So begins Alana's inevitable seduction until Sadash claims her for his own.
This long and leisurely book explores Alana's love/hate relationship with her maker, her alienation from all those she loved, and her revulsion and yet addiction to the blood lust that causes her to kill.
Alana decides to use her vampire power to read minds to uncover the truth of what a gypsy fortune teller once told her that her mother's death was no accident. Her search for the truth threatens to destroy all that she once held dear and her new love and relationship with Sadash.
This story is very much in the mind of the characters rather than a lot of plot and action. Although the story revolves around Alana's struggle to come to terms with what is happening to her, the author didn't really sell the story, perhaps because of the character's own fatal flaw, that she is too passive. She gives into Sadash far too easily. The results are inevitable. She is supposedly appalled by killing and yet she feels no real remorse when she kills Valeria's lover. Although her revulsion when Sadash helps her dispose of the body is real.
Mayra Calvani's vampires are well thought out. The focus is primarily on their mental powers, telepathy and the ability to change others' perceptions and dreams. To be seen or not seen. There is a scene where Sadash keeps appearing to Alana in a mirror, but when she turns he is not there. They also have the ability to fly. To make a vampire is as simple as having them drink a vampire's blood as they lay dying. Oh, yes, once you are a vampire, you can't make love, so Alana will always remain a virgin, something she occasionally regrets.
While this is a romance of sorts, it is more about the obsessive nature of love. At the core of the story is Alana's relationship with Valeria, which is more complex than just friendship.
If you are looking for lots of action or unbridled passion don't look here, but if you enjoy a leisurely read that focus on characterization, you will probably enjoy Dark Hunger.
Dark Hunger
by Mayra Calvani
ISBN 1-58697-207-3
It is available from http://www.rfiwest.com as a download for $4.95.
