Seduced by Crimson is a 2007 supernatural romance novel written by Jade Lee serving as the fifth book in the Crimson City series. The story follows Xiao Fei who teams up with the Draige-Uisge named Patrick who must mend the Crimson Veil to stop the demons from ruling.

The story itself was interesting but there are more than a couple of instances where I feel that it doesn’t quite hit the mark.  It feels as if this is the endgame and whether or not our two heroes complete their mission will determine the fate of Crimson City. The stakes couldn’t be higher. But the story is seriously lacking. A good majority of the story is Patrick nagging Fei to have sex with her. Of all the interesting ways the main story could’ve gone I really wasn’t expecting this. 

The complications that come from Fei and Patrick’s relationship and how it affects the ritual as well as Patrick’s relationship with other the other druids gives complexity to the storytelling. Might the story had benefited from Patrick trying to protect her from the other druids who want to use her blood to close the gate. We certainly think so. It goes at a good pace and events keep the story interesting enough to keep the pages turning. (3 out of 5)

As far as the two main characters are concerned I like the change in formula.  The main leads are Xiao Fei and Patrick.  Fei’s called a Phoenix Tear and she’s got magical blood making her pretty important to a lot of people.  As far as protagonist goes, she’s pretty decent.  I like Patrick.  He’s a druid, a Draig-Uisge, and can harness some really wicked mojo.  Him, along with Fei, have the potential to put an end to Crimson City’s demon problem.  Again, I don’t really like the romance aspect.  It feels like they have no choice of growing together and just have to be together because they are they two main protagonist.

I don’t buy Fei being this vampire and werewolf killer.  It’s totally absurd that this woman having been what she’s been through to become this knockoff Buffy Sanders. While reading her exploits I couldn’t help but wonder who came up with the character, Josh Whedon? And her bigotry made it a little difficult to identify with her. However, the journey to her overcoming it does more than make up for it. (3 out of 5)

I’m not thrilled about Jade Lee’s presentation of the romance between Fei and Patrick. Like the other books in the series it takes precedence over the story, the other characters, and even the writing. The plot was interesting but some aspects of the writing were like coffee. It just didn’t sit right with me. There’s a pretty wicked scene that’s a little hard to stomach.  Sometimes in these paranormal romance novels, rape is romanticized and we’ve seen in before in the series (Lath and Claudia).  And to be honest the whole have sex with me to save the world bit was stupid and shows how the romance was pushed more than the story.

Something that’s emphasized a bit more in this entry is ethnic racism which brings a little fresh air.  Yeah, we’ve seen tension between the species and even a bit of classism, but this time around it does focus on racism.  To some extent it works, while in others it’s just distasteful. I admit I’m not much a fan of Lee’s nor her writing style, but I had a decent time with the book. I believe with more creativity and better direction the writing could’ve made this book stand out as the best in the series. (3 out of 5)

The Verdict: Seduced by Crimson is a decent read. The best possible thing I can say is that it sets up more of the world and lore, but it’s as much the same as the previous entries. My biggest problem with the book was the romance over the plot. I get that this series is about romance but let’s not forget that the series has a story to tell. Still, it’s a decent read and a good addition to the Crimson City series. Seduced by Crimson (Crimson City #5) gets 3 out of 5.