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The Shadows Have Teeth #1
The Darkness Bites Back
Not yet published
Expected 29 Sep 26Centuries ago, Tobias Osian had his mortality stolen from him when he was unwillingly turned into a vampire. Ever since, he’s been consumed by the need for revenge against the monster who took his humanity - Vladimir Damianos, the head of Britain’s most powerful vampire clan.
Now, Tobias is finally ready to enact his plan for vengeance, using Vladimir’s son Alexander to infiltrate the family and bring down the entire clan. But what he doesn’t expect is that Alexander has rebelled against his bloodthirsty father by protecting mortals instead of hunting them. When the two meet, Alexander is instantly enamoured with Tobias. And as a string of attacks rocks the city of Oxford, Alexander proves himself committed to protecting Tobias, not knowing that Tobias is just as much of a monster as he is.
With his attraction to Alexander growing, Tobias must decide what means more to him: vengeance, or a love growing from the most tragic of places.
Perfect for fans of Interview With the Vampire and Saltburn, this high-heat paranormal romance brings together blood and lust in an intoxicating combination.
Now, Tobias is finally ready to enact his plan for vengeance, using Vladimir’s son Alexander to infiltrate the family and bring down the entire clan. But what he doesn’t expect is that Alexander has rebelled against his bloodthirsty father by protecting mortals instead of hunting them. When the two meet, Alexander is instantly enamoured with Tobias. And as a string of attacks rocks the city of Oxford, Alexander proves himself committed to protecting Tobias, not knowing that Tobias is just as much of a monster as he is.
With his attraction to Alexander growing, Tobias must decide what means more to him: vengeance, or a love growing from the most tragic of places.
Perfect for fans of Interview With the Vampire and Saltburn, this high-heat paranormal romance brings together blood and lust in an intoxicating combination.
320 pages, Paperback
Expected publication September 29, 2026
About the author
Laura R. Samotin
5 books192 followersLAURA R. SAMOTIN and her spouse live with two enormously large felines. When she’s not pursuing her academic research on military tactics, power politics, and leadership, she relishes her role as a full-time cat servant.
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Want to Read
October 30, 2024The news is OUT.
It isn't every day you get to write a book with your best-friend. This time last year, me and Laura had an idea for a Gay Romeo and Juliet retelling set in modern day Oxford, about vengeful vampires. One made, one born. This is an enemies to lovers (and i mean ENEMIES), dark academia vibes where one is an Oxford professor, and the other is pretending to be a Librarian, but also super SUPER smutty!
It is out 2026, and we can't wait to share more news!
Add to your Want-To-Read lists now <3
It isn't every day you get to write a book with your best-friend. This time last year, me and Laura had an idea for a Gay Romeo and Juliet retelling set in modern day Oxford, about vengeful vampires. One made, one born. This is an enemies to lovers (and i mean ENEMIES), dark academia vibes where one is an Oxford professor, and the other is pretending to be a Librarian, but also super SUPER smutty!
It is out 2026, and we can't wait to share more news!
Add to your Want-To-Read lists now <3
October 30, 2024
If someone can 1 star a book sign unseen, then someone can 5 star it. JFC.
May 17, 2026
I loved this book! I was lucky enough to recieve an ARC of this and I can honestly say it was the best I have read in a while.
I loved the relationship dynamic between Alexander and Tobias, both of their characters were likeable the whole way through. I loved the concept of the whole book it felt very original. I liked that there wasn't much smut as i think this helped to feel the characters togther more.
I think that the side characters were written well but they didn't get in the way of the story between the main MMC's.
I did feel that the ending was a little rushed and the last couple chapters could have been lengthened so that it built a bit more suspense.
I loved the relationship dynamic between Alexander and Tobias, both of their characters were likeable the whole way through. I loved the concept of the whole book it felt very original. I liked that there wasn't much smut as i think this helped to feel the characters togther more.
I think that the side characters were written well but they didn't get in the way of the story between the main MMC's.
I did feel that the ending was a little rushed and the last couple chapters could have been lengthened so that it built a bit more suspense.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
4⭐️
I was so excited to receive an ARC of The Darkness Bites Back courtesy of NetGalley and I practically binge read the whole thing. A queer vampiric story inspired by Romeo and Juliet? Absolutely fantastic.
I really loved the third person POV and thought the writing was genuinely strong throughout. Tobias, our vengeance thirsty boy, has spent 500 years trying to destroy the all powerful vampire clan, the Damianos, after being turned against his will. The reveal that it was actually him who killed his family, and not just Vladimir, added such an extra layer of tragedy and honestly made me feel for him even more. His empathy towards humans, and even his short lived relationship with Kate, really helped ground his character emotionally.
Alexander is exactly the kind of love interest I adore. Possessive, arrogant, charming, and completely obsessed. Normally I hate insta love, but the vampire premise made it work so well here and I absolutely ate it up. Beneath all the arrogance he genuinely wants to help people and uses his privilege to do so, which made his devotion to Tobias even better. Both characters are incredibly lovable despite how dark their pasts are.
I also really loved the academic setting. Tobias being a librarian and Alexander being a professor worked SO well for the dark academia atmosphere and honestly made the romance even more enjoyable for me. I do think there could have been a little more risk involved though, maybe more interaction with students or more tension surrounding their positions, because I think it would have pushed the forbidden romance and Romeo and Juliet vibes even further.
