vampires

Book one of The Society series.

In Reign of the Vampires, humans are a rarity and are slaves in an elaborate stratified society run by Vampires at the top, vampyrs next and vamps at the bottom. An outbreak 15 years ago turned most humans into vamps and caused human civilization to fail. Vampires took over and rebuilt society.

The book opens on a group of humans trying to eke out a living on the run. They are forced to steal to survive and are constantly pursued by slavers. Mason, one of the strongest in the group, has an anger problem. He’s not “just” human and has a raging beast inside that he must constantly calm to avoid others finding out about him. When his group is captured by slavers, they’re all at great risk, particularly Mason with his secret.

Danika is a vampire lord in charge of the Midwest area and her family’s corporation. She feels that her position is precarious because she is young, the only female lord, and unrated. In addition past mistakes have made some question her rule. As the book opens she is in poor health because she hasn’t been eating or sleeping.

When Danika tours an upcoming slave auction she meets Mason and plans to buy him and some others in his group. She’s intrigued by Mason, immediately realizing that he’s not not a normal human. Meanwhile, Mason’s beast awakens for Danica, despite his hatred of Vampires.

At first I wasn’t sure I would like this book because the tempo slowed after the capture of the humans as the Vampire world was set up and explained. This was intermixed with mysterious clues about Danika and Mason’s secrets so that it kept things interesting. After the backstory and world was established the plot really picked up and I was hooked. Once I got into it, I enjoyed the book very much and I look forward to reading other books in the series.

I would classify this book as a mystery/paranormal romance based in a dystopian urban setting. There was a lot of world-building, but that is necessary for the first book in a series with such a unique world.

I received a free review copy of this book. My opinions, as always, are my own.

At the beginning of Sorrows, Jay awakens in an alley in terrible pain from hunger and sensory overload. He stumbles to his feet and finds himself stalking a homeless man. Then a van screaches to a halt and he’s thrown inside where a warm donor feeds him.
This is his introduction to Vampire society. Worlds filled with vampires, donors, shapeshifting trackers and even mages await him. Jay has a LOT to learn and he’s not very happy about it.
Jays last “normal” memory is walking home alone after a gig with his band. Then he woke up in a horrific warehouse where he was imprisoned and tortured by a crazed vampire serial killer named Malachi.
Jays experiences in the warehouse are told as flashbacks. Jay suffers PTSD as a result of his experiences, and he is terrified of everything at first. He has been rescued by a Law Enforcement team that has been tracking Malachi. Jay decides he wants to join them so he begins his training in how to live in his new world.
Sorrows is a well-written book and once I got into the story a bit I began to enjoy following Jay’s introduction into a life he didn’t choose, but has to accept. The story is told from Jays perspective with flashbacks and lots of interior dialog. It was a little hard to follow the story at first because there’s a large cast of characters and a lot of world-building going on. Throughout all this, the story is compelling and the author does a good job handling the complex plot. I’d classify this book as urban fantasy with a large serving of horror. Sorrows is an apt title since almost all the characters have more than their share of them.
Sorrows is Book 1 of the Rogue Saga in the World walkers Universe Series. I received a free review copy of the book.

Kasey's Book Nook

Escape your world through fiction. I read all kinds…paranormal, mystery, etc.

Reign of the Vampires, by Rebekah Ganiere

Sorrows, by Donna Fernstrom