"Second in Regency Vampires"

Susan Squires has a new vampire trilogy going for St. Martins. The first, THE COMPANION, was a knock out of a story that took you into sweeping locales and into the dark realm of the vampire. The second book in the series is out now, THE HUNGER, and she continues to the dark and oft gory vamp tales with all the power of the first.

In the late Regency era, Beatrix Lisse has spent years atoning for her sins -- literally six hundred of them. She is a vampire. Still, even though the centuries pass there is one man who stays in her heart and mind, a man she loved ages ago. However, when she crosses paths with John Staunton, the Earl of Langley, she is moved by him. John is a rake of the highest order, a notorious rogue. Or so he wants people to believe. Beatrix surrenders to the passion provoked within her, but she holds tight to her secrets of being a vampire. When John abandons her, she learns he was also holding a secret close to his chest.

John is a spy for England, with a mission to find who is behind the sudden shift in power within the French government. John is drawn to Beatrix, seeing an innocence within her that pulls him, yet he knows he cannot keep her close or he would be risking her life. Soon he learns dark secrets about his love and that her centuries old rival, Asharti, is the one he seeks and she means to see both John and Beatrix destroyed. John and Beatrix must unite to defeat Asharti as the madness of the French horrors increases about them.

It's beautifully researched. Squires brings the period to life. Be warned this is a very dark tale, so people wanting kinder gentler vamps need to know going in this is a very violent tale at times. People familiar with Squires previous writings in Historicals and Vamps knows she won't pull punches. Also, the focus is not really the romance, but the story. It's a vivid, passionate tale which is sure to please her fans and those readers looking for a stronger vampire tale, in the flavour of Anne Rice.

Highly recommended for those wanting a dark, dark vamp tale that leaves you eager for book three in the series.

Reviewed by DeborahAnne MacGillivray
Posted October 20, 2005

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Summary

Discover a realm where anything is possible. Where peril and passion collide. Where a woman is tempted by a man she wants but can never have. A man she could destroy with just one kiss. Discover THE HUNGER...

Beatrix Lisse, Countess of Lente, is the toast of London and the most fascinating woman in Europe. She has been fascinating men for a thousand years, for Beatrix was born vampire. Over the years, she has tried everything to fill her life with interest or purpose: social and spiritual causes, creating and collecting priceless art, controlling empires through her consorts. She has sipped from countless strong male throats, and indulged in passionate sexual affairs. But she has never let herself truly love another. Now she is bored, jaded, and ultimately weary. There is nothing she desires. . .

John Staunton, Earl of Langley, has the reputation of being the most debauched man in England. What no one knows is that Langley is cultivating his worthless reputation in order to conceal his real activities as a volunteer spy for his government. Over the years he's been very successful, but killing and deceit has become a trap. His life is missing some vital spark.

Beatrix and John are attracted to each other in London, and they can see through each others' deceptions. But when they discover each others' true secrets, and when Beatrix accidentally contaminates John's blood, turning him into a vampire, they must overcome past scars and fears to defeat Asharti. And, together, they must find new purpose for their lives and an eternity together.