Book Review: A Vision in Crimson by Kathryn Troy

A Vision in Crimson by Kathryn Troy

Release Date: January 23, 2024 (ONE WEEK FROM TODAY!)

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*Edited 1/23/24 to add* Now on sale here

I loved Kathryn's Troy's epic fantasy novel The Shadow of Theron, which I reviewed last year, so I was thrilled to accept when she invited me to review an ARC for her upcoming novel, A Vision in Crimson (Frostbite #1). This one has an entirely different premise: star-crossed witch and vampire lovers from opposite worlds of a portal fantasy. Troy's writing, however, is equally luscious and inventive, with literary homage spanning the gamut from Greek mythology to Dracula to The Chronicles of Narnia.

The male protagonist, Luca (derivative of the Stoker novel), is a dhampir--half-vampire, half-human, although in this lore, he functions more like a vampire except he can subsist on his own blood and is universally reviled. The female protagonist, Kate, is also from Earth, but Victorian era, when she and her brothers fell into a portal, Narnia-style, and became kings and queen of the land of Icarya. Luca and Kate meet when Kate and her crew of mythological misfits (centaurs, Pegasi, etc.) portal jump to Luca's future Earth, where vampires roam free. I enjoyed this inversion of the usual portal fantasy, and it's a great way to emphasize the difference in the settings when the heroes do move to Icarya.

I know some people don't like instalove, but I personally found that with the explanation of Luca and Kate's particular kinds of lonely backgrounds, it makes sense, and it is well, albeit quickly, developed. When they first meet, Luca has to explain to her what a dhampir is--a term he's never had to explain before. While all the women he's ever met react to him with automatic fear from social indoctrination, or desire as they succumb to his vampiric allure, Kate reacts with neither. He thinks:

It was worrying and exciting, in equal parts. She had caught his interest, this woman he still knew nothing about. But he couldn't help it. She was so pretty, and so far she hadn't run away or tried to kill him. That alone made her special.

 As we learn more about both characters' backgrounds, it's clear why they are good fits for each other--and how they will clash. Kate is a powerful witch and adventurous woman who's used to doing what she wants and answering to no one, while Luca has never had anyone to worry about before but has naturally protective instincts that now become fixated on her. I also loved the pairing of a M/F romance where both are centuries old, since I rarely see that in popular media. 

With this much more adult send-up of texts like Narnia, A Vision in Crimson shares much in common with more recent popular franchises like The Magicians, Lost Girl, and A Discovery of Witches. I personally love these types of fairy tales for adults, which address the kind of complex questions about the power dynamics of monarchies, sharing the throne, and negotiating love and romance with someone who can literally mesmerize you, that don't come up in the children's version. I will caution that the spice-level is high, more like open-door romance than even the texts just mentioned. That said, the excellent writing, literary allusions, depth of the worlds and magic systems, and the relationship between the protagonists heavily outweighs that for me, and I can't wait to find out what happens in the later books. If that's fine with you, I would preorder now and start reading as soon as you can!

Received for review from the author; all opinions are my own. Cover and bonus art from the promotion campaign.