This is a contemporary take on the Dracula tale. Back in time, a pair of young lovers are forced to part in tragic circumstances, with the girl on the receiving end of cruel vengeance. Embittered, the girl's lover renounces the Church to which he'd formerly belonged and tries to take refuge in the religious beliefs of the tribe of his dead, lost love. He apprentices himself to the shaman of the girl's native American tribe and finds himself joining the ranks of the night walkers, undead people who live on the blood of the living and hide themselves from the sun's face during the day. He waits through time and various guises for the rebirth of the one he has lost.
In the present day, Calisto recognises in beautiful Kate the girl he once loved, reborn. She has been seeing his face in dreams for years and eventually comes to understand their connection. However, the joy in their reunion gives way to a dread of the future. Their lifestyles are incompatible. She will age, he will not. She is a creature of the day and he of the night. How will this relationship work out in the long term?
The enemies of the past are still pursuing the lovers in the present. As Calisto senses the danger to Kate, he is faced with the agonizing prospect of losing her once again. The time has come to make difficult decisions.
An intense, well written and insightful story, it showed the night walker as a compassionate person, more sinned against than sinning. The love scenes were romantic, but the story turned rather violent at times. The enemy of the lovers, a violent and sadistic man, ensured sex scenes of quite a violent nature too. There was some interesting historical detail about the relationship of Christian missionaries from Europe with their flock in the New World. On the whole, a very readable and interesting novel.
Four out of five stars.
You can get your copy here, or if you are in the UK, here.
