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Emma Andrews #2
Immortal with a Kiss
A masterful gothic chiller, Immortal with a Kiss is a paranormal historical adventure that fans of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Jane Austen alike are certain to cherish. In a starred review, Booklist called Descent into Dust, Jacqueline Lepore’s first novel to feature Victorian vampire slayer Emma Andrews, “Deliciously macabre”—and in Immortal with a Kiss Emma travels to a girls’ school plagued by the undead to fulfill her great and terrible destiny as an avenger…and, perhaps, confront her sworn the elusive monster Dracula.
368 pages, Paperback
First published March 8, 2011
5 people are currently reading
310 people want to read
About the author
Jacqueline Lepore
4 books21 followersI am a native Philadelphian, born in South Philly and raised first there, then later in the suburbs. I attended the University of Pennsylvania for both undergraduate and graduate studies, earning a Ph.D. in psychology. I moved with my husband to Maryland immediately after that and have practiced here for more than twenty years as a licensed psychologist. I have three children and a houseful of pets.
Every writer begins as a reader. I cut my teeth on Gothic novels and Nancy Drew mysteries, which I consumed with a voracious appetite, loving every heart-pounding moment of suspense. I began writing when I was in the seventh grade, filling notebooks with unfinished stories of horror, science fiction, and romance. By senior year in high school, I was doing short story collections, but these were never shared—writing was my "dirty little secret."
It was always my dream to write a full-length novel, and I began attempting this in college. I eventually succeeded many years later, and years after that got the courage to “come out” about my peculiar hobby of making up stories. I found a terrific second career as a writer of romantic fiction, but after a while I wanted to challenge myself again to create a new, completely different sort of story. With the Emma Andrews series, I have found my way back to all those Gothic traditions I had treasured growing up. So, I’ve come full circle and just as Emma found her true self, so have I.
Every writer begins as a reader. I cut my teeth on Gothic novels and Nancy Drew mysteries, which I consumed with a voracious appetite, loving every heart-pounding moment of suspense. I began writing when I was in the seventh grade, filling notebooks with unfinished stories of horror, science fiction, and romance. By senior year in high school, I was doing short story collections, but these were never shared—writing was my "dirty little secret."
It was always my dream to write a full-length novel, and I began attempting this in college. I eventually succeeded many years later, and years after that got the courage to “come out” about my peculiar hobby of making up stories. I found a terrific second career as a writer of romantic fiction, but after a while I wanted to challenge myself again to create a new, completely different sort of story. With the Emma Andrews series, I have found my way back to all those Gothic traditions I had treasured growing up. So, I’ve come full circle and just as Emma found her true self, so have I.
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
March 11, 2011
Emma Andrews, a vampire hunter and Dhampir, gets a message from Sebastian. He summons her back to England to help an all girls’ school where a vampire might be praying on innocents. She poses as a teacher at the school to discover what the Cyprian Queen might be. It is also the school her mother went to. With the help of friends Sebastian, Father Luke and Valerian Fox she sets out to discover what is happening.
The story starts while Emma is away from England learning all she can about vampires. The first thing I noticed was how clear it was that this was a Victorian Gothic story. The description is haunting and enchanting. It was the first thing that sparked my interest. Strangely as the story continues the beautiful description becomes less and less noticeable. It seems to rely far more heavily on Emma’s feelings or thoughts about everyone else. That is not to say Emma is not likable. In fact I liked her quite a bit. She is not the strongest heroine I have ever read, but she is defiantly a woman for her time.
When Emma arrives at the town and school, the Victorian customs hit me like a ton of bricks. I was surprised by some of the strict customs of society. I never realized being introduced to someone, by someone else that is already an acquaintance was a big deal. The time period shows through very strongly between the teachers, and the general running of the school itself.
The story takes off at the school. Emma meets the students she refers to as ‘coven girls,’ the students that the strange events are centered around. They are very catty and not at all likable. Emma believes that they are soon to be the victims of a vampire that has somehow enchanted them. The story becomes more of a mystery than anything. It is not long that the reader figures out that the vampire is somewhere among the characters in the school or town. I had guessed right when I was a little more than halfway into the story. I didn’t think it was that hard, and wondered if Emma wasn’t a little dense for not thinking of it sooner. I think the reason she didn’t is described by supernatural means, but I figured it out with simple logic.
The back of the book claims that the Cyprian Queen is a dark goddess and has something to do with her mother’s attendance at the school years ago. Her mother is a very small part of the story in a whole. Her mother links her with more than Emma believed, leading her to answers as well as more questions. Emma discovers a lead to her mother that happens in my favorite part of the story, which is in a visit to her sister. Although her visit is a small part of the story, it was my favorite. With the very hot Valerian Fox there at her side, and giving his ‘don’t touch her’ face, I thrilled and wanted more of the unfolding drama. Sadly it stops abruptly.
There isn’t a lot of action until the very end of the story. It feels like I drifted through a lot of dialogue, some of it reminding me of facts I read a few chapters before, until it gets to a very, very short action packed ending. I was never scared for Father Luke, Emma, Sebastian or Valerian’s survival at the end. It actually ties up in a nice tight package leaving way to pursue another problem next time around.
