A Taste of Blood Wine

England, 1920s. Charlotte is an intellectual young woman who would rather spend her time in a science laboratory than at a party. She is often perceived as timid and reserved but when she meets the vampire Karl, her true personality, someone who is strong-willed and passionate, emerges. Charlotte and Karl fall in love but their romance is complicated by many factors, including the interference of Karl's maker and master, Kristian, who is determined to control Karl by whatever diabolical means necessary.

A Taste of Blood Wine captures all the elements of Victorian fin de siècle Gothic literature - romance, melodrama, supernatural activity, moral dilemmas, dreary weather, decrepit mansions, insanity, scientific curiosity. The writing style is similar to this type of literature as well - horrifying but not grotesque, erotic but not explicit.

It is a remarkable work with much more in common with Interview with the Vampire than Twilight. This a strongly crafted literary book with intelligent vocabulary, excellent character development, and a well-balanced mixture of philosophical musing and dramatic action. Perhaps what impressed me most is that the author created an entirely new vampire mythos. Because none of the familiar vampiric rules apply, the reader is unable to conjecture how the story will unfold and is therefore kept in a constant state of heightened anticipation.

A Taste of Blood Wine enthralled and enchanted me and I look forward to reading the rest of the series - A Dance in Blood Velvet (reissued October 2013) and The Dark Blood of Poppies (expected to be reissued May 2014). The author is also writing a new book in the series - The Dark Arts of Blood - which is scheduled to be published October 2014.