I do wish the whole bait and trap dynamic between them had lasted a little longer because I think it would have built the tension even more and worked really well with Tobias’ trauma and distrust. Honestly though, I just wanted the entire book to be longer. I also felt like Alexander got over the murder of his previous lover a bit too quickly. HOWEVER, I honestly did not mind that much. These are immortal vampires after all, and honestly it kind of works with the possessive vampire traits. I would not have minded these two being just a little bit more inhuman. 😉
My favourite scene was probably the reveal when Alexander drinks from Tobias and sees his past. I thought that whole sequence was genuinely really well written and it explored Tobias’ grief and guilt so effectively. I do think the stalking element could maybe have been introduced a little earlier because it would have added even more bitterness to that reveal, but at the same time I loved how completely gone Alexander already was for him. The fact that he basically already knew he would forgive Tobias anyway was honestly great.
The smut scenes were enjoyable, but definitely shorter and sweeter than I expected. Maybe this is just me being a complete vampire smut enthusiast, but I would have loved more build up and a few scenes that leaned a little less vanilla. Not that fucking in a mausoleum and a lecture theatre is exactly vanilla. A few extra pages there absolutely would not have gone unappreciated.
I also loved the banter and little bits of humour throughout. The Twilight and Fallen mentions? Ate them up. Tobias being a vengeance seeking monster who also enjoys supernatural fiction and smut in his spare time is peak librarian behaviour.
The dark academia atmosphere was also really fun and I honestly could have spent another hundred pages just existing in this world with these characters. I would genuinely love Tobias accidentally creating other vampires to become its own mini arc because I honestly just wanted more story. An epilogue showing our vampire boys living out their Oxford dream life together would also have been amazing.
And THANK YOU for not making this a tragedy. I was genuinely preparing myself to have my heart ripped out during those last few chapters, so I was very relieved by the relatively wholesome ending.
Overall this was such a fun and engaging read. I loved it, I just wanted more. More of these characters, even more tension, more trauma exploration, more possessive vampire insanity, and more smut (sorry, not sorry I am such a slut for vampire fiction!)
I was so excited to receive an ARC of The Darkness Bites Back courtesy of NetGalley and I practically binge read the whole thing. A queer vampiric story inspired by Romeo and Juliet? Absolutely fantastic.
I really loved the third person POV and thought the writing was genuinely strong throughout. Tobias, our vengeance thirsty boy, has spent 500 years trying to destroy the all powerful vampire clan, the Damianos, after being turned against his will. The reveal that it was actually him who killed his family, and not just Vladimir, added such an extra layer of tragedy and honestly made me feel for him even more. His empathy towards humans, and even his short lived relationship with Kate, really helped ground his character emotionally.
Alexander is exactly the kind of love interest I adore. Possessive, arrogant, charming, and completely obsessed. Normally I hate insta love, but the vampire premise made it work so well here and I absolutely ate it up. Beneath all the arrogance he genuinely wants to help people and uses his privilege to do so, which made his devotion to Tobias even better. Both characters are incredibly lovable despite how dark their pasts are.
I also really loved the academic setting. Tobias being a librarian and Alexander being a professor worked SO well for the dark academia atmosphere and honestly made the romance even more enjoyable for me. I do think there could have been a little more risk involved though, maybe more interaction with students or more tension surrounding their positions, because I think it would have pushed the forbidden romance and Romeo and Juliet vibes even further.
I do wish the whole bait and trap dynamic between them had lasted a little longer because I think it would have built the tension even more and worked really well with Tobias’ trauma and distrust. Honestly though, I just wanted the entire book to be longer. I also felt like Alexander got over the murder of his previous lover a bit too quickly. HOWEVER, I honestly did not mind that much. These are immortal vampires after all, and honestly it kind of works with the possessive vampire traits. I would not have minded these two being just a little bit more inhuman. 😉
My favourite scene was probably the reveal when Alexander drinks from Tobias and sees his past. I thought that whole sequence was genuinely really well written and it explored Tobias’ grief and guilt so effectively. I do think the stalking element could maybe have been introduced a little earlier because it would have added even more bitterness to that reveal, but at the same time I loved how completely gone Alexander already was for him. The fact that he basically already knew he would forgive Tobias anyway was honestly great.
The smut scenes were enjoyable, but definitely shorter and sweeter than I expected. Maybe this is just me being a complete vampire smut enthusiast, but I would have loved more build up and a few scenes that leaned a little less vanilla. Not that fucking in a mausoleum and a lecture theatre is exactly vanilla. A few extra pages there absolutely would not have gone unappreciated.
I also loved the banter and little bits of humour throughout. The Twilight and Fallen mentions? Ate them up. Tobias being a vengeance seeking monster who also enjoys supernatural fiction and smut in his spare time is peak librarian behaviour.
The dark academia atmosphere was also really fun and I honestly could have spent another hundred pages just existing in this world with these characters. I would genuinely love Tobias accidentally creating other vampires to become its own mini arc because I honestly just wanted more story. An epilogue showing our vampire boys living out their Oxford dream life together would also have been amazing.
And THANK YOU for not making this a tragedy. I was genuinely preparing myself to have my heart ripped out during those last few chapters, so I was very relieved by the relatively wholesome ending.
Overall this was such a fun and engaging read. I loved it, I just wanted more. More of these characters, even more tension, more trauma exploration, more possessive vampire insanity, and more smut (sorry, not sorry I am such a slut for vampire fiction!)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Alright let's philosophize because who if not overly mentally developed vampires gets you to hold lengthy arguments with the flawless listening entity that is the wall.
