"Blood & Fire" takes the story of the Collins family back to its beginnings here in America. Angelique is once again front and center as the Dark Lord sends her back in time, to 1767, where he instructs her to put an end to the Collins bloodline before it spreads into the new world (a/k/a America). So, in true Dark Shadows style, we take a trip back in time, back to the year 1767 - there, each of the Collins' ancestors resembles a present-day member of the Collins' family - but the names and relationships have changed, and Angelique finds herself...oh, wait, no, that was the lead-in for a completely different storyline...
Fans are treated to a lot of origins, of sorts, in this story. We meed Laura Stockbridge before she becomes the phoenix. We meet Abigail Collins before she becomes so bitter. We meet a young Joshua Collins before he weds Naomi. We meet the ancestors of the Cunninghams, the Griffins, the Haskells, the Loomises, and heck, there's even a werewolf thrown in for good measure. Add in Angelique (a/k/a Cassandra Peterson), and you know you're in for one heck of a good ride! And with two CDs, made up of four parts (episodes), it's a fully fleshed-out story that truly pays tribute to all that has gone before (or is to come?) and fleshes out a lot more of Collins' history.
When I first saw that Joanna Going was providing a voice on this CD, I got excited, thinking perhaps she would be doing Victoria Winters (the character she played in the 1990s television show), but instead, she is the young Laura Stockbridge. She does a pretty good job with the role, too, I must admit - going from the innocent young bride-to-be to a full-fledged supernatural being intent on one thing - destroying the witch who has tried to rain destruction down on the Collins' family. It's a phoenix vs. witch showdown that only Dark Shadows could do!
The story centers around the upcoming nuptials of Joshua Collins to Laura Stockbridge. Angelique appears on the scene, and pretending to be a wife, stranded in Collinsport while awaiting her husband to come in from sea, she wiggles her way into the Collins' household. The great Collins House is in the process of being built, so the family resides in Anchor House. Angelique is on a mission to destroy the Collins family, but she finds herself conflicted. As the story progresses and she becomes more involved with the family, she realizes that the Collins family has always been the same, and that she has no place in it - so she moves forward with her plan of destruction!
Apparently, this story occurs before the audio story, "The Path of Fate," as the ending of "Blood & Fire" provides a lead-in to "The Path of Fate." Which, I know I've said it before, but it is something I so love about all of these audio books - the continuity is truly mind-boggling. Although they may not be told in order, they do manage to intermingle stories and ultimately connect them - I wonder if anyone has ever sat down and truly figured out the exact order all of the audio tales should be listened to in order to hear them in chronological order, story-wise?
Fifty years of Dark Shadows, and 50 audio stories has been building to this, and without a doubt, "Blood & Fire" was well worth it. Can't wait to see what the next fifty years holds in store for this amazing, one-of-a-kind series!
RATING: 10 buried urns out of 10 for providing an anniversary story that honors, adores, and expands on the history of one of the greatest television shows of all time!
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