Dariel's Review of "Absolution" by P.L. Parker

For years, travelers in the French Vosges Mountains heard the wailing of a woman echo in the hollows. Her cries went unbidden. No one was brave enough to seek out the source. Over time, the screams lessen, then stop. Eventually, even the memories slipped away, forgotten.

Six centuries later, two over-eager research assistants find and release the young half vampire, Chloe—unaware of events they unwittingly unleash with her.

Far away, other forces are aware of her awakening. Zaccarius, greatest of all the Slayers, is sent by the Council of Nine to seek out Chloe, determine her worth and render justice. Enticed by her purity and innocence, he becomes her protector. However, Jochad, the Dark Master and his army of evil vampires are eager to claim Chloe.

In the battle that ensues, Zaccarius falls beneath Jochad’s army. To save her lover, Chloe must make a choice. Ancient and dying, Jochad needs her blood to reanimate. His ultimatum—her blood or Zaccarius’ life.

To say the least, author P.L. Parker has created a rather unique character in her heroine, Chloe. A desiccated, decomposing vampire slowly reanimating before my eyes was not what I expected, and certainly not the norm, but it worked.

The hero, Zaccarius, is a swashbuckling, good-looking, dark vampire – one of my favorite characters! He’s protective, loving, tortured, and redeemable. What more could a girl ask for? To top everything off, Chloe turns out to be a fighter.

As an author, I must say I was impressed by P.L.’s use of rich character accents to denote point-of-view instead of awkward scene breaks. She slips easily from one point-of-view to the next, breaking every rule and making it work.

You will love the supporting characters, Earl, Benny, and Shauna, as they add comic relief and somehow win you over with their endearing, if bumbling loyalty. Zaccarius’ trusted mentor, Alisdair already has a wife, but I’d enjoy reading their story – I fell in love with him, too. The villains, Jochad and Deac don’t have much depth, but who cares? They served their purpose. LOL

This book teeters on the line between paranormal romance and horror with romantic elements, and since I don’t mind a little blood and gore with my romance, I LOVED it! Five (5*****) satin pillows!