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A Vile Season
Bridgerton meets The Bachelor in this queer regency romance of a vampire competing for the heart of a duke.
After being run out of his castle by vampire hunters, Count Lucian encounters the god of vampires, Vrykolakas, while in hiding. Unhappy with how many vampires have been bested by hunters, Vrykolakas gives Lucian a test: Infiltrate the future duke’s marriage games as a suitor and uncover the clandestine vampire hunters Vrykolakas suspects lurk in their midst. The god strips Lucian of his immortality so he can walk amongst mortals―making him human for the first time in centuries. If Lucian succeeds, Vrykolakas will make him the most powerful vampire in existence, but if he fails, the god of vampires will torture him for the rest of his life.
Unfortunately, Lucian isn’t prepared for the emotions that come with humanity, nor the treacheries of courting season with fellow nobles posing as friends, enemies, and wholly unsuitable romantic
After being run out of his castle by vampire hunters, Count Lucian encounters the god of vampires, Vrykolakas, while in hiding. Unhappy with how many vampires have been bested by hunters, Vrykolakas gives Lucian a test: Infiltrate the future duke’s marriage games as a suitor and uncover the clandestine vampire hunters Vrykolakas suspects lurk in their midst. The god strips Lucian of his immortality so he can walk amongst mortals―making him human for the first time in centuries. If Lucian succeeds, Vrykolakas will make him the most powerful vampire in existence, but if he fails, the god of vampires will torture him for the rest of his life.
Unfortunately, Lucian isn’t prepared for the emotions that come with humanity, nor the treacheries of courting season with fellow nobles posing as friends, enemies, and wholly unsuitable romantic
400 pages, Hardcover
First published October 22, 2024
69 people are currently reading
8847 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 275 reviews
December 28, 2024
This was fun! Is it entirely logical? No. Is the ending awfully convenient? Sure. Is the marriage competition thing a bit silly? Definitely. Is there a considerable age gap that is never acknowledged by the people involved, even though one of them should definitely view the other as barely more than a child? Sadly, yes.
But hey, it was fun! I love the queer normative world, I found the characters likeable (despite their dialogue being awkward at times), and I enjoyed the journey even as I noticed the plot holes zoom by.
Lucian’s growth was a bit too quick and easy for my liking (I would have loved more wrestling with himself and evidence of this apparent great capacity for cruelty), but he was an enjoyable enough protagonist to follow.
If the ending had been a little messier with a few more stakes and Lucian had been a bit more morally grey, this could have been a four-star read. However, as it is, I felt the ending tied up a little too neatly with a tidy little bow, and our protagonist changed too quickly and completely to be compelling.
Still, if you’re looking for something lighthearted, supernatural, and extremely queer, this might be for you!
Trigger/Content Warnings: murder, blood, torture, decapitation, injury detail, confinement, child abuse
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Thank you to Libro.fm for the ALC!
But hey, it was fun! I love the queer normative world, I found the characters likeable (despite their dialogue being awkward at times), and I enjoyed the journey even as I noticed the plot holes zoom by.
Lucian’s growth was a bit too quick and easy for my liking (I would have loved more wrestling with himself and evidence of this apparent great capacity for cruelty), but he was an enjoyable enough protagonist to follow.
If the ending had been a little messier with a few more stakes and Lucian had been a bit more morally grey, this could have been a four-star read. However, as it is, I felt the ending tied up a little too neatly with a tidy little bow, and our protagonist changed too quickly and completely to be compelling.
Still, if you’re looking for something lighthearted, supernatural, and extremely queer, this might be for you!
Trigger/Content Warnings: murder, blood, torture, decapitation, injury detail, confinement, child abuse
You can find me on...
Youtube | Instagram | TikTok
You can join our book club over on Patreon...
PBB Book Club
Thank you to Libro.fm for the ALC!
October 22, 2024
OK y'all, what do you get with you pair up a paranormal mystery/thriller with a Bridgerton-esque marriage competition?! A Vile Season has all of the Regency scheming you could want - from the POV of a former vampire tasked with hunting down the secretive group of hunters who ran him out of his home. Which there's certainly some tension and some seriously spooky/dark vibes, there's also tons of banter, a cast of spectacular characters, and an exciting (and ultimately happy) conclusion. The perfect read to finish off your spooky season TBR!
The entire story is told by Lucian, a vampire who is stripped of his undead powers by a vengeful god. It was a ton of fun watching him try to figure out how to be human - at first to further his own selfish purposes and later as a way to endear himself to his new friends. Though his arrogance could be frustrating at times, I loved his sense of humor. Definitely a bit of a villain redeemed story, as Lucian had been molded into a completely uncaring creature, but as he gets to know his human companions, he realizes that he might actually like them.
The romance in this book was really more of a subplot - the focus of the story is on the mystery of finding both the vampire hunters and the duke's younger brother. I did love the way things worked out as Lucian clearly falls for the wrong man. In addition, I always love a story set in a queer normative world, especially when that story is historical(ish).
I know spooky season is almost over, but you really don't want to miss out on this one. It's fun, irreverent, and just a great read. David Ferraro is a new-to-me author, and I'll definitely be checking out more of his stuff! Thank you to Colored Pages Book Tours for the opportunity to read this one and the gifted copy.
The entire story is told by Lucian, a vampire who is stripped of his undead powers by a vengeful god. It was a ton of fun watching him try to figure out how to be human - at first to further his own selfish purposes and later as a way to endear himself to his new friends. Though his arrogance could be frustrating at times, I loved his sense of humor. Definitely a bit of a villain redeemed story, as Lucian had been molded into a completely uncaring creature, but as he gets to know his human companions, he realizes that he might actually like them.
The romance in this book was really more of a subplot - the focus of the story is on the mystery of finding both the vampire hunters and the duke's younger brother. I did love the way things worked out as Lucian clearly falls for the wrong man. In addition, I always love a story set in a queer normative world, especially when that story is historical(ish).
