| Title | : | Dawn's Bright Talons |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | - |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | ebook |
| Number of Pages | : | 232 |
| Publication | : | First published July 2, 2014 |
A sought-after dancer in the upmarket Moonlit Garden, Isabeau Letier, has not given her future much thought. All that matters is the art of dance, and charming wealthy patrons into parting with a few extra coins. She has her exotic good looks and her youth. What could possibly go wrong?
When a mysterious nobleman pays her undue attention, Isabeau’s darker, bloodthirsty nature awakens and she kills him with her bare hands after he follows her home. Even worse, she drinks and enjoys his blood. Her brother, Eric, returns home to this disturbing tableau yet remains calm even as the corpse sifts to ash in the morning sun. Isabeau has no choice but to follow her sibling’s lead.
Not many people know that Michel Roux, owner of a slightly down-at-heel theatre in the District of Paper Lanterns, is a vampire. He prefers to keep things that way and steer clear of the petty politicking of the city's vampiric subculture. When his estranged sire, Tomas, goes missing, and his grandsire sets him the task of solving the mystery, Michel is unwillingly dragged into all of the very dangerous games he thought he’d left behind him.
Isabeau and Michel become unlikely allies as they try to wriggle their way out of being the pawns in a game where they don’t know the rules. Isabeau’s ancient heritage is a danger, not only to herself, but to the established hierarchies at odds with one another in the city of Ysul, and the elders are desperate to either control her–or kill her.
As events unwind, it becomes increasingly difficult to separate friend from foe, and as the two flee for their lives they must also explore the true nature of the bond that they've forged and uncover the ages-old secrets that have pushed them onto this path. Warring factions are about to overturn centuries of custom, and two young people are marked to pay the price—in blood.
Dawn's Bright Talons Reviews
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Vampires can never die. The heinous creatures have fascinated us for over a century thanks to the work of Bram Stoker and Sheridan Le Fanu. Whether Dracula, Carmilla, Blade, Angel, Lestat, or Edward Cullen--they're not going anywhere.
This is a novel which goes back to the Gothic roots of the novels with co-leads Isebeau and Michel. I feel a bit weird describing it as "Interview with a Vampire meets Buffy" because that is a mind-breaking combination but it works well as such. This is a fantasy novel and that also adds an extra dimension to the universe. Fans of the D&D setting "Ravenloft" and the old World of Darkness will like this somewhat sensuous setting of colonized as well as colonizer.
The setting is a fictional city which seems to be basically a hyper-fantasy version of New Orleans that just so happens to also have a lot of elements of Victorian, England. It doesn't have to make sense but the splash of culture is unique and works well with the fact vampires run this town and our heroine finds herself as the one thing they fear. The writing is a bit purple in places, okay a lot purple, but it worked for me.
I really want to read more in this world. -
It must be noted that, aside from a few exceptions (like Crooked Fang), I’m not usually a huge fan of vampire novels. That said, I can honestly put my hand on my heart and recommend Nerine Dorman’s latest, Dawn’s Bright Talons, with the most enthusiasm imaginable. It’s not often that I end up so engrossed in a book that I almost miss my stop on the train, yet this book managed exactly that.
Dawn’s Bright Talons is a dual point-of-view novel, told by both Isabeau and Michel. Isabeau starts out in the book as a dancer at the Moonlit Garden, while Michel is the vampire manager of his own theatre, the Hall of Mirrors. They’re thrown together through circumstances that neither of them could predict, and end up as small pawns in the games of power being played by the ancient vampires who run the city of Ysul.
The dual perspective and its exotic setting are, to my mind, the aces up this novel’s sleeve. Readers are given the opportunity to get to know both protagonists, and an interesting quirk eventually allows them to share the page, even when the other is not physically present. Ysul feels like a melting pot of every fantasy and alt-history city you’ve ever imagined, and it comes across like the meeting point of Anne Rice’s New Orleans and even Alexandre Dumas’ Paris.
