My love for vampires started with Barnabas Collins, a 175 year old vampire, played by Jonathan Frid. He appeared on the soap opera “Dark Shadows” which ran from 1966 to 1971. Today vampire novels are plentiful and most seem to follow the familiar myths. The Companion by Susan Squires goes beyond the predictable and puts a fresh spin on the old legends.
Avid readers who hunger for stories about vampires that will transport them physically, intellectually and emotionally will love this book. It’s the first in Squires’ series and it’s one of my all time favorite vampire stories.
The time is 1819. The hero is Ian Rufford, a former naval officer, who was captured in Egypt and infected with the Companion by a sadistic woman who enslaved him. He escapes and hopes to find an English doctor who can cure him of his blood disorder.
He meets Elizabeth Rochewell, on a ship traveling from Egypt to England. Elizabeth was working with her father, an archaeologist, in the Sahara Desert. When he died she was forced to return home. Ian and Elizabeth are drawn to each other and become friends. But can Ian overcome his traumatic past and have a future with Elizabeth?
The story moves from Regency England to Egypt and Squires is equally at home in both settings. She provides rich historical detail, sizzling romance, strong characters and a depraved villainess.
Squires gives her vampires a unique and refreshing twist by infecting them with a parasite, and one that may have alien origins. There is some violence and explicit passages about sexual degradations. These are mainly revealed in flashbacks that give insight to Ian’s tortured past and add depth to his character.
This book is much more than a romance. It’s a sensual love story but it’s also a paranormal thriller and an historical drama. If you love vampires it’s a must read. Publisher: St. Martin’s Paperbacks (May 2005) ISBN: 978-0312998530 Pages: 384
THE COMPANION - A Regency Vampire Novel by Susan Squires
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