Lisa Kessler – Across the Veil

This very short novella won the Paranormal Authors Fight Club, hosted by Angie Fox, in 2009.



Princess Talia from Summerland has been hiding across the veil in the human world for the past five years. Starring in a hit television show as human actress, Natalie Thurmont, her charmed new life is shattered when the past comes knocking on her door.


Faery Princess Talia fled the Summerland, when her boyfriend Keth broke her heart. She is supposed to be engaged to his older brother Faldo, but she can’t stand the man. But to have an affair while engaged, is a very big crime in the Summerland.
What she doesn’t know, is that Keth did it for her own good. Faldo has seen them together, and he will have them both killed for that, if Keth didn’t give her up. But now Faldo has found her, and he wants her to find Keth for her, or else he will bring her back home, to the Summerland, across the Veil.
Talia didn’t know that Keth followed her to the human world, why hasn’t he contacted her? She is a very wellknown actress, surely he would know how and where to find her if he wanted? So she uses some faery magic to summon Keth to her.
What Talia also didn’t know, is that Faldo has tried to kill his brother Keth for years now, by sending vampires through the veil. But Keth is a good warrior, and he has defeated them all.

But of course Faldo cannot be trusted to keep his word …


I was asked by the author to read and review this story.

Which is not an easy thing for me, to review a story of only 30 pages. I like the writing style, and the story itself is nice and original. You don’t often see a combination of feary and vampires.
I know 30 pages is not much to give a lot of background on the characters and worldbuilding, but I really would have liked some more of it. Only a few sentences would have been enough. Why the hate between the brothers, even before Faldo caught them? More about the vampires, where do they come from? What was Faldo’s reason for the things he has done? What I could not believe, was how quick Talia forgives Keth for everything. Okay, 30 pages, but still.
The ending sure was a surprise, nicely done, and I liked that, but again, very short and abrupt.

Hero: a bit disappointing
Heroine: too sweet by forgiving the hero, but a kick-ass Princess, which I liked
Secondary characters: evil
Romance: too short a story for that
Plot: good
Heat-level: not really there, a kiss and some groping
Writingstyle: good
Summary: I certainly would not have minded to read a much longer story.

Because I do have lots of questions left, and did not get a chance to like the hero of the story, 6 stars.

But I do think this is an author with a lot of promise, so I’ll be keeping my eyes open for a full length novel by her.