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Acquainted with the Night
in Paperback edition on November 29, 2011 and has 539 pages.
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First in the Acquainted with the Night urban fantasy series revolving around a dhampir and the prophecy that follows her.
My Take
This was just bad. Overly dramatic and stupid. An over-the-top villain using questionable employees. A “heroine” who insists on staying in a dangerous situation to talk. Sure, it makes sense that Caro wouldn’t believe in the existence of vampires. However, all kinds of weird stuff is going on, she’s witness to vampire-like activity, so, while I may not believe in vampires, I’d certainly be cautious if only until I could find out what was going on.
Maitland did have a subtle move in slowly leaving clues about Caro’s changes and the revelations about her previous boyfriends. Certainly an interesting concept, although I found Jude’s disgust believable and yet not, all of which was followed up by his sudden about-face. It felt too convenient.
The Bulgarians know about the murdering vampires, and when they come across a man who claims to have an allergy to sunlight, they don’t question this?
The romancing in this is clumsy. Della Rocca’s approach felt formulaic. As if it were thrown in to be able to check it off the list of what will keep readers interested.
The Story
Her uncle’s murder will change everything.
The Characters
Sir Nigel Clifford is an archeologist with a secret, and he’s left it too late. Caroline Clifford is his rebellious niece with unknown knowledge. Secrets she is unaware of that could get her killed. Vivienne is her dead mother with knowledge of ancient manuscripts and Wilkerson’s wife. Philippe Grimaldi was an immortal and represented himself as Vivi’s husband. Phoebe is her Covent Garden roommate; her father is Sir Edmund Dowell, the Lord Speaker in the House of Lords. Olivia is Sir Edmund’s personal assistant.
Jude Barrett is a man with a secret who is on the run. A scientist, he made an astonishing discovery that the bad guys wanted. Any way they could. Mr. Kudret runs a photography studio with an illegal sideline.
Teodor Draganov/Stamboliev, Gregori Ivanov, the Zuba brothers (they have impulse control issues), and Moose Tipper (psychotic egomaniac) are vampires and security for Wilkerson. Harry Wilkerson is the owner and CEO of his family pharmaceutical company. Mr. Underwood is his head of security. Yok-Seng is his Cambodian bodyguard. Dr. Popovici is the head of the Romanian laboratory; Dr. Lacusta works with him.
Sir Geoffrey McKitterick is with the British embassy in London. Sir Thurston Hughes is with the British embassy in Sofia. Commander Ilya Velikov is with the Interior Ministry.
Father Thanatos, a.k.a., Father Aeneas, is at the Varlaam monastery in Meteora. Demos is his friend, a man who lost his family to vampires.
Signore Raphael Della Rocca was a friend of her father and mother’s. Arrapato is his vampire dog. Beppe is a bodyguard. Dr. Nazzareno tends to Caroline’s wound and has additional news for her. Fathers Konstantine and Nickolas are with St. Catherine’s Monastery in the Sinai Peninsula. They are also members of the Salucard Foundation, an organization” dedicated to the protection and preservation of immortals”.
The Cover and Title
The cover is blood and parchment — I have the impression that the parchment bits are maps while the blood-tinged street scene is a narrow European cobblestoned street. Quite representative of the places Caroline and Jude fly through.
The title is a reflection of Caroline’s introduction and Jude’s experience — Acquainted with the Night.
