Rating: 1.5
Description: When she was a child, Ruth was brutally attacked by a green-eyed wolf in the woods on the path to her grandmother's house. Her legs still bear the scars of the assault, but Ruth has grown into a young woman, learning the trade of her father, a blacksmith, after her brother leaves for the Crusades and learning herb lore from her grandmother, whom the village has labeled a witch. When Ruth's cousin Peter returns from the Crusades with the news that her brother has died, Ruth is devastated, but when the young Earl, William, enters her family's blacksmith's shop, Ruth cannot help but be drawn to the man who, far from being disgusted by her profession and sharp tongue, seems intrigued. William is fascinated by Ruth and begins to make up excuses to see her, but he knows that their relationship is doomed to end, as William's family suffers under a curse that would put Ruth in danger. When a series of brutal killings take place in the very wood where Ruth was attacked as a child, the village looks for the same wolf that is responsible for Ruth's scars. When Ruth learns William's secret, that he is the wolf who caused her so much pain, she must look to her heart to tell her what action to take.
Review: After reading the author's book "Midnight Pearls", I was expecting a light, interesting retelling of a fairytale. What I found in "Scarlet Moon" was a dull, dark, and somewhat confusing story. Ruth is a somewhat interesting character, but she is never developed to the extent that she could have been, and all the other characters are pale and flat. I was never able to bring myself to care for them one way or the other. What little plot there is mostly revolves around the revelation of William's secret, but it's obvious from his and Ruth's very first meeting that he's a werewolf. While the ending is surprising, it's still rather stupid and is never explained to my satisfaction. Overall, I'd only recommend "Scarlet Moon" if you're desperate for a fairytale retelling or a ginormous fan of the "Once Upon A Time" series (of which this book is a part).