My Heart is Within You

By Marguerite Labbe

Book One of the Triquetra Trilogy

The power of heart and soul holds the key to the survival of the last of the ancient vampires. Kristair is running out of time. His race has faded away, prey to delusion and deterioration, and his only chance to live long enough to find a cure is to bind his psyche to a human vessel in a long forgotten ritual.

Kristair's chosen vessel is Jacob Corvin, a man of passionate stubbornness and fierce loyalty; he has captured Kristair's fantasies so completely that he is both the vampire's greatest strength and most crippling weakness. Drawing upon Jacob's spirit and Kristair's resolve, they each bind a portion of their souls to one other. For as long as Jacob carries Kristair's heart within him, the vampire can continue his quest.

Just when they have hope, their mission is threatened by The Syndicate, a group of younger vampires who attempt to force Kristair to teach them his secrets before he disappears like the rest of the ancients. Battling both The Syndicate's attacks and his unexpected need and love for Jacob, Kristair's strength begins to fade, forcing him to make a decision that will change his and Jacob's lives forever.

Rainbow Excellence Award

• Language: English
• Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
• Release date: Jun 8, 2009
• ISBN: 9781935192718

Book preview

Reviews for My Heart is Within You

[serenayates · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Each paranormal world has its own rules, and the one Marguerite Labbe has created for the ‘Triquetra’ series is sweeping, inventive, unusual, and fascinating. It took me a while to get into the characters and the story, maybe because it was subtly different from the “usual” vampire lore. While not everything is revealed in this first installment, it became clear to me that the history and back story are extensive and that I am likely to discover many more unique details as the series develops. But even in this first book, once I began to “get” what was going on, I already loved all the quirky details.

Kristair is an ancient vampire who is running out of time, threatened by deterioration, fading away, and mysterious voices he thinks he hears. More about this condition is revealed as the story develops, but I don’t want to say too much so I don’t spoil the surprise. Even though Kristair is arrogant and somewhat removed from reality as we know it, I couldn't help but feel for him. And, in the end, he is many centuries old and probably has seen it all, so a bit of superiority is entirely understandable.

Jacob, the man he picks to help him and instead falls in love with, is just the right man for Kristair, even if Kristair has occasional doubts. Jacob may be a young hothead, but he is fiercely loyal and will do anything to try to save Kristair. He is not a puppet to be manipulated by Kristair, but has his own ideas about how he can and should help Kristair. He is stubborn enough to make a few mistakes, just because he does not always listen, but his resilience and ability to think on his feet also become important in unexpected ways.

Needless to say, Marguerite doesn't present the solution to some of the vexing mysteries at the end of this first volume. Instead, I was presented with a breathtaking cliff-hanger. Despite all this, I look forward to "suffering" with the characters for the next two volumes.

If you like paranormal worlds with intricate rules and mysteries to be discovered as you read, if you want to find out more about two stubborn men who each think they know best and are fiercely protective of each other, and if you’re looking for a read that will carry you into an entirely unreal and somewhat scary world, then you will probably like this novel.