This was a tough book to get through, but not in a bad way. I had so many issues I had to put it down, walk away, and work on my anger management techniques. Breathe, count to 10 (or maybe 20). WoW!!

Lord Ruthven is the evilest of evil. He preys on the poor as well as the rich and mighty. His reasons are slightly different, but the common theme is anyone can be corrupted when given a little push. There definitely is a connection between the nature of the vampire and high society. I’d love to voice my take on it, but that would be revealing the ending of the book. Lord Ruthven’s speech at the end of the book tells of my theories.

I felt so bad for Beatrice. So loving, caring, and trusting. An innocent. She had to endure so much. At one point, I was almost begging Aubrey to end her life; put her out of her misery.

I loved watching romance bloom between Aubrey and Ianthe. Spoiler? Eh, I don’t think so. In a sense, Aubrey is a knight in shining armor, while Ianthe is Joan of Arc. These two people were made for each other. Their values and ideals were in sync. They both strive to bring hope into their world through love and cooperation.

And then there is the Italian Countess, Messaline Borgia. At first, I loved her. Then I hated her. Apparently, she’s making another appearance in a future book so maybe I’ll like her again?? I’m thinking Mr. Author had some inspiration for this character.

Events in this story made it very difficult for good to win over evil. Just when I thought Aubrey and his friends had won, Ruthven reappears and all hell breaks loose - again. I wasn’t sure if Ruthven could really be defeated. All in all, I’m thinking good has won this battle, but there is still a war.
( )