Ellen Schreiber (2009)
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3.95/ 5(12,350 reviews)
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8 min
Book Length
12 Minutes
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Raven's immortal romance with Alexander is tested when his mysterious parents arrive, turning a thrilling dinner party into a potential future-altering revelation.
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Summer vacation ends, sending Raven Madison back to Dullsville High. She misses her restful, sleep-filled days and romantic nights with her vampire boyfriend, Alexander Sterling. Facing her rival, Trevor Mitchell, at school every day is not appealing. This return to school also means less time with Alexander, as their nighttime life conflicts with morning classes. Raven thinks about their unusual romance and the difficulty of balancing her human life with Alexander's immortal one, setting a sad tone for the new school year.
As Raven adjusts to school, something surprising happens at Alexander's mansion. An old letter arrives, announcing that Alexander's parents are coming to Dullsville. This news creates excitement for Alexander and Raven, who has never met them. The letter adds mystery and anticipation. Meeting Alexander's immortal family raises questions about their past, their views on human-vampire relationships, and how their presence will affect Raven and Alexander. The visit promises to change their carefully built world.
Alexander's parents arrive in Dullsville, and their presence quickly becomes local gossip. People report many sightings. However, to Raven's growing frustration, Alexander avoids introducing her to them. He gives vague excuses and delays their meeting, making Raven suspect he is hiding something. This avoidance creates a gap between them, feeding Raven's worries about her place in Alexander's immortal world and their relationship's future. She wonders if Alexander is ashamed of her or if his parents disapprove of his human girlfriend, deepening the mystery of their arrival.
After days of anxious waiting and Alexander's puzzling avoidance, Raven finally gets an invitation to a formal dinner party at Alexander's mansion. This event is specifically for her to meet his parents. The invitation, while a relief, also increases her nervousness. She carefully plans her outfit, wanting to impress Alexander's old and aristocratic family. The dinner party is a key moment, a test of her acceptance into Alexander's world, and a potential turning point for their relationship. Raven is both excited and scared, knowing this evening could define her future with Alexander.
The night of the dinner party comes. Raven, in her best gothic dress, enters Alexander's mansion feeling both nervous and eager. Alexander introduces her to his parents, Lord and Lady Sterling. Contrary to Raven's fears of coldness, Alexander's parents are charming and elegant, greeting her warmly. They talk to her politely, showing genuine interest. This first interaction eases some of Raven's worries, making her believe that her relationship with Alexander might be accepted, despite their immortal status.
As dinner continues, the conversation moves from pleasantries to more serious details about the Sterling family. Lord and Lady Sterling begin to share information about their old lineage, royal connections, and importance in the vampire world. Raven learns that Alexander is not just a vampire, but a prince, the heir to a powerful and ancient vampire kingdom. This revelation is shocking, adding complexity to Alexander's identity and their relationship that Raven had not expected. The weight of his royal blood and its implications for her future with him begin to sink in, changing her view of their romance.
The unsettling revelations end with Lord Sterling announcing an old royal decree. He explains that as the heir to the vampire throne, Alexander must marry a suitable vampire consort to secure the lineage and strengthen the kingdom. This decree directly challenges Alexander's relationship with Raven, a human. The message is clear: Raven, as a human, cannot fulfill this royal obligation. This news shatters Raven's new hopes, creating great tension and fear for her future with Alexander. The decree directly threatens their love, putting a huge burden on both of them.
Faced with his parents' decree, Alexander is in a terrible situation. His deep love for Raven conflicts directly with his duty as a vampire prince and heir. He is visibly upset, caught between his royal family's old traditions and expectations, and his personal desires and commitment to Raven. This internal struggle puts great strain on him as he tries to balance his two worlds. Raven sees his pain, understanding the impossible choice he faces and the potential loss that hangs over their relationship. The dinner party becomes a test for their love.
Amidst the despair, Lady Sterling, Alexander's mother, offers a small glimmer of hope. Without directly disagreeing with her husband, she hints that there might be a way for Raven to stay with Alexander and perhaps meet the royal decree's requirements, though it would involve a major, permanent change. Her words are mysterious but imply that Raven's humanity is the main obstacle, suggesting that if Raven became a vampire, the situation might change. This subtle suggestion introduces a new, terrifying, yet possibly saving, option for Raven and Alexander's future.
