Dawn Thompson: The Brotherhood

Review by Vicky London

The Brotherhood is the second book in Dawn Thompson’s historical Blood Moon trilogy. Joss Hyde-White has left London to return home and seek answers from his parents about strange symptoms he has been experiencing. Near home he discovers a stranded carriage with all occupants dead save one, a young woman. Joss takes her home where he finds his parents have mysteriously disappeared.

The safety of home is not assured however. Those who died in the carriage begin to rise as vampires and Joss must put his own problems aside to battle the foul creatures and to defend his lovely new house guest. Cora Applegate wakes from her injuries to another nightmare. She was on her way to be forcibly married to a man she has no desire to wed. Now she finds herself alone in the bed of a handsome stranger and no memory of the attack on her traveling companions. Joss is having his own strange reaction to Cora. Her nearness brings out the beast in him and fear of what he might be transforming into. An enigmatic Gypsy may have the knowledge of Joss’s future and he will need the help in his terrifying battle with the undead.

The Brotherhood is a classic Regency romance with a paranormal twist. Unfortunately, too much attention is focused on getting the historical details right and less on creating interesting multi-dimensional characters. Cora sadly falls victim to the stupid girl stereotype who refuses to use common sense or do what she is told for her own safety. Her choices are used to advance the plot regardless of whether a rational person would make the same choice. The relationship between Joss and Cora has no basis in anything other than physical attraction and his desire to cure her from her rape experience and show her that not all men are pigs. I’m not convinced these two actually love each other and in the end found myself not really caring.

The first book in this trilogy is Blood Moon, followed by The Brotherhood and The Ravening. You can order any of the Blood Moon trilogy by clicking on the book cover above.

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