Midnight Walker

by Charity F. Nelson

Humanity fades, vampires remain...

In a domed city under vampire rule, Mia keeps her head down as a house cleaner, avoiding trouble and living the life of an ordinary unfavorable. However, every day after her shift, she risks it all to visit the daughter she was contracted to forget. If the Conclave discovers her, they’ll string her from the overpass, the ultimate punishment for those who break the Accords.

She’s convinced playing it safe is the only way to protect the truth about Charlie—until an assignment backfires, a vampire loses control, and Mia is forced to stake him in self-defense. The first vampire lord to die in centuries, the Bloodhounds track her down. Worse, they take her daughter, too.

With nowhere to run but the city’s underbelly, Mia must decide between trusting the dangerous allies who could betray her or relying on a mother’s love to be her only weapon against an unstoppable force.

Perfect for fans of The Last of Us and The Passage by Justin Cronin!

355 pages, Kindle Edition

Expected publication February 12, 2026

About the author

My mom used to take books away from me as punishment when I was a kid. That’s how much I loved to read, and even still. That love swiftly turned into a passion for writing to the point that I opted to become homeschooled sophomore year of high school so I could dedicate my time to writing and self-publishing my first book at just sixteen. BUT I’ll do you all a favor and keep that one to myself - spoiler alert: it was awful.

I live in Las Vegas, NV with my husband and three children. I have a dual degree in Creative Writing and Spanish from the college of Southern Nevada. I have a variety of work experience under my belt including former VP of a non-profit called Lighthouse Charities that primarily assists refugees relocated the United States and I’m also a former Foster Mom.

The Keyholder of Time is my debut novel. When I'm not writing, I'm mom-ing, reading, or traveling. And last but certainly not least, I'm a proud medical/trach/G-tube/Trisomy 18 mom.

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Reviews

[Kylee Warren · Rating 5 out of 5]

ARC review: There are so many twists in this book, down to even the last page!! I could not put it down; I read it in two days. In a post apocalyptic world run by vampires, Mia has one goal: to protect her daughter. She encounters many obstacles along the way. She makes enemies and friends, and even an enemy who turns into a friend. Her biggest strength is her determination to keep her daughter safe, and as a mom, I was here for it. The world is layered with a complex hierarchy of vampires, half breeds, humans, and ferals. The pacing was *chef’s kiss* — something big is literally happening on every page.

Something I liked about the romance is that each individual keeps their autonomy and their primary goal in sight. They do make sacrifices, and they work as a team, but they also stay true to themselves. Super refreshing! At first I wasn’t sure why he takes an interest in Mia and Charlie, but it becomes clear later in the book (just a note in case you have similar thoughts when you read).

I recommend this to lovers of vampires, dystopian worlds, and stories of motherhood/parenthood.

[Ana · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was good since page one, one of those you can't put down. Every twist and turn made you wanna pull your hair out or maybe just keep on reading to find out. Mia had one goal: get her daughter and keep her safe. But in the process she found so many obstacles, found out so many things, but never gave up. This one has adventure, creatures, magic, and more. The story line, the characters, the system it build was wow. A book that can keep you focus and wanting more until the Epilogue? Its a big YES for me and it should be for you too.

[Cassi Olazabal · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had the wonderful opportunity to read this as an ARC.

I am always a sucker when it comes to vampires. Though Midnight Walker is not your typical vampire book full of the main character finding themselves head over heels for the new person in town-- typically always a vampire. N,o this novel is quite different than the normal code that most vampire books seem to follow. This novel involves vampires, yes, but also a post-apocalyptic world.

When I first started reading the book and reading The Accords that are provided at the very beginning of the book. My mind was taken to the anime world of Owari no Seraph (Seraph of the End). Which only made me more interested in digging into this novel.

The book introduces its main character, Mia. She seems to have no significance at first, just your average house cleaner. Yet there is so much more to her. This novel is her journey she endures to survive in the world that would sooner want to see her and her daughter, Charlie, dead.

Many twists and turns make this novel quite an interesting read.

