The Burning (The Companion Series)

Ann Van Helsing lives at her familial estate with her uncle Thaddeus. Ann suffers from a curse passed down from the women in her family that makes it impossible for her to touch a person or their belongings. She immediately feels everything that, that person has felt in their lives. It is overwhelming and almost maddening so she avoids almost all contact with others. Her uncle is attempting to set her up in marriage with a distant cousin who Ann despises. Stephan Sincai is a vampire. He is on a mission to eradicate a rogue vampire named Killkenny before he succeeds in his goal to take over the English government by creating more vampires. Stephan feels responsible for Killkenny because he was created by Asharti, a woman Stephan himself created long ago, who has become evil. Stephan has become a Harrier, a killer, by the command of an Elder vampire named Rubius, because he sexually tortured Rubius' daughters. Stephan is to kill all made vampires to atone for his bad deeds. It is during his search for Killkenny that he meets Ann. Ann helps Stephan when he is injured and in the process, she learns everything about him. Soon it is Stephan's turn to help Ann. Ann's abilities combined with Stephan's, make them a unique and amazing pair. As they explore their newfound relationship, Stephan resolves to keep Ann safe, therefore she must stay away from him, but Ann discovers that Stephan is the only man she wants. The Burning is a highly sexual and emotionally moving story. I was fascinated by Ann and intrigued by Stephan's plight. Ann and Stephan share a beautiful love that is rife with danger and turmoil. The Burning is a dark story where Stephan and Ann find peace and acceptance in each other when neither thought they could ever have it. Stephan's sexual training made me uneasy at times, wishing things were different for him and for Ann, but over all I found The Burning to be well written, with a compelling storyline that drew me in right from the start. Nannette reviewed for Joyfully Reviewed

It doesn't get much hotter than this. Susan's newest "Companion" book is her best yet. Not only a great story but this one definately crosses the line into erotica.. You won't be able to put it down or stop thinking about it... I am counting the days to the next one.

I bought this book despite the bad reviews. I had read Susan Squires previous books in this series and had a hard time believing that this one was as bad as some said. I wasn't disappointed. I enjoyed the book, maybe because I had some warning that it wasn't a warm, fuzzy feel good romance. Honestly, I enjoyed the darker element. Lately, I've been bored with the same 'ol, same 'ol "boy meets girl, boy can't have girl, boy gets girl anyway" historical romance. I've read most (if not all) of the major historical romance writers and a number of the minor writers. I've also read a number of the supernatural romance ficition out there and can tell you, a lot of it is just bad. In this, the writing was good, the characters well developed and the story something interesting. It's not the next great American novel but I wasn't expecting it to be. It was an easy read on a 3 hour flight. Like I said, if you like your romance a little darker, a little edgier then you might want to go ahead and give this a try.

The Queen (of the Vampires) is dead; long live the Queen. Paraphrasing the old royal address, I adapted it into a play on words using Anne Rice's Queen of the Vampires title. Rice has finally--so she says--gotten rid of Lestat. That is punishment to Rice. Lestat was Rice, or maybe better said, Rice was Lestat. He permitted her to handler her own demons. He was her vehicle to vent her pain and fears, oddly enough, similar to how the Japanese love Godzilla. Her life changed with the loss of her daughter, now her husband, so I think in doing away with Lestat is a form of penance for her. Most her readers however rarely looked past the stories to why she wrote them, they just loved them, for the most part. They felt let down she has abandoned them. The Queen of the Vampires is "dead" so behold the birth of the new Queen--Susan Squires. Squires has for several years, being penning an original concept, one I see being copied over and over by newer writers--the origins of the vampire disease. But she has always gone past the romance, past the story to provoke the reader. It's my firm belief she doesn't do what is "nice", but what makes the reader THINK. Her first two of this trilogy for St. Martins Press, were stunning evoking not only matching the depth of history and emotion of Rice's early vamp tales, but she adds a touch of passion that truly transcends "Interview" and those that followed, and draws the reader in. Rice liked sex, but often her tales has an emotional distance that keeps the reader at arms length. Squires goes past that and touches on the fact romance, love, passion are timeless. It sucks the reader in and is so addictive. In this tale, Ann Van Helsing is curse with the power of psychokinesis--the mere touch of her hand on a person and she knows all, their darkest secrets. This power is nearly driving her mad and the only way she can survive is to shun human contact. She lives a reclusive existence in Wiltshire at her uncle's remote estate, but often must take to the sanctity of the woodlands nearby. Only there is she safe from the thoughts of others that so torment her. That sheltered life is about to take a nightmare turn. Arrogant, brash, Stephan Sincai once set loose upon the world and ancient evil that can bring mankind to the brink of destruction. As punishment, he is sentence to become a hunter, a vampire who must search all of Europe and destroy the abominations made by others of his ilk. After a battle with his last target, he is left dangerously weak and injured in the woods that Ann frequents. Ann comes upon him, near death, and despite her loathing of touching anyone, she must to save him. With her powers, she sees his life, his long history as a vampire, how he was made, how he must atone by killing other vampires, a curse that reached back to the 12th Century. Oddly, Ann is not repulsed by the creature Stephan, but is drawn to the man, and despite it being a taboo, Stephen cannot help falling

By 1822 anyone in England especially in the Wiltshire area who knows of Ann Van Helsing assumes she is insane as she avoids human contact as if everyone else suffers from the plague. However, Ann's shunning of human contact is actually self-preservation; when she touches someone; she immediately learns everything about that person even their deepest desires hidden from themselves. Thus Ann hides at her uncle's estate, but principally in the nearby woods and caves. In Transylvania his arrogance led to his making an evil action that placed his world on the brink of extinction; his punishment is a millennium as a hunter. Thus vampire Stephen Sincai roams Europe searching and destroying those abominations made by others of his species. However, his last prey has left Stephen severely injured and bleeding in the woods frequented by Ann. When she finds him seemingly near death, she cannot stop herself from touching him. Now she knows his frightening history including that he is a vampire who has been cursed by his people for what he wrought back in the twelfth century. Instead of being repelling, Ann is attracted to Stephen, who though it is ataboo taboo reciprocates her feelings. As they fall in love, his evil transgression is near ready to destroy her creator and his beloved. The third Susan Squires' historical vampire romance (see THE COMPANION and THE HUNGER) is a terrific tale due to the full blooded lead couple. The story line is action-packed with readers anticipating a high noon (make that midnight) showdown between the hero and the malevolent one. Still this tale belong to the fine lead pair whose forbidden love is a double edged sword as the most powerful tool in their repertoire and their most vulnerable Achilles' Heel when the confrontation occurs. Harriet Klausner