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Bad Blood (Crimson Moon -1)

Bad Blood (Crimson Moon #1)

Crimson Moon series by L.A. Banks, author of Vampire Huntress Legend series.

Genres and Sub-Genres[]

Urban Fantasy

Series Description or Overview[]

✥ Essence "Storyteller of the Year" L.A. Banks combines horror, fantasy and passion in this thrilling series. Sasha Trudeau knows all about back-alley deals and things that go bump in the night. She also knows that the world is unaware of the existence of the paranormal—and the government would like to keep it that way. As a highly trained Special Ops soldier, Sasha and her team are an elite group of individuals who are survivors of werewolf attacks, now trained to be loyal only to each other and their government. Shocking government conspiracies, double-dealing vampires, and a host of stunning revelations about who—and what—she really is are only just the beginning… ~ Goodreds

✥ As the series opens, Sasha Trudeau, a highly trained special ops soldier, is also a werewolf, heavily medicated by the U.S. military to keep her wolf side from showing. On one of her operations, she meets Max Hunter, leader of a mystical Ute werewolf pack of shadow wolves. Since they are UF protagonists, both, of course, have mysterious pasts that haunt them as adults. The early plots center around the couple's attempts to control the demon werewolf population and to battle vampire gangsters, werewolf drug runners, and government spies. Native American mysticism and 21st-century experimental medical science are combined in incidents that are made even more complex by the many alliances, councils, and military levels that are intertwined throughout the story lines. The action always moves toward the possibility of the ultimate apocalyptic battle. ~ Fang-tastic: CRIMSON MOON

Lead's Species[]

  • Werewolf, special ops soldier

Primary Supe[]

  • werewolf

What Sets it Apart[]

Narrative Type and Narrators[]

  • First Person narrative told by

Books in Series[]

Crimson Moon series:

  1. Bad Blood (2008)
  2. Bite the Bullet (2008)
  3. Undead On Arrival (2009)
  4. Cursed to Death (2009)
  5. Never Cry Werewolf (2010)
  6. Left for Undead (2010)

Other Series[]

Vampire Huntress Legend series

World Building[]

Fang-tastic Fiction: L. A. Banks: CRIMSON MOON

Setting[]

New Orleans

Places:

  • Denver, Colorado
  • Afghanistan
  • North Korea
  • Tulane Hospital: one of the sites used for gov't study
  • The Fair Lady: Bar owned by Ethan, an elf
  • Tulane
  • Bayou House
  • General Westford
  • Unseelie
  • North Country
  • Bear Shadow
  • Transylvania, Romania
  • New Hampshire
  • Scotland
  • China

Supernatural Elements[]

✥ Werewolves, demon werewolves, rogue werewolves, elves, faeries, vampires, warriors, dragons, gargoyles, demons, Delta Ops soldiers, 21st-century experimental medical science, Wolf Clan, mediums, ghost hunters, Native American shamanism, Native American mysticism, Seelie and Unseelie fae, supernatural war, various types of demons and supernaturals, supe mob, supe drugs, 

Glossary:[]

  • Regular werewolves (are sensitive to silver, shift uncontrollably at full moon, eat animal flesh, live in a pack, are not limited to a single soul-mate bond);
  • Shadow wolves: mystical Ute werewolf pack—immune to silver, shift at will, eat animal flesh; live in a pack, take one soul mate for life;
  • Demon-infected werewolves (have been infected by a virulent virus; have glowing red eyes and a sulfuric scent; can walk upright; eat human flesh with distended fangs; are extremely strong, brutal killers with a violent and chaotic pack structure).
  • Delta Ops—job: control demon werewolf population, to battle vampire gangsters, werewolf drug runners, and government spies
  • PCU: Paranormal Containment Unit

Groups & Organizations:[]

World[]

✥ Sasha Trudeau works for the government in a super secret team of Werewolves, working to eliminate terrorists. Well, they do have all the Werewolf ups, but they do not shift, because shifting means something went wrong. Means they have been taken by the rage and they need to be put down, so not shifting is good, right? When Sasha meets a man called Hunter claiming to be a Shadow Wolf, she realizes that the supernatural world is much more than she previously thought.

