The Chronicles of Viktor Valentine #2: What Lurks in the Shadows

The Chronicles of Viktor Valentine #2

by Z Brewer

New York Times bestselling author Z Brewer returns to the tiny town of Nowhere, where Viktor Valentine is facing down the world’s most dangerous dinner invitation from the mother of all vampires…literally!

Viktor Valentine wishes that his biggest issue was getting his hands on an autographed copy of the new Screaming Meemies album. Instead, he’s in trouble at school, Alys isn’t talking to him, Damon is hanging out with Viktor’s mortal enemy, and his dad won’t stop telling terrible jokes.

Oh, and Lilith, the dangerously powerful mother of vampirekind, is looking for him.

As if all that isn’t bad enough, Viktor received a special invitation from Lilith. He definitely doesn’t want to accept, especially since the more he learns about vampires, the more danger he finds himself in. There’s also the matter of his unique abilities, which no one is willing to give him a clear answer on. Is there anyone in Nowhere who Viktor can trust to tell him the truth?

 

Genres: Fantasy

288 pages, Hardcover

Published October 7, 2025

About the author

Z Brewer is the NYT bestselling author of The Chronicles of Vladimir Tod series, as well as The Slayer Chronicles series, Soulbound, The Cemetery Boys, The Blood Between Us, Madness, and more short stories than they can recall. Their pronouns are they/them. When not making readers cry because they killed off a character they loved, Z is an anti-bullying and mental health advocate. Plus, they have awesome hair.

Z lives in Southern Illinois with a husband person, one child person, and three furry overlords that some people refer to as “cats”.

Z is represented by Michael Bourret of Dystel, Goderich & Bourret Literary Management.

Reviews

[Ricky · Rating 5 out of 5]

If I remember correctly, Pibling Z announced this series with only two books to start, but reading this quick little all-ages thriller makes it clear that there has to be at least one more to resolve certain cliffhangers. As a loyal Z Brewer Minion Horde reader almost all the way back to the beginning of their career, this book gave me flashbacks to the original Chronicles of Vladimir Tod something fierce, with Viktor having to deal with not only friendship drama with Damon, but Alys as well. Not to mention Joss McMillan being back in the picture to train Alys as a Slayer, October still refusing to speak to Joss even though she's married to his cousin Henry...and, of course, Lilith being Lilith and lurking on the periphery with her unknowable, mysterious schemes. And it happens that I read this book on the same evening when I cracked open a bottle of Sprite Vanilla Frost, so similarly named to the Prairie Frost which Viktor drinks at times in this book. While I didn't get to read this one at Halloween (due in large part to my having moved in October of this year), hopefully if Book 3 comes along at Halloween next year, I'll be able to properly read it during that season...

[Lisa Davidson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I haven't read the first one yet but this was a fun story. I took a DNA test as an adult and got some surprises, but Viktor is a kid dealing with the discovery that he was adopted by vampires.
Viktor lives in a town that feels real and has some friend drama, but is also dealing with big supernatural drama. The balance of these felt just right, and I was rooting for Viktor.
The narration is great and I had fun listening to this-- big thanks to NetGalley.

[Maggie Schmidt · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the first one a lot more