I think the story is where it fell short for me. All the characters are highly detailed, and fun. Even the relationships between them are believable and easy to follow. This story, a supernatural mystery, didn’t feel that mysterious. I never feared for the main characters when attacked and none of the action lasts that long until it falls knee deep into dialogue. I think a lot of the impact of how harsh and grotesque some of the images are became pillowed by Emma’s feelings of, ‘well I feel bad about it, but…’ I was not as emotionally involved as I would have liked.
I loved the Victorian atmosphere. I especially loved the mentions of figures from classical literature such as Lord Byron, Percy Shelly and Mary Shelly. There is also an appearance by Bram Stoker himself. The vampires take after a more classical sense of the monster that Stoker introduced to the world, which is nice to see. There is also some interesting Botany. The detailed descriptions of Orchids made me Google image the flower more than once.
The relationship between Valerian and Emma heats up, but they have a lot of issues, or Valerian does. I am starting to think my favorite males are the dark broody ones, he is that, and I loved him for it. At the same time the romance goes far, but never in graphic detail which keeps with the Victorian atmosphere.
Immortal with a Kiss is a supernatural mystery set in a Victorian time period that is well versed in its classical history. It has plenty of mythology, old and new, that I enjoyed and found intriguing. The characters are fun and good together. Although the description does not stay as beautiful from the start, I don’t think it’s that noticeable. The story is easy to read, and easy to slide into, even if like me, you haven’t read the first one. The only part that fell short for me was the mystery in the story. I thought it was a little too predictable, and too easy. I wished I had felt more of a climax than what I got.
The story starts while Emma is away from England learning all she can about vampires. The first thing I noticed was how clear it was that this was a Victorian Gothic story. The description is haunting and enchanting. It was the first thing that sparked my interest. Strangely as the story continues the beautiful description becomes less and less noticeable. It seems to rely far more heavily on Emma’s feelings or thoughts about everyone else. That is not to say Emma is not likable. In fact I liked her quite a bit. She is not the strongest heroine I have ever read, but she is defiantly a woman for her time.
When Emma arrives at the town and school, the Victorian customs hit me like a ton of bricks. I was surprised by some of the strict customs of society. I never realized being introduced to someone, by someone else that is already an acquaintance was a big deal. The time period shows through very strongly between the teachers, and the general running of the school itself.
The story takes off at the school. Emma meets the students she refers to as ‘coven girls,’ the students that the strange events are centered around. They are very catty and not at all likable. Emma believes that they are soon to be the victims of a vampire that has somehow enchanted them. The story becomes more of a mystery than anything. It is not long that the reader figures out that the vampire is somewhere among the characters in the school or town. I had guessed right when I was a little more than halfway into the story. I didn’t think it was that hard, and wondered if Emma wasn’t a little dense for not thinking of it sooner. I think the reason she didn’t is described by supernatural means, but I figured it out with simple logic.
The back of the book claims that the Cyprian Queen is a dark goddess and has something to do with her mother’s attendance at the school years ago. Her mother is a very small part of the story in a whole. Her mother links her with more than Emma believed, leading her to answers as well as more questions. Emma discovers a lead to her mother that happens in my favorite part of the story, which is in a visit to her sister. Although her visit is a small part of the story, it was my favorite. With the very hot Valerian Fox there at her side, and giving his ‘don’t touch her’ face, I thrilled and wanted more of the unfolding drama. Sadly it stops abruptly.
There isn’t a lot of action until the very end of the story. It feels like I drifted through a lot of dialogue, some of it reminding me of facts I read a few chapters before, until it gets to a very, very short action packed ending. I was never scared for Father Luke, Emma, Sebastian or Valerian’s survival at the end. It actually ties up in a nice tight package leaving way to pursue another problem next time around.
I think the story is where it fell short for me. All the characters are highly detailed, and fun. Even the relationships between them are believable and easy to follow. This story, a supernatural mystery, didn’t feel that mysterious. I never feared for the main characters when attacked and none of the action lasts that long until it falls knee deep into dialogue. I think a lot of the impact of how harsh and grotesque some of the images are became pillowed by Emma’s feelings of, ‘well I feel bad about it, but…’ I was not as emotionally involved as I would have liked.
I loved the Victorian atmosphere. I especially loved the mentions of figures from classical literature such as Lord Byron, Percy Shelly and Mary Shelly. There is also an appearance by Bram Stoker himself. The vampires take after a more classical sense of the monster that Stoker introduced to the world, which is nice to see. There is also some interesting Botany. The detailed descriptions of Orchids made me Google image the flower more than once.
The relationship between Valerian and Emma heats up, but they have a lot of issues, or Valerian does. I am starting to think my favorite males are the dark broody ones, he is that, and I loved him for it. At the same time the romance goes far, but never in graphic detail which keeps with the Victorian atmosphere.
Immortal with a Kiss is a supernatural mystery set in a Victorian time period that is well versed in its classical history. It has plenty of mythology, old and new, that I enjoyed and found intriguing. The characters are fun and good together. Although the description does not stay as beautiful from the start, I don’t think it’s that noticeable. The story is easy to read, and easy to slide into, even if like me, you haven’t read the first one. The only part that fell short for me was the mystery in the story. I thought it was a little too predictable, and too easy. I wished I had felt more of a climax than what I got.
no-thank-you
February 8, 2013Gasp! Three stars from Harriet!
