Excerpted from Rises the Night:

The sea of chanting, bright-eyed faces was at her eye level for only a moment before she was dragged to her feet. Victoria had an instant to grope for her vis before she swung out at the vampires who came at her.

She kicked and dodged and punched, had the satisfaction of meeting one of them in the face, and was reaching back to pull a stake from her hair when her arms were grabbed and pulled down to her sides. Dimly aware that it had taken two vampires, one at each arm, to do so, she ducked and tried to twist free.

The grip was too strong; she couldn't break it. She couldn't get to her stakes, her holy water, her crucifix ... hands were on her everywhere, pulling at her dress, her arms, her legs, her breasts. She felt her head being jerked to one side by the hair, felt her coiffure loosen and her neck bare to the sweet-smelling room. The dull, pasty smell of blood on the breath of the vampire nearest her filled her nose, pushing away even the hypnotic scent of the incense.

When his teeth sank into her neck it was almost a relief.

"With its wonderfully witty writing, action-infused plot and sharply defined characters, "Rises the Night," the second in Colleen Gleason's irresistible Regency historical paranormal series, is deliciously dark and delightfully entertaining."

– The Chicago Tribune

In Gleason's latest, she returns to the budding career of Venator Victoria Gardella, a Buffyesque vampire hunter living in an Austen-style Regency world. Having spent the last year mourning the death of her husband, slain at the hands of the vampire queen, Lilith, Victoria is desperate for revenge.

Before long, she stumbles on a vampiric plot to seize Akvan's Obelisk, a powerful artifact that will grant its controller the power to command legions of the dead. In order to foil the plan, Victoria crisscrosses Europe, teaming up with a handsome stranger along the way.

A fast-paced carnival ride of a book, the sophomore series entry (after The Rest Falls Away) hits the ground running without any introduction to Gleason's world; for those new to the series, this volume will probably prove confusing.

Those who've read the first title, however, won't be disappointed: Victoria is a more determined, fleshed-out character, having grown wiser, sadder, and more ambiguous about the morality of her mission. Her world, too, expands significantly in this adventure. A tense plot line and refreshingly diverse supporting characters complete the package, giving series fans plenty to sink their teeth into – and plenty more to look forward to.

– Publishers Weekly

Lady Victoria Gardella Grantworth de Lacy has been a Venator for a year and a widow for just as long. In that year, Victoria has mourned but now she is itching to get back out on the streets and unleash some of the rage, vengeance and grief that still claim her body. After chasing Lilith back to her mountain home, London's vampire activity has been minimal, but then, Victoria spies a vampire and a demon together. It is unnatural and a definite source of trouble.

The deadly vampire Nedas is coming to power in Italy. His goal is to control the souls of the dead to create his own personal army, an army that could easily eradicate the limited Venators. It is up to Victoria, the Venator most unrecognized in Italy, to try to stop Nedas and his followers, the Tutela. With an unlikely ally, Sebastian Vioget, Victoria has to wonder, is she putting herself in more danger by letting him aid her, or is he trustworthy? With few allies on her side, Victoria has a deadly role to play that may just see her dead, or worse, under the thrall of a vampire. Time is ticking away and the race is on to save not only Italy, but potentially all of humanity.

Though this book had a bit of a slow start, once the characters started taking action and making plans, the pace and my interest greatly increased. Ms. Gleason delves a bit more deeply into the world of the Venator with interesting background information and a few surprise appearances. At the same time, a game of great duplicity and peril is afoot as Victoria tries to infiltrate Italian society in order to find the information she needs. You will see the reappearance of past characters that have greatly changed, making for delicious drama. There is a definite threatening tone to this story because the danger has greatly increased with the possibility of not only vampires, but of a mass army of dead souls. Talk about chilling reading! The sensual tension is also raised as Sebastian and Victoria grow closer. RISES THE NIGHT deftly portrays the dilemmas, moral, personal and intimate, that Victoria faces as she continues her Venator work. Colleen Gleason raises the stakes on this vampire series with a heroine who lets nothing stand in her way, even when the hardest blows are yet to come.

