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Teeth #1
Teeth: The First Bite
“We cannot be merely carnivores. We must be cannibals.”
Medical student Thomas wakes up in a blood-drenched basement room, with no memory of how or why he got there.
Spencer has the answers, and now he must train Thomas to follow the rules of being a vampire – under the watchful gaze of his own mentor.
But how will Thomas practice medicine when the smell of blood turns him into a vicious killer?
Can Spencer teach Thomas to master his new powers, before he’s turned from predator into prey?
Teeth: The First Bite is the first book in the Teeth series.
Medical student Thomas wakes up in a blood-drenched basement room, with no memory of how or why he got there.
Spencer has the answers, and now he must train Thomas to follow the rules of being a vampire – under the watchful gaze of his own mentor.
But how will Thomas practice medicine when the smell of blood turns him into a vicious killer?
Can Spencer teach Thomas to master his new powers, before he’s turned from predator into prey?
Teeth: The First Bite is the first book in the Teeth series.
208 pages, Paperback
First published January 8, 2015
64 people are currently reading
827 people want to read
About the author
Chele Cooke
15 books77 followersChele Cooke is an Urban Fantasy and Science Fiction author living in London, UK.
Chele has been publishing since 2013, creating unique worlds and diverse characters in both Urban Fantasy and Science Fiction. Her stories are often gritty, occasionally funny, and always include complex, emotionally-driven characters.
Away from writing, Chele has a number of other hobbies and obsessions, mostly revolving around craft projects. She cross stitches, etches glass, plays with resin creations, and creates vinyl patterns for clothing.
Chele is, at heart, a geek. She has a great fondness for anything that will tell her a good story, whether it's film or tv, theatre, books, or even video games.
If you'd like updates on the Chele's books, first looks at new works, cover and blurb releases, sneak peaks at early chapters, and deeper character and world information, you can join Chele's mailing list at www.chelecooke.com
Chele has been publishing since 2013, creating unique worlds and diverse characters in both Urban Fantasy and Science Fiction. Her stories are often gritty, occasionally funny, and always include complex, emotionally-driven characters.
Away from writing, Chele has a number of other hobbies and obsessions, mostly revolving around craft projects. She cross stitches, etches glass, plays with resin creations, and creates vinyl patterns for clothing.
Chele is, at heart, a geek. She has a great fondness for anything that will tell her a good story, whether it's film or tv, theatre, books, or even video games.
If you'd like updates on the Chele's books, first looks at new works, cover and blurb releases, sneak peaks at early chapters, and deeper character and world information, you can join Chele's mailing list at www.chelecooke.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 56 reviews
July 14, 2016
http://angelerin.blogspot.com/2016/07...
Thank you to Story Cartel for providing an ebook copy of Teeth: The First Bite By: Chele Cooke in exchange for an honest review!
I saw Teeth mentioned by Kristen on her blog Metaphors and Moonlight and I just had to read it too! Since I love vampire stories I wanted to give this novella a try, even though I'm not really a novella fan.
#VampiresForever
Teeth is a dark novella, this is not a story about romanticized emo vampires. I really like how the story started off. Right away it was bloody and that caught my attention. I couldn't wait to see what would happen. I love when a story grabs you right away like that! This may be a short read, but it's definitely interesting.
#WellThatCaughtMyAttention
Basically this story starts off about the turning and training of a new vampire named Thomas. I like Thomas okay, but I prefer Spencer and William's characters. That may be because they ended up more of a focal point than Thomas. Spencer is definitely the most developed character in the story, but I was expecting there to be more about Thomas. I feel like the story is missing some more background about Thomas here. I'm still feeling a little confused as to who this story is supposed to be about. Thomas? Spencer? Both? Neither?
#WaitIsThisStoryAboutThomasOrSpencer?
Overall Teeth: The First Bite is a dark and bloody novella. I love vampire stories and this is a pretty good one. While I really enjoyed this one, I am not certain if I'll continue the series or not. Something was introduced at the very end of Teeth and I can't say I'm happy about it. Not that it's bad, just not where I want the story to go. I can't say more because I don't want to say any spoilers of course.
#NotSureILikeWhereThisIsGoing
I recommend Teeth to fans of True Blood, Dracula, and vampire novellas in general. I also recommend Teeth to anyone who has recently been turned into a vampire and would like to read a fictional account of someone else's change. The beginning of the story alone is worth giving this one a shot! It's going to stick with me, that's for sure.
#ForMyFellowBloodSuckingFiends
#IMeanFriends
#WaitIDoMeanFiends
February 28, 2015
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TEN Winners - International
Move over fluffy vamps who sparkle, step back dark denizens of the night, Chele Cooke is out to make her “mark” in the paranormal world with Teeth. Remember back in the day, when you woke up after partying a little too hardy? Did you find yourself in a strange bed? (Hey, I’m not going to tell.) That is exactly what happened to one medical student/party boy, but what he woke up to made his worst nightmare seem like a trip to Disney. Blood, blood, and the body the blood was coming from and it smelled good? How barbaric! For Thomas, it was the end of his medical career and the beginning of his life as a vampire. Is he ready to give up everything he ever knew for something he didn’t want or will he adjust and learn the “rules” of Vampire 101?
Spencer is assigned to teach Thomas the ropes and August is the dark one, the one everyone goes to for leadership, although officially he is the enforcer, the one who does Charles’ bidding, who assures the nasty business of all things ‘vampire’ get taken care of, no matter how gruesome.
Told for the most part from the perspectives of Thomas, Spencer and August, this tale is splattered with some violence, blood and gore told in graphic detail. I shuddered more than once, not because it was too much, but because it was well done.
There is a secret agenda and it concerns the ancient leader, Charles, is he still leader material? Has someone been biding their time to overthrow the regime?
Thank you Chele Cooke for your wicked sense of humor and your ability to paint a fresh, if gritty take on the paranormal world. For a while now, vamps have lived in the past, thanks to Ms. Cooke, we have the 21st century version to forward to in her new series. Deceit, danger and loyalties still get top billing, but that little touch of romance softened the edges while the attitudes and dialogue dripped with magnetic charisma. Dress for danger, cover your necks, grab your silver, we going out tonight to the darkest side of town with Chele Cooke’s Teeth. Catchy title, eh?
I received a review copy from the author in exchange for my honest review.
Series: Teeth - Book 1
Publication Date: January 8, 2015
Publisher: Chele Cooke
Genre: Paranormal Fantasy
Print Length: 157 pages
Available from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
Reviewed for: http://tometender.blogspot.com
TEN Winners - International
Move over fluffy vamps who sparkle, step back dark denizens of the night, Chele Cooke is out to make her “mark” in the paranormal world with Teeth. Remember back in the day, when you woke up after partying a little too hardy? Did you find yourself in a strange bed? (Hey, I’m not going to tell.) That is exactly what happened to one medical student/party boy, but what he woke up to made his worst nightmare seem like a trip to Disney. Blood, blood, and the body the blood was coming from and it smelled good? How barbaric! For Thomas, it was the end of his medical career and the beginning of his life as a vampire. Is he ready to give up everything he ever knew for something he didn’t want or will he adjust and learn the “rules” of Vampire 101?
Spencer is assigned to teach Thomas the ropes and August is the dark one, the one everyone goes to for leadership, although officially he is the enforcer, the one who does Charles’ bidding, who assures the nasty business of all things ‘vampire’ get taken care of, no matter how gruesome.
