I cacciatori di vampiri: La saga completa dei Gardella

The Gardella Vampire Hunters #1

by Colleen Gleason, Alessandro Pilo (Translator), Gianni Pilo (Translator)

5 libri in 1

Cacciatori di vampiri • La condanna del vampiro • La rivolta dei vampiri • Il crepuscolo dei vampiri • Il bacio del vampiro

In un unico volume, tutti gli episodi di una saga tenebrosa, sexy e avvincente che ha conquistato il cuore di milioni di lettori in tutto il mondo

Da generazioni i Gardella sono cacciatori di vampiri: al compimento della maggiore età i discendenti sono chiamati ad accettare il destino della famiglia. Questa volta la prescelta è Victoria. Mentre la sua vita scorre tra sontuose sale da ballo e vicoli solitari illuminati dalla luna, il suo cuore è diviso tra il più ambito scapolo di Londra, il marchese di Rockley, e il suo enigmatico alleato, Sebastian Vioget. Ma quando si ritroverà faccia a faccia con il più potente vampiro mai esistito, Victoria dovrà compiere la scelta estrema tra amore e dovere…
È solo la prima delle tante sfide che attendono la coraggiosa cacciatrice di vampiri, in una straordinaria, eccitante serie che ha appassionato milioni di lettori. Cacciatori di vampiri, La condanna del vampiro, La rivolta dei vampiri, Il crepuscolo dei vampiri e Il bacio del vampiro: in un unico volume tutte le avventure della saga dei Gardella, un’avvincente storia di sangue, amore e morte, tra gli splendori e le ombre dell’Europa di inizio Ottocento.


Colleen Gleason

scrive per passione sin da quando era bambina. È sposata e ha tre figli. Dall’idea di ambientare nell’Inghilterra di inizio Ottocento le storie di un’eroina ammazzavampiri come Buffy (la protagonista della serie TV preferita da Colleen) è nata la saga dei Gardella: Cacciatori di vampiri, La condanna del vampiro, La rivolta dei vampiri, Il crepuscolo dei vampiri e Il bacio del vampiro. Con lo pseudonimo di Joss Ware ha scritto la saga I diari delle tenebre, anch’essa pubblicata da Newton Compton.

Genres: Vampires, Paranormal, Fantasy, Romance, Paranormal Romance, Historical, Urban Fantasy

1073 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 2, 2007

About the author

Award-winning, NEW YORK TIMES and USA Today bestselling author Colleen Gleason (who also writes as Colleen Cambridge) has written more than fifty novels in a variety of genres…but always feature smart, strong women determined to right wrongs and get shit done.

Colleen lives in the Midwest United States where she is fortunate enough to be working on her next book.

She loves to hear from readers via her website, Facebook, or GoodReads.

Reviews

[Ben Alderson · Rating 4 out of 5]

SUCH A GOOD BOOK!

[new_user · Rating 3 out of 5]

I started The Rest Falls Away with some misgivings. Away opens with a cheesy ceremony, some cliché about destiny, and a series of infodumps through a wise aunt, teaching the audience along with Victoria Gardella, vampire hunter. However, once we're up to speed, there seems to be a spirit of, "Now let's get to the good stuff!" as author Colleen Gleason moves us swiftly into plotty goodness, beginning with Victoria's coming out ball, where she begins her vampire -and husband- hunting careers with youthful certainty and great promise.

Naturally, by the end of the novel, things have changed. Three, count them, three engaging men have entered her life. What's a girl to do? I know what you're thinking, but she doesn't sleep with all of them, LOL. Gleason's trim, compact scenes allow us to follow Victoria breathlessly as she pits her wits against a vampire queen, weathers her colleague's disdain, and tries to juggle a proper courtship. No lengthy internal monologues, no very flowery language. Away is written much like any other urban fantasy without the Starbucks references. If those books were set in Victorian England. Also, Victoria Gardella is not sarcastic, LOL.

