Review: The Dark Heroine: Dinner with a Vampire by Abigail Gibbs

The Dark Heroine: Dinner with a Vampire by Abigail Gibbs (The Dark Heroine #1)

bought

Synopsis from Goodreads
One moment can change your life forever…

For Violet Lee, a chance encounter on a darkened street draws her into a world beyond her wildest imaginings, a timeless place of vast elegance and immeasurable wealth – of beautiful mansions and lavish parties – where a decadent group of friends live for pleasure alone. A place from which there is no escape… no matter how hard Violet tries.

Yet all the riches in the world can’t mask the darkness that lies beneath the gilded surface, embodied in the charismatic but dangerous Kaspar Varn.

Violet and Kaspar surrender to a passion that transcends their separate worlds – but it’s a passion that comes at a price…


Amazon  US/UK | Amazon kindle US($2.99)/UK(£1.99) | The Book Depository US/UK | Fishpond

9/10

* * *

I'm obsessed with this book, peeps. I'm bullying my fellow bloggers to read it and I keep talking about it.

Thing is there are plenty of faults with the plot and writing in general, but it's just such a compelling, powerful and magical read, that I haven't noticed much of that while I was blazing through The Dark Heroine *grinning*



First of all, it's a gritty, violent, sexy and pretty raw read. The main character, 17 year-old Violet is not a damsel in distress, she is a daughter of a powerful man who just happened to be in a wrong place in the wrong time. She sees a massacre of vampire hunters by a bunch of young arrogant vampires, who sweep her away to their manor in the countryside. The rule is: humans who know of their existence are killed or turned. However, when vamps find out who Violet's father is, either choice will bring both societies on a brink of war.

So, snarky, stubborn and get even Violet stays in the manor as a hostage, gets embroiled in complicated vampire politics and develops hate/love/weird friendship relationships with a young, vicious vampire prince, Kaspar Varn.

 I did not move, still rubbing my chest. “My  name is not ‘Girly’! It’s Violet!” 
Like a shot he was just inches away from  me, forcing me against the wall as his hand wrapped around my neck. A single finger was pressed against my vein, stroking it.
 “And I’m the fucking Prince!” he snarled, grip tightening. My eyes widened and I struggled under him but his grip just tightened. I closed my eyes, not wanting to see his face, so close to mine and reeking of blood. A single image flooded my mind behind myclosed eyes: the lifeless body of Claude Pierre, crumpled and bleeding on the stone flag.
“I could snap that pretty neck of yours in  two with less effort than it would take for you to squeal,” he whispered in my ear. “So I suggest that you do what we say, because you can’t outrun us and the police won’t stop us.”

Kaspar *sigh*, he is a a dreamy, dreamy monster. He is a proper anti-hero, and by all means I should have hated him for being a jerk and all. He kills, he maims, he is being cruel and cold, and yet at the same time, there are certain reasons for his behaviour, and the more he connects with Violet the more they are both changing. She acquires some of his ruthlessness and he softens up.

According to urban dictionary, kaspary is a level of awesomeness so high it kicks you in the ass and leaves you breathless and bewildered. So here you go, Abigail Gibbs created a new word for us to use :D

There is a complicated plot of vampire mannerisms and rituals, an ancient prophecy and even different dimensions, so I wouldn't call this book your average vampire YA. Oh, and the vampire balls are alien and magical!

There is also plenty of violence and some sex involved, the latter shows how blatantly screwed modern teenager's views on women and how a girl should perceive herself. I don't blame Abigail for that because she writes what she knows, however it is sad that young girls feel that they deserve so little respect.

The world Abigail Gibbs built is an ambitious one. It's also very flexible, so I wouldn't really know what to expect from the book two. It just reads like a twisted, dark fairy-tale. I only know that book #2 is on my autobuy list and that this 18 year old British author has a wonderful potential for growth, if she can write like that at her age.

Very much recommended. I...uhm... even made a playlist for this book on YouTube. Embarrassing, I know...

You have a chance to win this book here (until October 8th 2012)!

* * *
Я, честно говоря, от этой книги пищала и никак не могу её забыть.

Во первых, писательнице, Абигайл Гиббс всего лишь 18. Она начала писать в онлайн когда ей было 14, потому как после прочтения Сумерек ей захотелось создать что-то подобное но гораздо жёстче и с морем кровищи. Ну и создала.

За несколько лет её 60 глав Ужина с Вампиром: Не упомянула ли я, что вегетарианец? прочли 16 миллионов раз, и Харпер Коллинз наконец-то выдал ей 6-значный контракт и Абби пошла свой опус переписывать.

