Malice of the Cross instantly grabbed my attention and transported me into the vivid scenes of Croston’s dark-fantasy world set in 1700s Europe. Jeremy Croston does an incredible job painting a beautiful and haunting world filled with vampires, demons, and the poor souls stuck in the cross hairs of their epic battle. What I really love about Croston’s writing and Malice of the Cross is the balance he finds between plot and characterization and his literary voice and attention to detail. I truly loved spending time in Croston’s world because of this balance. The way Croston writes made it feel like I was exploring the world on my own terms. It was like I was allowed to live in scenes, and be with characters for the perfect amount of time, until being unknowingly guided forward by Croston with the plot. And unlike some other authors, who take some time to draw me into their worlds, I was fully immersed by page 2 with gargoyles swarming around helpless mortals.