Told for the most part from the perspectives of Thomas, Spencer and August, this tale is splattered with some violence, blood and gore told in graphic detail. I shuddered more than once, not because it was too much, but because it was well done.
There is a secret agenda and it concerns the ancient leader, Charles, is he still leader material? Has someone been biding their time to overthrow the regime?
Thank you Chele Cooke for your wicked sense of humor and your ability to paint a fresh, if gritty take on the paranormal world. For a while now, vamps have lived in the past, thanks to Ms. Cooke, we have the 21st century version to forward to in her new series. Deceit, danger and loyalties still get top billing, but that little touch of romance softened the edges while the attitudes and dialogue dripped with magnetic charisma. Dress for danger, cover your necks, grab your silver, we going out tonight to the darkest side of town with Chele Cooke’s Teeth. Catchy title, eh?
I received a review copy from the author in exchange for my honest review.
Series: Teeth - Book 1
Publication Date: January 8, 2015
Publisher: Chele Cooke
Genre: Paranormal Fantasy
Print Length: 157 pages
Available from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
Reviewed for: http://tometender.blogspot.com
December 31, 2014
I received a e-version of this novel from the author in exchange for an honest review.
Review contains spoilers.
I am a vampire novel junkie, but, also, alas, a very picky junkie. So while I've read many versions of my favorite beasties, I've found very few that, pardon the pun, quench my thirst (actually dont pardon the pun. its hilarious).
Teeth, came closer than anything since Dracula (I grew up with the good Count. its like getting a taste for fine wine and than only drinking beer. its hard to satisfy yourself).
Since the opening, I was spell bound, pulled in by the initial wondering over what the heck was going on.
Ms. Cooke's ability to craft a story that keeps you spell bound and pulled along by her attention to detail is awe inspiring and, I speak as a fellow author, more than a bit enviable.
However, there were a lot of times I felt pulled down by details, and things became a bit of a blur to me as I mindlessly ambled along. And then at other times, I craved more detail, something to really sink my teeth into (and, I will note, every single one of those places where I wanted more involved August and Spencer, and thats just me being...a girl).
It was a quick read, at only 157 pages, but I believe it could have probably been extended so as to not make a reader feel like they were on a very fast roller coaster, unable to enjoy themselves before realizing it was all over.
Things often felt rushed, squashed together to fit a time restraint, and (spoiler ahead) Charles death did not impact me at all, as we only had one scene with him before he was removed. I didn't understand the gravity of what August had done in killing Charles until the last few paragraphs, and the existence of Werewolves were not even hinted at, leaving me a bit like Spencer in, "there are Werewolves?"
In a whole, while it was a fun read, it wasn't much more than that. You don't eat a cupcake to feel filled and you don't read Teeth unless you want a quick thrill.
Paige unsettled me, as her character seemed to do a quick 180 turn about once she was turned, and while I suppose that could be chalked up to being a vampire now, it was a bit unsettling.
Thomas' background was not gone into at all, besides the fact that he was a medical intern. We know nothing about him, and how he resolves tying his profession with his specie was left a loose end.
despite starting out with Thomas, he seemed more like a side show to distract from August and Spencer's flame.
But before I end this long winded review, I have to include something that William was amazing. I couldn't get enough of that 'pit bull' of a vampire. And I certainly hope there is more of him in the sequel.
I would like to extend my thanks to Chele Cooke for allowing me to review this ARC, and I hope my review is not to abrasive, as I really did enjoy reading her book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
freebie-to-read
July 21, 2017
March 7, 2016
I received a pre-release digital copy of Teeth in exchange for an honest review. This review will come in two parts, spoiler-free and with spoilers!
SPOILER-FREE
Chele Cooke has a clean and fresh writing style that I enjoyed, so this was a fun and fast read.
I liked all the characters and the ways they interacted. These are modern, sarcastic vampires, and I love that. In a way, there are two protagonists to the story, though by the end I felt more drawn to one over the other. In the beginning that split focus was a little confusing, but it doesn't take long to get acclimated.
Cooke introduces a theory on vampires that I haven't heard/read before, but she also relies on a few of the old vampire cliches without offering much explanation. I wish she had expanded on her idea and ran with it, but it didn't destroy the story for me.
If you're looking for a modern vampire book to offset the overload of terrible or less-than-satisfactory series (I'm looking at you Twilight and True Blood, respectively), you should read this. I'll be reading more of Cooke's work in the future.
SPOILERS BEYOND THIS POINT, YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED
I LOVE how this book opened. It was very "vampires meet Saw" for me, which was fantastic.
I mentioned before that I loved the characters, and I truly did, just about every single one, the exception being Charles (I think the audience wasn't supposed to like him, though I have reasons beyond the fact that he was the antagonist which I will get to).
Initially I was wondering who the real protagonist was, Thomas or Spencer, but by the end I felt that it was more Spencer's story than Thomas'. He grew more, in my opinion.
I wish that Thomas and Paige had had more of a relationship prior to Thomas being turned. It may have made their plight more harrowing or believable, I think. They weren't strangers, but they seemed very little more than that.
I love that Paige has two daddies. I love it any time vampires co-sire. I suppose I'm a romantic.
William was fantastic and entertaining, and I loved the cool-and-collected persona that August had (it made it all the more satisfying when he finally started freaking out over Spencer). The "pitbull" line had me rolling.
My issue with Charles was that he was a standard old vampire antagonist. Even real-life history plays out like that: "We have an old senile/weak king that won't listen to us. Let's kill him so we can do what we want!" It would have been great if he were scarier or more original, but I think the other characters carried this well enough.
I liked the idea that vampires were basically a more in-tune version of humans (more brain usage/capacity). I would have liked to have seen that played out more or used to explain why they were still so sun-sensitive or had to feed on blood, but, well, these are vampires so I shouldn't complain too much.
Okay, so, at the end, I have to admit I rolled my eyes when werewolves were introduced. I can't help it, but I totally understand why Cooke put them there. I was hoping for an all-vampire war maybe, but, you know, everyone has their preferences.
Overall, this was a fun read!
SPOILER-FREE
Chele Cooke has a clean and fresh writing style that I enjoyed, so this was a fun and fast read.
I liked all the characters and the ways they interacted. These are modern, sarcastic vampires, and I love that. In a way, there are two protagonists to the story, though by the end I felt more drawn to one over the other. In the beginning that split focus was a little confusing, but it doesn't take long to get acclimated.
Cooke introduces a theory on vampires that I haven't heard/read before, but she also relies on a few of the old vampire cliches without offering much explanation. I wish she had expanded on her idea and ran with it, but it didn't destroy the story for me.
If you're looking for a modern vampire book to offset the overload of terrible or less-than-satisfactory series (I'm looking at you Twilight and True Blood, respectively), you should read this. I'll be reading more of Cooke's work in the future.
SPOILERS BEYOND THIS POINT, YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED
I LOVE how this book opened. It was very "vampires meet Saw" for me, which was fantastic.
I mentioned before that I loved the characters, and I truly did, just about every single one, the exception being Charles (I think the audience wasn't supposed to like him, though I have reasons beyond the fact that he was the antagonist which I will get to).
Initially I was wondering who the real protagonist was, Thomas or Spencer, but by the end I felt that it was more Spencer's story than Thomas'. He grew more, in my opinion.
I wish that Thomas and Paige had had more of a relationship prior to Thomas being turned. It may have made their plight more harrowing or believable, I think. They weren't strangers, but they seemed very little more than that.
I love that Paige has two daddies. I love it any time vampires co-sire. I suppose I'm a romantic.
