Status
Available
Call number
Publication
New York : Signet Eclipse, 2007.
Description
Fantasy. Fiction. Romance. Historical Fiction. HTML: The award-winning, New York Times bestselling author Colleen Gleason's International Bestselling Gardella Vampire Hunter Series. "Sophisticated, sexy, surprising!" �J.R. Ward "Colleen Gleason's irresistible...series is deliciously dark and delightfully entertaining." �Chicago Tribune "Gleason's publishing debut turns vampire stories�and romances�on their ear." �Detroit Free Press Beneath the glitter of dazzling nineteenth century London Society lurks a bloodthirsty evil...Vampires have always lived among them, quietly attacking unsuspecting debutantes and dandified lords as well as hackney drivers and Bond Street milliners. If not for the vampire slayers of the Gardella family, these immortal creatures would have long ago taken control of the world. In every generation, a Gardella is called to accept the family legacy, and this time, Victoria Gardella Grantworth is chosen, on the eve of her debut, to carry the stake. But as she moves between the crush of ballrooms and dangerous moonlit streets, Victoria's heart is torn between London's most eligible bachelor, the Marquess of Rockley, and her dark, dangerous duty. And when she comes face-to-face with the most powerful vampire in history, Victoria must ultimately make a choice between duty and love. This is a five-book series about Victoria Gardella, Vampire Hunter. The series should be read in order to avoid spoilers..… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member TheLibraryhag
Victoria is a proper Victorian lady just coming out in society. She is also the next in her family line of vampire hunters. She falls in love and wants to marry, but how can she? It is fun to see how a female hunter handles the restraints of Victorian society, not to mention the clothes. The
Show More
characters in the book are compelling and I found myself charmed by the men in the story. There is violence, but it is not terribly graphic. The sex is very mild. It is very much a romance but there are twists and turns that keep you guessing. I am interested to see where this series is going. Show Less
LibraryThing member ContessaDeLuna
This is the first book in a new vampire series, so I of COURSE had to pick it up! The writing and dialogue are a little weak and the plot seems more like an afterthought. It is interesting, however, to read a vampire slayer story set in the victorian period, as our heroine runs into all sorts of
This book is mostly concerned with introducing and developing characters rather than any real plot. Really the main conflict here is between Victoria and herself as she tries to live a "normal" life even while stalking the streets at night hunting for the baddies. Nevertheless, this series shows promise so I'll probably continue reading it. What can I say? I'm a sucker for vampire stories. :)
Show More
snags trying to fulfill her duty as a vampire slayer while confined to the role of demure female in Victorian England.This book is mostly concerned with introducing and developing characters rather than any real plot. Really the main conflict here is between Victoria and herself as she tries to live a "normal" life even while stalking the streets at night hunting for the baddies. Nevertheless, this series shows promise so I'll probably continue reading it. What can I say? I'm a sucker for vampire stories. :)
Show Less
LibraryThing member CheriePie69
In every generation, a Gardella is called to accept the family legacy of vampire slaying, and this time, Victoria Gardella Grantworth is chosen, on the eve of her debut, to carry the stake. But as she moves between the crush of ballrooms and dangerous, moonlit streets, Victoria's heart is torn
Going in, I wasn't quite sure how I'd feel about the concept of vampires as completely evil creatures, without any redeeming qualities or social values. During the time this story takes place, in 19th century England, vampires are vicious creatures, killing their victims when feeding from them. This concept is unlike the contemporary vampire we read about today in so many other paranormals: able to live undetected among society, feed willingly from their victims by just taking small quantities of blood, and without killing. I guess you could say I've developed quite a liking for the little fellas ;-) so having to look at them in a negative light felt a little off to me at first. That said, I came to look at it as more of an evolution, and was convinced by the end of the story that the vampires of today have adapted their survival skills to be better able to escape the wrath of the vampire hunter!
So once over that, I totally loved the story. The time period and characters were very well drawn so I felt as if I were transported back in time. The life of a debutante, full of balls and all that frou-frou, would normally bore me to tears, but here, the author seems to use it more as a contrast to Victoria's secret life as a vampire hunter. Running around to balls and teas, while sneaking around hunting vampires after midnight—assuming they were polite enough to wait until then to be hunted. :-D Othertimes, they were rude enough to appear at various social functions and balls, attempting to mingle with society, until Victoria or Max would have to dash out after the "blood sucking creature" to bring them to justice before they took the life of their intended victim out on the patio or in the gardens away from other guests. You just never knew where they'd turn up next!
