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Destined
While flying across the Atlantic on the centennial anniversary of the Titanic's tragic maiden voyage, Apolline Greer, last in a long line of vampire hunters, finds herself suddenly transported from her airliner cabin to an eerily familiar ocean liner cabin—as well as the entirely unfamiliar body of her ancestor, Noelle Greer. Upon learning that she is, in fact, on board the very ship she’s been fascinated with all her life, she knows there's only one thing to do: get off as soon as possible.
But whether by destiny, freak coincidence or a really vivid dream, Apolline finds that her trip back in time comes with three very good reasons to stay on board: Alexander Walker, a handsome and charming fellow vampire hunter; Cristof, the vampire that has tormented her family for generations and very likely killed her own mother; and Sasha, the vampire Noelle was sent to kill.
Time, however, is not on Apolline's side. The Titanic is on a collision course with destiny, and she only has four days to complete her quest. What seemed like more than enough time at the start quickly becomes too short as she finds that hunting vampires on a luxury ocean liner is much more difficult than she expected. Sasha and Cristof become more elusive as each day passes, while her feelings for Alexander become increasingly complicated. As that fateful night approaches, will she regret her decision to stay and witness history first-hand?
But whether by destiny, freak coincidence or a really vivid dream, Apolline finds that her trip back in time comes with three very good reasons to stay on board: Alexander Walker, a handsome and charming fellow vampire hunter; Cristof, the vampire that has tormented her family for generations and very likely killed her own mother; and Sasha, the vampire Noelle was sent to kill.
Time, however, is not on Apolline's side. The Titanic is on a collision course with destiny, and she only has four days to complete her quest. What seemed like more than enough time at the start quickly becomes too short as she finds that hunting vampires on a luxury ocean liner is much more difficult than she expected. Sasha and Cristof become more elusive as each day passes, while her feelings for Alexander become increasingly complicated. As that fateful night approaches, will she regret her decision to stay and witness history first-hand?
290 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published August 23, 2011
About the author
Allison Kraft
1 book20 followersAllison Kraft lives in west central Florida with her family and four cats. She taught herself how to read at the age of three (with a little help from PBS) and has been a devourer of books ever since. In college, she discovered that, as much as she loved to read about vampires, witches, ghosts and time travel, writing about them was even more fun! Her first novel, Destined, is a time travel romance set on the Titanic, another long-time obsession of hers.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 41 reviews
March 7, 2016
This novel first came to my attention on some Goodreads lists and thanks to it having the Titanic in the plot I decided that I had to get my hands on a copy to read. It has a lot of positive reviews however I was still not sure if I would enjoy it or not due to it having romance (a little is ok with me) and time travel (a little of that is also ok with me). It has just the right amount of several genres to make it a novel that I am glad I finally got to read and is now one of my favourites.
September 24, 2011
This is an enjoyable novel that I think will appeal to quite a broad audience because of its exotic blend of genres. Time travel, vampires and romance are fused together very nicely with the legendary Titanic filling up much of the background canvas.
Although this is a crossover of several genres, the heart and sole of this novel lies in the romance which is of the sweet and charming nature. Dont look out for steamy sex scenes or hard core lusting in this novel. Emphasis here is on innocence and charm but with an impending sense of tragic anticipation.
The time travel element is simple, tight, uncomplicated and rewarding. Vampires exist and are hunted but not much depth is given about their undead lives. The story focuses more on the human hunters.
The narrative rolls nicely and successfully immersed me on board the famous cruise ship's only voyage. Its clear how much research was put into this to make all the characters, environments and events on the Titanic, feel authentic as possible. Titanic has been a life long interest for the author and she includes an appendix section consisting of more interesting facts and details of characters we meet on the ship as well as a list of extensive sources. Certainly piqued my interest to find out a bit more, in fact will be planning a visit to a Titanic Experience exhibition we have in London. Which is actually featured in the book.
I do however, have a problem with its pacing during the middle section. There wasnt any sense of urgency but there should have been given the situation in the story. The protaganist didnt seem to be driven in their mission which puzzled me. But life on the Titanic was getting a little tedious and at one point our protagonist sighed to her self that she was bored. Unfortunately I felt the same at that point. There really should be much tighter editing here. Perhaps I may have been under appreciating the subtleties of the time spent on Titanic and the developing romance but I personally couldnt help getting impatient.
Having said that the pacing did pick up again and I did finish the second half of this book in one sitting. The climax was exciting, with some good plot turns. I cared for our main protaganists and that is an important ingredient in any novel, regardless of genre. The romance also worked for me too as the author plays on the now extinct romantic dialogue of 1912 romantics in contrast to the modern ways.
This is the author's first novel and is a very enjoyable one. As I said, some tighter ending in the middle would have made this even better but I whole heartedly recommend this.
Although this is a crossover of several genres, the heart and sole of this novel lies in the romance which is of the sweet and charming nature. Dont look out for steamy sex scenes or hard core lusting in this novel. Emphasis here is on innocence and charm but with an impending sense of tragic anticipation.
The time travel element is simple, tight, uncomplicated and rewarding. Vampires exist and are hunted but not much depth is given about their undead lives. The story focuses more on the human hunters.
The narrative rolls nicely and successfully immersed me on board the famous cruise ship's only voyage. Its clear how much research was put into this to make all the characters, environments and events on the Titanic, feel authentic as possible. Titanic has been a life long interest for the author and she includes an appendix section consisting of more interesting facts and details of characters we meet on the ship as well as a list of extensive sources. Certainly piqued my interest to find out a bit more, in fact will be planning a visit to a Titanic Experience exhibition we have in London. Which is actually featured in the book.
I do however, have a problem with its pacing during the middle section. There wasnt any sense of urgency but there should have been given the situation in the story. The protaganist didnt seem to be driven in their mission which puzzled me. But life on the Titanic was getting a little tedious and at one point our protagonist sighed to her self that she was bored. Unfortunately I felt the same at that point. There really should be much tighter editing here. Perhaps I may have been under appreciating the subtleties of the time spent on Titanic and the developing romance but I personally couldnt help getting impatient.
Having said that the pacing did pick up again and I did finish the second half of this book in one sitting. The climax was exciting, with some good plot turns. I cared for our main protaganists and that is an important ingredient in any novel, regardless of genre. The romance also worked for me too as the author plays on the now extinct romantic dialogue of 1912 romantics in contrast to the modern ways.
This is the author's first novel and is a very enjoyable one. As I said, some tighter ending in the middle would have made this even better but I whole heartedly recommend this.
April 11, 2012
Four stars: A must book for any Titanic enthusiast.
Apolline Greer, a vampire hunter, slays another vampire and prepares to head home. She leads a lonely life as slayer. Her job requires her to keep to the shadows without friends or family. Being a Greer, means that she must produce a female heir to continue the line of hunters. Most Greer women don't marry the men who father their children, which makes it easier to fulfill their obligations. The night before Apolline is to leave Ireland, she heads to the local pub to take her mind off tomorrow's flight; she hates flying. Her revelry is cut short when she notices the older gentleman in the corner. Cristoff, a vampire, who has hunted down the Greer women for years. The next day on the plane, they hit turbulence and Apolline bumps her head. She awakens to a strange male voice and an unfamiliar setting. Apolline discovers that somehow she has transported back in time, and she is now inhabiting the body of her ancestor, Noelle Greer. Apolline is now in 1912 aboard the ill fated Titanic. As an avid Titanic connoisseur, Apolline knows everything there is to know about the doomed liner. Luckily, she learns that they have just departed from Cherbourg, she can get still get off because there is one more stop before Titanic sets out across the Atlantic on a collision course with a deadly iceberg. Before she can leave the ship, Apolline meets Alexander a handsome fellow vampire hunter. She has never met another hunter. Then she runs into Cristoff. She reluctantly stays on board in hopes of destroying the vampire. Can she somehow kill the creature that has stalked her family for centuries and change her destiny or will she perish with the Titanic?
What I Liked:
*What is it that draws us to the Titanic? I know I am one of many people who are intrigued by the Titanic, even now a hundred years this week since her deadly maiden voyage. I absolutely loved the attention to detail that Ms. Kraft uses in this book. It is clearly evident that the author is well read and informed on the famous steam liner. In fact, the part I enjoyed the most was the discussion at the end of the book where she shares her research and explains how she tried to make everything as historically accurate as possible. All the characters aboard the Titanic, aside from Alex, Noelle and the two vampires, are authentic Titanic passengers. Ms. Kraft even analyzes female fashion. As romantic and lovely as all the gowns are from this era, she makes it abundantly clear that dressing and moving was extremely cumbersome. If you want to read a fun, well researched book filled with all things Titanic, I would highly recommend Destined.
*I appreciated that the entire time travel concept was simplistic and not bogged down with scientific plausibility. Instead Apolline hits her head and wakes up a hundred years in the past. Neither the reader or Apolline understand why and how, or if she is even really there or if it is a dream. This quick transition makes it easy to slip into 1912. My favorite aspect of having a modern day girl in the past was that Apolline knew everything about the short voyage and she relayed all this information to the reader. Time and time again, she bumps into someone who has a significant role in the accounts of Titanic. Witnessing history through the eyes of someone in the know added to the tragedy. Imagine being on board the ship, knowing that many of the people you encounter will not survive. Would you be tempted to try and change history?
