Review Detail

Blood Dragons (Rebel Vampires, Book 1) by Rosemary A. Johns

The Story: As the love of his many lives lays dying and no longer able to recognize him, Light takes us through the story of how he came to be a vampire, and what he and his love went through to be together.

The Characters: Light is an edgy and outspoken vampire with a wry sense of humor. Despite his faults (as we First Lifers see them), his saving grace is the all-consuming love he holds for a human. This has been the trigger for him to point his moral compass in the right direction for the last few decades. The reader falls in love with Light as he sits by his soulmate’s bedside trying his hardest to earn a flicker of recognition in her ‘blue peepers’ or a smile on her face as she lays immobile from dementia. His use of slang is frequent and takes a few chapters to get used to. By the end it’s hardly noticeable, aside from the rebellious vibe it gives this character. Of particular enjoyment is the fact that Light isn’t the ‘biggest vampire on the block’. He seems to fall into scrapes and out of them again in a way that is completely human.

The World:
Set on Earth, we jump through several historical times in this book as Light takes us back through his life. There are many intricacies in the paranormal world-building; Vampire powers, history, culture, and biochemistry are explained clearly and there is a good balance of what we ‘expect’ to see from a vampire as well as unique alterations. A favorite aspect of the world-building is how vampires stick to fashion from a certain era until a fashion from a new era strikes their fancy.

The Readability:
Well edited and well written. The first few chapters are unsettling while getting used to Light’s voice and slang. He tends to change his direction of thought rapidly. The interest in the story itself is immediate, and we settle into Light’s voice by chapter four max.

Final Verdict:
This is not your typical paranormal story. It has a distinctive whimsical vintage vibe to it. While reading, I kept thinking…’This is like a paranormal version of Notebook’. You will feel a bit heartbroken throughout, you will have emotional stakes in the action scenes, and you will feel uplifted by the end.

Favorite Quote:
“You First Lifers act like blood drinking’s manky, but you still nosh it with your fry ups, don’t you…?