Review: The Scarlet Dagger is a sharp tale of deceit and survival
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 04 14, 2013
'The Scarlet Dagger' was a pleasant surprise. The post vampire-ravaged world was very interesting to visit. At times the underground of the Red Sector reminded me of the militant crew who invaded Sunnydale during a season of 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer' (in a good way). And I warmed to the main character, Sloane, fairly quickly. She was easy to relate to and -while she doubted her decisions and surroundings at times, making her even more relateable- Sloane always rose bravely to the occasion in a realistic way.The only thing that turned out a bit below expectation was the male love interest, Aden. (SPOILER ALERT) Very promising at first, I was slightly put off when Sloane, ordered under his charge, had to live in Aden's apartment with him...and his mom. I understand that Sloane is only seventeen. However, with such a tall order of "adultness" in every other area of their lives, this was a very large step backward. The sweet interactions and situations will very much appeal to a wide range of readers. I just preferred Aden's manly qualities over his boyish charms. That's all. But it did not break the pace or ruin genuine moments in the storyline.Overall, I loved 'The Scarlet Dagger' and plan to purchase the sequel.