May 17, 2014
Immortal With a Kiss is the second in the Emma Andrews series. I would suggest reading the first book, Descent into Dust first because there are definitely things from that book that will tie in with this one - though this can be read without having read the first. As far as the book itself - I thought it was more "okay" than really great. It was an easy read.
The Book:
The main plot of this book was focused around the Cyprian Queen, and the evil preying on students at a prestigious girls school. While there was focus on this it wasn't as strong as it could've been. For example, we don't really get to know the girls being "preyed upon" all that well. We don't really know what motivated the girls to take the actions and make the choices they did. We are given hints as to what the reason may be for two of the girls but what drove them to it in the first place? How did the Cyprian Queen target them out of all the girls in the school? Why those girls? This aspect of the book could've been explored more.
We do get a deeper glimpse into some other characters. We also get some of Laura's (Emma's mother) history. Some of Dracula, his minions and what he's up too (like I couldn't already guess some of it). Oh and we get to see a young Bram Stoker mentioned. And the mysterious alchemist searching for a cure. It was pretty interesting, but better read in sections in my case.
And the end - completely anti-climactic. Not sure that I bought how easily the "bad guy" was taken down.
The Characters:
I expected to see a bit more growth on Emma's part and was a little disappointed on that front. I understand she's still new at this but you would think she wouldn't be making the same mistakes that she made the first time around - she still does, including making all new ones. I'm not saying Emma isn't likable or even understandable (because sometimes she is) I just wanted a bit more growth on her part - not just knowledge (and even that was questionable at times) but her skills. Knowledge is wonderful and all but in her case it doesn't mean much when you can't defend yourself.
I also didn't particularly like Emma and Valerian's first "sex scene" (non-explicit). She had just been "assaulted" and she puts the pressure on him, refusing to take no for an answer. In the book Emma calls it "lovemaking", me, I call it "sex" - there was no love there and I didn't like it (not that there has to be love to have sex but the whole thing just left a bad taste in my mouth), but this is personal preference it may not bother you.
Valerian Fox is also back in this novel - conveniently appearing deus ex machina style when Emma needs saving after having been incommunicado for the past 5 months. Yes explanations are given but I felt it was just too convenient and I wanted Emma to be able to save herself (and the other people she was trying to save) more. He is dark and broody and tragic, but a far more efficient hunter than Emma currently is.
Also making appearances are Sebastian and Father Luke. I like them both and am always happy to see them. Especially Sebastian. We get Father Luke's backstory and his own struggles in this book than we did in the previous. We are also introduced to Serena Black, a likable healer I look forward to seeing more of. As for the others. Well there are too many to mention but the villain is rather obvious and wasn't all that impressive. Their were school teachers and school kids. The coven of girls (Margaret, Vanessa, Lilliana, Therese and Marion) Emma was trying to "save" were mostly idiotic children - only two of which had any character (and only one of which made a major impression on me), and if I was supposed to feel any emotional connection to them, I didn't. We didn't even get a wrap up for what happened to these girls and I can't say I really care. Eustacia was the only student to make a real, positive impression on me. I liked her.
The Romance/Relationships:
Romance = not really necessary. It's one of those I-don't-want-to-want-them-but-I-do-and-can't-have-them kinds of romances. There are times I just think - I don't get why they want each other, and other times I think these two could work (like the end fight - while anticlimactic - showed their strength when together). But overall this book/series doesn't need the romance, sometimes I think it just gets in the way and adds more unnecessary angst. But I suppose this is intended to make me root for them more (which I do - even if I still don't fully get the star-crossed nature of their relationship - I mean why? So he's got to kill Marius, and she's got to bring peace to her mother and there's a little matter of a possible war coming up but still).
The other relationships between the main characters (Emma, Valerian, Sebastian and Father Luke) I enjoy. I do so adore Sebastian. And Father Luke. Father Luke and Sebastian together are particularly amusing. The bonds between the four of them are strong and I do like their interactions and dynamics.
Overall - I wasn't completely involved with the Cyprian Queen plot - it felt like it was setting the stage for something bigger (Dracula, Laura, the Alchemist/cure, Marius and/or Lliam). I liked it well enough even if it was predictable and easy, I just didn't love it and wasn't blown away by it but I would probably give the next book a try.
The Book:
The main plot of this book was focused around the Cyprian Queen, and the evil preying on students at a prestigious girls school. While there was focus on this it wasn't as strong as it could've been. For example, we don't really get to know the girls being "preyed upon" all that well. We don't really know what motivated the girls to take the actions and make the choices they did. We are given hints as to what the reason may be for two of the girls but what drove them to it in the first place? How did the Cyprian Queen target them out of all the girls in the school? Why those girls? This aspect of the book could've been explored more.
We do get a deeper glimpse into some other characters. We also get some of Laura's (Emma's mother) history. Some of Dracula, his minions and what he's up too (like I couldn't already guess some of it). Oh and we get to see a young Bram Stoker mentioned. And the mysterious alchemist searching for a cure. It was pretty interesting, but better read in sections in my case.
And the end - completely anti-climactic. Not sure that I bought how easily the "bad guy" was taken down.
The Characters:
I expected to see a bit more growth on Emma's part and was a little disappointed on that front. I understand she's still new at this but you would think she wouldn't be making the same mistakes that she made the first time around - she still does, including making all new ones. I'm not saying Emma isn't likable or even understandable (because sometimes she is) I just wanted a bit more growth on her part - not just knowledge (and even that was questionable at times) but her skills. Knowledge is wonderful and all but in her case it doesn't mean much when you can't defend yourself.
