"Not the usual tale of vampiric love"
Charlie is an art major with the talent to paint scenes of
places, things, and people she's never seen and her
pictures have the uncanny habit of coming true. Charlie
isn't the only member of her family to have psychic
abilities. Her grandmother's dreams often came true; her
father could read minds with an alarming degree of
accuracy, and her mother often helped the police find
missing persons. Charlie and her family are members of a coven, which was
entrusted with a staff and a ring containing an elixir made
from a now extinct root. When put at the end of the staff,
the elixir could kill vampires. Charlie was initiated into
the coven at an early age and the ring was placed in her
care. On her way home one night, Charlie is attacked by Edrik and
Jocelyn comes to her rescue. Joycelyn manages to chase
away Edrik and Charlie invites him into her house. She
learns that Joycelyn is a vampire and she is to become his
apprentice. She will learn the unwritten rituals told to
Jocelyn by his and Edrik's maker, Gamel. She is not too
pleased by this turn of events, but realizes she has no
choice. Gamel created Edrik many centuries ago and later regretted
it. Edrik robbed and burned villages. He left destruction
everywhere. It was in one of these villages that he killed
Jocelyn's daughter, Syndil. Many years earlier, Joyceln
had been sold into slavery and was sexually abused from the
age of six by his master. Gamel found him, brought him out
of slavery when Jocelyn was twenty. Gamel became Jocelyn's
mentor and together they tried to destroy Edrik. Gamel
fought Edrik and managed to entomb him. Gamel was mortally
wounded and just before his death he turned Jocelyn and
entrusted the rituals and incantations used to destroy a
vampire to him. Charlie and Jocelyn are secluded at one of the coven's
homes so that Charlie can learn everything she needs to
know to help Jocelyn defeat Edrik. Charlie is attracted to
Jocelyn from the start and Jocelyn fights his growing
feeling for Charlie. For so long, his only purpose has
been to destroy Edrik and his only emotion is hatred for
the creature that destroyed his daughter. He fights
against his emerging affection for Charlie. Will Charlie and Jocelyn manage to defect Edrik? Will
their tender, growing love manage to survive the trials
that will come? This book is not the usual tale of vampiric love and I got
caught up in it right from the start. Jocelyn is a dark
and tormented man with a heartbreaking past and Charlie is
a strong and determined heroine. The story is fast-paced
and manages to keep the reader's attention right to the
surprising ending. I found myself on the edge of my seat
many times rooting for them both. I recommend this tale to
everyone who likes vampire romances. The story of Jocelyn
and Charlie is the first tale in what appears to be a
series of books on these most unusual vampires. Read THE
DARKNESS THEREIN. You will enjoy the ride. Brenda Gill © Copyright 2002
For Simply Dreams & PNR Reviews
Reviewed by PNR Group Member
Posted November 12, 2006
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