Having the opportunity to review a new Terry Pratchett book is akin to getting up close to a terminally endangered species; there is that moment of awe and then sadness that this may be the last time you see one in the flesh.

Terry does what in most cases is considered impossible; not only does he persevere through his illness but he consistently produces works that challenge the reader. This is doubly true for his most recent young adult novel, I Shall Wear Midnight.

Anthologies are always a hit and miss affair; when a dozen or so authors cook up their own stories on a single theme the results are eclectic at best. Vampire romance adds another steaming heap of possibilities on top of an already questionable method of storytelling.

I approached The Eternal Kiss with as blank a mind as I could; the fiction world has been inundated with vampires and the like, glittering undead that have no right glittering, and far too much romance along for the ride.