William was fantastic and entertaining, and I loved the cool-and-collected persona that August had (it made it all the more satisfying when he finally started freaking out over Spencer). The "pitbull" line had me rolling.
My issue with Charles was that he was a standard old vampire antagonist. Even real-life history plays out like that: "We have an old senile/weak king that won't listen to us. Let's kill him so we can do what we want!" It would have been great if he were scarier or more original, but I think the other characters carried this well enough.
I liked the idea that vampires were basically a more in-tune version of humans (more brain usage/capacity). I would have liked to have seen that played out more or used to explain why they were still so sun-sensitive or had to feed on blood, but, well, these are vampires so I shouldn't complain too much.
Okay, so, at the end, I have to admit I rolled my eyes when werewolves were introduced. I can't help it, but I totally understand why Cooke put them there. I was hoping for an all-vampire war maybe, but, you know, everyone has their preferences.
Overall, this was a fun read!
March 28, 2018
I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley
Apparently I am majorly in the minority here, but I was just bored out of my mind while reading this. It was well written and edited [which is why it gets 2 stars] but I found all the characters to be incredibly two-dimensional and the plot was just the same old cliched vampire stuff we've all read a thousand times before. I was looking forward to seeing how the main character would handle being a vampire and a med student but that wasn't really touched on AT ALL, just another vampire telling him he should quit and then tabling the entire issue [I assume] for future books. That would have been an actual interesting and unique storyline but instead we get the same 'baby vampire learning the ropes' and 'super old vampire coven with ridiculous rules' and 'creepy maker/fledgling bond' stuff that we have to slog through every time anyone in fiction becomes a vampire. I guess if you don't read a lot of stuff with vampires it might be kind of interesting, but I just couldn't get into it.
Apparently I am majorly in the minority here, but I was just bored out of my mind while reading this. It was well written and edited [which is why it gets 2 stars] but I found all the characters to be incredibly two-dimensional and the plot was just the same old cliched vampire stuff we've all read a thousand times before. I was looking forward to seeing how the main character would handle being a vampire and a med student but that wasn't really touched on AT ALL, just another vampire telling him he should quit and then tabling the entire issue [I assume] for future books. That would have been an actual interesting and unique storyline but instead we get the same 'baby vampire learning the ropes' and 'super old vampire coven with ridiculous rules' and 'creepy maker/fledgling bond' stuff that we have to slog through every time anyone in fiction becomes a vampire. I guess if you don't read a lot of stuff with vampires it might be kind of interesting, but I just couldn't get into it.
August 23, 2019
This is another darker take on vampires. The characters worked well together and you got a good sense of the world. I like the way that you have the serious vampires (the laws are there for a reason) and those that break the rules, some on purpose some by accident. The first chapter or so was very unique and although you don't really get any back story or build up it grabs your attention.
July 9, 2019
3.5 Stars
Review:
*I received a free ecopy of this book via Story Cartel. This has not influenced my review.*
First of all, the blurb as of the date I’m writing this really doesn’t do a good job of describing this book. There was like one sentence about Thomas being in med school, and there was nothing about him becoming prey. Actually, this book wasn’t even really about Thomas period. It was about the inner struggles of three vampires with the most focus on Spencer and his feelings for August and a side focus on Thomas coming to terms with turning and August grieving the loss of someone he cared about.
Second, I’m a sucker for vampire books (I swear I didn’t mean to make that pun, but it’s so perfect that I’m sticking with it), and this one had me hooked from page one.
From there the book continued to draw me in because these vampires were the perfect blend of predatory and sexy, and they also broke a lot of the more frustrating cliches.
For one thing, I love reading books about newborn and baby vamps, which Thomas was, but never before had I read about a vampire actually learning how to feed. It's probably twisted to laugh at a scene in which an innocent person dies, but it was just way too funny seeing Thomas miss the artery a bunch of times and then maul the guy's neck. I loved it.
I also loved the way the vampires took Thomas in and taught him. It seems like in so many books, the vampires have tragic backstories about their makers, or they were left alone and confused, or the vampire who takes them in is just a jerk.
Another great thing was that the vampires actually had jobs working from home, designing websites, running tech support, etc. rather than being inexplicably loaded.
One of the best things about the book though was the potential depth and emotion. It seemed like we really only scratched the surface, but the depth and emotion was definitely there underneath which makes me think that even though this book didn't make me too emotional, future books might.
The other best thing was the complexity of the relationships, both romantic and familial-esque. The characters also seemed to all be complex, and I'm interested to see how these relationships will continue to grow or change.
My only real issues were the "love" between Thomas and Paige, since it seemed like they hardly knew each other, and the lack of goal in the plot. But honestly I was more invested in August and Spencer than Thomas anyway, and the lack of goal didn't make the book any less gripping for me.
But here's the thing. I was originally all set to give this book a solid 4 stars for all of the above reasons and was so excited to have found a new series that seemed like one I could really get into. Then I got to the end and found out the next book is going to be about different characters. That would be ok if I had gotten a full, satisfying story, but it ended in the middle of relationship struggles and other interesting unexplored things and therefore seemed incomplete. I felt like I was just starting to get to know Thomas's, August's, and Spencer's stories only to suddenly be told no, I can't have anymore.
I contacted the author and found out they will be secondary characters in Book 2 and August and Spencer will be back as POV characters in Book 3, so there's hope for the series at least, but I'm still disappointed I might miss all the emotions and relationship stuff that will take place between them in Book 2.
Overall, this book was a lovely mix of emotion, humor, and vampires, but until I see how the rest of the series goes, I'm not sure how I feel and might have to adjust my rating and review accordingly once the series is complete.
Recommended For:
Anyone who likes vampires who break tropes, werewolves with a very predatory side, complex characters and relationships, and many POV characters.
Original Review @ Metaphors and Moonlight
Review:
*I received a free ecopy of this book via Story Cartel. This has not influenced my review.*
First of all, the blurb as of the date I’m writing this really doesn’t do a good job of describing this book. There was like one sentence about Thomas being in med school, and there was nothing about him becoming prey. Actually, this book wasn’t even really about Thomas period. It was about the inner struggles of three vampires with the most focus on Spencer and his feelings for August and a side focus on Thomas coming to terms with turning and August grieving the loss of someone he cared about.
Second, I’m a sucker for vampire books (I swear I didn’t mean to make that pun, but it’s so perfect that I’m sticking with it), and this one had me hooked from page one.
Thomas opened his eyes.
Then he began screaming.
From there the book continued to draw me in because these vampires were the perfect blend of predatory and sexy, and they also broke a lot of the more frustrating cliches.
For one thing, I love reading books about newborn and baby vamps, which Thomas was, but never before had I read about a vampire actually learning how to feed. It's probably twisted to laugh at a scene in which an innocent person dies, but it was just way too funny seeing Thomas miss the artery a bunch of times and then maul the guy's neck. I loved it.
I also loved the way the vampires took Thomas in and taught him. It seems like in so many books, the vampires have tragic backstories about their makers, or they were left alone and confused, or the vampire who takes them in is just a jerk.
Another great thing was that the vampires actually had jobs working from home, designing websites, running tech support, etc. rather than being inexplicably loaded.
One of the best things about the book though was the potential depth and emotion. It seemed like we really only scratched the surface, but the depth and emotion was definitely there underneath which makes me think that even though this book didn't make me too emotional, future books might.
The other best thing was the complexity of the relationships, both romantic and familial-esque. The characters also seemed to all be complex, and I'm interested to see how these relationships will continue to grow or change.
