Publisher – Titan

Published – Out Now

Price – £8.99 paperback £7.12 Kindle eBook

Eleven diverse vampire stories from YA s leading voices, including V.E. Schwab's First Kill, soon to be a major Netflix adaptation!

SINK YOUR TEETH INTO THIS...

In this delicious new collection, you'll find eleven fresh vampire stories from young adult fiction's leading voices. Enter 'The House of Black Sapphires' by Dhonielle Clayton, and discover the secret world of vampires and magic behind the doors of New Orleans. Meet ‘The Boys From Blood River’ by Rebecca Roanhorse and their enticing power and terrible sacrifices. And in V.E. Schwab's 'First Kill', witness the centuries-old struggle between vampire and slayer – and the thrill of forbidden love. Vampires lurking on social media, vampires hungry for more than just blood, vampires coming out – and going out for their first kill – this collection puts a new spin on the age-old classic.

Weirdly I now think vampires may be the first monster we get introduced to as children be that The Count in Sesame Street or as was for me it was Christopher Lee’s Dracula (the 80’s was strange for appropriate child viewing material) but to each generation a vampire myth is born be they with Slayers, Lost Boys, Diaries or sparkly skin. Why are the younger generation entranced by evil immortals? Is it because they are perhaps linking in with us starting to see our own mortality and we don’t ever want to believe when we are young that we can die? That they don’t feel like they fit society either or a healthy disrespect for the rules? Nonetheless they appeal and in the entertaining anthology – Vampires Never Get Old Tales With Fresh Bite edited by Zoraida Cordova and Natalie C Parker a fine collection of tales explores vampire myths with learning to grow up with some interesting and refreshing perspectives particularly with a focus on LGBT+ characters.

Amongst the stories I enjoyed were-

Seven Nights for Dying by Tess Gratton – this tale of a young bisexual woman learning that she has the chance to be a vampire really gets to the heart of what is the attraction and drawback of immortality. Some lovely character work help peel back why this character wants to explore this opportunity and it is ultimately about choice and taking back control of your own life. A very strong opening story setting the tone for the book.

The Boys From Blood River by Rebecca Roanhorse – Luka is a gay man in a small town full of prejudice feeling ever isolated from the world. The town has a myth that is you ever play a song the mysterious Blood River Boys will come and wreak havoc. One day a jukebox plays the song and a strange compelling young man enters Lukas’ life with deadly results. Here a tough tale of homophobia, assaults and trying to find can you ever fit in the world again. Really liked this tale and approach as it feels oppressive and chilling without the end being telegraphed.

Senior Year Sucks by Julie Murphy – Jo is a vampire slayer in a school, and they have an agreement with a vampire centre that tries to deal with those with violent vampiric tendencies. A new girl though enters her life. Quirky yet also manages to build tension of is Jo in danger gets mixed with Jo dining herself attracted to someone she is supposed to kill. Really entertaining and one of my faves in the collection.

A Guidebook for the Newly Sired Desi Vampire by Samira Ahmed – one of the joint best stories in the collection. Told in a style of an online help manual for the newly awakened vampires of India. It’s funny, geeky, and not afraid to insult colonialism and the British. Very hard not to both laugh and also nod in agreement at this one!

In Kind by Kayla Whaley – a brilliant tale of a father who killed his severely disabled daughter…or thought he did until she was turned into a vampire. This story explores euthanasia of the disabled without their consent and is delivered smartly and makes you think about how news stories can ignore the disabled’s own voices in their broadcasts. Another of the best in the collection.

Mirrors Windows and Selfies by Mark Oshiro– Cisco is an unusual vampire born to two vampire parents and as such considered rare and dangerous so forced often to stay at home. His only respite s an online blog his parents don’t know about. This tale uses vampires to tell the tale of someone forced to hide their identity and be unaware of who you really are and if there are anyone else like you a parallel with many people discovering their LGBT+ identity and community is neatly drawn.

First Kill by V E Schwab -   Juliette is a vampire and Calliope is a hunter both in families of their kind. Both approaching an age where they need to make their first kill. And both fascinated with the other. This is a well-staged dance of two people with things in common and also who really shouldn’t get to know each other crossing each other’s paths– first love or first kill? Loved the worldbuilding thrown into just a few pages of two very different groups and their traditions and the tension between the two young women. Can easily see why this soon becomes a Netflix show!

A fine collection with a host of memorable stories and perspectives that I think will make you read with enjoyment and also think about the subjects broached. The editors have done a great job assembling these tales Highly enjoyable and well worth a look!