*After the sinking of Titanic, I enjoyed some of the twists and unexpected developments that occur toward the end of the book. I was surprised at the direction of the story. I can't say much more without revealing spoilers.
*I liked the inclusion of the trip to see one of the Titanic exhibits that is currently on tour. I was excited to read about many of the items that were recovered. I immediately looked up the exhibit to see if one is near me. I also loved that she uses an actual photo from a Titanic exploration for the book cover.
*I admit, I was a bit disappointed to find that Noelle was traveling in second class. I was hoping that she would be in first class, rubbing elbows with the famous rich passengers with whom we are all so familiar. At the end of the book, Ms. Kraft explains that she chose to place her characters in second class because all the attention in the past is on either third or first class. After reading this, I had a new appreciation for her efforts to bring to light many of the second class passengers. All the characters interacting with our protagonists are drawn from history. Don't worry there are plenty of sightings and mentions of some of Titanic's most famous passengers.
And The Not So Much:
*While the inclusion of vampires on Titanic added a fun paranormal twist, I found myself wishing for a little more detail on Cristoff. The vampires aren't fleshed out, you don't have a full understanding on all their characteristics. This is not a big issue since I was far more interested in Titanic than the vampires.
*As I mentioned earlier, I liked the simple time travel element but it remains muddled as to whether the trip back in time had any effects on the future. Was there some type of butterfly effect or not? Also it was unclear as to what happened to Cristoff after the sinking of Titanic. I guess I just wanted to know if Apolline's trip was already a part of history or was it a new development.
*This book does rely on a well worn Titanic theme, the quick blooming romance between new acquaintances on the short lived voyage. The reader will then agonize the entire book wondering if they will survive or if it will be the typical case where one of them dies. I won't say here to eliminate spoilers, but Ms. Kraft does take this familiar theme and add some unique twists.
Destined was a surprising, fun read that recounts the time aboard the legendary Titanic. Ms. Kraft is obviously a huge fan of Titanic, and her love of the topic shines through in this book. The novel includes a complete discussion on her research and how it all fits into the story. If you are intrigued by Titanic and want to read a book to mark the momentous occasion of the centennial anniversary of the sinking, which is this week, then I would highly recommend Destined. This book sucked me in and didn't let go, and I admit it has been awhile since I was fully engrossed into a book. Ms. Kraft allows you to see history unfold through the eyes of someone who has knowledge of the impending disaster which makes the read so much more entertaining. Get a copy of this one.
Favorite Quotations:
"The ship. The darkness. That impossibly starry sky. The mysterious man holding me, keeping me from falling overboard. The emptiness. The silence. The panic."
"People have always been fascinated by death, and the more dramatic, the better."
"I was seeing the Titanic in person. My fingers itched to reach out and touch the wall, the furniture---anything. To touch history."
"The moon was a thin crescent overhead, surrounded by the thousands upon thousands of stars that twinkled impossibly bright against the black velvet night."
"Forget vampires; turn-of-the century women's undergarments had just taken over as the epitome of evil as far as I was concerned."
"After all, unlike me, he wasn't facing the prospect of squeezing himself into a bone-crushing torture device masquerading as underwear."
"Other than those few instances, everyone I met was just another nameless face, destined to one day be no more than a faceless name on a list of survivors."
"They say that everyone has a soul mate out there. One person in the whole world whose heart fits perfectly with their own. One person with whom they are meant to spend their life."
A copy of this book was kindly provided to me by the author in exchange for an honest review.
Posted @ http://rainydayramblings.typepad.com/
Apolline Greer, a vampire hunter, slays another vampire and prepares to head home. She leads a lonely life as slayer. Her job requires her to keep to the shadows without friends or family. Being a Greer, means that she must produce a female heir to continue the line of hunters. Most Greer women don't marry the men who father their children, which makes it easier to fulfill their obligations. The night before Apolline is to leave Ireland, she heads to the local pub to take her mind off tomorrow's flight; she hates flying. Her revelry is cut short when she notices the older gentleman in the corner. Cristoff, a vampire, who has hunted down the Greer women for years. The next day on the plane, they hit turbulence and Apolline bumps her head. She awakens to a strange male voice and an unfamiliar setting. Apolline discovers that somehow she has transported back in time, and she is now inhabiting the body of her ancestor, Noelle Greer. Apolline is now in 1912 aboard the ill fated Titanic. As an avid Titanic connoisseur, Apolline knows everything there is to know about the doomed liner. Luckily, she learns that they have just departed from Cherbourg, she can get still get off because there is one more stop before Titanic sets out across the Atlantic on a collision course with a deadly iceberg. Before she can leave the ship, Apolline meets Alexander a handsome fellow vampire hunter. She has never met another hunter. Then she runs into Cristoff. She reluctantly stays on board in hopes of destroying the vampire. Can she somehow kill the creature that has stalked her family for centuries and change her destiny or will she perish with the Titanic?
What I Liked:
*What is it that draws us to the Titanic? I know I am one of many people who are intrigued by the Titanic, even now a hundred years this week since her deadly maiden voyage. I absolutely loved the attention to detail that Ms. Kraft uses in this book. It is clearly evident that the author is well read and informed on the famous steam liner. In fact, the part I enjoyed the most was the discussion at the end of the book where she shares her research and explains how she tried to make everything as historically accurate as possible. All the characters aboard the Titanic, aside from Alex, Noelle and the two vampires, are authentic Titanic passengers. Ms. Kraft even analyzes female fashion. As romantic and lovely as all the gowns are from this era, she makes it abundantly clear that dressing and moving was extremely cumbersome. If you want to read a fun, well researched book filled with all things Titanic, I would highly recommend Destined.
*I appreciated that the entire time travel concept was simplistic and not bogged down with scientific plausibility. Instead Apolline hits her head and wakes up a hundred years in the past. Neither the reader or Apolline understand why and how, or if she is even really there or if it is a dream. This quick transition makes it easy to slip into 1912. My favorite aspect of having a modern day girl in the past was that Apolline knew everything about the short voyage and she relayed all this information to the reader. Time and time again, she bumps into someone who has a significant role in the accounts of Titanic. Witnessing history through the eyes of someone in the know added to the tragedy. Imagine being on board the ship, knowing that many of the people you encounter will not survive. Would you be tempted to try and change history?
*After the sinking of Titanic, I enjoyed some of the twists and unexpected developments that occur toward the end of the book. I was surprised at the direction of the story. I can't say much more without revealing spoilers.
*I liked the inclusion of the trip to see one of the Titanic exhibits that is currently on tour. I was excited to read about many of the items that were recovered. I immediately looked up the exhibit to see if one is near me. I also loved that she uses an actual photo from a Titanic exploration for the book cover.
*I admit, I was a bit disappointed to find that Noelle was traveling in second class. I was hoping that she would be in first class, rubbing elbows with the famous rich passengers with whom we are all so familiar. At the end of the book, Ms. Kraft explains that she chose to place her characters in second class because all the attention in the past is on either third or first class. After reading this, I had a new appreciation for her efforts to bring to light many of the second class passengers. All the characters interacting with our protagonists are drawn from history. Don't worry there are plenty of sightings and mentions of some of Titanic's most famous passengers.
And The Not So Much:
*While the inclusion of vampires on Titanic added a fun paranormal twist, I found myself wishing for a little more detail on Cristoff. The vampires aren't fleshed out, you don't have a full understanding on all their characteristics. This is not a big issue since I was far more interested in Titanic than the vampires.
*As I mentioned earlier, I liked the simple time travel element but it remains muddled as to whether the trip back in time had any effects on the future. Was there some type of butterfly effect or not? Also it was unclear as to what happened to Cristoff after the sinking of Titanic. I guess I just wanted to know if Apolline's trip was already a part of history or was it a new development.
*This book does rely on a well worn Titanic theme, the quick blooming romance between new acquaintances on the short lived voyage. The reader will then agonize the entire book wondering if they will survive or if it will be the typical case where one of them dies. I won't say here to eliminate spoilers, but Ms. Kraft does take this familiar theme and add some unique twists.
Destined was a surprising, fun read that recounts the time aboard the legendary Titanic. Ms. Kraft is obviously a huge fan of Titanic, and her love of the topic shines through in this book. The novel includes a complete discussion on her research and how it all fits into the story. If you are intrigued by Titanic and want to read a book to mark the momentous occasion of the centennial anniversary of the sinking, which is this week, then I would highly recommend Destined. This book sucked me in and didn't let go, and I admit it has been awhile since I was fully engrossed into a book. Ms. Kraft allows you to see history unfold through the eyes of someone who has knowledge of the impending disaster which makes the read so much more entertaining. Get a copy of this one.
Favorite Quotations:
"The ship. The darkness. That impossibly starry sky. The mysterious man holding me, keeping me from falling overboard. The emptiness. The silence. The panic."
"People have always been fascinated by death, and the more dramatic, the better."
"I was seeing the Titanic in person. My fingers itched to reach out and touch the wall, the furniture---anything. To touch history."
"The moon was a thin crescent overhead, surrounded by the thousands upon thousands of stars that twinkled impossibly bright against the black velvet night."
"Forget vampires; turn-of-the century women's undergarments had just taken over as the epitome of evil as far as I was concerned."
"After all, unlike me, he wasn't facing the prospect of squeezing himself into a bone-crushing torture device masquerading as underwear."