As with all of Dorman’s work, Dawn’s Bright Talons is an inventive story that weaves a wider backstory as political machinations grind into gear behind the scenes due to the fallout that accompanied the city’s colonialisation. Bigger themes are at work here, and you can either read it as a fun vampire novel, or see deeper ideas. The vampires here are not the vapid pretty boys of Rice’s novels, but nor are they the ugly nosferatu of German Expressionism. Michel is a fairly useless vampire, being neither super strong nor well versed in his own lore, but this is precisely why he’s such a good protagonist – there is a very real possibility that he could fail, and badly. I wasn’t as keen on Isabeau, finding her narration a little implausible as she’s supposedly only around sixteen years old, and she takes longer to warm to. Still, there’s an interesting mythos in here that definitely requires further expansion.
It’s a fast-paced story, and I was struck by how much I could see exactly what was going on. It’s also highly engrossing, and I can’t recommend it enough. In fact, it gets a very rare 5 out of 5 from me! -
Vampiric Intrigue by Gaslight
As you can easily read for yourself in the description, the story revolves around a dancer, Isabeau, I won't spoil the plot for you, however what I will remark on is the style of the novel.
And oh my does it have that in spades.
Lavish and vivid imagery leaps off the page bringing the city and citizenry of the of Ysul to life. I found myself just wanting to explore this strange yet eerily familiar city. The Victorian setting isn't as stuffy and conservative as one might expect. Instead it is rough around the edges, gaudy and lived in. There is a definite sense of history to the city of Ysul. It is after all a colonised city, making it a rich smelting pot of clashing cultures and styles (even among the vampires).
The pace starts off brisk and continues on at a run; keeping the reader – and indeed the characters – on their toes. The more I read the more I found that Isabeau, in particular, is wonderfully alive and engaging. Though there is a sense of real depth to both her and Michel. Each chapter flips point-of-view from one to the other, giving the reader a deeper sense of the shadowy web the two have found themselves entangled within.
There are notes here of intoxicatingly dark prose akin to Poppy Z. Brite and of Anne Rice at her best. Fans of their work will feel right at home yet with new, fresh, territory being uncovered.
Nerine Dorman truly breathes life into her world and the characters she has created to live within. She makes writing a vampire fantasy novel look (and feel) easy. If this is an example of the type of quality I can expect from the rest of her work then bring it on. -
![[Name Redacted]](https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/users/1347082397i/287915._UY200_CR0,0,200,200_.jpg)
"Vampire: The Masquerade" + "Ravenloft" = This Book.
But Shhhhhh! We're supposed to pretend we didn't notice! -
BOOK REVIEW.......
This was just an okay book for me. I didn't really like the world the author built. I like the cover though. It's creepy
NARRATOR REVIEW......
The narrator did a fair job with the characters. -
I love Nerine Dorman's books, not only because she has the ability to draw the reader into her stories with wonderful plots, interesting characters, and exquisite prose, but because she's incredibly creative. Dawn's Bright Talons is yet another testament to her talent as an author. The descriptions don't drag on endlessly, the imagery is beautiful, the characters are appealing - and oddly real - while the dialogue keeps you wanting more. Although, at times I felt a bit out of my depth, seeing as gothic novels isn't my forte per se, I must say that as far as vampire novels are concerned I quite enjoyed Dorman's take on the mythology.
Isabeau is a hotty-hot-hotty dancer with a surprising secret (I'm not giving it away, but it's a kinda BAM!-in-your-face twist). Michel is a bit more straightforward as a character, but the unlikely duo makes for an excellent combination. As for the ending ... well, without giving away spoilers, I'm sure readers - particularly vampire and gothic novel fans - will love it. Think A Taste of Blood Wine by Freda Warrington meets The Vampire Chronicles by Anne Rice.
