Rises The Night: The Gardella Vampire Chronicles (Mass Market Paperback)

~ (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In Gleason's latest, she returns to the budding career of Venator Victoria Gardella, a Buffyesque vampire hunter living in an Austen-style Regency world. Having spent the last year mourning the death of her husband, slain at the hands of the vampire queen, Lilith, Victoria is desperate for revenge. Before long, she stumbles on a vampiric plot to seize Akvan's Obelisk, a powerful artifact that will grant its controller the power to command legions of the dead. In order to foil the plan, Victoria crisscrosses Europe, teaming up with a handsome stranger along the way. A fast-paced carnival ride of a book, the sophomore series entry (after The Rest Falls Away) hits the ground running without any introduction to Gleason's world; for those new to the series, this volume will probably prove confusing. Those who've read the first title, however, won't be disappointed: Victoria is a more determined, fleshed-out character, having grown wiser, sadder and more ambiguous about the morality of her mission. Her world, too, expands significantly in this adventure. A tense plot line and refreshingly diverse supporting characters complete the package, giving series fans plenty to sink their teeth into—and plenty more to look forward to. (June)
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Product Description

In Italy, a powerful vampire is amassing the power to control the souls of the dead. Lady Victoria Gardella de Lacy-a vampire slayer for just over a year-races across Europe to stop what could be the most deadly army the Gardellas have ever faced. She is accompanied by Sebastian Vioget, a man as tempting as he is untrustworthy.

But when Victoria discovers that she has been betrayed by one of her most trusted allies, the truth will challenge all her powers as a Venator-and as a woman.

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Signet (June 5, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 045122146X
• ISBN-13: 978-0451221469
• Product Dimensions: 6.6 x 4.2 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (20 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #310,528 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

• This is item 2 in The Gardella Vampire Chronicles Series.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Book 2 Is Better Than The First!!, June 9, 2007

By	Chris Howard (Metairie, LA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Prepare yourself for one of the best rides of the year with this book. Rises The Night, the second novel in Colleen Gleason's Gardella Vampire Chronicles series is phenomenal! I hate to say that I was surprised by this book, because that typically has a negative connotation. Colleen's writing was fabulous in her first book in the series, The Rest Falls Away, but with Rises The Night, her writing has improved immensely.

Everything is grander in this book. The scene is more epic, the battles are bigger, the passion is more intense, the bites are bloodier, the plots are more complex, and the emotions are heavy. This book had my heart pounding at times and Colleen goes places that you think are off limits. This book really becomes a suspense/thriller at times.

I'm hooked on this series and I'm thrilled that we're promised three more books. I'm just upset that now we have to wait until February for The Bleeding Dusk, the third installment.

Rises the Night takes place a year after the events of The Rest Falls Away. An ancient evil has been discovered and brings our heroine to the city of Rome in the early 19th century where she once again must use her skills as a Venator, a vampire killer, to protect humanity. Sebastian fans will be pleased with this book as he gets much more time in the pages of this book.

As I said before about The Rest Falls Away, Rises the Night is one of the best books I've read this year. So much fun and a ride that anyone can enjoy. I'm hooked on this series and don't want to see it end any time soon. Colleen Gleason is a fresh voice in the horror genre (I'd rather call it horror than paranormal romance as a guy ;) and one that I look forward to reading for a long time to come. Extremely well written, always surprising, heart stopping at times, and always suspenseful. Give me more!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Stunning, superb, sophisticated, August 5, 2008

By	Jennifer Black (Wyoming) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Rises the Night
Colleen Gleason
2007

In this, the second volume of "The Gardella Vampire Chronicles", author Colleen Gleason seamlessly continues her poetically elegant tale -- any (oft-suggested) shades of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" are soon forgotten in her Venators -- slayers -- these books are utter class and sophistication.

A year has passed since the death of Victoria's husband, and while she continues to grieve, there is a new undercurrent forming in the waters of vampire society: Victoria's mourning will have to be set aside in favor of combating a rising new evil. Nedas, son of Lilith, the vampire queen met in "The Rest Falls Away", begins an ambitious scheme to gain immeasurable power -- and perhaps even more damagingly, sets old friendships and loyalties astray.