I know spooky season is almost over, but you really don't want to miss out on this one. It's fun, irreverent, and just a great read. David Ferraro is a new-to-me author, and I'll definitely be checking out more of his stuff! Thank you to Colored Pages Book Tours for the opportunity to read this one and the gifted copy.
May 2, 2025
I got this on sale for, like, $2.95, and wow am I glad I didn't waste any more money than that. Just awful clunky dramatique writing and painfully arch dialogue. The ad copy states outright what the protagonist's conflict is going to be -- which, fine, but could it have been handled in any more labored way? "Oh look, now I am human! The sun is so nice! But on the other hand, nighttime has its virtues! Oh look, now I am human! I forgot how much I like solid food! But on the other hand, see how the old humans are frail and have wrinkles; if I remain human I will age: how dreadful!" Oh help.
The only saving grace here, besides the gorgeous cover art, is Jackie Meloche, the narrator, who did an excellent job with the character voices and even made some of the dialogue sound credible. That was some seriously heavy lifting, let me tell you.
The only saving grace here, besides the gorgeous cover art, is Jackie Meloche, the narrator, who did an excellent job with the character voices and even made some of the dialogue sound credible. That was some seriously heavy lifting, let me tell you.
March 26, 2025
There were too many inconsistencies and the ending was wrapped up wayyy to cleanly for me to not roll my eyes at it but it was an enjoyable and quick enough read.
March 30, 2025
I received an ARC from the publisher
2.5
While this book seemed like a dream- queer vampire Bridgerton- in reality I found it.... really boring. I disliked the characters, the narration, the mystery, and the actual stakes. I did feel like Ferraro finally got something interesting going about 3/4 of the way through, but it was already too late for me by them. If I liked the main character more, I think I could've cared a lot more about what he was going through. Instead, he never had enough going for him to feel like a full person, and definitely didn't have enough on page for me to care what happened to him.
2.5
While this book seemed like a dream- queer vampire Bridgerton- in reality I found it.... really boring. I disliked the characters, the narration, the mystery, and the actual stakes. I did feel like Ferraro finally got something interesting going about 3/4 of the way through, but it was already too late for me by them. If I liked the main character more, I think I could've cared a lot more about what he was going through. Instead, he never had enough going for him to feel like a full person, and definitely didn't have enough on page for me to care what happened to him.
December 30, 2024
the main character made decisions like he had zero diamonds in Episode… still read this in a day tho so I think it’s fair to say I was throughly entertained ;)
December 30, 2024
2.5 stars
The last vampire historical romance I read (Heart of Stone by Johannes T. Evans) was one of my favorite books this year so maybe expectations were set too highly, but I didn’t love reading this.
There were a lot of plot holes and things that were generally illogical within this book. The marriage competition part of things was not executed well at all. How easily Lucian integrated into the group of characters and quickly became a top suitor despite the others having actually known Ambrose for a long time made no sense. It would’ve been a lot better just to have the group of guests there and make it obvious they were all trying to court Ambrose, rather than every couple of chapters remembering there was there was supposed to be a marriage game thing going on and suddenly have people start competing. The world building was basically nonexistent and what was there was fairly inconsistent and often confusing.
You’d think that to make up for the lack of world building there’d at least be good characters or romance, but no. I really didn’t like Lucian as a character. He is very shallow and cruel, and has done genuinely terrible things in his past. But then barely any has character growth or reckoning with his actions. It’s perfectly fine to have a morally grey character, but he most of the time was just very annoying and impossible to root for. I also didn’t understand why he wanted to be with Maxwell (or why Maxwell would want to be with him, and continued to want that after the truth came out about Lucian being a vampire), and was particularly mad about the 200 or so year age gap with a love interest who would basically be a child to Lucian going completely unaddressed.
The ending was also super unbelievable, far too convenient, and felt very abrupt. The transition from ending to epilogue was jarring.
I guess if you’re willing to overlook the (lack of) world building and don’t care if you have a main character you can genuinely like, this book would be enjoyable. Sadly, I am too nitpicky for this. I guess the book was still fun and I liked the concept overall, but sadly it just didn’t work. I see the potential for a good book in this, but it needs a lot of editing to get there.
The last vampire historical romance I read (Heart of Stone by Johannes T. Evans) was one of my favorite books this year so maybe expectations were set too highly, but I didn’t love reading this.
There were a lot of plot holes and things that were generally illogical within this book. The marriage competition part of things was not executed well at all. How easily Lucian integrated into the group of characters and quickly became a top suitor despite the others having actually known Ambrose for a long time made no sense. It would’ve been a lot better just to have the group of guests there and make it obvious they were all trying to court Ambrose, rather than every couple of chapters remembering there was there was supposed to be a marriage game thing going on and suddenly have people start competing. The world building was basically nonexistent and what was there was fairly inconsistent and often confusing.
You’d think that to make up for the lack of world building there’d at least be good characters or romance, but no. I really didn’t like Lucian as a character. He is very shallow and cruel, and has done genuinely terrible things in his past. But then barely any has character growth or reckoning with his actions. It’s perfectly fine to have a morally grey character, but he most of the time was just very annoying and impossible to root for. I also didn’t understand why he wanted to be with Maxwell (or why Maxwell would want to be with him, and continued to want that after the truth came out about Lucian being a vampire), and was particularly mad about the 200 or so year age gap with a love interest who would basically be a child to Lucian going completely unaddressed.
The ending was also super unbelievable, far too convenient, and felt very abrupt. The transition from ending to epilogue was jarring.
I guess if you’re willing to overlook the (lack of) world building and don’t care if you have a main character you can genuinely like, this book would be enjoyable. Sadly, I am too nitpicky for this. I guess the book was still fun and I liked the concept overall, but sadly it just didn’t work. I see the potential for a good book in this, but it needs a lot of editing to get there.
