Book 12, 2018
Feb. 9th, 2018 09:03 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
chez_jaeI finally finished slogging through The Rest Falls Away, by Colleen Gleason. It's the first book in the "Gardella Vampire Chronicles".
Victoria Grantworth, a London debutante, is descended from the Gardella family of vampire slayers. She is given a choice to assume the mantle of a Venator, a vampire slayer, or to have her memory of such creatures erased and resume the life of a pampered society lady. Victoria chooses to become a Venator, and her first test comes during her own coming-out ball. Not only does she succeed in killing her first vampire, but she also meets, or rather becomes reacquainted with, the Marquess of Rockley. Victoria had met him as a young girl, but she had no idea of his station in life.
As Victoria moves through London's social circles, attending balls and musicales, she must also slip away to kill vampires whenever the need arises. Victoria is able to continue her dual life, until the two collide when the Marquess asks for her hand in marriage.
It was an exciting concept, but the book did not live up to the billing. The characters were two-dimensional at best, and the villains were simply one-dimensional toadies. Fight scenes were simple in the extreme--here a stake, there a stake, poof poof! Thanks to the blurb on the back, which stated Victoria must make a "choice between obligation and love", the ending was boringly predictable.
I was taken aback by the absolute certainty that Victoria was expected to stake her first vampire at her own coming-out ball. Like, how did her mentors know a vampire would be there? On that note, how DID the vampires manage to keep showing up at social functions? Who is inviting them in?!
Other things that annoyed me were the fact that Victoria seemed mesmerized by Sebastien, a shady character, and that Max, another Venator, was such a horrid ass towards her. Also, we read about Victoria dancing with a certain earl at one ball, only to stake him as a vampire at another. Uh, what just happened there? No explanation was given, although it can be assumed that he was turned into a vampire, because as a Venator, Victoria has super Spidey-senses when it comes to knowing when a vampire is nearby.
I had to force myself to pick this book up and work on it. It simply did not spark my interest, and I had a difficult time devoting attention to it. Unfortunately, I have a few more in the series on my shelf. I may read one more, and if it's as mind-numbingly boring as this one was, they're all going to the donation bag.
Favorite line: Dancing at balls, attending the theater, stalking vampires.
In short, lackluster. Two stars:
**
Victoria Grantworth, a London debutante, is descended from the Gardella family of vampire slayers. She is given a choice to assume the mantle of a Venator, a vampire slayer, or to have her memory of such creatures erased and resume the life of a pampered society lady. Victoria chooses to become a Venator, and her first test comes during her own coming-out ball. Not only does she succeed in killing her first vampire, but she also meets, or rather becomes reacquainted with, the Marquess of Rockley. Victoria had met him as a young girl, but she had no idea of his station in life.
As Victoria moves through London's social circles, attending balls and musicales, she must also slip away to kill vampires whenever the need arises. Victoria is able to continue her dual life, until the two collide when the Marquess asks for her hand in marriage.
It was an exciting concept, but the book did not live up to the billing. The characters were two-dimensional at best, and the villains were simply one-dimensional toadies. Fight scenes were simple in the extreme--here a stake, there a stake, poof poof! Thanks to the blurb on the back, which stated Victoria must make a "choice between obligation and love", the ending was boringly predictable.
I was taken aback by the absolute certainty that Victoria was expected to stake her first vampire at her own coming-out ball. Like, how did her mentors know a vampire would be there? On that note, how DID the vampires manage to keep showing up at social functions? Who is inviting them in?!
Other things that annoyed me were the fact that Victoria seemed mesmerized by Sebastien, a shady character, and that Max, another Venator, was such a horrid ass towards her. Also, we read about Victoria dancing with a certain earl at one ball, only to stake him as a vampire at another. Uh, what just happened there? No explanation was given, although it can be assumed that he was turned into a vampire, because as a Venator, Victoria has super Spidey-senses when it comes to knowing when a vampire is nearby.
I had to force myself to pick this book up and work on it. It simply did not spark my interest, and I had a difficult time devoting attention to it. Unfortunately, I have a few more in the series on my shelf. I may read one more, and if it's as mind-numbingly boring as this one was, they're all going to the donation bag.
Favorite line: Dancing at balls, attending the theater, stalking vampires.
In short, lackluster. Two stars:
**
