A Vial of Life

A Shade of Vampire #21

by Bella Forrest

The blue vial gifted by Arron may have granted Ben a reprieve from the Elders, but what is to become of him now?
What caused his companion to betray him so viciously?
What actually happened on Derek and Sofia's mission with the dragons?

Find out these answers and much, much more in A Vial of Life...

Genres: Vampires, Fantasy, Paranormal, Romance, Paranormal Romance, Young Adult, Magic

322 pages, Paperback

First published December 22, 2015

About the author

UPDATE MARCH 11, 2024:

BELLA IS BACK!

*** New, updated online store at https://BellaForrest.com

*** New books coming soon

*** Possible Film/TV series coming soon

*** Stay up to date by joining our e-mail list at https://BellaForrest.com/join

###

Bella Forrest is a lover of fantasy, romance, action, and mystery infused stories with twists you don’t see coming. She has sold over fifteen million books since her first novel was published in 2012.

Check out her website for a full list of her books: https://BellaForrest.com

Official Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/BellaForrest...

Here's a list of some of Bella's books:

DARKLIGHT

Darklight (Book 1)
Darkthirst (Book 2)
Darkworld (Book 3)
Darkblood (Book 4)
Darktide (Book 5)
Darkbirth (Book 6)
Darkfall (Book 7)
Darkwilds (Book 8)
Darkhunt (Book 9)

A LOVE THAT ENDURES (Trilogy)
A Love that Endures 1
A Love that Endures 2
A Love that Endures 3

HARLEY MERLIN AND THE SECRET COVEN

Harley Merlin and the Secret Coven (Book 1)
Harley Merlin and the Mystery Twins (Book 2)
Harley Merlin and the Stolen Magicals (Book 3)
Harley Merlin and the First Ritual (Book 4)
Harley Merlin and the Broken Spell (Book 5)
Harley Merlin and the Cult of Eris (Book 6)
Harley Merlin and the Detector Fix (Book 7)
Harley Merlin and the Challenge of Chaos (Book 8)
Harley Merlin and the Mortal Pact (Book 9)
Finch Merlin and the Fount of Youth (Book 10)
Finch Merlin and the Lost Map (Book 11)
Finch Merlin and the Djinn's Curse (Book 12)
Finch Merlin and the Locked Gateway (Book 13)
Finch Merlin and the Forgotten Kingdom (Book 14)
Finch Merlin and the Everlasting Vow (Book 15)
Finch Merlin and the Blood Tie (Book 16)
Finch Merlin and the Legend of the Luminary
Persie Merlin and Leviathan's Gift (Book 18)
Persie Merlin and the Door to Nowhere (Book 19)
Persie Merlin and the Witch Hunters (Book 20)
Persie Merlin and the Dying Song (Book 21)

THE CHILD THIEF

The Child Thief (Book 1)
Deep Shadows (Book 2)
Thin Lines (Book 3)
Little Lies (Book 4)
Ghost Towns (Book 5)
Zero Hour (Book 6)

HOTBLOODS

Hotbloods (Book 1)
Hotbloods (Book 2): Coldbloods
Hotbloods (Book 3): Renegades
Hotbloods (Book 4): Venturers
Hotbloods (Book 5): Traitors
Hotbloods (Book 6): Allies
Hotbloods (Book 7): Invaders
Hotbloods (Book 8): Stargazers

THE GENDER GAME

The Gender Game (Book 1)
The Gender Secret (Book 2)
The Gender Lie (Book 3)
The Gender War (Book 4)
The Gender Fall (Book 5)
The Gender Plan (Book 6)
The Gender End (Book 7)

THE GIRL WHO DARED TO THINK

The Girl Who Dared to Think (Book 1)
The Girl Who Dared to Stand (Book 2)
The Girl Who Dared to Descend (Book 3)
The Girl Who Dared to Rise (Book 4)
The Girl Who Dared to Lead (Book 5)
The Girl Who Dared to Endure (Book 6
The Girl Who Dared to Fight (Book 7)

A SHADE OF VAMPIRE

Season 1: Derek & Sofia’s story

Books 1 to 7

Season 2: Rose & Caleb’s story

Books 8 to 16

Season 3: The Shade continues with a new hero...