My only real issues were the "love" between Thomas and Paige, since it seemed like they hardly knew each other, and the lack of goal in the plot. But honestly I was more invested in August and Spencer than Thomas anyway, and the lack of goal didn't make the book any less gripping for me.
But here's the thing. I was originally all set to give this book a solid 4 stars for all of the above reasons and was so excited to have found a new series that seemed like one I could really get into. Then I got to the end and found out the next book is going to be about different characters. That would be ok if I had gotten a full, satisfying story, but it ended in the middle of relationship struggles and other interesting unexplored things and therefore seemed incomplete. I felt like I was just starting to get to know Thomas's, August's, and Spencer's stories only to suddenly be told no, I can't have anymore.
I contacted the author and found out they will be secondary characters in Book 2 and August and Spencer will be back as POV characters in Book 3, so there's hope for the series at least, but I'm still disappointed I might miss all the emotions and relationship stuff that will take place between them in Book 2.
Overall, this book was a lovely mix of emotion, humor, and vampires, but until I see how the rest of the series goes, I'm not sure how I feel and might have to adjust my rating and review accordingly once the series is complete.
Recommended For:
Anyone who likes vampires who break tropes, werewolves with a very predatory side, complex characters and relationships, and many POV characters.
Original Review @ Metaphors and Moonlight
January 15, 2015
Note: I received this book as a free ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review.
I've never received a free ARC before, so I found the challenge of reading a book for reviewing (and not my usual "Full review to come" shenanigans) to be fun. Chele Cooke's writing is clever, fast-paced, and sophisticated without being rigidly dull. There were some parts where I stumbled a little due to the quick pace and the time crunch of the narrative, but any sort of questions that I had about Cooke's brand of vampiric siring was answered by the end.
I've read vampire books in the past but they were mostly YA-orientated: Vampire Academy, Twilight, etc. When it comes down to supernatural creatures I favour werewolves over vampires, but this was a nice new read for 2015.
The characters were morally grey at best, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. The older vampires have a system that's carefully made up of rules about turning, siring, and consent (for the most part). On the other hand, there are vampires who will find loopholes in order to gain power and collect allies to further their own goals. My favourite character was Spencer, a vampire who's been part of the nightly charade for a while now (nearly six years) but is still too young to know and accept all of the rules that comes along with vampirism. His relationship was August was fun to read about because they're not perfect people. They still have misunderstandings and get angry with each other's actions.
On the other hand, we have Thomas. He was my least favourite part of the book. He's the new guy, the audience surrogate who's confused about the new world that he's been thrust into. He should be easy to sympathize with but I just found him boring and predictable. He'd be more interesting if he cared more about that medical internship, because then he'd have to learn how to deal with smelling blood constantly during his future career. Instead he pines over some girl at a coffee shop that he's too stupid to ask out (and hopefully get rejected by) and . He calls the dead woman beautiful (aka sexualizing a corpse!) and fucks up so much in his first three days that I'm surprised that somebody didn't shove a stake through his heart! If I was the leader of a band of vampires masquerading in a human world I would NOT want this guy around.
Anyway, Cooke's novel is less than 200 pages, so it's a quick read that ends on a cliffhanger. I just hope that we don't have to wait a full year in order to see a continuation of this series.
Book #1 of the 2015 Reading Challenge.
I've never received a free ARC before, so I found the challenge of reading a book for reviewing (and not my usual "Full review to come" shenanigans) to be fun. Chele Cooke's writing is clever, fast-paced, and sophisticated without being rigidly dull. There were some parts where I stumbled a little due to the quick pace and the time crunch of the narrative, but any sort of questions that I had about Cooke's brand of vampiric siring was answered by the end.
I've read vampire books in the past but they were mostly YA-orientated: Vampire Academy, Twilight, etc. When it comes down to supernatural creatures I favour werewolves over vampires, but this was a nice new read for 2015.
“She turned you. Your body is dying. You can stop it, but only if you drink.”
“You’re...”
“Lying? No.”
“Crazy!”
“Perhaps, but that doesn’t stop me from being right.”
The characters were morally grey at best, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. The older vampires have a system that's carefully made up of rules about turning, siring, and consent (for the most part). On the other hand, there are vampires who will find loopholes in order to gain power and collect allies to further their own goals. My favourite character was Spencer, a vampire who's been part of the nightly charade for a while now (nearly six years) but is still too young to know and accept all of the rules that comes along with vampirism. His relationship was August was fun to read about because they're not perfect people. They still have misunderstandings and get angry with each other's actions.
On the other hand, we have Thomas. He was my least favourite part of the book. He's the new guy, the audience surrogate who's confused about the new world that he's been thrust into. He should be easy to sympathize with but I just found him boring and predictable. He'd be more interesting if he cared more about that medical internship, because then he'd have to learn how to deal with smelling blood constantly during his future career. Instead he pines over some girl at a coffee shop that he's too stupid to ask out (and hopefully get rejected by) and . He calls the dead woman beautiful (aka sexualizing a corpse!) and fucks up so much in his first three days that I'm surprised that somebody didn't shove a stake through his heart! If I was the leader of a band of vampires masquerading in a human world I would NOT want this guy around.
Anyway, Cooke's novel is less than 200 pages, so it's a quick read that ends on a cliffhanger. I just hope that we don't have to wait a full year in order to see a continuation of this series.
Book #1 of the 2015 Reading Challenge.
November 1, 2015
This post was originally posted on www.talesofyesterday.co.uk
Wow! I love a good vampire book but Chele Cooke took the whole idea of vampires and their world to another level! I really enjoyed Teeth so much!
Teeth begins with intern Thomas, a medical intern, waking up in a mysterious room in rather horrific circumstances which includes a lot of blood! This opening really sets the pace and tone of what is to come for the rest of the book. Why is he there? What has happened to him? What follows is we get a look into the lives of Spencer and August who have been vampires for many years living in a community that have too obide by the rules or pay the pay the ultimate price!
What I loved about this read was the fresh, modern setting of the world that Chele creates and also the detail which really gets you into the mind set, senses and feelings of a vampire.
One scene I particularly liked was vampires August and William who amongst all the rules and grief they were going through over something that happens in the book and pure hate for each other grief brings them to work together and be civil. The relationships in the book were really interesting and I loved the whole idea of Sire bonds where you have a bind to your creator but you are not meant to know or acknowledge this bond.
The characters in the book came across exactly how the needed to and that is down to Chele Cookes writing style....I am actually wondering if she is an actual vampire herself as she knew SO much in so much detail *runs away scared* :-)
This read is a short but gritty, dark, gruesome and very different from your usual vampire story but that's what made it so refreshing to read.
I'm looking forward to the second book and where Chele will take us next!
For more reviews and more please visit www.talesofyesterday.co.uk
Wow! I love a good vampire book but Chele Cooke took the whole idea of vampires and their world to another level! I really enjoyed Teeth so much!
Teeth begins with intern Thomas, a medical intern, waking up in a mysterious room in rather horrific circumstances which includes a lot of blood! This opening really sets the pace and tone of what is to come for the rest of the book. Why is he there? What has happened to him? What follows is we get a look into the lives of Spencer and August who have been vampires for many years living in a community that have too obide by the rules or pay the pay the ultimate price!
What I loved about this read was the fresh, modern setting of the world that Chele creates and also the detail which really gets you into the mind set, senses and feelings of a vampire.