Though this novel was not a disturbing number overall -more emotional- I liked the surprisingly dark aspects of the vampires. I also enjoyed Victoria's juggling act between her secret identity and her public persona, her personal growth, and the tension between her and her men. It was fun chasing Victoria through the streets of London and watching her hide lethal stakes in her coiffure. She uses an Indian mode of martial arts-- pretty unique. I could have done without the irritating aunt scenes. They were pointless as far as I could tell and about as interesting as lesser scenes. Why, Ms. Gleason? Those were only a few pages, and aside from that, I'm very interested to learn more about what will happen to Victoria after that emotional whopper of an ending.

[Heather ~*dread mushrooms*~ · Rating 4 out of 5]

January is vampire month for me and Karly.

I love vampires, but a vampire-hunting debutante and a Jane Austen-era setting had me doubtful at first. I hate "chosen ones" even more than insta-love and I one-starred Pride and Prejudice. However, this freebie quickly sucked me in and it turned out to be quite an enjoyable read!

For a while there didn't seem to be much of a plot—just Victoria going to fancy events and making excuses to leave early so she could stake vampires, all the while trying to reconcile her legacy with her love for Lord Rockley, who has no affiliation with vampires whatsoever.



But the story moved along nicely, finally gaining steam and ending in a satisfying conclusion. I really, really liked the ending. Lilith was awesome.

Lilith the Dark was not so much dark as she was burning and frigid at the same time.

All the vampires were pretty awesome, actually, even though they didn't get much individual screen time. They were old school style, yet they had a few fresh attributes.



To make the story even better, it was full of hot guys. Yet there was never a love triangle! And I couldn't decide which guy to ship! I liked them all! Sexual tension was appropriately used and well-written.



I was pleasantly surprised by this book, and I'm excited to eventually finish the series. Recommended!

[Veronique · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Regency-set vampire story that surprised me.

At first, it felt quite a bit episodic, going from one scene to the next, speeding to get us to the point when Victoria takes on her role vampire slayer. Once there, the narrative found its rhythm and allowed us to enjoy following our heroine trying to juggle her two lives, often with a good dose of humour, going from balls and the duty to catch a rich husband of excellent social standing, to killing vampires and foiling the plans of Lilith, set upon the destruction of humanity. The details of each world were nicely handled, and we get plenty of action, adventure and romance. Thankfully, characters are not forgotten either and we are offered a compelling heroine, exhilarated with her newly found strength and freedom, as well as a colorful cast, from Aunt Eustacia, Max and Sebastian, to Phillip and Verbena.

All very entertaining, in a light way, until I reached the last quarter and suddenly the story became much more interesting, Gleason raising the stakes and leading us into something much darker and satisfying.

[Carole (Carole's Random Life) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This review can also be found at Carole's Random Life in Books.

I liked this book quite a bit. I am so glad that I finally was able to get around to reading this book. I am kind of ashamed that I have had a review copy of this book for so long and neglected to read it until now. I really had a good time getting to know Victoria as she worked to find a husband at the same time she was becoming a vampire hunter. This book was a whole lot of fun from beginning to end.

I have read a lot of paranormal romances since it is one of my favorite genres. I haven't read too many that had a historical setting though and I really liked that aspect of this book. I think it would be hard enough to learn to kill vampires without worrying about being a proper lady or finding a husband at the same time. I really liked this aspect of the story and found it to be very well done.

I love a good vampire story so I do have to admit that I liked the parts of the book where Victoria was battling vampires the most in the book. Victoria really has some pretty amazing vampire hunting skills and it was just a lot of fun to watch. When she fought alongside Max, it was even more exciting because the stakes were usually just a bit higher.

I liked the characters in this book. Victoria was tough and not afraid to try to get what she wants in a period of time where that was pretty unusual for a woman. Max was a bit of a mystery but he seemed to always watch out for Victoria. I have a feeling that there is a lot more to learn about it and I am looking forward to that in future installments. Sebastian was a character that I was never fully trusted. It seemed like he was Victoria's ally at times but I was never completely sure. There were other characters that added to the story and were very well done.

I do recommend this book to others. It was just a whole lot of fun to read and I had a great time with it. I am a little mad that I waited so long to start reading this series and can't wait to read more very soon!

I received a review copy of this book from Avid Press via Edelweiss.

Initial Thoughts
This was fun! Victoria is trying to find a good husband while she is taking on the role of vampire hunter. It was entertaining watching her trying to balance both sides of her life. Of course, I found the vampire parts to be the most interesting but I liked the idea of her living a double life.

