Book Review of Dale's Descent (The Master of Whitehall, Book 3) by Rick Veal

Synopsis:

The epic saga of The Master of Whitehall continues with Dale’s Descent. Step into the adventure as Dale recounts his story of a young teenager, illegally attacked, turned and kidnapped by a rouge vampire on his sixteenth birthday.
Dale’s journey begins in a small mining town in western Pennsylvania where his mortal life begins and ends. He relates his story in a soulful manner, full of hurt and disappointment as all of his dreams and aspirations fade away. His descent into darkness begins as he is forced into the life of a creature of the night … compelled to hunt and kill innocent people in order to survive. His tale is one of abuse in the supernatural world. His journey includes years of personal struggle in his search to find answers to why he was attacked and taken. Finally, left all alone he wanders in a seemingly empty world, a lost boy, searching for a way of escape.
Dale’s Descent is brought to an end with his discovery by the Charleston Coven. He is stunned by the revelation of an immortal life that was his all along when he is brought to Whitehall. He finds happiness as he grows and matures with his new found family. Share his delight as he discovers a teacher, a lover, and ultimately an eternal mate in this story of a boy that was lost and found again.

Review:


Dale's Descent by Rick H. Veal
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author in return for an honest review.

This is the third story in the Master of Whitehall series. I really enjoyed it!

Dale is a very likable character. He is a thirty-five year old vampire in a sixteen year old's body. I liked him a lot. He has not had an easy life, and when he meets Charlotte Ann, James and Katelyn, he was depressed and lonely. This is his story.

I have been looking forward to reading Dale's story, as I found his character to be most intriguing. I really felt for this character, because his life had been irrevocably changed by a selfish vampire who wanted a companion. The story ventures into Dale's past and gives the reader a better understanding of this young man. I liked him when I first met him in the first book, but fell in love with him in this one. He is quite charming, but can be extremely deadly to his prey. Charlotte Ann has a calming influence on him, and gives him a sense of love and security. She is a patient teacher and lover; Dale blossoms under her tutelage. James and Katelyn, and later Lexi, gives him a sense of family.
I actually enjoyed this story more than the previous two. Perhaps it's because the author is more at ease writing from the male point of view, rather than the female one. There is no gushing dialogue, which made this book a pleasure to read. In fact, I think the story flowed better because of the more straight forward dialogue. Dale may look like a teenager, but he has a maturity about him, not only because of his age, but because of his experiences. There are a few twists in the story, and a surprise (which I kind of guessed at before it happened), but this just kept me hooked from beginning to end. The story ended on a happy note, which left me feeling pleased for Dale, as he deserved a little happiness.

Rick Veal has written an intriguing series of love, friendship and emotional growth. His characters are lifelike and likable. His writing style has improved a lot. The flow of the story was much better, and this kept me turning the pages. I do not know if there will be any more books in this series, but even if there are not, I would definitely read more of this authors work in the future.

There are some scenes of a sensual nature that are a little on the hot side (although not as explicit as some books I have read), so I do not recommend this book for younger readers. I do, however, recommend this book (and series) if you love paranormal romances with sexy vampires or immortal beings. - Lynn Worton

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