"Other than those few instances, everyone I met was just another nameless face, destined to one day be no more than a faceless name on a list of survivors."
"They say that everyone has a soul mate out there. One person in the whole world whose heart fits perfectly with their own. One person with whom they are meant to spend their life."
A copy of this book was kindly provided to me by the author in exchange for an honest review.
Posted @ http://rainydayramblings.typepad.com/
September 14, 2011
Vampires, vampire hunters, the Titanic, time travel into the past and not one but two romances fill the pages of this paranormal romance. Told first person from the female lead's point of view, this is a humorous yet poignant story.
One of the funny lines of the story illustrates what a present day female vampire hunter suddenly thrust a 100 years into the past might think: "Forget vampires; turn-of-the-century women’s undergarments had just taken over as the epitome of evil as far as I was concerned."
Apolline, Titanic enthusiast and lonely vampire hunter with no friends or family, only goes after the vampires whose bloodlust gets out of hand. She has special genes that allow her to track and slay much bigger and faster opponents. She is the last of her line and she sometimes wonders if she'll ever meet another slayer. She's been having the same dream over and over again for as long as she remembers. On flight home to Chicago from Belfast, the plane takes a nosedive, she passes out and wakes in a small cabin in someone else's body in clothing from a different century but the man calls her Miss Greer. She finds paperwork stating she's on the Titanic and her instructions to slay a vampire on board named Sasha.
She meets another slayer on board ship as well as her vampire nemesis, Cristof, four days before the ship is to hit an iceberg. She also finds love during these four days.
Kraft not only brings her characters to life with a great plot but also paints a picture of what life on the Titanic might have been like.
I laughed and cried while reading this thoroughly enjoyable story which, while flirty, has no sex -- something paranormal romance fans aren't used to. It also has Kraft's interesting research notes at the end which talks about people on the ship as well as other details.
I think fans of paranormal romance, time travel into the past, vampires and the Titanic will like this story.
One of the funny lines of the story illustrates what a present day female vampire hunter suddenly thrust a 100 years into the past might think: "Forget vampires; turn-of-the-century women’s undergarments had just taken over as the epitome of evil as far as I was concerned."
Apolline, Titanic enthusiast and lonely vampire hunter with no friends or family, only goes after the vampires whose bloodlust gets out of hand. She has special genes that allow her to track and slay much bigger and faster opponents. She is the last of her line and she sometimes wonders if she'll ever meet another slayer. She's been having the same dream over and over again for as long as she remembers. On flight home to Chicago from Belfast, the plane takes a nosedive, she passes out and wakes in a small cabin in someone else's body in clothing from a different century but the man calls her Miss Greer. She finds paperwork stating she's on the Titanic and her instructions to slay a vampire on board named Sasha.
She meets another slayer on board ship as well as her vampire nemesis, Cristof, four days before the ship is to hit an iceberg. She also finds love during these four days.
Kraft not only brings her characters to life with a great plot but also paints a picture of what life on the Titanic might have been like.
I laughed and cried while reading this thoroughly enjoyable story which, while flirty, has no sex -- something paranormal romance fans aren't used to. It also has Kraft's interesting research notes at the end which talks about people on the ship as well as other details.
I think fans of paranormal romance, time travel into the past, vampires and the Titanic will like this story.
August 10, 2014
The story opens in Ireland in 2012 with a bit of scene setting. Apolline is there on an assignment to take out a vampire, but with the impending centennial of the disaster, things are pretty Titanic-centric in Belfast, the city where the Titanic was built. At this point the book is rather apologetic about Apolline’s vast knowledge of the Titanic and it got old fast. There’s even this quote: “After all, it was the Titanic disaster that prompted all the maritime safety laws to be amended so that all ships had to have enough lifeboats for everyone on board, and all wireless rooms had to stay active 24 hours a day, not to mention the establishment of the International Ice Patrol. (I didn’t normally know that much detail about the disaster, but with it being the 100th anniversary, there had been a lot of documentaries on TV lately, especially during my short stay in Belfast where it was even bigger news.)” This, however, does not make sense. Especially when you take into consideration that later in the book Apolline is shown to have a vast library of both books and DVDs about the Titanic – the 1997 James Cameron movie being her all-time favourite – and her knowledge of the disaster supposedly rivals that of the tour givers at the Titanic exhibition. Why, then, are there so many passing remarks about her Titanic-trivia being due to the anniversary rather than just her interest in the events of the disaster? This did get a bit frustrating at times because it felt like the author was trying to excuse her character having so much knowledge about something she’s obviously interested in.
Things soon move to the Titanic in 1912. Rather than being transported there in body, Apolline is, instead, inhabiting the body of an ancestor, Noelle, who was actually on the Titanic. Being of a long line of vampire hunters who do not tend to reach old age, she figures that she has been sent there to complete and assignment that her ancestor was unable to complete before disaster struck and the ship went down.
Apolline has a “watcher” who informs her of her assignments. She’s never met him and he only communicates by mail. She calls him Giles in reference to the Buffy show. When she arrives in 1912, she discovers that the same Giles was communicating with her ancestor. Unfortunately, after this point Giles is pretty much dropped from the story and his role in everything, exactly what he is, etc. – none of it is ever brought up and explored again.
In fact, the whole vampire plot itself seemed rather contrived at times and a mere device to get a present-day character in this specific historical setting. The idea that Apolline is a vampire hunter is used as the explanation for why time travel is also possible, both being outside of the realm of the ordinary. The vampires themselves don’t actually play much of a role in the story and don’t tend to show up very often. Even the final climax on the Titanic between vampire and hunter was over so quickly that if you blinked you’d have missed it. I would have preferred more of an impact from that particular scene.
But as I said, that wasn’t the crux of the story. The crux was the exploration of the ship itself as well as the social mores at that time from the eyes of a modern character. There was a bit too much attention paid to the clothing. After all, they did get changed at least three times per day in that day and age and Apolline describes her outfits each time she puts on a new one. I know some readers do like to have clothes described in detail as that sort of thing helps them to build a better picture in their own heads, but I’m not one of them. I consider clothes to be an unnecessary distraction detail that detracts from the story itself. Other than that, I was completely fascinated by the picture painted here. It’s true that a lot of the time stories about the Titanic tend to concentrate on either the opulence of first class or the conditions in third class. Very few books explore how it was for a second class character. This book is one of those few that choose to take a look at second class and the people who were travelling there.
The author incorporated a lot of people who really were on the Titanic. I think only the two main characters – Apolline and her fellow vampire hunter / romantic interest Alex – are fictional. She treated each of these characters with the respect that the memory of a real individual deserves.
Alex himself made for a wonderful hero. He’s the first other vampire hunter that Apolline has ever met and he was a worthy romantic interest. He was obviously smitten with Apolline, even when it gets to the point where she feels that she has to share her unbelievable truths – that the ship will soon sink and most of those on the liner will not survive. He didn’t know what to make of it all, but he still felt drawn to this unusual woman.
It was obvious that it was going to be a bittersweet ending. At one point, Alex says “I’d follow you anywhere, even to the future.” I think I latched on to that line more than I should have. After all, the characters have no knowledge of how this time travel thing works, so how would he go about following the woman he’s fallen in love with from his own time to her time? The author works this in a very unexpected way. I’m not entirely sure how I feel about it as when I latch onto a romantic interest, I very rarely budge enough to accept another one, even in spite of the links between the two that are present in this case. I recognise the sweetness behind how things are wrapped up, but at the same time I’m not sold about it.
The Titanic sinks around the 70% mark of the story and the final 30% is about Apolline getting to grips with how her life has changed with this experience. She accompanies her neighbour and original crush (before she went back in time) to a Titanic exhibition about the disaster. At the end of the tour, the passengers are listed with each one marked as having survived or lost their life on the 15th April 1912. This section of the story is extremely poignant. I felt completely torn apart by it as it made me stop and think about some of the points that are brought up. What is said there is true, very true, and it makes me sad that sometimes we overlook the human tragedy to focus on the mystery of the disaster instead. All those who died were real humans who lived real lives and who lost them. They deserve to be remembered but they also deserve to be allowed to rest in peace.
Things soon move to the Titanic in 1912. Rather than being transported there in body, Apolline is, instead, inhabiting the body of an ancestor, Noelle, who was actually on the Titanic. Being of a long line of vampire hunters who do not tend to reach old age, she figures that she has been sent there to complete and assignment that her ancestor was unable to complete before disaster struck and the ship went down.
Apolline has a “watcher” who informs her of her assignments. She’s never met him and he only communicates by mail. She calls him Giles in reference to the Buffy show. When she arrives in 1912, she discovers that the same Giles was communicating with her ancestor. Unfortunately, after this point Giles is pretty much dropped from the story and his role in everything, exactly what he is, etc. – none of it is ever brought up and explored again.
In fact, the whole vampire plot itself seemed rather contrived at times and a mere device to get a present-day character in this specific historical setting. The idea that Apolline is a vampire hunter is used as the explanation for why time travel is also possible, both being outside of the realm of the ordinary. The vampires themselves don’t actually play much of a role in the story and don’t tend to show up very often. Even the final climax on the Titanic between vampire and hunter was over so quickly that if you blinked you’d have missed it. I would have preferred more of an impact from that particular scene.