[Sina & Ilona Glimmerfee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Victoria steht kurz vor ihrem Debüt in die Londoner Gesellschaft. Was sie noch nicht ahnt, ist dass sie eine Venatorin ist, deren Aufgabe es ist Vampire unschädlich zu machen. So ist ihr erster Ball auch gleichzeitig die Nacht, in der sie ihren ersten Vampir pfählt. Wird es ihr gelingen, ihr gesellschaftliches Leben zu führen und gleichzeitig ihr geheimes Vampirjäger-Dasein zu vereinen?

Dieses Buch ist der Auftakt zu einer 7teiligen Reihe, von der bislang aber nur die ersten 5 Teile übersetzt wurden. Ich mochte Victoria und auch die anderen Charaktere, waren mir sehr sympathisch und sorgten für jede Menge Überraschungen und Spannung. Ich habe Victoria in Ballsäle, beim Training und in den Silberkrug begleitet, in dem sich Vampire und Menschen zu einem Glas Bier oder Blut treffen. Victoria ist nicht Mrs Perfect, sondern muss in ihre Aufgaben hineinwachsen, was ich sehr mochte. Sie muss Entscheidungen treffen und dann mit ihnen leben. Ich mochte besonders diese Mischung aus Liebe, Leidenschaft und jeder Menge Spannung. Es gibt interessante Wendungen und drei sehr interessante Herren, die sich für Victoria interessieren. Doch es gibt auch die mächtige Vampirkönigin Lilith und ihre gefährlichen blutsaugenden Handlanger, die nicht nur an Victorias Blut sondern auch an einem gefährlichen Buch interessiert sind.
Mich konnte das Buch mit seiner gut angelegten Spannungskurve und den kreativen Einfällen bestens unterhalten.

[Cathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Buffy, the Vampire Slayer, meets Jane Austen. A lot of frocks, debutantes and dance cards mingle with the undead. Funny, entertaining, a little off the well beaten track of the usual vampire romance lit. Nice, even with some drama strewn in. There are different types of vampires. Your run-of-the-mill recently undead, the older Guardians and the very old and scary Imperials. The silly bit about it - you can tell the difference by the colour of their eyes. But otherwise a good read.

[Fani *loves angst* · Rating 4 out of 5]

Victoria Gardella is ready to make her debut in society. At the same time, she finds out she's a Venator or a Vampire Hunter. Looking forward to some action and freedom offered by her new role she jumps in readily to accept the challenge. She has her aunt and another Venator, Maximilian Pesaro, to guide her through her new duties. But things get complicated when she meets and becomes attracted to the Marquess of Rockley. He's innocent and ignorant of her night life and wants to marry her. Can Victoria combine both parts of her life succesfully? Things get even worse when Victoria learns that Lilith, the leader of the vampires, is in London, seeking a book that will make her even more powerful and she must stop her. Seeking for information on the book, she stumbles upon Sebastian Vioget, an enigmatic man who seems willing to feed her some clues but with a price. Is he an ally or a foe?

From the momemt I read the description -and saw the cover- of the book in goodreads, I felt I had to read it, although a couple of my friends tried to dissuade me. In the end, although I now understand why they did it, I'm glad they failed:) I ended up liking the book, besides its faults.

Its faults are in my opinion, mainly focused on some inconsistancies in the plot and the TSTL heroine. Yes, she did stupid things more than once. Yes, she kept being beaten up and then running out to kill more vamps alone because she felt no one could beat her *gasp*. Yes, she kept her mouth shut when she shouldn't. She also made a silly, stupid decision that was doomed for the start and eventually brought trouble to others. The weird thing is, I didn't hate her despite all that. Although she exasperated me, I liked the writing, the plot and the atmosphere so much, that I was able to overcome my problems with her. I can hope though, that she learns from her mistakes and acts more maturely in the next books or I might have to drop the series at some point. But for now, I'm not just determined to go along; I'm looking forward to it!

[Yukino · Rating 5 out of 5]

RAPITA

Non so perchè era nella mia libreria da un pò e non ho mai avuto il tempo di leggerlo,così essendo ancora in ferie ho pensato bene di iniziarlo, e...non mi sono più staccata dal libro! Ho impiegato un giorno a leggerlo solo perchè alle 3 di notte mi si chiudevano gli occhi e non riuscivo ad andare avanti.

