Pale and sullen, Luca is a man with a mission: to destroy all vampires - especially the one that fathered him. This will not prove easy, as Luca is the son of Dracula.
That's a great pretext for a story. However, this story takes place on the world of Icarya in the year AD 12,205 and Luca's companions include a three hundred-year-old time-traveling witch, an aging Hercules (yes, that Hercules), nymphs, fauns, a minotaur, a pegasus, and a talking rat.
If the author is going to throw all of that in one book, she had better be able to make it work.
Luca the vampire hunter and Kate the witch fall in love.
They go mining for quartz because it's an explosive substance, you know. They and their companions are just the sweetest people you'll ever meet and nothing bad ever gets in their way very long.

Summary: Katelyn, a witch with a penchant for risky magic, crosses paths with Luca, a half-vampire with the charm of someone who has mastered the dark arts of "brooding 101." Together, they navigate a world teetering on the brink of magical catastrophe. Facing threats ranging from assassination plots to illegitimate heirs (because why not?), our duo battles through it all. Luca is presented with the choice to either vampirize Kate or risk losing her forever. Talk about relationship dilemmas!

Pros:
🌟 Two stars for a rollercoaster ride that starts on a high but takes a detour through the valley of mediocrity. Buckle up, it's going to be bumpy.

😕 It started out good, but quickly went downhill from there – it's like the literary equivalent of tripping over your own magical robes.

🧙‍♂️ Insta love alert! Kate and Luca's connection lacks the spark of a well-crafted spell. It's more like a flicker of a birthday candle than a fireworks display.

🔥 A lot of smut – this book is spicier than a cauldron of chili. However, execution could've been smoother, like a well-cast levitation charm.

🙇 Characters as flat as a pancake – no relatability, no character development. It's like witnessing a masquerade ball where everyone is wearing the same bland mask.

🤔 The plot is a maze of confusion, skipping like a stone over a pond of plot holes. It's like trying to follow a recipe with missing ingredients.

📚 Mediocre read – it's the equivalent of a magical potion that didn't quite hit the mark. Fingers crossed for a more bewitching sequel.

In conclusion, "A Vision in Crimson" is a tale where magic and vampires collide, but the sparks seem to fizzle out faster than a dud firework. Will the sequel conjure a more potent spell? Stay tuned for the next enchanting chapter! 🌌📚

Disclaimer: A magical thank you to NetGalley and City Owl Press for this ARC. All opinions are my own, even if they lack the supernatural flair of a well-crafted hex. 🌟🔮✨

I really liked this book. I loved Kate and her strength, she wasn't afraid to do what needed to be done and was the first to lend help when was necessary. Luca was mistreated his whole life and seeing him get the love he deserved all along was so satisfying. These two together were a force of their own, they each try to protect the other and love each other so much, it's really something. I love the world and whole the intrigues. I have to say I liked Alaric too, not with Kate, but in general. I xan't wait to read the next one, this one ended in a cliffhanger and I need to know what happens next

A hunter without a purpose. A witch out of control.

Together, they will Burn.
-
OMG this was soo up my alley!
I just flew through this book!
The banter, dialogue, world building, found family, the romance, the story line..
It had such great pacing and flowed smoothly.
Loved Kate’s magic and the abilities she has and just her in general. She’s pretty badass.
Also, Luca has had a pretty painful life and her acceptance of him is so healing. Though I am so interested to see where his storyline is going to go after that ending.
Btw they def burn together!
Also, that epilogue! 🔥

Also it has some of my favorite tropes! ✨Kick-ass, Witchy FMC
✨Rival Lovers
✨Touch Her and Die
✨Dual POV
This is half the list but I love these and dual pov always makes a huge difference when there's romance or devious plots involved.

Firstly, big thank you to Kathryn and Netgalley for providing me with an arc of this to read.

I liked the concept of the Damphir narrative for Luca, and how he was actively deflecting his vampire side in the hope to do things that would make him more humane (eg; protecting humans from vampires and essentially becoming a vampire slayer). This was such a good pretext for his character, however it felt a bit short because other than in the beginning of the book it doesn't expand much more, we only really get snippets about his past. Luca's character gave me very Castlevania animated series Alucard character vibes. Or, trying to be Alucard should we say.