But as I said, that wasn’t the crux of the story. The crux was the exploration of the ship itself as well as the social mores at that time from the eyes of a modern character. There was a bit too much attention paid to the clothing. After all, they did get changed at least three times per day in that day and age and Apolline describes her outfits each time she puts on a new one. I know some readers do like to have clothes described in detail as that sort of thing helps them to build a better picture in their own heads, but I’m not one of them. I consider clothes to be an unnecessary distraction detail that detracts from the story itself. Other than that, I was completely fascinated by the picture painted here. It’s true that a lot of the time stories about the Titanic tend to concentrate on either the opulence of first class or the conditions in third class. Very few books explore how it was for a second class character. This book is one of those few that choose to take a look at second class and the people who were travelling there.
The author incorporated a lot of people who really were on the Titanic. I think only the two main characters – Apolline and her fellow vampire hunter / romantic interest Alex – are fictional. She treated each of these characters with the respect that the memory of a real individual deserves.
Alex himself made for a wonderful hero. He’s the first other vampire hunter that Apolline has ever met and he was a worthy romantic interest. He was obviously smitten with Apolline, even when it gets to the point where she feels that she has to share her unbelievable truths – that the ship will soon sink and most of those on the liner will not survive. He didn’t know what to make of it all, but he still felt drawn to this unusual woman.
It was obvious that it was going to be a bittersweet ending. At one point, Alex says “I’d follow you anywhere, even to the future.” I think I latched on to that line more than I should have. After all, the characters have no knowledge of how this time travel thing works, so how would he go about following the woman he’s fallen in love with from his own time to her time? The author works this in a very unexpected way. I’m not entirely sure how I feel about it as when I latch onto a romantic interest, I very rarely budge enough to accept another one, even in spite of the links between the two that are present in this case. I recognise the sweetness behind how things are wrapped up, but at the same time I’m not sold about it.
The Titanic sinks around the 70% mark of the story and the final 30% is about Apolline getting to grips with how her life has changed with this experience. She accompanies her neighbour and original crush (before she went back in time) to a Titanic exhibition about the disaster. At the end of the tour, the passengers are listed with each one marked as having survived or lost their life on the 15th April 1912. This section of the story is extremely poignant. I felt completely torn apart by it as it made me stop and think about some of the points that are brought up. What is said there is true, very true, and it makes me sad that sometimes we overlook the human tragedy to focus on the mystery of the disaster instead. All those who died were real humans who lived real lives and who lost them. They deserve to be remembered but they also deserve to be allowed to rest in peace.
April 26, 2019
A somewhat disappointing novel, Destined ends up being more of a love story than a supernatural thriller. When vampire hunter Apolline Greer suddenly finds herself transported back in time to 1912 on the maiden voyage of the RMS Titanic in the body of her distant ancestor Noelle Greer, she’s given the chance to change history; not by saving the ship but by killing a vampire that’s been preying on her family for generations. Unfortunately the vampire mythos is haphazardly put together and takes a lot from Buffy the Vampire Slayer (Apolline often even calls herself a “slayer” instead of a hunter). And despite Apolline being a vampire hunter, there’s not that much action; as she and her partner spent most of the voyage searching the ship and falling in love. Yet the plot takes some unexpected and intriguing turns, and the time travel aspect has a bit of an unconventional slant to it. Also, author Allison Kraft has done a good amount of research into the Titanic, its passengers, the touring artifact exhibit, and other related topics, and has worked in the book. Destined doesn’t deliver the adventure that it promises, but it does tell and interesting story about time travel, vampires, and romance.
September 5, 2011
Destined is an intriguing and wonderful combination of romance, vampire slaying and time travel. As the main protagonist, a vampire slayer from 21st century finds herself on the Titanic she deals with culture shocks, surprising shipmates and unknown feelings all the while fully aware of Titanic's fate.
Ms. Kraft does an amazing job taking you through Apolline's journey as she's embarking on this life changing adventure. You feel for Apolline whether she's going through her witty inner monologues or struggling between matters of the heart and familial obligations. As the story reaches the fateful date in Titanic's history I was reminded of how during promotion of the movie Titanic Leonardo DiCaprio had said that you almost don't want the ship to sink. You almost don't want Titanic to sink in Destined either but yet the time travel angle keeps you on the edge of your seat wondering about the next turn of events.
It is very clear that Ms. Kraft has a done a great deal of research while writing this story. Aside from historical accuracy, the demise of the ship and it's occupants is handled with great deal of respect. The tragedy of Titanic is not undermined in favor of the fictional characters' story and the story is not under whelmed because of the tragedy.
Ms. Kraft does an amazing job taking you through Apolline's journey as she's embarking on this life changing adventure. You feel for Apolline whether she's going through her witty inner monologues or struggling between matters of the heart and familial obligations. As the story reaches the fateful date in Titanic's history I was reminded of how during promotion of the movie Titanic Leonardo DiCaprio had said that you almost don't want the ship to sink. You almost don't want Titanic to sink in Destined either but yet the time travel angle keeps you on the edge of your seat wondering about the next turn of events.
It is very clear that Ms. Kraft has a done a great deal of research while writing this story. Aside from historical accuracy, the demise of the ship and it's occupants is handled with great deal of respect. The tragedy of Titanic is not undermined in favor of the fictional characters' story and the story is not under whelmed because of the tragedy.
May 7, 2012
This is a book that is a little difficult to categorize.In a way, it is historical fiction. The story line revolves around the sailing and sinking of the Titanic. The author went to great lengths to be as historically accurate as possible. Her notes at the end of the book were as interesting for me to read as the book itself.
It is paranormal in the sense that the main character is a vampire hunter/slayer. And we are hunting them on the Titanic.And there is time travel between 2012 and 1912.
And it's a romance.The young woman vampire hunter, Apolline(I love that name), falls in love not once but twice. Once in each century.
However you label the book,I hope you find it to be as engaging a story as I did.The story moved right along,grabbing you right from the start.Historical detail was accurate, but you don't get lost in it. The author has the knack of weaving history into the storyline effortlessly.And the romance was light and sweet, no bodice ripper raunchiness here.
This is Ms.Kraft's first book. I look forward to reading more of her work.
February 18, 2015
Being a Titanic buff, I should have known to stay away from this book. I don't understand the somewhat decent rating (3.91) for a book that has a horrific lack of editing, zero character development, and a plot that is ridiculous even by fantasy/sci-fi measures. The only good thing about this book is that it is under 300 pages, so I didn't waste too much of my life. Great premise, terrible execution.
October 11, 2011
Destined, by Alison Kraft
3,5 stars: the first half was 3 stars, the second half was 4...
The idea of this book spoke to me enormously. It’s told from the perspective of modern day vampire slayer Apolline Greer (who comes from a long line of female, single vampire slayers and is rather obsessed with the ‘Titanic’) who suddenly finds herself aboard this famous sinking ship, in the body of her ancestor. Also on board are: Cristof-the vampire who killed her mother, another vampire hunter named Alexander Walker (Appoline never knew there existed others like her, let alone they were so cute) and a female vampire named Sasha whom she and Alexander were both sent to kill. Since we all know what happens to the ‘Titanic’ it’s an understatement to say Apolline is acting under a lot of time pressure. She has 4 days left ‘till the ship sinks.
Unlike slayers we already know (such as ‘Buffy’, which Alison Kraft refers to herself) the slayers in this book don’t walk around and slay every vampire they encounter because not all vampires are considered bloodthirsty and dangerous. They’re assigned to kill specific ones because they’ve turned bad. Which is why Apolline is not allowed to kill Cristof, even though he’s responsible for her mother’s death, has tormented her family before that and torments Apolline still. Yet now temptation is very strong: she has a chance to stop him before he has a chance to kill her mother.
Even though Apolline is a strong character, having lost her mother at a young age and being trained to be a vampire slayer, I find her personality a bit lacking. She’s cool and in control and doesn’t allow herself to break down and cry for quite some time. It took some time before she finally grew on me, but towards the end I could *really* sympathize with her.
Alexander Walker is truly an old fashioned gentleman, charming in a way. Despite the proper distance which social etiquette requires, you feel the romance between Noelle/Apolline and Alex grow, in a subtle way.
Logan seems like a good (and cute) guy too. Very slowly (for obvious reasons, as we find out later) he finds a way into Apolline’s life, because he genuinely cares for her.
As far as writing goes, this books reads away easily. Since it’s written from 21st Century Apolline’s view (in the first person), the style/language is modern, apart from the moments Apolline has to converse to her fellow travellers in 1912 of course.
Clearly Alison Kraft has done much research on the ‘Titanic’, I am pretty sure her descriptions of the ship, decks, rooms, sleeping quarters, dining rooms, floor plans, etc. are most accurate. But during the first half of the book the story is just being told without much extra flavour. Everything is a bit ‘flat’ and I miss a spark with the book.
Just like in the movie blockbuster, until the ship starts to sink, hardly anything happens. Alison Kraft takes a bit too much time writing about everything. Instead of chasing after Cristof and Sasha, Noelle and Alexander wander around the ship and talk, have breakfast, lunch or dinner and in between take their sweet time to change outfits. Admittedly, it’s nice to read how ‘crazy’ people were back then: taking hours to change into different attires for every meal, whilst the outfits they wore (especially women) were no easy task to change into. The tight and uncomfortable corsets, the hundreds of buttons on the gowns, the hair and make-up. No wonder every woman (who had some means) needed a maid!
