The Viscount's Son

Rise of the Dark Ones #0.5

by Aderyn Wood

If Dracula and The Da Vinci Code had book babies, this trilogy would be the result…

Emma, book conservator and history buff, begins an anonymous online project – to translate an ancient diary on her blog. As the diary entries become darker and more mysterious, Emma meets a handsome stranger, and her personal life takes on uncanny parallels to her secret online translations. When her love life grows even stranger, Emma wonders if she should end the blog, but is it too late?

The Rise of the Dark Ones Trilogy is perfect for fans of vampire and paranormal mysteries, psychic investigator thrillers, occult suspense, angels, demons, and lovers of a good twist.

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

74 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 28, 2013

About the author

Learn more about Aderyn Wood and her books at aderynwood.com.

From high fantasy to paranormal, Aderyn's stories cover the broad spectrum of Fantasy. Inspired from childhood by the wonder and mystique of Susan Cooper's  'The Dark is Rising'  and the adventures in Tolkien's  'The Hobbit', her love of the Fantasy genre has been life long. As a writer, Aderyn brings characters and places to life in stories filled with magic, mystery, and a good dollop of mayhem. 

Aderyn studied Literature, History and Creative Writing at university, travelled the world, and taught English before becoming a full-time writer. She is also a part-time farmer passionate about self-sufficiency and poultry. She lives in a cosy cottage on a small farm in Victoria, Australia with partner Peter, their dog, cat, and a little duck called Snow.

Reviews

[Teresa Coffey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just finished a reread of the Wheel of Time series (Yep. The whole thing. All 4+ million words of it) and was looking for a literary palate cleanser. I was looking for a read that was in a different genre, something that I could finish in a sitting or two. Maybe something a little dark, tart or spicy. I came across a novella, The Viscount’s Son by Aderyn Wood.

This is the Amazon Book description:

‘The Viscount's Son’ is a fictional blog that tells the story of book conservator, Emma, and her online project - to transcribe an ancient and mysterious text. The trouble is, Emma's colleague, Jack, believes the medieval 'diary' is a fake. Emma decides to translate the text and leave it up to her readers to decide - so what will you think? Follow Emma's journey to discern the mysteries of the medieval memoir.

Sounds intriguing, right? At 65 pages and 99 cents for the ebook edition, it sounded like just what I was looking for: something different and do-able in one or two sittings. So, I hit the button and through the miracle that is modern technology, The Viscount’s Son appeared on my iPad. (Pet peeve alert)

Now, I prefer to read ebooks via iBooks because I like the way it makes the screen look like an actual book so I can’t speak to how to The Viscount's Son appears in other formats. There have been some ebooks I’ve tried to read where the formatting was so dreadful that is rendered the book unreadable. I always consider it a bad sign when I can’t immerse myself in a story because of dreadful formatting (drums of doom sound in the distance).

In iBooks/ePub, the formatting of The Viscount’s Son was impeccable.

I want give the author a tip of my hat for doing such a good job. Good formatting shows me that an author cares about their work and believes in its value. It’s self respect. It’s like brushing your hair and teeth and putting on clean clothes every morning.

Now on to the meat of this snack size sammie. I’m going to try to do this without spoilers.

The story unfolds as a series of blog entries and is told from the POV of Emma, a beautiful, brilliant and bored museum conservator. I’m usually not much for first person POV but the author does it quite well. I especially liked how she used the main character’s blog to blend two stories, past and present, together through Emma’s warm and engaging banter in the present and the elegant, archaic language of the old diary.

I did notice “The Trifecta of Bs” (Bored, Beauty, Brains). This trifecta always seems to spell trouble for the afflicted character. This trifecta is often the bright flashing light warning you that a massive cliche collision is on the horizon. However, the author surprised me and, with Emma, the combination doesn’t feel cliche at all. The author lets us get to know the main character Emma. We understand why she is bored. Why she is frustrated with her life. Why she becomes obsessed with the diary. Why she starts taking chances and living life on the edge.

And although the ending was not a huge surprise, the way it was handled still made it gasp worthy. Yep, I really gave a little gasp with that last blog entry. Emma and Nate are interesting enough characters that I find myself looking forward to reading the next installments of the story.

One thing that left me confused was trying to figure out the genre. I wasn’t sure how to classify this novella. There are overtones of horror, mystery, romance and a definite sprinkling of erotica. The author suggests that there is more story to come so maybe this issue will coalesce and become more clear as the story progresses.

