The Gardella Vampire Chronicles books are, roughly speaking, Buffy the Vampire Slayer...IN Regency England!
Victoria Gardella Grantworth is from the Gardella clan of Venators, vampire slayers. She and her aunt Eustacia, current head of the family, are the last direct descendants of the original Gardella vampire slayer. She has to balance having a normal life as a society lady and running around slaying vampires, as well as finding someone to sire the next Gardella heir. The series is well known for its Love Triangle.
The five books in the (completed for now) series are:
- The Rest Falls Away
- Rises The Night
- The Bleeding Dusk
- When Twilight Burns
- As Shadows Fade
Tropes used in The Gardella Vampire Chronicles include:
- Badass Normal: Max at times. At any rate, he wasn't a born Venator and Took a Level in Badass to become one.
- Combat Haircomb
- Conflicting Loyalty: Sebastian
- Dead Little Sister, girlfriend (and father)
- Death Seeker: Max
- Demon Slaying
- The Ditz: Lady Melly and her friends.
- Evil Minions: the Tutela
- Face Heel Turn and Heel Face Turn: Max and Sebastian do this frequently.
- Fantasy Contraception: a potion Victoria takes
- Good Is Not Nice: Max in a nutshell.
- Gorgeous Period Dress
- Hidden Weapons: Victoria hides her Wooden Stake in her hair when she goes to fancy events.
- Ladykiller in Love: Sebastian
- Love Triangle
- MacGuffin. Most of the plots revolve around them, including:
- Clingy MacGuffin (Rings of Jubal)
- Dismantled MacGuffin (Rings of Jubal)
- Hostage for Macguffin (done often)
- Memento MacGuffin (vis bullae)
- Mentor Occupational Hazard, offed by her favorite student, no less. On her orders.
- No Body Left Behind
- Old Master: Eustacia
- Our Vampires Are Different. They're pretty much Exclusively Evil. Also, Our Demons Are Different and Our Angels Are Different.
- Grandparental Betrayal
- Passing the Torch:
- Red Pill, Blue Pill is what's offered (in the form of a hypnotic amulet) to any Gardella who doesn't want to be a slayer. It also works as Retcon.
- Rivals Team Up
- Sacrificial Lion Phillip
- Staking the Loved One: most of the characters at one point or another.
- Supernatural Martial Arts
- Survivor Guilt
- Sweet Polly Oliver: Victoria dresses as a man frequently when she's off slaying.
- Victorious Childhood Friend: Phillip.
- Vis Bullae Of Power, which give Super Strength.
- Wrong Guy First, twice.