A Vampire Alone (Black Bed Sheet 2009)
Review by G.L. Giles
Story by Andrea Dean Van Scoyoc

This novel, filled with horror, thrills and suspense, follows the over-a-century-long-undead existence of the dark heroine Ivana Morriander. As the title suggests, one of the themes of this book is loneliness. As a female vampire, Ivana survives long after many of her dear human friends are gone. The reader readily feels Ivana’s pain as many of her closest confidants grow old and die. One of the best storylines centers around Ivana and her friends, mainly Dante, Luther and Anya, and their time spent, at a bar setting, in New York City. Unlike some other rather pretentious renderings of vampire existence, Andrea Dean Van Scoyoc’s vampire Ivana and others are presented in a more down-to-earth and familiar way. And, while there’s a steamy romance/sex subplot also included, it’s not the boring heaving-bosoms-and-petticoats sort (seen only from the sidelines through diaphanous curtains…lol); by contrast, her sex scenes are much more realistic (even though it’s vampire-mating-with-human sex) as it’s pretty graphic at one point, and it’s filled with lots of original sexplay. Also, it’s always great to read a book, in my opinion, where the female lead isn’t a victim. Rather, she’s a strong-willed, and beautiful, vampire! Plus, it’s refreshing to read a novel where the female characters aren’t jealous of each other’s beauty, skills, etc. Though this is a fictional story, good points were brought up in that arena for sure. One of the storylines centers around an old cursed town called Collina Di Proserpina. It was considered cursed because all of the inhabitants were undead. Not wanting this review to be tagged with a spoiler alert, I’ll just say that that particular plotline foray, into the realm of the town of the undead, comes full circle by the end of the book to reveal a major surprise ending! It’s definitely worth picking up a copy of this novel for a fast-paced read containing a flawlessly executed plot and original storylines. I give it 9 out of 10. To learn more about Andrea Dean Van Scoyoc and her books, visit thelosttheforgottenthedamned.com, and to pick up a copy, visit www.amazon.com, www.barnesandnoble.com, www.downwarden.com/blackbedsheet, etc.