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Vampires and Whatever Else
Nina was a pushover her whole life. Always the victim. Betrayed by those who were supposed to love and protect her.
When she meets Bast everything changes for the better.
Or so she thought.
When they arrive at The Dinner Party, Nina quickly learns that Bast has been hiding secrets.
Secrets that could destroy everything.
Is she strong enough to survive the horrors of the night? Or will Nina find herself once again a victim of monsters?
WARNING!!!
This is Extreme Horror mixed with dark fantasy and dark romance. Read at your own discretion!!!!!
When she meets Bast everything changes for the better.
Or so she thought.
When they arrive at The Dinner Party, Nina quickly learns that Bast has been hiding secrets.
Secrets that could destroy everything.
Is she strong enough to survive the horrors of the night? Or will Nina find herself once again a victim of monsters?
WARNING!!!
This is Extreme Horror mixed with dark fantasy and dark romance. Read at your own discretion!!!!!
146 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 6, 2024
6 people are currently reading
89 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
September 28, 2025
I didn’t think that this fell under extreme horror at all. I’m not saying that as a put down, but it just wasn’t applicable. Still had a fair amount of violence. The story was fun, the dialogue and general attitudes of all the characters, especially our leads, Nina and Bast, were a highlight. I also very much enjoyed seeing the scenes, which alternated between the two people, depicted from different points of view. Far from being a boring human/vampire love story, the author spun it all in a very innovative way, and it all worked well. My only critique here was that the pacing was a little quick, which, at times, took away from some of the emotional components between Bast and Nina. If things were just slowed down a tad and some minor, additional details were used to pad that extra space, it would have improved the experience further. Still a good fix if you’re in the mood for a more mature vampire, werewolf, and lovey dovey type story with a human…which isn’t Twilight or any of the other ten thousand similar stories.
March 1, 2024
Three things I avoid in my reading are vampires, werewolves and romance. This book had all three. And I liked it! Asher Dark is a new author of extreme horror fiction, and I will gladly read Whatever Else she publishes.
February 20, 2024
5/5 ⭐️
1/1 🧛🏼♂️
Nina is a woman who enjoys being alone due to the trauma and turmoil she has endured her whole life. She prefers enjoying her own company without men. That is until she meets Bast (Sebastian) a 500 year old vampire.
He slowly falls in love with her and teaches her to love herself again. He invites her to his family’s annual dinner. But the dinner is not what Nina expects at all.
Bast and his brothers throw a “hunting” party every year and Nina is Basts special guest. Will she survive? Will they be together for ever?
I need a sequel like tomorrow! The ending left me hanging 😭
1/1 🧛🏼♂️
Nina is a woman who enjoys being alone due to the trauma and turmoil she has endured her whole life. She prefers enjoying her own company without men. That is until she meets Bast (Sebastian) a 500 year old vampire.
He slowly falls in love with her and teaches her to love herself again. He invites her to his family’s annual dinner. But the dinner is not what Nina expects at all.
Bast and his brothers throw a “hunting” party every year and Nina is Basts special guest. Will she survive? Will they be together for ever?
I need a sequel like tomorrow! The ending left me hanging 😭
October 31, 2024
Asher Dark is becoming a household name in splatter/extreme horror & deservedly so. She has shown her talent and range in a pretty short amount of time. Asher delivers the gore, groans, and giggles every time. You won’t find a boring book in her entire catalog. I’ve read through more than half of her work and LOVE the direction that her new stuff has been going. I really feel she’s found an untapped niche that needs to be explored in her Trashy Supernaturals line. However, to enjoy where she is now it would help to go back to where it all began with Vampires & Whatever Else, her debut. Don’t ask me how this one got skipped over so many times, but I’m glad I double-backed and dove in.
Quick Synopsis:
Nina is a gothy lil spitfire who has had to put up with a lot in her life. With a rough upbringing and nowhere else to escape but her books, to say she’s guarded is an understatement. So when a palid tall, dark, & handsome type comes along trying to woo her; she has her reservations but finds herself entranced by his anemic charms. Bast turns out to be everything she could ask for in a partner. They fall hard for each other. Then comes time to “meet the family.” This “guess who’s coming to dinner” turns bloody & gross quickly and ends with a climactic showdown that leaves no leftovers behind.