STUPENDO!

Mi è piaciuto proprio tutto di questo libro. Ma proprio tutto.

Victoria in primis. quanti sogni ho fatto da bambina in puro stile primi dell'800! di essere uan ragazza che fa il suo debutto in società tra feste e balli e amori, e allo stesso tempo di essere quel maschiaccio. Di portare un pò di modernità a quel periodo.

Sarà per quello che mi si sono incollate le mani sul libro, anche perchè c'è in più che Victoria oltre a fare il suo debutto in società fa il suo debutto nel mondo parallelo come cacciatrice di vampiri (ovvero Buffy di cui adoravo la serie tv). Tutti elementi che mi hanno portato ad avere un comportamento ossessivo nei confronti del libro: ovunque ero dovevo leggere.

La storia è ben articolata e più si va avanti e più intriga da impazzire! Ogni personaggio poi è ben costruito e oscuro al punto giusto. i personaggi maschili non sai quale scegliere. Philip romantico da far paura. Max ombroso come pochi e ne vogliamo parlare di Sebastian così...così...odioso e adorabile allo stesso tempo.

La madre e le e sue amiche mi hanno fatto morire dal ridere e questo dividersi di Victoria tra il normale e il paranormale, mi ha lacerato il cuore fino alla fine.

Ho chiuso il libro e volevo correre in libreria a prendere il seguito. ma mi tocca finire la pila di libri a casa, anche se credo che cercherò di inserire il secondo altrimenti mi sento male!!!

Ogni tanto mi vengono in mente scene del libro, ci rimugino su. Ho capito, vedrò di recuperare il prima possibile il secondo.

OK, Sono diventata una drogata delle cronache dei Gardella.
5 stelle meritatissime!

[Katie(babs) · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Rest Falls Away is all about girl power. Victoria is a great heroine who goes through so much and walks through the fire to come out on top. Victoria’s calling is to be a Venator, which is a vampire slayer who must sacrifice her life to eradicate the world of these evil undead beings. Victoria has been waiting for this moment to be welcomed as the newest slayer. But poor Victoria has her mother to put up with who wants her only daughter to have her coming out in London to find a husband. Victoria’s mother has no clue about Victoria’s calling and must hide her nightly patrols. Victoria is a 19th century Buffy in other words. But Victoria is not alone and has her great aunt Eustacia as her mentor and to teach her the ways of being a Venator.

Victoria has a lot on her plate. At her debut, she meets the Marquess of Rockley and you could say the sparks fly between these two. Rockley believes Victoria is his destiny and wants her to be his wife. Talk about one lucky girl because she also has some other men interested in her as well, such as the seductive and mysterious Sebastian Vioget who walks on both sides of the fence and Max, another Ventor, who thinks Victoria is too naïve and not skilled enough to take on the bad guys.

There is also an evil vampire skank villainess and a shocking surprise at the end that I didn’t see coming and had me shaking my first at Colleen for doing what she did. But there is a reason even though I was very upset * sob * but in a good way.

If you need your vampire fix and a true kick ass heroine who can carry a stake and still waltz with the best of them, introduce yourself to Colleen Gleason’s Gardella Vampire Chronicles and The Rest Falls Away.

[Lindsay · Rating 3 out of 5]

Vampire-hunters in Regency England, or Buffy the Vampire Slayer by way of Jane Austen.

Victoria is the latest daughter of the Gardella family to begin having the dreams that indicate that she has a destiny to fight vampires, a destiny that she can choose to pass up, but one that she decides to pursue thinking it a great game. As she risks more and more of her life in the pursuit of this game she begins to realize it's anything but.

This was a fun paranormal romance that owes a lot more to Buffy than it does the Regency period itself. The behavior of the male and female characters don't really fit the time, and lean much more towards modern sensibilities, partly in an effort to keep the plot moving along. And move along it does; this was certainly action-packed. As this is the first in a series of five, the characters also don't get much attention here, with only the three principals getting much more than a sketch. I also felt that a fair bit of the drama, primarily around Victoria and her fiance, was all just a bit manufactured.

