Publication Date: June 1, 2023
About the Author Michelle Griep: “I hear voices. Loud. Incessant. And very real. Which basically gives me two options: choke back massive amounts of Prozac or write fiction. I chose the latter. Way cheaper. I’ve been writing since I discovered blank wall space and Crayolas. I seek to glorify God in all that I write…except for that graffiti phase I went through as a teenager. Oops. Did I say that out loud?”
MY REVIEW
When Sir James Morgan returns from Transylvania to England, his reclusive ways and strange behaviors give rise to rumors in the village. The man must be a vampire, and the mysterious deaths of sheep and cattle with their throats slit only confirms the matter. Rosa Edwards, daughter of the village librarian, is the only one open-minded enough to reject such superstitions. She appreciates the aloof but courteous Sir James and discovers that he is a kind and misunderstood soul. She makes an arrangement with him to deliver books daily to his secluded manor house. But what exactly are the mysterious screams coming from Sir James’ house? And why can he not bear to be outside in the sunlight?
Inspired by events in Bram Stoker’s Dracula, this story explores the beauty of believing in someone against the slings and arrows of public opinion. Rosa is a determined young woman, hoping to forge a life for herself as a secretary. She dreams of providing books and education for the poor and underprivileged and of purchasing a typewriter so she can pursue her secretarial dreams. Sir James is a devoted and driven individual, seeking to find a cure for that which threatens himself and those dear to him. Torn between his duties as a son and his duties to his estate back in Transylvania, he must also battle his attraction to the feisty librarian who refuses to let his reputation and life go up in flames.
The premise of this book was interesting, and I enjoyed the Bram Stoker cameo and the tie-ins with Dracula. The Christian elements of the story were woven in well to the characters’ lives. Some of the characters were a little too over the top to be fully believable, but all in all, it was a fun homage and an intriguing Victorian adventure.
Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.
“This man was different. An odd mix of light and dark, both alluring and repellant at the same time. Instinct warned he was not a man to be trifled with. He was a general, a king, an immortal used to getting his own way. One who might not only match her strength of determination but exceed it.”
– Man of Shadow and Mist by Michelle Griep
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Rosanne E. Lortz 