Guarding the Vampire's Ghost (Green's Hill, #3)

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Guarding the Vampire's Ghost (Green's Hill #3)

by Amy Lane (Goodreads Author)

3.91 of 5 stars 3.91 · rating details · 169 ratings · 25 reviews

For four millennia, Shepherd, Angel of Repentance, and Jefischa, Angel of the Fourth Hour of Dark, have worked as a team to provide heavenly assistance to those who call their names. Shepherd's work has made him dark and dour, but he's determined to protect Jefischa from all of the terrible pain the mortal world has to offer. Now an accident of divine politics has put Adri...more

ebook, 76 pages

Published October 13th 2010 by Dreamspinner Press (first published October 2010)

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Oct 12, 2010 Grammy 1 rated it 5 of 5 stars

Recommended to Grammy by: glakritz@tampabay.rr.com

Amy Lane has used this short novella two fold. One is for her Little Goddess followers. For them we get glimpses into that storyline which her fans crave. We see our Adrian three books past his death. We still mourn him as well as do our Cory, Green and Bracken. We are also charmed by a whimsical loving story of the Angels in Gods heaven who watch over Adrian. Amy Lane the author who paints fantasy in lands mystical has painted this charming story of Jefischua and Sheppard.

Sometimes reading Ms...more

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Jan 09, 2012 Cris rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, m-m, favorite-author

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Nov 18, 2011 Tam rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: m-m, vampires, demons-angels

This review can be found at Brief Encounters Reviews.

This short novella is set in Amy Lane’s Green’s Hill universe. You do not have to have read any of the other books to enjoy this one, although I think the poignancy element will hit closer to home if you have at least a basic understanding of the overall story arc, especially involving vamp Adrian who is one of the stars in this story. Adrian’s story is m/m/f.

The story begins with angel duo Jefischa and Shepherd being tasked to watch over Adri...more This review can be found at Brief Encounters Reviews.

This short novella is set in Amy Lane’s Green’s Hill universe. You do not have to have read any of the other books to enjoy this one, although I think the poignancy element will hit closer to home if you have at least a basic understanding of the overall story arc, especially involving vamp Adrian who is one of the stars in this story. Adrian’s story is m/m/f.

The story begins with angel duo Jefischa and Shepherd being tasked to watch over Adrian. Vampires generally do not get to come to heaven, but it’s explained that the Goddess interceded with God on Adrian’s behalf, and he gets to reside in heaven. However each team of angels sent to watch over him, soon end up fallen and cast out of heaven. Shepherd takes care of the more innocent Jefi, and he’s not about to let a vampire taint Jefi’s innocence.

However the time they spend with Adrian opens Shepherd’s eyes. Perhaps things are not so black and white and he doesn’t quite understand the connection Adrian feels to his lovers he left behind, and why he continues to have contact with them knowing it tears Adrian’s heart that he can never be with them again. However watching Adrian interact with souls who are a bit lost, and the interactions with his earthbound lovers, makes Shepherd look at Jefi differently and think about love.

I’m not sure if I was just PMSing, I know Amy writes a good tear jerker, but wow, this one really pulled at my heart-strings. Not the Jefi and Shepherd story so much, which was sweet and wonderful as they explored something new, but the Adrian story line was heartbreaking. Jefi and Shepherd were typical opposites, Jefi bouncy and innocent and eager to experience everything on offer, Shepherd more gruff and jaded by what he’s seen happen in the world. I was happy for them that they would get the opportunity to fully explore their love on earth and I have to say, after reading something recently where if the god(s) in the story were real, I would have slapped them silly, it was kind of nice to see some benevolent beings in heaven who valued love. My only complaint if I had one, was that I wasn’t sure exactly what Adrian’s role was in heaven. He had one and yes, he seemed to be a counselor of sorts for confused souls but I wouldn’t have minded getting inside his head a bit and see what is going on.

