Review: Good Start
Rating: 3 out of 5
Date: 01 7, 2013
SCD Goff's novel is one of the more recent vampire novels, of which there are now many thanks to the likes of Twilight and True Blood. This one is set in Ireland and focuses on sixteen year old Evangeline Languish who lives with her parents in a remote castle. Eve has always been here, never really known the outside world but that soon changes. When her Uncle Malachy appears on her sixteenth birthday, he gives Eve a cup of red liquid and attempts to strangle her. Malachy is thrown out and Eve is packed off to boarding school. She later returns following the death of her parents and discovers a wounded man, Lorcan, and comes to realise that her life is in danger from both Malachy and his superior Slane.There is an intriguing opening segment with Slane and Malachy before the story moves on to Eve and the many trials she faces at boarding school. Teenage girls can be cruel and Eve is immediately targeted by a small group of girls as the newcomer. Thankfully, Eve has a friend in Sive who initially shows her around the school. Goff's novel paints a pretty grim picture of boarding school and although I know not all children find the experience a bad one, I'm glad it was never a way of life for myself.The novel improves in the second half with Eve returning home after the death of her parents. She meets the mysterious Lorcan close to her home and invites him back to the castle to help tend to his wounds. Lorcan becomes something of a love interest for Eve but there's little time for love with Malachy intent on killing Eve at the behest of Slane. Why is Eve's uncle so intent on harming her? Why has Eve led such a sheltered life for so long? What of Slane? Will Eve be able to defeat Malacy?This was a good story with some great characters. Eve is pretty naive but she grows up a lot by the end of the novel. Malachy is not your one dimensional villain, in fact there is a lot of depth to him which was a welcome change. This is the first in a series of books and it is a decent enough opening though unfortunately quite short. Hopefully the next instalment will build on the good work in this one.