Customer Reviews

The Companion (The Companion Series)

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Ms. Squires' latest book was a page turner in many ways. Readers should be prepared for the slow build up in the romance section of this read. Although this is billed as a "romance" I must say that I felt that this was more of a paranormal read with romantic overtones. Still Ms. Squire has taken the "vampire myth" and worked it in such a way that this story was fresh, fast-paced, and very dramatic. Ian and Beth our lead characters are strong, but sympathetic and as a result the relationship that develops between them is not only believable but this reader quickly turned the pages hoping that these two very different but deserving people found love.

Ian was taken as a slave by the Barbary pirates sailing along the coast of Africa. Soon he is sold to a master that is cruel, and his servitude is marked by harsh punishment and a grueling trek through the desert in search of something that is beyond him. When they finally come to their destination amidst the sandy landscape of the North African desert he realizes that evil is not just his master Asharti a woman that is a creature of the night and that this place is the home of evil beyond his wildest nightmare. Just when he thinks his suffering is at an end one simple but crucial mistake changes Ian for the rest of his life. Now he has become that which he has despised and fought against. On his way back home to England he is about to meet his match. Where he only sees darkness a nature and sweet light has formed. But will Ian realize that even he deserves the one thing he never thought to have which is love and acceptance?

Beth has lived her life in the desert. One quirk of fate changes all that. Her father has been killed in a tragic accident and now she finds that she must return to England and assume the ways of the genteel. She is a scholar, a blue stocking and this is the last thing that she wants. One board the ship that will take her to her destiny she meets a very unusual but handsome man that seems to be different. His explanations all seem possible but...it's not until she follows him one night in Spain that her questions are finally answered. Or at least a few are answered...more take their place, and she finds that no matter how hard she tries to be afraid of Ian...she still finds herself drawn to him. Do they even have half a chance at being happy?

Ian and Beth were such complex characters and as a result they took control of the story and told their own tale. We are told of Ian's past through flashbacks, and this was a very effective way of "catching" the reader up with what had gone on before without slowing down the pace of the story. Ms. Squires has penned a very sensual read that will take readers from Dark Africa to Spain, England, and than back to Africa again for the amazing finish. I highly recommend this read if you are a fan of the paranormal genre or if the sensual vampire is your choice of danger.

This is my first book by Susan Squires and I enjoyed it very much. But I have to say that, though it is catagorized as a "romance", I think the little red sticker on the cover of my copy is more accurate and it reads "A Regency Vampire Novel". Yes there is a romance in the book but this is first and foremost a vampire novel, so those looking primarily for romance may be disappointed.

Ian Rufford was traveling to North Africa to take up his new diplomatic post when the ship he was traveling on was attacked by pirates. He was sold into slavery and has spent the last two years in a living hell. He escaped his captors and has determined never again to be enslaved that way and to return to England. But something happened to Ian in the desert that he does not fully understand. His eyes and skin are extremely sensitive to sunlight and he, most shamefully, craves human blood. He hopes an English doctor will be able to cure him and help him return to a normal life. While sailing home he encounters a very unconventional young woman whose curiosity and intelligence attracts him. But he cannot let her close to him for fear that she will discover his true nature - and be sickened by it.

Elizabeth Rochewell is, unfortunately, returning to England upon the death of her father. She dreads returning as she has never fit in there. She inherited her long dead Egyptian mother's coloring and, after ten years spent with her father on archeological expeditions, she's nowhere near refined. All she wants is to remain in her beloved Africa to continue her father's work - epecially his search for the lost city of Kivala. On the journey home she meets Ian a gentleman who seems to be full of pain and secrets. She is determined to understand her "mystery" and engages him in conversation and nightly games of chess. As their acquaintance deepens she discovers his secret. That he is a vampire and, most intriguingly that he knows something of Kivala that he refuses to share with her. What happened to him in the desert to leave such deep scars - both physical and emotional?

What happened to Ian is told through flashback and is not for the faint of heart. He was used most cruelly by a very strong female vampire named Asharti. Ian is ashamed of what she did to him, what she made him do and, perhaps most of all, ashamed of his lingering fear of her. His emotional turmoil is strong and deeply touching. Beth shocks him with her acceptance of what he is and her longing to help him but he keeps her at arm's length, reluctant to taint her with his ugliness. But when Asharti begins to cause both vampires and humans real concern with her violent actions, Ian must enlist Beth's help to try and put this evil to rest for good. You'll hope that they succeed!