I feel like every vampire book now has to be a Shakespearean retelling because what else will make it feel ever so macabre, the noir love of a fatalistic story (which does arguably go perfectly with these vampires). And the authors made sure to fit the image of the vampire here into the enigmatic and seductive romanticism that automatically comes with vampirism. Which, pretty goddamn cool. I just wish there was more of that... physical mess that comes with having a blood-sucking lover, you know? I think it is safe to say this is the fiction people come to when in need of some blood play, yeah? I'd assume so. Not much of a mess depicted, but there were some hot moments here and there that I enjoyed, even if they were terribly humane for how blood-sucking they were. And there was joy in Oxford too, they chose the best damn city for this, best setting for that Shakespearean, dark academia vibe, wasn't it?
It was difficult to see these vampires complain about lost morality (well, mostly Tobias, as we know from the premise) when the narrative offers little evidence to support that. If anything, these characters appear stubbornly human in their emotional (and even physical) lives. They are not granted the luxury of an emotional detachment switch like other pieces of media, so where did that morality go, my loves? But I appreciate the lust that comes with this made-up notion, though. Go imagine being immoral, if feeling immoral is what you need.
The premise of these two's dynamic at first was very archetypal, but I feel like the roles might have been reversed, actually. Like Tobias with his extremely good (might be pathological) lying and S class acting, with a dark past and his lil’ dark secret, whilst Alexander bearing the name of the greatest king, with a personality like Dorian Gray and libido like Oscar Wilde. Tell me it doesn’t feel like Tobias is the big bad vampire here, whilst Alexander disrupts the expectations of his character that he is supposed to be. Speaking of which, Alexander is so fucking hot, you guys. Alexander Damianos had me enamored from the first moments I caught him reminiscing about his past in his class whilst starving to bits. This man is just naturally... seductive? (I suppose deliberate seduction does define many classical depictions of vampirism... but he is different, okay?!) Would make anyone hypersexual (me, definitely me) the moment this man is in the room with them; he is the Dorian Gray of vampirism and you know what, that's maybe why I loved him so much from the very beginning. Vampires in general are seen as sexually empowered characters, mostly because of the elegance and the power of seduction that comes with these creatures who regard themselves so highly and have the ability to explore such things for centuries. And Alexander (and consequentially, Tobias) are obviously figures of the past, and evidently desirable beings. It was written very well in that aspect, to emphasize this contrast between the saint and the vampire, between purity and corruption, but with a very dark indie vibe that comes with a Romeo and Juliet retelling. Listen. Unrepressed sexual lust is one of the best things that comes with vampires so hell yeah, I'm glad these freaks of nature found me.
Other than that, the ending was a tad abrupt. Where's the rest of it? Gimme it. There are matters left to attend, so I feel a bit neglected, deprived of these matters. I was actually looking forward to those matters. Agh, what a shame.
I feel like every vampire book now has to be a Shakespearean retelling because what else will make it feel ever so macabre, the noir love of a fatalistic story (which does arguably go perfectly with these vampires). And the authors made sure to fit the image of the vampire here into the enigmatic and seductive romanticism that automatically comes with vampirism. Which, pretty goddamn cool. I just wish there was more of that... physical mess that comes with having a blood-sucking lover, you know? I think it is safe to say this is the fiction people come to when in need of some blood play, yeah? I'd assume so. Not much of a mess depicted, but there were some hot moments here and there that I enjoyed, even if they were terribly humane for how blood-sucking they were. And there was joy in Oxford too, they chose the best damn city for this, best setting for that Shakespearean, dark academia vibe, wasn't it?
It was difficult to see these vampires complain about lost morality (well, mostly Tobias, as we know from the premise) when the narrative offers little evidence to support that. If anything, these characters appear stubbornly human in their emotional (and even physical) lives. They are not granted the luxury of an emotional detachment switch like other pieces of media, so where did that morality go, my loves? But I appreciate the lust that comes with this made-up notion, though. Go imagine being immoral, if feeling immoral is what you need.
The premise of these two's dynamic at first was very archetypal, but I feel like the roles might have been reversed, actually. Like Tobias with his extremely good (might be pathological) lying and S class acting, with a dark past and his lil’ dark secret, whilst Alexander bearing the name of the greatest king, with a personality like Dorian Gray and libido like Oscar Wilde. Tell me it doesn’t feel like Tobias is the big bad vampire here, whilst Alexander disrupts the expectations of his character that he is supposed to be. Speaking of which, Alexander is so fucking hot, you guys. Alexander Damianos had me enamored from the first moments I caught him reminiscing about his past in his class whilst starving to bits. This man is just naturally... seductive? (I suppose deliberate seduction does define many classical depictions of vampirism... but he is different, okay?!) Would make anyone hypersexual (me, definitely me) the moment this man is in the room with them; he is the Dorian Gray of vampirism and you know what, that's maybe why I loved him so much from the very beginning. Vampires in general are seen as sexually empowered characters, mostly because of the elegance and the power of seduction that comes with these creatures who regard themselves so highly and have the ability to explore such things for centuries. And Alexander (and consequentially, Tobias) are obviously figures of the past, and evidently desirable beings. It was written very well in that aspect, to emphasize this contrast between the saint and the vampire, between purity and corruption, but with a very dark indie vibe that comes with a Romeo and Juliet retelling. Listen. Unrepressed sexual lust is one of the best things that comes with vampires so hell yeah, I'm glad these freaks of nature found me.
Other than that, the ending was a tad abrupt. Where's the rest of it? Gimme it. There are matters left to attend, so I feel a bit neglected, deprived of these matters. I was actually looking forward to those matters. Agh, what a shame.
May 24, 2026
I am disappointed to say this was 2.5 stars.
I was excited to read this book ever since I read The Sins on Their bones almost a year ago, and I’m so sad to say that it came nowhere close to my expectations.