If you think you’ve read every vampire story out there, I invite you to give Asher’s take on our beloved bloodsuckers a try. She takes the tropes and playfully spins them on their heads. Are these vamps romantic? At times. Sparkly? Nothing of the sort. Blood-thirsty? Diabolically. While there is oodles of blood & gore, Asher’s inclusion of “whatever else” made her story a lot more fun and definitely upped the ante. Prepare yourself for freaky werewolf transformations, stakes through hearts AND feels, and…zombie peen. Yes, I said what I said. Don’t say I didn’t warn you. The best part is our iconic Nina, who we get to watch rise to the occasion and finally stand up for herself; coated in blood & “whatever else.” She’s pretty badass, someone you will definitely be rooting for. I just can’t place who she reminds me of? 🤔 Oh and apparently she has more fight in her down the line, so I am excited to see what else our headstrong heroine will get into next.
Quick Synopsis:
Nina is a gothy lil spitfire who has had to put up with a lot in her life. With a rough upbringing and nowhere else to escape but her books, to say she’s guarded is an understatement. So when a palid tall, dark, & handsome type comes along trying to woo her; she has her reservations but finds herself entranced by his anemic charms. Bast turns out to be everything she could ask for in a partner. They fall hard for each other. Then comes time to “meet the family.” This “guess who’s coming to dinner” turns bloody & gross quickly and ends with a climactic showdown that leaves no leftovers behind.
If you think you’ve read every vampire story out there, I invite you to give Asher’s take on our beloved bloodsuckers a try. She takes the tropes and playfully spins them on their heads. Are these vamps romantic? At times. Sparkly? Nothing of the sort. Blood-thirsty? Diabolically. While there is oodles of blood & gore, Asher’s inclusion of “whatever else” made her story a lot more fun and definitely upped the ante. Prepare yourself for freaky werewolf transformations, stakes through hearts AND feels, and…zombie peen. Yes, I said what I said. Don’t say I didn’t warn you. The best part is our iconic Nina, who we get to watch rise to the occasion and finally stand up for herself; coated in blood & “whatever else.” She’s pretty badass, someone you will definitely be rooting for. I just can’t place who she reminds me of? 🤔 Oh and apparently she has more fight in her down the line, so I am excited to see what else our headstrong heroine will get into next.
July 19, 2024
This was my first “creature” / non-human horror, I’ve avidly avoided these types of books because I felt like I would never relate to them and therefor wouldn’t enjoy them. Man was I wrong.
I THOROUGHLY enjoyed this story. I couldn’t get enough of Asher’s writing style and the unique plot line of this story. I fell in love with Bast and Nina. I loved their names, I loved their story, I loved their character development and vibes.
The story primarily follows Nina, a girl with an unfortunate past and who’s seemingly been given the short end of the stick in life. Nina, who had more or less given up on any hope for happiness meets Bast, an immaculately gorgeous man who seems too good to be true. After a year together, Bast invites Nina to meet his only remaining living family and those he considers family at a dinner party. But it’s not just any party. There are major secrets and deceptions and devilish plans. Who will survive? Will the love between Bast and Nina be enough to survive the ultimate betrayal?
Asher Dark has a hell of a way with words. You can basically see her passion for this story and for writing dripping from the pages. The little Easter eggs she’s hidden within the book are amazing too. The ending threw me for a completely unexpected spin but I understand and appreciate why it happened how it did.
I THOROUGHLY enjoyed this story. I couldn’t get enough of Asher’s writing style and the unique plot line of this story. I fell in love with Bast and Nina. I loved their names, I loved their story, I loved their character development and vibes.
The story primarily follows Nina, a girl with an unfortunate past and who’s seemingly been given the short end of the stick in life. Nina, who had more or less given up on any hope for happiness meets Bast, an immaculately gorgeous man who seems too good to be true. After a year together, Bast invites Nina to meet his only remaining living family and those he considers family at a dinner party. But it’s not just any party. There are major secrets and deceptions and devilish plans. Who will survive? Will the love between Bast and Nina be enough to survive the ultimate betrayal?
