'The Beauty in Darkness' is a Sonoma County vampire tale

“The Beauty in Darkness,” the debut novel of Sonoma County author Leah Reise, starts with an awakening of sorts, and a wish for true death.

Edrea stands at the gates of the Décret, a clan of vampires who are sure to tear her apart for arriving without invitation.

This is exactly what she is hoping for. She is two days into her life as a vampire, having been turned on her 29th birthday following the mortal attack by a rapist who left her for dead.

And dead is what she wishes to be. It’s the only way to curb the insatiable thirst that is consuming her from the inside out. Unfortunately for her, the Décret have other plans.

So begins the tale of this Sonoma County native, a girl-turned-vampire who is cast into the underground world of San Francisco, where the creatures of the night walk below the feet of the living.

Through the story, we learn of Edrea’s roots - a mom who plays favorites, an emotionally distant father, a doting yet elusive brother and a jealous sister. Edrea is a free spirit, comfortable in her solitude. And even with their faults, this family is bonded. But now that Edrea is one of the undead, she must forget her family and move on.

Edrea’s new family is Pierre, her creator. With him, she is to work for the Décret. She has the rare ability to read people’s thoughts, and it makes her a useful tool for this clan. However, Edrea senses early on that something is amiss with their eagerness to use her gift.

Things to love about this story include the author’s ability with description. Reise has a gift for painting the scene without overtelling it while still offering enough detail to allow for vivid imagery.

It’s easy to see everything within the story and be transported from scene to scene.

Much of it takes place in Sonoma County locations, a good reason to read books by local authors. Reise takes her characters to Bodega Bay and Santa Rosa, though much of the story is set in San Francisco.

And finally, family plays a large role in “The Beauty in Darkness,” in Edrea’s old and new lives.

As of now, no sequels are planned, though the story could easily be continued.

“The Beauty in Darkness” is highly recommended to readers who enjoy supernatural and vampire fantasy.