Stacey Voss

I meant to read and review this ages ago. Finding it on my computer I felt guilty and promptly put on my reading glasses. I was in for a really enjoyable evening, a fun double-mystery, with the past slowly revealing itself while future danger awaits… which makes sense, I guess, since the past has led sisters, Christine and Sarah, to drive alone and get lost in the fog, somewhere far from their intended route and closer to home than they imagine.

The author has a nice way of hinting at trouble then quietly backing away, just like in a good scary movie. No, don’t go off alone… Well, maybe it’s okay… Yeah, and he seems like a nice guy…

Then suddenly… Well, that would be giving it away. Suffice it to say the puzzle becomes even more intriguing when Christine awakes from the bump on her head. And even when explanations begin, much more is left to be imagined and slowly revealed. The author creates a fascinating gothic world replete with financial and political hierarchies and a very neatly imagined history.

Thunder and Blood, by Stacey Voss, is a novel with fascinating three-dimensional characters, the purest evil containing remnants of good, and the good constantly fighting against modern-day and mysterious failings. The story builds up to an exciting and satisfying conclusion; and the promise of more coming soon in Thunder and Ice is just “icing” on the cake.… (más)

I was attracted to this book mainly for two reasons - - the vampire plot and the fabulous cover. To find that the story was original, addictive and fun was an added bonus.

First time author Stacey Voss has woven together a mesmerizing story with the gothic and moody atmosphere perfect for Halloween. While the beginning of the synopsis sounds like a generic horror film (couple leaves for a weekend getaway only to encounter an evil they didn’t know existed), Thunder and Blood is anything but.

I liked heroine Sarah immediately. She is like any of us - - mentally and emotionally tired, desperately needing a getaway after a life-changing event. She has recently split from her husband and although she loves Christine, she has always felt inadequate compared to her younger sister’s beauty and sparkling personality.

Christine was likable as well - - an occurrence that doesn’t always happen with a seemingly secondary character who has been stressed to have been blessed with good looks and confidence.

Both sisters seemed real and neither one put herself in the kind of inexplicable and foolish situation that in the past I have found some characters put in and which causes me to want to bang my head repeatedly into a wall.

I was happy that Sarah turned out to have a backbone and even happier the plot unwound in ways that were wholly unexpected.

And let me just say about the plot - - I loved it. Vampire stories are relatively a dime a dozen right now and Stacey Voss has managed to put a new spin on a much-used plot device. I loved the idea of an alternate reality - - or even a time travel portal, depending on what theory you choose to believe. I loved the descriptions of the castle in Donner, I loved the characters of Hillard and Adelaide and I even loved the evilness of Lord Radick . . . well, to a degree!

Truthfully, the book did start a bit slow with the backstory of the trip and with flashbacks to Sarah’s situation. I didn’t feel as involved in Sarah’s flashbacks but it was possibly because I am impatient and I wanted to get back to the “good” stuff with Donner, vampires and Hillard. The ending, however, made even the few slow parts well worth the wait. I felt the ending, like the story as a whole, was unpredictable and it not only left me gasping but anxious to continue the sisters' story.

If you like vampire stories, if you’re a fan of the paranormal, then Thunder and Blood is for you. If you don’t care for either genre, you probably won’t be as excited as I am.

I recommend it for all you paranormal/vampire/gothic fans . . . but be prepared to be frustrated at having to wait for the next book!… (más)