Asher Dark has a hell of a way with words. You can basically see her passion for this story and for writing dripping from the pages. The little Easter eggs she’s hidden within the book are amazing too. The ending threw me for a completely unexpected spin but I understand and appreciate why it happened how it did.
March 30, 2024
Fantastic!
My second read by Asher, and she has quickly become one of my favorite authors. This is a fast, intense, superbly written novella, and I especially loved its pitch-perfect ending. I'm looking forward to more from Dark. Highly recommended for fans of extreme fiction!
My second read by Asher, and she has quickly become one of my favorite authors. This is a fast, intense, superbly written novella, and I especially loved its pitch-perfect ending. I'm looking forward to more from Dark. Highly recommended for fans of extreme fiction!
May 20, 2024
This was an absolutely fantastic supernatural creatures tale. The vampires were creatively crafted with some different rules than the standard ones and unapologetically evil. The werewolves were just as evil, and the descriptions of their shifting were intense and brutal.
There were scenes that were both steamy and repugnant at the same time. The darkness and violence that erupts is totally vile at points and left my jaw resting on my chest a couple times.
The relationship dynamics between the character, whether it be love/hate/fear, were fully realized.
The story was beautifully crafted to the point my eyes were glued to my screen from the first word to the last. My only complaint was that I wish there was more of it.
This was my first Asher Dark story, and it made me an instant fan.
There were scenes that were both steamy and repugnant at the same time. The darkness and violence that erupts is totally vile at points and left my jaw resting on my chest a couple times.
The relationship dynamics between the character, whether it be love/hate/fear, were fully realized.
The story was beautifully crafted to the point my eyes were glued to my screen from the first word to the last. My only complaint was that I wish there was more of it.
This was my first Asher Dark story, and it made me an instant fan.
July 30, 2024
It was well written and edited.
That being said, I think it was a good horror novel, the scenes for death were gruesome and well described. However, I don't feel like the romance was there at all, call it a dark romance all you want but just because Nina falls in love with Bast the vampire does not make it a romance.
Honestly the book could have been another forty or fifty pages longer, a few more chapters and it could have been a dark romance. Something to build on their actually relationship of what happened over the last year. However, Asher glosses over the romance part of it. I was looking forward to seeing how Bast manipulated Nina and convinced her to fall in love with him. Instead, we skip right from them meeting to the Dinner Party.
We are supposed to believe the over the last year Nina found her voice and her confidence and herself, however when in the car ride the chapter after all of this is proclaimed. Nina goes tripping over herself for a whole paragraph trying to get Bast just to respond to her. As someone who has been gaslighted and abused, that wasn't believable, it seemed very much like she was still the abuse Nina from before. In the book she claims that it is the year of love he gave her that helped her find love for herself, well that would be nice if it was believable, and we had seen this development.
I am also unsure about how many time the author references other writers and their work. It brings a sense that you are reading something in our universe but at the same time a place removed. I recognized some of the titles others I had to look up, which stopped me while I was reading and took me away from the story to try to understand the PopCulture references. I'm glad Asher wants to support other indie authors in her work, but it just made for a choppy read at times.
The scenes at the end were well done, the werewolf transformations were brutal and awesome to read. And I wonder what happens after Victor's chapter at the end, but at the same time I don't want to know. This is a solid horror read, I would not count it into my dark romance reads. Thank you, Asher, for suggesting it to me. I hope to be able to read more of Asher Dark in the future.
That being said, I think it was a good horror novel, the scenes for death were gruesome and well described. However, I don't feel like the romance was there at all, call it a dark romance all you want but just because Nina falls in love with Bast the vampire does not make it a romance.
Honestly the book could have been another forty or fifty pages longer, a few more chapters and it could have been a dark romance. Something to build on their actually relationship of what happened over the last year. However, Asher glosses over the romance part of it. I was looking forward to seeing how Bast manipulated Nina and convinced her to fall in love with him. Instead, we skip right from them meeting to the Dinner Party.
