The Fealty of Monsters: Volume 1

by Ladz, Soren Häxan (illustrator)

Winter 1917. After years on the run from a dangerous cult, Sasza Czarnolaski and his father have found themselves among the Odonic Empire’s ruling class. One problem: vampires aren’t supposed to get involved in human governance. What the aristocracy doesn’t know, cannot hurt them.

But aristocratic rumors blame the vampires for a summertime massacre months unsolved. Sasza suspects that same cult has finally shown up on his doorstep. It’s already in his bedchambers. Though his pro-proletariat lover, Finance Minister Ilya Górniak, has always been against putting working class lives at risk, he cannot say the same for his other comrades.

Despite all rational arguments against it, the Emperor declares war upon the vampire states as vengeance. Ilya does not protest, and Sasza finds himself alone in a den of political wolves. Diplomacy has failed and insurrection comes from an unlikely source—the emperor’s own progeny, Świetlana. She invites Sasza into a bloody plan which will save his station and the lives of thousands at the cost of those he swore to serve. He will do anything to preserve his peace—even if it means giving into the monstrosity he spent so many years concealing from even himself.

Genres: Fantasy, Vampires, Queer, Horror, LGBT, Fiction, Paranormal

254 pages, Paperback

Published March 12, 2024

Reviews

[Cornelius Strange · Rating 5 out of 5]

i was given an arc by the author!

do you like gross queer vampires? toxic lesbians? then come to Korona for a good time
in a world where there is a delicate balance between humans and vampires a war teeters on the edge of a blade. The story throws you into the shoes of several characters who all have their own goals in mind and will do anything they can to protect those goals, including killing those close to them and throwing morals out the window. By the time you reach the end of this book you'll be sitting at the edge to see what happens next as characters real intentions begin to reveal themselves and you wonder which front is their truths and which are their lies.

honestly excited can't wait for the next installment to see what bloodshed happens next.

[Morgan Dante · Rating 5 out of 5]

With the dark gothic fantasy sensibilities of Berserk, Castlevania, and Bloodborne, Ladz’s first volume of THE FEALTY OF MONSTERS is thrilling, gory, and queer as hell. A must-read.

[Menoa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Happy publication day !!!

When I say I love vampire book. I mean THIS particular brand of vampire books. With blood, conspiracy, murders and MORALLY GREY CHARACTERS EVERYWHEre.
I had the pleasure to read an arc, I really enjoyed it, and I'm super excited for the future of this series.

I can not say much without gushing about one of the MC, Sasza, love of my life. He's literally so good and intelligent and interesting, but also he's just a pathetic guy who wants to fuck old men in power. We have to stan.

This book is not for the faint of heart, but I highly recommend it if you can stomach gruesome descriptions and super well written smut might I add.

I loved the political shenanigans happening and I'm honestly super excited to re-read it someday to gather more clues!
Anyway loved it, highly recommended to add it to your tbr, for all your queer vampire needs

[marleywrites · Rating 5 out of 5]

11/8/23

​I personally ordered the signed paperback and I cannot wait to have it on my shelf. Today I read the prologue that is available now, and I'm so glad I did.

I was instantly drawn to the characters in the prologue, two autocar mechanics in Daszek's outskirts. Jan and his father, whom he calls Tata, are finishing up a typical day at work and everything is seemingly normal... or is it?

I loved the way Ladz described these two men, their physical descriptions were enjoyable to read and I felt like I could see the scene playing before my eyes due to the detailed descriptions. The description of the city and its history regarding the universities was intriguing and I found myself eagerly turning the pages of this prologue.

The conclusion of the prologue is jaw-dropping, which is exactly how I like the books I read! It left me thrilled for more and I cannot wait to read the rest of this book when it releases in March.

[Ally · Rating 4 out of 5]

Got an arc from the author *^*

Okay so this is probably not the kind of book I would pick up normally because it’s Fucking Disgusting™️ but that’s a compliment. It tells you from the very first chapter it’s going to be a blood soaked horror show of sex and violence and damn it sure is, tiptoeing the the line between the nauseous gore and the fascinating political machinations into something truly unique that I know will be cult smash hit if I have anything to say about it

[Shelba · Rating 4 out of 5]

It took me a bit to get through the first chapter, between the unfamiliarity with Russian courts and politics, the 3rd person present, the overly wordy and sometimes verging on purplish prose, and the 3 different POVs.