– Romance Junkies

Victoria Gardella Grantworth de Lacy, Marchioness of Rockley, is a Venator. She comes from a long line and legacy of women of the Gardella family to become Venators. She lost her husband to vampires after only having been wed a month. Now she must start over, she must face what she is not ready to face. But can she do it alone or will she be betrayed?

Sebastian Vioget first returns to London with one purpose, to find Victoria. It has been almost a year since he has seen her and needs her help. He is the former owner of the Silver Chalice where Victoria saw her husband die. He has many deeply hidden secrets and is very tight-lipped about his life, even where Victoria is concerned. But the one thing he wants most is Victoria for himself.

The moment of truth arrives for Victoria as she takes to the seedier areas of London in her search for vampires. After she almost kills a human, she goes back into seclusion to train and learn how to better control her anger and her thirst for revenge. She and Sebastian meet up again at a friend's country estate and there the trouble begins. From London to Venice to Rome, Victoria travels on her quest to stop the vampires and the Tutela, humans who are friends of the vampires, from unleashing an absolute evil upon the world. Sebastian surprises her by showing up at the most unexpected moments wherever she happens to be, as does a fellow Venator, Max. Only now she is faced with the problem of who she can trust and who is on her side.

This book is the second in The Gardella Vampire Chronicles and is easily a stand alone read. This story gives the background from the first book and never loses a thing in the process as it flows together nicely. A very enjoyable read from beginning to end and still, at the end, you are not quite sure who to believe or trust. Sebastian and Victoria seem perfect for each other but they just never seem to quite mesh, and their relationship is fiery to say the least. Ms. Gleason has done a remarkable job with her characters and the plot is amazing. I will be impatiently waiting for her third installment and would recommend this book to anyone who loves a good paranormal romance.

– Coffee Time Romance

I finished Colleen Gleason's Rises the Night (June 2007), the second installment in the Gardella Vampire Chronicles, last night and all I can say is ... OUTSTANDING!

I enjoyed its predecessor, The Rest Falls Away, immensely and was not the least bit disappointed in this follow up. Colleen writes in a classy style, her apparent love of classic literature shining through in so many ways.

Lady Victoria Gardella Grantworth de Lacy, her heroine, is an intelligent spitfire of a woman, a Venator hellbent on destroying the blood-sucking fiends who walk the Earth. In The Rest Falls Away, she was initiated into the Venator ranks and paid a high price for embracing the duty that falls to her. In Rises the Night, Victoria is motivated on a whole new level. The battle is personal now, thoughts of revenge and justice fueling her actions as she is drawn deeper into the battle against the fanged creatures ... and now members of their human protector society, The Tutela.

The plot thickens quite nicely in Rises the Night. Fellow Venator Max Presaro is missing and no one seems to know where he is. Demons and vampires, bitter enemies, are found working together and no one is sure why. More levels of the vampire hierarchy are revealed, a son for Lilith and his rival. And the irresistible rake Sebastian Vioget returns (Thank YOU, Colleen!), his loyalties still as much a mystery as his goal of possessing the lovely Victoria is clear.

Action unfolds across the pages of Rises the Night at a perfect pace, with twists, turns and revelations aplenty, and new intrigues born seemingly with every chapter. Ms. Gleason has outdone herself with this entry, and I can't wait to see what she has in store for us next in The Bleeding Dusk!

– VampireRomanceBooks.com

Lady Victoria Gardella is a vampire slayer who is dealing with her own heartbreak and tragedy. When she takes her anger and despair a little too far one night, she decides to take a step back and re-focus on better learning her skills and control. It's a good thing she does because there is a new evil rising up as a very powerful vampire gains control over the ultimate weapon to control the souls of the dead. It could mean the end of the Venators and thousands, if not millions, of people.

