Simon, sworn Knight of Lyan, is returning home along with his liege lord and adopted father. However, a celebration meant to be the wedding of the duke and the lovely gypsy, Roxanna, turns into a blood bath and Simon finds himself the victim of a horrific curse. With the faint hope of a singular cure Simon embarks on a decade long quest never expecting to discover that the guardian of the secret to his salvation is an innocent lady bound by her own oaths to protect her castle and her people.

In a desperate plight Lady Isabel of the Castle Charmot prays to all spirits who may be listening to send her a champion, her true Black Knight, with the strength to turn away all those determined to claim her land. What she gets is a reclusive cousin in monk's garbs who claims to be cursed and in search of the wisdom that may be lying in the ancient catacombs beneath her home. But unknown to her an ancient evil is stalking her supposed cousin. Will the man she has welcomed as a protector turn out to be the deadliest enemy of all?

Although vampire romances have always been among my favorites of the paranormal genre for some reason I haven't been very impressed with them lately. Happily I think this story has managed to break that trend. Although the vampires here are definitely more cliché, it was actually a refreshing change from the increasingly different and varied mythos being spun about these staples of our wild imagination. From his serious sunlight allergy, to his aversion to holy artifacts, to his unapologetic diet of human blood, Simon is the epitome of the legendary vampire, except that he is the romantic hero. I really very much enjoyed him and the way he is described. I also found Isabel's strength and tenacity, without the abrasive attitude and demeanor you see in many paranormal romance heroines lately, quite appealing.

If you're in the mood for a light vampire romance that plays homage to the more traditional vampire role this story would be perfect. I liked it enough to have already ordered the next book of this series. ( )

As readers of modern-day vampire romances know, most vampires were created in medieval times. This new series takes you to that time when superstition ruled the people and the vampire is newly created and learning what works and doesn't.

By not straying too far from the usual vampire myths, Lucy Blue has created an interesting realm where these creatures can exist in conccert with mere mortals.

Only two down points - (1) the conclusion is an obvious prelude to the sequel, there is no happily-ever-after here, and (2) the mortals in question do seem to accept the vampires with ease, despite the superstitiousness of the times. ( )

An all around pretty good romantic vampire book. A light, easy read and well worth it. Can't wait for the sequel. ( )