I loved the idea of Kate being afraid of her magic, but also wanting to do her duty to protect the people she loves. I felt I could see her distress and frustration at many points trying to get to grips with weighing the pros and cons of using her magic, sometimes in a sacrificial way. I just wished we would've expanded on the magic system side in the world more.

I'm not really that big of a fan of the 'insta-love/insta-lust' trope. I find it leaves little suspense or growth development for romance interactions between characters (remember this is just a personal opinion, I know plenty of readers who love the insta-love trope and whirlwind romance vibes) - Whilst it didn't feel forced as such, it did feel a little co-dependent throughout the story.

Also, the plot/storyline felt very jumpy at moments - there were points where the quick change of POV between characters had me having to go back a change or two so I could be sure which characters POV we were in. This was particularly an issue with background characters, because they really felt like background characters. You'd have exchanges with some of them once and never hear of them again in the story. I think there needed to be better fleshing out of the background characters overall.

The plot seemed to jump all over the place, which meant at times I found myself not being able to follow and go back and read a page or two again. There just didn't feel like there was enough world building for us to understand Icarya's history.

I also felt the ending of the book was really abrupt? It didn't feel like it gave us much thoughts for the next book, or what to expect next. The cliffhanger felt really sudden. I think this would've been better split into a duo, or trilogy. Too many things were happening with not enough direction so I felt like I wasn't following as much as I'd liked to have done.

I also felt there is too much that need's exploring about Alaric's character and why he's relevant.

I could honestly see what this book was trying to do - like really. There just wasn't enough context to go on and character development. I appreciate this is the first book, but like I said, for me to have more connection with the characters it needed to be at least two books.

Luca and Kate are fun characters, and they end up in a realm that combines fantasy and Greek Mythology. It was a little hard to follow what was going on with the storyline. It felt jumpy, but was a fun quick read.

I really wanted to love this book. Unfortunately it fell a bit flat for me. I didn’t find the characters to be relatable and I wasn’t really rooting for anyone in particular. The writing style was nice; but I think this book might not have been for me.

The synopsis for this book drew me in, and I was excited to read it. The main characters are Luca, who is Dracula’s son, and Kate, a three-hundred year old witch. I am a sucker for a book with the instant love trope, which this had and I enjoyed. Overall, the book was interesting, however I feel the author threw a lot of things into this book, and it was a bit overwhelming at some points throughout the story. I am giving this book 3.25 stars. I would consider reading more of this authors work in the future.

A vision in crimson was a unique fantasy book that I thoroughly enjoyed. Luca is a lonely vampire and meeting Kate a witch who doesn’t care who/what he is awakens something in him. They are both lonely souls who find each other by chance and you can feel the bond of not being understood or enough for anyone immediately. Luca goes home with Kate and gets to experience a real life with others as she has created a world where monsters and humans coexist. However, a darkness is near and may threaten everything for the two of them. This ends on a cliffhanger and I can’t wait for the next book.

I want to thank NetGalley for sending me this Arc of A Vision in Crimson.
I was intrigued by the description of the book. Reading about a half vampire (who hunts vampires) and a witch (whose magic is out of control) sounded interesting and could have been great. This book had a lot of potential, but unfortunately (for me) it did not live up to my expectations.
My first issue is the world building. I was confused as to when this was supposed to be taken place, and there are different planets that they can travel to? I had a lot of questions.
My second issue is the instalove between the two main characters. I prefer enemies to lovers, but the two main characters fell for each other WAY too fast. I think it was after a day of meeting they had really strong feeling for each other. There really was no build up.
My third problem with this book is that I personally didn’t feel a connection to the characters.
I feel bad for not liking this book, but I just wanted to give my honest opinion.

I don’t know where to start with this book. I think the blurb is very deceiving. I thought this was going to be a super high fantasy novel but it’s pretty much just smut and a barely there plot line.
Luca is supposed to be this super moody and not very emotional dhampir and vampire hunter but that pretty much goes out the window whenever he meets Kate.
Kate is a human but also a witch and also Queen of Icarya. I will say her magic is out of control.
I had a very hard time placing when this story is supposed to be taking place. Kate is from 1884 but Luca is living in 12,205 and Kate is only 300 years old?
Also the instant love.. I really think that was the downfall of this story. There was so much potential for the angst and slow burn. Insta love can be done right, but only in a fated mates romance, sometimes.
After they get to Icarya, it gets even more confusing because this is a POV from this shadow creature that is actually Dracula and Luca’s dad. Then we don’t see or hear about him again until chapter 32 (there’s only 38 chapters including the epilogue).
Then there are random characters that only make one time appearances. There were a lot of good ideas but it should’ve been drawn out between different books instead of all thrown into one.
My favorite part of this whole book was seeing Luca’s past and how he got his name. I don’t think anything else is memorable.

