Blood - Softcover

"Wignall shows his experience as a popular crime novelist for adults: he develops what could have been yet another vampire story into a promising series opener with a sophisticated plot and elegant prose. William, Earl of Mercia, became a vampire in 1256 and has spent nearly 800 years trying to figure out who 'turned' him so that he may have his revenge. Now in the twenty-first century, he meets Eloise, a young runaway whose courage and beauty fascinate him. Wignall alternates first-person narration from Will (for historical and interior-monologue purposes) with third-person narrative that advances the swift-moving plot. Thankfully, Will's philosophical waxings on societal and historical changes never become didactic. Moodily atmospheric, like the cold, gray London it describes, with a gentle, nongraphic romance and a powerful revenge motif, Wignall's teen debut presents a vampire with intelligence, honor, and history. A teaser of an ending hints at the next major plot development in the planned trilogy and will have readers eager for the sequel." ―Booklist

"In 13th-century England, 16-year-old Will, heir to the Earl of Mercia, was attacked and bitten. In more than seven centuries as a vampire, he has spent years at a time in oblivious sleep and years awake, discovering piecemeal that the attack was not just a horrific accident, and that the repercussions are far from over. When he awakens in the 21st century, he is drawn instinctively to Eloise, a teen runaway, and he is certain she can help him. As other characters are introduced, suspense builds. Why does Jex, a vagrant, have Will's name scribbled among the mysterious writings in his notebook? Why does Will's long-healed bite wound flair and burn in the presence of cafe owners Chris and Rachel? The story ebbs and flows from the third person to Will's own riveting narrative detailing his tragic few encounters with people over the years and his evolving philosophy about his situation and God. Moments of levity keep the story from abjectness and serve to highlight the realistic, modern-day setting. A recurring joke is Will's ignorance of current parlance: 'making out,' 'vegan,' 'ice hockey,' 'born-again Christian.' Encounters with a shape-shifting villain, skeletal hands grasping from graves, whispering shadows reflected in mirrors, and a deadly chase through an Escher-esque cathedral library keep the elements of fantasy and drama high. Throughout this fast-paced and unique story, Wignall maintains a suspenseful, spooky mood with elegant, evocative prose. Enough loose ends are tied up to make for a satisfying conclusion, but a few tantalizing threads remain." ―starred, School Library Journal

"In a darkened crypt beneath a derelict cathedral, the former Earl of Mercia wakes from a twenty-year slumber and prepares to return to the city above to find a suitable target for his first vampiric feed. A teenager in appearance, William Mercia is actually nearly eight hundred years old, and he has spent much of his long life asleep, occasionally waking throughout the centuries to seek sustenance from the blood of humans. This time around, however, feels different, and Will begins to suspect that there are darker forces than him at play, especially after his first victim starts babbling prophecies regarding the death of the Earl and he subsequently suffers not one, but two, attacks by demonic dogs. Will also has a chance encounter with Eloise, a beautiful runaway to whom he feels an instant (and, fortunately for her, non-predatory) attraction. It soon becomes clear that Eloise has something to do with the prophecy, but the revelation of how she fits into Will's fate will have to wait for the next installment as this series opener focuses mainly on the Earl's more urgent task of figuring out who is sending the demon dogs and how to stop them. Wignall offers a nice balance of action and backstory, peppering Will's current travails through the city (which feels London-like, but is never specifically named) with flashbacks to his other 'active' periods. As teenage vampires go, Will himself has a world-weary practicality that, while making him far less romantic than some of his more angsty counterparts, feels incredibly authentic for a protagonist who has suffered through plagues, wars, and famine without the relief of death. Fans of the undead will find plenty to whet their appetites here." ―The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books