I’m a big fan of detailed writing and descriptions, but it dragged on a bit too long. Almost every breath Apolline/Noelle takes (shallow breaths, due to her confining corset), every move she makes, is being described. The story drabbles on a bit too long. That *does* make you feel what Apolline feels: it’s actually rather boring to be aboard a big ship during the 1900’s.
Because of those elaborate descriptions the vampire-action gets snowed under a bit. It's almost like Alison Kraft thought about adding a supernatural theme to the story later to make it more interesting, instead of just writing another story about what it must have been like to be on the 'Titanic'.
However, as the story finally unfolded I really felt for Apolline. The love she and Alexander felt for one another was going to end either way, by death or Apolline’s return to the future. Alison Kraft described the chaos during those panicked last moments excellently. I won’t tell whether or not Alexander, Noelle and Apolline survived, but boy, did I feel some pain... All those innocent people who died that night, some of them being Apolline's new-found friends after her always solitairy life. Heartbreaking.
You should allow this book to take you on a voyage with it. The story may evolve slowly, the plot evident after some time, but it’s worth it in the end. Indulge yourself in the life style of the 1900’s for a while, take your time, and feel the romance wash over you. Don’t expect too much (vampire) action, then you’ll be fine.
Despite the collision course the Titanic was heading for, this book -as well as Apolline Greer’s life- is not. History can’t be changed, but the future can still have a happy ending.
3,5 stars: the first half was 3 stars, the second half was 4...
The idea of this book spoke to me enormously. It’s told from the perspective of modern day vampire slayer Apolline Greer (who comes from a long line of female, single vampire slayers and is rather obsessed with the ‘Titanic’) who suddenly finds herself aboard this famous sinking ship, in the body of her ancestor. Also on board are: Cristof-the vampire who killed her mother, another vampire hunter named Alexander Walker (Appoline never knew there existed others like her, let alone they were so cute) and a female vampire named Sasha whom she and Alexander were both sent to kill. Since we all know what happens to the ‘Titanic’ it’s an understatement to say Apolline is acting under a lot of time pressure. She has 4 days left ‘till the ship sinks.
Unlike slayers we already know (such as ‘Buffy’, which Alison Kraft refers to herself) the slayers in this book don’t walk around and slay every vampire they encounter because not all vampires are considered bloodthirsty and dangerous. They’re assigned to kill specific ones because they’ve turned bad. Which is why Apolline is not allowed to kill Cristof, even though he’s responsible for her mother’s death, has tormented her family before that and torments Apolline still. Yet now temptation is very strong: she has a chance to stop him before he has a chance to kill her mother.
Even though Apolline is a strong character, having lost her mother at a young age and being trained to be a vampire slayer, I find her personality a bit lacking. She’s cool and in control and doesn’t allow herself to break down and cry for quite some time. It took some time before she finally grew on me, but towards the end I could *really* sympathize with her.
Alexander Walker is truly an old fashioned gentleman, charming in a way. Despite the proper distance which social etiquette requires, you feel the romance between Noelle/Apolline and Alex grow, in a subtle way.
Logan seems like a good (and cute) guy too. Very slowly (for obvious reasons, as we find out later) he finds a way into Apolline’s life, because he genuinely cares for her.
As far as writing goes, this books reads away easily. Since it’s written from 21st Century Apolline’s view (in the first person), the style/language is modern, apart from the moments Apolline has to converse to her fellow travellers in 1912 of course.
Clearly Alison Kraft has done much research on the ‘Titanic’, I am pretty sure her descriptions of the ship, decks, rooms, sleeping quarters, dining rooms, floor plans, etc. are most accurate. But during the first half of the book the story is just being told without much extra flavour. Everything is a bit ‘flat’ and I miss a spark with the book.
Just like in the movie blockbuster, until the ship starts to sink, hardly anything happens. Alison Kraft takes a bit too much time writing about everything. Instead of chasing after Cristof and Sasha, Noelle and Alexander wander around the ship and talk, have breakfast, lunch or dinner and in between take their sweet time to change outfits. Admittedly, it’s nice to read how ‘crazy’ people were back then: taking hours to change into different attires for every meal, whilst the outfits they wore (especially women) were no easy task to change into. The tight and uncomfortable corsets, the hundreds of buttons on the gowns, the hair and make-up. No wonder every woman (who had some means) needed a maid!
I’m a big fan of detailed writing and descriptions, but it dragged on a bit too long. Almost every breath Apolline/Noelle takes (shallow breaths, due to her confining corset), every move she makes, is being described. The story drabbles on a bit too long. That *does* make you feel what Apolline feels: it’s actually rather boring to be aboard a big ship during the 1900’s.
Because of those elaborate descriptions the vampire-action gets snowed under a bit. It's almost like Alison Kraft thought about adding a supernatural theme to the story later to make it more interesting, instead of just writing another story about what it must have been like to be on the 'Titanic'.
However, as the story finally unfolded I really felt for Apolline. The love she and Alexander felt for one another was going to end either way, by death or Apolline’s return to the future. Alison Kraft described the chaos during those panicked last moments excellently. I won’t tell whether or not Alexander, Noelle and Apolline survived, but boy, did I feel some pain... All those innocent people who died that night, some of them being Apolline's new-found friends after her always solitairy life. Heartbreaking.
You should allow this book to take you on a voyage with it. The story may evolve slowly, the plot evident after some time, but it’s worth it in the end. Indulge yourself in the life style of the 1900’s for a while, take your time, and feel the romance wash over you. Don’t expect too much (vampire) action, then you’ll be fine.
Despite the collision course the Titanic was heading for, this book -as well as Apolline Greer’s life- is not. History can’t be changed, but the future can still have a happy ending.
April 22, 2021
Beautiful story about a devastating tragedy. This story follows a vampire hunter, who, after a mission was flying back home, only to find herself 100 years into the past in her ancestor’s body. Is her mission to finish something he ancestor was unable to finish due to the ship’s tragic end or is she there for something more?
I love that the author chose to write about 2nd class passengers. Not many stories are written about this class. Allison Kraft states she tried her best to keep the historical accuracy when placing her character around other passengers and events.
This book is amazing, the last half of the book I finished in one setting- it was that good! Amazing read for any Titanic enthusiast!
I love that the author chose to write about 2nd class passengers. Not many stories are written about this class. Allison Kraft states she tried her best to keep the historical accuracy when placing her character around other passengers and events.
This book is amazing, the last half of the book I finished in one setting- it was that good! Amazing read for any Titanic enthusiast!
April 14, 2018
This was probably the worst written, amateurish novel I've ever read that contradicts all the reviews I read on this site. I was really looking forward to something different and was drawn in by the originality of the plot, location and mixed genres. I was determined to get a copy even though the title wasn't available online or in the library. I now see why. While not labelled as teen fiction, the book was written at a high school level. I really wanted to like this book so I kept reading hoping it would get better. Nope. Didn't happen. Just lots of eye rolls. Save your time.
July 15, 2021
Whim Read. Found it on amazon at random, the cover looked interesting. The synopsis...
What genre even is this book, anyway?
Time Travel, vampires, romance, historical fiction...?
I had no idea how any of that was going to work together... but you know what? It kinda does.
The story was interesting enough, kept me turning the pages, I found the MC likeable, the plot decent, and the romance while a little unorthodox, ultimately satisfying...
Oh, and that little quip at the end.... mmm yes!
What genre even is this book, anyway?
Time Travel, vampires, romance, historical fiction...?
I had no idea how any of that was going to work together... but you know what? It kinda does.
The story was interesting enough, kept me turning the pages, I found the MC likeable, the plot decent, and the romance while a little unorthodox, ultimately satisfying...
Oh, and that little quip at the end.... mmm yes!
December 13, 2021
Loved the historical elements of the Titanic. Slow at times and a fairly simple plot that focuses more on the romance than vampire hunting, I enjoyed seeing the events unravel. The romance between Noelle/ Apolline and Logan/Alex was instalove but I didn't mind too much. Ending was bittersweet and had a good HEA. Though the whole book seems pointless as the main plot doesn't entirely get resolved it's hard to find a book about Titanic so I liked it
December 24, 2019
I continue to enjoy this series.
July 2, 2012
While flying across the Atlantic on the centennial anniversary of the Titanic's tragic maiden voyage, Apolline Greer, last in a long line of vampire hunters, finds herself suddenly transported from her airliner cabin to an eerily familiar ocean liner cabin—as well as the entirely unfamiliar body of her ancestor, Noelle Greer. Upon learning that she is, in fact, on board the very ship she’s been fascinated with all her life, she knows there's only one thing to do: get off as soon as possible.
But whether by destiny, freak coincidence or a really vivid dream, Apolline finds that her trip back in time comes with three very good reasons to stay on board: Alexander Walker, a handsome and charming fellow vampire hunter; Cristof, the vampire that has tormented her family for generations and very likely killed her own mother; and Sasha, the vampire Noelle was sent to kill.
Time, however, is not on Apolline's side. The Titanic is on a collision course with destiny, and she only has four days to complete her quest. What seemed like more than enough time at the start quickly becomes too short as she finds that hunting vampires on a luxury ocean liner is much more difficult than she expected. Sasha and Cristof become more elusive as each day passes, while her feelings for Alexander become increasingly complicated. As that fateful night approaches, will she regret her decision to stay and witness history first-hand?