Books 17 to 24

Season 4: A Clan of Novaks

Books 25 to 32

Season 5: A Dawn of Guardians

Books 33 to 41

Season 6: A Gift of Three

Books 42 to 50

Season 7: A Call of Vampires

Books 51 to 59

Season 8: A Voyage of Founders

Books 60 to 68

Season 9: A Birth of Fire

Books 69 to 77

Season 10: An Origin of Vampires
An Origin of Vampires (Book 78)
A Game of Death (Book 79)
A Veil of Dark (Book 80)
A Bringer of Night (Book 81)
A Circle of Nine (Book 82)
A Bender of Spirit (Book 83)
A Memory of Time (Book 84)
A Shard of Soul (Book 85)
A Break of Seals (Book 86)

Season 11: A Shade of Mystery
A Shade of Mystery (Book 87)
An Isle of Mirrors (Book 88)
A Sanctuary of Foes (Book 89)
A Ruler of Clones (Book 90)
A Gate of Light (Book 91)
A Dawn of Worlds (Book 92) ➜ Coming soon!

Reviews

[Tanisha Frazier]

Ben and River

I love the connection they have and now we're being introduced to more supernatural characters the story just keeps getting good. I don't ever want The Shade to end lol

[Judy Lewis]

CAPTIVATING, COMPELLING AND WONDERFULLY ENTERTAINING !!!
Title: A VIAL OF LIFE
Series: A Shade of Vampire
Designation: Book Twenty One of a Multi-Novel Serial, NOT a Standalone Read
Author: Bella Forrest
Genre: Young Adult Paranormal Romance
Reading Platform: Kindle Unlimited
My Rating: FIVE CAPTIVATING STARS *****
Best-selling author Bella Forrest has dazzled her fans again with A Vial of Life, the latest release in her spellbinding A Shade of Vampire Series and has totally left me breathless! Like thousands of my fellow Shaddicts, I've been hooked from the very first book of the series and now anxiously await each release. And it's no surprise that Bella has delivered another riveting adventure that curls our toes, makes our hearts pound and keeps us begging for more! This is a supernatural/fantasy/adventure saga unlike anything I've ever read. It is exciting, well crafted, original, unique, imaginative, thrilling, fast paced, riveting, action packed, mysterious, suspenseful, enchanting, heartbreaking, heartwarming, seductive and oh so romantic. Whew, what a mouthful, but these are only a few of the words that come to mind after reading this incredible chronicle of the Shade, its inhabitants and their enemies. Can you tell that I really love this story? The narrative is exceptionally well written in the first person with multiple points of view. Each chapter is told by one of the characters which I believe gives more depth, intensity and perspective to the story and also adds to the understanding of the complexity of the characters. The dialogue is smart, well executed and flows effortlessly. Although the story is compelling, it's truly the magnificent cast of larger than life characters that makes the biggest impact. They are well developed, captivating, intriguing, engaging, endearing and quite literally, out of this world sexy! They explode from the page, grab your imagination, capture your heart and hold you totally enthralled from beginning to end. Forrest skillfully combines these elements to craft a beautifully written masterpiece of paranormal romance filled to the brim with action, adventure, fantasy, mystery, suspense, magic, supernatural beings, love, passion, loyalty, heartbreak, angst, hope and plot twists that will blow your mind.