[Cameron Charping · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5⭐️ Firstly, I knew I was going to like this book because Charity has become one of my most anticipated authors. This showed the same creativity Charity has that I loved in The Tempus Guild series. Obviously very different. It was a unique take on a dystopian, vampire ruling world. Charity has a way of putting just enough of a romance interest while leaving the story as the focus. There is a huge focus on the main character, Mia, being a mother and unable to have a relationship with her daughter, Charlie. It gave Mia more depth and strength as Charlie is always her priority. Especially when Mia kills a vampire lord and must now run to survive and manages to get Charlie out too. Twists and turns come left and right making you wonder how Mia is going to even survive at all. She stumbles upon a group of people in hiding and they may just be the help Mia needs.

Thank you so much to @charityfnelson for the advanced e-copy. Be sure to check out Midnight Walker. Releasing on February 12th on Amazon!

[Jaz Mills · Rating 5 out of 5]

Holy shit is the first thing that comes to mind after finishing this book. Seriously though it was insanely good and that’s saying alot because I actually hate vampire books but this was way more than just your basic vampire book. The storyline and plot was amazing the post apocalyptic world was the dark ages of vampires taking over and humans being slaves it’s crazy good. There’s so much action and intense emotions and hardships that they struggle with. The FMC is a badass and you will love her! I love this isn’t the basic vampire book but it’s deeper than that. There’s talk of curses and venom and mutations and half breeds and ferals and the hierarchy of the first vampires and it’s all just so detailed and interesting it makes you never want to put the book down and it keeps you constantly pulled in and ready for more. I will definitely be recommending this book it was so good it will not disappoint you!

[Bree · Rating 4 out of 5]

✨Book Review✨

Midnight Walker by Charity F. Nelson

How much I loved it
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Not going to lie, I requested this ARC pretty blind because @readbykara told me to. She had read another book by the author and said she was amazing, so I requested it and got it!

I knew it was about vampires but beyond that I wasn’t sure what to expect, but man I loved it! This book is not a romance but it is a love story. It is a beautiful story about a mother’s love and willingness to do anything for their child.

It had some twists and turns I didn’t expect, and had lots to keep you coming back to find out what would happen. If you like post apocalyptic stories with monsters you will love this. There’s no swearing or spice, but there is talk of oppression, and it has some violence but I didn’t feel like it was too gross or descriptive.

[Dallas Godlewski · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. This book is the absolute perfect blend of a dystopian aftermath mixed with vampires who need the surviving humans to live. Its full of twists and turns, angst and yearning, and a sprinkle of romance for those of us who like a little of that. The writing style is great and the plot kept me hanging on every word. I genuinely could not put this book down, not even to make myself eat. If you enjoy books with a fierce and strong MFC this is for you. Not to mention the MMC being the dark brooding softie type. I enjoyed the setting and descriptions of everything as well, the author really painted a gorgeous picture you could visualize easily. I genuinely will be telling all my friends about this book.

[Kara Adams · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Sometimes, thinking is what keeps us from taking chances. Doing is what gets us to the other side.”

I loved Charity’s other series, so when she posted about this book I couldn’t wait to get my hands on it. It’s PERFECT for anyone looking for a unique vampire story, without spice, and no swearing. I was immediately intrigued from the first page, and the more I read the more I NEEDED answers (this made it SOOO hard to put down). I honestly couldn’t guess what was going to happen, and each time I tried I was wrong. At one point my jaw literally dropped. I really enjoyed the world building and the depth of the characters. It gave me I am Legend vibes in someways, but I liked this better 🤣. Some of my favorite things about this story was the mother daughter bond, the subtle romance, and the doctor (If you know you know, and if you don’t you’ll find out).

🩸Dystopian/Post Apocalypse
🩸Standalone
🩸Closed Door
🩸No Swearing
🩸CW: Violence, Death, Mention of Forced Pregnancy

[Deanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you like Vampire fantasy I feel you will definitely like this novel. At the beginning of the book there is a cool explanation of all the vampire accords. They are the rules for the humans. At the end there is a glossary of all the places and different types of vampires you meet in the book. The MFC Mia is like able and I connected with her over her love of her daughter.

[Krystal · Rating 5 out of 5]

Format: Kindle ARC

Wow! This isn’t just another vampire book. It’s a dystopian society run by vampires with a human FMC whose primary goal is protecting her child. Absolutely loved rage world building, characters, and twists. Highly recommend this book!

[Writers Rampage (Jaclyn Dunlop) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book! The world and characters were well written and thought out! Any one who loves a good dystopian should read this!