Review ~ Rises the Night ~ Colleen Gleason #TakeControlTBR #ShelfLove

Rises the Night by Colleen Gleason
Gardella Vampire Hunters #2
Release Date: June 5, 2007
Genre: Adult, Paranormal Romance
Source: Purchased on Kindle
Rating: 4.5 Bookworms
Challenges: #ShelfLove, #TakeControl, #TravelingtotheTerminus
Goodreads

Synopsis
The saga of Victoria Gardella continues as the glorious nineteenth-century city of Rome gives rise to a new threat from the immortal undead...

Lady Victoria Gardella Grantworth de Lacy has been a vampire slayer for just over a year, balancing her life as a peer of Soceity with the dangerous role that takes her out on moonlit streets, stake in hand. She has learned brutal and heartbreaking lessons about the sacrifices that must be made in order to save humanity from the evil that secretly preys upon it, but she has not wavered in her vow to fight on.

Now, in Italy, a powerful vampire is amassing the power to control the souls of the dead. As Victoria races across Europe to stop what could be the most deadly army the Gardellas have ever faced, her unlikely companion is Sebastian Vioget--a man as tempting as he is untrustworthy.

But when Victoria discovers she has been betrayed by one of her most trusted allies, the truth will challenge all her powers as a Venator...and as a woman.

I was an instant fan of this series following the stellar first installment. Vampire hunters in Regency-era England? Yes, please. Rises the Night picks up almost a year after the end of book 1 - that heartbreaking ending. Rises the Night is every bit as exciting and fascinating, with intrigue, a new evil on the rise, and questionable loyalties.

This installment finds Victoria investigating and attempting to locate a new threat to humanity. No one has heard from Max in almost a year so Victoria relies on aid from Sebastian despite not knowing for certain if he's trustworthy.

There is danger almost at every turn - the introduction of new characters for whom it was thrilling to try to determine their allegiance, and the simmering sexual tension between Victoria and Sebastian hit the boiling point. There were also more than a few surprises, some of which left me bereft. Actually, I'm still feeling that way and am quite certain that I'll continue this series soon as I'm more that eager to know what is lying in wait for our heroine next.

As long as I'm rambling, I appreciated the change in locale for this installment. Rome and Venice allowed Victoria even more freedom as a woman and I also liked the description of the cities. Victoria also learns more about the Venators, which provided a little more history about the venerable group of hunters she's a part of. I also liked the lore used regarding this newest evil.

Overall, I'm simply enthralled. I'm anxious to learn, experience, immerse myself even more in this series!