Once I got through the prologue and the first chapter, it was pretty smooth sailing for me.

I found Sasza really interesting as a character and am 1000% invested in his story. I was mildly annoyed at the first POV change, but now find myself quite interested in Iwona, and almost as interested in Ute.

My knowledge of the Romanovs is that I watched Anastasia once as a child. So sometimes I was like, should I go read a wiki article? But I don’t really think it was necessary to know about it. I made it through the book just fine, after all, it is inspired by and not a retelling… unless there were vampires in the Russian court (*insert suspicious chicken here*).

As I was reading, and the book moved along at a nice pace, I couldn’t help but think I might end up regretting starting this series before it is finished. And now that I’m finished, I regret not waiting but am glad to have not put off reading this.

As for the art. I love the cover. I probably would have read this regardless of what it was about because the cover is what I want every cover to look like. It’s perfection. And while I’m generally not big on illustrations in books, I liked the 3 included. They matched the scenes they were supposed to represent and I think the art itself just felt like it fit the story so well.

While I gave this 4 stars, it is closer to 4.5. Not quite 5 stars, because the prose did lapse into the purple realm more than I would like — and while I don’t know if I could have read this book that kept at the purple prose, the fact it came and went made it noticeable and a bit jarring. There were some similes that just were more eyebrow raising than sensical. Also, there was some repetitive information, sometimes between the three individual POVs, but also within the same one.

If you love horror, vampires, historical Russia and a casually, but very much so, queer cast, this might be the book for you.

[Luna Fiore · Rating 5 out of 5]

Disclaimer: received an ARC from the author

Gory. Grotesque. Incredibly hot. This is exactly what I crave from vampire fiction and Ladz delivers a bloody, sensuous experience that makes me so excited for all of the volumes to come. Sasza, a vampire hiding amongst humans in the Emperor's inner circle, is just the right mix of cigarette goth and wet cat. His relationship with Ilya was my favorite and added some layers to Sasza's daddy issues (and who doesn't love some good ol' old man yaoi). Iwona is a close second for favorite character, I love a character with ambition and drive, but I am screaming at where she ends up in the end. Ute had pathetic lesbian energy and honestly, good for her. She gets exactly what she wants (sort of) but a part of me wonders if she's going to regret it at some point. I am invested in what's next for these characters.

I adore the Bloodborne vibes especially as they get stronger more towards the end. The blending of magic and technology for the time period is so well done but I also hope we get to see more of how magic works in the next books. The addition of pronunciation guides, a glossary, and even references for those more interested in the real world events that inspired this book, is such an awesome addition that I wish more authors did it, especially with historical and political fiction.

[achilles · Rating 5 out of 5]

(I was given an ARC copy by the author in exchange for an honest review.)

The Fealty of Monsters is a bloody and amazingly queer vampire book that kept me on the edge of my seat from the prologue to the end. Ladz's writing style holds you by the throat and shows you what's going on directly. Almost as if you are in the room and you feel the blood gushing on your face. As you try to wipe the blood from your cheeks, you get to explore the morally questionable characters and their adventures full of blood and guts. It's THE grizzly and messy nature of vampires that needed to make a comeback and I am all in for it. It is bloody, sexy and slashes somewhere in your brain down to make a place for itself.

I really wanna add this to my vampire collection and also do a reread as soon as possible.

I can't wait for the next volume and to read everything I can get my hands on by Ladz.

[S.S. Genesee · Rating 5 out of 5]

THE FEALTY OF MONSTERS is just as sexy as it is terribly thrilling. Within a fantasy world full of political intrigue and strife, Ladz creates beautiful characters who fit inside it seamlessly. Characters who are neither good nor evil, but always keep the reader guessing, painting a fascinating air of mystery throughout the whole book. If you want horror, vampires, and alluring beasts, you need this book!

[Sen · Rating 3 out of 5]

"We all have our different agendas. It makes us stronger, in fact, this fealty among us. It grants us more faith and power than fanatical belief in singular rule. As I said earlier, much like the mechanism of birds traveling for changing seasons, we are stronger together."