September 12, 2024
If you mixed Bridgerton, a bit of The Bachelor, a ton of gayness, and a good helping of vampires, you'd get this book. This was a fun ride from start to finish. Our main character Lucian loses his vampiric powers after entering into a bet with his higher-up that he can successfully woo and win the future duke's hand during the duke's upcoming competition to find a mate. What Lucian doesn't anticipate, however, is the emotions that come with being human.
Lucian was a great character to follow. We get to see how he starts to question his decisions and actions as a vampire now that he is human and starts feeling emotions. Despite his violent past actions, I found myself rooting for him and the romance.
This didn't have much actual game/competition if that's what you're hoping for, but it does have a missing persons plot that our main character has to try to solve. Overall, a great and entertaining read.
I received an advance copy of this in exchange for an honest review.
Lucian was a great character to follow. We get to see how he starts to question his decisions and actions as a vampire now that he is human and starts feeling emotions. Despite his violent past actions, I found myself rooting for him and the romance.
This didn't have much actual game/competition if that's what you're hoping for, but it does have a missing persons plot that our main character has to try to solve. Overall, a great and entertaining read.
I received an advance copy of this in exchange for an honest review.
October 19, 2024
A Vile Season was such a fun mix of vampires, romance, and a bit of Regency flair.
Lucian Cross, our MMC, is a centuries-old vampire who has been turned back into a human. In order to become a vampire again, he must try to win the heart of a Duke, whose family is the head of a secret vampire-hunting society. Watching him struggle with his newfound mortality was both hilarious and humbling. The way he wrestles with his new found human emotions and empathy, slowly realizing his faults and beginning to care about others, was a fun and unique take on a vampire story.
This was surprisingly cozy and a very fun read. With a cast of interesting characters and some light romance, it kept me hooked. Definitely looking forward to more from this author!
Lucian Cross, our MMC, is a centuries-old vampire who has been turned back into a human. In order to become a vampire again, he must try to win the heart of a Duke, whose family is the head of a secret vampire-hunting society. Watching him struggle with his newfound mortality was both hilarious and humbling. The way he wrestles with his new found human emotions and empathy, slowly realizing his faults and beginning to care about others, was a fun and unique take on a vampire story.
This was surprisingly cozy and a very fun read. With a cast of interesting characters and some light romance, it kept me hooked. Definitely looking forward to more from this author!
Want to read
September 16, 2024The Alchemy of Moonlight was one of my top 10 reads last year, so seeing that David Ferraro is coming out with their sophomore novel, makes me all giddy inside ❤️ October is shaping up to be my favourite month of new releases all year so far
December 20, 2024
Pros:
- VAMPIRESSSSS
- Dating competition??? In a queernorm regency setting??? YES PLEASE
- ✨ generational trauma ✨
- a properly foreshadowed twist??? Be still my beating heart.
- Y'all I really liked Lucian and I won't apologize for it. He's giving "what everyone pretends Lestat is but like for real this time"*
*specifically from the book Interview With the Vampire, idk if they actually do him well in the movie/show
- in the middle of this fucking dating competition there is also a mystery?? And it's genuinely intriguing
- a cat named Beelzebub
- flashback memories that tie in so well with the present plot
Cons:
- as always this could've been longer because I would've loved just a little more time for things to develop. Just a lil more cook time. Maybe set that shit to broil and leave it for five min
- I don't particularly like a very specific spoilery thing about the ending but just because again. Needed more cook time.
Overall:
This was such a fun time, it's very vampiric despite the whole thing being that Lucian has lost his vampirism and is trying to get it back. I really loved the flashbacks to his memories as a vampire and I think they were such a good addition to the story and really helped the character arc without making you hate him. I really liked the characters and how everything tied together and I was genuinely tense and worried about how it was going to tie up. I'm only not giving this a five because while I will be talking about this for a while, I don't think I'm gonna be making it my whole personality. I don't think that's a fault of the book itself, I just think that it's that magic je ne said quoi that connects you to a story that can't be written in and just very organically happens. But it only just missed that I think. Definitely recommend.
4.5/5
- VAMPIRESSSSS
- Dating competition??? In a queernorm regency setting??? YES PLEASE
- ✨ generational trauma ✨
- a properly foreshadowed twist??? Be still my beating heart.
- Y'all I really liked Lucian and I won't apologize for it. He's giving "what everyone pretends Lestat is but like for real this time"*
*specifically from the book Interview With the Vampire, idk if they actually do him well in the movie/show
- in the middle of this fucking dating competition there is also a mystery?? And it's genuinely intriguing
- a cat named Beelzebub
- flashback memories that tie in so well with the present plot
Cons:
- as always this could've been longer because I would've loved just a little more time for things to develop. Just a lil more cook time. Maybe set that shit to broil and leave it for five min
- I don't particularly like a very specific spoilery thing about the ending but just because again. Needed more cook time.
Overall:
This was such a fun time, it's very vampiric despite the whole thing being that Lucian has lost his vampirism and is trying to get it back. I really loved the flashbacks to his memories as a vampire and I think they were such a good addition to the story and really helped the character arc without making you hate him. I really liked the characters and how everything tied together and I was genuinely tense and worried about how it was going to tie up. I'm only not giving this a five because while I will be talking about this for a while, I don't think I'm gonna be making it my whole personality. I don't think that's a fault of the book itself, I just think that it's that magic je ne said quoi that connects you to a story that can't be written in and just very organically happens. But it only just missed that I think. Definitely recommend.
4.5/5
January 8, 2025
Was drawn in by the gorgeous cover illo. Despite being a bit unsure at the start, actually found it very readable and fun.
A vampire (who thinks he’s god’s gift) has lost his powers and learns to care about people again. Set in a vaguely-19thC fancy house where everyone’s flirting/ competing to get with with a duke, it reads more new adult than YA, and more campy, bloody gothic mystery than romance, which I liked - some interview w the vampire energy, but lighter.
