Comments on: REVIEW: Under the Blood Red Moon by Mina Hepsen

By: Jia

Jia — Sun, 19 Oct 2008 14:24:58 +0000

And, yes, there was a Mina (Harker, maybe?) in the Stoker novel.

Mina Murray, actually. Harker was the last name of her fiance, Jonathan.

By: Susan/DC

Susan/DC — Sun, 19 Oct 2008 02:34:22 +0000

Sorry to focus on the cover rather than the book, but it is a beautiful example of how to be sexy and gorgeous without a tawdry clinch.

By: K. Z. Snow

K. Z. Snow — Sat, 18 Oct 2008 02:31:17 +0000

The cover is gorgeous, but the title font is unfortunate IMO. I keep reading it as â€œblood red moop.â€

Me too! Glad my eyes aren’t as bad as I thought.

And, yes, there was a Mina (Harker, maybe?) in the Stoker novel.

By: Jane

Jane — Sat, 18 Oct 2008 00:57:36 +0000

Hmm. Choice of pen names always interests me. I’m wondering whether she picked Mina purposely and if so, will she change to say, Millie, if she writes contemps? Or Melisande if she writes historicals? (The most memorable Melisande from a historical romance, to me, is that one in the Sherbrooke Bride).

By: LDB

LDB — Sat, 18 Oct 2008 00:32:55 +0000

It is a pen name her real name is at the end of the book, Hande.

By: vanessa jaye

vanessa jaye — Sat, 18 Oct 2008 00:30:11 +0000

Mina was engaged to Jonathan Harker (the lawyer/land agent for Dracula’s purchase of property in England). Ole Drac believed she was the reincarnation of his wife Elizabetta (I’m referencing the Copola movie–which I LOVE!) Can’t remember the details of the book.

By: Jane

Jane — Sat, 18 Oct 2008 00:08:08 +0000

I wonder if Mina is her real name. Isn’t Mina one of the Dracula related vamps?

By: vanessa jaye

vanessa jaye — Sat, 18 Oct 2008 00:07:55 +0000

I skipped this reivew because I bought the book yesterday. Hopefully I like it more than you do.

By: ilona andrews

ilona andrews — Sat, 18 Oct 2008 00:02:52 +0000

Geeky question: I'm not Russian, so I'm not sure, but don't Russian female surnames end in ‘-nova'? I thought it was male surnames that end in ‘-nov'.

Hey, Maya.

You are correct. Let’s say there is a man called Alexander Ivanov. His wife, Zinaida, takes his last name. She would be Zinaida Ivanova.

His daughter, Olga, would be called Olga Alexandrovna Ivanova. His son Roman would be Roman Alexandrovich Ivanov.

But citizens of English-speaking countries don’t know this rule, and, governmental agencies in Europe have all sorts of issues with mutating last names, so it’s customary to simply chop off a vowel off. Unless your name is famous enough, frex Paulina Porishkova (her dad was likely Porishkov) or you arrived to this country unmarried, or you make a stand on the issue with INS or its equivalent.

So in this case, Belanov is actually used correctly.

By: loonigrrl

loonigrrl — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 23:38:41 +0000

So is this a traditional romance with different packaging, or more of a historical fiction with a vampire twist?

I’m not an expert on historical fiction, but I would say traditional (vampire) romance with different packaging.

By: MaryK

MaryK — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 23:38:26 +0000

The cover is gorgeous, but the title font is unfortunate IMO. I keep reading it as “blood red moop.”

By: Kimber An

Kimber An — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 22:35:41 +0000

Beautiful cover. However, I’m not into blood-sucking dead guys.

By: LDB

LDB — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 22:03:17 +0000

I read this and probably felt the same way as you except that I liked Angelica and her quotes, I thought it made her quirky and distinct, without being overbaring. And actually reading your review helped to clarify in my mind some of the problems I had with the book, and it has occured to me, that Angelica’s need to marry was never really that important, and had it been left out along with the loss of money which prempted it, the book would have flowed better, just a thought.

By: Jill Myles

Jill Myles — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 20:15:28 +0000

I know! I’m agog over the cover. So is this a traditional romance with different packaging, or more of a historical fiction with a vampire twist?

By: Maya M.

Maya M. — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 20:10:02 +0000

Geeky question: I’m not Russian, so I’m not sure, but don’t Russian female surnames end in ‘-nova’? I thought it was male surnames that end in ‘-nov’.

By: Jia

Jia — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 19:40:40 +0000

That is indeed a lovely cover.

By: Janine

Janine — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 19:33:51 +0000

That is one gorgeous cover.