There are the Shadow wolves (Native American origin) and there are the Werewolves (Asian origin). The Shadow wolves are able to move through the shadows and Demon realms, but they need the protection of a special stone to keep from being attacked by Demon-infected wolves. Both Shadow Wolves and Werewolves can be infected and this one of the main problems that Sasha, Hunter and her team need to deal with. The mythology behind the shifter races is very unique. ~ Series Review: Crimson Moon Series {Bks #1-6} | Larissa and Friends' Bookish Life

Protagonists[]

✥ Sasha is a member of a very special unit, who controls the were wolves activity. She even has the virus herself but her meds allow her to stay normal and to prevent her transformation. Her superiors send her everywhere in the world to settle all the troubles they can meet. These missions always bring her in some atypical places and of course put her life in danger each time. But when a day, she goes back from one of her mission solo, she discovers that her Alpha and mentor Rod has become rogue. She now has only one choice, to take care of him. Like that, she will meet Max Hunter, this alpha so enigmatic but who would be very happy to be part of the life of our heroine. He will make her discover the world of the shadows, his world. ~ Between dreams and reality

Characters[]

Resources for characters to help fill out chart:

Characters What About
Sasha Trudeau werewolf, special ops soldier; second in command 5'7"; part of an elite group of highly trained Special Ops soldiers who are survivors of werewolf attacks; heavily medicated by the military to keep her wolf side from showing; mysterious pasts that haunt them as adults;mother was African American creole; father Cajun; has stormy-gray eyes and cafe au lait colored skin
Max Hunter leader of a mystical Ute shadow wolves pack About 6'4" shoulder length black hair, brown skinned; father was Blackfoot and French Canadian of the Haitian variety, up near the Canadian border; mother was full Ute, called Noochee; has a hidden past that haunts him
Dr. Xavier Holland Doctor/scientist, bio-engineer raised Sasha; one who has a lot of secrets; like a father for Sasha
Silver Hawk Shadow wolf Max's grandfather; background information on the Shadow wolves
Shogun Alpha werewolf in Korea Sasha met in North Korea; silky black hair, a were-warrior
Clarissa McGill Biologist/biochemist psychic abilities; Sasha's best friend
Geoff Vampire 6'1" Vampire informant of Sasha's in Korea
Rod Butler leader of Special Ops unit survivor of werewolf attack
Darien Woods Special Ops soldiers 'typically handsome' with brown hair, dark eyes, broad shoulders and a cocky grin
Guillaume Shadow Wolf rogue
Mrs. Baker: Sasha's neighbor always in neon rollers, who fed Sasha's fish, Fred, and collected her mail while she was gone on assignments
Major John Adams covert government agent part of the agency dealing with paranormals
Dexter Werewolf Demon-infected werewolf
Bradley Dark arts specialist part of the government team
Fox Shadow: Shadow Wolf named for his cunning mind, auburn hair and lanky build; a rogue shadow
Ronnie Tavern owner owner of Ronnie's Road Hog Tavern
Fred fish Sasha's pet fish
Jim Fisher Special Ops soldier lanky, blond-haired, blue-eyed, baby-faced, yet fierce soldier;
Etienne Vampire
Francois Vampire
Dugan Elf owner of the B&B
Buchanan Broussard Alpha Dana's father
Lei: Werewolf Shogun's sister with a dark secret
Dana Broussard female werewolf father: Buchanan Broussard
Rodney werewolf Demon-infected wolf
Ethan Mac Gregor fae bar owner
Crow Shadow Shadow Wolf
Madame Lamonde Seer
Baron Geoff Montague Vampire
Margaret Fae nurse in the ER at Tulane; Ethan's wife

To expand the table, in Edit–Visual mode, right-press on a Row of the table (Control-press on a Mac)—choose add Row or Column. Or, in Source Mode: copy-paste rows.

La-banks

LA Banks

L.A

L.A. Banks

LA Banks tribute by Eric Battle

LA Banks tribute by Eric Battle

Author []

L.A. Banks

L. A. Banks was named a 2010 Living Legend by the Black Alumni Society of University of Pennsylvania, is the recipient of the 2009 Romantic Times Booklover's Career Choice Award for Paranormal Fiction, was also named one of Pennsylvania's Top 50 Women in Business for 2008, as well as won the 2008 Essence Storyteller of the Year award. Ms. Banks has written over 42 novels and contributed to 23 novellas. She mysteriously shape-shifts between the genres of romance, women's fiction, crime/suspense thrillers, and paranormal lore. She is a proud member of The Liars Club, is a Board of Trustee member for the Philadelphia Free Library and serves on the Mayor's Commission on Literacy. Banks is a graduate of The University of Pennsylvania Wharton undergraduate program with a Master's in Fine Arts from Temple University. She is a full-time writer living and working in Philadelphia. ~Author page

NOTE: Leslie passed away a few years ago to cancer at the height of her career and shortly after giving a speech at the White House.on the problems of healthcare for entrprneurs.  — In Remembrance of L.A. Banks, 1959-2011 | Tor.com