This is most definitely a dark read with passages that some may find disturbing - again I say, not for the faint of heart. If you cannot bear to have the hero having (rather graphic) sex with someone other than the heroine, even in flashbacks, this is likely not for you. This is also a quite violent book as well. Her spin on the vampire legend is also quite fascinating in more than one aspect. I found the pace a little on the slow side, especially as the flashback passages grew longer. And as previously stated, while there is definitely affection, friendship and fascination for one another, the romance was quite understated. This book is primarily Ian's story with Beth a bit more of a supporting player in my view. Still, all in all, this is a very good read if you like vampire tales. And it looks as though we may not have seen the last of Asharti as there will be a follow-up book about fellow vampire Beatrix Lisse, The Hunger, coming in October 2005.

Finding love in England during the 1800s was not an easy task when marriages were arranged based on status, money and bloodlines. However, for Elizabeth Rochewell and Ian Rufford, this task was doubly hard because the blood that flowed through their bodies made them outcasts in their society. In Susan Squires' THE COMPANION, this couple defies the odds and finds an everlasting love that neither time nor death could destroy.

Elizabeth is a young woman whose mother was Egyptian and her father an Englishman. The combination of the two made Elizabeth a striking beauty with brown skin and golden green eyes. It is this physical difference, along with her strong personality and her father's intellect, that sets her apart from her female counterparts. So it is no wonder she follows her father on his archeological expeditions in Africa. While on an expedition, her father dies unexpectedly, and Elizabeth is forced to return to England. While on the long merchant ship voyage, she befriends the mysterious Ian Rufford. What she discovers about her new friend should have sent her screaming to the hills; instead, it enables her to understand the brooding man and recognize his pain and the reason behind his dark moods. Even when they return to England and go their separate ways, she cannot keep her mind off the strong man whose secret she keeps, and her heart cannot deny her strong feelings for him.

Ian Rufford feels he has contracted a disease that has made him sensitive to sunlight, stronger than the average man and makes him crave human blood. He knows when and how he contracted this so called "disease" and wishes beyond all reason he could forget, but he cannot. He travels to England to find a cure, only to discover he is a vampire. For Ian, it is a curse that he must live with for eternity. The only bright light for Ian is Elizabeth with her beauty and intellect. However, he must convince himself that she would desire a vampire. When the evil vampire who made him creates havoc in a quest to control the world, Ian must trust in Elizabeth and her skills to help him decipher the code that will stop this vampire and save the free world.

Vampires, blood and sensuality are an unusual combination for a romance. In this paranormal romance, a man has been turned into a vampire against his will, and he falls in love with a young, spirited and exotic English female. However, the strength of both characters shines through as they sacrifice their lives for a love that will be everlasting. The author brought the characters to life by giving sensory descriptions that allowed readers to fully visualize them. The period depictions also allowed readers into English life during the 1800s and the hot sands of the African desert. The use of flashbacks gave depth to Ian's character so readers could understand his struggle and why his soul was so tortured. The chemistry of the characters kept the sensuality on a heightened level as well. What really kept this story moving was the build up to the confrontation with Ian and the vampire who created him. Even though romance was involved, the paranormal suspense enhanced this wonderful read.

Reviewed by Cashana Seals
of The RAWSISTAZ™ Reviewers

Squire's THE COMPANION takes a familiar theme - the handsome and tortured vampire longing to escape his curse - and remakes it with a blend of exquisite historical detail and deft characterization. Beth is a strong, intelligent character - no ignorant ingenue here. And Ian is a beautifully damaged superman. He is essentially a rape victim, not something one often sees in Alpha Male heroes, yet Squire pulls it off. Tortured as he is, however, he never whines. This is a wonderful book, and I'm recommending it to everyone with a taste for things that go bite in the night.

This was one of the best books I have ever read.
For once we have a female character, Beth, that is real and not so beauitful that men fall at her feet. She is a regular woman with great intelligence. Ian is a tortured man who befriends Beth and together they start a trusting true friendship. No love at first sight. They're love grows.
The emotions are so real that you hurt for Ian and are in awe of Beth's compassion.
This is a story about loyality,trust and acceptance.
I highly recommend this book.

I read the series out of order and started with "The Hunger." If you haven't read this book yet, I recommend reading "The Hunger" first. I enjoyed both books, but "The Companion" (first book to be written) is set several years after "The Hunger." I enjoyed the writing style, characters, and setting in both books. While the book isn't really a cliff-hanger, she's set it up to continue the story, and I'm looking forward to finding out what happens next.