With the not so trustworthy, but still attractive, Sebastian Vioget, by her side, she heads across Europe for the final showdown in Italy. Unfortunately, it is there that she witnesses the ultimate deceit by a former ally.

Having not read The Rest Falls Away but hearing good things about it, I decided to give this book a chance. Honestly, I would not have normally picked up a historical but the description was just too interesting to pass by. I'm so glad that I made that decision. Rises the Night is a fantastic account of this lady, vampire slayer and her family. I love the way Ms. Gleason gives us history, along with action, humour along with angst.

The women of Rises the Night intrigued me. Even though Lady Victoria can obviously kick some major vampire butt, she is still tender and unsure of herself. Her losses, her loves, all come in to play in her reactions. I wouldn't have pegged her for as young as she was because she seemed so mature, but she had already seen so much in her short life. Aunt Eustacia was marvelously written. I could picture her clearly in my mind and I really liked her. She's someone I wouldn't mind having in my family, that's for sure. I wonder if we will learn more about the mysterious Wayren.

I found Rises the Night to be an easy read that has many levels of complexity and information. I didn't need to read The Rest Falls Away as it stood alone fine on its own. I will, however, be buying it since I now want to collect this series. Congratulations Ms. Gleason – you turned this non-historical romance lover into a believer! I look forward to more of the Gardella Vampire Chronicles.

– Romance Divas

Four Stars

Blending Buffy the Vampire Slayer with vampire lore, Gleason continues the Gardella Vampire Chronicles in style, using sunny Italy as a backdrop, the world of Lord Byron for atmosphere and adding heart-stopping scenes and sexual tension. With numerous twists, she leaves you hanging, eagerly awaiting the next installment.

Summary: Lady Victoria Gardella Grantworth de Lacy knows firsthand the sacrifices vampire hunters make. She lost her young husband to the undead and has come out of mourning more determined then ever to stake her role as a Venator.

Shifting between the dark world and society soirees, she walks a fine line between good and evil. Upon learning of a new threat from the Queen of the Vampire's son, Victoria leaves the relative safety of England for Italy, where the immortals wait for the perfect moment to take over the world. As she fights evil and the betrayal of one she trusts, she is joined by an unlikely ally, Sebastian Vioget. She will have to place her trust, her life and perhaps her heart in his hands.

– Kathe Robin, Romantic Times

Rises the Night is the second book in Colleen Gleason's Gardella Vampire Chronicles. Lady Victoria Gardella Grantworth de Lacy has been a vampire slayer for a year now. She has experienced tragic losses that have only solidified her resolve to continue her battle against the undead. Now, in Italy, a powerful vampire is preparing to raise an army of the dead. Victoria will do everything in her power to stop the evil scourge. Her unlikely ally is the delectable and untrustworthy Sebastian Vioget; a man who stirs her desire and arouses her suspicions. Victoria will need all the help she can get now that Max, her most trusted ally and fellow vampire hunter, is missing. In the ancient city of Rome a prophecy will come to pass and Victoria's life will change forever.

Rises the Night is an incredible book. The story twists and turns so fast you won't want to put it down and the plot is anything but predictable. It will have you on an emotional roller coaster from the depths of heartbreak to the heights of ecstasy. The characters are complex and interesting from Victoria, the ass-kicking lady of society, to Sebastian, the bad guy who is oh so good, and Max who is a dark mystery. This one has it all; romance, intrigue, and betrayal. I highly recommend this series. I can't wait for the third of The Gardella Vampire Chronicles: The Bleeding Dusk.

– Vicky London, VampireGenre.com

Excuse me for one moment while I give Colleen Gleason a standing ovation. The second book in the Gardella Vampire Chronicles, RISES THE NIGHT, is a superb sequel in a series that is unique, sexy and definitely very intense.

If you haven't read THE REST FALLS AWAY, the first book in the Gardella Vampire Chronicles, you don't know what you're missing. That book should be on every paranormal romance reader's TBR list. It's... Just... That... Good. So is its sequel, RISES THE NIGHT.