Overall, not really to my taste.

[Milda Page Runner · Rating 3 out of 5]

Light girly and fluffy but entertaining enough to blitz through the series in a few weeks. Due to Victorian setting and comedy element reminds a bit of Soulless but admittedly not as sophisticated and funny.
Weaknesses: YA level writing - too simplified and naïve at times, and character depth. (gets better later in the series)
Strengths: fast moving engaging plot, good balance of action-adventure vs romance, comedy element, well done fight scenes.
I wouldn’t look for original ideas or any deep thoughts in here, but if you want light romantic holiday read that doesn’t require much brain activity – do recommend – it’s a good entertainment. :)

[Vavita · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 and a half! Very cool book! Like Buffy but better

[Loretta · Rating 4 out of 5]

Finalmente anch'io posso dire di aver letto la saga dei Gardella o perlomeno la parte riguardante Victoria...e devo dire che è stato stupendo!!!
L'inizio è stato un po' spento ma con il tempo la bellissima Illa Gardella si è fatta decisamente sicura di sé...da libertina senza pensieri a cacciatrice con sani principi...una ragazzina vestita di merletti, innamorata dell'uomo dei suoi sogni ma che riesce a reagire davanti ai problemi che le si ritrovano davanti.
Non si fa scrupoli ad uccidere chi un tempo amava, non si lascia ingannare ma ascolta solamente il suo cuore. E Max....oddio...ancora sbavo all'idea di immaginarmi la sua vis bullae attaccata a mo' di piercing ottocentesco... Che uomo tenebroso, che maschio... Grazie Colleen...
E Sebastian? Beh che dire, bello anche lui ma troppo spocchioso per i miei gusti... Troppo...

[Deborah · Rating 5 out of 5]

My daughter bought me the full set of these books a few years ago and I've read them many times I'm currently working my way through them again which has prompted me to write a review.
I love a good series and this is one of my favourites, if you like vampires and romance then this series is a must. This first book is about Victoria discovering her legacy and it introduces the main characters for the series including Max and Sebastian.

[Inara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Victoria Gardella Grantworth is called on the eve of her debut to London´s society to accept her family legacy to be a vampire hunter, a so-called Venator. Mentored and trained by her old aunt Eustacia she´s supposed to follow into her steps as the head of the Venators and destroy their arch-enemy the vampire queen Lilith the Dark. Victoria embraces her fate to be a vampire hunter fully but she has also to follow her social callings and find a suitable husband. When Phillip de Lacy, Marquess of Rockley London´s most eligible bachelor appears on the scene Victoria falls head over heels in love with the handsome young man. The feeling is mutual, they marry and live happily ever after... or don´t they?
I really liked this book! The plot captivated me at once and there were also some very interesting characters like the rude Maximilian Pesaro a master vampire executioner, who is constantly fighting Victoria (with words) and challenging her way of life and slaying. Then the enigmatic Sebastian Vioget, the owner of the Silver Chalice, an inn where vampires and humans mingle. Victoria, although deeply in love with Phillip nevertheless feels a strange attraction to the mysterious man, who seems to be her ally. But what are his real reasons to help her? I´d really like to read more about him and I´m looking forward to the moment when his secret is unveiled in one of the next books! I thought Phillip to be a bit pallid compared to the other two more colorful characters but I think he represents the "normal" in Victoria´s unusal life. She really loves him and in her youthful enthusiasm she thinks she´s able to be both at the same time – wife and Venator. She marries Phillip against the better advice of her aunt and Max and soon it shows how vulnerable this marriage makes her. Feelings of guilt because of her constantly lying, her fear of Phillip finding out about her "profession" and additionally the fear for his life when he unwittingly endangers himself because of his wish to help her with her "problem", doesn´t make her life any easier. Her heart is torn between duty and love. Victoria is a likeable heroine with some faults, she overestimates herself and her skills more than once and doesn´t think the consequences of her marriage completely through and to what fate it will condemn her unsuspecting husband. What I found a bit astonishing was how fast the Imperials, the most fearsome and strongest vampires on earth were destroyed by Max. I think they could have put up a better fight then this...underachievement for such powerful vamps, sorry guys!
This book has an execllent plot and some intriguing characters and is really worth a try if you like a story about a vampire hunter in Regency London.