Ian Rufford is a man to make any woman take notice, and this has brought him his greatest curse and will soon bring him great joy. After barely escaping a slavery so cruel that it is unimaginable, he has been changed into something beyond human, certainly not a man that should even think of a woman like Beth Rochewell. Yet, he is the exact man she needs when her father's death uproots her life, sending her back to the proper world of London and its restrictive rules. On the boat that takes them from Egypt to England, these two lost souls meet, and she learns of his vampirism. That makes her an ally and liability. Forced to stay close to her, Ian reluctantly drags her into the darkness with him to battle an ancient evil and to fight for his own soul.

**** Complex characters people this detailed world that has been wrought in the Companion. Running throughout is a theme of redemption and the struggle to be free. The old standards of vampire romance are reshaped, making the familiar fresh and new. ****

There seems to be a trend lately amongst the writers to find their nitch in the ever popular paranormal field, specifically with blood sucking being tales, be they vampire, upyr, werewolf, etc. Some have an amusing humor aspect, or the `to die for' romantic hero, and then are those with `bite' and that is where THE COMPANION lies.

Ian Rufford as a younger son on his way to a career in the diplomatic services had the misfortune of having been captured by pirates, sold as a slave to an evil being whose delight in subjugation, depravation, and torture was beyond human comprehension. For two years, he'd endured all the while praying for death. Abandoned in the desert he was later rescued and would soon come to the realization that within him he carried a parasite he would later come to know as "The Companion"

Elizabeth Rochewell's home was Africa. Born of an Egyptian mother and her beloved English archeologist father, the Dark Continent was her home. With her looks, she didn't quite fit into either society; too dark for England; too light for the Egyptians. After the untimely death of her father, she found herself on board ship reluctantly heading for her only surviving relative in England. With little to amuse herself on the voyage home, she found herself drawn to another passenger, the mysterious Ian Rufford who seemed to awaken and excite feelings that disturbed her.

After a fierce sea battle Elizabeth would make a startling discovery about the stranger that defied all logic. Yet, beyond all reason she would see past, what would have sent most rational young women running in terror, to the soul of the man, and she would link her destiny to his as they battled together an evil bent on destroying the world.

*** After reading diverse reactions to this novel I read it with an open mind. While some portions of the book may not be to everyone's taste, (it can be grisly and contains some very explicit sexual degradations) I found the writing itself to be brilliant. The characters of Ian and Beth were fully fleshed out. In flashbacks, you learn of Ian's background, his rape and depravation at the hands of Asharti. Elizabeth was remarkably drawn with intelligence, compassion, and a strength of character that was totally refreshing and unique. Though one could say it lacked a truly romantic feel the author built a progressive relationship from trust, respect, and admiration that ultimately turned it into a beautiful story of love. For me a totally satisfying book from an author I've put on my watch list and intend to backlist as well!

A second son loses all only to recover it under the most astounding circumstances.
An only daughter loses her independence to cruel fate only to have it restored through an allegiance.

Ian Rufford's ship was captured by pirates. He was sold into slavery to a strange woman with vile tastes. Taken in a dwindling caravan to the forbidden city of lore, Kivala. Tortured and plagued by his captor, he never expected to pay for her abuse for all eternity. However, that is exactly what happens. He feels he contracts a strange disease from a drop of her blood exchanged.

Elizabeth Rochwell is beautiful (though not in her eyes), intelligent and the rock of her father's explorations. However, he dies leaving her alone and broke. She has to seek her aunt's kindness and hope for a suitable match or arrangement. A horrid bargain for existence. She wants only to continue her historical research and her discoveries as she had with her father.

The two meet on a ship heading back to England, Ian infected and Elizabeth alone. They share chess games, learning of each other's intelligence and passion. She does not reject him for the man he's become, rather is intrigued by his illness. They share in discovery until she is returned to England. Once there, in a series of events (I hate spoilers) the two strike a bargain. Elizabeth can have her independence and Ian can protect the world.

Squires does a fantastic job of taking an old tale of vampirism and she spins it into a new and fresh tale with characters who intrigue and captivate as well as in their own unique mannerisms teach a bit about human nature, about the good and the bad and how easily the line between the two can become blurred. If you are into vampires, ancient history and stories of redemption, this is a must have for you. A little heavy at times on detail, however for a reader like me it only enriched the tale, but be aware and allow for total immersion for optimum enjoyment.

I just finished "The Companion" in record time. Unforgettable characters and exotic locales made it a compelling read. Unfortunately it had to end. I hope there's another one coming. I'd love to know how Ian and Beth handle their "Companion".