Review: A truly different kind of vampire novel
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 10 2, 2012
Okay, I'm not going to try and disguise the fact that Ulysses is a friend of mine and that I helped him out a little with editing. But here's the thing--I would not be issuing this under my Lightbane umbrella if I didn't think this was a truly wonderful gay romance novel. And no, I don't get anything from his sales, so this review comes solely from love.The first thing that will strike you as you read this is the elegant sophistication of the writing. Every character is lovingly detailed, every setting is breathtaking in its exquisite descriptions. You get to really feel that you are there with these people. You are seeing the world in vivid detail.Then there are the characters. Desmond is a delightful contradiction in terms. He's 200+ in the body of a 21 year-old, but he talks and acts like an 18th century gentleman. He feeds off of people to live, and yet he is the most caring and compassionate man you'll ever meet. And we get to see his quiet desperation as he searches for love over the decades, always looking for the right person but always coming up short. They can't compare to his first love, the one he lost.Filling out his world are characters like his feisty assistant Jane. She's funny and fierce and kind and sweet. There's also his best friend and fellow vampire Roger, who is much more modern in every way.And there is Oliver, the handsome curator who is lonely himself and sees something special about the mysterious young man that shows up in his museum. Oliver acts as the anchor for the story. Desmond can't deny his attraction, but he's been hurt before.Another great thing about this story (and it's prequel, Desmond) is the re-imagining of the vampire mythology. Vampires age in this world, which helps them to pass as normal. Then, at 65, they go into a regenerative state that restores them to the age they were when they were turned. There is also no grand vampire society. It's just a scattered few -- some with benevolent natures and others more sinister.If you want a well-constructed, eloquently written, beautiful story of love, then this is your stop. Read it. Love it.