Random Notes While Reading:

MCs Luca and Kate.
Luca (aka Dracula) is a dhampir (half human half vampire) on what I believe is Earth
Kate is supposedly human the Queen of Icarya which is in a different realm. Also a self taught witch? But not self taught because she has powers??
Kate and her team of creatures are on Earth to collect Quartz because that is what powers the main city in Icarya (Casstelmoor).
Very much adventure based which is nice because I’ve read so much trials lately.
Kate has a very strange relationship with Alaric who is an assassin in Icarya.
Some dark creature followed them from Earth to Icarya and was a stowaway on the a ship they were picked up in but haven’t heard anything about them since.
Almost instant love (not a huge fan of) really had the potential for a damn good slow burn.
From the excerpt, it seemed like Luca was going to have a huge eternal battle between hunting his father (Dracula) and following Kate to Icarya but he pretty much asks her if he can come with her.
We find out how Luca got his name, which is so sad. The child who befriends him after Luca’s mother left him, is the first and only person until Kate that doesn’t immediately write him off when they find out he’s a half breed. The child asks him to play and when they are climbing up a set or rocks, the child falls and cracks his head open. The child ask’s for his name and he doesn’t know what to say at first because his mother never gave him a name. The child give him his name (which is Luca) because he is dying and “won’t need it anymore.” - This part almost brought me to tears because it lets us in the Luca’s past and why he is so hardened in the beginning of the book and why he almost immediately attaches to Kate.

I really enjoyed this one. The writing is really good. The world building is not too complex and is very easy to follow along.

Read if you like:

🗡️ grumpy x sunshine
🗡️ insta-love
🗡️ half vampire/half human
🗡️ sassy witch
🗡️ touch her and 💀
🗡️ secondary fantasy world
🗡️ rival lovers

I can’t wait for Book 2 since this ended in a cliffhanger!

“I’ve never had someone who would fall apart if I didn’t come back.”

“A Vision in Crimson” by Kathryn Troy is a multi-level retelling. Kathelyn, a magic user, needs to find the materials to keep her world alight. She runs into Luca, a half-vampire, who helps her magic to find what she needs for her world. Both suffer with their secrets but can find comfort in each other as they embark on their quests.

I liked so much of the world building and concept. So much retelling; Dracula and Greek mythology characters like Hercules and Pegasus. All that with mixing in other worlds, magic, futuristic technology, etc. I do think with a world as big as it is that the book was longer so more could be dedicated to in depth world building. It has tropes like insta-love, and he falls first. I enjoyed reading it and would love to read more. I gave it a 5 out of 5 stars.

-Vampires
-Dracula
-Greek Mythology
-Magic
-He Falls First
-Insta-love
-Witches

I unfortunately really struggled to get through this book. Which I was sad about because the concept seemed great. The writing style came across as rather Juvenile which instantly made it difficult for me to connect with. The world building was not great. There was a lot of potential in this story for it to have been really good but it unfortunately missed the mark with that lack of adequate world building and the lack of connection with the characters. I am not avidly against insta love. In some stories it works great, however, in this particular instance it did not.

I wish the author well in their future endeavours.

This was more of a 2.5 vs 3 stars in my opinion
I usually try to give an overview of the story before doing my reviews, but honestly I don’t even know where to start or where to end. The description of the book is just a tiny portion of what actually happens in the story and will leave you more confused when certain things happen, than if you just went in blindly not knowing what the book is about at all.

This book had so much potential at the beginning, the story itself seemed very interesting, but then fell very short. The world building was very lack luster, and the writing style was cute and cheesy, but then it became very cringy. There were multiple times through out the book I had to stop and go “wtf did I just read” or “how is this relevant to the story line”. A lot of things came out of left field and you were left feeling that the story was trying way to hard, but the writing wasn’t trying hard enough.

I wanted to love Luca, from the beginning I thought he was this cute little depressed boy who just wanted someone to love him. Then when he meets Kate and its instalove, I thought “ok he’s finally getting the affection he’s always wanted” but then things got weird, and I remembered “oh these people are hundreds of years old, acting like a middle school romance” and I mentally checked out after the assassin part.