RISES THE NIGHT will surprise and shock you with all of its twists and turns! What really impressed me is how emotional and how intense this book is. Just as the previous book, there's no set happy ending and not everything in Victoria's life is coming up roses. She is a strong, courageous and very caring heroine. What she goes through in this book is heart wrenching.

Another Bravo! to Colleen Gleason for giving her readers characters that touch deep into your soul. The characters – especially Victoria, Aunt Eustacia and Max – are written with great passion and depth. Gleason can write characters that move you and draw you into the story.

I do think this book is a bit more Gothic, both in plot and setting. It's a dark story, so therefore don't expect many bright and happy scenes. Victoria is on a mission and there is danger literally all around her. She's at a point in her life where she can't trust anyone except her Aunt. She's about to learn that being a Venator means making sacrifices and those sacrifices can be life altering.

Colleen Gleason's RISES THE NIGHT is a phenomenal paranormal. I highly recommend reading it and not only this book, but also the book that began Victoria's journey, THE REST FALLS AWAY.

– Julie Kornhausl, Romance Readers at Heart

First of all, let's call this series what it is: Regency Buffy. Now, if you're as intrigued as I was when reading the review of last year's The Rest Falls Away, the very good news is that what we have here isn't a rip-off of that great television show, but instead something that takes the best of it Ð in other words, many of the things we loved about the Buffster Ð and sets it in the most popular historical time period. And, fellow readers, it works. Very well, indeed.

In every generation ( I couldn't resist), there is a female descendent of the Gardella family who is the most powerful of the venators, Regency Buffy-speak for vampire hunters. In the first book, young noblewoman Victoria learns the startling truth about the existence of vampires and, even more incredibly, about her own heritage from her Aunt Eustacia, a powerful venator herself. By the end of the first book, Victoria is well on her way to becoming ... well, Regency Buffy.

As the second book opens, Victoria (and I will avoid some details here for fear of spoiling the first book) accidentally stakes a human (a la Faith) and vows to give up actively hunting so she can spend the time she needs concentrating on her training until she is truly worthy. Roughly a year passes and Victoria is soon enough drawn into a mystery surrounding a society rooted in the ancient past that has long endured as human supporters of the vampires. This society's vampire groupies allow the undead to feed from them for sexual pleasure and even bring them victims.

But, to the dismay of Victoria and her fellow venators, the society's assistance to the evil vampires, regrettably for the future of humankind, goes even deeper when our ever-resourceful vampire hunter learns of a plot to activate a magical obelisk that would mean disaster for all life on earth.

I know I'm being a little sketchy on the plot outline front, but I don't want to provide any further details because I hope readers will read the first book as well as this one. Quite honestly, though this entry can be followed easily enough on its own, I think there's a very good chance you'll enjoy this book a bit more if you take the time to first read the prequel.

Colleen Gleason has done something cool here: She's created a real, full-blooded (sorry) heroine and given her an entertaining and intriguing cast of secondary characters with whom to interact. Her mythology, to take things even further into positive territory, is easily digested and not unnecessarily complicated as so many are today. And, suffice it to say that there are two potential heroes for Victoria, both of whom are mysterious, sexy, and completely three-dimensional. In sagas like these I pretty much always pick a hero I'm pulling for by this point in the story, but right now, fellow readers, I could go either way.

As for Victoria herself, though she is young in years just like our modern day Buffy, she wears the mantle of vampire hunter with great authority. Still, she also always feels real. Victoria is, in the simplest terms, a young woman of her time and place graced – or cursed – with powerful talents and a unique heritage. It is a testament to the author's skills that this seeming contradiction works so very well.

For the record, while I very much enjoyed The Rest Falls Away, I think the author really hits her stride with this one. If you're looking for an intelligent, new spin on the vampire genre, Rises the Night and its prequel fit the bill perfectly. As for me, I'm in. Oh, baby, am I in!

– Sandy Coleman, All About Romance