I spent the whole book waiting for an explanation about why Tobias waited hundreds of years to take his revenge on Vladimir and it was never given. Of all of the nonsensical parts about the romance, characters, and plot, I think that was the most egregious. The ending was completely nonsensical as well and seriously bothered me, but no major spoilers since this is an ARC.
I’m being told that Tobias has this clever, long term revenge plan that he’s been working on for hundreds of years. But what I’m actually seeing happen is him becoming infatuated with Alexander and make a bunch of decisions that fly in the face of that. There were definitely ways the authors could’ve shown him taking advantage of Alexander while still falling in love with him, but it felt like the revenge plan was falling into his lap. For example, there are two instances in the first half of the book where Alexander is looking for the scent of the murderer vampire after just spending time with Tobias, and thinks his sense of smell just happens to still clouded with Tobias’s scent and therefore does not realize Tobias is behind the murder. It would’ve been a much better way to show Tobias is a cunning character hellbent in revenge if he knew Alexander was about to go to the crime scenes and purposely started seducing him right before, rather than Tobias being the one hopelessly being seduced by Alexander right before Alexander happened to go investigate.
This has insane levels of insta-love. Alexander went from “mortals are just my playthings and not worthy of my regard” to “I’m in love with a (man who as of now I believe to be) mortal and would give up my entire family for him” (yes the word love was used) in TWO. WEEKS. Tobias also went from “I have been dedicated to avenging my families’ deaths for centuries and Alexander is a pawn in my plan” to “let me throw it all away for a man” in TWO. GODDAMN. WEEKS. Do not piss me off.
Maria was a much better character than both Tobias and Alexander. Those two were absolute idiots about each other and in general. Just completely oblivious and not good at making plans at all. Maria was so much moor interesting to read about every time she appeared and actually knew how to get the job done. Tobias and Alexander deserved each other and Maria deserved way better.
Thank you to NetGalley for providing an ARC of this book.
I was excited to read this book ever since I read The Sins on Their bones almost a year ago, and I’m so sad to say that it came nowhere close to my expectations.
I spent the whole book waiting for an explanation about why Tobias waited hundreds of years to take his revenge on Vladimir and it was never given. Of all of the nonsensical parts about the romance, characters, and plot, I think that was the most egregious. The ending was completely nonsensical as well and seriously bothered me, but no major spoilers since this is an ARC.
I’m being told that Tobias has this clever, long term revenge plan that he’s been working on for hundreds of years. But what I’m actually seeing happen is him becoming infatuated with Alexander and make a bunch of decisions that fly in the face of that. There were definitely ways the authors could’ve shown him taking advantage of Alexander while still falling in love with him, but it felt like the revenge plan was falling into his lap. For example, there are two instances in the first half of the book where Alexander is looking for the scent of the murderer vampire after just spending time with Tobias, and thinks his sense of smell just happens to still clouded with Tobias’s scent and therefore does not realize Tobias is behind the murder. It would’ve been a much better way to show Tobias is a cunning character hellbent in revenge if he knew Alexander was about to go to the crime scenes and purposely started seducing him right before, rather than Tobias being the one hopelessly being seduced by Alexander right before Alexander happened to go investigate.
This has insane levels of insta-love. Alexander went from “mortals are just my playthings and not worthy of my regard” to “I’m in love with a (man who as of now I believe to be) mortal and would give up my entire family for him” (yes the word love was used) in TWO. WEEKS. Tobias also went from “I have been dedicated to avenging my families’ deaths for centuries and Alexander is a pawn in my plan” to “let me throw it all away for a man” in TWO. GODDAMN. WEEKS. Do not piss me off.
Maria was a much better character than both Tobias and Alexander. Those two were absolute idiots about each other and in general. Just completely oblivious and not good at making plans at all. Maria was so much moor interesting to read about every time she appeared and actually knew how to get the job done. Tobias and Alexander deserved each other and Maria deserved way better.
Thank you to NetGalley for providing an ARC of this book.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Unbury your gays and a completely original spin on Romeo and Juliet that will have readers running the whole rollercoaster of emotions.
From the moment that I first heard about this book (roughly 18 months ago but who is counting 🤣), I knew that I was going to absolutely love it. I am certified connoisseur of vampires and absolutely devoured The Actor and His Secret, also by this writing duo. Despite being incredibly excited for this book and the bar being through the roof, this book still managed to absolutely blow all expectations that I had completely out of the water! From the very first line of this book, I was undeniably hooked on this delicious story of cat and mouse with "if enemy, why fuckable shaped?" characters. Both Tobias and Alexander are really intriguing characters who feel very complex as they both has some kind of moral code but it doesn't necessarily look like something that we might align ourselves with.
As someone who has read A LOT of vampire stories, I have seen a lot of variations to vampiric lore but Samotin and Alderson have managed to write something completely new to me but also feels as though it has nods to some more common lore as well as a sprinkling of something fans of the more modern iterations of vampires might recommend. It felt refreshing to feel a little on the back foot not knowing exactly where the obstacles for our vampires would come from and what would be the characters' undoing.