Let me start off by saying, I am a HUGE Titanic fan. Much like Apolline, anything Titanic related that I can get my hands on, I read or watch. Titanic is still one of my favorite movies. The reason for telling you this, is that I might be slightly biased toward this book. So, on to the review...
At first, I was a little worried about this book, mixing vampire hunters and Titanic was a little weird. Sometimes when authors mix something like Titanic with the supernatural, I worry about how the story is going to go. Nevertheless, I thought this was a great book. The imagery and descriptions that Ms. Kraft provided were spectacular, I honestly felt like I was on the Titanic in parts. I instantly fell in love with Alex, and hoped that somehow they could end up together (however I will say that . The fight scenes were well described, and it felt like the action was jumping off the page. Even though the romance was what I term "insta-love," I found it a bit more acceptable in this book, and didn't mind it as much as I usually do.
If I could, I would have given this book 4.5 stars. The reason I couldn't give it 5 stars was because there were parts in the middle of the story that I felt dragged on a little bit. You were basically just reading about Appoline-technically Noelle- and Alex's daily life on Titanic. This consisted of either dining or researching in the library. Suffice to say, this became a little tedious, and I did start getting a little bored. During this part, I also felt that neither Alex nor Appoline cared about their true mission, . I also wish there could have been a bit more backstory at the beginning about Appoline's life as a vampire slayer. All you really know is that she slays vampires, receives her orders from a person she named Gibbs, and is . You never really find out about the mysterious Gibbs, or some other things, which kind of bugged me.
I would highly recommend this book to everyone. It easily appeals to many groups; time travel, vampires, historical events (aka Titanic), and Titanic lovers will enjoy this book.
But whether by destiny, freak coincidence or a really vivid dream, Apolline finds that her trip back in time comes with three very good reasons to stay on board: Alexander Walker, a handsome and charming fellow vampire hunter; Cristof, the vampire that has tormented her family for generations and very likely killed her own mother; and Sasha, the vampire Noelle was sent to kill.
Time, however, is not on Apolline's side. The Titanic is on a collision course with destiny, and she only has four days to complete her quest. What seemed like more than enough time at the start quickly becomes too short as she finds that hunting vampires on a luxury ocean liner is much more difficult than she expected. Sasha and Cristof become more elusive as each day passes, while her feelings for Alexander become increasingly complicated. As that fateful night approaches, will she regret her decision to stay and witness history first-hand?
Let me start off by saying, I am a HUGE Titanic fan. Much like Apolline, anything Titanic related that I can get my hands on, I read or watch. Titanic is still one of my favorite movies. The reason for telling you this, is that I might be slightly biased toward this book. So, on to the review...
At first, I was a little worried about this book, mixing vampire hunters and Titanic was a little weird. Sometimes when authors mix something like Titanic with the supernatural, I worry about how the story is going to go. Nevertheless, I thought this was a great book. The imagery and descriptions that Ms. Kraft provided were spectacular, I honestly felt like I was on the Titanic in parts. I instantly fell in love with Alex, and hoped that somehow they could end up together (however I will say that . The fight scenes were well described, and it felt like the action was jumping off the page. Even though the romance was what I term "insta-love," I found it a bit more acceptable in this book, and didn't mind it as much as I usually do.
If I could, I would have given this book 4.5 stars. The reason I couldn't give it 5 stars was because there were parts in the middle of the story that I felt dragged on a little bit. You were basically just reading about Appoline-technically Noelle- and Alex's daily life on Titanic. This consisted of either dining or researching in the library. Suffice to say, this became a little tedious, and I did start getting a little bored. During this part, I also felt that neither Alex nor Appoline cared about their true mission, . I also wish there could have been a bit more backstory at the beginning about Appoline's life as a vampire slayer. All you really know is that she slays vampires, receives her orders from a person she named Gibbs, and is . You never really find out about the mysterious Gibbs, or some other things, which kind of bugged me.
I would highly recommend this book to everyone. It easily appeals to many groups; time travel, vampires, historical events (aka Titanic), and Titanic lovers will enjoy this book.
December 8, 2011
I really loved this book, a beautifully written mixture of fictional and factual information. I admit I do love most things Titanic related and this book is brilliant. You feel like you are there with Noelle/Apolline, you feel her anxiety s she knows what is going to happen and when. The book begins with Appolline arguing with Vampire Cristoff with him taking the high ground and leaving her feeling frustrated as he usually manages to do.Apolline is from a long line of female vampire slayers, she is used to being alone. most vampire slayers never meet another one of their kind. Allison adds lots of factual characters in this book that are backed up in various factual books that she quotes after the book. As it is revealed in the blurb I will mention the fact that although vampire slayers usually work alone, for some reason Noelle/Appoline and Alex have both been presumably sent to take care of Sasha and Cristoff. Appoline is always anxious about changing events that she may in some way drastically alter the future in some way she shouldn't, though she cannot resist giving the odd little hint of a warning to new friends she has met on the Titanic. The description is so well written that you can visualise the inside of the Titanic as well as the clothes people wore at the time and the traditions and taboos of the of the era. I also enjoyed the fact that Noelle and Alex were second class passengers we were given a rare insight into the world of the second class passenger, usually novels are based in the wealthy sections of the first class part of the Titanic or the poor, more basic sections of the Third class parts of the Titanic. I enjoyed the love story that was portrayed in 1912, that slides over into 2012. I could go on and on and on about this book as I enjoyed it so much. I would recommend it to be read whether you are a Titanic "fan" or not. There are many questions raised within this book, and Allison managed to answer them all truthfully and back up her answers with actual facts. Appolline goes through the book not realising what is really happening,as in what is real, or could she possibly be dreaming it all.
I also enjoyed the section set in 2012 too, the descriptions of the exhibition that Apolline and Logan went to. The ingenious idea that the "tour givers" had of giving each visitor the name of someone who was actually on board, and then giving them random facts about their traveller during the tour and then of course the ultimate at the end when you found out if your traveller survived or died.
Appolline's reactions at reading the list of names of people on the ship and who survived and who had sadly not made it and died. There was also the list of those whose bodies were found and identified and those who were never found. There are some very poignant sections of this book, as well as lighter sections where we find out about Apolline's crush on her neighbour Logan. The most poignant has to be when Appolline realises who Logan is decendant from, and when she reads a journal he has in his possession.
The book comes to an end with an interaction between Appolline and Cristoff once again but lets just say Appolline finally seems to manage to come out on top for a change leaving Cristoff feeling confused and frustrated.
I highly recommend you read this great title, put it on your wish lists!
I also enjoyed the section set in 2012 too, the descriptions of the exhibition that Apolline and Logan went to. The ingenious idea that the "tour givers" had of giving each visitor the name of someone who was actually on board, and then giving them random facts about their traveller during the tour and then of course the ultimate at the end when you found out if your traveller survived or died.
Appolline's reactions at reading the list of names of people on the ship and who survived and who had sadly not made it and died. There was also the list of those whose bodies were found and identified and those who were never found. There are some very poignant sections of this book, as well as lighter sections where we find out about Apolline's crush on her neighbour Logan. The most poignant has to be when Appolline realises who Logan is decendant from, and when she reads a journal he has in his possession.
The book comes to an end with an interaction between Appolline and Cristoff once again but lets just say Appolline finally seems to manage to come out on top for a change leaving Cristoff feeling confused and frustrated.
I highly recommend you read this great title, put it on your wish lists!
April 13, 2012
GENRE: Paranormal Romance
THEME: Vampires/Time Travel
RECEIVED: Received for Review for Tour
BLOG: http://seeingnight.blogspot.com/
REVIEW:
Destined has to be one of the most uniquely themed books I’ve ever read. When I first read the synopsis, I was wondering how Vampires and the Titanic would work out. I was happily surprised how wonderfully crafted Allison Kraft pulled this story together. I loved the theme, characters and the romance; this is definitely a one of kind story that I think any paranormal romance fan should read.
Apolline Greer is a hunter; from generation to generation each women in the Greer family become a hunter of vampires. Apolline is sent on a mission but strangely enough during a rocky flight, she is suddenly transported to April 1912 onboard the Titanic. From there Apolline is transported into her ancestors body, Noelle Greer where she is assigned to hunt a vampire aboard the ship. But Apolline knows what happens to the Titanic and wants to get off as soon as possible, but a fellow hunter named Alex distracts her and the very vampire who killed her mother is aboard the ship. Now she has to make a decision and figure out if she wants to stay on the ship or stop the vampires aboard the Titanic with Alex.
Apolline is a tough hunter, but pretty much a loner who has social issues because of her job. She has a secret crush on her neighbor Logan but otherwise doesn’t talk to anyone. Once she boards the Titanic she realizes her purpose to complete her ancestors mission. But her emotions are all over the place because she feels for the people aboard who don’t know there on a ship that has a tragic end.
Alex is a fellow hunter and like Apolline is the next in line of hunter in his generation. He connects with Noelle (Apolline) and together they hunt the vampire Sasha, whom is connected to a very old vampire named Cristof. Alex is a charming and kind man who really connects with Noelle, but doesn’t know that inside is really a woman from the future. I thought this was interesting, he knows there is something off about Noelle but he truly cares and trust her immediately to where all he wants is to be with her.
