The vampire book to end all vampire books. Forget sparkly children vampires playing with werewolf puppies. This book is for adults who miss the real bite of the vampire. Esme is a successful businesswoman who meets her destiny after drinking too much in a London bar. Her destiny is Cursian, a vampire. Handsome, cursed, dark and utterly compelling. Their lives are governed by the Prophecy. A sorry tale where they are a part of seven pairs of Guardians, who maintain the balance between good and evil. Unfortunately something is hunting those Guardians and Cursian is next. He must defend Esme, train her in the power she inherited from her family and stop the evil. But the fun doesn’t stop there. Just as they escape from the worst of the evil in our world, they are plunged into hell. The tale just grows and grows. From simple beginnings the author weaves a story to encompass love, passion, raw sex and the deepest cruelty. Good and evil are nothing, the fight is for balance, for freedom, for their very souls.

I was surprised when I found this book, it’s hard to shock me and it’s even harder to surprise me in vampire novel. But this makes True Blood look tame. Cursian is a vampire and a mage. A fantastic combination which gives him a darkness and humanity which reminds me of Dexter, with fangs. The only thing which tortures this guide is the threat to his Esme. His obsession with her is terrifying and you feel every terrible decision the poor woman has to make. It’s a rollercoaster ride of a novel. This is the most polished and accomplished debut novel I’ve ever read and having a new female author who is capable of handling a complex plot, great characters, fantastic erotica and horror is a great relief. I am sick of vampires who don’t live as vampires should. In the dark, the shadows of life, killing, feeding and loving.

The Prophecy is dark but the characters are alive. There is humour among the terrible events which drive them from crisis to crisis. And the ending – well, I’m not writing any spoilers here, but what an ending. Don’t read the end of the book to find out what happens no matter how desperate, you don’t want it ruined.

Buy this book and make certain you keep your eyes open for the next one by this new author, Ms Luddington. She must be one disturbed woman but what a story.