"Squires heralds the return of the true Gothic with this Regency Vampire Romance"
SACRAMENT is a tale of a young woman's search for
her soul's true reflection. She discovers it through
sacrifice and love for a man who supposedly has neither
soul nor reflection. Soul searching isn't foremost on Lady Sarah Ashton's mind
at this particular moment. She had finally stabilized her
finances from the ruin her in which her late father had
left them. Now she finds that her long absent neighbor,
Julien Davinoff, has returned to establish a prior claim to
Clershing, her primary estate in Bath. To make matters
worse, her own deed is nowhere to be found. She travels to
London to meet with her solicitor in hopes of finding a
solution to her dilemma. On the way, her personal concerns
briefly take a back seat when she and her companions happen
upon a murder scene. The victim is the thirteenth in a
string of serial killings in which the victims had been
drained of their blood. It is then that Sara gets her first
glimpse of her persecutor, Julian Davinoff, standing amidst
the gathered crowd. The man exudes, beauty and power. He is
clearly angry, and Sarah surmises that he could easily
commit murder. It is later that evening, at a grand social event, that
Sarah is introduced to the notorious rake who intends to
relieve her of her property. Julien has personal reasons
for wishing to reclaim the property. He is a vampire.
Because he no longer aged, periodically it had been
necessary to disappear for long periods, returning later as
his own descendant. Over the centuries he had stored
priceless treasures beneath Thornbury Abbey which was
connected by underground passages to the ruined Roman villa
on Sarah's adjacent property. He is in London due to the
careless nature of the murders, perpetrated by one of his
own kind. Magda had been his own creation, his mistake.
Creating another of his kind was forbidden, but he'd been
young then, imagining himself in love. As a vampire,
Magda's smallness of her spirit had only been magnified. Unfortunately Magda is not the only female predator in
London, demanding his attention. Also attending the
evenings social event is Corina Nadalay, Sarah's oldest,
and sometimes best friend. The two women truly had little
in common. Corina is wealthy, spoiled, and exceptionally
beautiful. She drew men like moths to the flame. Those who
captured her interest often got their more than their wings
singed, as Sara knew well. Sarah had learned years ago in
Sienna that how sadistic Corina was in her passions. She
was self centered and manipulative, but there were times
when Sarah wished she could be as bold and daring as her
friend. Corina always got what she wanted. Sarah both
envied her, and feared deep down that they might be a good
deal alike. Sarah had learned more than she wanted to know
of her own nature in Sienna as well. She had never been
sure whether the Corina's mind altering mushrooms had been
responsible for her scandalous behavior, or had only
magnified her own shameful inclinations. As a result she
had buried her own passions, and had remained loyal to her
friend over the years. The dark and dangerous Davinoff naturally becomes Corina's
latest obsession. When all parties converge in Bath, she
throws all her energies into obtaining him. When he does
not show sufficient interest, making her look foolish, she
plots revenge. The opportunity comes when Sarah
inadvertently delivers him into her hands. Using her usual
methods of persuasion, Corina accidentally hits upon the
only thing which can subdue both him and the Companion he
carries in his blood. It is the Companion that which gives
him his strength, speed, and the ability to heal
instantaneously. Thus begins Julian's nightmare.
Imprisoned, delirious, weak and deprived of the blood the
Companion requires for nourishment, he is subjected to
ritual torture, until Corina sees fit to dispose of him. He
begins to see death as a positive alternative, but vows
that if he ever escapes he will have his revenge on Corina,
and the woman who delivered him into her evil clutches,
Sarah. But it is Sara who discovers his plight. At last she sees
Corina for what she is and knows she is nothing like her.
She alone is Julien's only hope for escape and recovery. By
caring for him in his hours of great need, she discovers
the truth about him, and herself. By loving him and
accepting his nature, she also learns to accept her own. To
make a life with Julien would require permanent changes.
Does she have the strength to go through with them? Does he? Ms. Squires has thrown caution to the wind, making
SACRAMENT everything a true gothic should be. It
delves
into, and reveals the dark side of human nature, that part
of ourselves that we don't want to examine too closely. The
dark nature of the vampire hero pales in comparison.
Magda's stereotypical vampire behavior stems from her own
lacks as a human being. Though through the eyes of Sarah as
a young woman, we might momentarily see Corina as a victim,
she has perpetuated a sad cycle, and is utterly without
redeeming qualities. Julien, who is among the last to be
born with the Companion, is more jaded than anything else
when the tale begins. He is a powerful, compelling, man who
knows how to get what he wants, but there is no evil in
him. Sarah is a wonderful heroine, intelligent,
resourceful, compassionate, as well as passionate. She is
introspective as only the truly pure of heart can be, hard
on her own shortcomings, forgiving of others. Once she sets
upon a course, she follows through regardless of the
consequences. The novel itself was gripping, packed with
plot on every page, impossible to put down, as the reader
runs the gauntlet of emotions this tale inspires. Ms. Squires' debut novel DANEGELD garnered considerable
critical acclaim. SACRAMENT demonstrated her
versatility. I predict it will earn her a place among the
genre's best sellers. I look forward to her next novel,
BODY ELECTRIC, which is already getting raves in advance of
its August ('02) release. A recommended read for lovers of
regency, gothic, and dark paranormal romance. Copyright © 2002
Reviewed by Leslie Tramposch
Posted April 15, 2002
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