Shadow of the Vampire

Hatfield's yarn is a confusing examination of what happens when Alexia Feordorovna, heiress to a matriarchal vampire clan, finds herself face to face with the power of love as personified by Declan Black, a shape-shifting dragon and her clan's archnemesis. Lust at first sight is enough to make Alexia reject every aspect of her life and culture as she helps her people's sworn enemy. She discovers along the way that Lotharus, her mother's lover, is just as evil as every word he has uttered and every action he has taken throughout this clunky, cliché-ridden tale. Subplots are explored and ultimately abandoned, leaving the reader with many questions. There's not enough story here to make enduring Hatfield's clumsy prose worthwhile. (July)