Crave

TWO high-school students. A love that dare not speak its name. The bloodlust that threatens to tear them apart.

TWO high-school students. A love that dare not speak its name. The bloodlust that threatens to tear them apart.

There's no doubt, given the number of imitators on the market, that Stephenie Meyers' Twilight series is to teen fantasy writing what Helen Fielding's Bridget Jones was to chick-lit in the mid-1990s.

As a result, young readers can't seem to go 10 paces without being assailed by an angst-ridden vampire called (insert name here) whose life is being ruined by (insert name here), a fellow vampire/mortal/fallen angel/supernatural being of mixed descent and their forbidden passion, which plays out between moonlit dates and fourth-period French classes.

All of which brings us to Craven, the first instalment of Melissa Darnell's The Clann series. It's told through the eyes of two students, Tristan Coleman, a member of the Clann, and Savannah Colbert, who is part-vampire,
part-witch and totally unsuitable for anyone, including Tristan.

Alas, the pair are drawn to one another like broomstick-riding moths to the ceremonial flame and, to the dismay of their respective families, seem determined to pursue a relationship regardless of the consequences (which you just know are going to take more than a single novel to resolve).

Further complicating matters is the fact that Savannah is the product of an illicit liaison between a vampire and a member of the Clann.

The good news for readers is that what the novel lacks in originality, it more than makes up for in authenticity.

There's no doubt that Darnell can spin a yarn and while there's more than a hint of Edward and Bella about Tristan and Savannah, it doesn't stop you wanting to know how their romance will play out.

VERDICT: You'll be craving more.

Crave, Melissa Darnell, Harlequin, $19.99