Hemovore in The Slash Pile

Feb 03, 2017 Tex Reader rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: relationship-rom, glbtq, fantasy-supernatl-para, thriller-adven-horror, yy-free-contest-fr-rvw-grp-auth, a-read, a-own-e, yyy-downloaded-filed

4.0 of 5 stars – Witty Vamp Thriller You Can Sink Your Teeth Into.
[Thanks to the author for a free copy in exchange for an honest review]

Ironically, it's in the winter of Chicago as I'm reading this story set in the winter of Chicago. I love gay paranormal romance and crime thrillers, and this slaked my thirst with something juicy, both in its story, the two MCs and their love for one another.

I myself have loved Jordan Castillo Price's PsyCop series, and her style was similar here to capture my 4.0 of 5 stars – Witty Vamp Thriller You Can Sink Your Teeth Into.
[Thanks to the author for a free copy in exchange for an honest review]

Ironically, it's in the winter of Chicago as I'm reading this story set in the winter of Chicago. I love gay paranormal romance and crime thrillers, and this slaked my thirst with something juicy, both in its story, the two MCs and their love for one another.

I myself have loved Jordan Castillo Price's PsyCop series, and her style was similar here to capture my imagination with the people, setting, mood, and action. It was told effectively from Mark's (the human's) first-person POV; and it had me engaged throughout - from being on edge over the two being in danger, to smiling in the lighter moments and at witty comments during tenser ones, including campy thoughts and various references to The Wizard of Oz. A couple examples:
- "Dear Lord. I'd become a celebrity in the goth-vampire freedom fighting circuit."
- (view spoiler)

Also spicing this up, after some slower setting-the-stage, was some well-paced action, propelling me forward from scene to scene. Along the way, I enjoyed the Chicago feel and the framing around a different kind of infection, analogous to HIV, and all that went with that in Price's clever world building. There were just a few things that I thought were unrealistic or inconsistent, including one twist that bothered me a bit, but I eventually got over it: (view spoiler).

I grew to like the two flawed MCs and was drawn to the dynamics of the creative boss/employee-to-lovers relationship. I enjoyed seeing how Mark had a secret crush on his reclusive, handsome vampire boss, and Jonathan, who may be straight or asexual, showing no interest but focused on his painting, then on his past catching up to him. Of course, this was also a romance, so I'm not giving anything away by saying that changed, but it was how and the way Price wrote about it that made it so delicious. For those interested, the little bit of sex was not that explicit, which actually fit with the story arc.

It was a nice slow build of a secret, unsatisfied longing, the aching to have Jonathan "take my hand in his, skin against skin." ...more

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Aug 05, 2012 Ayanna rated it liked it

Shelves: reviewed

3.5/5

This is a peculiar book. It's definitely not your typical vampire book. In fact, I found it rather refreshing that, in taking the more clinical view of vampirism, it seemed more oddly real than any other urban-legend-type vampire book I've read. Though the mechanics of the HHv virus (Human Hemovore Virus? Does that mean that other animals could get it?) weren't fully explained, there was enough there that it made sense in a realistic way, yet still preserved the somewhat mystic quality of t 3.5/5

This is a peculiar book. It's definitely not your typical vampire book. In fact, I found it rather refreshing that, in taking the more clinical view of vampirism, it seemed more oddly real than any other urban-legend-type vampire book I've read. Though the mechanics of the HHv virus (Human Hemovore Virus? Does that mean that other animals could get it?) weren't fully explained, there was enough there that it made sense in a realistic way, yet still preserved the somewhat mystic quality of the folkloric vampire.

(view spoiler)

The plot, though...I'm not quite sure about it. It wasn't bad. The characterization seemed a little weird, but nothing really jarred my OOC meter (or whatever gut-instinct thing it is that tells you when characterization seems off).

I think perhaps I was thrown a little off-kilter by the entire thing. Not too much - not enough for me to just ditch the book in a fit of disgusted rage - but enough to keep me off balance.

I remember there were also a couple of oddly punctuated fragments that bothered me (must have, if I still remember that they were there), but there were only a couple.

The shades of black thing was interesting and got me thinking...

I almost forgot (maybe because, [oddly enough?] I don't actually read m/m for the sex). There wasn't a lot of sex. There wasn't exactly a lot of romance, either. I'd like to say that throughout, there was some kind of subtle undercurrent, but I may just be projecting my own wishes upon whatever was (or wasn't) there.
I guess that means if you want a lot of sex, this isn't the book for you.

Still, overall, it was a pretty interesting read. I found the concepts more interesting than the plot, but frankly, I don't exactly read for plot, not anymore at least. It was kind of thought-provoking in a peculiar way, since it's framed in a more "realistic" way than most vampirism-as-a-disease stories go.

(view spoiler) ...more

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Jan 18, 2013 WickedVerbatim rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: men-s-men, vampire-fiction, dystopic

Why, oh why, have I let this languish in my TBR?!! What a great ride!

Price does a great job world-building, a world where vampirism is a virus (an ongoing metaphor for HIV throughout the book, although HIV still exists on its own). There are vampire sections in grocery stores, vampire gloves to be worn around v-positives, and segregation in many other ways.

Mark (refreshingly 40 years old instead of frat boy age) works for vampire artist Jonathan Varga. He's been secretly in love with him for yea ...more

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Feb 17, 2011 Fehu rated it it was amazing

Shelves: species-vampires-m-m, amazon-ebooks, genre-m-m-fantasy

It is the only work of her that I read and would like to recommend!
A brave new world, were a lot of humans have died of an epedemy is not exactly a new idea, but a vampire living on the blood of cats? That is at least unusual.Like most of her work the story is well written and the romance has to develope, which is very nice.

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