Overall, it was just what I was looking for: an enjoyable, curl up on the couch with a blanket read that’s a little spicy, different and definitely worth the 99 cents.

[J.E. Rogers · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ms. Wood’s novella will be quickly devoured, not just because it is a novella, and can be read in one sitting, but because you will not be able to put it down. At the end of this wonderful, fast-paced diversion, you will be thankful to learn that the author is indeed writing a follow-up, which is scheduled for publication this year.

The Viscount’s Son is a new twist on an old story, but I would rather not give it all away. Instead I will discuss the main story structure, which is an interesting departure from today’s fiction in that it is written in first person, blog format. We, the readers, feel like voyeurs, experiencing the blog/diary written by Emma, the main character. Emma is a curator, who is especially interested in sixteenth century history. When a colleague claims that an old diary is a fake, Emma is determined to prove whether or not that is actually the case. She begins translating the diary and posting the translations in a blog. As Emma posts to her blog, she switches back and forth from her personal life to the translations of the ancient diary, and the story develops quickly.

I was very impressed with the author’s ability to transport her readers from the relaxed contemporary language of Emma’s blog/journal entries, which read like a diary, to the translation text of the ancient diary, which is written in the language of the sixteenth century.

Even though I would have liked more character development, I did nevertheless, become invested in Emma and her blog. And, although halfway through the novella I could see where we were heading, I still enjoyed the read. If you are interested in a quick entertaining, bit of a steamy read, this one is for you. Well done, Ms. Wood.
Jeanne E. Rogers, Author
The Sword of Demelza, a Middle Grade Fantasy Where Endangered Animals Roam the Pages

[Kelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.75 stars, this book is written in the style of diary entry a la Dracula. As this is short vampire story it harkens back to the granddaddy of vampires but with its own twists.

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Viscount’s Son is written in the style of a blog, our main character Emma is translating a book from the 16th Century and decides to post the translations on the blog for us to read.

As the book goes on it becomes a smooth, sensual ride through this unbelievable tale, I was hooked and ended up reading to the end! I loved this book. I was instantly impressed on beginning the book, the only other thing I’ve read written in a similar style was The Princess Diaries. Which whilst my eleven year old self would never agree is not exactly as entertaining as this story!

I did begin to guess a very small particle of the ending, however, I could never have guessed what happened at the end of this book. I certainly couldn’t have guess the way it was written.

A fantastic read with a twist to open your senses!

[Suzi Lewisohn · Rating 5 out of 5]

The novella: less commitment than a full novel but more developed and satisfying than a short story. I've long thought it the ideal genre for the Kindle generation. So, I was excited to stumble across this one on Amazon Kindle and sufficiently intrigued by it's paranormal promise to buy it .

And I'm glad I did because it's a terrific read.

The author brings the novella bang up-to-date by structuring it as a blog. But soon we are a listening to two distinct voices. We follow chatty, optimistic Emma, a museum conservationist, as she translates from the Latin, an obscure 16th century diary.

While the voice of the diarist - a man only identified as N.C. - is both despairing and menacing as his story takes us to a very dark place.

The textural and tonal contrasts between these two are deftly handled and so rewarding for the reader.

The final twist is deliciously chilling.

[Maggie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I didn't review this before, but I should have. I love, love, love this piece. It's such a quick read that you will not be able to put it down. The entire way through I was desperate to know what the diary's secrets were and had to know how it would end for Emma.
Pick it up, curl up on the couch and read this delicious novel in one gulp. It is more than worth it.

[Stalking · Rating 5 out of 5]

This short novella is written in the unique style of a blogger. I found it refreshing and the story is captivating! The length does not allow for real in depth character building but that does not take away from the value of the story. You know just enough to get lost in it. I do hope,however, that there may be more about The Viscount' s Son in the future!

[Winter Sophia Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thrilling, Haunting & Fascinating!

[Norm Davis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Odd format. The book is written as an online blog. I liked it, (three stars), and recommend it. This is a paranormal romance novel. I would classify it as a prequel to "The Viscount's Son Trilogy" but that would require another book that doesn’t exist to my knowledge so it IS the first book in the trilogy.

At first, my reaction was, “Oh hell, here we go with a new thing in actual book writing.” I’ve been pleasantly surprised.

