Forever Knight: These Our Revels

Forever Knight #3

by Ann Hathaway-Nayne

Nick Knight is one of the finest homicide detectives in Toronto. But he wishes he could shed the curse of his true calling. The burn of the thirst. The thrill of the kill. The endless nights longing to be human...and not a vampire.

Midsummer, 1599: Nicholas Chevalier (aka Nick Knight) is having the time of his immortal life acting in the company of his friend Will Shakespeare. But it's all about to end...

Genres: Vampires, Fiction, Horror, Fantasy

274 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1997

Reviews

[Persephone Underwing · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was pleasantly impressed with this storyline! I am not a huge fan of Elizabethan-era historical fiction, so I was prepared to slog through it. Instead, I became entirely reluctant for the book to end! Hathaway-Nayne presented a well-researched novel that not only captured the characters we love from FK, but dropped them seamlessly into the 16th-century, setting the atmosphere to effectively immerse the reader in the culture and keep the pace of the story moving. Well met, indeed!

Given that the story begins as a classic flashback between Nick and Natalie, I was happy that the perspective did not stay exclusively to Nicholas. Even his tiresome moralizing and self-flagellation was kept at tolerable levels as we jumped around to the other characters. Baby Vachon was a delight, being shepherded around London by a street-savy Screed. (Mixed feelings on the elucidation of his creation, but it does follow Vachon's obliviousness.) Reintroducing Aristotle was great - I wish more novels exploring these one-off characters in the series existed. I particularly enjoyed exploring the relationship between LaCroix and Aristotle, two ancients and their histories is a treasure trove of possibilities. Getting more time with the family was great overall, and it's just lovely to get more of Janette's perspective on her idiot brother-husband :)

The human element was fine enough. Adhering to the language of the time was a great flex on the part of Hathaway-Nayne, and while I cannot say I was a huge fan of deciphering the witty banter, it completed the immersion of Nick's desires. I appreciated Isabella as a character and her agency, particularly as a contrast to Fleur and the lack of agency Nick allowed her. While we may never know her story entire, I like to think she will make the most of her new opportunities.

Overall, a great pleasure read with no real stakes (ha!), just more time with some beloved characters.

[Dominique Lamssies · Rating 2 out of 5]

The author has a very extensive knowledge of Elizabethan history, culture and literature. Unfortunately, I think that may have been the downfall here, as this book seems more about displaying that knowledge then actually telling a story.

The entire book has characters doing things, and things happening, but I can't say there's an actual plot. Very little of what happens seems to have a connection to anything else that happens. The only three characters we get anything resembling depth for are Nick and Janette. There a bunch of other characters we're led to believe matter to what is happening, but we never an idea as to why. I don't even know why Vachon and Screed are in this. I never liked the characters to begin with, and if anything, this books makes me like them less since they apparently have no depth whatsoever.

This book is competently written in a mostly Shakespearean dialect, as it were, and that feat alone, kept up for almost 300 pages is admirable, but that is really the only thing worth picking this book up for. Even for Forever Knight fans.

[Todd R · Rating 1 out of 5]

I would have loved to have been able to get into this novel, but the author spent every page proving how well she understood the era. Too much of my time was spent trying to figure out what characters were saying in their period vocabulary. A very difficult read...every page was way too much effort.
Love Forever Knight, but the novels are subpar...even for tie-in media.

[Debi Emerson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I liked this book. I loved the TV show "Forever Knight", and this book gives an imaginative insight into one of Nick's prior lives. That Will Shakespeare is one of the characters is just icing on the cake.

[catechism]

idk, man. choices were made. bad ones.

[Sara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Yup, I'm that big of a geek - I'm reading a book based on an obscure yet fabulous 1990s Canadian TV show about a vampire/police detective. Good so far, but could be better on the campy-vampy fun : Shakespeare ratio.

[Christine · Rating 2 out of 5]

well written, albeit not my cup of tea (the William Shakespeare angle, I mean... and the present day scenes were too few...

[Daelith · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was just too dry for my taste. Then again I've never cared much for Shakespeare.