Synopsis
For a thousand years, the immortal Shashavani have
hidden from the world in the halls of their mountain fortress, amassing great
stores of knowledge in a haven of academic tranquillity. And while Doctor
Varanus has never found tranquillity much to her taste, even she cannot deny that
the peace and quiet make for a pleasant diversion following the chaos of her
recent adventures in London. Having left the horrors of bloodshed and wellness
behind her, Varanus has thrown herself headlong into the study of the
Shashavani condition, determined to learn the secrets of their undying power.
But all is not as it seems in the House of
Shashava. As winter snow covers the Shashavani valley and chokes the mountain
passes, sinister events are unfolding in the shadows. Whispers of conspiracy
echo through the halls. Soon loyalties will be tested and friendships betrayed.
Blood will flow. For upon the frozen steppe, an ancient evil stirs and turns
its gaze toward the House of Shashava, hungering for power and revenge.
Review
In the third book of the series we find Varanus and
Ekaterine back home at the House of Shashava, with Varanus throwing herself
into her work seeking the answers to her condition. Unfortunately Varanus and
Ekaterine are caught stealing some of the holy water for her experiments ending
with Varanus spending months in a cell with orders to reflect on her
wrongdoing. Her mentor Iosef has gone on a sojourn with Sofio, unbeknown to
them, sinister events start to unfold.
In this third instalment Varanus develops a whole
new side to her character as she fights against those disloyal to the Shashavani
way. She is fierce fighter even when the odds are against her, wearing a plague
doctors masque, cycling outfit and leather coat, she becomes the scourge of the
new rulers and their soldiers. She wins time and again when the odds are
stacked against her, the most amazing being when she kills an ancient centuries
old vampire, I must admit I did go ‘Yes’ and cheer her on at the point. The
multiple layers the author gives to Varanus adds real depth to her character
and she is nothing like the Babette we met in the first book. I must say the
more Varanus’ character develops the more I like her. The cover picture really
gives you an image of what Varanus would have looked like in the book.
This book is completely set in the House of
Shashava, enabling Falksen to develop the home of the Shashavani in much more
depth. We learn about the different immortals there and their backgrounds in
philosophy, maths etc. all striving with the goal to amass knowledge. We also
find out more about the people living in the valley, the army that protects the
House and the council who work with the vicar of Shashava, Sofio to maintain
the running of the house and community. The way the immortals work, taking no
notice of time, seasons or events, and to the scholars, the events unfolding
shock them to their core, the peace and tranquillity within the House of
Shashava is broken and the Shashava are pitted against each other.
This book is different to the first two, it’s fast
paced with twists you never seen coming, which just keep you reading. I really
couldn’t put it down, and the ending will keep you hanging on for the next book,
and I can’t wait for the next instalment. The plot is well written, and for
those of you who want blood n guts in your vampire books then you won’t be disappointed.
The only downside to reading this book, is the wait for book 4 to be published.
There’s the great images at the beginning of each chapter giving an insight
into what each chapter holds.
I must admit I was very dubious about reading these
books as historically set fantasy/vampire books are really not the usual kind
of books I read. Despite this, as it was recommended by a friend I decided to
give it a go, and surprisingly I was hooked from the first book. So the moral
of the story is, don’t say no to a book that is not typical of what you read,
you may be pleasantly surprised.
I rate this book
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