Colleen Gleason - The rest falls away

Victoria Gardella Grantworth debut season was delayed because of the death of her grandfather and father, but now it’s finally here. Victoria is really looking forward to attending the balls and maybe even find a husband. But there is something bothering her, for the last couple of weeks she has dreams about killing vampires and she is not sure what to think of it. The only person she can talk to about this kind of stuff is her eccentric Aunt Eustace and after a good talk Victoria discovers more about her family legacy than she already knows. It appears she is this generation vampire slayer, a venator.

During the day Victoria is training to become a ruthless vampire slayer, guided by her aunt Eustace and her personal trainer and during the evenings she attends balls en opera’s with her mother to find the suitable husband. Victoria tries to keep the two worlds apart, but at her coming out party when she meets handsome Lord Phillip de Lacey, she senses a vampire and she knows it is time to make her first kill.

When she’s about the make her first kill Victoria almost stakes the vampire executioner Maximilan Pesaro and he is not happy about it. Maximilan believes that Victoria cannot keep her personal life separate from the hunting. And Victoria is about to find out how right Max really is.

The rest falls away by Colleen Gleason is the first novel in the Gardella vampire chronicles. It’s the fist novel I’ve read by Miss Gleason and I have to say she didn’t disappoint me at all. I have to be honest I had the first two novels on my shelves for ages, but after a friend of mine mentioned that the series was fabulous I needed to find it out for myself and I have to say what a lovely surprise that was.

Victoria Grantworth is just a young woman who just comes out for her debut season and hopes to find a suitable husband, at least that’s what her mother wants. But after some strange dreams about vampires, she’s wondering if there is more in her life. So she goes to the only person who will understand her and explains to her what and who Victoria really is. From the moment Victoria decides to fight the vampires and take her place as the next venator, her life is turning up side down and never will be the same again.

There are three strong male characters in this novel, Phillip de Lacey who could be the suitable husband Victoria is looking for. Maximilan Pesaro, one of the vampire slayers who don’t believe Victoria will be able to do her job as venator and live her life in society. And then there is Sebastian Vioget, the handsome owner of a vampire bar who seem pretty much impressed by Victoria and show it to her every opportunity he’s got.

If you put Buffy and historical “regency” romantic fantasy together then you will get Victoria Grantworth and her adventures. You find it all in this novel, historical romance, young female slayer, some nasty vampires and good doses of male characters to make things very interesting. I cannot wait to see what will happen to Victoria in the next novels.