The very ‘queer normative but marriage/gender is important’ (and vaguely-historical-England but no racism) world is an approach I often think doesn't work, but it’s clearly fantasy aiming for “modern wherever it feels like it / doing whatever’s most fun” so that didn’t really bother me. What got to me more was just the first-person main character being so extra and generally a prick, but that IS the point, and I got over that pretty quick and had fun.
Maybe a bit uneven, but ultimately I devoured it in 2-3 days, so definitely entertaining.
A vampire (who thinks he’s god’s gift) has lost his powers and learns to care about people again. Set in a vaguely-19thC fancy house where everyone’s flirting/ competing to get with with a duke, it reads more new adult than YA, and more campy, bloody gothic mystery than romance, which I liked - some interview w the vampire energy, but lighter.
The very ‘queer normative but marriage/gender is important’ (and vaguely-historical-England but no racism) world is an approach I often think doesn't work, but it’s clearly fantasy aiming for “modern wherever it feels like it / doing whatever’s most fun” so that didn’t really bother me. What got to me more was just the first-person main character being so extra and generally a prick, but that IS the point, and I got over that pretty quick and had fun.
Maybe a bit uneven, but ultimately I devoured it in 2-3 days, so definitely entertaining.
October 28, 2025
It was a four until the end 🥲 I fear
I really liked the characters and the slight mystery of it all! I just feel like the implications of everything wasn't taken quiet as seriously as should have been. And then hey! everyone is a vampire.
If just a little more time had been spent on the vampires vs the hunters and matters of a soul I think the overall book would have been better.
Lucien seems to grow more and more horrified at what he did as a vampire (fun!!) but the change really doesn't alter the soul/make you more feral. As we see at the end of the book. And everyone else can manage being a vampire juuuust fine.
But the characters were cute! And the competition was fun. I feel like it would be a good one season tv show.
I really liked the characters and the slight mystery of it all! I just feel like the implications of everything wasn't taken quiet as seriously as should have been. And then hey! everyone is a vampire.
If just a little more time had been spent on the vampires vs the hunters and matters of a soul I think the overall book would have been better.
Lucien seems to grow more and more horrified at what he did as a vampire (fun!!) but the change really doesn't alter the soul/make you more feral. As we see at the end of the book. And everyone else can manage being a vampire juuuust fine.
But the characters were cute! And the competition was fun. I feel like it would be a good one season tv show.
October 15, 2024
3.5 stars, rounded up because the majority of this book is a solid 5.
I see books described as a 'romp' over and over, but A Vile Season is the first time I've ever agreed. It's fun, and charming, but unfortunately falls short within the last act. Too many ideas, took too long to build up, and had too little time to come to fruition. AVS either needed better editing, or a second book to give the story room to breathe, and the romance more time to grow.
That being said, I do still recommend the book. I had a blast reading it -the first 75%, at least- and think the story can be worth anyone's while.
I see books described as a 'romp' over and over, but A Vile Season is the first time I've ever agreed. It's fun, and charming, but unfortunately falls short within the last act. Too many ideas, took too long to build up, and had too little time to come to fruition. AVS either needed better editing, or a second book to give the story room to breathe, and the romance more time to grow.
That being said, I do still recommend the book. I had a blast reading it -the first 75%, at least- and think the story can be worth anyone's while.
November 2, 2024
Wanted to like this a lot more than I did. On paper, it sounded like a good time and an intriguing plot. But the execution was lacking. I didn’t feel invested in any of the characters and the mystery of it all felt tedious rather than riveting. The last few chapters also left a lot to be desired with illogical happenings.
Want to read
October 8, 2024I know this book is going to be incredibly unserious because the god of vampires is literally just named "vampire" (I am once again BEGGING authors to google the names they use) but I do love both a ridiculous book and the chance to get one for free so here we are
November 17, 2024
Nah. The main character is insufferable, the plot twist was horrendous and up until page 250 or so it was straight up boring.
July 31, 2025
Ending was too « They all lived hapilly ever after » 😭
July 23, 2025
"...you actually fell for one of the humans. How utterly absurd. They are like the rats that crawl through these walls, and you lost your heart to such vermin."
It's always nice when a book turns itself around! I thought for sure after about fifty to a hundred pages that this was bound to be a three star read for me, but it did end up being better than I anticipated especially once we got into the real meat of things. The competition/selection type plot was never too interesting to me, I was here for intrigue, vampires, set pieces! The second half of the novel finally gave me all that and more.
I love when a writer can focus and hone in on a good theme, make the story about something, make it worth something, and we definitely got that here. I was worried a lot because for me, the best vampire stories are the ones that have something to say about the nature of vampirism; being a vampire should be a metaphor for something. I want meaning.
This book seemed poised to write vampires off as just spooky blanket evil monsters, but then the author did a lot more with it! I would actually love a sequel to this, but I say that about every standalone I read, so there we are.
My favourite aspect of it was absolutely the cast, particularly Lucien, Melbourne, and Isabel. The others were all cool too though. If not a direct sequel a spinoff about some of them would be thrilling.
The action climax at the end was cool but the emotional/intellectual showdown before that with everyone at the ball was so good. Utilizing the entire cast at the end that way was impeccable.
Lucien's heel-turn did feel like it happened slowly, then all at once, and a while to spend more time with him reflecting on his past sins and personality changes would have been nice. For going through such a drastic change his entire history often felt brushed over.
The romance definitely needed more screentime but I can see why they were sparsely able to be together, it's more of a fantasy with romance than a fantasy romance and I think that hurt its reputation with its intended audience. They are cute though and I was invested enough to be distraught at the idea of them not ending up together, so it succeeded on that level.
The ambience, extended cast, and puzzling mystery definitely make this one worthy of a read. I'll happily reread this in the future!
