Sanguine Mountain
Author: Jennifer Foxcroft
Reviewer: Nima
Rating: A-
What I’m Talking About:
Sanguine Mountain’s title suggests a story of vampires and blood. There is blood, although very little, and there are vampire—bats. Neither Lestat nor Edward Cullen are sneaking in anyone’s windows. The only creatures of the night in this tale are actual bats. In a new take on the vampire myth, this is a much more Wild Kingdom approach to a teen love story.
Rockland or “Rocks” is descended from a centuries old culture called the Camazotz that was magically transformed into bats to evade and conquer their enemies. They have shunned the advances of the world as it grew up and they did not, choosing instead to isolate themselves. Now their numbers are dwindling and Rocks believes it is crucial to modernize if they are to survive. He is fascinated by all things technological, but especially by Connie, a high school senior who is blonde and all things sunshine.
The story is told in first person, completely from Connie’s perspective. Foxcroft successfully represents a teenage girl with a unique voice. Connie’s maturity is age appropriate and does not feel like the voice of an adult author trying to speak as a teenager. It reminds me of Need by Carrie Jones, combining normal teen life with a wispy, ethereal quality that hangs in magical, but not dangerous places. Sanguine Mountain is better written than Need. If I have any criticism of Connie’s character it’s that she does a little too much swooning over Rocks and it actually impedes the reader from getting to know him better. Rather than more observations of his speech and actions, we get a few too many forest smells and giddy tingles. For me it crossed over a certain line of saturation. Nevertheless all the swooning did successfully express some of the self-centeredness that is typical of teenage life. In the end it probably added some authenticity.
The story is the first of three in a trilogy and must be read in order. In fact, Sanguine Mountain comes to a stopping place, but isn’t a complete story on its own. It’s only an introduction that comes in under 300 pages. If you read it, be prepared to read all three. I hope in future books that we get additional perspectives. I would be disappointed for the entire trilogy to be from solely Connie’s point of view.
My Rating: A- Enjoyed A Lot
About the Book:
Connie Phillips has never told a lie—until now.
An anonymous letter shatters the world Connie thought she knew and trusted. The news that her parents aren’t really her own leaves her angry, devastated and alone. The search for the truth leads her down a dark, desolate forest road where she meets a boy in the shadows who has secrets of his own.
Rockland’s life has been ruled by an ancient curse since the day he was born. Forever labeled a misfit and a rebel, he is desperate to convince his leaders that integration with the modern world will be the salvation of their kind—not their demise.
After their worlds collide in the middle of a dark forest, Connie and Rocks strike a deal to help each other find the answers they both need—away from her lying parents and the judgmental sneers of his colony. But, can they find love on their journey to discover who they are and where they belong in the world?
Release Date: February 24, 2015
Publisher: self-published
Series: Camazotz Trilogy #1
ISBN: #978-0990989509
Genre: Young Adult Paranormal Romance
Format(s): paperback (288 pages), e-book
Book Source: Author
Purchase Info:
Sanguine Mountain (Camazotz Trilogy #1)
That good? I would not have guessed it. I am a horrid cover judge
I tend to be harder on self-published authors too, but only found two typos and it was better content edited than many of the series reads I’ve had lately.
It’s a fabulous read and I can’t wait for the next book release.
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