Title: Vampire Della Vita

Author: A.L. Hawke

Genre: Paranormal romance

 

Art curator Evita Rogers in A.L. Hawke’s Vampire Della Vita works with a mysterious figure named David whom she only communicates with over the phone, and together, they’re trying to put together the most amazing art exhibition ever. But while she attempts to live a normal life, her being a vampire threatens everything she’s built, including the exhibition. When Evita and David finally meet, their love for each other cannot be denied, but alongside it is the lust for flesh and blood, but it comes at a cost.

The novel opens with Evita visiting David in his penthouse at the top of a hotel in Las Vegas, and right away we know something is off about him. He refuses to turn any lights on when meeting her, but their chemistry is obvious. They exchange easy banter and jokes, Evita even calling him weird, despite Evita’s frustrations over his mysterious ways.

A.L. Hawke creates the perfect backdrop for the love story to unfold in a town that bustles with activity after dark, that place being Las Vegas. But even when Evita is traveling the world as she tries to collect artists for the exhibition, we quickly learn that vampires are everywhere. An underground vampire club is perhaps the most disturbing section of the book, in which we witness hundreds of vampires giving in to their desires.

The internal tension within Evita is equally evocative, chilling, and tragic. She is a good person, not interested in killing to satisfy her blood lust, and so, she has blood transfusions often. Without them, she grows weak and unable to control herself. Hawke writes with terrifying detail how her loss of control unravels in public, especially on a crowded plane or train. The sensory details bring these scenes into intense realism. Equally intense are her experiences with sunlight. Vampires cannot live in the light, so the fear is visceral. We feel her terror when the sun starts to rise, and even though she’s a vampire, the reader is sympathetic with her because she’s just trying to live a normal life.

The most dramatic and romantic scenes happen between Evita and David. When they finally surrender to their love for each other, it’s horrifying and beautiful. Vampires have superhuman strength and could tear each other apart, so their passions straddle paper-thin control and complete surrender.

The artists Evita recruits for the exhibition are a strange lot, very quirky, and mostly for humorous effect, although the results of their art are impactful and profound. It’s a juxtaposition of the uncanny with the deep, much like Evita’s life. The third and last artist, however, unveils a masterpiece about life itself, tying the theme to Evita’s very name.

That said, the sections when Evita meets with the artists for the first time run a bit long on the page. A bit of eccentricity adds flavor to the character and narrative, but too much slows the pacing.

Vampire Della Vita is a character-rich, enticing paranormal romance. A.L. Hawke has crafted a masterwork in the genre with deep, intriguing, flawed, yet good-at-heart characters. For lovers of paranormal romance, Vampire Della Vita is a solid choice.

 

 

This Editorial Review was written by the Book Review Directory staff. To receive a similarly honest, professional review for one of your own books, click here.