Title: Love Is Red (Nightsong Trilogy #1)
Author: Sophie Jaff
Publisher: Harper
Release Date: May 12, 2015
Acquired Via: TLC Book Tours
Redefining the thriller's tale of the hunter and the hunted, This electrifying, hypnotically beautiful debut spins dark suspense and literary fantasy into a mesmerizing story of survival.
Katherine Emerson was born to fulfill a dark prophecy centuries in the making, but she doesn't know it yet. However, one man does: a killer stalking the women of New York City, a monster the media dubs the "Sickle Man" because of the weapon he uses to turn his victims' bodies into canvases for his twisted art. People think he's the next Son of Sam, but we know how he thinks and how he feels...and discover that he is driven by darker, much more dangerous desires than we can bear to imagine. He takes more than just his victims' lives, and each death brings him closer to the one woman he must possess at any cost.
Amid the city's escalating hysteria, Katherine is trying to unknot her tangled heart. Two very different men have entered her previously uneventful world—handsome and personable David, alluring yet aloof Sael—and turned it upside down. She finds herself involved in a complicated triangle...but how well does she really know either of them?
Told from the alternating viewpoints of Katherine and the Sickle Man, Sophie Jaff's intoxicating narrative will pull you in and hold you close. As the body count rises, Katherine is haunted by harrowing visions that force her to question her sanity. All she wants is to find love. He just wants to find her.
Ablaze with fear, mystery, and possibility, Love Is Red is the first book in the Night Song trilogy. With this unforgettable novel—one that combines the literary and the supernatural, fantasy and horror, the past and the present—Katherine's moment of awakening is here. And her story is only just beginning.
Praise for Love is Red
“The writing in this debut thriller is evocative and, simply put, gorgeous. Jaff does an amazing job at conveying all five senses at every moment…. The lush language and intricately fleshed-out characters make this a series — and author — to watch.” — RT Book Reviews
“The excitement (and there’s plenty of it) comes from the serial killer’s creepy, second-person accounts of his moves and from watching the cat-and-mouse game with Katherine... Frightening.” — Booklist
“The kick of this ridiculously entertaining book is the haze of delirium it creates in the reader’s brain... Jaff’s woozy supernatural saga is effectively scary and great fun to read.” — New York Times Book Review
My Review
The great thing about reading adult literature, I get to learn things about myself, as well as visit the worlds within the novels that I read. What I learned about myself in Love is Red is that it is extremely difficult for me to read about anything to do with sexual violence. Making it even worse (or better, if it doesn't bother you), is that Jaff is a tremendously talented writer who is able to pull you into each scene - good, bad, and ugly.
I read a few book descriptions and early reviews of Love is Red before becoming interested in reviewing it, and I was intrigued by the premise. I don't read many serial killer novels, but the promise of supernatural elements drew me to it. However, once I started reading it, it did not take long for me to close the book and step away from it. There is an alternating point of view, but it was too hard for me to be in the villain's head during his encounters with his victims.
If you are not as squeamish as I am when it comes to being in a serial killer's head, I have no doubt that you'll enjoy Love is Red. Jaff has a gift, and I'll be interested in checking out her next venture.
Buy Links
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | Fishpond
Indiebound | Google Play | Kobo
About the Author
A native of South Africa, Sophie Jaff is an alumna of the Graduate Musical Theatre Writing Program at Tisch School of the Arts, New York University, and a fellow of the Dramatists Guild of America. Her work has been performed at Symphony Space, Lincoln Center, the Duplex, the Gershwin, and Goodspeed Musicals. She lives in New York City.
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Follow the Tour
Love is Red Tour Schedule
Monday, May 11th
My Bookish Ways
Tuesday, May 12th
No More Grumpy Bookseller
Wednesday, May 13th
A Bookish Way of Life
Thursday, May 14th
Spiced Latte Reads
Friday, May 15th
Kahakai Kitchen
Wednesday, May 20th
Doing Dewey
Monday, May 25th
Booksie’s Blog
Tuesday, May 26th
Ms. Nose in a Book
Wednesday, May 27th
From the TBR Pile
Thursday, May 28th
Ageless Pages Reviews
Tuesday, June 2nd
Jenny Waldo
Tuesday, June 2nd
Sharon’s Garden of Book Reviews
Wednesday, June 3rd
My Shelf Confessions
Friday, June 5th
Hopelessly Devoted Bibliophile
Monday, June 8th
In Bed with Books
Friday, June 12th
Bibliophilia, Please
To satisfy FTC guidelines, I am disclosing that I received an advance copy of the novel from the publisher through TLC Book Tours in exchange for an unbiased review. It has in no way affected the outcome. All expressed opinions are awesome, honest, and courtesy of me.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts on this book for the tour.
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