Cover Artist[]

Artist: Barry David Marcus — source: ISFdb

Awards[]

Publishing Information[]

  1. Bad Blood: Paperback, 352 pages, April 1-2008—ISBN-0312949111
  2. Bite the Bullet:
  3. Undead On Arrival:
  4. Cursed to Death:
  5. Never Cry Werewolf:
  6. Left for Undead:

Book Cover Blurbs[]

BOOK ONE BLURB— (2007): Sasha Trudeau knows all about working beneath the shadows, back-alley deals, and things that go bump in the night. She also knows that the world is unaware of the existence of the paranormal—and that the government would like to keep it that way. As a highly trained Special Ops soldier, Sasha and her team are an elite group of individuals who are survivors of werewolf attacks, now trained to be loyal to only to each other and their government. But when she returns from a solo mission, she finds that her team has mysteriously gone missing. Shocking government conspiracies, double-dealing vampires, and a host of stunning revelations about who—and what—she really is are only just the beginning… ~| Bad Blood (Crimson Moon, #1) by L.A. Banks

BOOK TWO BLURB—Bite the Bullet (2006): Sasha Trudeau considers herself a soldier first and a werewolf second. But while her secret government-sanctioned task-force faces its greatest challenge so far, Sasha faces something much more primal: the undeniable pull of the moon—and her own desires.

With rogue wolves savaging both the human and paranormal worlds, Sasha's team of elite operatives has one job: destroy the rogues and isolate the deadly toxin that's poisoned their blood. But the challenge is far more complicated than Sasha could have imagined. Soon she is thrust into a full-scale supernatural war for supremacy - and the only man left who Sasha can turn to might be the biggest danger to her of all. . .and in more ways than one. ~ Fantastic Fiction and Goodreads | Bite the Bullet (Crimson Moon, #2) by L.A. Banks

BOOK THREE BLURB— (2009):Just one month ago, secret government operative Sasha Trudeau thought she’d tasted victory. Orchestrating détente between the warring factions of the supernatural world had nearly cost her life—but it also opened the door to a future with Max Hunter, her mate and fellow Shadow Wolf. Until now. A poisonous virus is wreaking havoc on Hunter’s immune system. And the passionate man who Sasha loves has become unpredictable, dangerous—and possibly deadly. When Hunter disappears the night a human is found ravaged, Sasha is thrust into a race against the clock to find the cure for her mate…and the traitor who’s determined to see them both dead. ~ Goodreads | Undead on Arrival (Crimson Moon, #3) by L.A. Banks

BOOK FOUR BLURB—Cursed to Death (2009): Secret government operative Sasha Trudeau arrives at the scene of a murder, only to discover that a Fae creature has been killed—in a whole new kind of way. What is the meaning behind this mysterious ritualistic killing? What did the victim do to deserve it? Sasha fears that the Vampires and Unseelies have formed an unholy alliance…and they’re ready to unleash their darkest arsenal of magick yet. Teaming up with her mate and fellow Shadow Wolf, Max Hunter, Sasha tries to penetrate the paranormal community for clues. Meanwhile, members of the Wolf Clan are turning against one another as they race to uncover the meaning behind an ancient Unseelie curse. Even Sasha is not immune to this powerful magick, and soon finds herself drawn to a sensual, dangerous dance—one that could cost her own life. ~ Goodreads | Cursed to Death (Crimson Moon, #4) by L.A. Banks

BOOK FIVE BLURB—Never Cry Werewolf (2010): The last fight between the werewolf clans spilled onto the streets of New Orleans—and now the whole city’s on red alert. Martial law has gone into effect. Mediums, ghost hunters, and other supernatural pundits have taken over the media, swarming the Big Easy to expose the hard truth about lycanthropes. And to make matters worse, a beastly killer is clawing up humans… Secret government operative Sasha Trudeau doesn’t like what she’s seeing—a series of brutal and bloody slayings that appear to be wolf-like attacks. It might be the work of a copy cat killer—vampire or Unseelie or some other enemy of the Seelie clan. But while Sasha races to find suspects and motives, the panic level is rising—and the city’s human population is clamoring for an all-out wolf hunt. ~ Goodreads | Never Cry Werewolf (Crimson Moon, #5) by L.A. Banks