I was additionally pleasantly surprised by the balance that was struck with this book being a vampiric twist on Romeo and Juliet. There was real joy in moments and lines that were clearly little Easter eggs towards the classic story but the similarities really lay in some very specific story beats that were just absolutely delightfully executed. This is a book that very much stands on its own two feet and I just utterly adored it. Also, I definitely appreciate the comp to Saltburn 👀
It was just such a pleasure to read this book and I can't wait to return to it many times in the future 💖
From the moment that I first heard about this book (roughly 18 months ago but who is counting 🤣), I knew that I was going to absolutely love it. I am certified connoisseur of vampires and absolutely devoured The Actor and His Secret, also by this writing duo. Despite being incredibly excited for this book and the bar being through the roof, this book still managed to absolutely blow all expectations that I had completely out of the water! From the very first line of this book, I was undeniably hooked on this delicious story of cat and mouse with "if enemy, why fuckable shaped?" characters. Both Tobias and Alexander are really intriguing characters who feel very complex as they both has some kind of moral code but it doesn't necessarily look like something that we might align ourselves with.
As someone who has read A LOT of vampire stories, I have seen a lot of variations to vampiric lore but Samotin and Alderson have managed to write something completely new to me but also feels as though it has nods to some more common lore as well as a sprinkling of something fans of the more modern iterations of vampires might recommend. It felt refreshing to feel a little on the back foot not knowing exactly where the obstacles for our vampires would come from and what would be the characters' undoing.
I was additionally pleasantly surprised by the balance that was struck with this book being a vampiric twist on Romeo and Juliet. There was real joy in moments and lines that were clearly little Easter eggs towards the classic story but the similarities really lay in some very specific story beats that were just absolutely delightfully executed. This is a book that very much stands on its own two feet and I just utterly adored it. Also, I definitely appreciate the comp to Saltburn 👀
It was just such a pleasure to read this book and I can't wait to return to it many times in the future 💖
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thank you Netgalley for providing me with a copy of the arc in exchange for my honest review.
I am sad to say, this book suffered from my own expectations.
When I initially requested this book from Netgalley, it was based on the genre tags (General Fiction (Adult) | LGBTQIAP+ | Sci Fi & Fantasy), the stunning cover feeding my Louis/Lestat obsession, and the synopsis had me hook, line, and sinker with a revenge/love-to-hate-you-hate-to-love-you plot. However…..this did not go as planned.
Quickly, it became apparent that this story had a very modern setting; something that can’t really be gleaned from the synopsis as the only mention of a time and place is Oxford, which is almost over 900 years old. Once I looked up the book on Amazon, it clearly stated contemporary fiction. Guys, I’m on Netgalley right now and it says MODERN Oxford right there so I’m just dumb. While this wouldn’t be a problem for most people, I don’t enjoy contemporary stories so right away I was disengaged; however, I’m a sucker for vampire stories, so I continued. I did not continue for long, and again, I will fully admit this is a ME ISSUE. The two main characters have an instant attraction. While on the surface, I don’t wholly hate this trope as we’ve all been there once or twice, it was pushed a bit far by the instant obsession of Alexander when he had met Tobias all of 4 mins. I know it’s supposed to be a play on the “everyone has always been easy to f*ck, but you’re making it hard so you’re different”, but no. Just no. I was YEARNING. Around the 18% mark the dialogue became very cringey and I chose not to continue.
I take full responsibility for the L on this one. I hope other people love it.
I am sad to say, this book suffered from my own expectations.
When I initially requested this book from Netgalley, it was based on the genre tags (General Fiction (Adult) | LGBTQIAP+ | Sci Fi & Fantasy), the stunning cover feeding my Louis/Lestat obsession, and the synopsis had me hook, line, and sinker with a revenge/love-to-hate-you-hate-to-love-you plot. However…..this did not go as planned.
Quickly, it became apparent that this story had a very modern setting; something that can’t really be gleaned from the synopsis as the only mention of a time and place is Oxford, which is almost over 900 years old. Once I looked up the book on Amazon, it clearly stated contemporary fiction. Guys, I’m on Netgalley right now and it says MODERN Oxford right there so I’m just dumb. While this wouldn’t be a problem for most people, I don’t enjoy contemporary stories so right away I was disengaged; however, I’m a sucker for vampire stories, so I continued. I did not continue for long, and again, I will fully admit this is a ME ISSUE. The two main characters have an instant attraction. While on the surface, I don’t wholly hate this trope as we’ve all been there once or twice, it was pushed a bit far by the instant obsession of Alexander when he had met Tobias all of 4 mins. I know it’s supposed to be a play on the “everyone has always been easy to f*ck, but you’re making it hard so you’re different”, but no. Just no. I was YEARNING. Around the 18% mark the dialogue became very cringey and I chose not to continue.
I take full responsibility for the L on this one. I hope other people love it.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Ooooh, this was SO up my alley from the moment I saw the cover and description because MM dark academia + paranormal + vampires is basically a combination of all my favorite things in one book. And wow, I think they really nailed it. The prose was genuinely gorgeous and the writing was so vivid and rich with detail that I could picture everything so clearly. This honestly feels like something that could easily become a movie or TV series.
I have never read anything from these authors before, but this book completely wowed me and now I absolutely want to read more from them. The bait and trap dynamic between Tobias and Alexander was fantastic, and the chemistry between them was searing. I loved the cat and mouse tension so much, especially with the whole enemies to lovers Romeo and Juliet vampire retelling aspect. I was honestly nervous this would destroy me emotionally because of the inspiration behind it, so I appreciated that it did not end horribly.
My one real complaint is that I think this would have benefited so much from dual first person POVs instead of third person. I wanted even more access to their thoughts and inner conflict during all the manipulation, longing, and tension between them. Especially with two authors writing it, having one POV for each character could have been incredible. The ending also felt a little abrupt to me, but maybe this is because there will be another book? I would hope so.
But overall, I enjoyed this immensely. Moody, atmospheric, romantic, dangerous, and full of tension in the best way and a really good story but two authors I discovered and will be reading more of!
