the kind where your afraid to blink because you might miss something.

After a vampire named Solomon goes public the world turns into utter chaos. Some countries have claimed equal rights with vampires, some are trying to fight back, Some are fighting civil wars among themselves. This is how I imagine things going down if vampires were actually real, it's not pretty and some of it is just terrifying.

The book is told from multiple POV's, the team of hunters all trained in Salamanca Spain. They are all completely different from one another and intriguing in their own rights making the all the different view points really work to the advantage of the story. Jenn, the main character is a girl from California who wants to fight back against the vampires. She is a great fighter but has no confidence in herself. Skye is a white witch who joined the academy to hide from someone. Jamie is an Irishmen who joined to get revenge for the loss of his family. Holgar is a Danish werewolf, who's pretty mysterious, I didn't figure out his reason for being there. Eriko is a Japanese girl who lost her best friends to the vampires and Antonio is as far as anyone knows the only vampire fighting on the humans side.

I really enjoyed every aspect of this book, I think it can be read and loved by all ages. I'm giving Crusade 4 out of 5.