The dinner party ends, leaving Raven with a huge decision to consider. Lady Sterling's veiled suggestion of transformation weighs heavily on her mind. Becoming a vampire means giving up her human life, her family, and everything she has known. But it also seems to be the only way to a future with Alexander, the love of her life. Raven faces the ultimate choice: stay human and lose Alexander, or become immortal and secure their bond, at an unimaginable cost. The book ends with Raven on the edge of this life-changing decision, the future of her relationship uncertain.
The Protagonist
Raven learns of Alexander's royal status and is forced to confront the ultimate choice regarding her humanity to be with him.
The Protagonist
Alexander is revealed to be a vampire prince and is forced to choose between his royal duty and his love for Raven.
The Antagonist
Lord Sterling asserts his authority and royal decrees, forcing Alexander to choose between duty and love.
The Supporting
Lady Sterling subtly influences the narrative by suggesting a path for Raven to overcome the royal decree.
The Supporting
Trevor remains a static annoyance, representing the mundane world Raven is trying to escape.
This theme explores the conflict between personal desire and duty. Alexander is torn between his love for Raven and his duty as a vampire prince to his lineage and kingdom. His parents' arrival and their old decrees force him to face this painful choice, showing the sacrifices often required by royal or family obligations. Raven also faces this theme as she considers her duty to her human life versus her love for Alexander.
“"How could he choose between the ancient weight of his lineage and the fierce, undeniable pull of his heart for her?"”
The novel explores identity, especially how it is shaped by heritage, choice, and potential change. Alexander's identity changes from just a vampire to a royal heir, revealing a deeper, more complex self. Raven grapples with the potential change of her very being—from human to vampire—as the ultimate sacrifice to secure her future with Alexander. This theme asks what defines a person and how much one will change for love, exploring the loss and gain in such a deep shift.
“"To be with him, truly be with him, meant shedding the very skin of her humanity."”
Raven's journey is shaped by her desire for acceptance into Alexander's world and to truly belong with him. His parents' arrival tests this desire, as she faces the judgment and traditional expectations of an ancient, aristocratic vampire family. The theme explores the challenges of an outsider trying to fit into a very different culture and how far one might go to gain approval and secure their place within a new community, especially when that community is immortal and royal.
“"Would they ever truly accept her, a mere human, into their ancient, royal bloodline?"”
While immortality is often romanticized, this book explores its costs and burdens. Alexander's eternal life comes with the weight of old duties, royal decrees, and the expectation to prioritize his lineage over personal happiness. For Raven, the idea of immortality is presented not just as a gift of endless life with Alexander, but as a great sacrifice—the permanent abandonment of her human existence, family, and mortal ties. This theme shows that eternal life has its own set of complex challenges and heavy prices.
“"Immortality wasn't just endless nights; it was endless obligations, endless expectations."”
An ancient law dictating the vampire prince's marriage.
The Royal Decree serves as the central conflict-driving plot device. It is an ancient, unyielding law of the vampire kingdom that mandates the heir, Alexander, must marry a suitable vampire consort to ensure the continuation of the royal bloodline and the stability of the realm. This decree directly threatens Raven and Alexander's relationship, forcing an impossible choice and creating immense tension. It is the external force that pushes the narrative toward its pivotal decision point, highlighting the clash between tradition and modern love, and setting the stage for Raven's ultimate dilemma.
A formal gathering as a catalyst for major revelations.
The dinner party at Alexander's mansion functions as a crucial plot device, serving as the stage for all major revelations and character confrontations. It is the setting where Raven finally meets Alexander's parents, learns of his royal status, and hears the devastating Royal Decree. The formal, high-stakes nature of the event amplifies the tension and the impact of the revelations. It acts as a pressure cooker, forcing the characters to confront uncomfortable truths and ultimately drives the narrative toward its climax, leaving Raven with a life-altering choice.
An unexpected message initiating the main conflict.
The mysterious letter announcing Alexander's parents' visit serves as the inciting incident for the entire plot. Its unexpected arrival disrupts the established normalcy of Raven and Alexander's relationship and introduces the primary conflict of the story. The letter's formal tone and the secrecy surrounding its contents immediately create an air of mystery and anticipation, setting in motion the chain of events that lead to the revelations about Alexander's royal heritage and the subsequent challenges to his relationship with Raven. It is the catalyst that forces the hidden aspects of Alexander's life to the surface.
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Ellen Schreiber is an author known for her young adult fiction, particularly in the supernatural genre. Her notable works include "Kissing Coffins," "The Coffin Club," "Dance with a Vampire," and "Royal Blood," which explore themes of romance and the paranormal. Schreiber's writing often appeals to fans of vampire lore and gothic storytelling.
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