Thoughts On: Avalon Revisited ~ Chapter 1 & 2

Avalon Revisited

By:  O.M. Grey

Genre:  Victorian Vampire Steampunk Romance

Chapter:  1

Format:  Podcast, 21:34 minutes

Book Synopsis:
Arthur has made his existence as a vampire bearable for over three hundred years by immersing himself in blood and debauchery.  Aboard an airship gala, he meets Avalon, an aspiring vampire slayer who sparks fire into Arthur's shriveled heart.  Together they try to solve the mystery of several horrendous murders on the dark streets of London.  Cultures clash and pressures rise in this sexy Steampunk Romance.

My Thoughts and Summary:
Arthur Tudor, or now known as Arthur York as his family history is rather famous...being his brother was king and his nieces and nephews shed each others blood for the thrown.  The thrown Arthur was to sit on, before he died, and came back to life.  Yes, Arthur is a vampire of three hundred and fifty plus years.  Arthur is hungry in more ways than one, and has found himself a beautiful middle-aged woman to satisfy those desires.  But gets caught up in the moment.

We meet Arthur in this first chapter as he is romancing and turns to seducing this beauty of a married woman.  Although she seems to be more than willing with a younger man as her husband is thirty years her senior.  During the romancing Arthur tells he was to be king, which brings us to learning Arthur's family history and where he fell in the line.

We also see there was a love, once, Catherine.  But when he died his brother took her and then turned to many other women in his bed as well.  Arthur seems a little bothered that his wife betrayed him in death to stay Queen, but he loved her so.

This first chapter has stared off full of sexy, and history of Arthur.  I will say sexy from chapter one is touch and go for me, but this was very well done.  We know Arthur is not looking for a relationship, just...companionship for a short while (like a few hours of fun and food).  This is setting Arthur up for me and I'm curious to see how he goes.

The world is a Victorian period, and the clothing and setting is started.  The listening went by quickly, which is a good sign, so on to the next chapter I went.

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Chapter:  2

Format:  Podcast, 26:02

My Thoughts and Summary:
Arthur has woken and his butler Cecil brings his tea and the newspaper with the headlines of a well-off woman's murder...by a vampire attack.  Arthur decides to go out for a little bit in the late afternoon and meets Lady Bambridge and a few of her friends out for a walk.  The sit with him on his blanket and chat of the murder and of the Airship Gala to come this evening.

This chapter gives us a glimpse at the steampunk present here.  We see an airship out the window of Arthur's home and that there is an Airship Gala this evening to come.  But what has caught my eye in this one is the way Cecil gives his blood in Arthur's tea.  Very interesting!  A contraption attached at his wrist.  I like this blend and idea very much.

Cecil seems older, but he makes me chuckle when he tells Arthur that Arthur doesn't much like people.  And Arthur admits to it.  We get to hear a small bit about Arthur's father as he remembers just a few pieces of his past with things going on.

We see London through Arthur's eyes.  Not only how this is a perfect city for one like him being overcast and rainy, but the people and woman's attire as it's changed and reverted over the years.

Arthur seems to always be looking for his next conquest and lady to entice and seduce.  Of Lady Bainsbridge and her friends Arthur is taken with one, although Lady Bainsbridge seems taken with Arthur as well.  But we do learn that Lady Bainsbridge plans on bringing her "spinster" niece to the Airship Gala this evening as her husband will not attend on an airship.

We also get to meet Arthur's friend, Nick Stanton, who is quite the young ladies man.

I'm curious to see who Arthur will follow and 'hit on' at the Gala tonight.  And it seems vampires are accepted in some sense as it is mention in the newspaper, and the ladies talk of it as well with out major fear.

I am liking how the author reads the story, with different tones for each character along with the accents.  Very clear and easy to understand.



If you would like to listen, or read, this story you can find it in many places:
   Free Listening:
On O.M. Grey's blog Caught in the Cogs, she has chapter by chapter coming up on her blog weekly as it's a new listen.
iTunes the story is up weekly for free listening.
   Reading:
You can purchase the Print or Nook book at Barnes & Nobles.
You can purchase a Print or Kindle version at Amazon.
Or if you need in a different ebook format, you can find on Smashwords as well.


I'm listening to this story for my own enjoyment.