I also didn't particularly like Emma and Valerian's first "sex scene" (non-explicit). She had just been "assaulted" and she puts the pressure on him, refusing to take no for an answer. In the book Emma calls it "lovemaking", me, I call it "sex" - there was no love there and I didn't like it (not that there has to be love to have sex but the whole thing just left a bad taste in my mouth), but this is personal preference it may not bother you.
Valerian Fox is also back in this novel - conveniently appearing deus ex machina style when Emma needs saving after having been incommunicado for the past 5 months. Yes explanations are given but I felt it was just too convenient and I wanted Emma to be able to save herself (and the other people she was trying to save) more. He is dark and broody and tragic, but a far more efficient hunter than Emma currently is.
Also making appearances are Sebastian and Father Luke. I like them both and am always happy to see them. Especially Sebastian. We get Father Luke's backstory and his own struggles in this book than we did in the previous. We are also introduced to Serena Black, a likable healer I look forward to seeing more of. As for the others. Well there are too many to mention but the villain is rather obvious and wasn't all that impressive. Their were school teachers and school kids. The coven of girls (Margaret, Vanessa, Lilliana, Therese and Marion) Emma was trying to "save" were mostly idiotic children - only two of which had any character (and only one of which made a major impression on me), and if I was supposed to feel any emotional connection to them, I didn't. We didn't even get a wrap up for what happened to these girls and I can't say I really care. Eustacia was the only student to make a real, positive impression on me. I liked her.
The Romance/Relationships:
Romance = not really necessary. It's one of those I-don't-want-to-want-them-but-I-do-and-can't-have-them kinds of romances. There are times I just think - I don't get why they want each other, and other times I think these two could work (like the end fight - while anticlimactic - showed their strength when together). But overall this book/series doesn't need the romance, sometimes I think it just gets in the way and adds more unnecessary angst. But I suppose this is intended to make me root for them more (which I do - even if I still don't fully get the star-crossed nature of their relationship - I mean why? So he's got to kill Marius, and she's got to bring peace to her mother and there's a little matter of a possible war coming up but still).
The other relationships between the main characters (Emma, Valerian, Sebastian and Father Luke) I enjoy. I do so adore Sebastian. And Father Luke. Father Luke and Sebastian together are particularly amusing. The bonds between the four of them are strong and I do like their interactions and dynamics.
Overall - I wasn't completely involved with the Cyprian Queen plot - it felt like it was setting the stage for something bigger (Dracula, Laura, the Alchemist/cure, Marius and/or Lliam). I liked it well enough even if it was predictable and easy, I just didn't love it and wasn't blown away by it but I would probably give the next book a try.
March 11, 2011
3.5 Stars
Emma Andrews, a vampire hunter and Dhampir, gets a message from Sebastian. He summons her back to England to help an all girls’ school where a vampire might be praying on innocents. She poses as a teacher at the school to discover what the Cyprian Queen might be. It is also the school her mother went to. With the help of friends Sebastian, Father Luke and Valerian Fox she sets out to discover what is happening.
The story starts while Emma is away from England learning all she can about vampires. The first thing I noticed was how clear it was that this was a Victorian gothic story. The description is haunting and enchanting. It was the first thing that sparked my interest. Strangely as the story continues the beautiful description becomes less and less noticeable. It seems to rely far more heavily on Emma’s feelings or thoughts about everyone else. That is not to say Emma is dislikable. In fact I liked her quite a bit. She is not the strongest heroine I have ever read, but she is defiantly a woman for her time.
When Emma arrives at the town and school, the Victorian customs hit me like a ton of bricks. I was surprised by some of the strict customs of society. I never realized being introduced to someone, by someone else that is already an acquaintance was a big deal. The time period shows through very strongly between the teachers, and the general running of the school itself.
The story takes off at the school. Emma meets the students she refers to as ‘coven girls,’ the students that the strange events are centered around. They are very catty and not at all likeable. Emma believes that they are soon to be the victims of a vampire that has somehow enchanted them. The story becomes more of a mystery than anything. It is not long that the reader figures out that the vampire is somewhere among the characters in the school or town. I had guessed right when I was a little more than halfway into the story. I didn’t think it was that hard, and wondered if Emma wasn’t a little dense for not thinking of it sooner. I think the reason she didn’t is described by supernatural means, but I figured it out with simple logic.
The back of the book claims that the Cyprian Queen is a dark goddess and has something to do with her mother’s attendance at the school years ago. Her mother is a very small part of the story in a whole. Her mother links her with more than Emma believed, leading her to answers as well as more questions. Emma discovers a lead to her mother that happens in my favorite part of the story, which is in a visit to her sister. Although her visit is a small part of the story, it was my favorite. With the very hot Valerian Fox there at her side, and giving his ‘don’t touch her’ face, I thrilled and wanted more of the unfolding drama. Sadly it stops abruptly.
There isn’t a lot of action until the very end of the story. It feels like I drifted through a lot of dialogue, some of it reminding me of facts I read a few chapters before, until it gets to a very, very short action packed ending. I was never scared for Father Luke, Emma, Sebastian or Valerian’s survival at the end. It actually ties up in a nice tight package leaving way to pursue another problem next time around.
