By David W. Landrum
Published by Dreaming Big Publications
Reviewed by Amy Owings
ABOUT THE BOOK
Sinfonia: First Notes on the Lute records the life of Nelleke Reitsma, a young lutenist who befalls a series of misfortunes that eventually leads to her transformation into a vampire. Leaving her native Netherlands for England, she finds herself embroiled in a fight to save the vampire community of London from destruction. She encounters Shakespeare and Queen Elizabeth, and, using her connections to government and the theater, uncovers the last followers of an ancient religion that possesses power capable of destroying Nelleke and the coven of vampires to which she belongs.
Genre: Suspense/Fantasy
156 pages
MY REVIEW
4 out of 5 stars
I loved the world and characters that Landrum created for this story. The historical setting of 17th century England was a pleasant deviation from most contemporary vampire stories, which are often set in the present day, and it allowed the introduction of characters like Shakespeare, which was fun to see. Nelleke was a strong, liberated character who was easy to root for. She conquered every challenge with courage and tenacity rather than playing the part of a damsel in distress. My only disappointment with this story was that it failed to develop some situations that seemed important, such as Nelleke and Izaak’s relationship, Anita’s childhood, and Nelleke’s transition into a vampire—I wanted more introspection from Nelleke to show us how she felt about all of this. Overall, though, it was a fun and suspenseful read.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
David W. Landrum lives and writes in West Michigan. His fiction, poetry, and scholarships have appeared in journals and magazines around the world. Landrum has published over 150 short stories in such journals as The Horror Zine, 34th Parallel, Black Denim Review, Silver Pen, Erotique, Non-Binary Review, Night to Dawn, The Lorelei Signal and in many others. His novellas--The Gallery, Strange Brew, ShadowCity, The Last Minstrel, Le Café de la Mort, Mother Hulda, The Prophetess, and The Sorceress of Time, along with his full-length fantasy novel, The Sorceress of the Northern Seas, are available through Amazon. He has also published a great deal of poetry and many academic studies.
DISCLAIMER
I received a copy of this book for free in exchange for writing a review. I was not obligated to give a positive review, and all thoughts are my own.
https://smile.amazon.com/Sinfonia-First-Notes-Vampire-Chronicle-ebook/dp/B01F8BMZJ4/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1466704415&sr=1-1&keywords=sinfonia+first+notes