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Most Helpful Reviews
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Liked It “This was a fun new twist on vampires and hunters, I really enjoyed it!!” see full review » see other reviews » |
Didn’t Like It “The writing was so annoying I could not finish it. It was just stupid. Who worries about modesty when they are alone in their room? Who?” see full review » see other reviews » |
Newest Reviews
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“I probably would have given this book 2 1/2 stars because I didnt not like it but I didnt really like it either. It did get really good towards the end. It had a few twists I didnt see. But I pretty much had to force myself to continue reading it I found myself a bit bored, I have been trying to read the sequel (I got all four from the library ) after like 2 days I was only like 60 pages in and it hadnt really gone anywhere. So I dont really know if I will finish it or not. I put it down to move on to the Midnight rising by lara adrian. ”
Jessica V wrote this review 10 days ago. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No“The writing was so annoying I could not finish it. It was just stupid. Who worries about modesty when they are alone in their room? Who?”
Mari wrote this review 12 days ago. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No“This was a fun new twist on vampires and hunters, I really enjoyed it!!”
♥ Roberta & co. wrote this review Tuesday, October 13 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“let's say I give it 2 1/2 stars ... so predictable ... so ... XVIII century Buffy!!! ”
Diana S wrote this review Monday, October 12 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“Love this whole series!!!”
Lisa C wrote this review Friday, August 14 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“VERY GOOD SERIES”
Michelle N wrote this review Wednesday, June 24 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“Great read not intentended for any one under 18. It had minor mature content. This is the first in a line of books that are about Vampires and Venators. Venators are desendents from a long like of Vampire killers. They get great powers once they accept there fate as a Venator. You follow Victoria Gardella the great niece of the Illa Gardella the leader of the Venators. She has some difficulty commiting to her task at first she just thought it would be fun to be able to do things other women couldnt do. But soon she realizes that Balls and Filling her dance cards is the least of her problems”
Elizabeth G wrote this review Sunday, March 29 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“The description of this book sounded like Buffy in the 1700's: Every generation one is chosen to fight the vampires and given superhuman abilities etc. Regency Buffy is basically what this book is. And that's not a bad thing.
PollyWannaBook wrote this review Wednesday, December 3 2008. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
The book starts off a little slow, and there are plenty of questions that never get fully answered (but this is the first book in a series so that is to be expected). The vampires are, for the most part pretty generic. I would have enjoyed having more of a defined character given to them instead of just vampire #1 etc. My biggest complaint, however,is when modern sensibilities are added to historical settings/characters (the scene in the carriage was ridiculous. That never would have happened.)
Still, I'm interested in seeing how this Slayer (or Venator as they are called in the book) develops and some of the romance elements that were planted turn out in the next book.”
“In every generation, a slayer Venator is born... This generation happens to be in Regency England. In fact, the cover is impressively descriptive (except for that misleading "romance" on the spine). It's Regency Buffy. Or, as the book trailer says, "Buffy meets Pride and Prejudice."
DKayeS wrote this review Tuesday, November 18 2008. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
The vampire slayers in this universe are called "Venators," and it's a hereditary trait that can be accepted or passed on to the next generation. Most Venators are male, but Victoria Gardella Grantworth's great aunt Eustacia is one, and her mother was called, but turned it down. Now it's Victoria's turn.
Unlike Eustacia, who sacrificed having a husband and children of her own for her duty, Victoria is determined to have it all, and accepts her childhood sweetheart's suit. Phillip, now a marquess, loves Victoria, but becomes increasingly concerned about her odd disappearances.
And those disappearances are becoming more frequent, as the vampire Lilith moves into town with her minions, looking for a mysterious book that will give her even greater powers.
In addition to Aunt Eustacia, Victoria is aided by the enigmatic Max, who's also a Venator, though not a hereditary one; and the even more mysterious Sebastian, who owns a vampire bar.
I love Buffy, I enjoy Regencies--it's a fabulous combination. It was so much fun watching Victoria try to merge her two lives, and grow in confidence even as her life becomes more complicated. The action is exciting and suspenseful, and there's just enough worldbuilding to keep me grounded and make things logical, but not so much that it gets overwhelming. The three men in her life: Phillip, Max, and Sebastian, are all interesting and hero-worthy in different ways, and there's plenty of sensuality between them.
But I wouldn't call it a romance, regardless of what's on the spine. The romantic scenes are not the focus of the book at all--the focus is on the paranormal action/adventure and on Victoria dealing with a dual life. Which is just fine, because otherwise, the ending would have been infuriating rather than painful and emotional. Er. Hope that wasn't too spoilery, but I think it's precisely because I wasn't expecting a romance that I enjoyed this book so much. As it turns out, the balance between the subplots worked perfectly--the lack of focus on the romance subplot kept me from expecting (and from being disappointed in the lack of) a romantic resolution, or HEA.
I bought this book after reading descriptions of it on Colleen Gleason's blog, and I'm really glad I did. The second book is in my TBR pile, and the third is on my must-buy calendar for next February.
”
“Victoria Gardella’s family has a unique legacy. Her family has been fighting vampires for centuries. Recently she has been having strange dreams. These dreams are a trigger for Victoria’s heritage. She seeks out her Aunt for answers. She finds that she has been chosen and such begins her training as a vampire slayer.
Jill D wrote this review Friday, October 24 2008. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
There are two men Victoria is drawn to; Phillip of Rockley, a Marquess whom she met when she was just a young girl and Sebastian Vioget who remains a mystery but stirs unfamiliar feelings within her. Three, if you count Maximilian Pesaro, master vampire executioner. Victoria accepts her calling as a vampire slayer, but seeks a balance of normalcy in her life. She is willing to go out patrolling for vampires at night, but she also wants to attend balls and be a part of normal society. This is one of the main conflicts driving Victoria in this book.
The world building and vampire mythology was very well developed. The vampire lore involved religion in a believable way, adding a unique twist to vampires. I like Victoria, from what I know of her so far. She is a practical girl and yet she is also hopeful. I feel like we have just scratched the surface of her personality.
The pacing of the book seemed unbalanced to me. At certain times, especially in the beginning, it took a while to for the story to grab a hold of my interest. Scenes with Victoria’s mother and her friends were especially annoying. Yet there were certain passages that I seemed to speed through. These were the passages with Victoria and Phillip and the climatic ending.
Another thing that bothered me was the abrupt changes between passages. One scene would end and then the next would start up days or weeks later. Lots of time would pass between scenes. It seemed to me the author was only highlighting those scenes she thought were most important.
I think this series shows a lot of promise and I am intrigued to see where the author is headed with the next book.”
