reviews_and_ramblings | Written in Blood by Luisa Prieto

This is an old fashioned vampire novel. Lately vampires are become dream lover type and reader forgot that they are actually deadly creature. Creature of the night and shadows. And the Victorian London is a place that suits them, since even during the day, the reader has always the impression that the sky is cloudy and the weather is rainy. There is seldom full day light, and even if you click on the gaslight, nevertheless the rooms are always full of shadows. People also are more enthralling, same man than during the day light would make you change your path, at night it is a tempting alley.

Collin Foster is a reporter for an important newspaper; he loves to find the true, he loves to bring justice, but people like to read about scandal. Just an year before Collin was following and helped to bring to justice a children murderer, but it was not a news that makes the paper for days. And now, when Collin brings to light a brothel for very wealthy men who prefer the company of their same sex, now Collin is all over the news, the wealthy men are flying away in France or somewhere else, and the poor boys who worked there are in prison. And Collin is not feeling as he brought to justice some sinner, he is feeling bad, since those men are like him, only that Collin has never had the chance, or the courage, to follow his instincts.

One night he meets by chance an handsome man, Eduard de Sonnac. He is a stranger, he probably will leave the city soon, and Collin is tempted. Not only by the beauty of the man, but also by his deepness: de Sonnac seems to know so much and he is enthralling. Collin is tempted and he surrenders to temptation.

This is a novel which told a story in the middle of a bigger event. A lot is happened before to Eduard, and his character is only hinted here. More of the story is about Collin. Collin is quite a complicated man; not only he is homosexual, he has also chosen a strange career for a middle class man like him. Plus there is a dark and gothic story in his past, the murder of his sister, an event that was never really explained or resolved. Collin has a thirst for justice, and he tries to qualm this thirst with his work as reporter. But Collin has not a black and white perspective on the world, he is too much on the edge to have the sacred fire of a true reporter inside him: Collin is horrified by the fate of the victims when they are innocent, but he is also able to feel for the guilty ones when their acts are something unintentional. Collin can feel for who lives in the shadows, since he is like them. The only important difference between him and them is that Collin is a very strong man, able to resist to the darkest desires, even when they are sexual desires... at least he is able to resist till he meets Eduard. It's strange, Collin at first is so controlled, almost cold, but then he is even more passionate than Eduard, and I have the feel that he could be a stronger man than Eduard, if taught well.

As I said Eduard is not so much developed, it would be interesting to read his story before and after Collin. And I have the feeling that the author is not finished with them, there is still a lot to say, a lot to develop and secrets to unveil.

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