Hello everyone! I am excited to be on another tour organized by Storytellers on Tour. This post is packed with info, excerpt, author Q&A for Cassandra L. Thompson’s book, The Ancient Ones. Check out the event page and giveaway here. If you like vampires and Gothic horror, this is a good book to pick up! Take a look at the synopsis first and enjoy the rest of the post. 🙂 You can jump to aspects that interest you most by clicking the links after the synopsis.
Some things are not meant to die …
When David stumbles upon a tragic young woman in a sordid Limehouse pub, he has no idea she’d recognize him as the last vampyre alive, nor that she’d be the one to pull out his story. Yet as he recalls his life from the sweltering vineyards of Ancient Rome to the cold horrors of Medieval Romania – as well as his tumultuous past with the mad and mysterious Lucius – he realizes she is much more than what she seems.
Gothic horror and mythological fantasy blend seamlessly together in this thrilling adventure, breathing new life into vampire lore as it reveals its true origins. The Ancient Ones is a tale of myth, mayhem, and magic … with a dash of romance that bites.
Content Notes: Death, Violence, Sex, (Light, mainly vampire) Gore
My Thoughts
I was intrigued by the synopsis and since I have not successfully read vampires in a while, I thought I would give this a shot (my recent attempt at Dracula for Horror-a-month challenge didn’t work out well even with the Kindle in motion version). The Ancient Ones‘ prologue about two lovers destined to come together every time they are separated was a beautiful way to begin the book (check the excerpt to read that part). The main story takes place in 1800s London where David meets a young woman, curious about his tale. He decided to share about his past and tell her how he came to be where he is. He recounts the violence against his tribe and how he became a slave. He tells her about his love.
I didn’t really find anything wrong with the story except my timing of picking it up. I wish I could have gotten into it more and brought you a full review but I just could not get into it the same way that a lot of readers have shared on Goodreads – there are so many raving reviews there, some from authors I admire and follow – so I encourage you to check those out.
We all have different reading tastes and keeping that in mind, I am bringing this book to your attention. Maybe this is exactly the kind of book you would enjoy.
- It is Gothic horror – perfect read for the autumn season.
- It is an origin story of a vampire, which is unique, at least in what I have been exposed to for vampires.
- Cassandra L. Thompson has put a lot of historical context and mythological information into the book.
- The book spans a wide range in time and to be able to research and bring it all together is an art in itself.
If any of these points attract you to the book, head to the excerpt and start reading. 🙂
Q&A with Cassandra about The Ancient Ones
Thanks to Timy and Justine, I was able to connect with Cassandra and learn more about The Ancient Ones. Here’s some insider info for you about the book.
What are the mythological origins of this story and what kind of research did you do for this book?
Cassandra: I have always been a big history/mythology nerd. I have a BA in History with a concentration in mythology/religion, so a lot of my knowledge was acquired from school. Other research I did on my own the old-fashioned way — books and scholarly journals.
Does The Ancient Ones have any twists on supernatural creatures that are different from classic lore?
Cassandra: I’ve created fresh origin stories (well, ancient ones, actually) for all the creatures in my book, then I cherrypicked some of the current lore to create my own versions. For example, I feature the first werewolf of all time as a reincarnated god (an ancient Norse god named Baldr) fused with Loki’s son Fenrir (a giant wolf), but he still changes with the moon cycles ala standard lore.
Tell us about your writing process. How did you chart out the timeline for this book? It goes from Roman era to 1800s London in present time.
Cassandra: Honestly, I’m a scatter plotter. I dream up “scenes” and write them out, then I blend them all together and add filler. I take notes along the way to keep things organized. I have a couple binders full of them at this point!
What did you enjoy more about writing this book?
Cassandra: I loved every bit of it, but I enjoy editing the most. I like going back in and adjusting sentences, fleshing out descriptions, etc.
What’s in store for the remaining series?
Cassandra: That’s awesome that you should ask that because Book 2 of The Ancient Ones Trilogy, Liminality, debuts on Halloween! It picks up right were the first book left off and takes us on a whole new adventure. You can preorder the ebook now through our website, QuillandCrowPublishingHouse.com.
Excerpt from The Ancient Ones
She was crumpled against the ancient oak tree with her head buried in her hands, tufts of raven hair between her fingers.
