I've been waiting patiently since early December to review this one, and now that there are only 2 more weeks until it's released, I think it's safe to release the review! Fans of Colleen's first two books in the Gardella Vampire Chronicles will not be disappointed with The Bleeding Dusk...not at all! It hit me with this book that the term "Chronicles" aptly describes this series. It's like one big work, with this middle book being the peak...well, so it seems.
There is quite a bit revealed in this book and I don't want to go too much into plot intricacies as this is the third book in a series, but it's good! It's dark, and ominous. It picks up where Rises the Night left off and opens with Max in Lilith's (queen vampire) lair. We then join Victoria, our heroine, in Rome where a carnival is taking place. Amidst the carnival, she has a chance encounter (or not so chance) with Beauregard, Sebastian's grandfather...a vampire. We soon learn of Akvan, a demon trying to break through the Door of the Alchemists to gain secrets that will restore him to his full power which would prove to be terrible for Rome and humanity in general. All of these stories intertwine as Victoria is faced with some of her toughest decisions yet. Who can she trust? Where does her heart lie? She is unsure as always of Max and she can never be sure where Sebastian's allegiances lie. On top of this, she is now Illa Gardella - head of the venators and is faced with a huge task. There's tons of weight on her shoulders in this one but she must find a way to balance it all.
Like I said in my review for Rises the Night, I really feel that Colleen grows as an author with each book that she writes. I loved the setting for this book. It was dark with a hint of melancholy and mystery throughout and I feel like it really echoed what Victoria must have felt as she went through all of this. This book slowed down a little bit more at the beginning and really took the time to build up the story. Relationships were explained and explored thoroughly and it made all the difference in the latter half of the book.
The finale of this book is every bit as heart pounding as "that scene" in Rises the Night. Just wait. There are questions answered that you never knew you had! I really just can't imagine what else Colleen could possibly have in store for us with the last two books, but while you're waiting for those unasked questions to be answered, pick this one up on February 5th and enjoy it as much as I did!