★★★

I am always looking for indie/small press sff books to support and gush over, so needless to say when I stumbled on the beautiful cover of The Fealty of Monsters I was thinking I had hit the jackpot. What do you mean this is a dark, bloody, fantastical, and queer reimagining of the Russian Revolution??? *GRABBY HANDS* Perhaps it all sounded a bit too good to be true, however, because this book ended up being an overly ambitious undertaking with the promise of an incredible story in a darkly realized world that was ultimately bogged down by lackluster characters and writing.

We follow three main players as they navigate the unfolding political landscape and unraveling tensions between the nobility and the proletariat, between humans and vampires. Unfortunately, not much happens in terms of plot until the last quarter of the book, and even though this is the first installation in a series it felt very much like a set-up for the actual story rather than a novel that can stand by itself. The most intriguing main character was Iwona, the warrior daughter of a noble family who vehemently rejects the aristocracy. Unfortunately, she basically did nothing substantial and could have easily been removed altogether from the story and it would not have changed anything. The vampire Sasza was definitely the author's darling, as I felt like he had the most development and also contributed the most to plot momentum stuff. The last and by far least interesting protagonist, Ute, just spent the whole book salivating over the breasts of the Emperor's daughter, Świetlana.

By far the best part of this book for me was the setting. It's hard to describe the world this author has created, but it gave major Bloodborne vibes which is something I want to see more of in fantasy books. Something decrepit and gothic. There's a steampunkish world with a lot of underlying darkness. I particularly loved the way the authors described the bestiapirs, monsters that can only be killed by undead blades.

From the chasm rises a cage sized perfectly for the monstrosity held within. Within those magically-enforced iron bars is a bestiapir. This one has the fluffy, brown fur of a well-groomed, overly large bat. The fan-like ears make it easier to see with sound, while a smushed nose makes it easy with which to smell. Tiny legs hid easily in flight, but bulging reticulated arms connect to skin flaps perfect for light. But it's more grotesque than an enlarged aerial mammal. Its exposed chest has the planes and grooves of a human's complete with small, exposed breasts, embraced with stiff, crossed human arms. Beneath its pteropine snout is a woman's elegant jaw.

Isn't that terrifying??? And that is just one type of bestiapir. It's amazing how I can so easily visualize these unholy terrors and the world in general. However, at the same time that you're busy building up this incredible setting in your mind, you'll also come across a passage like this.

Świetlana turns around, presenting the enormous breasts the meat of Her Highness's back works so hard to uphold.

Lol WTF is that kind of whiplash. Anyway, another reviewer described the atmosphere of The Fealty of Monsters as reminding them of the anime Berserk, a much warranted comparison in my opinion. The amazing grand finale in particular definitely wouldn't have been out of place in an episode of Berserk. I just wish the characters and the actual plot were more fully realized and that the writing was a lot less amateurish (nothing takes me out of a dark fantasy faster than one character calling another a "dweeb").

[Thank you to the publisher for the arc. My review and thoughts on this book are entirely my own.]

— ♩♫♩ ~ Vani, The Blood Cleric

[Noah Medlock · Rating 5 out of 5]

Get in loser, we’re taking down the monarchy.

Ladz has stitched together a fleshy monstrosity of a vampire novel—combining abject horror, carnal desire, and political intrigue into one gruesome abomination.

The Fealty of Monsters has a picturesque, gothic Slav-punk setting that is also thrumming with technological progress and revolutionary fervour.

In this book, brutality and sensuality share a bed (and a floor, and an autocar…)—it’s like a full-frontal Castlevania, or a sexy Dark Souls.

Fealty is a decadent and sordid novel which also asks the most urgent question of our time: what would you do to stop a war?

Noah Medlock, author of A Botanical Daughter

[Armanis Ar-Feinial · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Fealty of Monsters, written by Ladz is about, well, the fealty of monsters.

The premise takes place at the start of the 1900s regarding the historical, yet fictionalized events regarding the fall of the Russian Empire, likely leading to Stalin’s reign. You follow two primary characters: Sasza, a vampire in the service of the empire, and Swietlana Iwanowicz.

This book opens up with a massacre regarding some humans and whatnot and that sets the tone for the rest of the story, kind of. There is lots of political intrigue and other things moving on, and while that massacre is the inciting incident, it takes some time to breathe for the two main characters to get in the position where they could actually do anything. There is a strong case, I think, that the real inciting incident isn’t until much later.

