Novels Now

Colleen Gleason
353 pages

The Bleeding Dusk is the third book in The Gardella Vampire Chronicles. I have enjoyed this series so much that I have actually delayed reading them. I am so not ready for this series to end but I just bought the last book in the series, As Shadows Fade, this past weekend. Now I am not sure I will be able to wait any longer. It is total comfort and escapism for me. Historical Fiction…Vampire Fiction…perfect fusion.
In this installment we find Victoria still in Rome. She is in mourning for her beloved Aunt Eustacia as well as her husband. She must step into her aunt’s role as the leader of the Venators and lead them on in their quest to fight the evil vampires. She barely has time to adjust to her new role and recover from her recent losses when sinister events begin swirling during Rome’s Carnivale.

This is pure fun for me and even though I am not normally a big fan of the romance genre, I love this series. Victoria, Max and Sebastian continue to be likable characters for me as well as Wayren and the rest of the Venator family. I hope to have time to devour the last two books in the series next week. I am dying to know who Victoria chooses. I know who I’d choose.(5/5)

Note: There are spoilers in this review for Rises the Night.

The lair of the Queen of the Vampires was tucked away in the snowy mountain range of Muntii Fagaras. The only reason Maximilian Pesaro had been able to find the hideaway was because of the two bite marks on his neck. Permanent ones left by Lilith herself.

The Bleeding Dusk continues the adventures of Victoria Gardella Grantworth de Lacey just a few months after the conclusion of Rises the Night. Things have changed for the Venators in Rome. Because Eustacia had been sacrificed to stop Nedes from activating Akvan’s Obelisk, Victoria became the Illa Gardella. Still reeling from the loss of her aunt, she stayed in Rome to be at the Consilium with the other Venators instead of immediately returning to London.

Max was also grieving. He had to do the unthinkable in order to destroy the Obelisk, and it was killing him inside. But Lilith’s promise of releasing him from her thrall was the one thing keeping him going. Until he met with her. She indeed said she would release him, but there was a price.

Now there are other things stalking the streets of Rome besides Vampires. And everyone is in a race to find the keys to the legendary “Door of Alchemy”. Behind it are secrets left by the Alchemist Palombara, and vampires and demons alike are trying gain access. It’s up to Victoria and the rest of the Venators to stop them.

I enjoyed the first two books in this series….a lot. But Colleen Gleason kicked it up a notch with The Bleeding Dusk. The weary little love triangle has now gotten even bigger. It’s more like a square, with Victoria dead set in the center!! And no matter whether you happen to favor Sebastian or Max, it’s apparent in this book that things are about to change rather drastically for everyone.

At the heart of this book is the notion of sacrifice. Not only Victoria, but both Max and Sebastian. And they are called to sacrifice something that is very near to their hearts and personal to them. How they handle it just makes the storyline grow stronger with each page turned. Colleen throws in a couple of curves with this book (like I expected any less!) and in the end, I think this might be the best book yet. The characters are evolving rather quickly, and although my tolerance for Victoria and her short-sightedness and quick-to-jump-to-conclusion way about her is starting to grate on me, I do understand where she is coming from. But the evolution of both Max and Sebastian is where the strength in The Bleeding Dusk lays. The foundation that was laid in the first two books takes on a whole different meaning now. And I can not wait to find out what happens. It will be a bittersweet day for me when this series has ended. But the end is near. I can feel it coming and I already have When Twilight Burns ready to go! If you have read the first two books, then you MUST read The Bleeding Dusk. Honestly, the series just gets better and better. And if you haven’t read any of the Gardella books, I would completely recommend them. A Fantastic story for anyone that loves Vampires, but especially Buffy The Vampire Slayer! 4.5/5

“I ask for nothing but a kiss,” he said, his voice still calm and low, but his eyes dimmed. “Mouth to mouth. You might hold your stake between us if it would make you feel more as ease, Venator.”

