Glass Souls

By Michaela August

     The djinni are vampires that protect the House of Rose from Crusaders and Saracens during medieval times. The djinni have many great powers including the ability to "see" and read others' minds. They actively search for the new incarnations of the ancient djinni souls in order to bring them back to the House.

     Menelaos is a djinn who is responsible for protecting the Beziers House. During the Crusader massacre in AD1209, Menelaos suffers injuries that take away his powers. He struggles to heal from the injuries and dedicates himself to becoming worthy to resume his duties after losing not only those he was protecting but also his wife.

     During a mission for the House, Menelaos meets a Crusader knight who he thinks may be the reincarnation of his wife. The knight believes that Menelaos is a demon and runs away. Believing that he can return this lost soul to the House, Menelaos commences a quest that leads him to ask more questions about his fellow djinni. Will Menelaos be successful in returning the lost soul of his wife to the House or will the quest and the dark mysteries of the djinni destroy him and everything that he loves?

     Glass Souls, by Michaela August, is the first volume of the House of Rose fantasy series. It is a lengthy novel that is set in medieval times and interweaves the supernatural powers of vampires with the violence of the Crusades. I found the book to be a bit hard to get into but, once I was comfortable with the characters and the setting, it was hard to put down. Michaela August is actually a pseudonym for the writing team of Marian Gibbons and Karin Welss, their previous work, Sweeter Than Wine was an Eppie 2004 finalist. I highly recommend Glass Souls to those who enjoy tales of vampires and the times of the Crusaders.