Review of Raven's Deep by Jane Jordan
A Gothic Deadly Romance Between the Living and the Undead
Teens may love Stephenie Meyer's Twilight, but adults who are looking for a grown up romance between the living and the undead need Jane Jordan's Raven's Deep, which uses Gothic imagery and a psychological struggle to develop characters Madeline Shaw, a young writer, and Darius Chambers, an immortal vampire.
Synopsis of Jane Jordan's Raven's Deep
Madeline Shaw, a young, aspiring writer, has been communicating by old-fashioned letter with mysterious Mr. Chambers. He is looking for long lost descendants in his family tree and she answers the ad. What she does not know, however, is that Mr. Chambers is really immortal vampire, Darius Chambers and that meeting him will change her life forever.
Darius invites her to spend an extended period of time at his home, Raven's Deep, located deep in the mysterious Exmoor countryside. Madeline finds herself drawn to Darius in ways she has never experienced before. As their relationship progresses, Madeline finds out that Darius is indeed a blood-sucking vampire and has to come to terms with his unethical behavior. But, his charming and possessive hold over her keeps her relinquishing her love for him.
Will Madeline become a vampire? Will their love truly become immortal? Only time will tell.
Review of Jane Jordan's Raven's Deep
Jane Jordan creates a captivating and chilling romance with Raven's Deep. Her use of Gothic imagery throughout the book only enhances the mystery surrounding Darius and the secrets that Raven's Deep holds for Madeline.
However, Raven's Deep does have one flaw. The first person narration through Madeline's point of view does not allow readers a consistent view of Madeline's motivations. While first person narration does allow the author to isolate Madeline in her own world, which ultimately helps the story, it does make the story rather daunting to read at times, leaving readers wondering why they should continue to care about Madeline's motivation for staying with such a controlling character as Darius. Logistically, why should she stay in such a relationship? Perhaps this idea is explored further in the next two books in this series.
But, pushing through the narration problems allows readers to see that Jane Jordan really can tell an interesting story and that Raven's Deep is well worth reading. Perhaps the most intriguing part of the novel lies in the chemistry between Madeline and her vampire lover, Darius.
Readers will be surprised at Darius's character shift from romantic-hero to a controlling, almost vindictive character who uses psychological tactics over Madeline while still maintaining his charm. Readers will also love Madeline, who struggles daily with the horror of Darius's existence while still showing that true love conquers all.
Any adult who loves Gothic, Jane Eyre-esque landscapes combined with a vampire love story should read Raven's Deep. The book's pages hold romance, intrigue, mystery, vampires, and scintillating love scenes between the living and the undead. It is sure to captivate the minds of any adult reader looking for a vampire romance novel but unwilling to read the teen drama, Twilight.
To visit Jane Jordan's Official Website and read more about the author and her novels, click here.
Jane Jordan. Raven's Deep. Grosvenor House Publishing, 2008. 326 pages. ISBN: 978-1-906645-06-9
Raven's Deep Cover
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