Website of the author: http://www.colleengleason.com/

[Morgana · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 stelle e 1/2, per essere precisi precisi... perché questo libro si fa leggere, senza ombra di dubbio, tant'è che l'ho divorato. Ma ha anche parecchi difetti...

Cosa non va in questo libro (secondo me):
1 - Lost in translation: non so come sia l'originale, voglio pensare (a pensar bene) che il libro abbia sofferto di una traduzione svogliata e superficiale. Sia come sia, alcuni termini restano comunque inconcepibili nell'Inghilterra del XIX. Che poi una anziana lady riesca a esclamare "Porca l'oca!" lo trovo del tutto incredibile. E di fantasy e sospensione dell'incredulità me ne intendo!
2 - Le allegre comari di Windsor: i siparietti comici delle tre matrone possono essere utili in alcune circostanze, ma se li si reitera in continuazione per riempire i vuoti della narrazione, anche no.
3 - Victor Victoria: ragazza mia, sarai anche stata chiusa in casa per tutto questo tempo, ma è quasi assurdo che ogni maschio che ti trovi davanti ti faccia perdere la testa... suvvia, un po' di contegno!
4 - La tigre e il dragone: nemmeno la raffinata fotografia del grande regista taiwanese avrebbe potuto includere torsioni e piegamenti del corpo così innaturali. Victoria e Max possono, e Ang Lee muto!
5 - Don't say a word: ad alcuni dialoghi sembra mancare qualcosa, come se tra una risposta e l'altra ci fosse un non detto. Non so se attribuire il problema al punto 1 (traduzione e, a questo punto, edizione italiana), oppure al fatto che l'autrice, che sa bene cosa frulla nella testa di Victoria, dia per scontati alcuni elementi, trasferendo la propria onniscenza di autore al suo personaggio. Temo sia la seconda che ho detto.

Va bene, finora mi sono divertita, ma c'è anche del buono in Danimarca!
Sicuramente il ritmo della narrazione è coinvolgente e ti trascina con sé. Questo fa sì che, a un certo punto, si adotti davvero la famosa sospensione dell'incredulità, si scenda a patti con l'autrice e si accetti di barattare il divertimento con la pignoleria. Con questo mood, devo dire che non c'è stato un capitolo alla fine del quale non abbia avuto voglia di tirar dritto e proseguire.
I personaggi maschili che ruotano attorno a Victoria sono abbastanza interessanti (lei lo è solo in parte: a volte è troppo perfetta, a volte troppo inconsistente, però è solo il primo libro e possiamo sperare di meglio). Per fortuna riescono a essere abbastanza diversi, quindi formano un bel triangolo, anche se avrebbero potuto essere tratteggiati un po' meglio, soprattutto riguardo al loro background, ma amen.

In definitiva, non mi pronuncio, anche se è più un sì che un no. Vado avanti e vediamo.

[Zeek · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author has billed her first novel as "Buffy the Vampire Slayer meets Pride and Prejudice" and seeing as these are two of my all time favorite stories and settings- I was all over it!

I read it in one sitting, because after the first chapter I had to see how it all played out. Actually, it was around page thirty-about the time Ms. Gleeson laid out her idea of how the vampires came into being. (No Bram Stoker rip off this!) After I read it, I heard that familiar voice inside my head say "Oh, that's good!"- the same thing I always hear whenever I come across a plotline that gets me excited!

As this is the first in the series, I felt it was a good set up for what's to come. I adore Victoria but it took several books to fully engage with her. (I don't feel like one gets the total picture on her in this the first in the Gardella Vampire Chronicles series, but that can happen when starting a series. And too, Victoria is as new to the world of Gleason's vampires as we are when starting the series! We learn more about her as the series plays out.)

[Jane · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted to love this book. I mean, it's a good story. Buffy set in Regency England--what's not to like? I usually give a book 50 pages to interest me, but I gave Gleason 100. Even after she referred to a horse as a stallion in three consecutive paragraphs only to call him a gelding in the fourth, I kept reading. Eventually, though, the story didn't enthrall me enough to lift me past Gleason's awkward prose and wooden dialogue. A girl can take only so much of someone writing forsoothly. I skipped to the last chapter to see if I was right about what was going to happen--I was--and then I put the book aside. It's a shame.