Although he longed to comfort her, he found he was unable, his own grief squeezing at his chest. Around them, the Upperrealms sighed with melancholia, the turquoise skies cooling to a dreary cobalt as the stars ceased their dance to hold space for their weeping mistress. The animals in the enchanted forest had halted their stirring to watch them, a single crow swooping down to rest on her narrow shoulder.
“You cannot ask this of me,” she said as she looked up at him, tears streaming down her face. They pooled at the dip of her collarbones, threatening to spill down her chest. “We just settled in here.”
“It is the only way,” he said, falling onto the moss beside her. The crow respectfully returned to its branch, letting him draw closer. He reached up to tuck a wayward curl behind her ear, amused as it sprang back up in defiance.
“I will tear him apart,” she muttered between gritted teeth.
He couldn’t help but smile, proud as always of her spirit even in the midst of tragedy. “I have no doubt that you shall,” he told her.
She suddenly jumped to her feet, her sorrow rapidly replaced by indignation. The skies responded to the shift, lightning cracking through the darkening, thunderous sky. “We created the earth, how can we be ousted from it? Just like the old religion, warped beyond recognition with the Roman gods our replacement. We are no longer wanted.”
“The world has grown much bigger than us,” he agreed. “Look how many gods now exist. We are but two.”
“I know,” she sighed. “As I know the earth follows its own rules, like the mothers who created her.” She attempted a playful smile but could not free herself completely from her building distress.
He rose to his feet, pulling her hips against him so she was close enough to be kissed. “Humans do not have to remember who we are, but it is still our duty to protect them. That is why we must make this decision. We cannot let him destroy everything they have built.”
Her stony exterior dismantled once more, overwhelmed by anguish. “You cannot ask this of me,” she repeated. “How can I live here without you?” With her last word, she pushed him away, the skies erupting into a full fledged storm, as flocks of birds echoed her cries, and the clouds released their downpour.
He pulled her back to him, holding her tightly as he buried his face in her dampening hair. “Do I have to tell you the story of the Lovers, the ancient gods destined to find each other always?” he murmured into her ear.
She closed her eyes, nuzzling into his neck. Her vulnerability was so uncharacteristic, it nearly threatened his resolve. “Please tell me,” she said in a small voice.
He shut his eyes, memorizing the press of her body against his, the smoothness of her skin, and the earthy redolence of her hair, like the woods after summer rain. “There are two souls who will continue to find each other until the end of time, the first lovers, whose love for one another transcends all,” he began as he folded her hand around the handle of his knife. She let out a sob as she realized what he was doing. They were now drenched in frigid cloudburst, a river gathering where they stood. He gripped her tighter. “They circle the realms throughout different lifetimes, restless and incomplete until they find each other … but find each other, they always will.”
“Remember me,” she wept.
“Remember me,” he whispered, bracing himself.
And with a battle cry laced with the purest despair, she thrust the knife up into his stomach, the realm screeching her pain, crows swooping in to catch her as she fell away from him in unrestrained sobs. He dropped to the ground, picturing her face over and over in his mind, determined never to forget her eyes.
The earth shook, squalls of wind roaring around him as he perished, the Upperrealms incensed by his departure. And then, in the midst of chaos similar to that which he’d been born of, he died, and all the worlds around him faded to black.
The Ancient Ones is available in stores. Be sure to check your local library and order it through there to help this book reach more readers.
Buy Now Link
About the Author
Gothic horror writer Cassandra L. Thompson has been creating stories since she got her grubby little hands around a pen. An Ohio native, she earned her BA in History from Cleveland State and her MLIS from Kent State. When she is not busy managing a house full of feral children (human and canine), you can find her wandering around cemeteries, taking pictures of abandoned things, exploring lonely patches of woods, or in the library doing research. She is the founder of the gothic fiction press, Quill & Crow Publishing House and she writes short horror stories for her blog, Tales From the Shadows. ​
Connect with her on Twitter, her website and Tiktok.
Many thanks to the author and Storytellers on Tour for providing me a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
Check out the other blogs on the tour and their posts on the event page.
Cover image: Cover Photo by Aditya Vyas on Unsplash
Be First to Comment