Thank you to NetGalley, Laura R. Samotin, Ben Alderson, and Angry Robot for the eARC of this book.
I have never read anything from these authors before, but this book completely wowed me and now I absolutely want to read more from them. The bait and trap dynamic between Tobias and Alexander was fantastic, and the chemistry between them was searing. I loved the cat and mouse tension so much, especially with the whole enemies to lovers Romeo and Juliet vampire retelling aspect. I was honestly nervous this would destroy me emotionally because of the inspiration behind it, so I appreciated that it did not end horribly.
My one real complaint is that I think this would have benefited so much from dual first person POVs instead of third person. I wanted even more access to their thoughts and inner conflict during all the manipulation, longing, and tension between them. Especially with two authors writing it, having one POV for each character could have been incredible. The ending also felt a little abrupt to me, but maybe this is because there will be another book? I would hope so.
But overall, I enjoyed this immensely. Moody, atmospheric, romantic, dangerous, and full of tension in the best way and a really good story but two authors I discovered and will be reading more of!
Thank you to NetGalley, Laura R. Samotin, Ben Alderson, and Angry Robot for the eARC of this book.
May 26, 2026
Gay Romeo & Juliet meets Hannibal meets Succession and oh god did I love every second of it. The Darkness Bites Back is lush, captivating, and sensual, and it drags you right into its atmospheric Oxford underbelly.
The world building is the most incredible dark academia vibe, aided by the wardrobes, the vocabulary, the references, it's all incredible, no notes. The best part though is by far the perfect sweet angel baby (monsters and mass murderers) Tobias and Alexander. These authors can clearly write yearning—the romance in this is probably one of the best I have read in a LONG time. Their characters are built out and brought to life so well that I was actively feeling Tobias' fear and Alexander's protectiveness at each scene, and I sobbed throughout the last fifteen percent of the book.
There is one major, major way that the authors have deviated from the original R&J, and I truly cannot thank them enough for that (IYKYK). I was pleasantly surprised by how many similarities between the two works I caught (and it was fun to spot the differences) and the very meta inner monologue pertaining to R&J in Alexander's point of view made me giggle.
If I had to posit one complaint about this book, it would be that the dialogue sometimes just doesn't make sense? And perhaps this will be worked out in the final rounds of editing, but sometimes they would be having almost two different discussions, or whatever answer was given to a question would just be effectively gibberish.
Thank you so so much to NetGalley and Angry Robot Books for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review! All opinions are my own.
The world building is the most incredible dark academia vibe, aided by the wardrobes, the vocabulary, the references, it's all incredible, no notes. The best part though is by far the perfect sweet angel baby (monsters and mass murderers) Tobias and Alexander. These authors can clearly write yearning—the romance in this is probably one of the best I have read in a LONG time. Their characters are built out and brought to life so well that I was actively feeling Tobias' fear and Alexander's protectiveness at each scene, and I sobbed throughout the last fifteen percent of the book.
There is one major, major way that the authors have deviated from the original R&J, and I truly cannot thank them enough for that (IYKYK). I was pleasantly surprised by how many similarities between the two works I caught (and it was fun to spot the differences) and the very meta inner monologue pertaining to R&J in Alexander's point of view made me giggle.
If I had to posit one complaint about this book, it would be that the dialogue sometimes just doesn't make sense? And perhaps this will be worked out in the final rounds of editing, but sometimes they would be having almost two different discussions, or whatever answer was given to a question would just be effectively gibberish.
Thank you so so much to NetGalley and Angry Robot Books for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review! All opinions are my own.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Attention, some spoilers ahead. Not a lot. Some.
Let me start with the bad news first:
- in the first few chapters, we get told a lot of things, without being shown through characters and their actions
- some of the phrases in those first chapters are looo-ooo-ooong, like inhumanly so.
- i was left with so many questions:
* what is a made vampire vs a born one? is a born one like Reneesme in Twilight? a vampire baby born from two vampires? and a made one is a sired one? Because the word "sire" was loosely used in the book in that case.
* why did no one realize Tobias was a vampire through the lack of heartbeat/pulse/cold touch - literally any of the vampire give-aways.
- i felt like the ending was a bit rushed from the emotional perspective...Alexander got over everything he learned reaaally quickly.
- the "i drank from you - you drank from me" so now we're our own tribe/coven could have easily been used by Maria when she fed Tobias - she could have nibbled on him too to save her own ass. Come on! she was the brains!
To end on a happier note:
- I enjoyed the gay romance tremendously
- Their dialogue was the best part of the book
- I would have read more of their story, I was really invested in it.
Thank you Netgalley for the chance to read my first vampire gay romance <3 It was addictive :)
Let me start with the bad news first:
- in the first few chapters, we get told a lot of things, without being shown through characters and their actions
- some of the phrases in those first chapters are looo-ooo-ooong, like inhumanly so.
- i was left with so many questions:
* what is a made vampire vs a born one? is a born one like Reneesme in Twilight? a vampire baby born from two vampires? and a made one is a sired one? Because the word "sire" was loosely used in the book in that case.
* why did no one realize Tobias was a vampire through the lack of heartbeat/pulse/cold touch - literally any of the vampire give-aways.
- i felt like the ending was a bit rushed from the emotional perspective...Alexander got over everything he learned reaaally quickly.
- the "i drank from you - you drank from me" so now we're our own tribe/coven could have easily been used by Maria when she fed Tobias - she could have nibbled on him too to save her own ass. Come on! she was the brains!