It's always nice when a book turns itself around! I thought for sure after about fifty to a hundred pages that this was bound to be a three star read for me, but it did end up being better than I anticipated especially once we got into the real meat of things. The competition/selection type plot was never too interesting to me, I was here for intrigue, vampires, set pieces! The second half of the novel finally gave me all that and more.
I love when a writer can focus and hone in on a good theme, make the story about something, make it worth something, and we definitely got that here. I was worried a lot because for me, the best vampire stories are the ones that have something to say about the nature of vampirism; being a vampire should be a metaphor for something. I want meaning.
This book seemed poised to write vampires off as just spooky blanket evil monsters, but then the author did a lot more with it! I would actually love a sequel to this, but I say that about every standalone I read, so there we are.
My favourite aspect of it was absolutely the cast, particularly Lucien, Melbourne, and Isabel. The others were all cool too though. If not a direct sequel a spinoff about some of them would be thrilling.
The action climax at the end was cool but the emotional/intellectual showdown before that with everyone at the ball was so good. Utilizing the entire cast at the end that way was impeccable.
Lucien's heel-turn did feel like it happened slowly, then all at once, and a while to spend more time with him reflecting on his past sins and personality changes would have been nice. For going through such a drastic change his entire history often felt brushed over.
The romance definitely needed more screentime but I can see why they were sparsely able to be together, it's more of a fantasy with romance than a fantasy romance and I think that hurt its reputation with its intended audience. They are cute though and I was invested enough to be distraught at the idea of them not ending up together, so it succeeded on that level.
The ambience, extended cast, and puzzling mystery definitely make this one worthy of a read. I'll happily reread this in the future!
October 5, 2024
The Alchemy of Moonlight was one of my favorite reads of 2023, which is saying a lot, since I read a LOT of books a year. I have always said that historical fiction is not my cup of tea, but in the recent year or so, authors, including David Ferraro, have proven me a liar… over and over again. So those words will no longer be uttered from moi. 😝
A Vile Season drops us right into the middle of an already moving Regency Romance-type picture filled with vampires, an old god, and monster hunters… oh my! And to say I was in need of a new queer-normative fantasy world filled with magical mysterious creatures is by far the most understated statement that has ever been stated.
Lucian is… was a creature of the night. He was THE creature of the night. After almost being killed at the hands of an angry mob of humans with burning fires and pitchforks (I’m definitely adding in some cinematic action with fire and maybe a Gaston screaming “Kill the Beast” in my head), an ancient vampire god gives him the chance of his undead lifetime: become human, enter a (The Bachelor-style) competition to win the hand of the future Duke, and come back stronger than ever (with a few new upgrades to his power). Which he, of course, takes. With the choice to die or un-live, he’s going to survive any way he can.
The only problem with this is that as a vampire, he didn’t have those pesky human emotions. He didn’t have friends to care for or someone to maybe… possibly… love?
I never go into a book “knowing” I’m going to love it… I wanna say never, but I’ll read a synopsis and KNOW sometimes. But I knew that, especially with how much I love the ultimate Regency, Bridgerton, this would be a book that made me smile and cringe (from fear, obvi) and just I’ve every single character. Even the ones I’m sure I was meant to hate.
And I did. This was released at the PERFECT time. Smack dab in between Bridgerton and SpoOoky season. Go read it and let me know what you think.
Thank you to the publisher for a print copy and Libro.fm for the ALC.
A Vile Season drops us right into the middle of an already moving Regency Romance-type picture filled with vampires, an old god, and monster hunters… oh my! And to say I was in need of a new queer-normative fantasy world filled with magical mysterious creatures is by far the most understated statement that has ever been stated.
Lucian is… was a creature of the night. He was THE creature of the night. After almost being killed at the hands of an angry mob of humans with burning fires and pitchforks (I’m definitely adding in some cinematic action with fire and maybe a Gaston screaming “Kill the Beast” in my head), an ancient vampire god gives him the chance of his undead lifetime: become human, enter a (The Bachelor-style) competition to win the hand of the future Duke, and come back stronger than ever (with a few new upgrades to his power). Which he, of course, takes. With the choice to die or un-live, he’s going to survive any way he can.
The only problem with this is that as a vampire, he didn’t have those pesky human emotions. He didn’t have friends to care for or someone to maybe… possibly… love?
I never go into a book “knowing” I’m going to love it… I wanna say never, but I’ll read a synopsis and KNOW sometimes. But I knew that, especially with how much I love the ultimate Regency, Bridgerton, this would be a book that made me smile and cringe (from fear, obvi) and just I’ve every single character. Even the ones I’m sure I was meant to hate.
And I did. This was released at the PERFECT time. Smack dab in between Bridgerton and SpoOoky season. Go read it and let me know what you think.
Thank you to the publisher for a print copy and Libro.fm for the ALC.
October 20, 2024
A Vile Season by David Ferraro
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I want to say thank you to David for the ARC copy of A Vile Season. This is my first book I have read of his and I truly enjoyed it so much that I immediately put his other book on hold on my Libby account.
This read was the perfect read for this fall!! Absolutely enjoyed this entire book. It has a Brigderton x Vampire vibe to it and it was so fun to read. The whole little mystery aspect of it as well was very intriguing and kept me so captivated. The queer representation was so lovely and so gay we love to see it! (If you do not support gay rights this is your time to unfollow, I’m sorry I know too many people in my life in the community so if it’s not for you bye!)
Count Lucian Cross was such a fucking joy to read. After being striped from being a Vampire by his boss, he had to navigate his new journey as a human again. Feelings things more intensely such as his emotions and pain once being human again was a journey he was willing to take in order to become a vampire again if he completed the tasks he needs to in order to gain it back. Lucian was so entertaining, lovely and watching his character shift with his newfound emotions he gained from being human again was beautiful to read.
