Vampires | Self-Publishing Review

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, Vampires|

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 Martino2023-10-19T11:27:13+02:00August 28th, 2023|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Fantasy, Vampires|

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: Brian James Gage, Historical Fantasy, Horror, Vampires|

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: David Crane, Vampires|

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, Vampires|

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: Brian James Gage, Historical Fantasy, Horror, Vampires|

Review: Nevermore Squirrels by Terrance M. Craft

Dark humor with a decidedly animalistic twist makes for a provocative read in Nevermore Squirrels by Terrance M. Craft.

Aval and Evel are vampire squirrels who also happen to be married, with their marriage now dull and insufferable. They’ve degenerated into ordinary commoners, having forsaken their interest in bloodsucking for blood sipping.

Then there’s little Vincety, a small rag doll that can never grow, such that he can ever fulfill his wish to become an ultimate monster of gore. Evel, suffering from maternal qualms and unable to bear children of her own, decides to steal herself a little boy – […]

Marta Cheng2019-08-16T06:58:39+02:00July 3rd, 2019|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Horror, Vampires|

Review: The Prince Must Die by Edward Anthony

In The Prince Must Die, author Edward Anthony pulls directly from the front pages of America and England, as well as the personality of President Donald Trump and the increasingly volatile issue of immigration and refugee movement. However, in this well-penned allegory, vampires exist, along with other mythical creatures, but they are the subject of extreme controversy in “Londarium” and “Great Bretan.”

When a decidedly Trump-like Colton Grant shockingly wins the election to become Grand Chancellor, he quickly institutes his brutal and merciless approach to the problem of vampires attempting to enter the country. He promises to build a massive […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2019-02-28T13:19:16+02:00January 11th, 2019|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Contemporary Fiction, Satire, Vampires|