I think the story is where it fell short for me. All the characters are highly detailed, and fun. Even the relationships between them are believable and easy to follow. This story, a supernatural mystery, didn’t feel that mysterious. I never feared for the main characters when attacked and none of the action lasts that long until it falls knee deep into dialogue. I think a lot of the impact of how harsh and grotesque some of the images are became pillowed by Emma’s feelings of, ‘well I feel bad about it, but…’ I was not as emotionally involved as I would have liked.
I loved the Victorian atmosphere. I especially loved the mentions of figures from classical literature such as Lord Byron, Percy Shelly and Mary Shelly. There is also an appearance by Bram Stoker himself. The vampires take after a more classical sense of the monster that Stoker introduced to the world, which is nice to see. There is also some interesting Botany. The detailed descriptions of Orchids made me Google image the flower more than once.
The relationship between Valerian and Emma heats up, but they have a lot of issues, or Valerian does. I am starting to think my favorite males are the dark broody ones, he is that, and I loved him for it. At the same time the romance goes far, but never in graphic detail which keeps with the Victorian atmosphere.
Immortal with a Kiss is a supernatural mystery set in a Victorian time period that is well versed in its classical history. It has plenty of mythology, old and new, that I enjoyed and found intriguing. The characters are fun and good together. Although the description does not stay as beautiful from the start, I don’t think it’s that noticeable. The story is easy to read, and easy to slide into, even if like me, you haven’t read the first one. The only part that fell short for me was the mystery in the story. I thought it was a little too predictable, and too easy. I wished I had felt more of a climax than what I got.
-Beth (Guest Reviewer)
Emma Andrews, a vampire hunter and Dhampir, gets a message from Sebastian. He summons her back to England to help an all girls’ school where a vampire might be praying on innocents. She poses as a teacher at the school to discover what the Cyprian Queen might be. It is also the school her mother went to. With the help of friends Sebastian, Father Luke and Valerian Fox she sets out to discover what is happening.
The story starts while Emma is away from England learning all she can about vampires. The first thing I noticed was how clear it was that this was a Victorian gothic story. The description is haunting and enchanting. It was the first thing that sparked my interest. Strangely as the story continues the beautiful description becomes less and less noticeable. It seems to rely far more heavily on Emma’s feelings or thoughts about everyone else. That is not to say Emma is dislikable. In fact I liked her quite a bit. She is not the strongest heroine I have ever read, but she is defiantly a woman for her time.
When Emma arrives at the town and school, the Victorian customs hit me like a ton of bricks. I was surprised by some of the strict customs of society. I never realized being introduced to someone, by someone else that is already an acquaintance was a big deal. The time period shows through very strongly between the teachers, and the general running of the school itself.
The story takes off at the school. Emma meets the students she refers to as ‘coven girls,’ the students that the strange events are centered around. They are very catty and not at all likeable. Emma believes that they are soon to be the victims of a vampire that has somehow enchanted them. The story becomes more of a mystery than anything. It is not long that the reader figures out that the vampire is somewhere among the characters in the school or town. I had guessed right when I was a little more than halfway into the story. I didn’t think it was that hard, and wondered if Emma wasn’t a little dense for not thinking of it sooner. I think the reason she didn’t is described by supernatural means, but I figured it out with simple logic.
The back of the book claims that the Cyprian Queen is a dark goddess and has something to do with her mother’s attendance at the school years ago. Her mother is a very small part of the story in a whole. Her mother links her with more than Emma believed, leading her to answers as well as more questions. Emma discovers a lead to her mother that happens in my favorite part of the story, which is in a visit to her sister. Although her visit is a small part of the story, it was my favorite. With the very hot Valerian Fox there at her side, and giving his ‘don’t touch her’ face, I thrilled and wanted more of the unfolding drama. Sadly it stops abruptly.
There isn’t a lot of action until the very end of the story. It feels like I drifted through a lot of dialogue, some of it reminding me of facts I read a few chapters before, until it gets to a very, very short action packed ending. I was never scared for Father Luke, Emma, Sebastian or Valerian’s survival at the end. It actually ties up in a nice tight package leaving way to pursue another problem next time around.
I think the story is where it fell short for me. All the characters are highly detailed, and fun. Even the relationships between them are believable and easy to follow. This story, a supernatural mystery, didn’t feel that mysterious. I never feared for the main characters when attacked and none of the action lasts that long until it falls knee deep into dialogue. I think a lot of the impact of how harsh and grotesque some of the images are became pillowed by Emma’s feelings of, ‘well I feel bad about it, but…’ I was not as emotionally involved as I would have liked.
I loved the Victorian atmosphere. I especially loved the mentions of figures from classical literature such as Lord Byron, Percy Shelly and Mary Shelly. There is also an appearance by Bram Stoker himself. The vampires take after a more classical sense of the monster that Stoker introduced to the world, which is nice to see. There is also some interesting Botany. The detailed descriptions of Orchids made me Google image the flower more than once.
The relationship between Valerian and Emma heats up, but they have a lot of issues, or Valerian does. I am starting to think my favorite males are the dark broody ones, he is that, and I loved him for it. At the same time the romance goes far, but never in graphic detail which keeps with the Victorian atmosphere.