Тёмная Героиня - это ни на что не похожее YA. Мрачно, жёстко, волшебно, фантазия так и бьёт ключём, искры так и сыпятся, это харизматичная книга, несмотря а неловкие диалоги и недоработки по сюжету, которая читается запоем.

Вайолет Ли - это девушка боевая, дерзкая и острая на язык. Она не серая мышка, её отец - очень влиятельный человек, только вот она оказывается в неподходящем месте в непоходящий момент и оказывается свидетелем кровавой бойни которую совершает группа молодых вампиров над охотниками за вампирами. Мисс Ли увозят в особняк королевской семьи Варнов, где по законам вампиров её или убьют или превратят в вампира. Только вот когда Варны узнают, кто её отец и то и другое решение начнёт войну между вампирами и людьми.

Тепер Вайолет - заложница Варнов пока обе стороны стараются распутать сложную политическую ситуацию к собственной выгоде. Она запутывается в роскоши, позолоте и опасных, взрывных вампирских интригах, изощрённых балах, и странной дружбе/ненависти/любви к вампирскому принцу, что её похитил, Каспару Варну.

Каспар *мечтательный вздох* это самый настоящий анти-герой, необычайно харизматичный монстр, который не скрывает своей сущности и не пытается себя оправдать. Он убивает, он калечит, она ведёт себя как подлец по отношению к Вайолет и в то же время, ненавидеть его совершенно не выходит. Для его поведения существуют определённые причины, и чем больше он проводит времени с Вайолет, тем больше оба меняются. Она становится беспощаднее, а он смягчается.

Мир, поcтроеный Абби амбициозен, в нём полно различных измерений и над всем висит древнее пророчество о Девяти Тёмных Героинях... В то же время этот мир настолько гибок, что я не знаю какой будет следующая книга. Знаю, только что я её обязательно куплю и с огромнымудовольствием прочитаю.

Несмотря на пробелы и недостатки, очень советую!

Comments

  1. I'm glad you enjoyed this book :) I did not. I gave up a little over halfway through and skimmed some of the rest of the novel. I'm provoked by how many girls writing about abusive boys and making the girl fall in love with the psychopath. That is just sad.

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  2. I'd shy away from calling this young adult - partly as Mari said, the relationship would be deemed unhealthy. BUT adults can separate fantasy from reality. I love the dangerous yet irresistible guy in urban fantasy. Would I let a guy beat me up and control my life? No. But these are books we can escape into leaving real life behind.

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  3. I think it might be between YA and New Adult, Ellie, Mari. Look at Vampire Academy which has plenty of unhealthy topics that it addresses and what about Rose and Dima's relationship when he is a Strigoi?
    I wouldn't compare it to the contemporary romance like Beautiful Disaster which simply pissed me off by the abusive nature of the relationship, because when it's something to do with paranormal it's much easier to consider it just a fantasy.
    There are issues in The Dark Heroine but these are unfortunately tendencies I see all across young adult literature, I hope the dynamics of the relationship change with the next book and I also hope that many young women do realise that dreaming of someone possessive and dangerous like that is a completely different matter from living with one. First is just a fantasy that can be switched off on a whim, second is a nightmarish reality.
    Thanks for your comments, ladies!

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  4. Seeing how I'm still kinda into vampires and vampire books, especially DARK and gritty (and sexy) vampire books, I think this might be a good fit. Thanks for the rec., Karina:)

    I'm thinking of doing a Sunshine re-read and review around Halloween. I've always meant to do a review so maybe if I commit to this (and tell other's I'm doing it, ie: you!) I won't back out!

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  5. I think I've re-read Sunshine twice, Heather, and enjoyed it every time, so you definitely should do it! :)

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  6. A proper anti.hero, oh you should not say things like that, now I want to read about him!

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  7. Wow! Really interesting, and completely new for me. I'm going to have to consider this one soon. ;) Thank you!

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  8. Hehe. WELL. Urban Dictionary is never wrong, so goddamn, I need to read this for the Kaspar alone!! I am really intrigued by the way you describe him. The "proper anti-hero"... I kinda love when a love interest can infuriate you with some of his behaviour, but the author writes him with such a compelling hand, with layers and depth that make you understand why he is the way he is. I'm very interested to see what I make of him.

    I've been hearing a lot about The Dark Heroine recently, and your review has pushed me over the edge into reading it. I definitely want to see waht the fuss is about! Plus, I'm about due for a gritty vamp read :D Fantastic review!

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  9. Ah I've been stalking this book for a while, but I think you've finally convinced me - I'm over my vampire hating now, and I love really gritty books.

    Great review!

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