ParaNormalRomance.org

"An epic vampire tale, part gothic horror and sweet romance"

Born to a family of Puritans in the early seventeenth century, Gideon grew up in a very strict household where his father ruled every aspect of his life, including what he read (The Bible), whom he spoke to (definitely no women), and who he was to marry. When Gideon was only nineteen, his father died leaving him a young Baron and in charge of his sister. After his sister marries, Gideon hires a new man to act as steward for the household and plans for his own wedding. But, Gideon realizes he has no attraction to his betrothed. On the other hand, he finds he is attracted to men, especially the new steward. Eventually, the steward seduces Gideon, but his seduction comes with a price: the steward is a vampire and turns Gideon.

For the next fifty years, Gideon lives a life of horror with his maker. Luckily, Gideon is saved from his maker and comes to realize that he can live a relatively normal life as a vampire. He finds wealth, friendship, and love.

Although he is comfortable in his life, the potential for Gideon's maker to re-live the horror of his earlier days hangs constantly above his head. Will he ever make peace with himself?

Gideon Redoak is an epic tale that few books accomplish. I find it very interesting to have a vampire story where we learn of the vampire before his turning, and then a detailed description of his life thereafter. I felt it very reminiscent of Anne Rice's vampire novels in that the story is gothic in nature and the timeline is vast.

The romance in this book is very sweet and the sexual encounter described lovingly without explicit detail, which may appeal to a wide variety of readers.

Overall, I enjoyed this story. The pacing is a bit disjointed where some parts move very quickly whereas others are slow. Also, many times the story is very dry, but Gideon is an incredibly stoic character. Therefore, the "dryness" may be intentional and I give the author the benefit of the doubt.

Unfortunately, Anne Fraser passed away before Gideon Redoak could be published. It is very sad we lost such a promising author before she could hit her prime and tell the stories of several of her other characters. Nonetheless, I recommend this book, especially for lovers of "old school" vampire novels.

Reviewed by Katie Seely
Posted October 17, 2009

If you hunt for something long enough, it finds you.

England during the reign of Charles I was an unfortunate time to be different.

In 1641, Baron Gideon Redoak takes on adult responsibilities at the age of nineteen, following his father’s murder. As the countryside around his estate is terrorized by mysterious deaths, Gideon welcomes an offer of assistance from a charismatic stranger, Etienne Corbeau. But Corbeau has far more sinister objectives when he seduces young Gideon and then kills him. Gideon awakens as a vampire, and the agony of his death is merely the beginning of the hell on earth that Corbeau plans for him.

Gideon eventually escapes Corbeau, and only then does he learn the breadth and variety of the shadowy supernatural underworld to which he now belongs. As the decades pass, Gideon and those he loves face hard choices and shattering changes. But despite the loyalty and support of his friends, Gideon knows that his final confrontation with Corbeau is inevitable. Even with magic’s aid, Gideon has no idea whether he can survive that confrontation—and what it will cost him.

Genre: Historical, Vampire