We are supposed to believe the over the last year Nina found her voice and her confidence and herself, however when in the car ride the chapter after all of this is proclaimed. Nina goes tripping over herself for a whole paragraph trying to get Bast just to respond to her. As someone who has been gaslighted and abused, that wasn't believable, it seemed very much like she was still the abuse Nina from before. In the book she claims that it is the year of love he gave her that helped her find love for herself, well that would be nice if it was believable, and we had seen this development.
I am also unsure about how many time the author references other writers and their work. It brings a sense that you are reading something in our universe but at the same time a place removed. I recognized some of the titles others I had to look up, which stopped me while I was reading and took me away from the story to try to understand the PopCulture references. I'm glad Asher wants to support other indie authors in her work, but it just made for a choppy read at times.
The scenes at the end were well done, the werewolf transformations were brutal and awesome to read. And I wonder what happens after Victor's chapter at the end, but at the same time I don't want to know. This is a solid horror read, I would not count it into my dark romance reads. Thank you, Asher, for suggesting it to me. I hope to be able to read more of Asher Dark in the future.
January 7, 2024
A breath of fresh air in the genre.
I didn't think I would like it. I was correct. I didn't like it. I loved it.
This book follows a girl named Nina who has fallen in love with a vampire named Bastian. I won't spoil anything, but it has way more layers than a typical vampire romantasy.
There is gore, violence, death, love, hate, and passion. It's more about the story of a girl finding herself and being comfortable in her own skin than anything else , in my opinion.
It was honestly a breath of fresh air. Sometimes I feel like authors in the genre have to compete, or write certain things to "keep up with the times." Asher wrote a book like nothing else I've read this far. A superb retelling of an already classic creature.
This is Asher's debut novel and if the writing is already this engaging, I can't wait to see what else she releases!
I would highly recommend this to anyone that is into extreme horror/splatterpunk/fantasy/dark romance.
I didn't think I would like it. I was correct. I didn't like it. I loved it.
This book follows a girl named Nina who has fallen in love with a vampire named Bastian. I won't spoil anything, but it has way more layers than a typical vampire romantasy.
There is gore, violence, death, love, hate, and passion. It's more about the story of a girl finding herself and being comfortable in her own skin than anything else , in my opinion.
It was honestly a breath of fresh air. Sometimes I feel like authors in the genre have to compete, or write certain things to "keep up with the times." Asher wrote a book like nothing else I've read this far. A superb retelling of an already classic creature.
This is Asher's debut novel and if the writing is already this engaging, I can't wait to see what else she releases!
I would highly recommend this to anyone that is into extreme horror/splatterpunk/fantasy/dark romance.
January 22, 2024
A decent, fun, quick read with plenty of attitude. Really looking forward to seeing what else Asher comes up with as it's clear she's only gonna to get better and sicker with her work. Can't wait.
June 21, 2024
I really enjoyed this little shortie tonight! A lot of times when I see vampire or werewolf on or near a book anymore I ashamedly assume it's going to be a corny story about alphas and/or sparkling Edwards (if that's your thing that's ok too!) This isn't that type of vibe though! It was not cheesy or anything like that at all!
The first thing I loved about this was that the FMC is a plus size girly 💅👍😍 Spread all the love to all the sizes!
AGAIN Asher Darks you mentioned more than one of my favorites in this book! BUT the favorite fantasy series that was spoken about is ALSO my favorite of all time. I loved seeing that like I loved the Heathers and MM references I've previously come across!!!!! It makes my heart absolutely giddy when I read your books because I already KNOW I'll discover another thing that we share love for!!!!
I loved how Nina's character developed through the story and how the ending played out! It seems like there may be a book 2 and I am so down for it!!!!! Thank you for the read and I look forward to that 2nd book you better be writing!
The first thing I loved about this was that the FMC is a plus size girly 💅👍😍 Spread all the love to all the sizes!
AGAIN Asher Darks you mentioned more than one of my favorites in this book! BUT the favorite fantasy series that was spoken about is ALSO my favorite of all time. I loved seeing that like I loved the Heathers and MM references I've previously come across!!!!! It makes my heart absolutely giddy when I read your books because I already KNOW I'll discover another thing that we share love for!!!!
