A Vampire's Tale. For the first time, New York Times bestselling author Dianne Duvall brings readers a novel--set in the "fast-paced" and "totally addictive" world of the Immortal Guardians--that revolves around a vampire... one who has become a friend and trusted ally of the powerful warriors. Every mortal who works at network headquarters knows that vampires reside below them. They were the first to surrender to the powerful Immortal Guardians who hunt them. And they did so, hoping they can be saved, that the doctors and scientists the Immortal Guardians employ can halt the progressive brain damage that robs all vampires of their sanity. Though curious, Emma never thought she would meet any of the vampires who remain under heavy guard several stories beneath her office. Then mercenaries strike, bombarding the building with heavy artillery. The vampires are freed to join the fray... and Cliff saves her life. From that moment on, she can't stop thinking about him regardless of the restrictions placed on interactions with vampires. When Emma discovers a way to speak to Cliff at network headquarters, she becomes even more fascinated by him. He's smart, charming, and honorable to his core despite the darkness that lies ahead. And he seems to crave her company as much as she does his. Aware of the eyes that watch them, they keep their encounters innocent, limiting them to those of mere acquaintances. Nevertheless, their attraction grows and she soon falls in love with him even as the madness begins to claim him. Cliff realizes his future is dark. As one vampire friend after another succumbs to insanity, hope that network doctors will be able to find a cure in time to keep him from meeting the same fate begins to dwindle, leaving him little to look forward to... until he meets Emma. Just speaking to her brings him a happiness and contentment he hasn't experienced since before his transformation. And when they finally find a way to be alone together, everything changes. Emma burrows her way right into his heart and quiets the voices. She sparks dreams of a future with her that strengthen his determination to beat back the madness. But as time passes, the voices grow louder and insanity begins to chip away at him until he fears it will eradicate every part of him she fell in love with. Will the two of them find a way to defy the odds and find their happily-ever-after? Or will Cliff's descent consume him?

MY THOUGHTS

Cliff has been with the Immortal Guardians from book one and we have fallen in love with him more with every book since. It’s been sad to see his descent into madness caused by brain damage the vampiric virus inflicts, but that mental decline is all the more heartbreaking thanks to the internal view this story provides.

Audiobook Note

Kirsten Potter never fails to bring each and every character to life.

About the Characters

Emma is a force to be reckoned with. She’s fearless and fights for what she wants and believes. She thinks quickly, is very strong willed, and everything I want to be when I grow up! Cliff, dear Cliff. He’s so self aware, such a fighter, and an overall incredibly honorable man.

Things I Liked

It was really neat to see certain events through new eyes, especially ones that we barely got even a glimpse of previously. The forbidden romance aspect was fun, even if it wasn’t as much of a secret as they thought. The side characters, Sadie, Cynthia, and Todd in particular, were a lot of fun and very sweet.

Things I Didn’t Like

This is hard. Any/every thing I didn’t love was a necessity. Time jumps a lot – well yeah, there’s a lot to cover. There’s a very somber tone to the book – well yeah, it’s not Cliff is expected to have any kind of happy ending. We’ve seen the beginning and almost the end of Cliff’s story through other books so of course there’s overlap (which doesn’t generally bother me) and provides no progression to the Immortal Guardians storyline. So with that said, I obviously recognize the purpose and necessity of the few aspects that bothered me just a tiny bit, and it didn’t stop me from loving Cliff’s journey at all.

More Thoughts

The ending is killer. It’s heartwarming to see how many people care for Emma and hurt for Cliff, while heartrending as Cliff says his goodbyes. He’s so valued and loved in the Immortal Guardians family and even in the end, Cliff wanted to go out leaving folks with happy memories and doing something to help those he loved.

Does it stand alone?

I don’t think so. There’s so much overlap to the previous story that fills in some gaps as we skip through time that I feel a reader might get a little lost as to what is overall going on and not understand the impact and significance of every event – big or small.

Bottom Line

Finally being able to read Cliff’s story was so incredibly satisfying. It’s a fresh perspective on familiar moments and characters, and a wicked emotional rollercoaster. I got my closure for Cliff and it was everything I’d hoped for.