Thirst: A Once Upon a Midnight Novel

by Morrigan Vale

Sable is a struggling artist drowning in debt. When her father steals from the infamous Prince Dorian, she offers herself as collateral. Now whisked away to her new home, called The Manor, she finds herself trapped among blood-drinking nobility. She expects violence, but what she finds is a Prince more haunted than monstrous.

Thirst is a vampire Beauty and the Beast retelling that has a HEA. Please heed the warnings, as the content inside could be potentially triggering for some.

195 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 3, 2025

About the author

Morrigan Vale is an indie supernatural romance author with a deep love for horror, morally gray characters, and all things shadowed and strange. A stay-at-home mom of two and proud pack leader to a house full of fur-babies, she balances chaos and creativity to passionately craft stories. When she's not writing tortured heroes and twisted romances, she's likely wrangling kids, sipping energy drinks, or plotting her next dark tale.

Reviews

[Roxy Hart · Rating 5 out of 5]

OKAY STAAAAHP!
This book was EVERYTHIIIING! Beauty & The Beast is my faaav Disney princess story & for some reasonn it is so hard to find a retelling done right.
BUT THIS RIGHT HERE!
This is how you do itt! I laughed, cried, got mad, and might of needed to use "Bobby" a few times!
It was incredible!! I cannot wait to read the other fairytales that will be spun differently in this series!

[xmanicpixiebookgirlx · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although I really enjoyed the premise of this novel, I feel as though there are some fundamental flaws that could have been edited to make the story make a bit more sense. The main story following Prince Dorian fighting to be either a monster or savior just doesn't make sense. With a few changes I think I would have enjoyed this book better.

[María Theresa · Rating 4 out of 5]

the bickering of these two ❣️❣️
The beast is a vampire king and belle is struggling painter aching for something new. And them together? Completion.

[Rebekah Lynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ok this book I got to beta read, and it is absolutely amazing!! Beauty and the beast but instead of a beast make it a vampire!!! Loved every minute of this book

[Geri • GardensandGrimoires · Rating 3 out of 5]

A gothic Beauty and the Beast retelling where the Beast is a vampire king and Belle is a struggling painter. Sable, drowning in debt, offers herself as collateral when her father steals from Prince Dorian and is taken to The Manor, a home filled with blood-drinking nobility.

I loved the premise and the atmospheric vibes, and Dorian is far more haunted than monstrous, which made for some lovely moments. But the romance leaned a bit too insta-love for me, and I wished for more build-up before the spice - though that’s hard to deliver in a 200-page story.

Still, it’s an enjoyable, quick romp with a fun gothic twist.