In a secular young-adult market saturated with supernatural romance and morally ambiguous antiheroes, a religious sister with the Daughters of St. Paul is turning traditional monster lore on its head. 

Pauline Sister Allison Regina Gliot, author of the acclaimed In Aeternum urban fantasy trilogy, is drawing thousands of young readers into the Catholic faith by answering a deceptively simple question: What happens when a creature of darkness meets the Light of the World in the Eucharist? 

Filling a Void in Young-Adult Fiction

Modern vampire fiction post-Twilight stripped away the Christian origins that once defined the genre. Classic legends relied on crucifixes, holy water and consecrated Hosts as supernatural defense, but contemporary stories largely omitted faith entirely. 

Sister Allison set out to change that, writing for an audience of high-school and college-age readers starving to see their spiritual realities represented in mainstream fiction. 

“So many mainstream young-adult novels don't address faith or God at all,” Sister Allison told the Register.

“By telling a story with characters who are actively grappling with faith questions and pursuing a relationship with God, I hope readers are inspired to encounter God in their real lives through prayer and the sacraments. I also want to get across the idea that it’s not weird to believe in God or be Catholic as a young person.”

The response from readers has validated her mission.

“I’ve had many high-school and college-aged readers share how much they loved seeing Catholic characters in my novels and how much they related to those characters’ doubts and spiritual-growth arcs,” she shared. “The vampires may be fictional, but the faith content in these stories is not.”

The Turning Point: Thirsting for the Real Presence

At the center of Sister Allison’s series is Christopher, a troubled vampire who experiences an unexpected awakening. Rather than recoiling from sacred objects as a curse, his heightened spiritual sensitivity opens his eyes to the profound reality of Christ’s Presence. 

“Because the vampires in my books have a keen sense of spiritual realities (like traditional vampires’ aversion to holy ground and consecrated objects), they are very much aware of exactly Who the Eucharist is,” Sister Allison explained. “When Christopher is drawn to encounter God in the Eucharist rather than experiencing an aversion to it, this is a turning point for him that sets the main plot in motion and begins him on his spiritual journey.”

As the plot unfolds, Christopher’s physical struggle mirrors a deeper, universal human longing.

“He continues to encounter God throughout the series in a particularly Eucharistic way as he realizes that his true thirst is not for human blood, but to be nourished with the Body and Blood of Christ.”

An Invitation to the Sacraments

While the books deliver plenty of high-stakes suspense, ancient European mysteries and supernatural action, the author’s ultimate goal remains deeply evangelical. 

“I pray that readers will walk away with a deeper sense that God longs to have a relationship with each of us through prayer and the sacraments,” Sister Allison said, “especially through the Eucharist — the Body and Blood of Jesus that nourishes us far more than any other source we could turn to.”

At its core, the fast-paced adventure forces readers to confront a deeply theological mystery. As Sister Allison poses to her audience: “Is anyone beyond saving?”

As fans await the final book’s release tomorrow, the entire In Aeternum trilogy is available through the Pauline Books and Media website.