Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #437410 in Books
• Published on: 1993-07-09
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 592 pages

Synopsis
A vampire fantasy about ongoing conflict between two vampires, Karl and Kristian. As Karl wanders the wastelands of World War I, fascinated and horrified by the carnage that humans have created, Kristian appears and confronts him. The author also wrote the "Blackbird" fantasy series.

Customer Reviews

Reissued at last
I'm so glad to see that this excellent trilogy is back in print, even if it is just as an import for now - hopefully whoever has the UK rights will realise what they are sitting on and make these great books available to a wider readership. Freda Warrington is one of the best and most unjustly neglected horror and fantasy writers today - surely we should be nurturing homegrown (UK) talent of this calibre?

The trilogy beginning with 'A Taste of Blood Wine' is one of the best vampire series, in my opinion bearing comparison with Anne Rice's work (although Warrington takes a very different approach). And unlike Rice, Warrington knows when to stop trying to wring out the last drops from the material (no endless sequels retreading the same ground).

'A Taste of Blood Wine' introduces the vampire Karl and his relationship with the (human) Neville family, which becomes complicated through the intervention of other, more malevolent vampires, and through his growing bond with Charlotte Neville, the underdog of the family. The story takes its time at first to build up characters and atmosphere, and then ricochets through several great plot twists before rounding off with a satisfying yet open-ended finish.

This first book could easily have stood alone, but I'm glad Warrington decided to continue - in the other two books of the trilogy ('A Dance in Blood Velvet' and 'The Dark Blood of Poppies') she introduces and develops a compelling character - the vampire/demon Lilith. Let's hope we see the rest of this trilogy reissued soon (along with most of the rest of Freda Warrington's work which is shamefully out of print).

A must for any vampire lover
If you simply adore the kind of darkly sensual vampire novels given to us by Anne Rice and her contemporaries, then you will love this book. The characters, Charlotte, the strange, lonely, yet compelling woman who falls for the gorgeously tender vampire, Karl. Kristian, the manipulative, despotic 'mad monk' of the vampire world, arrogant Pierre, fiesty Ilona, are all skillfully crafted and, in their unique and often disturbing ways, appealing. I believe that Charlotte, especially, will strike a chord with many of us who wish to see a female character that is neither a fainting, fragile, flower or a scary amazon. She is a paradox skilfully and sensitively sculpted, a real woman ! Freda Warrington is a brilliant author who deserves as much acclaim as Anne Rice among vampire afficionados and lovers of dark fantasy everywhere. Her concept of the Crystal Ring adds a particular spice to the vampire myth as well as an interesting origin theory. This is a true delight. Ignore the hokey dracula cover art (surely they could have found something better ?), and get this book. Look out for the other books in the trilogy - A Dance in Blood Velvet and The Dark Blood of Poppies. You won't regret it !

Amazing!
This book was amazing, so vivid and very well written. Reading it in bed before sleep, i had to force myself to put it down, and then had to turn the light back on to carry on cz it was so clear in my mind i couldnt sleep! (then only stopped because i got distracted by reliving experiences cz of what was happening in the book)
Kristian is like lord of the vampires, he tries to control them all.
Karl, a vampire, comes to work in a science lab in Cambridge of the 1920s. He cannot help but be drawn to the professors daughter Charlotte, and the two helplessly fall in love.
But it cant work for what he is, and as his secret slips out, life becomes more dangerous for the both of them, as each others' ties bring them further away, and can there be a happily ever after for this vampire and human?