In Book Twenty-One, Ben has been betrayed by Julie Duan, a vampire he recently met at The Tavern while seeking information. After Ben saves her life, she insists on accompanying Ben on his quest to free himself from the Elder, Basilius, but little does Ben know that her intentions are far from benevolent. In fact, she has been waiting for Ben to arrive at The Tavern for eighteen long years to capture and return him to Cruor as instructed by the Elders. As Ben is faced with an impossible decision, he chooses the ultimate sacrifice in order to continue his quest to free himself of the influence of Basilius and hopefully save both the human and supernatural realms from the ominous threat of the resurrection of the malevolent Elders thereby preventing their return to power. Tragically, Ben learns too late that some enemies as well as friends should never be trusted and finds himself in an even more precarious position. As the events of the prophecy come to pass, Ben finds himself again and again with not only the weight of worlds upon his shoulders, but also the safety and welfare of his family who are now in danger from another unexpected enemy, one his unsuspecting family will never see coming. And once again, Ben must rely on the beautiful River Giovanni for help. Sadly, this time, he may not be in a position to save the beautiful, courageous River. Oh my! More pieces to the puzzle are slowly revealed only to be replaced by even more perplexing questions. Will Ben discover the answers he so desperately needs before it's too late??? Will Ben ever be able to free himself from the life with which he has now been cursed to live??? Will he somehow find a way to rescue River? Will Jeremiah finally be able to exact his revenge??? We'll see!!! No spoilers from me but I will say this......Handsome, guilt-stricken, newly turned vampire who can't control his bloodlust-check! Beautiful half-blood heroine who gets caught up in what she once thought to be only fantasy and fairy tales-check! A plethora of supernatural characters including vampires, werewolves, witches, dragons, harpies, ogres, hawks, jinn, mermaids, mermen and even a hellhound-you bet! Danger, drama, adventure, suspense, mind blowing plot twists, an unexpected betrayal, a heartbreaking loss, an old enemy returns and a dangerous new enemy emerges-you bet! A confession of love between Ben and River-oh yes!!! That and a whole lot more! I love it! I never tire of visiting my friends of 'The Shade'. It always feels like returning home. If you love heart-wrenching young adult paranormal romance, heartbreaking angst, tantalizing magic, out of this world fantasy, spine-tingling suspense, heart-stopping action, malevolent enemies, evil machinations, unexpected plot twists and heart-pounding adventure, then you will surely enjoy A Shade of Vampire series. Buckle up my lovelies! It's another thrilling ride! Please keep in mind, this is a serial - not a stand alone story and the books should be read in order of their release - and it does contain nail biting cliffhangers that will leave you on the edge of your seat panting for more - which I love! Bella always keeps us on our toes but lovingly rewards our patience with each new release. You broke my heart in this book, Bella, but still, very well done! I can hardly wait to read what happens next with Derek, Sophia, Caleb, Rose, Ben, River, Claudia, Yuri, Vivienne, Xavier, Aiden, Corrine, Ibrahim and all the other wonderful residents of the Shade when Ben's adventure continues in Book 22! Completely captivating, seriously sexy, powerfully compelling and delightfully entertaining!!!
My Rating: FIVE MAGNIFICENTLY ENTERTAINING STARS *****

[J. Kahele]

Craziness

After trusting a fellow vampire, named Julie. Ben finds himself at the Cruor where the weakens elders rest. Julie had stabbed in the back, taking him to the very place he needed to stay away from.

As the elder that has imprinted on his soul, approached him with the intention of taking over his body. He remembers a potion that Arron, the Hawk leader had given him. He downs it and finds himself floating out of his body. What was this potion? What was he now?

[Mikayla]

As always an action packed thrilling read. Can't get enough.

[Amy Waford]

Keeps me wanting to read more. What supernatural creature will be next

[Judy Lewis]