One scene I particularly liked was vampires August and William who amongst all the rules and grief they were going through over something that happens in the book and pure hate for each other grief brings them to work together and be civil. The relationships in the book were really interesting and I loved the whole idea of Sire bonds where you have a bind to your creator but you are not meant to know or acknowledge this bond.
The characters in the book came across exactly how the needed to and that is down to Chele Cookes writing style....I am actually wondering if she is an actual vampire herself as she knew SO much in so much detail *runs away scared* :-)
This read is a short but gritty, dark, gruesome and very different from your usual vampire story but that's what made it so refreshing to read.
I'm looking forward to the second book and where Chele will take us next!
For more reviews and more please visit www.talesofyesterday.co.uk
December 26, 2014
Received an advance epub copy from Chele Cooke, in exchange for an honest review.
I actually really liked this book.
It had all the things I was expecting: sexy vampires, insatiable hunger for blood, and anxious new vamps.
There were also quite a few things that I didn't expect, but I wouldn't want to ruin the book for anyone so I'll keep those things a secret ;)
This book starts off very nicely, I was easily hooked in. But, for some reason, the writing style tripped me up a bit once I got towards the middle. I think I kind of felt like some parts of the story didn't add up, or were under-developed. Nevertheless, I loved it, and it was a fast read. Admittedly, towards the last half is where the action really picks up and the writing becomes more easily followed (perhaps because I was used to the style by then).
The storyline itself was amazing, and even simple things-such as how a vampire is turned, and how the vampires run themselves-are unique. This book brought a lot of new ideas about the "world of vampires" to the table, and I really enjoyed it.
There are some beautiful moments in the story, writing wise, that made me forget all about my first struggles when I started reading, so that helped.
To sum things up, this book is a quick read, putting some unique spins on vampires that I've never seen before, and that I liked. There are a few slow pages, but the storyline kept me going enough that I can say I'm excited to read the next one. Awesome, overall.
I actually really liked this book.
It had all the things I was expecting: sexy vampires, insatiable hunger for blood, and anxious new vamps.
There were also quite a few things that I didn't expect, but I wouldn't want to ruin the book for anyone so I'll keep those things a secret ;)
This book starts off very nicely, I was easily hooked in. But, for some reason, the writing style tripped me up a bit once I got towards the middle. I think I kind of felt like some parts of the story didn't add up, or were under-developed. Nevertheless, I loved it, and it was a fast read. Admittedly, towards the last half is where the action really picks up and the writing becomes more easily followed (perhaps because I was used to the style by then).
The storyline itself was amazing, and even simple things-such as how a vampire is turned, and how the vampires run themselves-are unique. This book brought a lot of new ideas about the "world of vampires" to the table, and I really enjoyed it.
There are some beautiful moments in the story, writing wise, that made me forget all about my first struggles when I started reading, so that helped.
To sum things up, this book is a quick read, putting some unique spins on vampires that I've never seen before, and that I liked. There are a few slow pages, but the storyline kept me going enough that I can say I'm excited to read the next one. Awesome, overall.
September 24, 2017
This is a 3.5 star read.
This was a great vampire read with just enough variance to keep it fresh and interesting. I love how the story is told from the three perspectives of Thomas, Spencer and August and it was quite surprising that the author did a magnificent job of dealing with the vagaries of living in a modern world for vampires.
Yep! They need jobs to pay the bills, they have to deal with "family planning", you have to go to vampire "school" and, of course, politics pervades most things. I'm glad the story didn't go down the whole romanticised path, or indeed the let's bonk everything that moves plotline.
One of the best lines is when Spencer says at the end, "There are werewolves???" I appreciated this more visceral version of the vampire folklore, and yet it wasn't too gory. All round recommended reading for fang aficionados.
This was a great vampire read with just enough variance to keep it fresh and interesting. I love how the story is told from the three perspectives of Thomas, Spencer and August and it was quite surprising that the author did a magnificent job of dealing with the vagaries of living in a modern world for vampires.
Yep! They need jobs to pay the bills, they have to deal with "family planning", you have to go to vampire "school" and, of course, politics pervades most things. I'm glad the story didn't go down the whole romanticised path, or indeed the let's bonk everything that moves plotline.
One of the best lines is when Spencer says at the end, "There are werewolves???" I appreciated this more visceral version of the vampire folklore, and yet it wasn't too gory. All round recommended reading for fang aficionados.
January 16, 2019
Teeth: The First Bite, is the first book in Chele Cooke's urban paranormal/fantasy series about vampires. The book is written in third-person and is from multiple characters points-of-view; namely newly turned vampire Thomas, an older cunning vampire named August, and the young vampire assigned to help Thomas learn how to be a vampire, Spencer. The book is well-written and the change in point-of-view is never jarring and only happens with changes in chapters. The flow of the story is such that it is easy to follow and confusion-free. The plot moves quickly enough to keep you interested, but not so fast that there is no character or plot development.
There was quite a bit of gore in this one, but nothing gratuitous, nothing you wouldn't expect from a novel about intelligent predators like vampires. And make no mistake, the vampires found here are definitely predators. No misunderstood reluctant vampires here, these vampires have no problem killing. Not to say that that's all they are, in fact, I found myself liking them, something that for me is very important in any story, because if I don't the characters then I don't care about what happens to them and therefore don't care about what happens at all. There were even several times I found myself grinning at something wickedly humorous.
I read this one fairly quickly and enjoyed myself the entire time. I will definitely be reading the next book soon.
There was quite a bit of gore in this one, but nothing gratuitous, nothing you wouldn't expect from a novel about intelligent predators like vampires. And make no mistake, the vampires found here are definitely predators. No misunderstood reluctant vampires here, these vampires have no problem killing. Not to say that that's all they are, in fact, I found myself liking them, something that for me is very important in any story, because if I don't the characters then I don't care about what happens to them and therefore don't care about what happens at all. There were even several times I found myself grinning at something wickedly humorous.
I read this one fairly quickly and enjoyed myself the entire time. I will definitely be reading the next book soon.
March 21, 2018
Felt no connection to the characters and some of the POV shifts were confusing at first. After failing to draw me in, I was just mostly bored. Only reason I finished it was because it was short. But even as I sat there with only one chapter to go, I didn't feel compelled to know what happened next. I actually went up to go do something else with less than 10 pages remaining. (OK, well that was because my break was over. But even at my next chance, I'm contemplating starting something else instead.)
February 5, 2015
I received an e-version of this novel from the author in exchange for an honest review.
I was very excited for this novel cause 1) Thomas is a medical student (so am I), 2) the novel’s title is Teeth (and I’m dental student), 3) who does’t love a good vampire story?
So I went to this book expecting all of this (though author did say there would be much more vampires and less medical-things). At first I thought I was too creepy (I would be scared in this situation). Imagine you wake up not in you room, blood is everywhere and next to you is a woman who is soon to die. Creepy, yes.
And from that we are learning smth about vampires. For me they were not typical at all and I’ve never thought what is the origin of some of theirs powers and disadvantages (f.e. why they can’t stand sunlight). So the concept and all the explanations for me where A+.
Overall, there were moments when I was asking myself should I continue reading and moment when I just cannot put the book down. Anyway, I’ve really enjoyed reading this book and very thankful for approving my request.
Next part of review will contain spoilers so be awere of that.
I was very excited for this novel cause 1) Thomas is a medical student (so am I), 2) the novel’s title is Teeth (and I’m dental student), 3) who does’t love a good vampire story?
So I went to this book expecting all of this (though author did say there would be much more vampires and less medical-things). At first I thought I was too creepy (I would be scared in this situation). Imagine you wake up not in you room, blood is everywhere and next to you is a woman who is soon to die. Creepy, yes.
