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CRIMSON DREAMS
By Margaret L. Carter
Publisher Amber Quill Press
Copyright 2002
ISBN: 1-59279-175-1 (Electronic)
ISBN: 1-59279-878-0 (Paperback)
Genre Subgenre: Vampire Romance
When Heather Kincaid returns to her family’s summer cottage in the
hills of Virginia, she plans to dispose of it quickly and put behind her
the death of both of her parents. She hasn’t been back to the cottage
in six years, not since that strange summer that made her doubt her own
sanity, when her friend Ted hit a creature on a lonely mountain road, a
man-beast, and the dreams that followed. Often erotic dreams, strange
dreams of flying and hunting in the woods, even dreams of drinking of
blood.
Her first night back, the dreams return. All too soon she discovers
that the man in her dreams is all too real as he gently leads her into
accepting him for what he is. Devon is a vampire. Not a cursed creature,
but a different species, a branch off our own evolutionary tree. A
creature that needs human blood and emotions to survive.
Devon McAvoy has been fascinated by Heather since that first night
years ago. When she left at the end of that summer, he couldn’t bear
to let her go, he bonded with her, establishing an unbreakable
connection. Even though she doesn’t realize it, he has been watching
over her in the role of her online gaming partner. Now that she has
returned, he is determined to never let her go. They are connected,
telepathically, emotionally, and soon physically.
But there is a risk, the risk of addiction. Devon gradually accepts
that he has become addicted to her both physically and emotionally, so
that she becomes the only one who can satisfy his needs. She, too, is
becoming addicted to him, to his love-making, to his love.
But being a romance, there must be problems. Heather and Devon are
being stalked by a woman whose memory of Devon feeding off her has sent
her over the edge. Heather gets threatening phone calls warning her to
leave Devon alone. When she can’t, things turn deadly. But that isn’t
the only problem threatens them, for a vampire hunter is out to prove
what Devon is. Heather is Devon’s only hope, but will her attempts to
help just get them both killed.
CRIMSON DREAMS Is an excellent addition to Margaret L. Carter’s
series that begun with DARK CHANGELING. Margaret’s vampires are always
well thought out and interesting creatures. Her writing style keeps you
reading and wanting more. Don’t miss CRIMSON DREAMS, don’t miss any
of her books.
Reviewed by Linda Suzane, December 2, 2004
Availability Amber Quill eBook or paperback. http://www.amberquill.com/CrimsonDreams.html
or Amazon.com
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Dark Changeling
By Margaret L. Carter
Hardshell Word Factory
Copyright: June 1999
ISBN: 0759900965 (p)
ISBN: 1582001219 (e)
Category: Vampire Romance
Roger Darvell is a man in torment, a psychiatrist, who hides a terrible secret--a blood fetish, an obscene craving that despite his good intentions he cannot resist. Then he meets Sylvia, who suffers from the delusion that she is a vampire and who works very hard to convince Roger to accept that his powers are real, not figments of his imagination. There is another vampire in Boston, Neil, who is wantonly slaughtering women. Roger, as a police consultant, helps identify Neil, and in doing so, breaks the greatest vampire law. A vengeful Neil pursues him.
Enter Dr. Britt Loren, Roger's new partner in Baltimore, whom Roger is immediately attracted to, a woman who finds being in bed with a vampire exciting. Her love helps him accept what he has learned, that vampires are real and he is a changeling, half-human, half-vampire. The question is--can Roger protect Britt from Neil's psychotic quest for vengeance?
Margaret L. Carter's vampire world is extremely well conceived. Vampires are not the undead, but a different species. Her vampires obviously owe a lot to the Austras of Elaine Bergstrom, whom she dedicates the book to. An interesting mix of myths. Sylvia is hurt by crosses, but Roger, who was raised as a Catholic, goes to church regularly. She can change herself into a large winged creature and make herself invisible.
I really enjoyed Dark Changeling. Her characters were complex. Her handling of a man's ability to delude himself was especially interesting.
