The Beauty in Darkness encompasses the journey of two estranged sisters. Edrea is a recently turned vampire in San Francisco who fights to save her humanity in the face of her transformation into one of the undead. Rena, her guilt-stricken mortal sister, embarks on a dangerous quest in search of Edrea, whom is believed is merely "missing."
As they follow their individual roads through life and the un-death, Edrea and Rena learn not only that their sisterly bond is stronger than they thought, but also that their family shares a dark secret that connects both of them to a mysterious quantum world.
Reise delivers a horror filled with satisfying moments of drama and suspense, as well as a sisterly bond that elevates the story to another level ... the truth found in the relationship between the two sisters, a sanctuary from the darkness that surrounds them and a glimpse of the beauty that we find in trust, in acceptance, in each other.
What I love about this story, first, is the author’s ability with description. Reise has a gift for painting the scene without overtelling, and still offering enough detail to allow for vivid imagery. I was able to see everything within the story, and was easily transported from scene to scene.
The second thing I love is that much of it takes place in Sonoma County locations. This is one of my favorite reasons to read books by local authors, as they often use familiar places within their stories. Reise doesn’t disappoint, taking her characters to Bodega Bay and Santa Rosa, though much of the story is set in San Francisco.
The third thing I love is how large a role family plays in The Beauty in Darkness. There are definite themes that take place from both Edrea’s old and new life, which I’ll let you find out on your own to avoid any spoilers. As of yet, there doesn’t seem to be any sequels planned (and the end was blissfully free of a cliffhanger). But I can see how the story could easily be continued.
All in all, I highly recommend this book for anyone who enjoys supernatural and vampire fantasy.
Poetic and melancholic, the novel is a cross between True Blood and Interview with the Vampire. This is a coming-of-age vampire tale complete with mystery, romance and suspense that will surely entertain fans of the genre.
Leah Reise has penned a different kind of Vampire story that captures the reader's imagination from the first page on to the last.
Her main character has conflict aplenty in adjusting to her new reality as a newly-minted creature of the night. Reise resolves this with an elegant style and plenty of panache.
As a debut novel, the author carefully avoids first-book mistakes in this tale. I give it five stars!
From the dank and rugged northern California coastline to the vibrant San Francisco club scene, Leah Reise has created a vibrant and surrealistic world and populated it with relateable characters.
Her rookie novel features a sisterly love story, darkly passionate vampires, and rivalries between ancient blood thirsty factions.
Freshly undead, Edrea is smart, sexy, and fiercly protective of her baby sister, a girl who looks for and finds trouble behind every iron gate.
I am excited to say that a review of my debut novel, "The Beauty in Darkness," will be printed this Sunday Oct. 9th in The Press Democrat, Sonoma County's local newspaper!
I'm pleased to announce that Copperfield's Bookstore is selling copies of my novel in store! Furthermore, I am excited to be doing a meet and greet for them on October 30th as a Halloween special! I thought it would be fun to dress up as my main character, Edrea, since I will be meeting customers at the door at my own author table.
THE BEAUTY IN DARKNESS: A VAMPIRE STORY is on sale until May 17! Get your copy at the site listed below.
