Customer Reviews

Rises the Night (Gardella Vampire Chronicles Book 2)

5 star:		(16)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

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!

The only problem I had with the first book in the series is that the action was a little slower, due to needing to develop the characters, and let Victoria learn to be the vampire hunter that she was destined to be. Well, that problem is completely gone with Book 2.

The story picked up after a year of mourning for Victoria, where all the vampires had pulled out of London following the fight at the end of Book 1. After Victoria starts to return to her hunting rounds, finds a vampire and demon at the former Silver Chalice run by Sebastian, and upon dispensing them, discovers a little disc of some kind. The adventure ensues with travels to Italy and the uncovering of a new plot to unleash evil onto the world.

Victoria and her cast of supporting characters returns to help her out.

Book 2 is filled with suspense, lots of action of the fighting kind ... and a little of the romantic kind as well. If you were iffy about the first in the series, you may want to pick this one up to see if it can enthrall you as much as it did me. It's a definite keeper.

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.

One year after the battle with Lilith, Queen of the Vampires, Victoria is finally getting her life as a Venator back to normal. Or as normal as a Ventator's life can be. But when Lilith left London, it seems that she took all the vampires with her. But Victoria still keeps up her patrols. It was the only thing that kept her feeling alive. One night, she decided to go see the remnants of the Silver Chalice. And ran smack dab into a vampire AND a demon. After the dust clears on the ensuing battle, Victoria finds a small pendant with a strange design.

After some research, it is discovered the design is the new insignia for the Tutela, a group of mortals that protect vampires. Victoria also learns that Max has been missing for almost 8 months! And now, Nedes, Lilith's son, has in his position an ancient object that can wake the dead. If he succeeds in activating it, all hell will break loose....literally! So, it is up to Victoria to infiltrate the Tutela, find Max, and save the world...again!

From London to Italy, this book is almost non-stop action. We learn more about the shady, but extremely sexy Sebastian. In fact, we learn more about most of the main characters in this book. Colleen Gleason has taken it up a notch with the darkness of this book, and gives us a wild ride! There are more twists and unexpected turns than in Book 1, and by the end, I was blown away! This book is truly original, exciting, and deeply sexy. I for one, can not wait until the release of Book 3!!

When I first bought "The Rest Falls Away" I was reluctant to start the novel. Truthfully, I only picked it because there was a comment by J.R. Ward on the cover. Even when I started the novel I was reluctant. But suddenly I was completely hooked to where I couldn't put it down! I went through the same thing with "Rises the Night". Again I was reluctant, but for different reasons. I was emotionally exhausted after TRFA and I was worried something would happen to a character that I had grown to care for. But on the flip side I wanted to read more about Sebastian. Yummy! So I dove into RTN and I was once again stuck on a rollercoaster that I wished would never end! The novel was heart pounding and riveting! I loved it! But I hope Ms. Gleason is not going to make a habit of offing characters in every book. I was heartbroken...again after RTN but I would still re-read the story again and again. This series will definitely remain on my keeper shelf and I'm looking forward to "The Bleeding Dusk". Thank you Ms. Gleason for your wonderful novels.

I must agree with other reviewers, the second book of the Gardella Vampire Chronicles is better than first. Ms. Gleason has really fleshed out Victoria's character and her relationships between Sebastian and Max. I love her twist of Regency period vampire hunting, I wouldn't have thought it could work, but it's written to entertain and keep you on your toes with all the action. Some of the Buffy-esque vampire characteristics is a bit hokey, but overall a great story, I can't wait to read book 3!

The Gardella Vampire Chronicles, set in 19th Century London is the story of Victoria Gardella Grantworth. There are two sides to her (1) the society debutante who progressed through the formal courtships, endless balls and parties; the one who fell in love and married Phillip de Lacy, Marquess of Rockley. The other side of Victoria, the Venator side, is assisted by the mysterious Sebastian Vioget with the latest threat. Maximilian Pesaro the seeming cold and distant Venator seemed to have moved on and taking a different path - his storyline is outstanding.