Reviewed by Linda Suzane, March 28, 2002
Available in eBook and Print from http://www.hardshell.com/
or Amazon.com
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Night Flight
By Margaret L. Carter
Ellora's Cave
Copyright: 2001
ISBN: 1843601028
Category: Vampire romance
Margaret L. Carter has done it again with her erotic novella Night Flight. I've said it before. Margaret L. Carter writes about some of the most interesting vampires in the vampire universe. Gillian, a young vampire, has a problem. She is about to have her first estrus. A different species from humans, Gillian's kind go into heat every two or three years. One night of unbridle and uncontrollable passion. Gillian's mentor Lord Volnar has chosen a mate for her, Lucanio Rossi. Gillian can't stand Lucanio, who has made it perfectly clear that he considers her inferior because of her mixed heritage of human and vampire. Lord Volnar dismisses her concerns--Lucanio is excellent breeding stock and when Gillian goes into estrus, she will find the compulsion to mate irresistible. Her feelings don't matter. It is just one night.
She would rather do without, even mate with a human, than be touched by Lucanio. One human in particular comes to mind. Paul Shelby, her fellow collaborate on a series of children's books. Paul, a zoologist, writes the books about nocturnal animals, while Gillian takes the pictures. Meeting with him to discuss their next project, the attraction they have always felt for each other erupts into passion. Paul asks her to spend the weekend with him at his mountain cabin.
Luciano shows up on her doorstep. Conceited, overbearing, sure that once she goes into heat, she won't be able to resist him. When she finds herself reacting to his kiss, she is sure, no matter how much she loathes him, she won't be able to resist him once she goes into estrus. She has to escape. She decides to take Paul up on his offer of the weekend at the mountain sure that Luciano won't be able to follow her. Hoping that she will be able ride out her estrus.
But she finds she can't resist the compulsion, no more than she can resist Paul. Then Paul discovers what she is.
This story is rate Hard R. The sex is explicit and graphic and great. Margaret's take on interspecies relationships was complete fascinating and very real. It dealt a lot with emotions and feelings. Paul's emotions, his feeling of being used, almost raped, later his gallant desire not to take advantage of her predicament, even though it is the stereotype of every man's ultimate fantasy, a woman in heat who can't get enough of him. I won't tell you what tom cats have to do with it. As a zoologist Paul finds the experience fascinating and so do the readers. This is a romance, so this story is much more about love than sex.
Night Flight was an extremely satisfying story. Well written. Interesting. While filled with a great deal of sex, the sex was an integral part of the story, never gratuitous, always handled with a deft touch. This book is certainly beyond the normal books rated as erotic and I have no qualms about recommending it.
Reviewed by: Linda Suzane, March 28, 2002
Available in eBook from http://ellorascave.com/MC_NF.htm
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Sealed in Blood
By Margaret L. Carter
Publisher Amber Quill
Copyright 2002
ISBN: 1-59279-149-2 (Electronic)
ISBN: 1-59279-896-9 (Paperback)
Genre Subgenre: Vampire Romance
Margaret L. Carter writes about some of the most interesting vampires in the vampire universe. Not part of the undead or descendants from lost aliens, her vampires are a lost branch on our own evolutionary tree. A different species. Intelligent, humanoid, long-lived. They drink blood, but when they can’t get blood, warm milk will do. Why these vampires don’t even have fangs. They do have the ability to change into a giant bat-like creature or appear to disappear. They have astounding powers of hypnosis. Sunlight causes them only minor problems. But without some limitations a story wouldn’t have tension. So just what kind of problems do these vampires have? They feed on both the psychic energy and blood, and while any blood will do, only humans provide the necessary psychic energy that brings fulfillment. But the real problem is that they tend to become addicted to their blood donors. Not only do they become addicted, but so do the donors.
Sealed in Blood starts at a science fiction con with all the wonderful insanity that goes on at one of those events: Wookies–Amazons–green skinned Martians–vampires, buttons, people with diverse opinions arguing impossibilities such as civil rights for Bigfoot, folk singing, and the costume Masquerade.