Aside from her unusually deep, thoughtful heroine, Gleason offers readers a plethora of interesting, compelling supporting characters. The long-standing relationship between Victoria's trainer, Kritanu and her aunt Eustacia is one of the most touching and interesting I've come across in my readings. And while I was very much endeared to Victoria's husband of the first book, Phillip, I would also like to mention that the transition to the Venator's new romance, Sebastian Vioget (which was more than foreshadowed in "The Rest Falls Away") is one of the most natural I've read.

Yet another stunning book from an outstanding author. Utterly superb.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great entry in the Gardella Chronicles, March 5, 2008

By	Zeek "Book Lover" (Lancaster, PA USA) - See all my reviews

Colleen Gleason's series, The Gardella Vampire Chronicles, is not your average paranormal romance. It's heavier on the paranormal rather than the romance and is multi-layered, textured, and a cut above the pack. Her stories are so much more then girl meets vamp, vamp bites girl, struggle ensues (i love him, but I shouldn't), vamp saves girl from outside evil and they all live happily ever after.

The big thing, and the thing that might drive average paranormal romance readers crazy in this series, is that each book will not necessarily tie up with a happily ever after. In fact, more likely than not, a story arch is continuing throughout the entire series and a reader finds they'll have to wait to get a little romance, if that's what they're looking for.

That isn't to say that romance, and even a bit of sex, isn't there, but it isn't a necessity. No, these stories rely on the art of the storytelling.

In the end, it's my gut feeling that if these books were marketed a bit different, they might find the audience it justly deserve.

But then again, I could be wrong on that, because despite the art of the storytelling and the excellent world building I find in her books, it's the romance (or hope of it!) that keeps me coming back.

Rises the Night is the second in Colleen Gleason's Gardella series. In the first, The Rest Falls Away, Victoria has just discovered she is the next in a long line of vampire slayers, Venators in Gleason's world. She's young, practically baby faced in her immaturity. By the end of the first book however, things are taking a turn. She, with the help of those around her, have defeated Lilith the evil Vamp queen, and, Victoria has lost a husband in the fray. (See, she thought she could have love and keep her job separate. Wrong, wrong, wrong Victoria!)

In Rises the night, Victoria emerges from her year of mourning, better, stronger faster. She wears the pants now, literally, and can hold her own in the martial arts. She's on the trail of some Vamps and the loyal group who protect them called the Tutela. A trail that leads her, her beloved Aunt- ex venator Eustacia-, her servants and, of all people, Sebastian- the ambiguous man who once seduced Victoria in a carriage only to promptly ditch her when she needed him most, straight to the foot of Rome where prophecy has it, the golden age of the Venators will end.

But first, they discover the Tutela are up to something. It seems Lilith's son, Nedas, is after an object, an object that would create a zombie-like army that he can control. Once in Rome, Victoria finds she must place herself in the heart of the dark Tutela to get close to Nedas so that she can stop him. But she quickly learns the danger is far greater than she assumed- for both her and her loved ones- and that someone she once trusted is there, already in the middle of them.

In Gleason's world, the Vamps are not the sexy heroes. They are the bad guys, (as well they should be!) Spawned by Judas the betrayer, they are dark, malicious, twisted and not the least bit of a turn on. I like this. I like when I can hate a bad guy because they're, well, bad. I don't like having to admire a bad guy's certain qualities because there's something charming about him. I can hate them. And I do indeed loathe the vamps in Rises the Night.

Another favorite part of Rises the Night, besides seeing Victoria's growth, is MAX! Max, my sexy, venator-by-choice, Max! The book really didn't start for me until he showed up. And the ending?? What a nail-biter! Max, it would seem, can't decide which side he's on, much like Sebastian, but one of them is not what he seems and other is exactly who his character has proven him to be- at least to us, the readers, if not to Victoria!

4.5 out of 5 from me! Another triumph for Colleen Gleason!