So if you’re in the mood for a sweet story, that will require a few tissues, or you are a fan of Amy’s Green’s Hill stories, I think a must read.(less)

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Nov 08, 2010 Kassa rated it 3 of 5 stars

Guarding is both a stand alone novella and another in the Little Goddess series. The story only deals with the m/m portion so that should appeal to that particular audience while giving enough scenes to Adrien and his lovers to please the followers of the ménage series. It mostly works on both levels but I’ve found this straddling the line to be less than satisfying personally. I wish the stories either didn’t include those characters or were solely about them. Including them as secondary charac...more Guarding is both a stand alone novella and another in the Little Goddess series. The story only deals with the m/m portion so that should appeal to that particular audience while giving enough scenes to Adrien and his lovers to please the followers of the ménage series. It mostly works on both levels but I’ve found this straddling the line to be less than satisfying personally. I wish the stories either didn’t include those characters or were solely about them. Including them as secondary characters feels unfinished and unsatisfying.

The story is about two angels, Shepard and Jefi, who are assigned to guard Adrien while in heaven. As the only vampire in history to be allowed admittance to the antechamber, the angels have no idea what to do with Adrien’s soul. His previous watcher angels have fallen from heaven to live as humans and now the next two are dubious about their assignment. As Shepard and Jefi discuss the possibility of falling themselves, Adrien is still haunted by his lovers’ grief over his death.

Told in third person from Shepard’s point of view, GtVG offers a nice look at how Adrien has coped with his death. That seems a bit redundant, he –is- dead but his soul is now in the waiting room to heaven. The exact time that’s passed is not clear since Adrien mentions being in heaven for 2 human years and later says it’s been a few months since his death. I’m not sure if this is a consistency error or meant to show time moves differently. The inclusion of Adrien however is a good nod to the Little Goddess series and fans will love the peek at Adrien’s anguish and continued love. There’s a hot sex scene between Adrien and Green that advances Shepard and Jefi’s relationship but also shows the depth of the former’s love for each other.

Those that are familiar with the characters will eat up this addition while I feel somewhat disconnected. Since I haven’t read the LG series, Adrien feels unfinished and disjointed. Obviously his character develops over the series and while this can be read as a stand alone, the continued characters feel incomplete. I unfortunately couldn’t appreciate the depths of his pain, sorrow, and love and instead wished the story hadn’t included any reference to the other series at all. Adrien’s storyline clearly is meant to progress the LG series as well so I’m not sure of the reasoning in adding the stand alone characters to the series.

On the other hand I really enjoyed Shepard and Jefi as angels who have worked together forever and are finally finding reasons to give up heaven and be human. Their connection is sweet and although the concept of not having bodies but only energies didn’t fully work (sometimes they had hands and other times it was just energy and back again), some of the images are very charming. I really like the idea of the two gradually appearing and becoming more human as their emotions become more real. The twist at the end with Peter is very sweet and romantic, especially the feathered wings.

Overall this is a decent offering from Lane. The writing is good even though it tries very hard in some spots and the opening sentence is a tongue twister. The characters are filled with life, charm, and bittersweet complexity. I like that nothing is easy and that the light comes with dark. For those fans of the LG series, this is a must read. For those that don’t mind the straddling of a series and stand alone, this could please.
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Oct 27, 2010 Shell rated it 5 of 5 stars

Recommended to Shell by: Top 2 Bottom Reviews Interviews and More

Shelves: favorites

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. This book was an intriguing amalgam of heartrendingly tragic, endearingly sweet, and amusing. It's was a bit like have two stories in one. One story being that of a vampire's ghost, that wanders the halls of Heaven's waiting room, watching the ones he loves and is parted from and enriching the lives of the angels and ghosts around him. Through his actions and occasional sage words he teaches those that take the time to actually listen about humanity, love, life, sacrifices, and the lengths one s...more This book was an intriguing amalgam of heartrendingly tragic, endearingly sweet, and amusing. It's was a bit like have two stories in one. One story being that of a vampire's ghost, that wanders the halls of Heaven's waiting room, watching the ones he loves and is parted from and enriching the lives of the angels and ghosts around him. Through his actions and occasional sage words he teaches those that take the time to actually listen about humanity, love, life, sacrifices, and the lengths one soul is willing to go in order for a single glance, a solitary moment, a ghostly touch, and a hope that he may one day be with those he loves again. It may be years, eons perhaps or maybe never, yet over and over he makes the claim that it's worth it. They are worth it.

