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A historical novel that leaves room for the actual life of Byron to be traced through the novels vampiric events. A wonderfully written gothic travelogue.

I've read a lot of books, most never more than once, but this is one to which I keep returning (six times and counting). The atmosphere is fantastically dark, the prose beautiful, and the characters and plot are enthralling to the point where a tipping point is reached (typically around pg. 100 for me) and putting the book down is no longer an option. It's a short book, only 300-something pages, so pound for pound (or page for page rather), it is THE most entertaining book I've ever read. Buy it now!

Great story!!

fast shipping and no issues. This is my fav book of all tyme!

I really enjoyed this book and admire author Tom Holland's imagination in recreating Lord Byron's travelling in Greece in a nearly believable fashion.

Finishing up in London society and his status there, The book gets even better.Lord Of The Dead

I would like to discuss the ending, to make sure I understand the gist of what happened. It did happen suddenly.

Stop reading now if you have not read the book!

1. Evidently Haidee's mother was killed by Lord Byron, as to the fact she's no longer around, Rebecca saw a vision of her on a meathook, and that Haidee was not restored to "human form" by previously feeding.

2. Why did Haidee finally "almost" feed on Rebecca when she refused to feed previously for a hundred years? What made her so special? Because Lord Byron "upped the ante" by telling Rebecca about how they could be destroyed. That she now had the ability to tell Polidori that he could destroy Lord Byron, since Lord Byron created him. This was the "big secret." This threw me off because they kept talking about the "big secret." Well, vampires have lots of secrets. I guess this was a super duper vampire secret.

Now that I am thinking about it, Haidee would probably rejoice in her own destruction...but I guess Polidori could only destroy Lord Byron but not her? I guess no one can destroy Haidee? Because she has never "made" a new vampire? hmmmmmm But then Haidee would be extra lonely, even though she lives in eternal agony.

3. Darn. I am finding holes (???) in the story as I write this maybe. Even if Polidori knew he could theoretically kill Lord Byron, that doesn't mean he would have the power to actually do it. Lord Byron is the most powerful vampire in the world. So is this knowledge truly worth killing her for, from Haidee's perspective?

4. I guess Polidori has a lot of faith that it is truly evil on his part to send these "special snacks" to Lord Byron -- that Lord Byron will suffer more from guilt than he will derive from the pleasure of the meal. (I guess that makes sense) BUT I guess Lord Byron now automatically feeds on all of his relatives on the first visit, where in the olden days, he would avoid such snack times for years and years.

I would enjoy reading any comments on your thoughts of the ending. Mainly that the "secret" is not just their location, existence, etc., but the fact that Polidori can destroy him/her/them.

Thanks!

I would like to distance myself from all of the negative criticisms of this novel; as valid as they may truly be.
I am not a 'reader' in the sense of actually liking to pick up a book and read it as a source of leisure and entertainment and even when it does happen, I am rarely if at all convinced that what I was reading was indeed a good use of my time. But, one day I bought a lot of vampire novels to read to pass the time at work. All of which were terribly written, full of cliches, gory descriptions and dull charactors. All except this one.
The book starts off with Ms. Rebecca Carville, a strong willed young woman who conives her way into aquiring the keys to the Chapel of St. Jude, which has been locked and forbidden to be entered by anyone for many years. She hopes to uncover the truth of what happened to her Mother, who disappeared when Rebecca was only 4 years old. Despite frantic warnings not to enter the chapel, Rebecca desends into the shadowy depths only to find herself in the prescence of powerful and radiantly beautiful vampire,Lord Byron.
From that point on, the point of view is shifted from 3rd person to 1st, as Lord Byron tells Rebecca the story of how he came to be who he is today. Living the life of a monk whose greatest pleasure is the sin of eating pork, The 21 year old Lord Byron becomes bored with his life and sets out traveling the east with his friend, Hobhouse.
While in Greece, they accidentally are led to off course to Aheron, which is known as "The gateway to Hell". Entranced by a mysterious stranger, Byron decides to continue to Aheron while Hobhouse returns to Greece. He falls in love with a beautiful slave named Haidee who has been enslaved by The power Pasha, the dread-lord of the Aheron. The Pasha is quite taken by Byron from the start and wants Lord Byron to be his heir. While staying at the Pasha's palace, Byron is visited in his dreams by the Pasha, who tempts him with hidden truths and ideals and immortality. It isn't long before Byron finds himself being treated like a slave; his mind clouded by vivid dreams, and strange marks and bruises appearing daily all over his body.
But in their love stems hope and Byron and Haidee plot their escape. Will they make it safely out of Aheron? Sadly the end is only the beginning.
As a vardoulacha( vampire ), Byron drowns himself in the dark side of life { ie: Booze, sex, and more sex, and not to mention a little murder through draining of blood but ONLY for necessity. } He relishes in the pleasures and powers that he now posesses, but soon realizes that the benefits will never outway the downfalls of his state. He has to drink blood or he will shrivel up and feel agonizing pain but never die, in order to maintain his youth he must drink the blood of someone who shares his blood, and the greatest curse of all; that he will forever damn everyone he loves.
I think what it is that I like so much about this book as opposed to other books of the genre is how You first get to relate to Byron as the flawed, but heroic and good-hearted human being. Instead of just having him swoop down from the darkness as this vile, evil-spirited heartless creature. Byron has a very strong sense of conscience, even when he begins to distance himself from the life he once lived and accepts a life of terror, murder, and the curses he will always posess, through it all he always maintains a very mortal conscience that is always evident by everything he does. It's very sad to watch the events unfold, the regret he feels for what he can no longer control. This will please many with it's blending of Horror, Science Fiction,and Adventure with an interesting mix of romance and melancholy. Very well done. Worth more than just one read.

I found Tom Holland to be a very good author and the book was captivating. His use of history entwind with his enchanting look at Lord Byron has you hooked from the get go. The book never dragged, and kept the reader motivated as to what was to become of poor Rebecca. The tragedy of the novel lies in it's ending or should I say the lack there of. The ending was so abrupt that it left the reader wondering what is to happen, obviuosly Rebecca can not live she knows too much. Does Lord Byron go after her and kill her? Make her into a vampire (doubtfull)? or does haidee finally feed? All too confusing to the reader, but it does seem like a good set up for a follow up book, which is perhaps the reason the author chose to end the book this way. Either way it is worth the time it takes to read.