Natalia Lincoln is a new and exciting voice in dark fantasy/sf. I read this book straight through. I went through a "vampire stage" several years ago reading until I burned out. This rekindled my appreciation of the genre - it grabbed me with its new twists and excellent writing. The characters are compelling and tortured, the plot advances at breakneck speed and the ending delivers. I read and write historical fiction and Lincoln did her homework in the Medieval sections. The historical and modern detail is vivid and accurate, making the brooding castles of Eastern Europe and the gritty streets of modern New York characters in their own right. Highly recommend this book. ( )