Book Review and GIVEAWAY: History of the Vampire (Vanderlind Castle #4), ends 10/17

"I need you to think very closely about what you've seen here today," Mrs. Denkler said. "I need you to think about your relationship with Jessie Vanderlind. I understand that he's a very handsome young man and I'm sure he can be charming when he chooses, but I hope you also understand that pursuing such a relationship might not be such a healthy choice for a young girl like you." She reached out and squeezed my shoulder again, this time in a much firmer grip. "You might want to consider seeking other employment, if working here at the castle makes you uncomfortable." The strength of her grip increased, making me squirm under pressure. "But mind me when I tell you not to discuss what you've seen here," she said. "About Arthur. The good people of Tiburon don't need to know anything more about him. If the blood donations were to stop, then that could make things very unpleasant for a great many people."

I'm a big fan of Gayla Twist's novels, and this one was no different. It's technically the 4th book in the Vanderlind Castle series; it can be read as a standalone, in my opinion, but it's better to read the other books in the series first.

Official synopsis:
Before Jessie fell in love with Aurora, he knew her as another girl. This is their story:

“I couldn’t help that I was in love with Colette Gibson, but it did complicate things. Ending my romance with her would be the right thing to do. Turning her into a member of the undead would be the selfish thing to do. And conjoining with Colette for the rest of her life, and the rest of my eternity, would be the foolish thing to do. I knew all of that. The only problem was that I couldn’t see clearly which path to take. By the time the sun set and I climbed out of my coffin for the evening, I knew only one thing for sure; I had to see her.”

From the author: Even though this is a prequel to the first three Vanderlind Castle books, it is best to read the story as book 4. I’ve included a few Easter Eggs for readers and there are many spoilers if you read the books out of order. It’s up to you, of course, but I wrote the book to be experienced after the first three stories.

I've read all of the books in the Vanderlind series, and I'd suggest reading books 1-3 before reading this one, as it gives you a backstory on the Vanderlinds, and Jesse in particular. Those books focus on Jesse's relationship with Aurora, who is the spitting image of Colette Gibson, the girl with whom he wishes to have a relationship in this book. In the first three books, Colette is Aurora's great-grandaunt (the sister of her great-grandmother) and mysteriously disappeared when she was a teenager. 

History of the Vampire takes place when Colette is a teenager, and she and her sister Lilly are curious about the new castle being erected in town; it's being shipped over brick by brick from Hungary, for a rich family called the Vanderlinds. Miraculously, they are offered jobs as maids in the castle, and Colette is very interested in seeing the inside of the castle. She meets Jesse Vanderlind and they fall in love, but he has a very big secret about himself and his family that he has yet to tell her. 

I'd like to reread books 1-3 after reading this one, because for the entirety of History, I couldn't remember if Colette was Aurora's great-grandmother or Lilly; after the ending of History, it's definitely clear who was, and there's little nuggets within the first three books that would definitely be applicable here. 

Although these books are about vampire, there's little to minimal gore, and I'd recommend it for anyone who likes YA books and/or a good supernatural read, though it's set in a normal town (the fake town of Tiburon, Ohio), which I liked. 

4 stars out of 5.

The Vanderlind Castle series:

1. Call of the Vampire {review, purchase}

2. Heart of the Vampire {review, purchase}

3. Fate of the Vampire {review, purchase}

4. History of the Vampire {purchase}

Also in the Vanderlind Realm series:

1. Birth of the Vampire (about Jesse's cousin Dorian) {review, purchase}

2. Kiss of the Vampire (" ") {purchase}

GIVEAWAY:

The author has graciously agreed to let two of my lucky readers choose their own prize for this giveaway!

The choices are: an e-book copy of this book (History of the Vampire) OR a paperback copy of the first book in the series, Call of the Vampire.

Enter via the widget below. Giveaway will end on Saturday, October 17th, at 11:59pm EST, and winners will be notified the next day via email and have 24 hours to respond, or an alternate winner(s) will be chosen.

U.S. residents only, please.

Good luck!

History of the Vampire