5 Stars

Rebecca Brand

THE RUBY TEAR

Tor (Forge)

ISBN 0-312-86165-6

1997

If you're a fan of vampire romance -- and even if you think you aren't -- don't miss this pseudonymous novel by Suzy McKee Charnas, author of THE VAMPIRE TAPESTRY. A cursed jewel and a family feud rooted in medieval Eastern Europe complicate an unusual vampire-human love triangle. Baron Ivo von Cragga, transformed into a vampire by the vengeful goddess of his war-torn homeland, devotes his existence to the quest for the Ruby Tear, his family's lost treasure, now possessed by Nicolas Griffin, journalist and playwright. Jess, an actress, Nic's former lover, baffled by his avoidance of her since the near-fatal accident in which they were both injured, becomes the vampire's target as he pursues his revenge against Nic.

Charnas' familiarity with New York and the world of the theater lends realistic detail to the story. She plays unique variations on the vampire romance subgenre, injecting notes of humor amid the suspense and managing to make both the lonely, magnetic vampire and his human rival complex, sympathetic characters. The climax of their conflict and the resolution of Jess' attraction to both men are surprising as well as satisfying.

Reviewed by: Margaret L. Carter