The love interests (this is kind of a love triangle trope read!) and side characters were such an extra bonus to this book. I enjoyed some characters more than others but overall gained so much love for most of them. The banter between characters, the flirting, the whole storyline was just MWAH.
Also can we PLEASE talk about this cover?? It is unreal, beautiful, stunning, and all rounds perfect!! It’s the perfect fall read just based off this cover, you don’t even need to know what it’s about to pick it up for fall.
So thankful that I was able to read this and I can’t wait to read David’s other book, The Alchemy of Moonlight! 🫶🏼
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I want to say thank you to David for the ARC copy of A Vile Season. This is my first book I have read of his and I truly enjoyed it so much that I immediately put his other book on hold on my Libby account.
This read was the perfect read for this fall!! Absolutely enjoyed this entire book. It has a Brigderton x Vampire vibe to it and it was so fun to read. The whole little mystery aspect of it as well was very intriguing and kept me so captivated. The queer representation was so lovely and so gay we love to see it! (If you do not support gay rights this is your time to unfollow, I’m sorry I know too many people in my life in the community so if it’s not for you bye!)
Count Lucian Cross was such a fucking joy to read. After being striped from being a Vampire by his boss, he had to navigate his new journey as a human again. Feelings things more intensely such as his emotions and pain once being human again was a journey he was willing to take in order to become a vampire again if he completed the tasks he needs to in order to gain it back. Lucian was so entertaining, lovely and watching his character shift with his newfound emotions he gained from being human again was beautiful to read.
The love interests (this is kind of a love triangle trope read!) and side characters were such an extra bonus to this book. I enjoyed some characters more than others but overall gained so much love for most of them. The banter between characters, the flirting, the whole storyline was just MWAH.
Also can we PLEASE talk about this cover?? It is unreal, beautiful, stunning, and all rounds perfect!! It’s the perfect fall read just based off this cover, you don’t even need to know what it’s about to pick it up for fall.
So thankful that I was able to read this and I can’t wait to read David’s other book, The Alchemy of Moonlight! 🫶🏼
March 17, 2025
Really enjoyed the writing and super appreciated that Lucian had all the characteristics of a classic Dracula vampire. The queer-normative world was refreshing. I loved that it was universally accepted, so much so that it required no conversation amongst our characters. This book delivered in every way it was advertised - Gothic, Bridgerton meets The Bachelor vibes. Each character was unique, and I really loved all the banter and different relationships.
It's a quick read and a well written story! I am looking forward to reading more from David Ferraro.
It's a quick read and a well written story! I am looking forward to reading more from David Ferraro.
December 31, 2024
3.5
I thought the concept of this novel was so interesting. I also love when queer romances are set in alternate realities where its just accepted because its like you don't wanna be reminded that the world sucks all the time when reading fiction, especially romance.
While there were parts of the plot that I think were underdeveloped/not quite so fleshed out, the writing and interactions between the characters held the story enough for me to overlook these flaws. There were even one or two reveals that had me shook which I didn't even bargain for in this romance.
I think it delivered what it said it was going to and I enjoyed myself.
I thought the concept of this novel was so interesting. I also love when queer romances are set in alternate realities where its just accepted because its like you don't wanna be reminded that the world sucks all the time when reading fiction, especially romance.
While there were parts of the plot that I think were underdeveloped/not quite so fleshed out, the writing and interactions between the characters held the story enough for me to overlook these flaws. There were even one or two reveals that had me shook which I didn't even bargain for in this romance.
I think it delivered what it said it was going to and I enjoyed myself.
November 6, 2024
This book was good, and I thought I’d give it 4 stars, but the ending was too easy with side characters that weren’t developed enough to justify what occurred, and there honestly weren’t very many consequences for people’s actions. Still had a good time reading it though
May 11, 2025
Primordially simplistic with paltry characters and a predictable ending (with plain plot twists) and a pernicious age gap. Punny all the same. 1.5
July 21, 2025
Listened to this on audiobook, narrated by Jackie Meloche.
Gosh, I adored this. Ferraro is 2 for 2 for me now. I just find his writing so beautiful and evocative, and I love how different and fully realized each of his characters feels. I loved Lucian and Maxwell to pieces.
I did find the ending a bit sloppy; everything tied up so conveniently and neatly that it broke my suspension of disbelief. I would've preferred higher stakes and fewer pulled punches.
Nonetheless, I had a great time and would still count this among some of my favorite reads this year, flaws and all.
Also want to give the narrator a shout out: absolutely loved their voice and delivery, and boy did they commit to those emotional scenes. 👌
Gosh, I adored this. Ferraro is 2 for 2 for me now. I just find his writing so beautiful and evocative, and I love how different and fully realized each of his characters feels. I loved Lucian and Maxwell to pieces.
I did find the ending a bit sloppy; everything tied up so conveniently and neatly that it broke my suspension of disbelief. I would've preferred higher stakes and fewer pulled punches.
Nonetheless, I had a great time and would still count this among some of my favorite reads this year, flaws and all.
Also want to give the narrator a shout out: absolutely loved their voice and delivery, and boy did they commit to those emotional scenes. 👌
October 23, 2024
Got an arc from Libro.FM
We’re getting a little anachronistic and silly with and we’re having fun!
We’re getting a little anachronistic and silly with and we’re having fun!
November 22, 2025
Actual rating: 3.5 stars
Alright, so here are some non-spoilery thoughts on this book:
I was immediately thrown off upon starting this book, for several reasons. I didn't understand why until a couple pages in: it's in the first person. This isn't a deal-breaker for me by any means, but I'm definitely not a fan these days. Actually, It's funny but it feels like this book is from an unconventional perspective. I feel like typically we'd get the story from the Duke's (ie: "The Bachelor's") POV, and the mysterious, cocky, alluring supernatural love interest would be the one appearing in the protagonist's story, not the one at the helm. So that was an interesting change of pace. The protagonist is the one with most of the answers. It really does remind me of Legend of the White Snake, the book that led me to find this one.
