REVIEW - "Blood Sinister"

Blood Sinister by Celia Rees

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Ellen's just sixteen, but she's dying-and nobody knows why. So when she's sent to her gran's house she's relieved to find a distraction in the form of her great-grandmother's diaries, written when she was Ellen's age. As Ellen reads, she becomes increasingly embroiled in the fascinating story of her life. Who is the enigmatic and seductive Count her great-grandmother was supposed to marry? And why is it that Ellen and her great-grandmother resemble each other so much that they could be twins? But Ellen's condition is worsening, and it's becoming more and more difficult for her to distinguish her own life from the nightmarish events recorded in the diaries. Is the past destroying her, or do the diaries hold the key to Ellen's survival...? description from Goodreads

I have previously read "Witch Child" and "Sorceress" by Celia Rees and was impressed. When I saw she had a vampire book out, it became one of the many books on my "to-read" list.

I really enjoyed this book! It is not your typical vegan vampire, pretty girl falls in love with, they live happily ever after book. This book comes closer to the classical vampire story.

Ellen suffers from a rare blood disease, she is dying. She moves to London with her grandmother to be closer to the specialists that will be treating her. While staying at her grandmother's she wanders up into the Attic and finds a trunk full of diaries and other memorabilia from her great-great grandmother. The diaries were written by Ellen, the person she was named after.

Ellen is intrigued with the diaries, and eventually begins to have flash backs from her great- great grandmother's life. The previous Ellen became inundated with vampires. Her father was a DR. and had taken one in at his clinic to help with his blood disease. He did not know he was really a vampire.  He fooled him and began  to rampage the community.  Many unexplained and violent deaths  happened, there was no  logical explanation.

Present day Ellen has the help of her childhood friend, Andy. He is supportive and cute. He helps her deal with the problem of the modern day vampire.


Great book! I highly recommend it. Suitable for any reader who likes a bit of horror, mystery and vampires.  I would also say that based upon the books that I have read, Celia Rees is an author worth reading.