The second tale that blends so brilliantly into the first, creating an entire story that was absolute magic in its completion, is that of two angels. Two angels that have been together for four millennia; one is the Angel of Penitence and the other the Angel of the Fourth Hour of the Night. They fit together like two pieces of the same puzzle and have since nearly before time began. They've never questioned their own existence, never truly touched one another, and never comprehended why an angel might choose to fall. That is, until they are sent to guard a vampire's ghost in Heaven's anteroom.

Adrian is a vampire prince and lover to both Cory, a female human sorceress and Green, a male elf. He is also very dead. Now, under normal circumstance a dead vampire would not be wandering around the gateway to Heaven, playing video games, talking to the recently departed and throwing major wrenches into the lives of angels. However, Adrian is not your average, everyday, run-of-the-mill vampire. So abnormal is he, in fact, that he in and of himself, caused what is referred to as “The Great Quarrel.” You see, vampires, like elves, sorceresses and were-folk are part of the Goddesses people and the Goddesses people simply do not go to Heaven. Heaven is for God's people, but God, the poor man, has been separated from his Goddess for a few thousand years and is willing to give her just about anything she wants. So, when a vampire dies and his Goddess requests that said vampire be allowed to stay in Heaven's anteroom, why of course, God complies.

That, my friends, is how Adrian, vampire ghost extraordinaire, came to be guarded by the Angel of Penitence, Shepard and the Angel of the Fourth Hour of the Night, Jefischa and it is the foundation that sets into motion a series of events that leads to two innocent Angels discovering a truth that many of us discover in our own lives at one point or another, and one that Adrian's character was already very familiar with. That some things, some people, the special ones, the ones that regardless of time, distance and even death become a part of our souls and reside in our hearts. Those ones, well, they're worth it. Worth what you ask? Anything. Worth life, death and in this case falling from the Kingdom of Heaven.

I've been a huge Amy Lane fan for a few months now, ever since I read Keeping Promise Rock and Truth in the Dark, but this story eclipses even those. It made me howl with laughter, sob in sympathy and rejoice for two angels who found something worth being mortal for. What an amazing journey this story was. Well done, Amy Lane.(less)

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Dec 13, 2010 Feliz rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: jw, fantasy, m-m, ghosts-angels

Adrian is a vampire who in life has had two lovers, a human sorceress and a male elf. His death causes quite the confusion in the order of the worlds, because he’s managed to retain his soul, which means he’ll leave a ghost – and whatever is to be done with a vampire’s ghost? Since he has been dead before, he can’t very well go to Heaven, now can he? However Godess, sovereign of the world of lore, decides he very well can. At first, God bristles at her request, but since he’s been separated from...more Adrian is a vampire who in life has had two lovers, a human sorceress and a male elf. His death causes quite the confusion in the order of the worlds, because he’s managed to retain his soul, which means he’ll leave a ghost – and whatever is to be done with a vampire’s ghost? Since he has been dead before, he can’t very well go to Heaven, now can he? However Godess, sovereign of the world of lore, decides he very well can. At first, God bristles at her request, but since he’s been separated from Godess for about four millenia, he’s by now ready to give her about everything she asks for. Thus, after what’s known now as “The Big Quarrel”, here he is, a vampire’s ghost in the anteroom of Heaven among the ghosts of humans whose ties to Earth are still too strong to let go, and the angels.

Shepherd, the Angel of Repentance, and Jefischa, the Angel of the Fourth Hour of Darkness, have been together from the beginning of time, fitting together like lock and key. They have never questioned their existence or purpose, never truely touched another being including each other, and never understood what might prompt an angel to fall from Heaven. That is, until St. Peter sets them to guard the vampire’s ghost, around who angels seem to fall like dominoes.

We have actually two intertwining storylines here. One is Adrian’s story, which tells about a love so deep and lasting it will withstand a separation of centuries, maybe millenia only on the tiniest spark of hope for being with the loved ones again sometimes. It is heartbreaking to watch the vampire’s sadness, his longing for his lovers, the way he turns his love on others in order to show them there’s always hope, there’s always something worth fighting for. The lenghths Adrian goes to for one single moment, one single fleeting touch with a loved one sometimes take on a very worldly form, which keeps his story from being teary and maudlin. In typical Amy Lane way the vampire’s antics provide several funny incidents; yet when he reveals his innermost darkness to Shep and Jefi, he shows a depth and a sincerity fit to touch another being’s heart, even though the other being doesn’t actually have one.

