A Taste of Blood Wine

Rating:
Summary: Best Vampire book ever!
Review: A Taste of Blood Wine by Freda Warrington

From the cover: "Karl von Wultendorf, though a vampire himself, is completely under the power of his maker, Kristian, who demands total servitude.

"Charlotte Neville is the daughter of a Cambridge professor. She has grown up questioning all that she sees and because of this, is seen as a wallflower by British society. She lives with her father and assists him with his experiments at their home.

"When Karl meets, and falls in love with, Charlotte, he realizes that he must find a way to kill Kristian, for Kristian has decided to teach Karl a lesson in power, by devouring Charlotte."

Shy, backward, but incredibly strong and stubborn Charlotte meets the man of her dreams. But there's a problem. Does Charlotte let the fact that her lover is a drinker of human blood sway her from his love? Not in this story. Charlotte never even blinks as she makes choices that lead to the deaths of family members and perhaps even the one closest to her. Karl never hesitates in making decisions that bring harm to Charlotte's family and danger to himself. These characters are absolutely uncompromising in their love for each other and for what they're willing to endure - and cause others to endure - to be together.

I'm not sure exactly what I find so unusual about this story. At the heart, it's a love story, perhaps not so unusual from what we've read in "vampire romances" before. And yet, it rises above almost every other vampire romance I've read, with its strong characters, uncompromising love story and perhaps in the brutalities committed against characters we've come to like. I do recommend it - highly. I eagerly await the sequels and hope they live up to the beginning of this original story.

Rating:
Summary: A great vampire love story
Review: A Taste of Blood Wine by Freda Warrington

From the cover: "Karl von Wultendorf, though a vampire himself, is completely under the power of his maker, Kristian, who demands total servitude.

"Charlotte Neville is the daughter of a Cambridge professor. She has grown up questioning all that she sees and because of this, is seen as a wallflower by British society. She lives with her father and assists him with his experiments at their home.

"When Karl meets, and falls in love with, Charlotte, he realizes that he must find a way to kill Kristian, for Kristian has decided to teach Karl a lesson in power, by devouring Charlotte."

Shy, backward, but incredibly strong and stubborn Charlotte meets the man of her dreams. But there's a problem. Does Charlotte let the fact that her lover is a drinker of human blood sway her from his love? Not in this story. Charlotte never even blinks as she makes choices that lead to the deaths of family members and perhaps even the one closest to her. Karl never hesitates in making decisions that bring harm to Charlotte's family and danger to himself. These characters are absolutely uncompromising in their love for each other and for what they're willing to endure - and cause others to endure - to be together.

I'm not sure exactly what I find so unusual about this story. At the heart, it's a love story, perhaps not so unusual from what we've read in "vampire romances" before. And yet, it rises above almost every other vampire romance I've read, with its strong characters, uncompromising love story and perhaps in the brutalities committed against characters we've come to like. I do recommend it - highly. I eagerly await the sequels and hope they live up to the beginning of this original story.

Rating:
Summary: powerful supernatural tale
Review: Five years have passed since Kristian, self proclaimed God of the vampires, allowed rebellious Karl van Wultendorf to go his own foolish way. Now he demands his subordinate return to his castle overlooking the Rhine to genuflect to his creator. Karl knows he must adhere to the summons, but remains defiant refusing to worship Kristian, as he will visit on his time not his "master's" schedule.

Karl meets with Cambridge science Professor Neville to help him study vampirism in order to eradicate Kristian. However, a distraction in terms of Neville's reticent daughter Charlotte surfaces as he and Charlotte begin to fall in love but Kristian learns of her and her family. He has a new weapon better than banishment into the cold Crystal Ring dimension for he believes he can force his disobedient rebel to kneel or watch the Neville's drained of blood one at a time with Charlotte being the ultimate pawn caught in his web.

Fans of vampire tales with a strong romantic subplot will appreciate A TASTE OF BLOOD WINE. The story line provides an exciting, but different approach to much of the mythos and that requires some worthwhile but slower pacing explanations. Kristian is quite a superego maniac, but his use of the Nevilles as cannon fodder in a chess game of life and death makes for fabulous reading especially with the dilemma confronting the hero. Charlotte is a fine protagonist especially as a hostage in the great war between two powerful supernatural creatures whose rivalry makes the species seem genuine which leads to a fine time for fans.

Harriet Klausner

Rating:
Summary: powerful supernatural tale
Review: Five years have passed since Kristian, self proclaimed God of the vampires, allowed rebellious Karl van Wultendorf to go his own foolish way. Now he demands his subordinate return to his castle overlooking the Rhine to genuflect to his creator. Karl knows he must adhere to the summons, but remains defiant refusing to worship Kristian, as he will visit on his time not his "master's" schedule.

Karl meets with Cambridge science Professor Neville to help him study vampirism in order to eradicate Kristian. However, a distraction in terms of Neville's reticent daughter Charlotte surfaces as he and Charlotte begin to fall in love but Kristian learns of her and her family. He has a new weapon better than banishment into the cold Crystal Ring dimension for he believes he can force his disobedient rebel to kneel or watch the Neville's drained of blood one at a time with Charlotte being the ultimate pawn caught in his web.

Fans of vampire tales with a strong romantic subplot will appreciate A TASTE OF BLOOD WINE. The story line provides an exciting, but different approach to much of the mythos and that requires some worthwhile but slower pacing explanations. Kristian is quite a superego maniac, but his use of the Nevilles as cannon fodder in a chess game of life and death makes for fabulous reading especially with the dilemma confronting the hero. Charlotte is a fine protagonist especially as a hostage in the great war between two powerful supernatural creatures whose rivalry makes the species seem genuine which leads to a fine time for fans.

Harriet Klausner

Rating:
Summary: You'll remember this book Forever...
Review: Freda Warrington's vampires are sensual individuals, exotic and beautiful; also terrible as their predatory natures must never be forgotten.

Here we have vampires that evolved from new age concepts; they shift through space by moving through the Crystal Ring - a reality along side our own that is linked to the astral plane and the subconscious mind. Through the ring, much like the mythical vampire that by becoming mist can enter any room; the vampires of Warrington's trilogy can not be barred from any place...in the Crystal Ring, nothing of the world is solid and stone walls are but water colours painted on air.
These vampires are not troubled by sunlight; moving about by night or day and they sleep but rarely and then only within the unreachable realm of the Crystal Ring.

Along with spectacular characters, individuals to haunt your dreams and infect your every waking day dream; Warrington supplies the most beautiful, imagery filled writing...exotic landscapes come alive, handsome features are expertly painted with words that have far reaching impact.
You'll not soon forget a Warrington vampire, vivid colours that burn into the memory and stay with you forever.

Rating:
Summary: Best Vampire book ever!
Review: I had been waiting forever for this book to be in print again. I have the 2nd and 3rd book of the series (Dance in Blood Velvet and the Dark Blood of Poppies). People who have enjoyed Anne Rice novels will love this one! In my opinion, Freda Warrington is even better. The vampire world she creates is imaginative. All the myths about vampires (eg. cannot be in the sun) are gone. This is a refreshing look at the vampire world. The central characters of Karl and Charlotte are compelling. They engage the audience and you want to know more about their relationship and how it develops. "Dance in Blood Velvet" furthers their relationship and I recommend you read that one after this excellent book!