And from that we are learning smth about vampires. For me they were not typical at all and I’ve never thought what is the origin of some of theirs powers and disadvantages (f.e. why they can’t stand sunlight). So the concept and all the explanations for me where A+.
Overall, there were moments when I was asking myself should I continue reading and moment when I just cannot put the book down. Anyway, I’ve really enjoyed reading this book and very thankful for approving my request.
Next part of review will contain spoilers so be awere of that.
April 14, 2016
Throughout 'Teeth', we follow three perspectives: Thomas, Spencer and August. Thomas is a newbie vampire, turned just before the start of the novel and learning to come to terms with his new paranormal life and what it means for his career as a medical intern. Spencer is a slightly older vampire, helping Thomas through the transformation and teaching him how to be a good vampire, and August is the oldest of the three of them, thought of as the leader of their coven, taking orders and reporting back to the oldest vampire of them all, Charles.
I have read a lot of multiple perspective books where I've been left with a flat feeling, because the characters have all been too similar, but that is not a problem at all in 'Teeth'. Chele Cooke has a talent with her writing style in that all of her characters feel completely fleshed out even after we've only been with them for a few pages, and that sucked me in. Too often, minor characters are bland, included as a literary device to force the story in a certain direction, but they all felt so real and I found myself feeling all sorts of emotions for these characters. Usually in shorter novels (this book is only 200 pages!) it's difficult to really get a feel for anything, to really get involved and sucked in, but it was all just so well described, the characterisation so complete, that it already felt as if I knew them.
'Teeth' is the first book in a series of I'm not sure how many books, and at times it does read like that - the novel is much more based on the emotional than on action, but that's refreshing in a vampire novel; too often they constantly revolve around epic showdowns and we don't get as much from the characters, so it was refreshing to get into the heads of the vampires more.
Read the rest of my review here!
I have read a lot of multiple perspective books where I've been left with a flat feeling, because the characters have all been too similar, but that is not a problem at all in 'Teeth'. Chele Cooke has a talent with her writing style in that all of her characters feel completely fleshed out even after we've only been with them for a few pages, and that sucked me in. Too often, minor characters are bland, included as a literary device to force the story in a certain direction, but they all felt so real and I found myself feeling all sorts of emotions for these characters. Usually in shorter novels (this book is only 200 pages!) it's difficult to really get a feel for anything, to really get involved and sucked in, but it was all just so well described, the characterisation so complete, that it already felt as if I knew them.
'Teeth' is the first book in a series of I'm not sure how many books, and at times it does read like that - the novel is much more based on the emotional than on action, but that's refreshing in a vampire novel; too often they constantly revolve around epic showdowns and we don't get as much from the characters, so it was refreshing to get into the heads of the vampires more.
Read the rest of my review here!
January 20, 2015
I was given a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
The book started out with a gruesome first scene to affirm that it is not another Twilight book. Thank you Chele Cooke! A refreshing change from the usual offerings out there.
Medical intern Thomas wakes up in a room to find a woman bleeding to death. As a newly turned vampire, he is to feed on her. He isn’t sure he can. Spencer must protect Thomas in his first few days as a vampire, to teach him how to live without sunlight. August is the vampire in charge of Spencer, but he’s hiding something. William is a vampire with less morals and more kills. Charles is the eldest vampire and watches over all of them. Then there’s Paige, the coffee house attendant with a soft spot for Thomas.
It starts out well and runs to a natural conclusion while setting up the story for the next part. A couple of things pulled me out of the story. First, there are quite a few voices in such a short novella. At the beginning of some chapters, I wasn’t entirely sure whose story I was reading until several pages in. Second, there were too many descriptive words for simple actions and I found myself skimming over sections. That’s possibly a personal taste thing and you might find that my distractions are not distractions for you.
All in all it’s another good read from this author.
The book started out with a gruesome first scene to affirm that it is not another Twilight book. Thank you Chele Cooke! A refreshing change from the usual offerings out there.
Medical intern Thomas wakes up in a room to find a woman bleeding to death. As a newly turned vampire, he is to feed on her. He isn’t sure he can. Spencer must protect Thomas in his first few days as a vampire, to teach him how to live without sunlight. August is the vampire in charge of Spencer, but he’s hiding something. William is a vampire with less morals and more kills. Charles is the eldest vampire and watches over all of them. Then there’s Paige, the coffee house attendant with a soft spot for Thomas.
It starts out well and runs to a natural conclusion while setting up the story for the next part. A couple of things pulled me out of the story. First, there are quite a few voices in such a short novella. At the beginning of some chapters, I wasn’t entirely sure whose story I was reading until several pages in. Second, there were too many descriptive words for simple actions and I found myself skimming over sections. That’s possibly a personal taste thing and you might find that my distractions are not distractions for you.
All in all it’s another good read from this author.
February 4, 2015
Teeth is the first instalment in a new paranormal series which focuses on vampires.
Following the freshly turned Thomas, the reader is introduced to the author's version of a world where vampires exist. These vampires kill their prey in order to survive, and they have one ultimate rule: they must never turn new vampires or they will be punished with ultimate death. The book contains some very bloody scenes, one right at the beginning, but it does not rely on them as the main ingredient. Instead, the story is very character-driven and I liked the differing attitudes the vampires showed about their way of un-life. While there was some romance involved, thankfully it was not the main focus of the plot but added just enough bite.
The only thing that bothered me was how easily the necessity to kill was accepted, and which was not fully explained. Also, with each kill I wondered how so many dead bodies could go unnoticed. But this can be considered as highly specific criticism and it did not really diminish my reading pleasure.
At the end the reader learns that there are not only vampires around, and the next part of the series will probably focus on some other creature of the night.
(I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review)
Following the freshly turned Thomas, the reader is introduced to the author's version of a world where vampires exist. These vampires kill their prey in order to survive, and they have one ultimate rule: they must never turn new vampires or they will be punished with ultimate death. The book contains some very bloody scenes, one right at the beginning, but it does not rely on them as the main ingredient. Instead, the story is very character-driven and I liked the differing attitudes the vampires showed about their way of un-life. While there was some romance involved, thankfully it was not the main focus of the plot but added just enough bite.
The only thing that bothered me was how easily the necessity to kill was accepted, and which was not fully explained. Also, with each kill I wondered how so many dead bodies could go unnoticed. But this can be considered as highly specific criticism and it did not really diminish my reading pleasure.
At the end the reader learns that there are not only vampires around, and the next part of the series will probably focus on some other creature of the night.
(I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review)
January 8, 2015
This story took me a little bit to get into, but once I did, I couldn't put it down. Please be aware that there is a cliffhanger and I am excited to see what happens next.
Thomas wakes up after a night of drinking where he is in a room with a woman who is tied up and blood is everywhere. Thomas is now a vampire and Cleo, the woman who turned him, must be killed. No one can be turned without permission and if you do, you will be destroyed. August is the one in charge of this task.
We also meet Spencer, who must tell Thomas what he has become and teach him the ways. There is an interesting relationship between August and Spencer where I'm intrigued to find out what happens next.
Overall, a great start to a series and I can't wait for the next chapter.
I received a copy in exchange for an honest review.
Thomas wakes up after a night of drinking where he is in a room with a woman who is tied up and blood is everywhere. Thomas is now a vampire and Cleo, the woman who turned him, must be killed. No one can be turned without permission and if you do, you will be destroyed. August is the one in charge of this task.