CAPTIVATING, COMPELLING AND WONDERFULLY ENTERTAINING !!!
Title: A VIAL OF LIFE
Series: A Shade of Vampire
Designation: Book Twenty One of a Multi-Novel Serial, NOT a Standalone Read
Author: Bella Forrest
Genre: Young Adult Paranormal Romance
Reading Platform: Kindle Unlimited
My Rating: FIVE CAPTIVATING STARS *****
Best-selling author Bella Forrest has dazzled her fans again with A Vial of Life, the latest release in her spellbinding A Shade of Vampire Series and has totally left me breathless! Like thousands of my fellow Shaddicts, I've been hooked from the very first book of the series and now anxiously await each release. And it's no surprise that Bella has delivered another riveting adventure that curls our toes, makes our hearts pound and keeps us begging for more! This is a supernatural/fantasy/adventure saga unlike anything I've ever read. It is exciting, well crafted, original, unique, imaginative, thrilling, fast paced, riveting, action packed, mysterious, suspenseful, enchanting, heartbreaking, heartwarming, seductive and oh so romantic. Whew, what a mouthful, but these are only a few of the words that come to mind after reading this incredible chronicle of the Shade, its inhabitants and their enemies. Can you tell that I really love this story? The narrative is exceptionally well written in the first person with multiple points of view. Each chapter is told by one of the characters which I believe gives more depth, intensity and perspective to the story and also adds to the understanding of the complexity of the characters. The dialogue is smart, well executed and flows effortlessly. Although the story is compelling, it's truly the magnificent cast of larger than life characters that makes the biggest impact. They are well developed, captivating, intriguing, engaging, endearing and quite literally, out of this world sexy! They explode from the page, grab your imagination, capture your heart and hold you totally enthralled from beginning to end. Forrest skillfully combines these elements to craft a beautifully written masterpiece of paranormal romance filled to the brim with action, adventure, fantasy, mystery, suspense, magic, supernatural beings, love, passion, loyalty, heartbreak, angst, hope and plot twists that will blow your mind.

In Book Twenty-One, Ben has been betrayed by Julie Duan, a vampire he recently met at The Tavern while seeking information. After Ben saves her life, she insists on accompanying Ben on his quest to free himself from the Elder, Basilius, but little does Ben know that her intentions are far from benevolent. In fact, she has been waiting for Ben to arrive at The Tavern for eighteen long years to capture and return him to Cruor as instructed by the Elders. As Ben is faced with an impossible decision, he chooses the ultimate sacrifice in order to continue his quest to free himself of the influence of Basilius and hopefully save both the human and supernatural realms from the ominous threat of the resurrection of the malevolent Elders thereby preventing their return to power. Tragically, Ben learns too late that some enemies as well as friends should never be trusted and finds himself in an even more precarious position. As the events of the prophecy come to pass, Ben finds himself again and again with not only the weight of worlds upon his shoulders, but also the safety and welfare of his family who are now in danger from another unexpected enemy, one his unsuspecting family will never see coming. And once again, Ben must rely on the beautiful River Giovanni for help. Sadly, this time, he may not be in a position to save the beautiful, courageous River. Oh my! More pieces to the puzzle are slowly revealed only to be replaced by even more perplexing questions. Will Ben discover the answers he so desperately needs before it's too late??? Will Ben ever be able to free himself from the life with which he has now been cursed to live??? Will he somehow find a way to rescue River? Will Jeremiah finally be able to exact his revenge??? We'll see!!! No spoilers from me but I will say this......Handsome, guilt-stricken, newly turned vampire who can't control his bloodlust-check! Beautiful half-blood heroine who gets caught up in what she once thought to be only fantasy and fairy tales-check! A plethora of supernatural characters including vampires, werewolves, witches, dragons, harpies, ogres, hawks, jinn, mermaids, mermen and even a hellhound-you bet! Danger, drama, adventure, suspense, mind blowing plot twists, an unexpected betrayal, a heartbreaking loss, an old enemy returns and a dangerous new enemy emerges-you bet! A confession of love between Ben and River-oh yes!!! That and a whole lot more! I love it! I never tire of visiting my friends of 'The Shade'. It always feels like returning home. If you love heart-wrenching young adult paranormal romance, heartbreaking angst, tantalizing magic, out of this world fantasy, spine-tingling suspense, heart-stopping action, malevolent enemies, evil machinations, unexpected plot twists and heart-pounding adventure, then you will surely enjoy A Shade of Vampire series. Buckle up my lovelies! It's another thrilling ride! Please keep in mind, this is a serial - not a stand alone story and the books should be read in order of their release - and it does contain nail biting cliffhangers that will leave you on the edge of your seat panting for more - which I love! Bella always keeps us on our toes but lovingly rewards our patience with each new release. You broke my heart in this book, Bella, but still, very well done! I can hardly wait to read what happens next with Derek, Sophia, Caleb, Rose, Ben, River, Claudia, Yuri, Vivienne, Xavier, Aiden, Corrine, Ibrahim and all the other wonderful residents of the Shade when Ben's adventure continues in Book 22! Completely captivating, seriously sexy, powerfully compelling and delightfully entertaining!!!
My Rating: FIVE MAGNIFICENTLY ENTERTAINING STARS *****