Immortal with a Kiss is a supernatural mystery set in a Victorian time period that is well versed in its classical history. It has plenty of mythology, old and new, that I enjoyed and found intriguing. The characters are fun and good together. Although the description does not stay as beautiful from the start, I don’t think it’s that noticeable. The story is easy to read, and easy to slide into, even if like me, you haven’t read the first one. The only part that fell short for me was the mystery in the story. I thought it was a little too predictable, and too easy. I wished I had felt more of a climax than what I got.
-Beth (Guest Reviewer)
November 17, 2017
Sometimes one needs to just escape and read a good vampire book. :-)
December 25, 2015
I'll admit that I pretty much grabbed this one because I thought the cover was pretty.
Of course, I didn't realize that this was the second book in a series until I looked it up on Goodreads, but the story did a good enough job of explaining roughly what went on in the first book to keep me from being horrifically lost throughout.
Immortal with a Kiss was actually pretty good - better than I went in expecting it to be, based on my reasoning behind picking it up and the fact that it's a vampire book written after Twilight. The vampire lore in the story goes back to more traditional roots (Vlad Țepeș roots), and there are parts of the book that even slightly break the fourth wall to poke fun at the idea of the current popularized image of vampires.
*whispers* They have no blood flow.
So that was fun. I like vampire stories best when they're inventing their own mythology, based on various pieces of vampire lore from around the world.
Perhaps what ended up drawing me into the story more than the vampire plot line was the setting. I do enjoy a good story set in a boarding school. In any case, Immortal with a Kiss read more like a boarding school mystery than a vampire story, even though the vampire WAS the mystery. If that makes any sense.
I would also like to hold this book up as an example of how to properly include a cameo of a figure from actual history.
At one point in the story, Emma and Valerian need to try to gather information on the Dracula, which is difficult, as anyone who openly speaks about him is killed. Except for the mentally ill, who help keep the rumor mill turning, while nobody takes them serious enough to actually do anything about the homicidal vampire population.
Anyway, so they travel to Dublin to visit Abraham Stoker, whose brother had amassed quite a collection of notes about vampires. Abraham doesn't want to give them access to the papers, since he's worried that his brother's "madness" will make the family look bad. His wife talks him into giving our heroes two hours with the notes, though.
On their way out of the house, Emma catches sight of a young boy watching them. Abraham's wife mentions that he's their son, Bram.
Yes! Thank you. The main characters and Bram Stoker have no interaction with each other. They do not magically supply the inspiration for Bram to grow up to write his novel, Dracula. Instead, they're just given a glimpse into a situation that will naturally allow for Bram to come up with the ideas all on his own.
I guess this review is just kind of petering off at this point. Um...I probably would have appreciated Sebastian and Father Luke more if I'd read the first book. They don't get quite as much time dedicated to explaining who they are as Valerian and Emma do. Which makes sense, since Emma and Valerian are the main characters.
The end result, though, was that I just didn't care as much about Sebastian or Father Luke, until nearly the end of the book.
Of course, I didn't realize that this was the second book in a series until I looked it up on Goodreads, but the story did a good enough job of explaining roughly what went on in the first book to keep me from being horrifically lost throughout.
Immortal with a Kiss was actually pretty good - better than I went in expecting it to be, based on my reasoning behind picking it up and the fact that it's a vampire book written after Twilight. The vampire lore in the story goes back to more traditional roots (Vlad Țepeș roots), and there are parts of the book that even slightly break the fourth wall to poke fun at the idea of the current popularized image of vampires.
"Companions?" Sebastian said, his voice squeaking with alarm. "Do you mean like mates?" His powdered complexion grew paler, his eyes wide with horror. "My God, they mate?"
I patted his hand. "Not in the sense we think. They cannot reproduce, you know. They are dead, Sebastian."
*whispers* They have no blood flow.
So that was fun. I like vampire stories best when they're inventing their own mythology, based on various pieces of vampire lore from around the world.
Perhaps what ended up drawing me into the story more than the vampire plot line was the setting. I do enjoy a good story set in a boarding school. In any case, Immortal with a Kiss read more like a boarding school mystery than a vampire story, even though the vampire WAS the mystery. If that makes any sense.
I would also like to hold this book up as an example of how to properly include a cameo of a figure from actual history.
At one point in the story, Emma and Valerian need to try to gather information on the Dracula, which is difficult, as anyone who openly speaks about him is killed. Except for the mentally ill, who help keep the rumor mill turning, while nobody takes them serious enough to actually do anything about the homicidal vampire population.
Anyway, so they travel to Dublin to visit Abraham Stoker, whose brother had amassed quite a collection of notes about vampires. Abraham doesn't want to give them access to the papers, since he's worried that his brother's "madness" will make the family look bad. His wife talks him into giving our heroes two hours with the notes, though.
On their way out of the house, Emma catches sight of a young boy watching them. Abraham's wife mentions that he's their son, Bram.
Yes! Thank you. The main characters and Bram Stoker have no interaction with each other. They do not magically supply the inspiration for Bram to grow up to write his novel, Dracula. Instead, they're just given a glimpse into a situation that will naturally allow for Bram to come up with the ideas all on his own.
I guess this review is just kind of petering off at this point. Um...I probably would have appreciated Sebastian and Father Luke more if I'd read the first book. They don't get quite as much time dedicated to explaining who they are as Valerian and Emma do. Which makes sense, since Emma and Valerian are the main characters.