[JAIME LOUISE · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hmmmmm. This is another instance of 'I hate the protagonist, but the story is quite good'.

Do with that what you will.

[Robyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 that I'm rounding up. A bit of a shaky start for me, but this turned into a gloriously dark and enjoyable vampire huntress tale!

[Summer · Rating 2 out of 5]

If I could give 2.5 stars, I would, but given the choice between "it's okay" and "liked it," I definitely have to stay with "it's okay."

My main beef with this book is simply style...or rather, the lack thereof. Not everyone can be a gifted writer, no, but I felt like I was reading a teenager's second or third "novel" on some sort of free internet publishing site (no names named). And even saying that might be insulting to some of those teenagers who tell a lesser story in a damned more compelling way.

The story itself wasn't bad--I was originally drawn to pick this book up because of the idea of a Regency Buffy or whatnot. However, if you're going to write historical fiction, try to make it seem historical, not write modern fiction in a historical setting with a few historical words thrown in here and there.

But I digress. Sebastian was fun, at least. The most believable part was the seduction in the carriage...Maybe Gleason should try erotica...


However, I understand that the subsequent books in the series are much better, so if I happen to run across one, I won't hold this against it.

[Holly · Rating 2 out of 5]

I tried...I really tried to get into this story. I put this book down and went back to it three times. Unfortunately, even though I love the concept (an historical romance meets Buffy The Vampire Slayer), I was just unable to feel anything but frustration and boredom.

The story moved so slowly, it nearly drove me mad. It felt like the same sequence of events kept playing out repeatedly over the first 150 pages. The action did end up picking up towards the end (which is why i was finally able to give this 2 stars instead of 1), but by that time, I was just anxious for the book to be over.

[rachel, x · Rating 2 out of 5]

The first book in my personal clear-off-your-shelves-by-the-end-of-the-year challenge is completed. Yay! I was not a big fan of this one, which is disappointing, but it is nice to cross a series off of my ridiculous TBR. RTC.

[Elena]

Recensioni singole alla fine di ogni libro:

Cacciatori di vampiri 2 stelle
Letto dal 14.03.2013 al 17.03.2013

Libro dalla lettura scorrevole, l'ho trovato carino. Dalla copertina la saga di Victoria Gardella viene paragonata a quella di Anita Blake ma credo che ci siano profonde differenze tra le due saghe. è scritto in modo scorrevole ma meno intrigante e appassionante. I libri di Laurell Hamilton e anche quelli della Rice sono molto scritti meglio, con una scrittura più matura. Molte scene mi sembrano descritte in modo molto veloce, senza parlare delle scene della madre con le sue amiche...
Non mi è piaciuto che Philip venga trasformato in vampiro e poi ucciso. Il marito di Victoria sarebbe stato un bel modo per continuare a esplorare le difficoltà della scelta da lei fatta accettando l'eredità di famiglia ma, dopo il piccolo colpo di scena di Philip trasformato in vampiro, la cosa si fa subito sentire. Con questo stratagemma l'eroina nei prossimi libri sarà finalmente libera di esplorare appieno la sua vita segreta e credo proprio che si innamorerà anche di Max perchè mi sembra abbastanza palese.

Ormai leggerò anche gli altri 4 libri rimanenti perché ho acquistato l'edizione della Newton che raccoglie tutti e 5 i libri della saga completa. Credo che come età di lettura sia perfetto per le adolescenti.

[Jᴀɴᴀ · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received this book as a very thoughtful gift and although at first I had some misgivings about the corny, stereotypical writing, the characters really grew on me and I had much fun reading it. Sometimes you need to give your thinking mind a break, and cheesy books about vampires are just the thing for me.

[The Flooze · Rating 4 out of 5]

At the start of The Rest Falls Away, Victoria is arrogant and naïve in embracing her calling as a Venator. Her induction into the hunting elite is handled almost too easily. Vampires poof to ash with practically a flick of a well-turned wrist. She stubbornly maintains a duality--dancing debutante vs. ruthless killer--and she seems to get away with it.