[Laurielu Bona Fide Reflections]

I like River and Ben, a lot. This story went by really fast for me and I enjoyed the story. We get to enjoy characters from the Shade. The Hunters are looming in the background. There are new super naturals we got introduced to: the Jin. I am hoping the rest of River and Ben's stories in the coming books are as good.

[Marisol Acevedo]

Oh boy!!!!

Again, surprises in every turn. The shade has certainly scene is ups and downs. How will Celeb, Rose, Sophie, Derek, and the rest of the gang deal with what they cannot see. Another exciting adventure awaits just around the bend.

Well, I guess I’m off to book number 22! Happy reading!

[Judith Davis]

A Shade of Vampire 21: A Vial of Life by Bella Forest

As usual this book was fantastic. I'm never disappointed by one of Bella's books. It was full of magic and excitement. Keep them coming !

[D.R.Slater]

Vail of life

Fast moving, easy read, wide range of the supernatural spectrum. Cliffhanger ending will always cause the readers to follow thru with the next installment of Bella Forrest storytelling.

[Heather Cornett]

Another great read

I love all the books I have reAd by Bella Forrest. I hope she never stops writing. I will read Shade of Dragon while I wait for the next Ben and River story.

[Brooke]

Good

I keep waiting for a happy ending and things keep getting in the way of that. Get ready to be introduced to new supernaturals.

[Anna Davila]

I would like give a 21 star rating this. Series Is a must read.

[Jess Swann]

Un tome un peu plus intéressant que le précédent où nous commençons par découvrir les raisons de la trahison de Julie. Bon , sans surprise c'est l'amour... Cependant, je suis intriguée par les sortes de créatures zombies vampires qui viennent d'être relachées à Cruor. En ce qui concerne Ben, je suis également étonnée par ce qu'il est devenu et par l'idée de voyager dans les rêves. J'ai également apprécié le plan de Jeremiah pour se venger et je l'ai trouvé remarquablement bon ! Par contre, il est vrai que Aiden est toujours celui qui paie le prix le plus cher

Le destin des djinns m'a vraiment étonnée et j'avoue avoir eu de la peine pour elles.

La fin nous laisse sur un beau cliffhanger !


Ce que j'aime : les rebondissements, le fait que l'intrigue avance beaucoup, River


Ce que j'aime moins : j'aurais voulu en savoir plus sur les créatures


En bref : Un bon tome rempli d'action et de rebondissements


Ma note


8/10

[Melissa]

I wasn't keen on the first quarter of the book and I am sceptical about the new supernatural creature that is Balding and on a killing spree.
The rest of the book however frustrating it is now Ben is a ghost felt fast paced and there were lots of twists that I didn't see coming such as the Jeremiahs evil plan coming together and the hunters capturing River which I am intrigued about for the next book.
I do hope there is more Ben can do other than reach people via dreams, I enjoy when at their will they can reach out to people or touch objects in other supernatural stories so hope that the other ghosts on the island know of more ways to help Ben.

[Maria Banales]

Oh My

Well I can honestly say that I didn’t expect that to happen.. But I gotta say that this story just keeps getting better by each book I read.. All I want to do is read every book in this series, that’s how good these books are..

[Tiffany C]

Love this book! My heart is breaking for Ben and I so wish he wasn’t in the state and situation that he currently is. I feel for Jeremiah and wish he would’ve approached things differently. This book is another amazing one. I do hope the series ends eventually or I’ll be stuck forever lol!!

[Rautenh08]

Awesome!