The love of an angel is different from mortal love. It has no boundaries, and is indistinct, as the angel is supposed to apportion his love to all those who are his charge alike. The real sin, the sin that leads to falling, is loving exclusively, focusing all this endless, immortal love on one single other being. This is the second story line here, as Jefi and Shep gradually become aware that loving in a mortal way might actually be worth falling from the realms of Heaven, in spite of the risks, in spite of all the pain living on Earth might cause.

So many little details mark this story as the work of a masterful storyteller. For example how the angels get more and more corporeal as they realize that sharing the energy isn’t enough, each little solid body part indicating a step towards their big revelation. Or the characterization of Shep, whose task as an angel it was to provide forgiveness to those who were truely repenting their sins, and Jefi, who guarded the fourth hour of darkness, the hour of the musicians and the happily besotted ones. The angels were so innocent and so wholehearted in their slow evolution towards becoming beings of the flesh, it was like watching two wide-eyed children exploring a great wonder. On the other hand, both were mature persons in their own right who made a mature decision, perhaps with a timely little nudge then and again, but still… The author’s skill made me totally but all that, Adrian’s story along with the angels’. They rang true with an eternal sage wisdom, and made their point without hammering it in.

This is a beautiful, endearing story about how love is always worth something and sometimes can be worth everything. Highly recommended.
Full review at http://www.reviewsbyjessewave.com/201...(less)

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Oct 19, 2011 Aniytlia rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: glbt, sex, scifi, romance

Too short, vague, a really cute and sweet story line that really deserves to be fleshed out more! Give me some detail Amy! Please! I've become an avid follower of yours but I'm craving more, a plot line that gives me story, depth of character, as well as the sort of curving detail and structure that supplies readers such as myself with long, twisting journeys to justify the hours we spend diligently reading!

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Nov 21, 2010 Cherie Noel rated it 5 of 5 stars

This book is beyond brilliant. It's so good I had to go back and get the story of the vampire's life before he became a ghost (told in VULNERABLE). Wow. The author told me that Vulnerable, her first published (I think) novel was "not very good"...Ha!! No, it wasn't good...it was bloody brilliant, like everything else I've read by Amy Lane. And oh, oh, oh, those lucky angels, getting to hang out with someone who's loved so deeply he can teach the heavenly hosts a thing or three about love. Yeah....more

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Mar 08, 2011 ♠ Sharon is an emotional book junkie ♠ rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2010

How I missed Adrian and while it certainly was nice to catch up with him, the story wasn't what I thought it would be. I was expecting it to be mainly about Adrian and it wasn't. I also don't know how I feel about Adrian's "activities". (view spoiler) The two angels were very interesting and sweet and it was enjoyable to see their growth.

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Nov 14, 2011 Shawn rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 1-star, m-m-bookshelf

Awful. That's what this book is. Awful. half the time I had no idea what the hell was going on. Just pure crap. ughy. Which is sad cause I like most of her books.

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Nov 27, 2010 Kris rated it 4 of 5 stars

If it's one thing that Amy does well it's pull at a reader's heart strings. This story made my heart ache. Seriously bittersweet.

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Apr 18, 2012 Dinjolina marked it as avoid

Shelves: angst, when-three-is-a-crowd

I finally found a sex book that made me feel weird.
Angel sex. Angel sex is a big no-no in my book. What can I do? Leave faith and God out of orgies,ok?

And here we have...two male angels.

So,omg,I have no idea how to say this...but it really bothered me that they are gay! Love your fellow man? Yes! Do not condemn homosexual partners? Yes! Like gay books? Yes,yes, I do! Very much!
But gay angels? It's just pushing it. Sorry.

Oh and the vampire having a...well... sex life while he 'loved' his partners...more

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Jun 07, 2012 Jess Candela rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: m-m, read-in-2010

I suspect I'd have gotten more out of it if I'd read the Green's Hill books first, but even so it was good.

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Jan 21, 2013 Kavisha rated it 5 of 5 stars

How is it possible for Amy Lane to write a 76 page story that brings tears to my eyes?!!!!!!!!!!

