Dawn's Envoy – T.A. White

In Aileen Travers’s universe, people who want to become vampires expect a long slog before they reap the benefits. There are the initial years of working as a servant while waiting to be chosen. Then a prolonged series of blood exchanges to make the transition. Several more years under close watch while the new vampire gains self-control. Then a century of indentured servitude, from which one emerges as a very junior vampire. (One of the minor characters in “Dawn’s Envoy” is newly emerged, and is serving drinks.) But they believe it’s worth it, because there is power and potential immortality at the far end of the slog.

Most of the rest of the supernatural communities think vampires are jerks who have too much power and abuse it.

Aileen Travers bypassed all this, albeit involuntarily. She was attacked, woke up a vampire, and survived as an independent, in a community (see previous paragraph) that didn’t care much for vampires. Since the established vampires noticed her, she’s been trying to maintain a level of independence. (Being a flunky for a century as payment for a transformation she didn’t want doesn’t appeal.) Travers is very strong and capable, compared to other newborn vampires, but she is extremely weak compared to the older vampires who want her to conform. Too much of her success arises from the vampire equivalent of letting a spunky kitten misbehave.

Dawn’s Envoy has the feel of a middle book in this larger story. In some regards Travers is able to retain or extend her independence. In others, she is being pulled further into the mainstream vampire world. With respect to that larger story, this book serves primarily to set up the next book/s.