The end result, though, was that I just didn't care as much about Sebastian or Father Luke, until nearly the end of the book.
September 22, 2011
Immortal With a Kiss.
Second book in the 'Emma Andrews' series written by psychologist Jacqueline Lepore.
I was excited to read this book, after reading 'Descent Into Dust' only a few weeks ago. Luckily, as this second book came out earlier this year, I wasn't stuck waiting for a release to come out!
This continues the first books story of Emma Andrews and her coming into her role as a Dhampir, or child of half vampire, half human blood.
She has traveled across the world and spent several months studying and preparing herself for future battles.
In her studies, she is written to by Sebastian, a colorful character from the first book, and is told of girls school in a small town.
Blackbriar School For Young Ladies.
This is where she learns of another very formidable foe that insults the mind, and more so, the body, without so much as a touch.
This book is very well written.
Going into immense detail of the nasty fighting ways of this new terror, the 'Cyprian Queen', you feel disgusted FOR Emma, and you find yourself putting yourself in her shoes and in her situation and how you would feel if these things were happening to you.
Its actually quite disconcerting, but I guess that just means its well written.
There is also a continuation of the romance between Emma and Mr Valerian Fox, which comes into play with another character Emma finds herself infatuated with. The romance with Mr Fox however takes on a much bigger role in this book, in a very odd but good way.
You don't really realize the bad guy until close to the very end, and the way he's able to use his powers and disarm those around him is a very intriguing idea indeed.
Jacqueline has a very good sense of imagination and has taken herself to another level with this book.
It is definitely worth picking up, and, I daresay, owning to read multiple times and borrowing out to friends as well.
- CJ
Second book in the 'Emma Andrews' series written by psychologist Jacqueline Lepore.
I was excited to read this book, after reading 'Descent Into Dust' only a few weeks ago. Luckily, as this second book came out earlier this year, I wasn't stuck waiting for a release to come out!
This continues the first books story of Emma Andrews and her coming into her role as a Dhampir, or child of half vampire, half human blood.
She has traveled across the world and spent several months studying and preparing herself for future battles.
In her studies, she is written to by Sebastian, a colorful character from the first book, and is told of girls school in a small town.
Blackbriar School For Young Ladies.
This is where she learns of another very formidable foe that insults the mind, and more so, the body, without so much as a touch.
This book is very well written.
Going into immense detail of the nasty fighting ways of this new terror, the 'Cyprian Queen', you feel disgusted FOR Emma, and you find yourself putting yourself in her shoes and in her situation and how you would feel if these things were happening to you.
Its actually quite disconcerting, but I guess that just means its well written.
There is also a continuation of the romance between Emma and Mr Valerian Fox, which comes into play with another character Emma finds herself infatuated with. The romance with Mr Fox however takes on a much bigger role in this book, in a very odd but good way.
You don't really realize the bad guy until close to the very end, and the way he's able to use his powers and disarm those around him is a very intriguing idea indeed.
Jacqueline has a very good sense of imagination and has taken herself to another level with this book.
It is definitely worth picking up, and, I daresay, owning to read multiple times and borrowing out to friends as well.
- CJ
May 18, 2013
This second volume in the series was much better than the first. My chief complaint about the first novel, Descent into Dust, was that the heroine, Emma Andrews, was frequently inactive, frozen by free, and complaining about her inability to act. In Immortal with a Kiss, for at least half of the book she has no choice but to act because she doesn't have the other members of her vampire-hunting group as back-up. She handles herself fairly well as she investigates strange goings-on at a girls school, the same school her mother had attended as a girl. While battling a new vampire villain, Emma hopes to find out more about the mother she never knew and whose legacy flows through her veins. Inevitably, her little band of heroes in reunited for the ultimate face-off. Emma and Valerian Fox also reach a new level in their relationship.
My chief complaint about this novel is that Emma seems a little slow on the uptake. I had already figured out who the villain was and how he was able to influence Emma's powers long before it dawned on her.
My chief complaint about this novel is that Emma seems a little slow on the uptake. I had already figured out who the villain was and how he was able to influence Emma's powers long before it dawned on her.
March 20, 2019
I received my copy of Immortal With a Kiss by Jacqueline Lepore, through GoodReads FirstReads, and I really enjoyed it. There are a lot of references to the first book, Descent Into Dust, which I haven't read yet so I felt I was missing something having had no knowledge that this was a sequel until I read it on the cover, but it didn't take anything away from the actual story. I felt that the book as a whole was a beautifully dark Gothic tale with a mystery surrounding deaths and strange behaviors at a girls boarding school. It reminded me a little of the Gemma Doyle trilogy, what with witchy things going on, but with the addition of vampires. There was also mention of a young Bram Stoker when the characters visit Ireland, which I thought was a nice touch. It was a very interesting and fun read! I will definitely stay with this series.
March 2, 2013
I absolutely adore this series and loved how Emma's journey developed in Immortal with a Kiss.
Once again Ms. Lepore's writing style takes center stage; Immortal with a Kiss was just as atmospheric as Descent into Dusk, but slightly less dark. Emma grew stronger and more secure with her abilities, but she also retained a bit of her vulnerability and delicacy. Meanwhile my favorite cast of characters, Sebastian, Father Luke, and Valarian, all had room to come back and gain depth as well.
