From Dusk: The Vampire Hunter Prophecy is a novelette written by Michelle Ryan. Eighteen-year-old Lexi O’Connor had just finished high school and was being pressured to join the army by her military dad. Instead of abiding by her father’s wishes, Lexi chooses to take a year off before college and travels to Scotland, exploring the origins of a mother she never knew. Not long after Lexi’s arrival in the UK, she starts having nightmares about vampires and giant wolves. After she is attacked by a vampire in London, Lexi beats the vampire to a pulp before fleeing to a small country town in Scotland. When Lexi meets Jack Hunter, who introduces her to the local priest, Father Michael, she is stunned to learn that she is part of a prophecy, and has been chosen by God to fight Lucifer’s vampire army which walks the earth. Horrified, Lexi ponders whether Father Michael is a tad insane or if there is some truth to his words. Deciding to do some research, Lexi hits the books and gets her body in shape. It doesn’t take long before Lexi is thrown into the lion’s den, where she finds out that she is not as ready as she thinks.

I found this tale to be quite extraordinary. Fans of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel would most definitely enjoy From Dusk: The Vampire Hunter Prophecy, as the story is mildly similar while also carrying some rather unique aspects, making it so vastly different from the stereotypes. Michelle Ryan’s ability to describe symbols in a book or a country’s landscape down to the smallest detail enabled me to easily visualize what I was reading. Although the text could do with some polishing, the adventures within the pages were absolutely engrossing, making me want to read more and more without a single break. Each of the characters has a detailed story and is easy to relate to. I very much enjoyed Lexi’s journey from innocent young girl to legend and warrior, and I recommend this book to readers who enjoy suspense, drama, adventure, romance and humor teamed together in this paranormal thriller.

From Dusk: The Vampire Hunter Prophecy is a young adult contemporary paranormal fantasy written by Michelle Ryan. Lexi O’Connor has been plagued by recurring dreams about vampires since she was very young. Other than that, she’s lived a fairly normal life with her dad and Aunt Claire in Canberra. Her dad’s a career army man, and her Aunt Claire has been staying with her and her dad since Lexi’s mom died when she was a baby. Lexi’s 18 now, and while her dad would love to see her follow in his footsteps and join the military, she has her heart set on a trip to Scotland. It’s where her mom and Aunt Claire's family is from, and she’d like to get in touch with her history. First, there are those tough goodbyes to her dad and her aunt, and then the long plane trip. Finally, she’s in London, and she gets to see Westminster Abbey in real life. For some reason, however, her dreams suddenly take an unexpected turn. Lexi begins to have waking visions, including one during the Ripper tour that shows her Jack the Ripper as a vampire with dripping fangs, and, worse, Jack turns and looks directly at her. When she arrives at Edinburgh, her next stop on her itinerary, she’s enchanted by the historic city and gets lost in her wanderings. All too soon, she finds herself reliving her dream, only this time it’s for real.

Michelle Ryan's young adult contemporary paranormal fantasy, From Dusk: The Vampire Hunter Prophecy, is an exciting and fast-paced story that's filled with action and the unexpected. Lexi is a finely drawn character who finds her vacation has become a lot more than that. She discovers her life's purpose, an odd and really quite unbelievable one, but she's ready for whatever life throws at her. Ryan's writing is smooth and fluid, and her plot is solid and convincing. While there is an abundance of vampire/shifter fantasies around, this author has come up with an original take on the time-honored tradition of vampire hunters, and it works quite well. From Dusk: The Vampire Hunter Prophecy is highly recommended.

From Dusk: The Vampire Hunter Prophecy by Michelle G. Ryan starts with eighteen-year-old Lexi O’Connor leaving her career soldier father and her Aunt Claire to travel to Scotland to discover her family’s heritage. While exploring the historical city of Edinburgh, Lexi is attacked by a vampire, but she fights back and escapes. Extremely shaken by the experience, she finds sanctuary in the small country town of Dunkeld, where she takes solitude in the local cathedral and meets the endearing Jack Hunter. Jack introduces Lexi to the local priest, Father Michael, who believes that she is part of an old church prophecy – a vampire hunter.

I like the concept of ‘Protector’ and ‘Prophet’ that have been instilled in the classic vampire theme. The story pace is appropriate; it’s not too fast nor too slow, which is fitting for the first installment of the series as we are getting to know Lexi, Jack, Corey and other characters, as well as the history of the vampire hunters. Due to this aspect, it’s not as action packed as I expected it to be. On the other hand, I’m sure that the plot would be more vigorous and there would be more character development in the next book. There’s room for improvement for the narrative, but overall it’s good and kept my interest from start to finish. While I personally find that this story perfectly suits the YA demographic, it also has a mature tone that can be appreciated by older readers. On the whole, this is a good debut from Ryan.