I also enjoyed how the author continued to surprise me throughout the story: hardly anything that happened was ever expected! Particularly the ending! I'm anxiously looking forward to the next book in The Gardella Vampire Chronicles, Rises the Night, due out in June 2007.
Show More
between London's most eligible bachelor, the Marquess of Rockley, and her enigmatic ally, Sebastian Vioget. And when she comes face to face with the most powerful vampire in history, Victoria must ultimately make the choice between duty and love.Going in, I wasn't quite sure how I'd feel about the concept of vampires as completely evil creatures, without any redeeming qualities or social values. During the time this story takes place, in 19th century England, vampires are vicious creatures, killing their victims when feeding from them. This concept is unlike the contemporary vampire we read about today in so many other paranormals: able to live undetected among society, feed willingly from their victims by just taking small quantities of blood, and without killing. I guess you could say I've developed quite a liking for the little fellas ;-) so having to look at them in a negative light felt a little off to me at first. That said, I came to look at it as more of an evolution, and was convinced by the end of the story that the vampires of today have adapted their survival skills to be better able to escape the wrath of the vampire hunter!
So once over that, I totally loved the story. The time period and characters were very well drawn so I felt as if I were transported back in time. The life of a debutante, full of balls and all that frou-frou, would normally bore me to tears, but here, the author seems to use it more as a contrast to Victoria's secret life as a vampire hunter. Running around to balls and teas, while sneaking around hunting vampires after midnight—assuming they were polite enough to wait until then to be hunted. :-D Othertimes, they were rude enough to appear at various social functions and balls, attempting to mingle with society, until Victoria or Max would have to dash out after the "blood sucking creature" to bring them to justice before they took the life of their intended victim out on the patio or in the gardens away from other guests. You just never knew where they'd turn up next!
I also enjoyed how the author continued to surprise me throughout the story: hardly anything that happened was ever expected! Particularly the ending! I'm anxiously looking forward to the next book in The Gardella Vampire Chronicles, Rises the Night, due out in June 2007.
Show Less
LibraryThing member emcnellis16
Victoria Gardella Grantworth is about to make her debut when destiny intervenes. Like countless Gardellas before her, she is meant to become a Venator – a vampire hunter. Victoria must be on guard for the familiar ‘chill at the back of her neck’ that signals a nearby vampire. And the vampires
This book combined two of my favorite genres – Regency romance and vampire tales. What’s not to like? Gleason has taken the ordinary vampire story and added new twists – a vampire queen, a dynasty of vampire hunters, a love triangle, and a tragic ending.
The Rest Falls Away grabbed my attention and didn't let go – I read it in less than 24 hours. I found Gleason’s characters to be interesting, the dialogue easy to read, and the plot well thought out.
While I did thoroughly enjoy this novel, there was some information I missed. I wanted more background into the Gardella dynasty – how did they become Venators? What about Max’s background? And then there is Sebastian – how does he fit in? Hopefully these questions will be answered in the three remaining books in The Gardella Vampire Chronicles. I can't wait to find out!
Show More
seem to be everywhere. With the help of her Great-Aunt Eustacia and her fellow Venator, Max, Victoria fights to keep London safe from Lilith – a seductive and powerful vampire. But when Phillip de Lacy, Marquess of Rockely, asks for her hand in marriage, Victoria is torn between her duty and her heart. Which will win?This book combined two of my favorite genres – Regency romance and vampire tales. What’s not to like? Gleason has taken the ordinary vampire story and added new twists – a vampire queen, a dynasty of vampire hunters, a love triangle, and a tragic ending.
The Rest Falls Away grabbed my attention and didn't let go – I read it in less than 24 hours. I found Gleason’s characters to be interesting, the dialogue easy to read, and the plot well thought out.
While I did thoroughly enjoy this novel, there was some information I missed. I wanted more background into the Gardella dynasty – how did they become Venators? What about Max’s background? And then there is Sebastian – how does he fit in? Hopefully these questions will be answered in the three remaining books in The Gardella Vampire Chronicles. I can't wait to find out!
Show Less
LibraryThing member Darla
In every generation, a slayer Venator is born... This generation happens to be in Regency England. In fact, the cover is impressively descriptive (except for that misleading "romance" on the spine). It's Regency Buffy. Or, as the book trailer says, "Buffy meets Pride and Prejudice."
The vampire
Unlike Eustacia, who sacrificed having a husband and children of her own for her duty, Victoria is determined to have it all, and accepts her childhood sweetheart's suit. Phillip, now a marquess, loves Victoria, but becomes increasingly concerned about her odd disappearances.