But as the story unfolds, the dichotomy takes its toll. And that's where Victoria becomes interesting.

Gleason lists Jane Austen and Joss Whedon as influences, and they are apropos examples of her overall themes. Hiding stakes in lacy garters and in elaborate updos, Victoria presents a picture-perfect image as she trolls society events for the undead...and for marriage prospects.

On the topic of men, the fop she chooses to love is a rather flat character when compared to the rest of the cast. He's terribly polite and proper. A nice, sweet man...who is boring as hell.

But never fear, because Victoria's destiny brings her close to two thrilling fellows who satisfy the need for broody arrogance (Max) and amused seduction (Sebastian). The pair are intriguing. I must learn more.

Although Victoria skirts the edge of Too Stubborn to Live, her wit and determination throughout make her a sympathetic character. Max's snark is wonderful, and Sebastian lends a good amount of heat (carriages are steamy places--who knew?).

The mythology is a bit common, and Gleason often telegraphs her next move, but that didn't lessen my enjoyment. Lots of brisk action and quite a few chuckles, especially from the gossiping mother and friends. Most positive is the fact that Victoria grows as a character. Her youthful attitude of invincibility gets adjusted--and she's much more likable for it.

I think any faults might easily be explained by First Book Syndrome. Now to read the second and see if I'm right!

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Victoria is a normal young lady looking forward to her debut into London Society - until she discovers she is the latest in her family to be chosen as a Venator or vampire hunter. She has the choice to accept her calling and become a Venator or to deny it and have her memories of the existance vampires taken away. Thinking it will be a big adventure and she will have more freedom than most young ladies she decides to accept her destiny and is given a vis bulla - an amulet that will give her the extra strenght she needs to fight vampires. She starts her training under the guidance of her Aunt Eustacia and another Venator Max.

She soon finds that it isn't easy to juggle attending balls and other society functions whilst protecting people from the vampires who are prowling amongst them. As she falls in love with Philip, the Marquess of Rockley, things become even more complicated as she can't tell him the reasons behind some of her strange behaviour and sudden disappearances from social events.

I enjoy reading historical romances, particularly those set in Regency London and I'm a big fan of Urban Fantasy and Paranormal Romances so this book appealed to me on several levels. I found it really interesting to read a Buffy type story set in London Society and thought that Colleen Gleason did a good job of highlighting the particular problems Victoria faced because of the era.

There were a few twists that I really didn't expect, especially in the first book & I'm looking forward to seeing how things develop throughout the series. Although there are obviously some surface similarities between this and Buffy I found there were a lot of original ideas too and I loved the Regency spin on the story. I'll definitely be reading more of this series.

[Dasha]

Otro abandono más...



Tengo este libro y el segundo de la saga porque venían en un lote que compré de segunda mano, por otro libro que quería.
No es para mí. Es una especie de Buffy, cazavampiros (de la que soy muy, pero que muy flan 😁) pero ambientada en la Inglaterra de, creo, la Regencia. Es una mezcla que podría haber funcionado, me encantan los primeros libros de la saga El protectorado de la sombrilla, pero no me termina de convencer el estilo de Gleason, ni cómo se estaba desarrollando la trama. Reconozco que si hubiese dependido de mí, nunca habría elegido leer este libro.

La edición que tengo es la de Terciopelo en formato tapa blanda con solapas. Me encanta el diseño tanto de la cubierta como de la edición en sí. Aunque no creo que le vaya demasiado bien a la historia. Fue publicada en mayo de 2008 y traducida por Lola Romaní. La traducción no me ha terminado de convencer. Se nota demasiado que es una traducción y algunas frases son raras.
Llevaré el libro a la librería de segunda mano solidaria para que lo disfrute alguien a quien de verdad le guste.

[Mummy's Naughty Corner · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was Okay. I'm not a great fan of historical books. I did enjoy the struggle of being a hunter and trying to be a normal woman off the time. The fact that Victoria tried was a great part of the story, unfortunately it didn't work out how she wanted. The quest for the book could have been a bit more exciting, and maybe some training of the new hunter would have made the book more enjoyable. She seemed to go from a young inexperienced young lady into a hunter instantly.