Rain of Ash / Rachel Elisabeth Judd

Reviewed by: ?wazithinkin

Genre: Paranormal/Vampire/Contemporary Fantasy

Approximate word count: 75-80,000 words

Availability

Kindle US: YES UK: YES Nook: YES Smashwords: YES Paper: NO

Click on a YES above to go to appropriate page in Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or Smashwords store

Author:

Rachel Elisabeth Judd is an independent writer and game designer living in Southern California. She enjoys writing books, designing games, and live action role playing. Rain of Ash is her debut novel.

Learn more about Ms. Judd on her website or stalk her on Facebook.

Description:

“Three years ago, after a terrible fight with her father, Lydia Bradshaw vanished without a trace. Her younger sister Gwen never gives up hope, though, waiting for Lydia to eventually come home.

But when Lydia finally does resurface, it's not what Gwen expected. Lydia's changed in her time away, in ways Gwen can barely understand. After her family home burns, Gwen gets taken in by a cadre of vampire hunters who call themselves Project Fifteen. They welcome Gwen, teaching her how to hunt and fight vampires. And Gwen embraces the opportunity to take revenge on the vampires who have hurt her family.

But not everyone is what they seem. Everyone has secrets, even Gwen. Will Gwen be able to survive her introduction into the hidden world of Project Fifteen?”

Appraisal:

I think Project Fifteen could prove to be an interesting series. The set-up was unique and so are the sisters, Lydia and Gwen. The story was told through Gwen’s eyes and she was only privy to what she was told throughout the story. However, much was learned by the end of this book. The characters were well developed, diverse, and interesting. You could call this a coming of age story as Gwen’s eyes are opened to the reality around her.

The story moves at a nice pace as Gwen learns more about the vampire 

hierarchy, trains to be a vampire hunter, and work as a team. There is something more about Gwen than we are told though, and that is going to be compelling to learn more about as the story moves forward. With her mother in a coma from the raid on their home though, it may take a while to learn if there is more to her bloodline than she was ever willing to admit to her daughters.

The last 30% of the story is a rollercoaster ride. Everything is turned upside down and inside out. Nothing will ever be the same for Gwen or Lydia ever again. This being Ms. Judd’s debut novel shows readers she will be an author to watch. She has done a wicked job bringing her vampire fantasy to life.

FYI:

This is book 1 of the Project Fifteen Series.

Format/Typo Issues:

I found a small number of proofing errors.

Rating: **** Four stars