We also meet Spencer, who must tell Thomas what he has become and teach him the ways. There is an interesting relationship between August and Spencer where I'm intrigued to find out what happens next.
Overall, a great start to a series and I can't wait for the next chapter.
I received a copy in exchange for an honest review.
March 7, 2021
DNF
Despite talented writing, this book was boring. Really, really boring. I got to about 31% before I just couldn’t keep my eyes open long enough to finish a page. It had good lines and great description, but there were a few times that I got confused with the characters and the scenes that they were in. People were at bottom of stairs in one sentence and the next in the same room, but not in the room. Like I said, confusing.
Then this story starts out with Thomas, a human turning to a vampire. But reading the synopsis, I guess Spencer; a newer turned vampire is the focus or lead. So I’m hanging this one up and taking up the next story.
Despite talented writing, this book was boring. Really, really boring. I got to about 31% before I just couldn’t keep my eyes open long enough to finish a page. It had good lines and great description, but there were a few times that I got confused with the characters and the scenes that they were in. People were at bottom of stairs in one sentence and the next in the same room, but not in the room. Like I said, confusing.
Then this story starts out with Thomas, a human turning to a vampire. But reading the synopsis, I guess Spencer; a newer turned vampire is the focus or lead. So I’m hanging this one up and taking up the next story.
January 23, 2017
Four Stars Out of Five - from UNDERGROUND BOOK REVIEW
Cooke has a deft hand with realistic dialogue that serves her well here. Her most graphic scenes are slightly spartan in their description; side stepping any concerns of a gore fest. In fact, the most violent scenes are tastefully skipped over right to their blood drenched aftermath. Occasionally, she may linger over a throat closing scene or two. But some of us do find trying not to choke a bit sexy. *cough*...
-- Read the Complete Review at UndergroundBookReview (dot) Org
Cooke has a deft hand with realistic dialogue that serves her well here. Her most graphic scenes are slightly spartan in their description; side stepping any concerns of a gore fest. In fact, the most violent scenes are tastefully skipped over right to their blood drenched aftermath. Occasionally, she may linger over a throat closing scene or two. But some of us do find trying not to choke a bit sexy. *cough*...
-- Read the Complete Review at UndergroundBookReview (dot) Org
January 31, 2015
This book was not what I expected and I'm glad. I was a big fan of the Twilight series but anything can be over done. I liked this book because it was fresh and different. If you like to read about vampires and what something different, you should check this book out. * This book was given to me from the author in exchange for an honest review*
August 29, 2017
What prompted my interest in this book: “We cannot be merely carnivores, we must be cannibals.” Fang-tastic new look at vampires with not a sparkle in sight. This blurb!
I need some time to compose myself. Review to come soon.
I need some time to compose myself. Review to come soon.
March 7, 2018
I'm going to copy/paste the description here so that if the author changes it, my review still makes sense.
Medical student Thomas wakes up in a blood-drenched basement room, with no memory of how or why he got there.
Spencer has the answers, and now he must train Thomas to follow the rules of being a vampire – under the watchful gaze of his own mentor.
But how will Thomas practice medicine when the smell of blood turns him into a vicious killer?
Can Spencer teach Thomas to master his new powers, before he’s turned from predator into prey?
I picked this book up (got it for free from NetGalley, but then I saw it was free on Kobo and read that version instead) because this blurb makes it sound like it's about a med student who becomes a vampire and then must figure out how to get his new bloodlust under control enough to continue being a med student. I imagined there would be some nice hospital scenes of him trying to remain professional rather than biting people, that sort of thing. I love the idea of a vampire doctor, so I was really looking forward to it.
Except that's not what this book is about at all. Him being a med student is mentioned as many times in the book as it is in this blurb, and it's far, far less important than which local coffee shop he goes to. This is just absolutely not the book that the blurb made me think it was, and I'm kind of angry because I still want to read that book about the vampire med student that I thought I was getting.
For that matter, Thomas, the (oh by the way) med student, is not really even the main character of this story. He's maybe one of three main characters, but I'd really say the main characters are August and Spencer, two of the other vampires. So the blurb shouldn't have even been about Thomas at all, because the story's not really about him.
Also, August and Spencer are gay lovers, and that's pretty important to the story, and the blurb gave no indication that this would be a gay story. I mean, it was okay in that respect, I guess, but that's not something I look for, and I'm a little annoyed that the author "sold" (parenths because I got it for free) me a story about a vampire med student and delivered a story about a couple of gay vampires and their relationship issues.
However--the book did entertain me. It was a little too gleefully gory, though I suppose some people like that in a vampire book. Thomas went WAY too quickly from "I can't kill people!" to "Oh sure, I'll become a mass murderer". Like, within the span of one short conversation. Especially for someone who'd been studying to be a healer, that felt very unrealistic and broke a lot of my suspension of disbelief. I like reading about vampires as people, but this book didn't entirely seem to know whether it wanted to be that or whether it wanted to be a "vampires as monsters" book. Some vampire stories make their vampires so blase about murder--so quickly after changing--that the entire change becomes, to me, pretty uninteresting. Where is the moral questioning, the emotional torment, the angst?
The book entertained me, but it also really disappointed me. If you're looking for a book with gay vampires (although I think these vampires were actually bi, although none of the actual sexual/romantic action portrayed in the book involving them involved women) and like the vampires to be brutal, heartless, and non-brooding, you might like this. (There's also a het love story with Thomas, except ... it's really pretty light. The gay relationship is the primary one.) If you, like me, were excited about the prospect of a new vampire coming to terms with also trying to be a doctor, keep on looking, because this is not remotely that book.
Medical student Thomas wakes up in a blood-drenched basement room, with no memory of how or why he got there.
Spencer has the answers, and now he must train Thomas to follow the rules of being a vampire – under the watchful gaze of his own mentor.
But how will Thomas practice medicine when the smell of blood turns him into a vicious killer?
Can Spencer teach Thomas to master his new powers, before he’s turned from predator into prey?
I picked this book up (got it for free from NetGalley, but then I saw it was free on Kobo and read that version instead) because this blurb makes it sound like it's about a med student who becomes a vampire and then must figure out how to get his new bloodlust under control enough to continue being a med student. I imagined there would be some nice hospital scenes of him trying to remain professional rather than biting people, that sort of thing. I love the idea of a vampire doctor, so I was really looking forward to it.
Except that's not what this book is about at all. Him being a med student is mentioned as many times in the book as it is in this blurb, and it's far, far less important than which local coffee shop he goes to. This is just absolutely not the book that the blurb made me think it was, and I'm kind of angry because I still want to read that book about the vampire med student that I thought I was getting.
For that matter, Thomas, the (oh by the way) med student, is not really even the main character of this story. He's maybe one of three main characters, but I'd really say the main characters are August and Spencer, two of the other vampires. So the blurb shouldn't have even been about Thomas at all, because the story's not really about him.
Also, August and Spencer are gay lovers, and that's pretty important to the story, and the blurb gave no indication that this would be a gay story. I mean, it was okay in that respect, I guess, but that's not something I look for, and I'm a little annoyed that the author "sold" (parenths because I got it for free) me a story about a vampire med student and delivered a story about a couple of gay vampires and their relationship issues.
