New Fantasy Books – A Tale of Two Vampires

A Tale of Two Vampires: A Dark Ones Novel by Katie MacAlister

One of the advantages of this job is that you sooner or later end up with a big pile of new fantasy books to sort through. While looking through the usual crop of new fantasy books, I came across a time travel romance fantasy that is worth the effort. Katie MacAlister loves to throw a bit of humor into her lusty romances. It is this wink, wink, nudge, nudge to us the readers that have me looking forward to any new fantasy books from Katie.

In this latest of her new fantasy books to hit the net, we meet Iolanthe, a young woman looking for a break by taking an invitation to relax at a cousin’s Austrian home. She decides to explore an old forest, long rumored to be haunted, and quickly becomes lost. But she soon finds that she has stumbled into a time warp and is walking the same countryside in the 18th century.

Ah- you are asking. All very fine, but if this is one of our new fantasy books,where is our fantasy? Hang on – it’s coming! The man she is brought before, the local lord, is a vampire. Nikola has been cursed to this undead life by his half-brothers. The Dark One pays attention when a strange woman says she has met his daughter, three hundred years in the future.

Humor Takes a Bow

Now, the fact that these two can communicate telepathically is just the start of some great communication between Nikola and Iloanthe. There aren’t too many of the new fantasy books that will make you laugh out loud,but let me tell you Katie has the chops to do it. There is a devilish sense of irony to much of this inner conversation that is priceless.

Of course, there is also an inner sensuality that simmers just below the surface and then starts to rise. Personally, any of these new fantasy books heroes would not get thrown out of my bed for eating crackers, but especially not our Nikola here. Can we say tall, dark and yummy?

If you have been following this new fantasy books series “The Dark Ones” by Katie MacAlister then you may recognize Nikola as Benedikt’s father. Don’t you just love a series new fantasy books when they do that backstory piece on someone you were just itching to learn more about? It is kinda like being let in on a secret everyone else knows.

Danger Rears Its Head

Of course, there is danger and in A Tale of Two Vampires it comes in the form of Nikolas two half-brothers. For not content with cursing him with this living death, they plot to finally finish him off. Iloanthe knows the history of what happens to him. But should she even consider changing fate, if she could?

There seems to be a resurgent interest in the Butterfly Affect in new fantasy books. I see this question about the consequences of playing with history more often. This time it is handled so well, it makes you really aware of the concept without feeling like a device for the story. I shouldn’t have been surprised that Katie handles it so much better than many new fantasy books authors do.

In the end you have to wonder – if you were presented with the choice of watching your beloved die or preventing it and MAYBE changing history, what would you do? Ah – Katie always gives us more than just a sweet story in her new fantasy books tale. That is why I keep watching for more.