“Perhaps I would slam it into your heart and send you to Hell, then,” Victoria replied, her voice easier, more normal. [pg 76]

The Bleeding Dusk by Colleen Gleason
Signet Eclipse, 2008
Fantasy (Paranormal Romance); 346 pgs

From the Publisher:

To gain access to the secrets of a legendary alchemist, Rome’s vampires have allied themselves with creatures as evil and bloodthirsty as they are. The new leader of the city’s vampire hunters-Lady Victoria Gardella Grantworth de Lacy-reluctantly turns to the enigmatic Sebastian Vioget for help, just as Maximilian Pesaro arrives to aid his fellow slayers, no matter what the sacrifice. Desire puts her at the mercy of Sebastian, while loyalty binds her to Max, but she does not know if she can trust either. Especially when a seductive vampire begins luring her into the shadows . . .

The Bleeding Dusk, the third book in the Gardella Vampire Chronicles, is probably my favorite in the series so far. It is dark and thrilling. Victoria continues to grow as a character, coming into her own. With each book, the reader learns more about Maximillion Pesaro and Sebastian Vioget, two complicated and very different men whose histories are somehow intertwined.

It was good to see the return of a few favorites from the first novel, The Rest Falls Away, characters I had not realized I had missed until running into them again in The Bleeding Dusk. Melly, Victoria’s mother, and her two friends provide a bit of comic relief in an otherwise dark and suspense filled novel that literally kept me all night as I raced to the end to find out what would happen next.

The only downside is that I do not yet have my copy of the final book in the series, When Twilight Burns. Oh, how I wish I did! And yet, in a way, I am glad I don’t. I am not sure I am ready to see this series come to an end.

Rating: Rating: (Very Good)

You can learn more about the author and her series at her website and on her blog, For All the World to See.

The Bleeding Dusk by Colleen Gleason
The Gardella Vampire Chronicles, Book 3

Pages: 346
First Published: Feb. 2008
Genre: paranormal romance, historical fiction
Rating: 3.5/5

First sentence:

The lair of the Queen of the Vampires was tucked away in the snowy mountain range of Muntii Fagaras.

Comments: As the third book in the series it is difficult to summarize the plot without spoilers so I will keep it brief. Victoria (and the rest of the gang) are on the trail of a demon who has evil plans and Beauregard has also become more of a threat making Sebastian torn between his loyalties.

Honestly, I found this entry in the series quite a bit slower than the first two. The pacing of the first half was slow and the romance was a bit much for me. Victoria’s swaying between yearning and anger does become tiresome after a while. Plus, with all the romance we were rewarded with only one, rather lame, sex scene.

Halfway through, the pace does pick up and the danger and intrigue take over the plot. It was at this point I felt the book more worthy of the first two installments. And if there is anything Colleen Gleason can do: it is to deliver a totally unexpected and devastating ending. The last several chapters I just couldn’t read fast enough. I wanted to turn the pages faster than I could read them which made the book a worthwhile read and of course, I must now read the next installment which will be published next month, August, (I believe) to find out what happens next.

The Bleeding Dusk by Colleen Gleason

I’m up to date in this series, but now I can’t wait for the next one. This third book in the series continues after the big battle in the last book. Victoria, Max and Sebastian are all around and fighting vampires, but more importantly, their attractions to each other. I don’t want to say too much, because I could be giving things away from the second book, but they are still in Rome, and the story is continuing fighting vampire leaders Lilith and Beauregard. This is a fun book, lots of vampire lore, and heaving bosoms. The plot races along, actually only covering a few days, but fast and furious. Victoria has the same stubborn streak she accuses Max and Sebastian of having, but she seems to be recognizing her attractions to each of them and realizing her power and intelligence.

A very cool part of this book was the acknowledgements including booklogged, bookfool and carl. How cool was that? I thought the books were a trilogy, but they most certainly are continuing, because this book ended at a point that I really want to know what is going to happen next. These books are a nice diversion, nothing too heavy but lots of escapism, romance and adventure.

And finally, my question is: are you a Max or Sebastian fan?