Pros: the prose is beautiful, and reminiscent of an older time, which this book requires as it takes place over 100 years ago, and the “car” is called an autocar when it does come up which I think was a nice touch. Additionally, there were some good usage of semi-colons and colons altogether which I like seeing in fiction.

The characters are well developed and they feel real. They all have their motivations and with a touch of slice of life to colorize their actions into the story. Each character has their own unique voice that doesn’t require dialogue tags unless to get a little more information as to what their thoughts might be regarding specific scenarios.

The pacing: it was good for what it was. As it is a political intrigue book primarily, it is slow so you pay attention to lots of the missing parts and details you think might be necessary but might not come to fruition until later. When action does occur, it is quite fast and the prose picks up to reflect that.

What did not work for me personally?

The book could have been shorter. I counted a total of four graphic sex scenes which spanned several pages into the 10% mark. This flirts with the lines of erotica, which is not what I thought I was going into, and my expectation wasn’t quite set for that amount of sex. Now, I don’t mind reading graohic sex when it comes up, but there’s a limit as to what I would enjoy. Of those four scenes, I think only two were truly necessary as two of them didn’t advance the plot, nor did they reveal anything new about the characters.

The other thing that didn’t work for me is a little divisive, but not in the controversial way, let me explain.

I’m one of those readers who likes to read from cover to cover, which means I read the trigger warning. I understand the need for these things in certain books especially with problematic material(this is not to say the content inside is problematic). Which means I read the trigger warning.

Let me include this here: Blood, gore, body horror, blood drinking, needles,emetophobia, mosquitos, patricide, infidelity, explicit sexualacts and situations, dubious consent, age gap relationships between adults, urination(non-sexual), self harm for magic use, depiction and discussion of alcoholism and drinking, depiction of a panic attack, mentions of war, mentions of sedition.

The intended audience for this book is obviously adult, and I think the only warning that really needed to be here was the graphic sexual depictions to reduce the likelihood that children will read this(this book comes with some illustrations of sex). But as for the rest of it, it was not needed because it was established early on that the Main Character was a vampire, which by itself, covers all of the included trigger warnings in some way shape or form. I can see a case for sedition remaining as a trigger as it was rather subtle and other parts of the world where sedition is either a very real risk in current climate, or they live in a world where sedition was attempted and deeply traumatic. Now, for my personal experience, I like being shocked when it comes to horror, and my senses were immediately placed in high alert through the entire book, particularly of body horror, because I think of things like Uzumaki. So, in short, I did not enjoy this book as much as I think I should have, regrettably.

But besides those things, if you liked Underworld, I think you’ll like this book.

Besides personal preferences, I would say this is a 5/5.

[Gealach · Rating 4 out of 5]

My thanks to the author for providing an ARC copy.

Ladz's The Fealty of Monsters is a gory retelling of the Russian Revolution, with monstrous vampires and even more monstrous politicians. We follow three POV characters as tensions amongst the Empire and independent vampire states are ramped up by an incident that seems tailored to ignite a war. The main character, Sasza, battles with his own depravity and the ambitions of others, while coming to terms with his relationship with a much older member of the government.

This is a highly political book, with characters who have complex motivations, from the ambitious princess to Sasza's addicted father, from the traitorous Minister to the soldiers who have very different ideas about their role as protectors; not to mention the intriguing vampire doctor. Characters share a past that is carefully unveiled in some cases, giving tantalizing glimpses. The court is full of intrigue, and war seems inevitable; the conflict between the poverty of the people and the excesses of the aristocracy was also done well, leading to an explosive finale that leaves the reader on the edge of their seat and begging for the next book in the series.

The book is very crude, with an evocative prose that leaves nothing to the imagination, be it sexual acts or murder. It comes with a very helpful list of trigger warnings, which the reader should pay every attention to. The vampires in this book are not refined creatures, as there are some types which are truly monstrous, insectoid creatures who engorge themselves on blood and gore. This was a very refreshing take on the usual vampire trope, more reminiscent of the classics.

The book comes with illustrations from the artist Soren Häxan, but the ARC copy didn't contain them.

The Fealty of Monsters is a solid horror story with political overtones.