A bigger plot began to shape up and it's full of promise. The only thing that concerns me is that Ms. Lepore doesn't seem to be writing anymore. This was published in 2011.... her website and twitter feed haven't been updated since this book was released. I hope all is well and more stories about Emma are forthcoming. This series could be one of my favorites. Ever.
Once again Ms. Lepore's writing style takes center stage; Immortal with a Kiss was just as atmospheric as Descent into Dusk, but slightly less dark. Emma grew stronger and more secure with her abilities, but she also retained a bit of her vulnerability and delicacy. Meanwhile my favorite cast of characters, Sebastian, Father Luke, and Valarian, all had room to come back and gain depth as well.
A bigger plot began to shape up and it's full of promise. The only thing that concerns me is that Ms. Lepore doesn't seem to be writing anymore. This was published in 2011.... her website and twitter feed haven't been updated since this book was released. I hope all is well and more stories about Emma are forthcoming. This series could be one of my favorites. Ever.
November 13, 2016
Immortal with a Kiss gave me the same action packed intensity that made me love the first one but with a little more romance and that is a good thing. I adore this book just as well as the first and as always the mysteries kept me captivated until the very end. It was nice to see previous supporting characters develop more as well as new ones introduced. You can practically feel the emotions and high tensions jump off the pages! The plot had you focused on a separate mystery yet kept the overall plot between the books still in focus. After reading this series I am anxiously waiting for more. I can now say I am truly a Jacqueline Lepore fan!
Thank you to Megan Traynor!
*received through Goodreads First Reads*
Thank you to Megan Traynor!
*received through Goodreads First Reads*
March 20, 2011
I won this book on Goodreads giveaways and I am so glad...I loved it! I had no idea what to expect, because I haven't read the first book, but I was pleasantly surprised by the great story. These are not shiny vampires...these are nasty evil vampires. I like vampire stories, so I was worried I might not this if I didn't like the vampires...not a problem. I really liked all the main characters....I really liked Emma...a Dhamphir-a vampire hunter...her two friends..Father Luke and Sebastian and her half-vamp love interest Valerian Fox. I plan to read the first book now and really hope this author continues this series!!!
Lots of great Dracula references too. 4.5 stars!!
Lots of great Dracula references too. 4.5 stars!!
April 6, 2011
3.5 stars! I didn't like this one *quite* as much as I did "Descent into Dust" and I gave that one 4 stars, so only 3.5 stars for "Immortal with a Kiss".
The story started off well enough, but soon lost its momentum and didn't get it back until around page 150. After that it was really good, though. The main characters are great --- Emma, Valerian, Sebastian, Father Luke ... I really liked them all as much as I did in the first book. So the only thing that bothered me, really, was that the story had a few boring parts.
Still --- if and when the next book in the series is released I will definitely read it.
The story started off well enough, but soon lost its momentum and didn't get it back until around page 150. After that it was really good, though. The main characters are great --- Emma, Valerian, Sebastian, Father Luke ... I really liked them all as much as I did in the first book. So the only thing that bothered me, really, was that the story had a few boring parts.
Still --- if and when the next book in the series is released I will definitely read it.
September 4, 2011
I want to thank goodreads and the author / publisher for the copy of this book I won on this site. I didn't realize it was the second in the series until I received the copy but was pleasantly surprised! I got the first in the series from my library and read through it very quickly!! I throughly enjoyed both of the first two books and found myself engrossed into the world of Emma Andrews! When is the next one coming out!?!
June 4, 2011
not bad - the second in the series. Emma is still an interesting vampire hunter and her support group and fellow hunters are also worth the effort. It got a bit...worrisome for a moment as the vampire this time was playing with girls using sexual passion and I almost bailed because I thought 'oh my god not another anita blake disaster -good stories turned into boring boring boring soft core porn -' but no the author did not go there. Will look for third one.
May 5, 2011
While the first few pages were a little slow, the rest of the book kept me going. While vampires are not my normal reading, this one had me smiling at many points throughout. I would recommend this to anyone that wanted a good read. Like I said, first few pages were a bit slow going and thought about putting it aside, but I am glad that I kept going :)
December 30, 2011
Always a fan of new interpretations of folklore and myth, I came to the Emma Andrews series expecting an insubstantial read. But Lepore, by expanding on the classic lines of vampire myth, has laid out something of a treat. I look forward to where she takes her vampire hunter (and friends) from here.
April 30, 2012
The first book was a little slower, but I was really pleased with how this book hit the ground running. The evolution of the major characters and the book's mythology was excellent. This will be a definite keeper on my shelf!
April 14, 2012
Fun read of a lady vampire hunter, who herself is half vampire. More of a mystery, and less trashy than I thought. There is a romance, but not the highlight of the book. I would definitely read the next installment.
October 23, 2013
I did t expect to like this, but I really did. Was like a period gothic romance, but with Vampires instead of romance. Yes, that sounds odd, but it works. Characters were interesting, and had good development and strong non-vampire-hunting subplots as well.
March 29, 2011
I really liked this book. I won it in one of the giveaways and boy am I glad that I did! A fantastic read that I highly recommend.
May 17, 2011
Entertaining. No sparkly vampires, the vampires Lepore creates are soulless monsters, which is very refreshing. She is very cognizant of her mythology and her characters are very entertaining.
May 28, 2024
3.5 stars rounding up.
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