Dawn's Bright Talons is definitely the type of read you want to get a hold of this October. Why? Well, you can't have a Halloween month without reading at least one vampire novel and why settle for one that's not going to get you all hyped up for everyone's favourite holiday?
Review originally posted on:
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Having been recommended this book, by someone who knows I'm an Anne Rice die-hard, I was interested to read a new and fresh approach to the typical vampire novel, with new characters and a new world to explore.
Nerine Dorman sets the precedent for a new age of vampire novel. Dawn's Bright Talons moves at an exciting pace, full of danger, just the right amount of character depth. We begin with the central female protagonist of Isabeau, while she struggles with the discovery of new, unknown powers, whilst the story continues to unfold elsewhere through the voice of Michel, a quiet vampire who becomes embroiled in a bitter war between two elders. The climax is brutal as it is justified and the ending is left open for more adventures between our two tireless heroes.
As with most vampire novels, Dorman creates a mystical world, indeterminate of a specific time and full of wonder and beautifully described town landscapes. You are forced to resolve the mystery of who is good and bad and, in that, find yourself siding with the lesser of two evils, the ones who did not choose immortality who battle against those who want to destroy anyone who stands in their path.
There is a humanity to the characters in Dawn's Bright Talons, not unlike Rice's chronicles, you become involved with their struggle because they are presented less as bloodthirsty.creatures and more as people and connections.
overall I really enjoyed this book, exceptionally written and a fantastic opening to a brave new world, of which I hope to read more! -
Dawn's Bright Talons is a darky-rich read, full of lush descriptions and crisp dialogue. A dancer, frightened by a strange man, calls off early for the night and hurries home. But an intruder has come into her personal space and her first instinct is to...bite?
Thus begins this damphyr tale as Isabeau discovers her hidden self that is compelled to attack vampires.
This is a dual POV story with Isabeau's wide-eyed apprehension of the world mingling beautifully with Michel's, a rather confident if not dated, vampire worthy of Anne Rice's approval.
The setting is Victorian-esque, with horse-drawn carriages and proper speech befitting gentlemen of times past.
A rather enjoyable read with a delicious ending, I'd recommend heartily to fans of Dracula and Lestat, along with the other fanged classics, or for someone who likes to see a vampire get his just dessert every now and then. -
What happens when suddenly due to a person’s unwelcome advances turns you into a vampire that’s never been seen before? What do you do when you are trying to find out who killed your sire and get caught between two others that want to use you for their own means? What about if you suddenly find yourself blood bonded to the one sent to kill you. This book enters a world of vampire that’s definitely never been seen before.
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I know I reviewed this on my tablet but it seems not to pull through so hopefully I remember what I said!
I love that you never really know whether Isabeau and Michel really help or hinder each other and where everything is going! I also really enjoyed that this so different from all other vampire tales I've read. -
Of course I can't bloody-well review my own book but hell, I can tell you who I think would like to read it. In a nutshell, this is a fantasy involving vampires in a faux-Victorian/colonial-era setting that will appeal to folks who enjoy Anne Rice. There, you've got it from the horse's mouth.
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This book has the usual mix of ingredients for a vampire book such as star-crossed lovers, rival factions politicking behind the scenes of a mostly unaware human population and so on, but these things are just the basic foundation of this book which has its own interesting twists on the usual vampire mechanics and mythology along with an enjoyable main cast to elevate it from those beginnings.
When a narrator uses strong accents for characters in a book it can often drift towards parody, but despite the dramatic shifts he makes between Isabeau and Michael, it does actually work well with this book and helps to bring the characters to life more.
Overall, this was an enjoyable and well-performed book that struck a good balance between tying things up in this book and leaving enough room to carry it on in subsequent book.
[Note - I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.] -
I loved the exquisite descriptions and rich emotional detail. It reminded me of Interview with the Vampire, but with less waffle. I "read" the audiobook and can highly recommend. While the narrator's accents take a bit of getting used to, they suit the book perfectly.