Overall this was one heck of an adventure, the readers are kept on their toes waiting to that tragic moment to happen with the ship. And keeping their fingers crossed in hope that Noelle and Alex survive, but then there is the part to how Apolline was transported into Noelle. It’s full of twist and really keeps the readers guessing. I loved the ending and really thought that Kraft pulled everything together perfectly that I was actually smiling at the end. I recommend this adventuresome tale of romance, action with historical and paranormal elements.
RECOMMENDATION:
This is an adult novel with a lot of historical facts with a twist of paranormal Fans of authors Gail Carriger’s and C.E. Murphy’s writing will be fascinated with Allison Kraft’s Destined.
THEME: Vampires/Time Travel
RECEIVED: Received for Review for Tour
BLOG: http://seeingnight.blogspot.com/
REVIEW:
Destined has to be one of the most uniquely themed books I’ve ever read. When I first read the synopsis, I was wondering how Vampires and the Titanic would work out. I was happily surprised how wonderfully crafted Allison Kraft pulled this story together. I loved the theme, characters and the romance; this is definitely a one of kind story that I think any paranormal romance fan should read.
Apolline Greer is a hunter; from generation to generation each women in the Greer family become a hunter of vampires. Apolline is sent on a mission but strangely enough during a rocky flight, she is suddenly transported to April 1912 onboard the Titanic. From there Apolline is transported into her ancestors body, Noelle Greer where she is assigned to hunt a vampire aboard the ship. But Apolline knows what happens to the Titanic and wants to get off as soon as possible, but a fellow hunter named Alex distracts her and the very vampire who killed her mother is aboard the ship. Now she has to make a decision and figure out if she wants to stay on the ship or stop the vampires aboard the Titanic with Alex.
Apolline is a tough hunter, but pretty much a loner who has social issues because of her job. She has a secret crush on her neighbor Logan but otherwise doesn’t talk to anyone. Once she boards the Titanic she realizes her purpose to complete her ancestors mission. But her emotions are all over the place because she feels for the people aboard who don’t know there on a ship that has a tragic end.
Alex is a fellow hunter and like Apolline is the next in line of hunter in his generation. He connects with Noelle (Apolline) and together they hunt the vampire Sasha, whom is connected to a very old vampire named Cristof. Alex is a charming and kind man who really connects with Noelle, but doesn’t know that inside is really a woman from the future. I thought this was interesting, he knows there is something off about Noelle but he truly cares and trust her immediately to where all he wants is to be with her.
Overall this was one heck of an adventure, the readers are kept on their toes waiting to that tragic moment to happen with the ship. And keeping their fingers crossed in hope that Noelle and Alex survive, but then there is the part to how Apolline was transported into Noelle. It’s full of twist and really keeps the readers guessing. I loved the ending and really thought that Kraft pulled everything together perfectly that I was actually smiling at the end. I recommend this adventuresome tale of romance, action with historical and paranormal elements.
RECOMMENDATION:
This is an adult novel with a lot of historical facts with a twist of paranormal Fans of authors Gail Carriger’s and C.E. Murphy’s writing will be fascinated with Allison Kraft’s Destined.
October 2, 2011
Yes, folks, I am the person Allison thanks in her book dedication. So of course I am going to give her a good review, right? Of course! There are many reasons why I encouraged her in this endeavor, first and foremost because I felt the book had great potential, I read it and enjoyed it, and I know how important to her it is. I would have been a supportive friend no matter what, but I would not ever have led her on and encouraged her to do this if I didn't believe it was worth it.
It should be obvious, but one thing I admire about Allison's writing is her obvious meticulous research. She has far more patience than I ever would to devote so much time to that, though of course the Titanic is one of her passions, so that helps. Her dedication shows in all of the details she provides, including her choice to have the book set in Second Class, the lesser known of those on the ship. She did not take the easy way out.
I'm sure there are some people who will be baffled by the idea of the combination of Titanic/time travel/vampires too, but that is another place where Allison does a great job. She manages to combine all three elements into, dare I say it, a believable formula... I mean if there were such things as time travel and vampires. She blends the three of them into a good story and not something cheesy or silly. She makes it work, and provides an interesting historical lesson with some unexpected twists. She also handles the romance aspect well. I am not a "romance" reader, so for me I was happy that this isn't too sappy or overdone. The story was obviously thought out and planned, and not too rushed. The characters have depth, and I felt I was getting to know them well as I read and to really care about them.
Allison has been working on this book for years, and it shows. I'm honored to have had even a small hand in helping her bring it to life and to other readers. I hope everyone enjoys it as much as I did.
It should be obvious, but one thing I admire about Allison's writing is her obvious meticulous research. She has far more patience than I ever would to devote so much time to that, though of course the Titanic is one of her passions, so that helps. Her dedication shows in all of the details she provides, including her choice to have the book set in Second Class, the lesser known of those on the ship. She did not take the easy way out.
I'm sure there are some people who will be baffled by the idea of the combination of Titanic/time travel/vampires too, but that is another place where Allison does a great job. She manages to combine all three elements into, dare I say it, a believable formula... I mean if there were such things as time travel and vampires. She blends the three of them into a good story and not something cheesy or silly. She makes it work, and provides an interesting historical lesson with some unexpected twists. She also handles the romance aspect well. I am not a "romance" reader, so for me I was happy that this isn't too sappy or overdone. The story was obviously thought out and planned, and not too rushed. The characters have depth, and I felt I was getting to know them well as I read and to really care about them.
Allison has been working on this book for years, and it shows. I'm honored to have had even a small hand in helping her bring it to life and to other readers. I hope everyone enjoys it as much as I did.
July 11, 2012
The premise of Destined was far too alluring for me to pass up. The Titanic WITH a paranormal twist? Genius! I wanted to read a powerful story about the tragedy, the loss, the heartache with some kick-ass action blended in for good measure. I was ready to be swept off my feet just by reading the synopsis alone.
What I ended up getting with Destined was a sort of shruggy feeling. The feeling you get when you let your expectations run wild with ideas that stradle the line of reality... then feel them slowly slip away with every page turned.
Now, I actually really liked this book and I would certainly recommend it (especially to those who are fascinated with the Titanic and like a little romance.) I just feel like the book promised me more then it delivered. The vampire hunting action was barely existent and the story would have worked just as well if it wasn't present (time travelling is interesting enough in its own right.) I also thought that the character development was a little forced and that the sinking itself should have played a much bigger role in the story. It was rushed and I didn't feel the emotional connection I would have liked to feel in such a poignant moment in history.
I did like the direction the book took in the last few chapters but thought the idea itself wasn't fully developed or as well executed as I'd have liked.
Overall, an enjoyable read but one which felt more like a first draft than a final draft.
What I ended up getting with Destined was a sort of shruggy feeling. The feeling you get when you let your expectations run wild with ideas that stradle the line of reality... then feel them slowly slip away with every page turned.
Now, I actually really liked this book and I would certainly recommend it (especially to those who are fascinated with the Titanic and like a little romance.) I just feel like the book promised me more then it delivered. The vampire hunting action was barely existent and the story would have worked just as well if it wasn't present (time travelling is interesting enough in its own right.) I also thought that the character development was a little forced and that the sinking itself should have played a much bigger role in the story. It was rushed and I didn't feel the emotional connection I would have liked to feel in such a poignant moment in history.
I did like the direction the book took in the last few chapters but thought the idea itself wasn't fully developed or as well executed as I'd have liked.
Overall, an enjoyable read but one which felt more like a first draft than a final draft.
July 17, 2013
I'm torn when it comes to reviewing this book -- a vampire hunter on the TITANIC?! How awesome is that?
The premise is awesome -- the vampire-slaying heroine hits her head and wakes up in the body of her ancestor, on board the most infamous ship of all time. She shmoozes her way through second class and creates sparks with a handsome young man, all the while dreading the collision and aftermath. The first couple of chapters are particularly promising. Having her know what's coming is a good idea, since it really hammers home the dread.
Unfortunately, I never emotionally connected with this book -- in part because the romances (there are two of them) are so unrealistic; she meets and falls for Alex in four days (and he falls for her), and then once she returns to present-day, she has an immediate romantic connection with someone she's barely spoken to. The dialogue is also forced -- sometimes painfully so. I wish there had been more about the vampires. I wish we could have interacted with better-known historical figures. I wish there'd been a little more going on than just wandering around the ship and changing for dinner. Props for the idea, but the execution didn't live up to my expectations.
The premise is awesome -- the vampire-slaying heroine hits her head and wakes up in the body of her ancestor, on board the most infamous ship of all time. She shmoozes her way through second class and creates sparks with a handsome young man, all the while dreading the collision and aftermath. The first couple of chapters are particularly promising. Having her know what's coming is a good idea, since it really hammers home the dread.
Unfortunately, I never emotionally connected with this book -- in part because the romances (there are two of them) are so unrealistic; she meets and falls for Alex in four days (and he falls for her), and then once she returns to present-day, she has an immediate romantic connection with someone she's barely spoken to. The dialogue is also forced -- sometimes painfully so. I wish there had been more about the vampires. I wish we could have interacted with better-known historical figures. I wish there'd been a little more going on than just wandering around the ship and changing for dinner. Props for the idea, but the execution didn't live up to my expectations.