Kate, oh sweet Kate. I loved what they were trying to do with her character, I do, but it fell very short. There were too many “wtf” moments for me. There could have been more character development on her end and it would have changed the book for the better.

My review will also be available to read on instagram on 1/12

I enjoyed this book a lot. It was very unique and the world building was very well done and I could not put the book down!

"When you found me, this is what I was dreaming of. You".

Firstly, thank you NetGalley for an arc of this novel--it was such a great experience.

This book gave me a lot of mixed feelings. At first, I was met with slight confusion but as I continued on, I can't help to say I was invested. There was a lot going on here: first we have Kate, a witch who travels from a land called Icarya. From her travels back to earth, she meets our main male lead, Luca. As the book develops, we see Luca, a half-vampire/half-human develop into the land of Icarya alongside Kate and their love blossom further.

As I read this book I had a few highlights:
1. I really wish there was more world building for Icarya. This magical place seems interesting enough, except we don't really get the full scope here. I would have loved to learn more about the history of this place alongside a more in depth view of our characters. I just feel like the book would have been so much stronger with these aspects.
2. Instalove: If there is one person who does not like instalove, it is me. The connection between Luca and Kate was great, but I feel as though it fell short due to how fast they fell for one another. Yet, as the book drives forward, I began to appreciate their relationship and was rooting for them. I just wish there was a bigger buildup there.
3. The world/magic system was very intriguing--this was probably my favorite aspect of the novel. I was immediately drawn into these aspects of the book and wished we could have seen more in depth characteristics of it.
4. Lots of side characters: The first portion of the book involved a lot of side characters, from all walks of the world--and I really mean that. It was a bit difficult to keep up with everyone, but once we got to Icarya, things seemingly settled. I enjoyed the characters we were reading about in this land more than the others. They were more interesting and it felt more natural to see them interact.

As a whole, this was a fun, easy read. I give this a solid 3 stars and may be inclined to continue with the series. Thank you again, NetGalley for my arc copy!

Publication Date: January 23, 2024

This is a 2.5 star review. There are ways to re-tell Dracula. However this is not it. Greek Demi-Gods, Egyptian Gods, magick, time travel, and a planet that depends on quartz for running the electricity? The story had a strong beginning, then faded away. Luca and Kate would be a great story without all the mishmash additions. The smut was good so that is a plus.

Luca (the MMC) is a vampire hunter. He knows a lot about them because he just happens to be a half-vampire. Luca is also very lonely, but all the changes when he meets a witch named Kate (the FMC) and it's love at first sight.

However, Kate and her merry band of magical creatures are just making a pitstop on Earth. With nothing keeping Luca there, he decides to go join Kate and travel to her world, Icarya.

It was a little dizzying how many extra characters were introduced within the first few chapters. Characters like Hercules, a minotaur and a talking rat, I kept thinking "ok, what is this book about?" But like most fantasy books - just go with it.

🌶️🌶️🌶️/ 5

✨ Witches 🔮
✨ Vampires 🦇
✨ Magic 💫
✨ Love at first sight ♥️♥️

I really liked Kate - she was sassy and self assured. I felt like Luca was kind of in the background, just basking in her glow and doing more observing more than anything.

This book had pretty low stakes. It's mostly world building for most of the book as well as building on Kate and Luca's relationship. Even still, there's enough little embers to keep me curious and I'll be reading book 2.

Book 1 will be released in January 2024.

* Thank you to City Owl Press and NetGalley for my eARC in exchange for my honest review *

The book immediately drew me in. The Icaryan world, with its unique magic system and political intrigue, is vividly described and easy to imagine. The characters, especially Kate and Luca, are well-developed and relatable, with their own flaws and struggles.
I enjoyed reading the relationship between Kate and Luca. Their chemistry is palpable, and the tension between them adds an extra layer of excitement to the story. Both Kate and Luca are forced to make difficult decisions and sacrifices for the people they love, and it adds depth to their characters and the overall story. As they fight side-by-side against various threats, their bond only grows stronger, making it impossible for readers not to root for them.
The plot is fast-paced and full of unexpected twists and turns. From assassination plots to long-lost lovers, the story is full of action and suspense. Overall, I really recommend this book for anyone who loves a good fantasy with a touch of romance.