A museum book conservator named Emma says she decided to translate the seemingly dark tale of a 16th century Latin diary, and transcribe it in this blog. One of her co-workers has already determined the book a fake, so Emma doesn't feel it is an ethical violation to share her translation online anonymously.

Being the consummate professional, despite confirmation the book is "fake" based primarily on the content of the book, Emma actually does her conservator job, protecting the book carefully, testing the pages and the ink to verify the approximate date of publication.

Each blog post she tells a bit about her own personal life and concludes with a portion of the translation of the fake book. As time passes both Emma's personal notes and her posts of the translation become more and more exciting until you realize they are going to climax together.

Being a romance novel, I thought that might be an appropriate pun to conclude the summary of the book.

Romance is not my favorite genre and my three stars rating is a reflection of my prejudice more than Aderyn's writing. Probably isn't fair but I'll try to make up for it.

I’ve already purchased the next two books in this trilogy. From a retired and broke polymath that’s a complement... not only from my review but also from my very thin wallet.

Most Indie writer’s should probably not write anything more challenging than a social media post, but Aderyn Wood has true writer's potential. (I actually do know.)

Aderyn has done everything professionals tell aspiring writers to do. She studied Literature, History and Creative Writing at university, traveled the world, and taught English before becoming a full-time writer. Now she’s combined what she knows with what she loves and that can only result as the advice of so many professional writer’s tell young writer’s to do. In success.

Aderyn learned something while she studied. For the record, that’s another compliment. Her construction of the book was clever. Most indie writers could not pull off what Aderyn did well in this piece of work. It's an excellent PROFESSIONAL job. I would not be surprised if Bouroughs Publishing Group, Dreamspinner Press, Entangled Publishing, Forever Yours, Hallmark Publishing or even if Harlequin gave her a call.

I hope they do call. It would be a smart investment. Good luck Aderyn. Liked your work. Pray I can tell you later how I loved the rest of the trilogy.

I also post my Goodreads reviews at Sagely Fox on Blogspot and less frequently at Sagely Fox at Wordpress. Amazon rejects most my reviews but I'll edit the things they reject for and see if I can get this one through for Aderyn's sake on this one.

[Tani · Rating 2 out of 5]

I got this for free from Amazon, which I'm always wary about, but with all of the good reviews, I thought it might be a worthwhile risk. So, let me be a voice of dissent here. This is not a bad little story, but I didn't really find it exceptional or terribly enjoyable. I say this as a somewhat frequent reader of urban fantasy, so perhaps that is a factor as well. I'm used to vampires in my fiction, and this particular representation didn't feel like anything special to me. So, here's my breakdown.

The good: The writing is good, and although I did catch some minor grammar issues, they were nothing I would detract stars for. It's also a plot-oriented story that hits the points that it aims to without allowing itself to become drawn out or bloated. It's a very quick read.

The not-so good: This reads like a modern take on Dracula, but with less depth. I felt like the story was too focused. The author hits the points she wants to, and never really allows her characters to do anything. Emma's voice may be fun, but the only action she really takes in the story is translating the book that spurs the story. Other than that, she seems like a passive observer in her own life. I'm a big character reader, so that was a big detractor for me. Also, the depiction of the Romani people is ridiculously stereotypical. When a story is well-researched enough to mention historical legislation from the 16th century, but not to even slip in a passing mention that the term gypsy is often considered to be an insulting term, I get a bit more than a little uncomfortable.

In short, this was well-written, but deeply flawed. I can't say I recommend it, but of course, your mileage may vary.

[shannon Stubbs · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not bad

Its a good short story and a good teaser for the next book. It's written in blog form but it works. Emma is translating an old diary inside a blog diary.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Surprisingly fascinating...

The Viscount's son is an intriguing and spellbinding book. I have never read anything by Aderyn Wood and believe me I will be finishing this trilogy. The book being written like a blog was a fascinating. I started the book and did not out it down until I was done. This us a must on your reading list. Very happy reader.

[Flosi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Finding a diary from the early 16th century, the translation is posted on a blog and the original owner shows up to meet the translator.

[Kristi Hudecek-Ashwill · Rating 5 out of 5]

I liked this short book a lot. I was looking for something different (still am) and was intrigued by the cover of this and decided to read it without reading the blurb. The guy on the cover sold me on it and that it was a vampire book made it even better. I was long overdue for a good vampire trope.

