"The vampire saga continues..."

Trouble is brewing in Baton Rouge. A dangerous, not to mention illegal organization, 'la société rouge', of vampires is taking hold of the city, defying all laws of The Brotherhood, the governing authority of the vampires in the States. The leader of this dangerous... and deadly... society, Vangeline, is a vampire herself who is extremely powerful and permitting her followers to run around creating aberrations. Aberrations are half human/half- vampire beings, controlled exclusively by the vampire who created them.

Nikolena, the ruling vampire of the Directorate, needs someone to go undercover in the dangerous society, someone who can find the secrets to Vangeline's power, and destroy her once and for all. The past two vampires she sent never returned, only to be assumed to have been discovered and sent to their True Deaths. Enter Revelin (Rev) Scott, AKA Sean Ardwolf. He is Nikolena's chosen l'enforcier, who just happens to be resistant to the feminine powers, and is choosen to infiltrate Vangeline's lair to eliminate her. Rev swears he will not fail, reiterating his oft-used motto "No one goes Scott-free."

His partner in this duty is a young human woman, Denice (Deni) Geron, whose brother was one of the aberrations until he disappeared, presumed dead. She has some very incriminating information about la société, information her brother managed to get to her before he met his fate. Deni is reluctant, hating all vampires because of what happened to her brother, and is convinced she will not remain alive once the mission is complete.

Upon being introduced to Rev, she is at first repulsed by him. But as she gets to know him, her feelings change. Heaven forbid, could she actually be falling for the enemy? Rev has never met a woman he couldn't handle, but Deni is different. Something about her draws him, though he cannot explain it. However, as Rev is drawn into the lures of la société, and doomed to failure, his only hope lies in the young enticing Deni, and some unlikely allies found along the way. But will the temptations provided by his dangerous mission be too much? Can he find the answers that will destroy Vangeline and her followers once and for all?

This was a fascinating entrée into the world of Ms. Roycraft's vampires, for this reviewer. It is not the first book in the series, but stands alone and gives a good story for the reader. The characters are compelling and seductive, grabbing hold from page one, and captivating a reader through to the end. The plot is skillfully rendered, thickening throughout, enough to keep one waiting breathlessly for whatever will happen next. A couple plot twists are thrown in enhancing the story and adding to the suspense.

Ms. Roycraft has much talent for writing, knowing just when to ease up and when to tighten her hold on her characters and stories. She also knows just the right elements of detail to use in her painting of the landscape of her world, giving a clear picture of her elements, so the reader can visualize what is happening. This may have been the first one of her books to be read by this reviewer, but it won't be the last. This book leaves one eager for more, wanting to rush out and buy more books from this vampire world. Happy reading; this one is sure to not disappoint.

© Kelley A. Hartsell, January 2003. All rights reserved.

Reviewed by Kelley Hartsell
Courtesy Love Romances
Posted January 22, 2003

The Directress Nikolena needs a spy. An illegal secret society of vampires has sprung up in Baton Rouge and is creating a small army of "aberrations," creatures that are half-human, half-vampire, and highly susceptible to the will of their masters. Led by Vangeline, a mysterious female reputed to possess great power, this society is a threat not only to the human world, but the hierarchy as well. Nikolena's past enforcier fell victim to l'amour. Needing someone who is immune to feminine wiles, she turns to her favorite new enforcer, whose motto is "no one goes Scott-free."

Revelin Scott is normally pretty easygoing. Even the snide comments of his coworkers that he's nothing but Nikolena's "new dog" don't faze the new enforcier. But when Rev is instructed to dye his hair, change his name, and go undercover, he fears the worst. When he's saddled with a young woman whose brother was one of Vangeline's aberrations, Rev knows the case will be bad. Denice Geron has information he'll need to infiltrate the society, but her disrespect and defiance test his patience to the limit.

Denice's brother Michel, infected with vampire blood, had the strength of will to resist the machinations of the société, and before he was found out and killed, he was able to relay information to his sister. Denice seeks help of the Brotherhood and is passed up the chain of command, but instead of getting what she envisions as the epitome of vampirekind, she gets "Sean Ardwolf," a cocky young vampire who looks more like a debauched rock star than Dracula.

She helps him gain access to the société, but Vangeline is more powerful than anyone imagined, and even Revelin/Sean is drawn into her web of seduction and poisoned by her tainted blood. Denice is his only salvation, but it would mean her death to help him now. A few weeks ago the decision for both would have been easy. Now nothing is easy, no one is to be trusted, and there's no going back.