From Goodreads: “I do not remember being bitten. I wish I did, for then I would know the creature who did this to me and I would have a purpose, to track him down and repay him for the poisoned gift he gave me.” Back in the 13th Century, Will was destined to be Earl of Mercia. He never lived to inherit his title, struck down by a strange illness and buried beneath the city walls. But Will was not dead, and only now, seven lonely centuries later, does he begin to understand that there was a reason for all of this, that he has a destiny. To find it though, he will need help, and as ever, he will need blood.
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I’m sorry to say that I really didn’t care for this novel. The cover is pretty cool, but the storyline didn’t interest me as I had hoped. I was unable to connect with the characters, and though Will is actually trapped in a 16-year-old body, I kept imagining him as a 40-year-old man. It was always a little jarring for me when one of the characters remarked on Will’s looks and I’d remember that he’s supposed to look like a 16-year-old. Of course, I understand that his mannerism are going to be different, and that he’s a very mature “16 year old,” but I really struggled visualizing him as anything younger than 40. In fact, I had this issue with all the characters, and I can’t put my finger on the reason why. Perhaps they all were too mature for their “age,” or perhaps I lack imagination (quite possibly), but I found this to be a bit of a struggle for me as I read.
The novel itself wasn’t bad, but it didn’t hold my interest. I feel like it jumped around a bit too much for me, which is an aspect that some readers really love, but I kept finding myself distracted by it. All in all, this book just isn’t my forte. Two stars.
Egmont USA has been extremely gracious in allowing me to read a copy of this novel, via Netgalley, prior to its release on September 27, 2011
