Author enters vampire genre with ‘Valantinus’

If you’re a fan of Anne Rice’s earlier vampire novels (“Interview with a Vampire,” “The Vampire Lestat” and “Queen of the Damned”), then you’re going to love “Valantinus: Blood Brothers” by Ziana de Bethune, a new author just emerging within the horror genre.

Valantinus Ragnvaldsson, an old vampire (or blood drinker) who was first known as Maya, was turned during the age of Pharaoh Tutankhamen in ancient Egypt. He was then reborn 46 times, until his final incarnation as Valantinus in the year 1423 A.D., when his spirit entered the body of an unborn baby during a sea voyage. He was one of three children. His brother Daniel, lived, but the third child and the birth mother died. Valantinus and Daniel were raised by Marie de Coucy, wife of the Viscount Antoine Ragnvaldsson, descendant of the first Duke of Normandy. Marie accepted the boys as her own children and they were afforded a life of luxury that was befitting the royalty of France at that time.

Everything is going fine for Valantinus as an adult. He’s been living in Paris away from his home for five years and occasionally checks up on his brother. He wants to make sure his sibling isn’t getting into trouble, plus he secretly hopes to change Daniel back into a human being. You see, Daniel is also a blood drinker, and Valantinus blames himself for Daniel’s conversion into a vampire during the time in their mother’s womb.

When Daniel is called back home to help with an investigation into a series of murders that have supposedly been committed by blood drinkers, Valantinus decides to accompany him. That’s when everything begins to gradually change for Valantinus as he deals with his lust for Marie, his would-be mother, and the lust she has for him, not to mention the large number of people who have been murdered.

When Daniel is murdered by the same killer, or killers, Valantinus is determined to get revenge. He quickly heads back to Paris and calls in the remaining Originals (blood drinkers), who have been with him for thousands of years, to do battle with the New Breed, who seek to gain control over all of them. It’s a battle that Valantinus may lose because there are infinitely more members of the New Breed than of the Originals. Add to this the strange infatuation Valantinus has for a particular priest, and this old vampire is going to have his hands full in bringing order out of chaos.

Though Ziana de Bethune is a new author, she writes with the skills of a seasoned pro and the elegance of a poet. With Valantinus, she has created a character who draws readers in, making them want to know more about this unusual creature. Yes, Valantinus is a blood drinker, but there is also an element of good in this being that seems to pop up when least expected. The story line is extremely colorful (and I don’t mean blood red) in its descriptions of a France just coming out of the Middle Ages. It’s certainly clear that the author has done a tremendous amount of research in reconstructing an era that most readers will know little about. The novel also is filled with a heavy sexual tension between Valantinus and the woman who raised him, not to mention the relationship between him and the priest he finds himself mysteriously drawn to, both emotionally and physically. 

De Bethune covers all bases with this fantastic story of a vampire more than 2,000 years old who’s dealing with a rebellion between the older breed of blood drinkers and the younger vampires, who despise Valantinus and hate the rules they must follow in order to survive among humans.

“Valantinus: Blood Brothers” is the beginning of a fabulous new series that all fans of the vampire genre should check out. The prequel to the novel, “Maya,” already is in the works and will deal with Valantinus’ creation as a blood drinker in ancient Egypt and the events which transpired that brought about the death of his wife and child, and led him on an exodus into an unknown land.

This book is highly recommended to the many fans who fantasize about being bitten on the neck by a handsome or beautiful vampire. With Valantinus, you might get more than just a bite!