Book Review: RED AND GREY by Christine Brant

Connor believed he lived a relatively easy life until a sorceress transforms him into a wolf. Refusing to do her bidding, Connor escapes. He follows his intuition to travel far away, all the while fighting to keep his humanity from the wolf’s all-pervading instincts. Lost and alone, Connor’s dreams of a beautiful young woman who brings color back to his monochromatic existence.

Ever since her mother passed away, Melody Saltman has been plagued by nightmares. No night occurs without her fighting for her sanity, until one evening a beautiful grey wolf breaks into her dream to save her from the inky darkness. In this dreamtime, Melody and Connor discover that each is more than what they appear to one another.

Trevor has been watching Melody ever since she was a little girl, manipulating and manoeuvring to have her as his own. When she agrees to him courting her, Trevor knows that he is close to realizing his return to full power as one of the Brotherhood. One way or another, he will have Melody.

When Melody discovers Connor is real, new questions about her past and her sanity come to the fore. How can it be possible to love a wolf, let alone spend the rest of her life with one, when Trevor is there for her? Can Connor become the man Melody needs in her life? More importantly, does he want to?

Review:

The Cover

Normally, I review books, not covers. However, have you ever experienced that sensation when a book's cover really grabs you and won't let go?

Well, the cover of "Red and Grey" mugged me on Facebook. I was going along minding my own business when this fabulous image wrapped both hands around my throat and throttled me. Then it bitch slapped me.

And slapped me again for good measure.

Wow! Seriously, wow! If I were Christine Brant, I'd have a framed photo of that cover on my desk. The artist has unbelievable talent.

Okay, moving along...

The Story

“Yes, Grey, you’re a big bad wolf,” she said, acknowledging the growl with her words as she continued to move forward.  ~Melody

"Red and Grey" by Christine Brant is a recreation of the folktale "Little Red Riding Hood", which appears to be heavily influenced by other stories from the collection of the Brothers Grimm. I use the word recreation with deliberation, because this story is so much more than a simple retelling of the original. The author engages in extensive world-building to construct a mystical universe that contains a rich history and many layers of detail.

The hero, Connor, begins the story as a human man who falls victim to the machinations of a malevolent witch. She curses him to the form of a wolf and attempts to enslave him. He escapes and runs deep into the woods where he learns to live as a wolf. In the forest, he becomes Grey, a name that aptly describes his loss of color vision, reducing his world to a palette of grey scale but rich in other sensory detail. The only shade he remains able to distinguish is red.

As time passes, he truly becomes a wolf in every sense of the word. He learns to hunt, he acquires a small pack, and he avoids humans. So far as heroes go, Grey is strong and stoic. His primal charisma makes him highly appealing and I experienced empathy for what he suffers and is forced to give up in his quest to survive as a wolf.

Melody is a miner's daughter, the only child of the wealthiest man in her small town. Her mother recently passed away and she has a crush on the handsome woodcutter. I'm unsure of her exact age, but I got the impression the heroine was mid-to-late teens, based on descriptions and the medieval era. Melody earns her nickname "Red" from Grey, thanks to her bright—you guessed it—red cloak.

Red is a fairly typically teenage girl—somewhat self-absorbed, moody, and full of questions. She hasn't found her place in the world or even really identified who she's going to be. She suffers from the added burden of her father's neglect in the wake of her mother's death. Still, the heroine's brooding gets to be a bit much at times.

I love wolves and I don't love teenage girls, so I guess it's obvious which way the wind is blowing. Fortunately, Red is at her best when she's with her grandmother or Grey. She also experiences a unique condition called synesthesia that enables her to hear, taste, and feel colors. The author's descriptions are vivid and evocative and definitely add to the magical mood of the story.

The hero and heroine share wonderful chemistry. As the story progresses, Red and Grey communicate primarily via a surreal series of dream sequences. There is emotional conflict because the pair refuse to communicate, but they are also tender and sensitive toward each other in turn. I loved how protective Grey is of Red.

The author tells the story with wonderfully descriptive language, which really recreates the magical mood of a fairytale. The villain is credible, sympathetic, and yet pretty darn scary. Love scenes are sweet. I believe "Red and Grey" would be suitable for a young adult (teen) audience. I felt the point of view switched too frequently between the hero and heroine. Near the middle-end, the plot pacing slowed down but it did pick back up. The author offers a satisfying conclusion.

All in all, "Red and Grey" is a page turner. Don't start reading too close to bedtime if you want to get any sleep!

Available for purchase:
Amazon
Barnes & Noble

AUTHOR BIO:

Christine Brant is a Seattle author who lives with her husband, three children, two cats, and Bob, the Ball Python. She won the Surrey International Storytellers Award in 2007 with her short story "A Decade of Scottsdale". In her spare time, when not herding cats and kids, she loves to read and gaze out her window at the Puget Sound. Visit her online at www.christinebrant.com.

Where can you find Christine Brant on the Internet?

Website

Facebook 
Goodreads

Amazon Author Page

E-mail – Christine at christinebrant.com