Witness the exciting conclusion to the Escape Trilogy! Will vampire Andrew and his beloved sailor love each other for all eternity? Or will a vampire Elder come between them?
What’s it About?
Their ocean journey was successful, and Andrew and Edmund found an Elder just in time. As they wished, Edmund is now a vampire like Andrew. They have eternity together, but first, they must visit Edmund’s ailing mother in the English countryside with their flock of immortals, including the Elder, who has taken an ominous liking to his new creation.
When they arrive at Edmund’s family estate, his sick mother and her loathsome best friend await them. While ducking religious curses, Edmund struggles to harness an unexpected power gifted him by the Elder. Andrew fears for his beloved as Edmund becomes more and more monstrous—but vampires have always been monsters, haven’t they?
A battle is coming, for Edmund’s heart and his soul, and Andrew will lose neither. He escaped island exile and a near tragedy at sea to be with Edmund, the beautiful young sailor he loves. Andrew will do anything to keep Edmund by his side, but his most dangerous adversary may be Edmund himself.
First Impressions
Book three in the Escape Trilogy picks up right where book two left off, with Andrew and Edmund locating a vampire Elder in the hopes that he’ll be able to turn Edmund into an immortal before he succumbs to illness. Mini spoiler alert (although not really a spoiler considering it’s in the synopsis), the two are successful! We’ve been wondering for the entire series whether or not Edmund would ever turn into a vampire like Andrew, and at long last our question is answered. Enter Brien, an ancient vampire who manages to save Edmund’s life…by taking it from him. Following his transformation, Edmund acquires some vampiric abilities that I’m sure we’re all used to at this point. Immense strength, blood lust, a pair of fangs that like to descend with little warning. You know, the usual. And yet we slowly discover that Brien has passed on some additional abilities to Edmund which make him unlike his fellow vampire friends and lover. Will his new abilities, not to mention this new connection with Brien, draw a wedge between him and Andrew?
A Journey to the Past
Edmund doesn’t have too much time to get used to his new abilities as a vampire, as he and Andrew must make a quick dash to England to meet with Edmund’s sickly mother before she passes away. You can’t help but appreciate the irony of seeing Edmund return to his birthplace immediately following his rebirth as a vampire. We’ve seen Andrew and Edmund confront such stark differences in terms of society and locations throughout this entire series. In book one we saw them connect on a deserted island in the middle of the ocean. In the sequel they immersed themselves in the fast paced and sin-filled city of New Orleans. And then in this final piece of the trilogy we explore an entirely different locale by visiting the uppity upper class of English society, and the slow-paced ennui of the countryside. With each change in setting we wonder if Edmund and Andrew will make it through the transition and changes of a different world, especially in this instance when we see Edmund confront his past.
He’s trying to find some semblance of peace with his mother before she passes, and reconcile their differences upon his departure all those years ago, not to mention the particulars of his love-life. She’s gone mad in his absence, which he can’t help but feel slightly guilty for. It’s rather shocking to see how our quick-witted and flirtatious Edmund collapse into himself upon going back to his childhood home. It forces him to confront the pains of his past, as well as the changes which have occurred in his absence. He practically becomes a quiet shell of his former self, and it was such a fascinating, yet heartbreaking transition. In these broken moments we have to wonder who will succeed in pulling Edmund out of his melancholy. Will it be Andrew, the man who has vowed to love him throughout all eternity? Or will it be Brien, the new mysterious Elder who gave him the gift of immortality?
An Elder of Mystery
Ohhh Brien the Elder. His entire being is steeped in mystery. We are all immediately intrigued by his quiet presence, especially considering he remains primarily in the background of the novel as an observer of Edmund and Andrew’s relationship. The whole time we are sort of wondering what his game is, as does Andrew. Brien is clearly infatuated with Edmund, and the two have a strong bond as creator and…child? But there’s also an attraction there. Will Brien come to share a bed with both Edmund and Andrew? After all, they’ve been known to share lovers in the past, but with their newfound commitment to monogamy it also seems out of the question.
Or are his motives perhaps more underhanded? At one point, Edmund astutely points out that Brien is the most powerful creature in existence. If he wanted, he could probably rule completely over both man and supernatural beings. And yet he’s choosing to stick around with Edmund and Andrew’s friends as they traverse the English countryside. What’s he really plotting as he silently observes the group’s activities? While I was definitely drawn to the enigma that was Brien, I was also slightly disappointed that we didn’t get more from him. It’s easy to forget about him at times considering his quiet nature, and it really isn’t until the very final climax of the novel that some of our questions are answered about him. And even then, I felt like I still had more questions than answers about our mysterious Elder.
One and Only
In books one and two we saw Andrew and Edmund declare their undying love for each other, and they vowed that it would last forever. That’s all well and good when they knew that Edmund’s time on this Earth was limited, but what happens now that he is an immortal just like Andrew? You have to question if monogamy is really a possibility when it’s for eternity, and yet what I absolutely adored from our couple is that it’s really never a question for them. Their connection and bond is so strong they never doubt the reality that they’ll remain devoted to each other forever. Through all the difficulties and trials that Edmund faces in his transition, as well as with confronting his past life in London, Andrew remains the one calming presence in his life. And yet, he also has an undeniable connection with Brien, his creator. Brien did take his soul after all. And this is a connection which creates an almost inconsolable type of jealousy with Andrew. True, Andrew holds Edmund’s heart, but can he compete with someone who holds the soul of his beloved?
Unleashing the Beast
While the connection between Edmund and Andrew has been a delight throughout this entire series, I will say there was one disturbing scene presented in this novel that I could have done without. Upon returning to his homestead to discover the unhealthy mental state of his mother, Edmund goes out on a solo drinking binge. He returns to Andrew looking for a fight, spurring him on in an attempt to draw out the dark beast hiding within Andrew. Unfortunately, he pushes a bit too hard where the beast takes control, smacking Edmund around and attempting to rape him. Only through Edmund’s new powers as a vampire is he able to fight off Andrew and bring him back to his senses. Andrew is understandably horrified at his behavior, but it was just pretty disturbing to see him lose control to the point where he was about to take Edmund against his will. Eventually they are able to move past it and forgive each other for their erratic behavior, but it wasn’t my favorite scene. Edmund and Andrew have been so loving and caring of each other since their island exile that it seemed out of character for them to behave in such a manner.
*A copy of this book was provided for an honest review*
Series: The Escape Trilogy, book 3. So sad to see this series come to an end! I’m keeping my fingers crossed we get some kind of spin-off involving the other vampires in Edmund and Andrew’s world.
Final Impressions: I love this couple. There, I said it! It’s been such a tumultuous journey we’ve traversed with them since book one, and we clearly saw the strength of their physical connection in book two. This final chapter highlights the emotional bond between the two, and it’s one that we know has the ability to last for all eternity. If I had to find one fault with the close to the trilogy, it would be that Brien the Elder should have been featured just a bit more prominently throughout the book. I understand that this is meant to be Edmund and Andrew’s story, and that we don’t want to stray too far from that considering it’s what makes the series so special. However, an additional scene or two involving Brien’s interactions with our lead couple could have provided more of a glimpse into who this character is.
Smut Level: Edmund and Andrew have always been a passionate couple, and this theme definitely carries over into our conclusion. That being said, considering how Edmund is going through a bit of an identity crisis as a new vampire, as well as with confronting his past, the two don’t spend as much time in the bedroom as they did in book two.
Get it on Amazon: Click Here. $3.99 Kindle Price. NineStar Press. 127 Pages
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