Colleen Gleason continues to prove to her editors and readers that she is a cut above other mass-market romance fiction novelists. In her latest installment of the Gardella Vampire Chronicles, Gleason has once again shown that she can lay a complex buffet for her readers to feast on. Who else could have come up with the premise of a Regency heroine vampire slayer that is originally and legitimately well done?

The Bleeding Dusk takes us to Rome this time, where Victoria must find a way beyond the trauma and chaos of the past year, and delve into her strength to become the new Illa Gardella. Armed with two vis bullae, she, Max, Sebastian and her Venators must prevent the combined dark forces of demons and vampires from opening La Porta Alchemica or the Door of Alchemy. It is path fraught with sacrifice. Gleason is not into pacification. She is not going to give us an easy read where we have the end game in our sights.

Gleason deliberately toys with us with regard to Victoria's love interests and more, stops on a dime, and reverses in another direction. In many ways it works.

Throughout this entire series, I was strongly reminded of Ken Russell's movie "Gothic" intermeshed with Buffy. And I haven't seen such painstaking attention to detail since Chelsea Quinn Yarbro.

Gleason tamps down the romantic element-this series reads stronger as sci-fi/fantasy, not romance (even though its marketed as romance), though there are elements of it-but that won't detract readers by any means. This is how the genre is evolving. Romance seems to be an area of growth for Gleason, and I eagerly anticipate seeing it flourish. Particularly in balancing the romance aspects with suspense. The current conundrum of Sebastian and Max is a bittersweet torment-especially with the sacrifice that Max has to make. The finale...well... it's quite a finale. Grossly enrapturing.

Those watching should bear careful consideration: Gleason can only go up from here.

Unbelievable that this is a Signet Eclipse...which is a gentle warning to her editors....at this skill level you might not have her for long...Copyright(c)Nicola Mattos ( )

Continuing just months after the final climactic battle of Rises the Night in which Victoria, heir to the Venator title- or vampire slayer/chosen one to you and me- loses her beloved Aunt Eustascia, The Bleeding Dusk- the third novel in Gleason's Gardella Vampire Chronicles series- finds Victoria ready and willing to take the reins of leadership over her fellow slayers as Illa Gardella- THE Gardella. She has the renewed strength to do the job- and is no longer the innocent we were introduced to in The Rest Falls Away.

In TBD, Victoria is once again thrust into a new and dangerous plot, the demon Akvan- arisen from the events of Rises the Night- is hoping to open the Door of the Alchemists. A door that will lead him to the very thing he needs to be restored to full power. Victoria along with her fellow Venators cannot allow this and it is she who has the key to defeating him. Literally.

But other circumstances are swirling around Victoria, and Sebastian is back- along with his Grandfather, the ancient Vampire Beauregard and they have their own plans for Victoria.

Per usual, Gleason spins a web of a story that slowly drew me in until I became so absorbed I didn't realize I was almost at the end. Especially when it became obvious the enigmatic Max, venator by choice rather than birth, was about to do the thing I thought he had set aside at the very beginning of the book. (Yes Max lovers, this one's for us!)

Gleason throws in a bit of a twist at the end of this one that made the pages fly, and I have to give props to the plotting! How all the threads tied together was just marvelous and I thoroughly enjoyed the ride.

Of course, once again, we are treated to the love triangle of Max, Sebastian, and Vicki Venator. Much like in the tv show Lost, I have my idea of who our heroine should find her happily ever after with, though I'm sure others would disagree. But that's the fun of triangles, isn't it? Will they? Won't they? Who will she choose?

And that's not the only Will She? Won't She? In this book. Guess you'll have to read to find out!

Yep, it's a great little hook- and I'm falling for it.

The next in the series, When Twilight Burns, is set to come out in August and I'll be looking forward to it! ( )

The Bleeding Dusk is the third book in The Gardella Vampire Chronicles. I have enjoyed this series so much that I have actually delayed reading them. I am so not ready for this series to end but I just bought the last book in the series, As Shadows Fade, this past weekend. Now I am not sure I will be able to wait any longer. It is total comfort and escapism for me. Historical Fiction…Vampire Fiction…perfect fusion.
In this installment we find Victoria still in Rome. She is in mourning for her beloved Aunt Eustacia as well as her husband. She must step into her aunt’s role as the leader of the Venators and lead them on in their quest to fight the evil vampires. She barely has time to adjust to her new role and recover from her recent losses when sinister events begin swirling during Rome’s Carnivale.

This is pure fun for me and even though I am not normally a big fan of the romance genre, I love this series. Victoria, Max and Sebastian continue to be likable characters for me as well as Wayren and the rest of the Venator family. I hope to have time to devour the last two books in the series next week. I am dying to know who Victoria chooses. I know who I’d choose. (5/5) ( )

From the Publisher: To gain access to the secrets of a legendary alchemist, Rome's vampires have allied themselves with creatures as evil and bloodthirsty as they are. The new leader of the city's vampire hunters-Lady Victoria Gardella Grantworth de Lacy-reluctantly turns to the enigmatic Sebastian Vioget for help, just as Maximilian Pesaro arrives to aid his fellow slayers, no matter what the sacrifice. Desire puts her at the mercy of Sebastian, while loyalty binds her to Max, but she does not know if she can trust either. Especially when a seductive vampire begins luring her into the shadows...

Comments: The Bleeding Dusk, the fourth book in the Gardella Vampire Chronicles, is probably my favorite in the series so far. It is dark and thrilling. Victoria continues to grow as a character, coming into her own. With each book, the reader learns more about Maximillion Pesaro and Sebastian Vioget, two complicated and very different men whose histories are somehow intertwined.

It was good to see the return of a few favorites from the first novel, The Rest Falls Away, characters I had not realized I had missed until running into them again in The Bleeding Dusk. Melly, Victoria’s mother, and her two friends provide a bit of comic relief in an otherwise dark and suspense filled novel that literally kept me all night as I raced to the end to find out what would happen next.

The only downside is that I do not yet have my copy of the final book in the series, When Twilight Burns. Oh, how I wish I did! And yet, in a way, I am glad I don’t. I am not sure I am ready to see this series come to an end. ( )

As the third book in the series it is difficult to summarize the plot without spoilers so I will keep it brief. Victoria (and the rest of the gang) are on the trail of a demon who has evil plans and Beauregard has also become more of a threat making Sebastian torn between his loyalties.

Honestly, I found this entry in the series quite a bit slower than the first two. The pacing of the first half was slow and the romance was a bit much for me. Victoria's swaying between yearning and anger does become tiresome after a while. Plus, with all the romance we were rewarded with only one, rather lame, sex scene.

Halfway through, the pace does pick up and the danger and intrigue take over the plot. It was at this point I felt the book more worthy of the first two installments. And if there is anything Colleen Gleason can do: it is to deliver a totally unexpected and devastating ending. The last several chapters I just couldn't read fast enough. I wanted to turn the pages faster than I could read them which made the book a worthwhile read and of course, I must now read the next installment which will be published next month, August, (I believe) to find out what happens next. ( )