Release date: 2013
Contains spoilers
The Blurb: All of the hideous secrets of Blackstone House and its inhabitants are revealed in this, the third book in The Blackstone Vampires Series.
Rose Baines continues to be held captive by the demon Eco (Unholy Testament - The Beginnings) and must read the rest of his journal which is a confession of all of his sins.
The rest of the journal focuses on the characters that have haunted Rose's living life and undead existence. But primarily, Eco's journal tells of the sick and twisted obsession he has had for Blackstone House's former mistress, evil and debauched Eve Darton.
This is gothic horror at its darkest. Eco's lustful relationship with Eve is told against the backdrop of aristocratic devil rites, both in England and France, including satanic sacrifices; continuing to the Great Fire of London 1666. Along the way there are plagues, vampire destroyers and witch hunts and of course vampires!
Human evil and supernatural evil are explored in detail. There are Resurrection men who supply a necrophile doctor. Every vice and evil is examined including the hideous truth of Rose's father and the reasons he murdered her family.
Every evil that Rose Baines was subjected to is closely examined as are those who committed the worst sins against her.
This is not light reading and although there is romance within the story, the darkness that surrounds it is relentless.
The review: First a disclaimer, Carole Gill is a friend on Facebook but, as always, I will try and be honest and balanced in my review.
This is the third book in the Blackstone series and continues on exactly where book 2 left off. The majority of the book is the testament by, and the confession of, the demonic creature Eco. A true vampire, child of a fallen angel.
This testament introduces other characters including Vlad Ţepeş. It also looks at the events from Book 1 from a different viewpoint.
However something within the book didn’t gel for me. The testament is being read by Rose as she is held on a ship. The reasoning behind this is so that she might generate a sympathy for Eco (we are led to believe). However there is another agenda and this comes to a head at the end of the book but that ending just seemed rushed to me. We had spent so long immersed in Eco’s past that the events in the book’s present seemed to be resolved very quickly and I feel that the final section of the book needs expanding, it needs drawing out and motivations need exploring (to be fair motivations might be explored in book 4).
It is a shame but it did mar the book for me at the end. 6 out of 10.
2 comments:
Thank you for that.
Yes, there is something regarding the end that is to be revealed in Book Four which is coming out shortly!
How did you know?!!
Cheers for the comment Carole, look forward to reading book 4
Post a Comment