Book Review + Giveaway: Blood Fugue by E.J. Wesley

Title: Blood Fugue (Moonsongs, Book 1)
Author: E.J. Wesley
Genres: New Adult // Paranormal // Urban Fantasy
Purchase Links: Amazon // Smashwords // Barnes & Noble
Source: Author via CBB Book Promotions

“Some folks treated the past like an old friend. The memories warmed them with fondness for what was, and hope for what was to come. Not me. When I thought of long ago, my insides curdled, and I was left feeling sour and wasted.”

Jenny Schmidt is a young woman with old heartaches. A small town Texas girl with big city attitude, she just doesn’t fit in. Not that she has ever tried.

Life has pummeled her heart into one big, lonely callus. She has no siblings, both parents were dead by sixteen, and her last grandparent—and caretaker—was in the ground before she turned twenty-one. She’s the last living member of her immediate family. Or so she thinks…

“We found my ‘grandfather’ sitting at his dining room table. An entire scorched pot of coffee dangled from his shaky hand. His skin was the ashen gray shade of thunderclouds, not the rich mocha from the photo I’d seen. There were dark blue circles under each swollen red eye. A halo of white hair skirted his bald head, a crown of tangles and mats. Corpses had more life in them.”
Suddenly, instead of burying it with the dead, Jenny is forced to confront the past. Armed only with an ancient family journal, her rifle, and an Apache tomahawk, she must save her grandfather’s life and embrace her dangerous heritage. Or be devoured by it.

My Review

A novella usually is connotative of feelings of frustration at their abrupt endings and poor characterization in their restricting page count. There are times when authors end up producing a book that is very unlikable because they do not know how to enthrall a reader quickly enough. Though I was not captivated by the cover, Blood Fugue did well as a novella. The characters are well-developed and the style is satisfactory.


Jenny has a past etched with hurts as she has lost everyone in her family. The latest is her grandmother, who she barely even interacted with even though they lived in the same house. She is now what many would deem a computer nerd, who escapes reality playing video games and repairing computers. What I really enjoyed about her was her individuality. Even her physical appearance echoes her differentness as she sports a purple Mohawk She carries a confidence so well, that you would have no idea of the hurt she has endured. Her trials in life have also weathered her into a tough person, and it is only the presence of Marshall, her close friend, that keeps her in touch with humanity. Sometimes I felt her callousness was exaggerated, but heck, it was still entertaining to see her lack tenderness. Marshall, is a cool character, and I really though he could have been more profound. He is a kind person though, so he compliments Jenny perfectly. It was nice to see such exquisite balance in a short read.

The twist of this novella is what really carries the pace up a few notches. Jenny's "deceased" grandfather contacts her, and pleads for her assistance. She initially gives him a really hard time before she accepts his abandonment. This helped to make the situation realistic, as her grandfather basically reopens all those scars she has been trying to avoid. Soon Jenny learns that a paranormal element has been flowing in her blood for centuries, and she must utilize it to save her feeble grandfather. She is a monster hunter. The function of this first novella is to establish what Jenny is, and though it did not involve bat-shit crazy monster hunting on every page, it is still intriguing as readers discover Jenny's specialty with her. Nothing makes you stick to a character than being a part of their development. It is great that this novella is a series, because readers will see Jenny practice this inheritance more effectively.

Wesley's writing style is captivating because of his diction and dialogue. The diction is obviously targeted for older teenagers and above. It is very simple and is didactic when it needs to be. Also, there is a lot of humor within Jenny's sarcasm and Marshall's jokes. When the characters spoke, especially Jenny, I was impressed at how their personalities shone. I cannot say that I enjoyed this novella through and through, but it certainly entertained me.

My Rating

4/5

Jenny's mission continues in the second installment of the Moonsongs series...

Title: Blood Fugue (Moonsongs, Book 1)

Author: E.J. Wesley

Genres: New Adult // Paranormal // Urban Fantasy

Purchase Links: Amazon // Smashwords // Barnes & Noble

Source: Author via CBB Book Promotions

After receiving an ancient tribal journal from her grandfather, Jenny is sent on a mission of discovery in an attempt to unravel clues to her family's monster hunting past. The journey becomes more than academic when she is asked to confront a coven of dangerous witches who plan to cast an insidious spell on the plains of West Texas.

Witch's Nocturne is the second of the Moonsongs Books, a series of paranormal-horror-action novelettes by author E.J. Wesley. These stories contain language and content better suited for mature readers.

I will have a review for this second installment shortly.

About the Author

Born and raised in Oklahoma, E.J. grew up in a land of good earth and better people. He holds degrees in psychology and counseling, but prefers to spend his time in the heads of imaginary people to real ones. He writes and lives in South Texas, and loves to chat about movies, books, music, food, and family.

Connect with E.J.

Blog // Facebook // Twitter // Goodreads

Giveaways

Check out these wicked prizes E.J. is sponsoring:

Prize Package #1: Signed copy of Soul Screamers Vol. 1 by Rachel Vincent, Signed copy of Capital Hell by Alicia M. Long, signed copy of The Fault in Our Stars by John Green, and Texas (Little Known Facts about Well Known Places (Package open to US addresses only) by Victor Dorff

2 winners of a $15 GC to Amazon or B&N

1 winner of $20 towards The Book Depository (INT ONLY!)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

But wait, two winners can also receive an electronic copy of each book! Say whut?

a Rafflecopter giveaway

This post is a part of a virtual book tour hosted by CBB Book Promotions.

View the schedule