Scarlet Moon

By Debbie Viguié

Ruth's grandmother lives in the forest, banished there for the "evil" that the townsfolk believed she practiced. But if studying the stars, learning about nature, and dreaming of flying is evil, then Ruth is guilty of it too. Whenever Ruth took food and supplies to her grandmother, she would sit with the old woman for hours, listening and learning.

When she wasn't in the woods, Ruth was learning the trade of her father, a blacksmith, now that her brother would never return from the Crusades.

Amidst those dark days, a new man enters Ruth's life. William is a noble with a hot temper and a bad name, and he makes her shiver. But the young man is prey to his heritage, a curse placed on his family ages ago, and each male of the family has strange blood running in his veins. Now Ruth must come face-to-face with his destiny at Grandma's house

• Language: English
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster UK
• Release date: Dec 11, 2012
• ISBN: 9781471103667

Debbie Viguié

Debbie Viguié’s Simon Pulse books include the New York Times bestselling Wicked series and the Once upon a Time novels Violet Eyes, Scarlet Moon, and Midnight Pearls. She lives in Florida with her husband, Scott. Visit her at DebbieViguie.com.

Reviews for Scarlet Moon

[chelsea_k-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is a wonderfully written Retelling of Little Red Riding Hood filled with love and Romance as well as a touch of mystery and some unexpected twists and surprises that will keep you entertained and interested throughout the story. All the characters are very well written as well as all the different relationships that are present throughout the story. I particularly enjoyed reading about the relationship between Ruth and William and seeing how it developed.

[nmhale_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

A retelling of Little Red Riding Hood that features the Big Bad Wolf as a charming prince, and Red as a solid and self reliant girl who is good at the skill of blacksmithy. Ruth (little red) was attacked by a wolf as a child, and the scars on her legs attest to her close escape from death. Her brother has long since left for the Crusades, along with her cousin Peter, and Ruth filled in for her father as the son he needed to carry on his trade. As a result, she has become a strong and independent woman, who can easily handle herself against any physical attacks, but is vulnerable to the harsh words of others and her own loneliness.Enter Prince William, the young man she finds naked in the woods. The two are attracted to each other, but young William is hiding a dark secret and Ruth has her own family demons to contend with. They confront their feelings early in the story, and the tension becomes whether or not their bond to each other is strong enough to withstand their particular trials, and to help them solve the murders haunting Ruth's village, which are scarily similar to the attacks William himself has inflicted in his wolfy moments.I have mixed feelings about this novel. On the positive side, it is an inventive approach to the original, and I like the mystery aspect. Ruth is a great female protagonist, loved for her character and spirit more than looks, and a good strong role model for girls to read about. The plot is compelling and it's a fast paced read. My only objections, really, are more about my personal expectations than the quality of the book itself. I think the the Little Red Riding Hood story has so much potential in it, and that the Big Bad Wolf is a representation of temptation and danger and desire, and I want to see more done with that story. I want the wolf to be edgier and darker. Also, I like more romantic drama. The two leads fall in love so quickly, which is fine, it just means that this wasn't a romance but another sort of story, but I was looking forward to the romance. Again, these were just my own expectations that were set at odds; the novel itself is a good story, with fine writing and a new twist to an old favorite. Now I just have to wait for someone to write another Red Riding Hood retelling that captures my particular fancy, or if all else fails, write one myself.

[futuremrsjoshgroban · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I really enjoyed this retelling of "Little Red Riding Hood." It was the first of the "Once Upon A Time..." series that I really enjoyed. I thought all of the characters were strongly developed, and it almost reminded me of Phantom of the Opera.

[calexis_47 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I think the fairytales we know as children are something that we can never really tire of. I also love the little adaptations and twists that authors write using these fairytales as their base. I've actually read a few from this series of books, and loved Gregory Maguire's books as well. This particular story is based on Little Red Riding Hood. In many ways it's a lot darker, a lot more bloody, and more romance. It's a more grown up LIttle Red Riding Hood and easy to read anyways. Finished it all in a sitting. I love these little novels in this series. I would definitely recommend it to anyone who wants to read something of a well-known fairytale but a whole new plot that gives it that new edge and fun.

[meyben_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Interesting twist on the Fairy tale of Little Red Riding Hood. I like that the wolf turned out to be the nice guy.

[cornerdemon · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

This is a retelling of "Little Red Riding Hood", and its neat to read. The characterizations are not strong, but an effort was made, and the love story moves way too fast, it has some strong points and is interesting just for the subject material. It also includes a lot of the heavy sexual innuendo of the original tale, so I wouldn't give this to the under-14 crowd. One warning: the ending comes at you a mile away. Still, it's a fun twist on the old tale and worth picking up to peruse.