3.5 Stars

Sandra Leigh

Love in Ruins

Double Dragon E-Books

ISBN 1-55404-168-6

2004

The scenario of a vampire trapped in the first-century eruption of Vesuvius must inevitably, for fans of FOREVER KNIGHT, bring LaCroix and Divia to mind. Olivia, the gentle revenant of LOVE IN RUINS, resembles neither of these ruthless vampires. Initiated into the undead condition upon her death in childbirth in 79 A.D., she becomes buried under the ruins of Pompeii inside a chest. In the present day, the opening of the casket in a museum collection releases her. Despite her vast age, therefore, she has the naivete of a newly created revenant. Taken under the wing of a sympathetic female vampire, Olivia learns English, establishes a household, and becomes embroiled in vampire politics, including a continuation of the Campbell-MacDonald feud. She also falls in love with a charming Scottish vampire. The conflict builds to a surprising and poignant climax involving witchcraft, ghosts, and pagan deities as well as vampires.

If you can accept the fortunate coincidence that Olivia awakens to the modern world in a museum managed by a vampire, the rest of the story falls plausibly into place. Be warned that the novel is very long (over 500 pages in PDF format), but vivid characters and an event-filled plot keep it from dragging. I found the phonetic representation of dialects rather heavy going at times, but not enough to significantly impede comprehension. The author's meticulous research into the classical era is obvious, and she does an excellent job of conveying the heroine's first-century Roman world-view. As a new vampire, Olivia thinks of her kind as "lamia," since the word "vampire" didn't exist during her human lifetime. In the present day, although well adjusted to her awakening in a strange time and place, she believes in omens and maintains the worship of her Roman gods. In short, LOVE IN RUINS presents a convincing and emotionally engaging picture of an ancient but non-jaded vampire dealing with contemporary culture and society.

Reviewed by Margaret L. Carter