My other disappointment was in learning that the protagonist is not an actual vampire. I would've known that if I'd read the summary a little more carefully, but oh, well.
So, essentially he's just a cringe dude who's been alive for centuries and has the shittiest attitude and overblown ego. Make him a full vampire, cowards. He's practically just an edgy emo teen.
Honestly, I didn't find the protagonist likeable at all (mostly in the first half of the book, but he's still not in my goodest of graces), but I was still curious about what would go down. If The Selection and Throne of Glass taught me anything, it's that I love these sorts of games organized by royalty and the drama that ensues.
Still, I really couldn't get over how cringe this edge-lord protagonist is and how hard the writer is trying to make him seem evil. Loving the sound of breaking bones, cheerfully hoping the cat brings back dead rodents, constantly looking down on humans and their actions despite being a pretty regular dude himself. He cracks silly jokes and thinks he's a cutie and likes to flirt. You are not a scary demon of the night, you pasty bitch. This whole thing would've read much better if he wanted to be a vampire but for normal reasons and not world domination and edgy inclinations towards the macabre (but not in a cool way, more like a what-the-fuck kind of way). He's just too naturally nice and actually a fun person when he's engaging with the other characters! But for some reason his thoughts turn into an edgy teen play-acting an evil vampire overlord as soon as he's alone.
But once I got over the weirdness at the beginning and Lucian started acting like a normal person, I really started liking the book! Whatever my gripes, I was locked in when the reveal of Lucian's betrayal finally came around.
(The pacing kind of sucked, though. This could have been longer, but there are also several scenes/plot-points/characters that easily could have been removed.)
Among my other notes:
- Introducing so many damn characters before even going near the love interest.
- Really weird, sudden transition into a fight scene. Came out of NOWHERE.
- I don't like the flashbacks. They're just incorporated so awkwardly.
- I feel like it was not established early on that vampires are a common occurrence, so I was really surprised when the characters witnessed an attack and were only concerned with their friend spending too much time in the rain. Or maybe I'm just dumb and missed that little bit of exposition.
~
Now for the spoilery thoughts! (and some predictions as I was reading):
- Considering that we left the party without meeting the host, and there was a little too much flirty banter with this Matthew fellow who's already being mysteriously attacked, and Ambrose's name doesn't even appear in the book summary, I get the feeling that our resident Duke isn't the actual love interest and Matthew is about to sneak in to steal the show.
- Okay, I'm not one to be won over by cute little mascots in media, nor am I particularly fond of cats...but Lucian appropriating someone's cat and the cat being an absolute to menace to everyone but him, effectively astounding both of the duke's sons...I'm loving it. Beezle is my favorite thing in this book.
- Oh but I also think Beezle is someone in disguise. I'm not sure if other vampires can turn into cats or what, but that cat is hella sus. I'm calling it now.
- Kind of liking the concept of the little love triangle we've got developing here. Ambrose, our Bachelor, is definitely interested in Lucian, our protagonist. Lucian is definitely interested in Ambrose's brother, Maxwell. And Maxwell is about to cuck his own brother.
- I do have an issue with love triangles, though, and that's that the person who isn't chosen is often given some sort of huge flaw. It's like when the main girl in a teen movie finally chooses her kind, stalwart best friend over the jerk who was just using her for popularity points. Except it's not really a choice at all, is it? It doesn't speak volumes about the intensity of one's romance with the former, merely how shitty the latter is. So, Lucian constantly referring to what a douche bag Ambrose is was kind of a letdown. I didn't even feel bad for the guy having his suitor stolen by his own brother.
- But also, Ambrose doesn't seem so bad? Like, it's kind of laughable how Lucian vilifies him for just being a regular guy, going about this competition fairly respectably. Lucian keeps getting annoyed with Ambrose "ordering" him to dance or "telling him" they're engaged without asking Lucian first...But my brother in Christ, you are in these games to get engaged to him. That'd be like judges asking a first place winner if they want the gold medal.
Honestly, this just bugs me because I can't tell if the writer is presenting Lucian as extra-touchy over everything Ambrose does because Lucian doesn't like him, or if we're genuinely supposed to think that Ambrose sucks despite him having done very little to earn anyone's ire. Also, bro is not a bad guy for hunting vampires. Like, Lucian gives a little internal monologue about how they're "not so different" but uh...the vampires are definitely the evil ones here.
- I feel like Emmett is gonna turn out to be a vampire now. (I was right.)
- I feel like the sick duke is also gonna turn out to be a vampire. (I was also right.)
- I did not expect almost every other character to become a vampire. Whodda thought. I don't hate the ending though.
- Love Isabel's redemption. I didn't understand what everyone's beef with her was, anyway.
- The pacing really does our protagonist dirty, since the lack of drawn-out scenes leads to a seemingly fickle, changeable protagonist. In the scene where he has to kill his parents, he changes his mind so quickly with very little prompting, and this leaves us with basics zero feelings of sympathy for him (despite the fact that he was forced into the vampire life and manipulated into killing his family).
- Maxwell is genuinely so cute. I just love at the end where everyone is either a vampire or a vampire hunter and they're all fighting for their lives, and then there's Maxwell all wide-eyed and frightened but determined to help, and stupid in love with Lucian.
Alright, so here are some non-spoilery thoughts on this book:
I was immediately thrown off upon starting this book, for several reasons. I didn't understand why until a couple pages in: it's in the first person. This isn't a deal-breaker for me by any means, but I'm definitely not a fan these days. Actually, It's funny but it feels like this book is from an unconventional perspective. I feel like typically we'd get the story from the Duke's (ie: "The Bachelor's") POV, and the mysterious, cocky, alluring supernatural love interest would be the one appearing in the protagonist's story, not the one at the helm. So that was an interesting change of pace. The protagonist is the one with most of the answers. It really does remind me of Legend of the White Snake, the book that led me to find this one.