I loved how Nina's character developed through the story and how the ending played out! It seems like there may be a book 2 and I am so down for it!!!!! Thank you for the read and I look forward to that 2nd book you better be writing!
January 8, 2024
WOW!!
I'm someone who loves to read but doesn't have much time for it due to work, kids and day to day life. But a novella? Hell yea! Perfect for me!
Anyways. This story was captivating from the first page! As soon as I started, couldn't stop! I love that our main girl, Nina, is someone I can relate to (as far as self-esteem and physical characteristics go) and someone I can really root for! I love the concept of "vampires and whatever else" because it was literally just that.. a little of everything! The character descriptions were just beautiful! I felt like I could really see them! And the graphics and gore? Absolute *chefs kiss*
If you like the supernatural and the macabre, I would very much recommend!
I'm someone who loves to read but doesn't have much time for it due to work, kids and day to day life. But a novella? Hell yea! Perfect for me!
Anyways. This story was captivating from the first page! As soon as I started, couldn't stop! I love that our main girl, Nina, is someone I can relate to (as far as self-esteem and physical characteristics go) and someone I can really root for! I love the concept of "vampires and whatever else" because it was literally just that.. a little of everything! The character descriptions were just beautiful! I felt like I could really see them! And the graphics and gore? Absolute *chefs kiss*
If you like the supernatural and the macabre, I would very much recommend!
February 9, 2024
Not bad for a first
Eh, not the greatest but not awful. I think the f word was over used and all the tie in from other vampire / supernatural books and movies was a little over done BUT the story was sweet and I really loved Nina's awakening and her strength in the end. I would have been disappointed if she reacted differently. If there is a follow up story to where this one left off, I will for sure buy and read it. I am interested to see how Nina "healed" and how Victor will react to her
Eh, not the greatest but not awful. I think the f word was over used and all the tie in from other vampire / supernatural books and movies was a little over done BUT the story was sweet and I really loved Nina's awakening and her strength in the end. I would have been disappointed if she reacted differently. If there is a follow up story to where this one left off, I will for sure buy and read it. I am interested to see how Nina "healed" and how Victor will react to her
September 14, 2024
WHY DIDNT I READ THIS SOONER?! Nina meets the most gorgeous man and they fall in love 🥰 until she finds out what his plans are with her. At a family dinner party “vampires and whatever else” choose a date to hunt after the meal. But Bast has a change of heart. This was an adorable book that had me rooting for Nina and Bast but the evil brother Alex surely won’t let that happen when he likes younger girls to feast on will he? Who survives? There needs to be a sequel to this as I need to know what happens next!
June 21, 2024
I absolutely loved this book. The relationship between Bast and Nina grow to such and emotional conclusion.
Experiencing Nina’s progression throughout the story made it so easy to root for her.
It had the perfect amount of gore, gross, emotion and tension.
Overall another smash hit from Asher Dark. To everyone who hasn’t read this yet, I say this is a don’t walk…RUN to pick this book up situation.
Experiencing Nina’s progression throughout the story made it so easy to root for her.
It had the perfect amount of gore, gross, emotion and tension.
Overall another smash hit from Asher Dark. To everyone who hasn’t read this yet, I say this is a don’t walk…RUN to pick this book up situation.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 1, 2025
Traumatized bookworm meets vampire and grows into her strongest self, but make it bloody and gross? Yes please!
When Nina first meets Bast she thinks he must be messing with her, no one like him could possibly be genuinely interested could they? He wins her over and after a year together Nina is strong and confident, and most importantly has learned to value herself. But can she handle meeting his family for dinner?
This was a fun read with fantastic character development and some gross moments that had me in Asher’s DMs like whaaaaaa????
While the plot sounds romance here, it is squarely horror. Mind your CW/TWs before reading.
When Nina first meets Bast she thinks he must be messing with her, no one like him could possibly be genuinely interested could they? He wins her over and after a year together Nina is strong and confident, and most importantly has learned to value herself. But can she handle meeting his family for dinner?
This was a fun read with fantastic character development and some gross moments that had me in Asher’s DMs like whaaaaaa????