[M. · Rating 5 out of 5]

A deliciously gripping and unflinchingly dark queer vampire tale on the scale of an epic saga. A story of intrigue and entrails, replete with decadent and stylish illustrations by Soren Häxan.

The political shapes in this novel echo with reference to Rasputin and the fall of the Romanovs, but with a sharp and vampiric bent that for me evoked the best of the animated Castlevania series (especially Nocturne with its advancing civilization and intricacy of night-creatures as European society advances, such as it is…) with the depictions of the bestiapiry—hybrid vampiric monsters—and the weaponry of the imperial Chosen soldiers.

Here the worldbuilding is laid on richly and benefits from a slow marination. There is a lot of detail lavished on, as I think would be expected in the foregrounding of any secondary world epic, but it is uniquely done here as a secondary-world of the technical advancements circa the first world war, with some requisite but low-key magic as needed.

I think my sole struggle with this book is the prose delivery in present tense, which adds a sensuous immediacy to the work but also made me work very hard at times to follow the chain of events as they occur in the narrative, since there is a lot of politicking between scenes and character viewpoints—it’s not a tremendous issue but it is possibly the only thing that prevented me from scarfing the whole book over one evening, and very much a “me” issue that made me draw out my reading to times when I could truly focus, rather than an abiding flaw.

The throughline character of the novel is Sasza Czarnolaski, a vampire whose unique abilities are drawn with greater clarity as the novel progresses. His ability to move about within the high society of the empire gives him a unique position of political influence, one which he exploits to great effect in the latter half of the novel’s intrigue. I hesitate to say much more than this simply because I think trying to describe the particulars would do them a disservice in my half-assed effort to explain.

This is not solely a novel of vibes, though it has them, in spades: the unrelenting darkness of Fromsoft meets the frank queerness and political machining of something like the Amberlough trilogy—another series which uses the patina and technology of the early 20th century in a secondary world of tremendous political upheaval and intrigue.

Definitely recommended, especially if you like a lot of on-page spice; it is decidedly not a romance (a significant amount of the sex is political!) and it has a list for various cautions in the link above if there’s something specific you might want to avoid.

[claudia reads it all · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bloody and brilliant, this story of vampires infiltrating the highest echelons of an empire will stay with you long after the last page.
Sasza may be a young vampire, but even he knows that his father's excessive indulgence in blood and sex will sooner or later get them discovered. He also worries about his lover, an older Minister for the empire, who is on the side of the people. They are not the only vampires in this story, nor the only monsters, and the brutal prologue is only the beginning of the crimson violence that infiltrates this world.
I loved this book - there is political strife, violence, fantasy creatures, sex, blood, and in true epic fashion, you should not get attached to any of the characters.

[Y.N.]

**Thank you to the author for the eARC**

"The fealty of monsters" is a gothic political fantasy, full of... well political intrigue, of course ! Vampires have infiltrated the highest levels of power, discreetly, silently working their way. The main character, Sasza, is one of these vampires, working for his goal, knowing his father's behavior is putting them in peril and worrying about his lover, a Minister. There is no good nor bad characters in this story, wether on the vampire "side" or the human "side". Exactly like I wanted.
"The fealty of monsters" is a tale of violence, politics, horror, sex, fantastical creatures and complex psychology. If this sounds like your jam, grab a copy !

[Theo · Rating 5 out of 5]

this was exactly as gross and deranged as i wanted it to be <3

[Sail · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have to start this by saying I would die to read this over again for the first time. I fell in love and stayed in love from start to, well, not exactly finish (I keep getting sick and it has slowed me down tremendously in my reading). However, even without getting to the end just yet there hasn't been a day I haven't thought about this book.

I happened across this book on my private Twitter account thanks to other authors that I follow. I didn't even have to read the prologue immediately to know this was going to be something I wouldn't be able to put down. In an extreme stroke of luck I won the raffle allowing me an early access e-copy. From day 1 of reading I was obsessed.

Every character and every moment in this book is carefully crafted just as is every word. Its intoxicating the way Ladz writes is stunning from mood to motion. There is so much love and mirth packed in underneath the blood, toil, and intrigue of the novel itself. The syntax is powerful, dark, and sultry, leading you deeper into the political turmoil. Every word in this book serves a purpose, each scene and thought is a puzzle piece, so are the characters who all have their own stories and goals intertwined creating something absolutely stunning.

