Friday, September 26, 2008

In Which Our Heroine Makes a Choice



As I said earlier, this RIP season seems to be the season of the Vampire. Ever book I've read so far for this challenge seems to involve vampires!! That includes the latest installment of the Gardella Vampire Chronicles, When Twilight Burns by Colleen Gleason (368 pgs, Signet, 2008). While not my favorite book in the series, this one is still definitely worth reading!


Back in London, Victoria has her hands full. Not only is her mother pressuring her to be social and rejoin the ton, she is looking to marry her off again. She is also expected to play a part in her friend Gwendolyn's wedding, even though Gwendolyn's brother (and member of the Tutela) is back in town. And if that isn't bad enough, it seems that a new type of vampire is walking the streets of London. During the daytime. And is setting up Victoria to take the fall for the killings.


In addition to all of her other problems, Victoria has another worry. The encounter she had with Beauregard has left her changed. She reacts differently around blood, and finds herself enraged easier. Now she is worried that she is becoming the thing she despises the most: a vampire.

The "love triangle" between Victoria/Max/Sebastian is also a very major storyline in this book. Sebastian has accepted his role as Venator and is working along side Victoria in her efforts to rid London of vampires, although there are still a few trust issues. Then there is Max. He has lost his Venator powers and is trying to hide from Lilith. But he has come to London to offer his services as well. After Max's kiss, Victoria is even more confused about where her heart wants to lead her.

This book has less about vampires and more about romance than any of the preceding books. And it seems that by the end, a choice has been made. Am I happy with the choice? It's a little bittersweet for me, because I truly like both male characters. But I honestly feel like it was the right choice. As always, there are some twists and turns that make this an exciting read. And Colleen seems to be heading toward a conclusion to this series....again, it will be bittersweet for me. I love this series and hate to see it end. But end it will. And I definitely am waiting on pins and needles for the next installment!! 4/5

4 comments:

Framed said...

I had planned on reading this series for R.I.P but couldn't find the first one. Now the challenge is half over and I found the book hiding behind a bunch of others. Maybe next year. My sister loves this series so I really need to get with it.

Ladytink_534 said...

Again, I have got to read these books!!!!

chrisa511 said...

We differ here ;) This one really was my favorite of the books. I love books where the hero becomes the possible villain...it just adds so much fun. And I was glad to see Lilith again...she's such a great villain! I was happy with Victoria's decision..It was who I was hoping for all along.

Anonymous said...

Vampires can be so much fun! I've been eyeballin' this series and I think I may just have to start with the first book. Thanks for the review!