My other disappointment was in learning that the protagonist is not an actual vampire. I would've known that if I'd read the summary a little more carefully, but oh, well.
So, essentially he's just a cringe dude who's been alive for centuries and has the shittiest attitude and overblown ego. Make him a full vampire, cowards. He's practically just an edgy emo teen.
Honestly, I didn't find the protagonist likeable at all (mostly in the first half of the book, but he's still not in my goodest of graces), but I was still curious about what would go down. If The Selection and Throne of Glass taught me anything, it's that I love these sorts of games organized by royalty and the drama that ensues.
Still, I really couldn't get over how cringe this edge-lord protagonist is and how hard the writer is trying to make him seem evil. Loving the sound of breaking bones, cheerfully hoping the cat brings back dead rodents, constantly looking down on humans and their actions despite being a pretty regular dude himself. He cracks silly jokes and thinks he's a cutie and likes to flirt. You are not a scary demon of the night, you pasty bitch. This whole thing would've read much better if he wanted to be a vampire but for normal reasons and not world domination and edgy inclinations towards the macabre (but not in a cool way, more like a what-the-fuck kind of way). He's just too naturally nice and actually a fun person when he's engaging with the other characters! But for some reason his thoughts turn into an edgy teen play-acting an evil vampire overlord as soon as he's alone.
But once I got over the weirdness at the beginning and Lucian started acting like a normal person, I really started liking the book! Whatever my gripes, I was locked in when the reveal of Lucian's betrayal finally came around.
(The pacing kind of sucked, though. This could have been longer, but there are also several scenes/plot-points/characters that easily could have been removed.)
Among my other notes:
- Introducing so many damn characters before even going near the love interest.
- Really weird, sudden transition into a fight scene. Came out of NOWHERE.
- I don't like the flashbacks. They're just incorporated so awkwardly.
- I feel like it was not established early on that vampires are a common occurrence, so I was really surprised when the characters witnessed an attack and were only concerned with their friend spending too much time in the rain. Or maybe I'm just dumb and missed that little bit of exposition.
~
Now for the spoilery thoughts! (and some predictions as I was reading):
- Considering that we left the party without meeting the host, and there was a little too much flirty banter with this Matthew fellow who's already being mysteriously attacked, and Ambrose's name doesn't even appear in the book summary, I get the feeling that our resident Duke isn't the actual love interest and Matthew is about to sneak in to steal the show.
- Okay, I'm not one to be won over by cute little mascots in media, nor am I particularly fond of cats...but Lucian appropriating someone's cat and the cat being an absolute to menace to everyone but him, effectively astounding both of the duke's sons...I'm loving it. Beezle is my favorite thing in this book.
- Oh but I also think Beezle is someone in disguise. I'm not sure if other vampires can turn into cats or what, but that cat is hella sus. I'm calling it now.
- Kind of liking the concept of the little love triangle we've got developing here. Ambrose, our Bachelor, is definitely interested in Lucian, our protagonist. Lucian is definitely interested in Ambrose's brother, Maxwell. And Maxwell is about to cuck his own brother.
- I do have an issue with love triangles, though, and that's that the person who isn't chosen is often given some sort of huge flaw. It's like when the main girl in a teen movie finally chooses her kind, stalwart best friend over the jerk who was just using her for popularity points. Except it's not really a choice at all, is it? It doesn't speak volumes about the intensity of one's romance with the former, merely how shitty the latter is. So, Lucian constantly referring to what a douche bag Ambrose is was kind of a letdown. I didn't even feel bad for the guy having his suitor stolen by his own brother.
- But also, Ambrose doesn't seem so bad? Like, it's kind of laughable how Lucian vilifies him for just being a regular guy, going about this competition fairly respectably. Lucian keeps getting annoyed with Ambrose "ordering" him to dance or "telling him" they're engaged without asking Lucian first...But my brother in Christ, you are in these games to get engaged to him. That'd be like judges asking a first place winner if they want the gold medal.
Honestly, this just bugs me because I can't tell if the writer is presenting Lucian as extra-touchy over everything Ambrose does because Lucian doesn't like him, or if we're genuinely supposed to think that Ambrose sucks despite him having done very little to earn anyone's ire. Also, bro is not a bad guy for hunting vampires. Like, Lucian gives a little internal monologue about how they're "not so different" but uh...the vampires are definitely the evil ones here.
- I feel like Emmett is gonna turn out to be a vampire now. (I was right.)
- I feel like the sick duke is also gonna turn out to be a vampire. (I was also right.)
- I did not expect almost every other character to become a vampire. Whodda thought. I don't hate the ending though.
- Love Isabel's redemption. I didn't understand what everyone's beef with her was, anyway.
- The pacing really does our protagonist dirty, since the lack of drawn-out scenes leads to a seemingly fickle, changeable protagonist. In the scene where he has to kill his parents, he changes his mind so quickly with very little prompting, and this leaves us with basics zero feelings of sympathy for him (despite the fact that he was forced into the vampire life and manipulated into killing his family).
- Maxwell is genuinely so cute. I just love at the end where everyone is either a vampire or a vampire hunter and they're all fighting for their lives, and then there's Maxwell all wide-eyed and frightened but determined to help, and stupid in love with Lucian.
March 30, 2025
There’s a lot going on here and very little of it good.
Thank you to NetGalley and Page Street Publishing for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you to NetGalley and Page Street Publishing for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.
November 21, 2024
This is the second book I’ve read written by Ferraro and I have to say, I have such an appreciation for his writing style and the way he’s able to perfectly set the scene for his audience. Sometimes it’s hard for me to envision in my mind the worlds that authors portray and I did NOT have that problem with this book! I truly felt as if I were there with the characters from start to finish. LOVED IT!!
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