Adrienne Monson’s debut novel, Dissension, is the first in a trilogy and tells the story of a teenage girl who finds herself unexpectedly sucked into the world of vampires (pun intended) and the vampires’ war against the immortals, their eternal enemies.
I love the art on this cover. Super creepy and artsy!
Samantha doesn’t know what to expect when her mother dies and she must go live with her estranged father, a man she’s hardly spoken to since he left when she was just a child. His work for the government has always been hush-hush, and she still has no idea what he does for his job. It’s hard to feel close to him, and she decides she will try to endure the only year with him and then get out.
Within a short time of her being in his home, she has one of her visions, views of future events involving the distress of another individual. Samantha sees a beautiful woman being held captive in a warehouse and tortured—by Samantha’s own father.
Feeling she must do something to stop the torture scene and help the woman, Samantha sets out to sneak into her father’s office. Little does she know, this move will ensnare her into a life of people she never even knew existed, and make her the pawn in a gruesome battle between warring factions of the undead. Samantha’s protector, Leisha, will play a vital role in bringing all the fighting to a deadly climax.
Monson has drawn a completely unexpected world for the reader to fall into. While I am really not the intended audience for this book (as vampires and blood and such are not really ever my preferred genre), those who cannot get enough of vampires will likely find this a compelling entry in the lexicon of blood-sucking stories. Ms. Monson’s descriptions are filled with imagery, and the danger is compelling from the broad cast of villains in the story. The ending, too, is a real knock-out.
So, vampire fans, this one’s for you! Dissension by Adrienne Monson will have a sequel as well, so sharpen your fangs for the stories to follow!