Victoria no longer wants to have it all - she doesn't care about fulfilling her duties in society by pursuing another marriage nor does she care to have an heir.

This book was exceptional. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. Best thing I have read this year. I do recommend that you start with the first book in the series, The Rest Falls Away: The Gardella Vampire Chronicles. I would go ahead and grab the whole series - 2 chapters into this book and I made the trip to the bookstore because I didn't want to wait.

Being tormented seems to be requirement of a Venator. Only a month after her beloved husband's death, Victoria nearly kills a would be human rapist. Stopped only by the sight of blood on her hands, she decides to take a much needed break from vampire hunting. A year later Max missing, and the vampires are amassing again. Victoria travels to Italy to discover what is going on.

This one is full of intrigue and secrets. Luckily, most of the secrets come to light at the end and Gleason refrains from the route many authors take in keeping the secrets in hopes of getting the readers to read the next installment. I much rather my books contain a complete plot (with resolution). This is definitely a Sebastian book. He slips in and out of the plot in the most unusual places. Never fear, he still attempts his utmost best to seduce Victoria (he doesn't have to try very hard, mind you.) Even though Max is discussed, he doesn't make an appearance until the near the very end. Although, we he has done, sacrificed, and accomplished is startling and sad.

I'm looking forward with much anticipation for the next book in this series!

The plot is full of twists and turns; Max not being himself; things go horribly wrong and tragic. Yes, readers can expect an intense story in the second book of the Gardella Vampire Chronicles series. RISES THE NIGHT takes things up several notches after Max disappears for about a year and is discovered to have 'switched sides'; and Lilith's vampire son, Nedas comes into the picture where he is about to do something irreversibly destructive using the Akvan's Obelisk, a device once activated will give any vampire or demon the capability to call upon and control the souls of the dead. All hell is about to break loose in Rome, Italy.

Both Sebastian and Max hold secrets to their identity--past and present. I must say I was quite mad with Sebastian for his penchant to leave Victoria dangling mid-air each time in their romantic interlude. That guy is truly addled but still, I cannot help liking him. Although Sebastian is everywhere in this story (it seems that he has the innate ability to appear before Victoria at the best of times), it is Max that I kept thinking about. I wonder what happened to him. Why did he go on a hiatus? Most alarming of all, why is he doing what Victoria saw him doing?

Victoria must learn to accept that being a Venator means more than her own feelings and needs, and sacrifices must be made for the greater good. Her aunt Eustacia and Max--two of world's most powerful Venators--demonstrated that. In RISES THE NIGHT, Colleen Gleason gives us a satisfying read that is full of suspense, violence, and a tinge of romance. I wanted more so I'd gladly move on to the third book in the series, THE BLEEDING DUSK.

After the first book in the series, I couldn't get my hands on this one fast enough. And it didn't disappoint. It was less a romance novel than the first, darker and a little more disturbing. We get to see our heroine in a less-than-flattering light, and I think it makes her a better character. She struggles with her inner demons, and while she doesn't always do the smartest thing, or perhaps the right thing, you can see how and why she comes to those decisions. Her heart, at least, is in the right place, though occasionally you might question whether her brain is...

We also learn a lot more about some of the other characters in the story. Bit by bit, things about them are revealed - not all of them good. There's a bit of mystery, a lot of action, and a smidgeon of... not exactly romance, more like lust. But not graphic and tawdry, more... realistic in a way. Animal attraction, not love, at first sight!

This book, like the first in the series, suffers from the clichés of the paranormal and the occasionally annoyances associated with it, but the depth of the characters and the strength of the story more than makes up for it. Because this one moves more firmly out of the `romance' genre, I'm going to give it the five stars I didn't give the first and recommend it to anyone who likes vampire stories, whether or not you're a romance fan. I think you'd be pleasantly surprised.