While the plot sounds romance here, it is squarely horror. Mind your CW/TWs before reading.
August 7, 2025
I don’t usually read novellas—I prefer something with more depth—but this really worked for me. It’s fast, brutal, and tightly written, with properly nasty vampires and some extreme horror moments that genuinely shocked me.
Asher Dark manages to pack in tension, atmosphere, and vivid character dynamics without wasting a word. I just wish there was more of it. If you like your horror intense and unapologetic, this is well worth the read.
February 8, 2024
Absolutely loved this! I'm looking forward to future works by Asher! This definitely took turns I didn't expect! If you're looking for splattermance this is a great read! Also the best trigger warning I've ever seen!
March 22, 2024
Absolutely abhorrently amazing
I thoroughly enjoyed this story, the characters were well thought out and likeable or indeed dislikeable.
I loved the mention of the relatable background stories for the characters. Another fucking awesome read from Asher!
I thoroughly enjoyed this story, the characters were well thought out and likeable or indeed dislikeable.
I loved the mention of the relatable background stories for the characters. Another fucking awesome read from Asher!
July 18, 2024
Really liked this story.
I do wish there was more. Definitely could have a sequel to this from victor’s POV.
And loving all the Title drops from authors that Asher loved in the splatterpunk community. I always think that’s neat in books.
I do wish there was more. Definitely could have a sequel to this from victor’s POV.
And loving all the Title drops from authors that Asher loved in the splatterpunk community. I always think that’s neat in books.
January 8, 2024
Vampires
Once I started this I couldn’t put it down! It was so easy to relate to Nina and her life. Wonderful story! Excited for more from this Author!
Once I started this I couldn’t put it down! It was so easy to relate to Nina and her life. Wonderful story! Excited for more from this Author!
Read
February 2, 2024Love Asher as a personal friend so there’s no way to objectively rate this, but I’m so proud of her and can’t wait to see her keep chasing her dreams as an author!
February 11, 2024
Loved this! What a fun little read 😈
February 24, 2024
Wasn't for sure if I was going to like this book and glad I took a chance because I loved it, full of relatable characters, gore and humor and whatever else
April 3, 2024
I loved this much!!!!
March 18, 2025
Probably would’ve given it 4 stars if it wasn’t for the cringey constant book references 😬😬
January 26, 2024
Something gravitated me to the book because normally I'm meh on vampires. However, this was much different from the normal romantic vampire story. It's dark in nature. What got me was the main character, Nina. I'm a person who deals with low self-esteem, so she is a relatable character. Nina is also one I can root for.
Without spoiling too much, if you're looking for a happy story, this isn't for you. Since I love reading extreme horror, I knew I would enjoy it. Even the ending is dark as heck. Looking forward to more from Asher!
Without spoiling too much, if you're looking for a happy story, this isn't for you. Since I love reading extreme horror, I knew I would enjoy it. Even the ending is dark as heck. Looking forward to more from Asher!
January 24, 2024
OMG. Violence, gore, vampires and werewolves?! I absolutely devoured this short story! I loved all the supernatural, twilight, true blood, lost boys references. Nina is a bad bitch! I related so much to her character and instantly felt a special connection towards her.
Victor will be seeking his revenge??? Book 2?! God I hope so! Loved this book so much! Please keep writing Asher!!
Victor will be seeking his revenge??? Book 2?! God I hope so! Loved this book so much! Please keep writing Asher!!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 1, 2024
A true gem that dives much deeper than I anticipated. We follow our main character Nina as she transforms from a meek woman that carries a past riddled with trauma to the ultimate empowered individual. Along for the ride is Bast - a love interest with secrets of his own - that helps boost her past her insecurities through acceptance and encouragement as he shows her how beautiful she truly is, inside and out. Dark's work is written in a way that will keep you wondering if the secrets Bast's holds, all leading up to one evening, will come crashing down and destroy the couple's perfect union.
This is a gorgeously devastating romance with all the gore, depravity, and twists of a classic Splatterpunk novella.
This is a gorgeously devastating romance with all the gore, depravity, and twists of a classic Splatterpunk novella.
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