I am very lucky to have both stumbled upon and been able to read this book to the extent that I have. If you're a new reader as I am please know that this book is definitely worth it. I won't go into too much detail as we still have about 10 days to the official release, I believe. Just know you are in for something wonderful and addicting once you pick up this book. This is easily a favorite of mine; I may even wait to finish the other half in the physical copy I ordered as a treat.

[Haley · Rating 5 out of 5]

THE FEALTY OF MONSTERS is a gothic horror + fantasy retelling of the Russian Revolution, full of political intrigue, vampires, and a whole lot of queerness! it’s also a book that’s incredibly near and dear to my heart— the author, Ladz, is one of my closest online friends, and it’s been an absolute honor to serve as a beta reader for their debut novel; it finally releases this month (March 12, 2024), and i couldn’t be more excited to share my early review with you!

FEALTY is the story of Sasza, a vampire living in secret within the Odonic Empire’s aristocracy. his closest friend, Lady Świetlana, fears that her father may wage war against the Vampire States, and she is determined to stop him; meanwhile, Sasza’s lover, Ilya, is deeply entangled in a treacherous cabal, and war rages on around them. as the Empire’s tensions reach a fever pitch, Świetlana (now aided by Ute, a childhood-friend-turned-soldier who serves as her Magical Advisor) and Sazsa orchestrate a plan— and nothing will ever be the same. it’s a rich, raunchy, and deeply complex tale; the sex scenes are luscious and intimate, the climax of the story is visceral and jaw-dropping, and the characters themselves are nuanced and perfectly exemplify the capitalist, revolutionary, and sordid issues of the early 20th century with plenty of fantastical + gothic themes… there’s a total of eight volumes planned in this series, and i’m waiting with bated breath to know what’ll happen to Sasza, Świetlana, and Ute as the story unfolds!

i’ve said it before, and i’ll say it again— internet friends can truly change your life, and Ladz is someone who i now can’t imagine my world without; they’re a wonderful person, a passionate activist, and a beautifully-creative author! i’m SO grateful that they sent me one of their early print copies as an ARC, complete with stunning illustrations from Soren Häxan— the book also includes a character compendium, a pronunciation guide, and a source-list; this story is SO well-researched, expressive, and delightfully morally-grey, and i love it with my whole heart❤️‍🔥

[Shrimp Scampi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! The relationships between the characters were interesting, engaging, and realistically messy and complex. The narration was consistent and showed the personality of the narrators. It takes skill to continue to tell a story through shifting lenses. This book blends history and reality with fiction - the puzzle pieces of the story are fully realized with motivations, flaws, and complexity laid bare in a way that is interesting and suspenseful. This is not a book about perfect, fake people or grand metaphors about some idealized version of something , sanitized to a version of what stories are "acceptable" and allowed to be told. fealty is capturing something much more human, through the eyes of a monster. And without a doubt, it is a good story to tell especially as it depicts the reality of what many people encounter through their lives - complicated relationships, their own blind spots, hard choices, the balance of the needs of multiple entities and how one makes choices and chooses what actions to take when wrapped up in these desires and challenges. It is a sexy book that makes you think and makes you feel. People *are* weird and these people can get weird and I think that's great.

I think for people who like fantasy, vampires, politics, and queer disasters, this is a really great read. It's hella rad when a book explores multiple, relevant, deep topics while being an enjoyable romp. The scenes of combat are engaging and as far as a first book in a series I think it excelled at telling a story and also setting up more. I'm excited for what comes next!

[Roman H · Rating 2 out of 5]

Listen, I read a lot of things. Sex, gore, horror, you name it. But the descriptions in this book made me nauseous, and not in a good way. I’m a gay trans guy, like one of the characters in the book, and am very liberal. But hearing about “the muscular squish of boypussy” (how did the word boypussy get published?) honestly weirded me out. I love boypussy, don’t get me wrong, but this was not a good read. There was so much, and I hate to say it, *pointless* sex that I, an avid smut reader, was tired and wanted to get back to the plot.

Here are some quotes to give you an idea of what you’re getting into.

“…the glistening slick of yonic arousal”

“…presenting the enormous breasts which the meat of Her Highness’s back worked so hard to uphold.”