BOOK SIX BLURB—Left for Undead (2010): Secret government operative Sasha Trudeau earned a long vacation with her lover and fellow Shadow Wolf, Hunter, after the brutal wolf-like attacks that left New Orleans in an uproar. But when her team calls with news of vampire slayings, Sasha knows it’s only a matter of time before another war breaks out among the supernatural denizens of the world… The vampires are nobody’s ally, but the cold-hearted deaths of their own kind make them even more bloodthirsty than usual. But who is the culprit? With the Seelie and Unseelie courts claiming innocence and aligning together, Sasha’s team is at a loss. Until they discover that they’re facing ancient creatures from the depths of hell itself, bent on unleashing pure fury. ~ Goodreads | Left for Undead (Crimson Moon, #6) by L.A. Banks

First Sentences[]

  1. Bad Blood (2008) — "Door's open!" Sasha yelled without even looking up, as she clutched the confusing set of directions in her hand and stared at the mess of parts on her living room floor.
  2. Bite the Bullet (2008) — A howl tried to climb up her throat but she swallowed it down until her lungs felt like they were going to burst.
  3. Undead On Arrival (2009) — Sasha cringed, the large bed and breakfest suite suddenly making her feel claustrophobic.
  4. Cursed to Death (2009) — Sir Rodney took a sip of Fae ale, feeling the buzz of the lager hit his bloodstream.
  5. Never Cry Werewolf (2010) — New Orleans....deep within the bayou "Bring her to me," Elder Vlad said through his fangs, his voice slicing the stillness of the night with a hissing whisper.
  6. Left for Undead (2010) — 

~ Source: Shelfari

Quotes[]

When the wolf would be one, brought together by one not born of them, yet made . . . strengths of both warring wolves will be sealed in one skin, with one heart. – Bite the Bullet, Book 2.
"It's better to be prepared for the opportunity that does not come than unprepared for the one that does.” — Undead on Arrival, book 2.
To save my son you must kill my father . . . perhaps even start a war.” — Undead on Arrival, book 2.
a male display was a male display, peacock-plume spread or rhino head butt, it was what it was. ~ Cursed to Death, book 3.
“However, the upside of that is, if the colonel had any questions about whose dick was bigger in a pissing contest... uh... I'd say he's now been throughly briefed."” — Sasha talking to Hunter ~ Never Cry Werewolf, book 5.
For so long she’d offered him her body but never her full mind, and absolutely none of her spirit, yet he’d gone completely bankrupt for her. She’d known that from the start. But fear of loving too hard, too fast, too recklessly had allowed her to rob him of the totality he deserved. The man who held her was the salt of the earth, and she’d held him to a standard that was beneath his dignity. — Never Cry Werewolf, book 5.
"They manage to get through the maze of the walking spiritually dead, they are surrounded by those who seek to destroy them—thus making them ineffective.” — Never Cry Werewolf, book 5.

~ Source: Shelfari; Crimson Moon Series

Awards[]

Trivia[]

Lists:

  1. Goodreads | Bad Blood (Crimson Moon, #1) by L.A. Banks
  2. Goodreads | Bite the Bullet (Crimson Moon, #2) by L.A. Banks
  3. Goodreads | Lists That Contain Undead on Arrival (Crimson Moon, #3) by L.A. Banks
  4. Lists That Contain Cursed to Death (Crimson Moon, #4)
  5. Goodreads | Lists That Contain Never Cry Werewolf (Crimson Moon, #5) by L.A. Banks
  6. Goodreads | Lists That Contain Left for Undead (Crimson Moon, #6) by L.A. Banks

Read Alikes (similar elements)[]

See Category links at bottom of page

Notes[]

The author, a kind-hearted woman, passed away a few years ago.

Author on the series:

"...unlike Damali, [Sasha]'s the very thing she hunts. I wanted to approach this legend from the other side of the coin," Banks adds. "This heroine is caught in a bind, because she's one of those things that the military is trying to get rid of."
"For this series, I've gone into Native American shamanism and legends of the wolf as a basis to create a new species of werewolf," Banks reveals. The author details the different breeds inhabiting her universe on her Crimson Moon website. One key group are the Shadow Wolves, who can shapeshift at will. "They don't have to wait for the phases of the moon,"

See Also[]

Category links at bottom of page

External References[]

Books:

Series Summaries and Reviews:

Books online:

The World, Characters, etc:

Interviews:

Reviews: 1-Bad Blood (2008)

2-Bite the Bullet (2008)

3-Undead On Arrival (2009)

4-Cursed to Death (2009)

5-Never Cry Werewolf (2010)

6-Left for Undead

Articles:

Artists: 

Author:

Community, Fan Sites:

Gallery of Book Covers[]

[[Category:Apocalypse or Armageddon]

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