Emma is a book conservator for a museum and is on a job of doing some sort of cataloging of some medieval soldiers or something when her coworker is handed a diary from that same era and thinks it's fake. Emma wants to check it out. She has to do it in her free time because her boss doesn't care about it, either. She interprets it and posts her findings on her blog.

Meanwhile, a mystery man comes into her life who turns out to be much more than just a mere hot guy. To say anymore would mean spoilers and I don't want to ruin this for anybody else.

This was written in first person point of view, was interesting, entertaining, and made me want more. No cliffhangers, thank God, but I will probably read the rest of the series.

[Cornerofmadness · Rating 3 out of 5]

This novella had an interesting set up. Emma is a book conservatory/historian who's set up a blog (she's a newbie to the idea) to discuss and translate a sixteenth century diary by someone named N.C. So the novella flip flops between Emma's blog and NC's diary. She was happy to have something to break up the monotony of inputting death registries for soldiers in the Middle Ages and her partner thinks the diary is a fake. Emma doesn't believe so.

It's quickly obvious why he thought the diary was a joke because NC, the bastard son of a Viscount, is a soldier who's fallen for a gypsy woman and just as obviously she's a vampire and is likely to make NC one too.

I have to say what happens in the modern day runs on some pretty predictable rails and the writing is a bit passive in places but still, it's entertaining enough and short. It does have an open end and there is a sequel. I had fun with it.

[Adrianna Thompson · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was… interesting. The book is short and wrote as if it was a blog for the main character as she does side work translating a 16th diary of a man becoming a vampire. At the same times she’s meeting a man that fits too well into the story she’s translating and later learns he is the same vampire.

It was a bit predictable- but an interesting idea to use blog posts, almost like we’re reading it as she’s learning it as well.

[Carole · Rating 5 out of 5]

Aderyn you hooked me! I like the way you write and I liked your story. Your history is correct and I love that. I like Emma and Nathaniel and how they relate to each other. Book was a little short more like a novella and made me already downloaded books 2 and 3 in this series. I am looking forward to reading everything you write....a fan for always.

[Lisa P · Rating 3 out of 5]

A spider's web indeed

As an intro to a series, this novella is whimsical with a dash of darkness and romance. It has an almost fairytale vibe, starting like Disney and morphing into a Grimm tale. There are a few chapters from the next book included which continue to capture my interest. I'll continue with the series.

[Jacinta Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Viscount's Son

Excellent author that has you hooked from page one to the finish. This book was well written and left me wanting more. If I could rate more than 5 stars I would.

[Neerja · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a lovely intriguing story. It is a story that is filled with mysterious characters where the details were revealed at the right time. All the elements of this book was rightly placed and I enjoyed all parts of it.

[M. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quick but good read. And a nice surprise, the way chosen for the characters to tell their stories - entries in a diary for the historical part; and entries in a blog, for the contemporary one.

[Danielle Girl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sure, it's short. But for me that was perfect for the commute. And I really fell into each character's world. Loved the contrast between current day, and the past. Fun, exciting, fast-paced read. Definitely left me wanting to see what happens next!

[M.R. Graham · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is less a short story than a teaser, and it's an excellent beginning. Beautiful, fluid prose, a seamless convergence of two narratives, and hints of deep historical knowledge without the author ever becoming pedantic. I've already purchased the next book.

[A. Powers · Rating 4 out of 5]

A blog about an old document.... the whole premise of this story seemed a little sketchy at first, but then it quickly becomes apparent why it was to be written that way. I'm not a huge fan of vampires, but this one was actually pretty decent.

[Karen Lloyd · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not for me

This is well written novella but I didn't enjoy it. If you like dark romance & vampires you'll probably enjoy this. Emma comes across as very naive & how she didn't put 2+2 & get the answer I don't know.

[Jason Brock · Rating 5 out of 5]

FISH HOOK!!!!

Damn you!!@! Lol...you gave just enough in this book to really want the next!!!...but alas those of us who read free only are left dangling and truly saddened we can go no further

[Dawn Ireland · Rating 3 out of 5]

The conclusion is a little obvious

This started out interesting, but it was too obvious where the story was going. When the “new man” showed up with the same first name, what else is there to guess?

[Tammie Burke · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading the new take on the vampire story.

[Deborah thompson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome vampire series and great author Haven't found series like this since Ann Rice

[Morgan Blomstedt · Rating 5 out of 5]

That Intro

This was a great introduction to this series. I fell in love with the characters and their development. Very well written.