Book Review : Afterlight by Elle Jasper

Afterlight (The Dark Ink Chronicles, #1) by Elle Jasper

Product Details:

• Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: Signet; Original edition (November 2, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0451231678
• ISBN-13: 978-0451231673
• Purchase the book on Amazon / Barnes & Noble / IndieBound

Savannah's most unconventional tattoo artist, Riley Poe, lives on the edge. Now she's put over the edge when her younger brother is taken by a sinister cult led by vampires. Her only ally is the hot-tempered vampire Eli Dupre, attracted to Riley's beauty and rare blood type. To save her brother from certain un-death, Riley faces dangers she's never dreamed of, ruthless bloodthirsty enemies, and an evil of endless hunger that wants to devour it all...

What do you get when you combine a kick-ass female with a wild past and a two-centuries-old sexy male vampire originated from France? You get Afterlight, of course! Elle Jasper's debut is wicked cool! In this book, Elle shows readers the darker, creepier side of Savannah, Georgia, besides adding her own touch of Gothic elements in it. You can observe it in Riley's dressing code and fashion sense.

Riley Poe is an amazing heroine. She's spunky, badass, witty and loves her brother a great deal. I'd really like to see the dragon tattoo on her back and arms if she were a real person. She has a soft spot for her younger brother Seth, whom she cares for since her mother died. She always calls him "my baby brother" and I think that is cute, since I did the same with mine.

When Seth and his friends disrupts an ancient stone in Savannah's Bonaventure Cemetery, they accidentally release two evil, powerful vampires --- Victorian and Valerian, descendants of the Strigoi. Then, all hell breaks loose. The two evil vampires, Victorian and Valerian, are out for blood, and they are using Seth and his friends to do lure victims.

To save her brother from eternal damnation, Riley seeks help from her surrogate grandfather, the Preacher, who is a Gullah conjurer. His grandfather introduces her to the Dupre family, who agrees to aid her in saving Seth. But there's something strange about the Dupres. They possess amazing speed, and they can change into terrifying monsters in a blink of the eye. They are actually vampires. And Eli Dupre, one of them, has been ordered to act as her personal bodyguard. As time passes, the mutual attraction between them heightened.

Eli Dupre is like the perfect guy, he's hot, handsome and protective. But he can be pretty scary too, when he gets angry or hungry. He grows fond of Riley, and eventually falls in love with her despite the fact that they are two different persons from two different worlds.

Elle Jasper is a talented writer. She weaves the tale perfectly, and ends each chapter with a surprise. I was eager to continue reading and stopped only when my eyes cannot resist the urge to rest. The setting is written in detail, giving me a clear mental image of the charms of the historical sites in Savannah. There is a quote that reminds me of Twilight, but that's a small thing. I loved the book nevertheless. I'm definitely looking forward to reading the second book in The Dark Ink Chronicles, Everdark!

Rating:

Note: This book is intended for adults / readers above 18 years of age only.

Many thanks to Elle Jasper for sending me a signed copy of the book for this review! Thank you for including the extra goodies! I love them!

Elle Jasper spent her youth buried in the pages of Mary Shelly, Edgar Allen Poe, Bram Stoker, and Stephen King. Growing up on the salt marshes of Savannah, Georgia, she was always fascinated by the city’s ancient cobblestones, eerie church spires and Gothic Revival architect—as well as the dark, not-so-publicized side of Savannah, both steeped in tumultuous history. After an education at Armstrong Atlantic University, she forged her love of Gothic literature with an active imagination to pen her own stories. She is now a full time writer and lives amidst the moss and shadows of Savannah. Follow Elle Jasper on Twitter