And those disappearances are becoming more frequent, as the vampire Lilith moves into town with her minions, looking for a mysterious book that will give her even greater powers.
In addition to Aunt Eustacia, Victoria is aided by the enigmatic Max, who's also a Venator, though not a hereditary one; and the even more mysterious Sebastian, who owns a vampire bar.
I love Buffy, I enjoy Regencies--it's a fabulous combination. It was so much fun watching Victoria try to merge her two lives, and grow in confidence even as her life becomes more complicated. The action is exciting and suspenseful, and there's just enough worldbuilding to keep me grounded and make things logical, but not so much that it gets overwhelming. The three men in her life: Phillip, Max, and Sebastian, are all interesting and hero-worthy in different ways, and there's plenty of sensuality between them.
But I wouldn't call it a romance, regardless of what's on the spine. The romantic scenes are not the focus of the book at all--the focus is on the paranormal action/adventure and on Victoria dealing with a dual life. Which is just fine, because otherwise, the ending would have been infuriating rather than painful and emotional. Er. Hope that wasn't too spoilery, but I think it's precisely because I wasn't expecting a romance that I enjoyed this book so much. As it turns out, the balance between the subplots worked perfectly--the lack of focus on the romance subplot kept me from expecting (and from being disappointed in the lack of) a romantic resolution, or HEA.
I bought this book after reading descriptions of it on Colleen Gleason's blog, and I'm really glad I did. The second book is in my TBR pile, and the third is on my must-buy calendar for next February.
The vampire
Show More
slayers in this universe are called "Venators," and it's a hereditary trait that can be accepted or passed on to the next generation. Most Venators are male, but Victoria Gardella Grantworth's great aunt Eustacia is one, and her mother was called, but turned it down. Now it's Victoria's turn.Unlike Eustacia, who sacrificed having a husband and children of her own for her duty, Victoria is determined to have it all, and accepts her childhood sweetheart's suit. Phillip, now a marquess, loves Victoria, but becomes increasingly concerned about her odd disappearances.
And those disappearances are becoming more frequent, as the vampire Lilith moves into town with her minions, looking for a mysterious book that will give her even greater powers.
In addition to Aunt Eustacia, Victoria is aided by the enigmatic Max, who's also a Venator, though not a hereditary one; and the even more mysterious Sebastian, who owns a vampire bar.
I love Buffy, I enjoy Regencies--it's a fabulous combination. It was so much fun watching Victoria try to merge her two lives, and grow in confidence even as her life becomes more complicated. The action is exciting and suspenseful, and there's just enough worldbuilding to keep me grounded and make things logical, but not so much that it gets overwhelming. The three men in her life: Phillip, Max, and Sebastian, are all interesting and hero-worthy in different ways, and there's plenty of sensuality between them.
But I wouldn't call it a romance, regardless of what's on the spine. The romantic scenes are not the focus of the book at all--the focus is on the paranormal action/adventure and on Victoria dealing with a dual life. Which is just fine, because otherwise, the ending would have been infuriating rather than painful and emotional. Er. Hope that wasn't too spoilery, but I think it's precisely because I wasn't expecting a romance that I enjoyed this book so much. As it turns out, the balance between the subplots worked perfectly--the lack of focus on the romance subplot kept me from expecting (and from being disappointed in the lack of) a romantic resolution, or HEA.
I bought this book after reading descriptions of it on Colleen Gleason's blog, and I'm really glad I did. The second book is in my TBR pile, and the third is on my must-buy calendar for next February.
Show Less
LibraryThing member refashionista
This was an enjoyable read overall. It's a bit of a different take on the idea of the "vampire hunter" with a touch of intrigue, a hint of romance, and some sexiness all rolled in together. I read the second book in the series first, so was a tad disoriented in the beginning of this one but will be
Show More
checking out the other installments in the Gardella Vampire Chronicles. Show Less
LibraryThing member Rhinoa
Meet Victoria Gardella, the latest in a long line of vampire hunters. In each generation a Gardella is born with the innate gifts allowing them to hunt and kill vampires. It is up to them is they accept the call. If they do they must first pass a test and kill a vampire. If they succeed they are
Set in Jane Austen times when girls have coming out debutant parties. Victoria has to balance her vampire staking duties with balls, picking out new gowns and falling in love. Some of the other vampire hunters (Venator's) believe that you can either be a Venator or settle down, marry and have children. Victoria particularly butts head with Max who is a Venator by choice rather than family calling. He lost family members to vampires and has devoted his life to killing them ever since. Victoria has other ideas though and her Aunt thinks the best thing is to let her take her own path.