Nigel Jamison, a vampire and a psychology professor at Berkeley, arrives at the con looking for Keith Brewster, a sometime author, who claims to have pictures of a genuine winged alien. Nigel suspects that the pictures are of one of his species and plans to steal them before they can be made public. Nigel enlists the aid of a fellow conference goer, Sherri Hudson, with a bit of hypnosis and a lot of good old-fashioned sex appeal. Who wouldn’t fall for a tall, handsome stranger wear a cape and white ruffled shirt who might be Frank Langella playing Dracula, or D’Artagnan without the sword, or Rudolf Rassendyll, straight out of The Prisoner of Zenda.
Nigel Jamison is still trying to recover from his addiction to a former lover and donor, Denise, and he is not about to make the same mistake a second time, no matter how healthy and good smelling Sherri Hudson is. He is just going to use her to help get the pictures.
Sherri stands lookout while Nigel searches Brewster’s hotel room. When Brewster returns sooner than expected, Sherri stalls him until Nigel can slip out of the room and up behind Brewster. In a move suspiciously like a Vulcan neck pinch, Nigel renders Brewster unconscious and steals the photos. When Nigel sees the pictures, he is shocked–-they are of his half-sister Laura and she is participating in a Black Mass.
Sherri worried about the unconscious Brewster calls his room, only to have the phone answered by the police. Brewster is dead, his room ransacked. At first, Sherri thinks that Nigel did it, but he convinces her that he had no reason to go back and kill Brewster. Someone else must want the pictures, and Nigel is convinced that someone is holding his sister against her will.
Sherri flees home, feeling safe and well out of it until she gets a phone call threatening her unless she turns over the pictures, pictures she doesn’t have. Angry and a little bit terrified, Sherri tries to call Nigel, but he is in Los Angeles following up a clue they found with the pictures, the name of a science fiction magazine publisher.
Returning from jogging, Sherri is attacked, and Nigel comes to her rescue. Both Sherri and the attacker see him change into a monster, with wings spanning twice his height and a furred, feline head with pointed ears. The attacker wounds Nigel before fleeing. Though surprised, Sherri’s own interest in the possibilities presented by science fiction and fantasy makes her more open to accepting and believing that Nigel isn’t human, that he is a vampire. Nigel needs blood and Sherri finds herself offering hers. Later they make love, although Nigel is incapable of intercourse, he has no balls and his penis is rather underrated, nevertheless, Sherri finds it immensely satisfying.
Nigel and Sherri track down the location of the Coven holding Laura, using some stories that Keith Brewster wrote about the Coven as clues, but their rescue attempt fails. Along with Laura, they find themselves prisoners of Don Elridge. Don has been trying to force Laura to make him a vampire by starving her. Now, he threatens Sherri to force Nigel to fulfill his obsession. But it just doesn’t work that way. Despite the legends, you can’t make a vampire.
Margaret Carter has done a superb job. The snappy repartee between the hero and heroine is delightful. Sherri certainly isn’t your typical romance heroine. “Sherri didn’t consider herself an ugly duckling, neither did she cherish any illusions about possessing fatal beauty. A little taller than the feminine ideal, with thick and shining but unruly hair, healthy complexion, firm breasts, a too-broad waist, and slightly flabby thighs he hadn’t seen yet summed up her physical assets.” She is a college librarian, 31 years old, and somewhat a spinster. The relationship between Nigel and Sherri is well developed and moves toward the inevitable end, despite Nigel’s attempts to avoid further entanglements.
I thoroughly enjoyed Sealed in Blood and highly recommend it.
Reviewed by Linda Suzane, first published Suite101.com, December 21,
2001
Sealed in Blood is available from Amber Quill http://www.amberquill.com/SealedBlood.html
or Amazon.com
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WOLFKIN
By: Elaine Corvidae
Originally published by Hardshell Word Factory
© Copyright November 2001
Now Published by Mundania Press
ISBN: 1-59426-054-0 (hardcover)
ISBN: 1-59426-055-9 (paperback)
ISBN: 1-59426-053-2 (electronic formats)
Three hundred years ago, the kingdom of Caden was destroyed, its
inhabitants, the race of Aclytes were scattered. Outcasts, living in
ghettos, used for menial labor --servants, slaves, and prostitutes–persecuted
and hated. Only the Wolfkin are hated and feared more. Yozerf is perhaps
the last of the Aclytes ruling caste, the Jonaglir, magicians with the
power to become dragons, a power which was lost through the treachery of
an immortal sorcerer, the Emperor Jahcgroth, ruler of Argannon. But
Yozerf is a half breed, an outcast from his own people. His father was
one of the Wolfkin.