This is the most exciting, romantic and addictive book series I have ever read! Best ever! Finished 20 books in 6 months, I have never been more entertained.

[Sheila gullick]

Full of twist and turns

Full of twist and turns. Never a.dull moment. Love the characters. Their strong personalities. Looking forward to the next one. A.Fork of paths

[Nikita]

Love this series

This series is hard to put down once started. Every book I've read so far I have loved! I can't wait to move on to the next one!

[Ashley Daniels]

Woah!!

This book is insane!! Leaving off from when Ben was about to be taken by the elder, this book is FULL of twists and turns!!

[Kelly Gunn]

Getting really exciting now.

[Lisa W]

Im not a big fan of the Ben River storyline, these ones with mostly Ben are quite the snore for me

[Allysha Benson]

This is the first book o didn’t give a 5 star to solely because Aiden lost another lover. Can’t he catch a break?!?!

[Kharynn France]

More to read

Nothing more to say except this is a great series. You won't be sorry you read it keep reading nothing more to say

[Roey Bee]

Took me a while to get into it...the whole vial premise was annoying....but the second half of the book was awesome! Excited to see what happens next :)

[J.E. Benoit]

That vial of potion may have given me life… But what kind of life is this?

Holy cow! After the way the last book ended I couldn’t wait to find out what that ending meant for Ben and the next leg of his journey, I never expected it to be so heartbreaking! This poor kid has endured so much and I can’t even imagine how he’s going to get himself out of this current predicament. And to feel so helpless as everything else is falling apart around him, my heart totally went out to him! I really, really, really hope that things work out for him in the end. He absolutely deserves it!

This particular installment was very reminiscent of the earlier Shade books with all of the action and adventure and the fact that it took place pretty much within The Shade the entire time and focused on the core group of characters. Several things that happened early on in the series are starting to have implications now, which is really turning up the danger and suspense for our residents of The Shade! As always, this book is filled with so many twists and turns that it’ll leave your head spinning. And I can’t even begin to figure out what some of the new discoveries will mean long term for this storyline, but all I know is that these ‘bad guys’ that Bella Forrest keeps thinking up just get scarier and more deadlier as the series goes on!

I feel like Ben still has a long way to go on his journey and given how this one ends, I am nervous for what’s going to happen next! But one thing’s for sure, I can’t wait for the next installment to find out!

[Yasmin Danielle]

The upcoming chapters in the book give insight to Julie, a young vampire, whose motives are founded on the basis of loyalty and love but in doing so she breaks a blossoming friendship with a charming Benjamin Novak. As such, he is forced to make a decision in a split second as to whether; he lives for the ending of mankind, or survives only to be lost forever. How do you choose?

To describe and summarise ‘A vial of life’, in the simplistic most accurate way, is by the last quote of the book...

“Taking place before my very eyes was a phenomenon that I was certain had never occurred before in all of supernatural history.

God forbid… Could this really be happening?”

Most people ask.. how are you still reading this series when there’s 21 books so far? Because Bella Forrest manages to develop and adapt her writing so it gets better and better!!

I was in complete horror and shock to the evolvement in this story which is why I simply love it and can not wait to see what evolves from what we witness in Cruor.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[Darla]

another great story in this one well lets just say we find out who side julie is on, and its not ben....however that said at least we find out why.. we know that aaron was right if ben drinks the elixer.....jeremiah is a trip he meets his uncle for the first time and well lets just say it does not go well at all ....poor river gets kidnapped.... ben learns he can enter into a person dreams and bless him for saving the day....over all great story cant wait to see how things goes with all the trauma that happens in this one.. probably the saddest story so far....well written

[Kimberly]

Wow

I couldn't put down my Kindle.

Ben's story gets even more exciting. Now that he's a ghost, he returns to The Shade to make sure that his family is safe. But he can't touch anything or communicate with them either. The only person he can talk to is River and it's through her dreams that he sends messages to his parents when strange things start happening at The Shade.

Is that the end of Ben? And a new enemy is being created, and they are scarier than the Elders were.