Crimson Sky

by Amy Braun

[layawaydragon]

Received a free copy to review from Xpresso Reads

The Good:
• Interesting take on vampires
• Liked the Gaslamp factors and Claire’s engineering magic
• Liked the character progression and reveals

The Bad & The Other:
• Took some time to become engaged & warm up to Claire
• Predictable
• Knew Sawyer’s secret immediately

Claire, our reluctant heroine, was annoying at times in the beginning and felt off. I was very tired of hearing “I don’t know and don’t wanna.” It was also hard hearing her think she’s no one and nothing when that’s so clearly wrong. I was just waiting for her to get her shit together.

Once the pirates crash the scene it gets interesting. However, there was hamhanded foreshadowing throughout. Every time someone said “it’ll be fine” or ignored their instincts it bit them in the ass. Plus, there’s no self-awareness or fake outs. While I wasn’t 100% right about how, I was right about what would happen.

Even with all that, Claire grew on me as did Sawyer. For me, even if it was strained at times, the action and romance saved Crimson Sky. While the worldbuilding was interesting, I didn’t start caring until the characters showed up.

Towards the end, there’s a…complication, a romantic complication. While I went “Noooooo! But Sawyer!”, I didn’t hate him or the situation. It was fitting and Claire’s realization at the end was touching.


3 Stars: Solid. A rocky thus slow beginning led to predictable but enjoyable action and a budding romance I can cheer for. Finally engaged, I look forward to reading Midnight Sky. I think it’ll pay off and the unique worldbuilding will get to shine.