Yozerf is set a task by the magician Ax, to protect a young noble
woman, Trethya, who has proof that the young Queen Rozah has been
betrayed and is being held prisoner by her Council and that the Council
plans to marry her off to the Emperor Jahcgroth. According to Ax, this
is the first step in Jahcgroth’s plan to take over the kingdom of
Jenel. Ax also sends Suchen, Lord Auglar’s young female steward, to
help Trethya reach safety. Traveling with her are Lord Auglar’s own
personal bodyguards, the Sworn.
The Council sends men and monsters after Trethya, Yozerf, Suchen, and
the Sworn. Time and time again, Yozerf saves them as they fight their
way through to Lord Auglar. Neither Yozerf nor Suchen and the Sworn
trust each other. Old prejudices against the Aclytes, make it hard for
them to accept Yozerf. When Yozerf saves Suchen during an attack and
they are separated from her companions, Suchen begins to see a different
side of Yozerf. A fragile relationship begins. An uneasy trust, a trust
that Yozerf, who has learned never to trust anyone, is sure will end in
hurt. He finds himself drawn to Suchen. Wolfkin, like wolves, mate for
life. Yozerf doesn’t believe that Suchen would give her love to an
Aclyte or a Wolfkin, but he is unable to resist the attraction.
WOLFKIN is much about prejudice and mistrust. The characters are very
real in their attitudes. Some are obviously prejudice, others more
tolerant. Some are trusting, others mistrusting. There is a realism
about this fantasy that is not usually found in fantasies. This is no
heroic saga. These are no heros doing mighty deeds. Nor are these humble
peasants raised up to do great and wonderful things. These are very real
people struggling to be the best they can be within their all too human
prejudices and failings. There are good guys, not so good, but nothing
is so black and white. Even the romance between Yozerf and Suchen lacks
the usual romance contrivances of love-at-first-sight and stupid mis-understandings
between lovers. Suchen and Yozerf’s love grows slowly, cautiously, as
a fragile trust breaks through all the hurt and pain and disillusionment
that scars Yozerf.
I found Elaine’s approach to the werewolves different than I
expected. For most of the book, there is the wolf and there is Yozerf
and we aren’t even sure that they are one and the same. This is
because when he is in wolf form, it just isn’t a human inside a wolf
skin, but a wolf who retains only some of the human instinct and
memories without the humanity. For another thing, he does not
particularly think of himself as Wolfkin. This may be because he is not
part of a pack. He is a half breed, an outcast. His physical appearance
marks him as an Aclyte and makes him the target of much overt prejudice.
While the prejudice against Wolfkin is just as strong, if not stronger,
Wolfkin have no problem passing for human, hiding in plain sight. Later
he comes in contact with a Wolfkin pack and they are doing just that,
hiding in plain sight. We catch glimpses of what it is like to be a
Wolfkin, but it is never really talked about. Elaine has choose to
follow the wolf pack model, rather than the cursed werewolf that changes
in the full moon. Her Wolfkin mate for life, they follow pack hierarchy
rules of submission and territory. They are not particularly magical
creatures, that is they can’t do a lot of magic. They can transform at
will and in their human form they retain the heightened senses of the
wolf, especially the sense of smell.
If I was to describe this book in one word it would be unexpected. An
unexpected fantasy, an unexpected romance, an unexpected ending,
unexpected characters. Unexpectedly good.
Elaine’s prequel short story featuring Yozerf at age 18, A
TREASURE, IN AND OF ITSELF available on her website.
Reviewed by Linda Suzane, first appeared at Vampire Books and Authors
at Suite101.com, May 12, 2002.
Read an Interview
with Elaine Corvidae at Vampire Books and Authors at Suite101.com
Elaine's website is www.onecrow.net
The book and the rest of the trilogy are available from www.MundaniaPress.com
and Amazon.com
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