To end on a happier note:
- I enjoyed the gay romance tremendously
- Their dialogue was the best part of the book
- I would have read more of their story, I was really invested in it.
Thank you Netgalley for the chance to read my first vampire gay romance <3 It was addictive :)
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
2.5/5 rounded up to 3 - This was a very quick and light read, about a turned vampire named Tobias who's out for revenge. But it doesn't go as planned as he gets to know Alexander, the son of the vampire he wants to kill.
I had to adjust my expectations as I read this. I was expecting it to be dark and gothic. Yet it was more an insta-lust vampiric meet cute with a thin plot. Alexander is a sad soft boi who *just wants to live life* with humans and to run from his daddy issues. Tobias could use some therapy for his own damage, and is just as equally attracted to Alexander. The story is very much character driven, smutty, and not truly enemies to lovers.
I have questions about how things work in this world. You're telling me no one could tell Tobias was a vampire? His plan also felt half cooked, for someone trying to go against "the head of Britain's most powerful vampire clan." How about some training and some real planning? I also have questions about vampire rules and mechanics.
Alexander and Tobias are cute enough to carry the story, because there's not much else going on. I think there's a lot of potential here, because their chemistry was fun. This story could have been fleshed out further, it left me wanting. Read for their banter and the smut, that's pretty much it.
Thank you so much to NetGalley and Angry Robot for the ARC.
I had to adjust my expectations as I read this. I was expecting it to be dark and gothic. Yet it was more an insta-lust vampiric meet cute with a thin plot. Alexander is a sad soft boi who *just wants to live life* with humans and to run from his daddy issues. Tobias could use some therapy for his own damage, and is just as equally attracted to Alexander. The story is very much character driven, smutty, and not truly enemies to lovers.
I have questions about how things work in this world. You're telling me no one could tell Tobias was a vampire? His plan also felt half cooked, for someone trying to go against "the head of Britain's most powerful vampire clan." How about some training and some real planning? I also have questions about vampire rules and mechanics.
Alexander and Tobias are cute enough to carry the story, because there's not much else going on. I think there's a lot of potential here, because their chemistry was fun. This story could have been fleshed out further, it left me wanting. Read for their banter and the smut, that's pretty much it.
Thank you so much to NetGalley and Angry Robot for the ARC.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
wow. this was intense as all hell.
i really am starting to get the hang of how books are promoted, between reading this book and the last, and it's that they mislead you a lot. this was not a romeo and juliet adaptation at all; it didn't even read to be loosely inspired by it. the only r&j thing about it is that there's two people in love and it's vaguely about a family. i can't say more; this is the issue with reading arcs. i am a horrible person so i always drop spoilers in my reviews but with arcs, i have the dignity to not do that. so you, the reader, will remain in the dark(ness bites back. haha.)
what to say. it's about vampires and vampires aren't really my favorite mythical creature, but i think this was a fun read. it wasn't super duper moving, but i had a fun time reading it ! i know i said i don't spoil with arcs, but man, i wish romance books let themselves be a little tragic and focused on that. tragedy does strike in this book, but it's brushed off like it's no big deal.
bottom line, not terrible. fun read. the romance was rushed, but it's not the flaw of the writing but rather, people in real life also get into quick ass relationships and start being like wow, you're the love of my life ❤️ one more similarity to r&j at least.
i really am starting to get the hang of how books are promoted, between reading this book and the last, and it's that they mislead you a lot. this was not a romeo and juliet adaptation at all; it didn't even read to be loosely inspired by it. the only r&j thing about it is that there's two people in love and it's vaguely about a family. i can't say more; this is the issue with reading arcs. i am a horrible person so i always drop spoilers in my reviews but with arcs, i have the dignity to not do that. so you, the reader, will remain in the dark(ness bites back. haha.)
what to say. it's about vampires and vampires aren't really my favorite mythical creature, but i think this was a fun read. it wasn't super duper moving, but i had a fun time reading it ! i know i said i don't spoil with arcs, but man, i wish romance books let themselves be a little tragic and focused on that. tragedy does strike in this book, but it's brushed off like it's no big deal.
bottom line, not terrible. fun read. the romance was rushed, but it's not the flaw of the writing but rather, people in real life also get into quick ass relationships and start being like wow, you're the love of my life ❤️ one more similarity to r&j at least.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
The Darkness Bites Back was definitely not my first vampire romance read, nor will it be my last, but it definitely holds a place up there in one of the most enjoyable, easy to read, and fast paced vampire stories I’ve read so far.
The two main characters Alexander and Tobias were so interesting to read from, I honestly couldn’t pick a favourite between them. I loved their relationship throughout the story and its changes. The dialogue between the two was very fun and I think the favourite part of my read.
The pacing of this book was mostly good, I do think that the last few chapters could have been longer. I just think that we should have sat with certain decisions and emotions for a little longer, the speed at which characters get over big reveals and plot points seems a little unrealistic. But up until the end the pacing was good. I also found a few plot holes, mostly with the lore of the vampires, not to spoil anything here. These holes however, we’re not severe enough to take away from my enjoyment reading this book or to really take me out of the story.
The Darkness Bites Back is overall a very fun read with very interesting characters set in an atmospheric backdrop, it is one I will be recommending to my vampire loving friends when it is published.
The two main characters Alexander and Tobias were so interesting to read from, I honestly couldn’t pick a favourite between them. I loved their relationship throughout the story and its changes. The dialogue between the two was very fun and I think the favourite part of my read.