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Oct 06, 2010 Tj rated it 4 of 5 stars

This was a good story of two angels in charge of watching over a dead vampire's soul in the antechamber of heaven. The whole of the story was wonderfully compelling. I thought the idea that emotions more than anything effected the angels of heaven was an interesting concept. I love Amy Lane's style of writing. It feels real with the angst and the turmoil. My only problem is that I never really got into the characters. While I loved the writing I just felt like I grazed the characters true person...more

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Sep 03, 2011 Cole Riann rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: m-m, m-m-vampire, m-m-angels-demons-or-gods, m-m-friends2lovers, m-m-pnr, m-m-fairy-tale, m-m-series

I feel like there were a few things I was missing having not read the Little Goddess series, but I don't think they were very important. Still, it was like missing out on an inside joke -- you think you're missing out, but maybe you aren't, and if you are, who is to say if it's important or not? So maybe it was nothing, but I didn't really understand the ending (when Peter asks Adrian: "Was it worth it?")

Still, sweet and amazingly innocent characters directly related to the tone of the story. An...more

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Nov 06, 2012 Jen rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: angels-wings-religion, contemporary, vampires, fantasy, mm, nookbook, romance

Short and sweet :-)

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Nov 19, 2010 Mary rated it 5 of 5 stars

This story can stand alone but if you have read the Little Goddess series (like I have) it's even better. I love Adrian, always have, and this is heart-wrenching to read where he's concerned and romantic and funny where the story centers on the angels Jefi and Shep. Amy's universe with Whim and this one and the Little Goddess series shows you the breadth of her imagination. It's amazing.

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Mar 31, 2011 Lily rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: angels-demons, ebook, m-m, fantasy-paranormal, vampires, free-arc-gifts-contest-wins, what-i-read-in-2011, shelf-a-thon-2010-to-11

Angels Shepherd and Jefi are assigned to watch over Adrian, the only vampire allowed into Heaven. The angels storyline is sweet while the portion that deals with Adrian is bittersweet. An entertaining and well-written story however it felt a bit off. Even though it's a stand-alone it's part of a series which I haven't read and it didn't feel complete to me.

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Feb 24, 2011 Cindyg rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites

Well Ms Lane did it again. I cried, damn I miss Adrian. All I can say is Why? Why? Why?
I loved this short story and highly recommend it if you're a fan of Green's Hill (Little Goddess series.)
But be sure to read the first book in the series before or it will be confusing and give up some info that could ruin your reading experience of the first novel.

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Jun 25, 2011 Nightcolors rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: ebook, glbt, paranormal, romance, 2011

It was a sweet story. I liked Jefi and Shepherd, and Adrian seemed a decent ghost-vampire. Still, I mostly felt detached from what was happening. When Adrian was grieving his lovers, I didn't really feel the sadness -- since I don't really know him or his beloveds.

Good story... sadly didn't really work for me, though.

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Oct 27, 2011 OkayKim rated it 5 of 5 stars

Very sweet and touching story. Have to read the ones proceeding it before, because there is some confusion in the beginning as to what is going on.

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Apr 26, 2011 WillowBe rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: men-lurving-men

I'll go back and read the story, but it's too much the same as the Little Goddess series. Similar charaters, etc. Would only read if I had a serious jones for some Amy Lane

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Jan 06, 2011 Nancy L rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: m-m, pnr, paranormal, romance, vampires

The most interesting story line I've read in quite a long time!!

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Jun 03, 2012 glossedcurls rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2012

3.5 stars.

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May 15, 2013 Amber Womer marked it as to-read

May 12, 2013 Marsha Spence marked it as to-read

Shelves: angels, para

May 08, 2013 Pat rated it 3 of 5 stars

May 03, 2013 Simone rated it 5 of 5 stars

May 02, 2013 Kate marked it as mm-to-read

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About Amy Lane

Amy Lane dodges an EDJ, mothers four children, and writes the occasional book. She, her brood, and her beloved mate, Mack, live in a crumbling mortgage in Citrus Heights, California, which is riddled with spiders, cats, and more than its share of fancy and weirdness. Feel free to visit her at www.greenshill.com orwww.writerslane.blogspot.com, where she will ride the buzz of receiving your e-mail u...more

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Guarding the Vampire's Ghost (Green's Hill #3)

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