Think Pride and Prejudice meets Buffy. The setting made it stand out from the many other vampire series out there although it does take a lot of inspiration from Buffy (I love Buffy though so that's not a bad thing!). There is a twist near the end which was not unexpected, but the final ending was. It ends on a sad note and I am glad that the story is not completely romanticised. It made it seem more realistic somehow.
Show More
given a piece of blessed jewellry, a vis bulla, that gives them extra strength, power and healing.Set in Jane Austen times when girls have coming out debutant parties. Victoria has to balance her vampire staking duties with balls, picking out new gowns and falling in love. Some of the other vampire hunters (Venator's) believe that you can either be a Venator or settle down, marry and have children. Victoria particularly butts head with Max who is a Venator by choice rather than family calling. He lost family members to vampires and has devoted his life to killing them ever since. Victoria has other ideas though and her Aunt thinks the best thing is to let her take her own path.
Think Pride and Prejudice meets Buffy. The setting made it stand out from the many other vampire series out there although it does take a lot of inspiration from Buffy (I love Buffy though so that's not a bad thing!). There is a twist near the end which was not unexpected, but the final ending was. It ends on a sad note and I am glad that the story is not completely romanticised. It made it seem more realistic somehow.
Show Less
LibraryThing member wyvernfriend
it's a Buffy the Vampire Slayer meets 19th Century novel and while a lot of the tortured manners does make an occasional appearance I didn't feel that it was well-anchored in a period while I was reading. It was in that 19th century romance period that has corsets and complicated dressing but a lot
Victoria Gardella Grantworth is the latest hereditary slayer or Venator, who hunts the vampires generated by Lilith, while still trying to be part of general society. This balance is complicated and hard work but she does her best. She's not a bad character but there are times when I just want her to stand up and be counted.
Overall not bad, I won't be hunting up book 2 but if I happen on it will read it.
Show More
of other things seems to pass by without too much comment. Victoria Gardella Grantworth is the latest hereditary slayer or Venator, who hunts the vampires generated by Lilith, while still trying to be part of general society. This balance is complicated and hard work but she does her best. She's not a bad character but there are times when I just want her to stand up and be counted.
Overall not bad, I won't be hunting up book 2 but if I happen on it will read it.
Show Less
LibraryThing member krau0098
This is the first book in the Gardella Vampire Chronicles. There are five books in this series. I have had these five books on my bookshelf to read forever and was excited to finally start reading this series. It is a fun series that is pretty much just pure entertainment.
Victoria Gardella finds
Think Buffy meets Pride and Prejudice and that’s a pretty good description of this book. Victoria channels a lot of Buffy here, she is a pretty girly girl who just happens to also have vampire hunting capabilities. She is determined to succeed both as a vampire hunter and as a society girl.
The book is set in London in Victorian times, I love reading about London and enjoy the intricacy of Victorian times.
There is a love...square of sorts as mentioned above. When Victoria ends up falling in love with the Marquess her stealthy night time activities become even more difficult to maintain.
This was a fun read, purely a light fun read and not much more than that. The characters were likable and interesting, but I never got super attached to them. The banter between characters is witty and fun and I enjoyed it alot.
Overall I enjoyed the book and will definitely read the next one. This is a great series to read for a little vampire hunting fun, some romance, and a bit of escapism. Recommended to fans of humorous paranormal romance who enjoy historical settings.
Victoria Gardella finds
Show More
out it is time to take up the vampire hunter mantel of her ancestors, but she must also still debut in polite society. She ends up finding herself torn between the handsome Marquess she meets at her debut, the stern Maximilian who helps her out in training, and the mysteriously alluring Sebastian who she runs into when she ventures into the seedier parts of London. She deals with all of this while trying to help solve a mysterious murder case and prevent the vampire Lilith from stealing an ancient and dangerous book.Think Buffy meets Pride and Prejudice and that’s a pretty good description of this book. Victoria channels a lot of Buffy here, she is a pretty girly girl who just happens to also have vampire hunting capabilities. She is determined to succeed both as a vampire hunter and as a society girl.
The book is set in London in Victorian times, I love reading about London and enjoy the intricacy of Victorian times.
There is a love...square of sorts as mentioned above. When Victoria ends up falling in love with the Marquess her stealthy night time activities become even more difficult to maintain.
This was a fun read, purely a light fun read and not much more than that. The characters were likable and interesting, but I never got super attached to them. The banter between characters is witty and fun and I enjoyed it alot.
Overall I enjoyed the book and will definitely read the next one. This is a great series to read for a little vampire hunting fun, some romance, and a bit of escapism. Recommended to fans of humorous paranormal romance who enjoy historical settings.
