A gothic vampire tale that deftly balances horror and tenderness.
Christian Du Mauré, a poor farmer, knows loss all too well. He grew up close to Leila, the sister of his best friend, Michel. Leila’s love carried him through his formative years until her father married her off to the highest bidder, suddenly tearing her away from him. With nothing left, Christian embarks upon a path of self-destruction, murder, and sorrow. Years later, Leila briefly returns home with her watchful young son, a boy whose familiar face raises a question Christian dares not ask. Leila’s visit reopens every wound he thought had scarred over, and when they part, he is left to wallow in misery. Meanwhile, Michel drifts toward Paris and the company of Gabrielle, an older woman whose beauty carries something unsettling. Drawn reluctantly into the candlelit salons of the city, Christian meets Gabrielle, crosses paths with the menacing Gaétan, and slowly grasps that his friend has been pulled into a circle far more dangerous than any Parisian romance. But this circle is one where the threats turn violent, and no one close to Christian is safe as he moves steadily toward a choice that will cost him his mortal life.
A captivating memoir-style novella about a young man whose life is fraught with sadness, Denise K. Rago’s The Awakening gives readers a protagonist to truly care for. Christian’s retrospective narration distinguishes this book from other vampire romances by looking back on his own undoing, lending every scene a note of inevitable doom. Tension and suspense run throughout, especially when Christian meets the enigmatic Gabrielle. Gaétan makes a formidable foe, and his threats never feel empty. The friendship between Michel and Christian is heartwarming as the two wounded young men lean on one another through the demands of farm work and find peace in each other’s company. A guardian who has watched over Christian since boyhood adds a thread of mystery and gives the story’s multi-year jumps an intrigue that resurfaces in its final pages. Moving in time between chapters keeps the pace brisk, though it occasionally skips past moments readers may wish had more room to breathe. The author drops subtle hints at things to come, keeping audiences guessing what might happen next. Anyone who loves historical fiction with dread-soaked seduction at its heart will appreciate The Awakening, a gothic vampire tale that deftly balances horror and tenderness.
