Fledgling

by Berni Stevens

For three hundred years William James Austen has lived a life of wealth and privilege. His Machiavellian lifestyle gets him what he wants. And what he wants now is the beautiful dancer, Elinor Jane Wakefield. But this vampire needs more than a taste of her blood, he needs her love. Ellie's life is tragically altered, but nothing could prepare her for the terrifying knowledge that to save her, Will had to kill her. A fledgling vampire must learn to survive, yet she has no taste for blood and she can't trust the one man who can help her. The one man beginning to break down her defenses. The one man she refuses to love. To complicate matters, a lover from Will's past arrives in London out for more than blood...she wants revenge.

364 pages, Paperback

Published January 1, 2011

About the author

By day I design book covers for some of the biggest publishers in the UK . . . but once the sun sets I write paranormal romance and horror.

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Revenge is Sweet –the sequel to Dance Until Dawn – was published as an eBook on 12 July 2016. I am very excited to bring you more of Will's and Ellie's story.

Find out what Ellie discovers in an upstairs room of Will's house. Something that makes her question the relationship with the man she loves. And who dares break Will's rules in an effort to expose his cherished and secret community to the humans?

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I'm currently writing the third book in the series, which features a werewolf in love with a beautiful rock singer. How can he tell her his darkest secret?
And what could possibly go wrong?

Reviews

[Kristin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book. It had a more realistic vibe to it (as realistic as a vamp book can be). I say this because of Ellie, and the way she took being turned into a fledgling. She was in complete denial, even when there was proof, she still fought it until she couldn't anymore. It made me like her and respect the book even more. In most novels, something supernatural happens and the main character just goes with the flow. Not Ellie, she fought it, and her handsome “Capturer”, Will.

I also loved the relationship between Ellie and Will. She refused to give in to him and his striking good looks. I loved her Stubborness. It, also, made the story more believable.

Overall, a great read, I felt that some parts were slightly lacking in action, and in some parts a bit slow, but I still really enjoyed the book. Even still, I found myself immersed in the book and the writing. Her writing style could be read like poetry, in parts, and her descriptions very vivid. I found myself laughing and emotional when the times were presented. I will definitely read more that Stevens writes in the future.

[BestChickLit.com · Rating 5 out of 5]

Whilst many loved the Twilight Saga (myself included), YA vampire books have seemed to dominate the market ever since its release. Until now. Thanks to Berni Stevens, there’s a new alpha vamp read in town that has the potential to restore reader’s faith in the genre. Fledgling does away with the overindulged teenage, puberty-induced consternation, leaving the reader with a mature supernatural storyline that is both entertaining and totally satisfying.

It is so refreshing to not have the story revolve around the will they, won’t they be turned drama. Instead, Fledgling dives straight into the vampire action and concentrates on the more important things, such as Will and Ellie’s relationship. The chemistry between the two is sizzling, especially since Ellie’s character is so headstrong, and the insight into Will’s feelings through his journal entries is a great touch. Tension builds slowly as London is taken over by unwelcome visitors, giving the reader a feeling of foreboding, while Ellie occasionally relieves this seriousness with her quick one liners – my favourite being: “She’s born a grudge for nearly two hundred years?” I asked. “She must be a Scorpio.” Great read that doesn’t disappoint.

Review by Charlotte Foreman on behalf of BestChickLit.com

[Wendy]

This is essentially a love story - set in surroundings of Gothic splendour and peopled by creatures of the night, it is darker than your average love story and, at times, brutal even. Enter Will: the brooding, masterful, Heathcliff-type hero. Enter Ellie: the tragic, bewildered, beautiful heroine who finds herself trapped in circumstances beyond her comprehension. As Ellie struggles to come to terms with the horror of her situation, she is surprised to find herself falling prey to an unexpected emotion - love in its rawest and most powerful form, made all the more surprising by the fact that Ellie is no longer in the land of the living. This makes for a compelling read and a sequel must surely follow.

[Elle Beauregard · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a fun, interesting take on the modern-day vampire. A quick, good-times read that takes itself neither too seriously, nor too lightly.