Burying the Shadow
Review by Noctua, submitted on 2-Dec-1992

_Burying the Shadow_ by Storm Constantine. Headline Books Publishing, 1992 ISBN:0-7472-3877-4

This book begins with a suicide, and the reason that this event is to have such weight, is that the suicide was a member of the eloim, the name of Constantine's innovative race of vampires. Though this story is set on a world called Earth, it is not the Earth of today. Gimel and Beth Metatronim are sister and brother who are members of the eloim, they decide to try and discover why so many of their brethren have started killing themselves, and to do this they decide to elicit the help of a soulscaper - a human who delves into the soulscape of a person in order to cure s/he of illness. They decide on Rayojini, a young girl being initiated into the ranks of the soulscapers in Taparak.

The story follows Gimel and Beth's struggle with the factions within their own secluded society and how they come to terms with the strange history of their race. Rayojini's life is affected by the Metatronim's meddling with her, and she spends years trying to unlock the mysteries which begin to spread throughout human society, whose source seems to lie in Sacramente, the city of the eloim.

I highly recommend this book. Constantine is a gifted author, she is very original in her use of language, character and plot. This is a well-crafted story with new and refreshing vampires in which she re-invents the myth. Her female characters are very strong and likable, which is another plus in my book. If you are looking for an alternative vampire story, this is the place to look. (By the way, her other books are great too.)