After fleeing from a vampire witch hunt in Transylvania hundreds of years earlier, vampire Ileana Vladislava lives out a lonely existence in Wightwick Hall, a castle in the Jesmond Dene area of Newcastle upon Tyne, a city in Tyne and Wear, England. Still bearing the scars of her past, she avoids relationships with people. The likelihood of the vengeful werewolf, Claymor, finding her also keeps her in a state of solitary. Myrna Ivester lacks confidence and is often unsure about her decisions. When Ileana sees Myrna at the Newcastle City Library, she feels that it is Myrna's destiny to be a vampire. Taking a bold risk, Ileana appears at Myrna’s home, places her in a hypnotic trance, and turns her into a vampire without her consent because deep down inside Ileana knows Myrna is longing for such a life. Later on, Myrna reflects on the deepest meaning of her life in her transformation into something supernatural as she finds the courage to leave her old life behind (only family aunt Eowyn Dymtrow, nursing assistant job, and friend Siobhan Mulcahy).
Greyson brings an enchanting tale of vampire witch hunt, body-switching, and loneliness, set in enchanting lands of Romania, Bulgaria, and England.
Ileana Vladislava barely escaped the mass vampire killing in the midst of a vampire witch hunt of 1578 in Transylvania and fled the country. Now centuries later, Ileana lives out a lonely existence in Wightwick Hall, a castle within the Jesmond Dene woodland valley in Newcastle upon Tyne, a city in Tyne and Wear. When she sees the young and lovely Myrna Ivester at a public library, she knows she has to take a chance and try to convert Myrna into a vampire. But the sinister vampire hunter Claymor Elgany is on the trail of Ileana again, threatening to destroy everything she holds dear.
The movingly told vampire witch hunt in the beginning gives the backstory on Ileana and on the persecution of the vampires in medieval Transylvania. The enchanting moors of Newcastle upon Tyne come fully alive, and a hint of suspense stays in the back, keeping readers turning pages nonstop. The book is full of charm: Ileana and Myrna are fascinating protagonists, and the nosey neighbor Lorraine Krag provides lighthearted distractions.
Readers will revel in Greyson’s moving depiction of Ileana struggling to come to terms with her lonely existence. The cliffhanger ending leaves hints of more dark tales to come with Ileana and Myrna in the lead. With its cinematic setting and dark intrigue, the book makes for a quick page-turner. Fans of urban fantasy will relish Greyson’s vivid portrayal of a lonely vampire’s life.