“Excess blood flushes all the other liquids out of his body. Piss drips from his insect’s abdomen.”

“Urine’s salt mixes with the darkening, squishy [blood] clots.”

“He sits at the rim [of the fountain], staring at his bloated stomach and distended cock. … Swallowing his pride, Sasza tugs at his prick…”

Those are the only quotes I have on hand, but there were much worse. Including, if I remember correctly, curdled breast milk?

There were some good moments. Some of the descriptions and storytelling were genuinely really riveting, but those moments were quickly ruined by literally everything else.

[Saint Theo · Rating 5 out of 5]

I RECEIVED AN ARC COPY IN EXCHANGE FOR AN HONEST REVIEW

The Fealty of Monsters renders itself in very stark prose, cutting itself down to the bone to convey the massive scope of the mechanics, the successes, and the failures of political revolution. The plot moves through the overtures of the movement a breakneck pace, using symbols and signposts at every turn to shorthand the conditions of Imperial Russia and set the stage just enough for its actors. This does have a weakness in comparison to the revolutionary writers of old who would muddle through every detail using hundreds more pages, as some things feel underdeveloped by necessity (a necessity doubled by the fact this is an opening volume of a planned seven volume work).

One thing that might tweak the noses of readers is the rare injection of modern sensibility in an otherwise richly aged story of 1910's Imperial Russia. Characters at time shift to view their revolution through a modern lens, at one point using an aside to assure the reader that a character will be good and commit a moral massacre where he won't possibly kill the proletariat mixed in with the haute bourgeoisie at a party.

In the sane vein, the vicious classism of late Imperial Russia is preserved and displayed in all its harsh, nonsensical brutality, making some of the progressive gender affirming care feel out of place in a world where both poverty and wealth make people into monsters. ( Perhaps there is something that can be stolen from the equality movement in early communism to ease the transition.) There are always some rough spots in unique creative epics like this, and with six volumes to go there's no doubt the author could hammer around the edges of the world they've made to help this element slide in seamlessly as monstrous mosquito vampires and soldiers with blood-powered weapons of bone.



You can tell this cleaves close to its Russian empire inspiration because half the content warnings revolve around alcohol.

[Amon♰ · Rating 1 out of 5]

Cuando me vendas un libro que va sobre ficción vampírica lgbt con un poco de política de por medio, no me vendas un libro de política y sexo horrendo. La pareja principal me ha hecho sentir muy incómoda, pero that's on me porque le autore avisó de que era una relación con age gap. Pero sinceramente, no me hacían falta las escenas de sexo entre estos dos individuos, mas que nada porque es absolutamente disgusting en el mal sentido. Cuando me quieras vender vampiros que son disgusting, haz que tengan sed de sangre y monstruosos, no que tengan sexo asqueroso con viejos.

[Cyril Mezden · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐️4.8⭐️
What happens when a vampire is sympathetic to the plight of the proletariat? There’s only one thing to do. Eat the rich, of course.

This book’s soaking red with political machinations, gory action, down and dirty s*x scenes, delightfully unlikeable characters (They are monsters, after all.), dark fantasy spellcraft, body horror, and a cast that’s unapologetically queer.

I loved reading this, was pleasantly surprised that this book didn’t sanitize itself for consumability’s sake, and will be on the lookout for volume II in the future!

Happy reading, comrade!

[Wendy Lyson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ladz creativity is amazing.
Fealty is the kind of story that gets you thinking. Vampires in politics? 1900s European politics at that? There's so many levels to this novel that you just have to read it. It's niche and interesting. Beautiful, flawed and dynamic characters. lovers on opposite ends of the political spectrum, cults, intrigue, daddy kink. Just go read it.
Also illustrations!!! Read it. See the art.

[Elias Eells · Rating 5 out of 5]

Delightfully gothic with a heavy hit of dark fruit.

I say more here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GrSOR...

[Gabby · Rating 3 out of 5]

*3.25 Stars*

[・❥・ neve &#x1f331;]

dnf 5%

[Yuuto · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.7

This…was a weird one. Like good weird. Creepy weird. Bloody, toxic, messy weird.

[Kelaruj · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book, enjoyed it a lot. I've been really frustrated with romance stories I can't relate with, and this hits everything I was looking for.