Colleen Gleason, The Rest Falls Away

The Rest Falls Away

Colleen Gleason

Signet, January 2007, $6.99

ISBN: 0451220072

Her debut season was delayed for the last two years, first due to the death of her grandfather and then the death of her father. Now Victoria Gardella Grantworth looks forward to attending the galas and balls. That is until three weeks ago when she began dreaming of killing vampires. Turning to her elderly eccentric Aunt Eustace for guidance, Victoria learns about her family legacy in which she is this generation's venator, killing vampires.

While her aunt oversees her killer training, and her mother oversees her get a ducal spouse training, Victoria worries about that first kill; that is the vampire not a husband. She has nowehre to place the wooden stake until Eustace explains what garters are for. At her coming out party, her two worlds blend when she meets Lord Phillip de Lacey and senses a vampire that she must kill. She excuses herself from Phillip, not easy to do since she is attracted to him and him to her. She almost stakes the chief vampire executioner Maximilan Pesaro, though she makes split second mid-course correction to stake a female vampire as her first kill. Now Victoria understands the double life she must lead, as Phillip courts her while she practices to become a vampire executioner extraordinaire.

Buffy goes regency with this terrific vampire slayer historical romantic fantasy that will have readers craving more Gardella adventures. Victoria is a wonderful nineteen year old heroine, as she lacks confidence, yet at the same time believes she can do anything required of her. The storyline is filled with action that uses the activities of the Ton to set the time and place, and the trials and tribulations of the newest venator struggling to keep her two lives apart, with one being top secret (mindful of Silver Age Superman). This fun opening gamut in the Gardella saga has cross-genre appeal that fans will enjoy.