The Crimson Hue

A Modern Day Vampire Saga

Fiction - Fantasy - Urban
Kindle Edition
Reviewed on 04/07/2022
Buy on Amazon

This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Free Book Program, which is open to all readers and is completely free. The author will provide you with a free copy of their book in exchange for an honest review. You and the author will discuss what sites you will post your review to and what kind of copy of the book you would like to receive (eBook, PDF, Word, paperback, etc.). To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email.

Author Biography

D.D. Scarlet has always enjoyed the creative release found in writing. She is naturally introverted and growing up in the Australian bush in partial isolation, the beasts of the land became her familiars, and when life threw at her dangers and challenges, as life does to us all, her instincts peeked through the chaos, and she quickly reverted to the primal behaviours imprinted on her during her childhood.
She is naturally happy and vivacious and sure, she can work a crowd like a celebrity when the need arises, or she simply feels the call, but once her desires have been satisfied, she happily retreats back to her lair where she no longer has to conform to the societal smokescreens that enslave humanity and exhaust her.
Aside writing, her other interests are of a Spiritual/Supernatural/Paranormal nature… She has a passion for all forms of energy whether they be based in physics, blood, magic, prayer or the paranormal. Throwing open the lid of Pandora’s Box and investigating all the shiny things within both excites and pleases her.
How much of her writing is based on fact and/or actual experiences...? The real question, is how much of it isn’t?

    Book Review

Reviewed by K.C. Finn for Readers' Favorite

The Crimson Hue: A Modern Day Vampire Saga is a work of fiction in the fantasy, adventure, and erotic-horror subgenres. It is intended for the mature reading audience owing to explicit language throughout as well as graphic scenes of sex and violence. Penned by author D.D. Scarlet in the full, no-holds-barred tradition of gory erotic horror, this vampiric saga takes readers on a macabre and sensual journey with our protagonist and anti-hero, Mars. In this modern take on vampire life, our young protagonist feels himself undergoing changes far beyond the typical teenager's. As his bloodlust grows, so do his skills in cultivating a new life where blood and blood bonds come in equal measure.

A graphic coming-of-age saga that will certainly please fans of dark urban fantasy novels with lots of steamy moments, The Crimson Hue is a work that operates on many levels. The surface pleasures of the sexual awakening that Mars goes through certainly make for exciting reading and keep the plot spicy, but there’s also a deeper message about freedom and the choices we make in our lives that resonates strongly in certain parts of the tale. The cast is also quite expansive as we get to know more of the vampires and their prey and what makes them tick, the dark demons they battle against in their psyches, and how that shapes their actions. Overall, author D.D. Scarlet has crafted a novel with as much thought-provoking conceptual content as its thrills and spills, making for highly engaging reading.

Stephanie Chapman

The Crimson Hue by D.D. Scarlet introduces Mars, a young man who favors a gothic lifestyle and is an accomplished mechanic. He has been having disturbing dreams of an entity whose face stays hidden from his sight. His coworkers notice his depression and encourage him to go out to a party. He meets Raven, a practicing witch. They become a couple, and Raven shows Mars different rituals. However, Mars seems interested in blood rituals, and Raven decides they should share one another’s blood. Mars feels he needs more blood so Raven breaks up with him immediately. Heartbroken, Mars goes through severe depression, and still wants blood. One evening, he meets Jade, who takes him to Anton. Anton proclaims Mars is a vampire, just like everyone in the building Mars has entered. Mars attends colloquiums where he learns moral and educational lessons of living as a vampire. He takes on the role of a guardian and learns there is more to protecting the clan than he ever bargained for.

D.D. Scarlet created relatable characters with distinct personalities. Mars is a quiet yet amorous vampire that finds himself conflicted by some of Anton’s directions. The whole idea of being called a predator made Mars apprehensive. Jade's cold rudeness made Mars avoid her. I hated Raven and her family for not allowing Mars to associate with them after it was Raven’s fault for introducing him to blood rituals. Since Mars grew up without a father, I could see how easy it was for him to look to Anton as a type of father figure. The vivid imagery and the detailed descriptions of all the characters made this story easy to picture. Despite being a vampire tale, it featured the interaction and relationship of every character realistically. The ending left me tormented, especially with the last line causing intense suspense about what Mars was going to face. Every page of The Crimson Hue held me captive, and I have no reservations in adding this story to my favorites. Readers who like high-intensity vampire novels with suspense and well-developed characters would enjoy this novel.

Rabia Tanveer

The Crimson Hue: A Modern Day Vampire Saga is the first novel in the Mars’ Lair series by D.D. Scarlet. The story follows Mars as he discovers new things about himself and embraces them with a little help from a stranger. Mars always knew he was different, but he never knew how. However, things became very clear when he started to crave something forbidden: blood. Luckily for him, Mars met a man who taught him how to accept his vampirism, acquire blood, and not get caught. From there on, Mars learned how to get what he needed while also giving what others needed. Seducing was easy, but it was keeping the beast inside him in check that was hard. Because once getting the taste wasn’t enough, Mars had to become a hunter with a leash and a protector with an iron fist. Was it in Mars to be both without self-destructing?

Definitely a story for adults, this seductive and entertaining novel featured plenty of action, intense drama, erotic scenes, and blood to surprise even the most avid readers of such genres. Mars was first introduced as a lost and somewhat scared teenager who had no idea who he was and why he was craving blood. However, the moment he was taken in by Anton Simion and then accepted by the rest of the lair members things changed. Mars was trained to become the perfect hunter and protector for his newfound family. Jade was the most fun out of all the characters introduced in the story. Anton was intriguing, and there was an air of mystique around him; however, Jade was sassy and a badass. Mars still has a lot of growing to do, but that is a clear sign that the reader has a lot to look forward to in the next novel in the series!