Show Less
LibraryThing member arbjames
Buffy the Vampire Slayer meets 19th century London. I was overall entertained by the novel and plan to read the rest of the series. Victoria has the potential to be one of those strong, sarcastic heroines that I love reading about, but she's not yet quite up to par with Gail Carriger's Alexia
Show More
Tarabotti, quite possible my favorite such heroine. There were a few things about the novel that bothered me. Things weren't quite spot on in terms of historical accuracy. I can't imagine anyone in 19th century London saying "nice save," for example. The dialogue in general seemed to be a little off base. There were several instances when there were large gaps in the action. Take the beginning, for example. Victoria has all of these dreams that seem to predict something huge, so she needs to go to her Aunt for an interpretation. That would seem like a pretty important visit; however, we're left out of it and only pick up the story a few weeks later when she's already had quite a bit of training in her new role. It seems that her reaction upon discovering that she was a vampire hunter when she previously had no clue such things even existed might have been part of the story we'd need to be witness to? There were also elements of the story that were highly predictable. Did anyone who ever read this book think that things would turn out well for Victoria and Phillip? Show Less
LibraryThing member Capnrandm
Too uninspired to hold my attention. Buffy did similar things (better).
LibraryThing member Carolesrandomlife
I liked this book quite a bit. I am so glad that I finally was able to get around to reading this book. I am kind of ashamed that I have had a review copy of this book for so long and neglected to read it until now. I really had a good time getting to know Victoria as she worked to find a husband
I have read a lot of paranormal romances since it is one of my favorite genres. I haven't read too many that had a historical setting though and I really liked that aspect of this book. I think it would be hard enough to learn to kill vampires without worrying about being a proper lady or finding a husband at the same time. I really liked this aspect of the story and found it to be very well done.
I love a good vampire story so I do have to admit that I liked the parts of the book where Victoria was battling vampires the most in the book. Victoria really has some pretty amazing vampire hunting skills and it was just a lot of fun to watch. When she fought alongside Max, it was even more exciting because the stakes were usually just a bit higher.
I liked the characters in this book. Victoria was tough and not afraid to try to get what she wants in a period of time where that was pretty unusual for a woman. Max was a bit of a mystery but he seemed to always watch out for Victoria. I have a feeling that there is a lot more to learn about it and I am looking forward to that in future installments. Sebastian was a character that I was never fully trusted. It seemed like he was Victoria's ally at times but I was never completely sure. There were other characters that added to the story and were very well done.
I do recommend this book to others. It was just a whole lot of fun to read and I had a great time with it. I am a little mad that I waited so long to start reading this series and can't wait to read more very soon!
I received a review copy of this book from Avid Press via Edelweiss.
Show More
at the same time she was becoming a vampire hunter. This book was a whole lot of fun from beginning to end.I have read a lot of paranormal romances since it is one of my favorite genres. I haven't read too many that had a historical setting though and I really liked that aspect of this book. I think it would be hard enough to learn to kill vampires without worrying about being a proper lady or finding a husband at the same time. I really liked this aspect of the story and found it to be very well done.
I love a good vampire story so I do have to admit that I liked the parts of the book where Victoria was battling vampires the most in the book. Victoria really has some pretty amazing vampire hunting skills and it was just a lot of fun to watch. When she fought alongside Max, it was even more exciting because the stakes were usually just a bit higher.
I liked the characters in this book. Victoria was tough and not afraid to try to get what she wants in a period of time where that was pretty unusual for a woman. Max was a bit of a mystery but he seemed to always watch out for Victoria. I have a feeling that there is a lot more to learn about it and I am looking forward to that in future installments. Sebastian was a character that I was never fully trusted. It seemed like he was Victoria's ally at times but I was never completely sure. There were other characters that added to the story and were very well done.
I do recommend this book to others. It was just a whole lot of fun to read and I had a great time with it. I am a little mad that I waited so long to start reading this series and can't wait to read more very soon!
I received a review copy of this book from Avid Press via Edelweiss.
Show Less
LibraryThing member Zumbanista
Had read a prequel which I enjoyed, however this first book of the Gardella Vampire series left me uninspired. Oh it had all the right pieces for a historical paranormal tale of vampire hunters, but was so predictable. A bit spicy, our protagonist Victoria was flighty and unbelievable. I’ve
Show More
certainly read more interesting and compelling vampire fiction. Not bothering with the rest of the series. Show Less
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
2007-01-02
Physical description
347 p.; 17.2 cm
ISBN
9780451220073