Vampires Book Reviews | Self-Publishing Review

Blood Families by Jerome MacEvoy

A gritty tale of rebellion and rebirth, Blood Families: The Veins of Truth by Jerome MacEvoy is a multifaceted work of vampire fantasy that is entertaining and insightful in equal measure.

In a world where a vampire class rules over the poor, mortal, and easily exsanguinated, Lord Yuri Khashevin pushes back on the undead status quo after two innocent peasants are murdered in cold blood. His quest for retribution uncovers the conspiracy and cruelty underpinning the vampiric power structure, forcing him to choose between an eternity of injustice or an improbable rebellion against a bloody world order.

Layered with allegory […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2026-09-14T12:21:16+02:00September 14th, 2026|Categories: New Releases|Tags: Fantasy Book Reviews, Vampires Book Reviews|

Review: Deathless Creatures by Katie Wilson

A heartbroken young woman with a passion for art history and an apparent inability to die is introduced to the shadowy world of immortality in Deathless Creatures by Katie Wilson, a romantic and macabre vampire thriller.

In the gloomy post-Covid world of Seattle, a tragic accident derails Sarah Woodward’s life, but a chance encounter with another loner sets her headache-wracked existence on a death-defying new course. Finding solidarity and perhaps an explanation for her isolation, the intensity of love overwhelms them both, with dangerous consequences.

From its shocking opening page to the dramatic finale, this supernatural thriller exudes a gritty […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2024-06-19T10:36:55+02:00May 28th, 2024|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Vampires Book Reviews|

Review: Before the Dawn by David Crane

A multilayered piece of fantasy that plays with horror and thriller tropes, Before the Dawn by David Crane is a vivid and intense novel with a long list of memorable characters. This ingenious book will give readers a taste of a wholly original vampire universe – a wonderful example of world-building that surprises, moves, and prompts the reader to think about our everyday world.

In a cold New York that is both dangerous and mundane, Cindy and Frank get to know each other at night. Cindy, a 150-year-old vampire that is stuck forever at the age of thirteen, and Frank, […]

Marina Dora Martino2023-11-22T19:02:31+02:00October 12th, 2023|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Fantasy Book Reviews, Vampires Book Reviews|

Review: The Eternal Heir by Liv Viola

A dark, gripping work of vampire fiction, The Eternal Heir is Liv Viola’s remarkable debut novel, and an exceptionally strong first installment of the Risen World series.

In a world in which even immortal, powerful vampires have to endure cruel rulers, this is also a story about love, family, and belonging that is emotionally challenging and rewarding. As the title suggests, family history, inheritance, and the passing down of power are all a pivotal focus of the novel. Ava is an orphan and her heritage is a mystery to her, which prompts her to investigate her roots, but little does […]

Marina Dora Martino2025-11-10T11:21:37+02:00August 28th, 2023|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Fantasy Book Reviews, Vampires Book Reviews|

Review: The Nosferatu Conspiracy: The Sommelier by Brian James Gage

Author Brian James Gage pulls back the curtain on another sinister installment of historical horror with The Nosferatu Conspiracy: Book Two, The Sommelier.

Haunted by the specter of Franz Ferdinand, whom he set up for assassination, Kaiser Wilhelm II continues his mad military quest across Europe, desperately seeking the mysterious substance that will grant him and his wife immortality. The first step of the Nosferatu operation hadn’t gone exactly according to plan, although eliminating the Romanov family and destabilizing Russia did have its benefits.

The second objective of Prussia’s ultimate scheme is still within reach, somewhere in Paris, but seizing […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2022-03-29T08:17:59+02:00March 8th, 2022|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Historical Fantasy Book Reviews, Horror Book Reviews, Vampires Book Reviews|

Review: Beyond Sunlight by David Crane

A 29-year-old professional illustrator transforms into a vampire in David Crane’s Beyond Sunlight – an intelligent and inventive take on undead creatures of the night.

Melanie Brace is living comfortably in Manhattan when a chance encounter at a jazz club changes her life forever. She’s attracted to the bar’s featured musician for the evening, so she strikes up a conversation that ends with a startling premonition; Martin, the musician, claims that she has inoperable cancer and doesn’t have long to live. Melanie is, of course, startled and confused, and a doctor’s appointment reveals that Martin is exactly right. But how […]

Michelle Hogmire2022-03-07T11:20:27+02:00February 10th, 2022|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Vampires Book Reviews|

Alpha (The Hierarchy Book 1) by I. Ogunbase

The world is divided between a decimated human race and roving bands of vampires in Alpha, the first book of the Hierarchy series by author I. Ogunbase.

In this hellscape of a near future, there are different breeds of vampires with different hungers and abilities – the Stalkers, the Mirrors, and the Ferals – immediately adding more complexity and originality to this crowded genre. As the seemingly mindless monsters grow more organized, representing a new challenge for walled-off defenders around the world, a key to humanity’s success is kidnapped, driving a crossbow-toting guard from the once-great city of London […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2020-05-29T09:22:57+02:00May 29th, 2020|Categories: New Releases|Tags: Horror Book Reviews, Vampires Book Reviews|

Review: The Nosferatu Conspiracy: The Sleepwalker by Brian James Gage

Dripping in drama and a grim, sinister pall, The Nosferatu Conspiracy by Brian James Gage is a dark piece of fiction that defies categorization. While there are certain elements of historical fiction, gothic romance, horror, and suspense, the author plays with form and uses language as a paintbrush, poetically scribbling on the dungeon walls of this striking novel.

Much of the action centers on a fictional alternate reality at the end of the Romanov Dynasty in Russia, a mysterious piece of history that has compelled storytellers and historians for generations. A supernatural angle takes the forefront in this novel, in […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2022-03-07T09:40:11+02:00March 1st, 2020|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Historical Fantasy Book Reviews, Horror Book Reviews, Vampires Book Reviews|