Published: May 2016
Synopsis: “Bullied his entire life, orphaned university graduate, Gabriel Harper, is bitten by a Royal vampire moments before sunrise, transforming him over the course of six terrible and exhilarating nights into a hybrid—human by day, vampire by night. Just as he learns to come to grips with what he has become, the Silver Legion—a covert, vampire-hunting organisation—kidnap him and his three friends, forcing them to join their clandestine crusade; however, they remain unaware of Gabriel’s nature until it is too late. Each choice made sets in motion a turn of devastating events—from love-triangles and fratricide, lust and betrayal, broken dreams and the thirst for power, vengeance and the spilling of blood defines victory. A Change Of Heart is set primarily in the fictional City of Penance; interweaving the lives of Legionnaires, humans and vampires in the course of a year.”
Rating: *****
I love vampire fiction and have done for as long as I can remember. I was always intrigued by Bram Stoker's Dracula; probably because my Dad is from Whitby where Stoker gained some of his inspiration from and where, in the novel, Dracula first lands in England.
I received a free copy of A Change Of Heart in exchange for an honest review.
A Change Of Heart is definitely my kind of vampire novel. Grown up and gritty with no-holds barred descriptions. A Change Of Heart had a very old-fashioned feel about it with the vampires seeming very regal and noble. The vampire society and hierarchy had been very well thought out, as had that of the Knights and Infantry on the opposing side.
The only negatives I can possibly pick out from A Change of Heart is that, as far as I can remember there was no mention of the time period in which it was set. I got the impression it was about 'now', but wasn't a hundred percent sure. Also there were a lot of characters and chapters were written from so many different points of view. I found it a little difficult keeping track of who was who and who was on whose side, especially if there was double-crossing involved!
I would definitely recommend A Change Of Heart to readers who enjoy vampire fiction. I think it would be a perfect follow on from Will Hill's Young Adult vampire series Department 19.
A very solid 5* and I cannot wait to read the sequel!