July 3, 2012
This was a wonderful wonderful book! I was completely lost in this book. I felt like I was on the titanic. The details and the research that Allison Kraft used was amazing. This was the first book I have read by Allison Kraft and I can not wait to read more by her!
Apolline came from a long line of women vampire hunters! Most of the women in her family died young and only had a man to have a baby! Apolline is on a plane, that starts having problems! Apolline doesn't know if there are other hunters out there so she thinks that if she dies,the line will end with her! During the plane problems she hits her head. She ends up back in time in 1912 on the Titanic as her great great grandmother Noelle! Noelle then meets a man named Alex. Not only does Apolline have to figure out how to act Noelle,a lady from 100 years in the past, but finds out that Alex is also a vampire hunter and they are on board after the same vampire. She also has to give what she knows about the fate of the titanic to herself,even as she gets to know the people on the ship!
Apolline came from a long line of women vampire hunters! Most of the women in her family died young and only had a man to have a baby! Apolline is on a plane, that starts having problems! Apolline doesn't know if there are other hunters out there so she thinks that if she dies,the line will end with her! During the plane problems she hits her head. She ends up back in time in 1912 on the Titanic as her great great grandmother Noelle! Noelle then meets a man named Alex. Not only does Apolline have to figure out how to act Noelle,a lady from 100 years in the past, but finds out that Alex is also a vampire hunter and they are on board after the same vampire. She also has to give what she knows about the fate of the titanic to herself,even as she gets to know the people on the ship!
October 28, 2011
I wasn't sure what to expect when I first accepted Kraft's review request. All I knew was that it had vampires, the Titanic, and time travel. Three things that, individually, are amazing, hold my interest, and make for good reads. I accepted the request immediately.
This book surpassed every expectation I had for it. I love it so much. The emotion the story draws out of you is insane. I became teary-eyed on numerous occasions. Often times when we think of the Titanic, we forget that these were real living and breathing people that died horrifically. Destined really does it justice and makes your heart ache. Allison Kraft is an amazingly talented writer.
I told a lot of people at work about this book and usually when I explained it to them, I got goosebumps. It's that good. I usually referred to as "reading the movie". You know how you get choked up and cry during the James Cameron film? Yeah, you're reading it.
Now I want to go watch the movie and cry.
This book surpassed every expectation I had for it. I love it so much. The emotion the story draws out of you is insane. I became teary-eyed on numerous occasions. Often times when we think of the Titanic, we forget that these were real living and breathing people that died horrifically. Destined really does it justice and makes your heart ache. Allison Kraft is an amazingly talented writer.
I told a lot of people at work about this book and usually when I explained it to them, I got goosebumps. It's that good. I usually referred to as "reading the movie". You know how you get choked up and cry during the James Cameron film? Yeah, you're reading it.
Now I want to go watch the movie and cry.
March 26, 2012
Apolline is a vampire hunter who believes that she will never find love and probably shouldn't due to the nature of her work. She is also obsessed with Titanic and has weird dreams that remind her of the ship. Through some crazy act of something she ends up traveling back in time and winds up in her great-great-great...grandmother's body on the Titanic! Que meeting friends and vampire hunting on a ship and a love story. This was a good book and the author did an amazing job of deciding to stay true to the history of the characters that were really on board the Titanic.
This is more of a love story than a vampire hunter story so if you are looking for murderous action scenes then that is not what you will find here. However, I did enjoy this book and would recommend it to friends who like a bit of vampire and romance in their story. This story can be read by teenagers and adults alike.
This is more of a love story than a vampire hunter story so if you are looking for murderous action scenes then that is not what you will find here. However, I did enjoy this book and would recommend it to friends who like a bit of vampire and romance in their story. This story can be read by teenagers and adults alike.
January 7, 2016
I loved this book so much,I wish Allsion Kraft would have made more like this one. I mean who doesn't like vampires and vampire slayers especially if it involves the Titanic. The Characters were amazing. Apolline is kicking but on the battle field and then all of a sudden she is plunged back in time to one of her ancestors bodies. And that is when she meets Alex Walker another vampire hunter like herself. They are both sent after the same vampire: Sasha. They find her and the vampire that has always tried to end Apolline's family in the same place. What better opportunity to kill two birds with one stone. But as they are in the Titanic time is kind of an issue. But Alex doesn't believe that the unsinkable ship is going to sink until it actually happens. And she is back in her own body in the present and she is crushed because Alex is not with her. Soon though Apolline works things out and she learns that opening her heart is not as hard the second time around.
December 31, 2014
I have mixed feelings about this book. I liked it, but didn't love it. The writing was superb, but the story was lacking. Time traveling to the Titanic is an interesting concept, but the hows and whys were never explained. Apolline is flying on an airplane, then suddenly finds herself on the Titanic in another person's body. She assumes that she must have been sent there to kill a vampire, since that's what she does, but no explanations were clearly given for either of these events. We as the reader, are forced to just accept this and not ask questions. I would rather have even a hokey explanation, rather than no explanation at all. I loved the history of the Titanic that was given throughout the story; however, other than it sinking, nothing much else happens there. I felt that the romance included was awkward and forced...not very believable. I guess bottom line is, I enjoyed the idea of the story more than the actual story. There is much room for improvement here.
September 16, 2011
I truly enjoyed this book. The premise of a vampire slayer on the Titanic seemed a bit strange, but the story really is a beautiful relationship tale where the main female character just happens to be from a long line of vampire slayers. The only vampire connection is why she thinks she was transported back to 1912 and onto the Titanic.
It is very apparent Miss Kraft did a great deal of research on the Titanic disaster. Her descriptions of the ship are so vivid you can easily visualize the Titanic, even if you never saw the movie. All crew members and passengers described (other than the four main fictional characters) are the actual people who sailed on this fateful inaugural cruise, and Miss Kraft treats their demise in the reverend manner her extensive research demanded.
I found Destined easy to read, entertaining, and I look forward to her next novel.
It is very apparent Miss Kraft did a great deal of research on the Titanic disaster. Her descriptions of the ship are so vivid you can easily visualize the Titanic, even if you never saw the movie. All crew members and passengers described (other than the four main fictional characters) are the actual people who sailed on this fateful inaugural cruise, and Miss Kraft treats their demise in the reverend manner her extensive research demanded.
I found Destined easy to read, entertaining, and I look forward to her next novel.
May 17, 2012
This was a nice change from the typical vampire stories of today. The time travel, combined with such a magnificent historical event, creates an intriguing and inviting setting. Kraft's descriptive narrative brings life to the setting and the characters. Kraft is able to weave historical facts, paranormal activities and romance into a highly enjoyable adventure.
Kraft has created likeable characters in Noelle and Alexander, vampire hunters of the past. She has also connected them to Appolline and Logan, modern day vampire hunters, in a way that pulls at the heartstrings. Kraft is able to glorify the killing of vampires while maintaining respect and reverance for the death of hundreds of Titanic passengers.
I would definitely be interested in other books by Allison Kraft.
Thanks for the book Fran!
Kraft has created likeable characters in Noelle and Alexander, vampire hunters of the past. She has also connected them to Appolline and Logan, modern day vampire hunters, in a way that pulls at the heartstrings. Kraft is able to glorify the killing of vampires while maintaining respect and reverance for the death of hundreds of Titanic passengers.
I would definitely be interested in other books by Allison Kraft.
Thanks for the book Fran!
June 11, 2012
Am only up to chapter 4 so far and loving it. Has the Titanic, vampires, vampire slayer - what's not to love about it? OH, and I forgot to mention...time-travelling! Right up my alley.
June 11
Having just finished this and still feeling the after-glow, it had me glued to my kindle all morning. It helped that my knees were still recovering from a strenuous hike the previous day, I blamed my "laziness" on the knees, but actually it was 'Destined'. I HAD to finish it!
I loved the mix and felt Kraft did a very nice job of blending the historical Titanic facts and people with her fictional characters and events. The romance parts is what really held me and some mystery, in particular, the fate of the vampire Christof.
June 11
Having just finished this and still feeling the after-glow, it had me glued to my kindle all morning. It helped that my knees were still recovering from a strenuous hike the previous day, I blamed my "laziness" on the knees, but actually it was 'Destined'. I HAD to finish it!
I loved the mix and felt Kraft did a very nice job of blending the historical Titanic facts and people with her fictional characters and events. The romance parts is what really held me and some mystery, in particular, the fate of the vampire Christof.
March 9, 2013
I originally chose to sample this book because of the time travel/Titanic theme, but I became leery when I saw that vampires were involved; I'm just not into them, but I quickly became hooked. When I finished, I wound up placing it on my "Favorites" shelf.
I love a plot with the potential to go in different directions; I hate too much foreshadowing or predictability, and this one did not disappoint. The plot did stall for a bit, but it was to describe day-to-day life on board the Titanic, which I suspect many people will find fascinating.
A little romance, a little time travel, a little vampire hunting...on the Titanic- sounds cheesy, but for some reason it worked. 5 stars!
I love a plot with the potential to go in different directions; I hate too much foreshadowing or predictability, and this one did not disappoint. The plot did stall for a bit, but it was to describe day-to-day life on board the Titanic, which I suspect many people will find fascinating.
A little romance, a little time travel, a little vampire hunting...on the Titanic- sounds cheesy, but for some reason it worked. 5 stars!
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