However--the book did entertain me. It was a little too gleefully gory, though I suppose some people like that in a vampire book. Thomas went WAY too quickly from "I can't kill people!" to "Oh sure, I'll become a mass murderer". Like, within the span of one short conversation. Especially for someone who'd been studying to be a healer, that felt very unrealistic and broke a lot of my suspension of disbelief. I like reading about vampires as people, but this book didn't entirely seem to know whether it wanted to be that or whether it wanted to be a "vampires as monsters" book. Some vampire stories make their vampires so blase about murder--so quickly after changing--that the entire change becomes, to me, pretty uninteresting. Where is the moral questioning, the emotional torment, the angst?
The book entertained me, but it also really disappointed me. If you're looking for a book with gay vampires (although I think these vampires were actually bi, although none of the actual sexual/romantic action portrayed in the book involving them involved women) and like the vampires to be brutal, heartless, and non-brooding, you might like this. (There's also a het love story with Thomas, except ... it's really pretty light. The gay relationship is the primary one.) If you, like me, were excited about the prospect of a new vampire coming to terms with also trying to be a doctor, keep on looking, because this is not remotely that book.
September 20, 2022
Seedier side of vamps.
This story revolves around four male vampires. August, the leader of the group (but not the head honcho), August's boy toy Spencer, hot-headed William, and Thomas, a newbie freshly turned. The points of view bounce between these four and sometimes it's difficult to tell who is talking at the beginning of each chapter. I hate having to reread paragraphs to figure out who is who now.
Overall I had a hard time with this book. It's hard to get into a story when you can't find anything you like about any of the characters. They were definitely all on the trashier side of most vamp clans you read about. You usually picture the leader being someone suave and charismatic to be able to keep people together. August was more of a poser to me. There wasn't much proof that he was someone to look to for leadership. He liked to act like he was so much better than everyone but it didn't come off well. Supposedly there are a lot of vampires in this house but we only see these four and hear from one other one briefly. I didn't feel any cohesiveness.
There is a pretty solid lead-in to the next book but I don't think I'll be reading any further.
(I received a complimentary copy of this book from Hidden Gems)
Deleted
This story revolves around four male vampires. August, the leader of the group (but not the head honcho), August's boy toy Spencer, hot-headed William, and Thomas, a newbie freshly turned. The points of view bounce between these four and sometimes it's difficult to tell who is talking at the beginning of each chapter. I hate having to reread paragraphs to figure out who is who now.
Overall I had a hard time with this book. It's hard to get into a story when you can't find anything you like about any of the characters. They were definitely all on the trashier side of most vamp clans you read about. You usually picture the leader being someone suave and charismatic to be able to keep people together. August was more of a poser to me. There wasn't much proof that he was someone to look to for leadership. He liked to act like he was so much better than everyone but it didn't come off well. Supposedly there are a lot of vampires in this house but we only see these four and hear from one other one briefly. I didn't feel any cohesiveness.
There is a pretty solid lead-in to the next book but I don't think I'll be reading any further.
(I received a complimentary copy of this book from Hidden Gems)
Deleted
September 19, 2017
I received an e-version of this novel from the author in exchange for an honest review.
Teeth was intriguing from the get-go. Thomas is an interesting character and I saw an entire story spanning out from the first few chapters. I enjoyed watching his experience and was excited for what was to come. My interest was piqued when another character, Spencer, came in to play and was developing an interesting plot. However, the story really ends up being about vampire politics. Things come too easily, without enough detail for Thomas and August...which lost my interest. I had a difficult time finishing this short read around the incident in the cafe. Then was turned off the more that August was talked about. I felt a little let down. Overall, short, mostly fun read. It's not deep or comprehensive but if you are going on vacation and need a light read by the pool then this would be a good book for you.
Teeth was intriguing from the get-go. Thomas is an interesting character and I saw an entire story spanning out from the first few chapters. I enjoyed watching his experience and was excited for what was to come. My interest was piqued when another character, Spencer, came in to play and was developing an interesting plot. However, the story really ends up being about vampire politics. Things come too easily, without enough detail for Thomas and August...which lost my interest. I had a difficult time finishing this short read around the incident in the cafe. Then was turned off the more that August was talked about. I felt a little let down. Overall, short, mostly fun read. It's not deep or comprehensive but if you are going on vacation and need a light read by the pool then this would be a good book for you.
January 11, 2019
I was confused a lot, and found too many questions for it to be satisfying
I thought that this book was a bit underwhelming; I expected a much more captivating read from the blurb. We never got an explanation on why the sire bond was considered to be so dangerous. There was some blathering about the loyalty that it inspired, but why did that matter? Why didn't Chloe just leave the city if she found the restrictions so confining? Why did August and Chloe choose to settle here anyway? How did Chloe know that William and Thomas would turn in the way that they did? August's thoughts indicated that the forgetfulness of a turning was due to Charles' laws, but it wasn't clear why... does the shattering of the sire bond cause it, maybe?
I might read the next book just to see if it makes more sense with further insight into this world, but I can't say that I'm excited to do so.
I thought that this book was a bit underwhelming; I expected a much more captivating read from the blurb. We never got an explanation on why the sire bond was considered to be so dangerous. There was some blathering about the loyalty that it inspired, but why did that matter? Why didn't Chloe just leave the city if she found the restrictions so confining? Why did August and Chloe choose to settle here anyway? How did Chloe know that William and Thomas would turn in the way that they did? August's thoughts indicated that the forgetfulness of a turning was due to Charles' laws, but it wasn't clear why... does the shattering of the sire bond cause it, maybe?
I might read the next book just to see if it makes more sense with further insight into this world, but I can't say that I'm excited to do so.
May 30, 2017
I enjoyed this book. It's not romanticized like so many other popular ya novel paranormal romances of the current day...it's much realer...and a lot bloodier. If you choose to read this darker experience with the vamp culture, just remember I warned you.
That being said, the writing is good with this story. It was actually a fairly short read all in all, but it took me much longer than usual since I've had some traumatic life experiences these last few weeks. I recommend this book for fans of mature paranormal literature, and I'm looking forward to reading the next book in this series to see what happens with Thomas and this vamp brood next.
I received a free copy of this ebook and wanted to share my honest opinion of this book here.
That being said, the writing is good with this story. It was actually a fairly short read all in all, but it took me much longer than usual since I've had some traumatic life experiences these last few weeks. I recommend this book for fans of mature paranormal literature, and I'm looking forward to reading the next book in this series to see what happens with Thomas and this vamp brood next.
I received a free copy of this ebook and wanted to share my honest opinion of this book here.
August 20, 2017
I enjoyed this book and its take on vampirism and vampires among us. It was nice to have a relationship and romance between two of the vampires, and not the cliche of the normal human falling for the angsty, but beguiling vampire. I only wish the book had been longer, so it could have delved more into Thomas coming to terms with his change and entry into the household, August and Spencer's relationship, the other vampires in the house and how they continue living and earning money and dealing with the newbie among them, and the slowly decaying power Charles had over them all. These topics were barely mentioned and really could have added a great richness to the book, making it far more "toothsome" of a read.
April 8, 2025
Thank you to the author for the ARC of this book! I'm not one for vampire novels in general, but I fancied giving this one a chance. The writing was excellent, and I really liked the main character, Thomas. I found it difficult to grasp who was who out of Spencer, August and William for at least the first half of the book, but I think that's a me problem - those names all have Made in Chelsea energy and I just couldn't remember which was which! I got my head around it by the end, I think. Speaking of the end, the last line was a fantastic place to stop.
I'll definitely be reading on in this series, despite my reservations about the genre - it is a well-crafted urban fantasy grounded effectively in the real world.
I'll definitely be reading on in this series, despite my reservations about the genre - it is a well-crafted urban fantasy grounded effectively in the real world.
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