This was a neat take on the character of Red Riding Hood, if she were a werewolf hunter. There was a pretty detailed amount of violence and pain in the story, but it helped to show the character's human and inhuman qualities.

I received a copy from LibraryThing's Member Giveaways. ( )

Full Disclosure: I received a copy of this book from the author, via LibraryThing, in exchange for an honest review.

My Thoughts: I’m absolutely crazy about fairy tales and love it when I read a new spin on a familiar tale. Sometimes it’s a bit darker and sometimes it’s just more realistic or modern. In the end, I usually just gobble them up like they’re cookies and I’m the Cookie Monster.

The Red Rider is a much darker and bloodier take on an older Red Riding Hood. Frankly, she’s much scarier and more of a bad ass than I’ve ever read in another version of this fairy tale. To be honest, I always thought Red Riding Hood was a bit of a wimp, but Billy Wong’s take on it leaves no question to who would win in a fight, the Red Rider or a werewolf?

The writing was pretty good. There were a few grammatical errors, but they really didn’t take anything away from the story. While the story itself was pretty interesting. There were parts that were slow, especially right after a heart-pumping action sequence (there are a few to look forward to). Parts of the plot just seemed convoluted and thrown in at the last-minute to make The Red Rider longer. I wasn’t happy with the pace throughout most of The Red Rider. I thought some parts that were introduced and wrapped up very quickly should have been drawn out a little more. There were other parts that could have and should have been wrapped up much sooner than they actually were.

The characters weren’t actually memorable. The Red Rider, herself, wasn’t relatable and seemed less than human throughout. Herbert seemed okay, but wasn’t really developed so I just thought of him as a bit boring. No one else really stuck around long enough to get developed into anything more than a passing character.

In the end, I think the intention behind the book was better than the book itself. I liked it, but I would only recommend The Red Rider if you’re obsessed with fairy tale re-writes or werewolves.

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Red was attacked as young girl by werewolf only to cast out of her home and family. Red with her silver veined faced determined to rid the world of werewolves. Red is truly a loner without friends. Red befriends Knight of Folds the unlikely duo forge friendship. Red didn't realize how alone she'd been until then. Can Red really rid the world of werewolves? Your answers await you in The Red Rider.

I loved this twist on the tale of Red Riding Hood. I also loved that nothing ever came easy to Red through out the whole book. I personally love a good strong female character. The characters and story were well written and creative too. I will continue reading more of this author's work in the future. ( )

The Red Rider was an interesting book. I enjoyed the rivalry and grudging respect with Red and Leviatha throughout the book. There were a lot of Werewolves and if I have a criticism then it would be that the many battles did feel a bit same-y after a while but I liked how Red stuck up for herself. I must say that I rather like Wolves and even though they would be terrifying, I liked the Warofs and I would love to see them on TV or films. Some bits I thought were a little unnecessary and didn't fit into what my idea of a fantasy book is but I liked the book as a whole and would like to read more. I did think it ended a little suddenly though but a good overall book. ( )

Goodreads Synopsis: Action-packed fantasy adventure loosely inspired by the Red Riding Hood legend, featuring one tough female warrior.

After killing the werewolf that took her grandmother's life, a young girl is outcast from her village over the perceived taint from contact with the lycanthrope. A decade later she is the famous Red Rider, slayer of hundreds of werewolves. When she learns of a new breed of more intelligent lupines, her skills are put to the ultimate test, and even the help of other warriors such as overweight knight Herbert and cage fighting champion Evie may not be enough to overcome the rising threat.

My Review: I really liked this book. The characters were exciting. I didn't know what was going to happen next. Especially at the beginning of the book. It was crazy. I'd think that she was going to do something, and then she totally did the opposite. It was really crazy. I started the book and couldn't put it down. The story was fun to read. I didn't put it down once I started it. Really, the only reason I put it at four stars is the cover. It's really not something I'd associate the book with. I mean sure there's a girl holding a knife, but that could be anyone. Anyways. Check it out! Thanks for reading.

PS. My first review was better.

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