Blood & Ravens

Greer Henshaw is a reluctant Casket Girl. She never volunteered to sail across the Atlantic from France to New Orleans to find a husband. Instead, the twenty-two-year-old flower peddler finds herself kidnapped into a boatload of young women heading to a convent that arranges marriages. Her emaciated state may be attributed to the horrible living conditions and lack of food on the ship. It may also be due to the black-haired gentleman who caresses her wrist in her dreams every night. The casket girls are being preyed upon by vampires, but one of these monsters is not like the others. Theron was once a prince of the Underworld, now banished to endure the lowly existence of a vampire. He falls for Greer like he has never fallen before or after his exile. Together, they reshape the destiny of Greer’s brave but vulnerable new friends of the Ursuline Convent.

A.D. Brazeau romanticizes and fantasizes the lives of the casquette girls of New Orleans. When Theron develops a conscience, he changes the odds that are so badly stacked against them. Crafted with delectable language, the author explores the metamorphosis of a soulless creature who is suddenly burdened with remorse. The apex predator falling for his prey may seem an ageless story, but this author gives it a fresh and alluring dissection, ensconcing it in a historical setting that lends itself to imaginative possibilities. Be prepared for Theron and the Casket Girls to battle creatures of legend and myth. Rich in character, “Blood and Ravens” is perfect for readers with a taste for a classic romance with a bit of campiness.

Joan Lai