The pacing of this book was mostly good, I do think that the last few chapters could have been longer. I just think that we should have sat with certain decisions and emotions for a little longer, the speed at which characters get over big reveals and plot points seems a little unrealistic. But up until the end the pacing was good. I also found a few plot holes, mostly with the lore of the vampires, not to spoil anything here. These holes however, we’re not severe enough to take away from my enjoyment reading this book or to really take me out of the story.
The Darkness Bites Back is overall a very fun read with very interesting characters set in an atmospheric backdrop, it is one I will be recommending to my vampire loving friends when it is published.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
ARC provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
As a reader of Samotin's previous work, but a newbie to Alderson I was really excited to see how this collaboration would go. The premise is a Romeo and Juliet type story with vampires which was the entire draw for me to read this. A lot of my issues with this book could be summed up by wishing for more. Both leads had very good motivations and characterisation, but the potential to go deeper for both is what bugged me. Both had such unique backstories and the opportunity to dig deeper into both felt missed. The chemistry was very potent and I enjoyed the romance, considering the fact that romeo and juliet was the inspiration I'm letting my usual distaste of insta love slide (which this was semi guilty of). It was a fast and fun read and I just wish it went a little bit deeper which is what stopped me from being truly sold on it.
As a reader of Samotin's previous work, but a newbie to Alderson I was really excited to see how this collaboration would go. The premise is a Romeo and Juliet type story with vampires which was the entire draw for me to read this. A lot of my issues with this book could be summed up by wishing for more. Both leads had very good motivations and characterisation, but the potential to go deeper for both is what bugged me. Both had such unique backstories and the opportunity to dig deeper into both felt missed. The chemistry was very potent and I enjoyed the romance, considering the fact that romeo and juliet was the inspiration I'm letting my usual distaste of insta love slide (which this was semi guilty of). It was a fast and fun read and I just wish it went a little bit deeper which is what stopped me from being truly sold on it.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I absolutely loved this book. Everything from the setting to the development of the characters was amazing. The prose was captivating and made it feel like we were in Oxford. One thing I surprisingly enjoyed was the development of the relationship, yes it was rushed on one part, but the way it is explained and developed makes it worth it. I couldn't put the book down, but I do think that somethings are left unexplained creating a bit of a plot hole, and the ending was a bit predictable and, specially rushed. I would have loved to see it a bit more in depth and slightly lengthened so it would have had the same vibes as the rest of the book. But overall, I really enjoyed this collab between Laura R. Samotin and Ben Alderson and I would love to read more from them. Can't wait till the book comes out so I can get my own copy (pretty please tell me there's a hardcover edition on the way)
May 18, 2026
I received this ARC from NetGalley.
This was so fun and addictive!!!
I really enjoyed the two main characters: Alexander, for being so pathetically in love with Tobias, and Tobias, for carrying so much pain for such a long time. They were perfect for each other, and Tobias’s enemies-to-lovers arc felt completely understandable. Even though I was screaming at him to stop being angry at Alexander, I couldn’t really be mad at him because his motivations made so much sense.
The only thing I hope a bit more editing will improve is the ending. For me, it felt a little all over the place, and even though everything was wrapped up, it also felt somewhat rushed. I hope this will be polished in the final published edition.
This was so fun and addictive!!!
I really enjoyed the two main characters: Alexander, for being so pathetically in love with Tobias, and Tobias, for carrying so much pain for such a long time. They were perfect for each other, and Tobias’s enemies-to-lovers arc felt completely understandable. Even though I was screaming at him to stop being angry at Alexander, I couldn’t really be mad at him because his motivations made so much sense.
The only thing I hope a bit more editing will improve is the ending. For me, it felt a little all over the place, and even though everything was wrapped up, it also felt somewhat rushed. I hope this will be polished in the final published edition.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thanks to NetGalley and Laura R. Samotin and Ben Alderson for the ARC!
If Anne Rice had written "A Discovery of Witches", it would be this book! This dark romantasy has all the Romeo/Juliet feels about two men from different vampire clans who fall in love even if it was never meant to be. From the details of Oxford and the Bodleian Library to the Dracula-esque leader of the Damianos clan, this book will have every vampire lover hooked! Everything you could ever want in a dark vampire love story has been achieved. I did not want this book to end!
If Anne Rice had written "A Discovery of Witches", it would be this book! This dark romantasy has all the Romeo/Juliet feels about two men from different vampire clans who fall in love even if it was never meant to be. From the details of Oxford and the Bodleian Library to the Dracula-esque leader of the Damianos clan, this book will have every vampire lover hooked! Everything you could ever want in a dark vampire love story has been achieved. I did not want this book to end!
May 15, 2026
Thank you so much Netgalley for allowing me to read this early ☺️
Little deer 💜
Urgh i loved this book so much.
I was just hooked from the start.
I felt the connection between Tobias & Alexander, this is why i go to Ben Alderson books, not only is he my fave author but his characters- i feel connected to them & i can feel the love between them.
He knows how to write a book with humour & 9 times out of 10 he will make me cry with his writing too.
And this book had me laughing & crying.
Can't wait for it to come out 💜
Little deer 💜
Urgh i loved this book so much.
I was just hooked from the start.
I felt the connection between Tobias & Alexander, this is why i go to Ben Alderson books, not only is he my fave author but his characters- i feel connected to them & i can feel the love between them.
He knows how to write a book with humour & 9 times out of 10 he will make me cry with his writing too.
And this book had me laughing & crying.
Can't wait for it to come out 💜
Want to Read
February 17, 2026Estoy en shock porque estos autores escribieron un libro con exactamente la misma trama que yo tenía pensada para un fanfic desde hace años. De verdad que es palabra por palabra. ES IMPACTANTE 💀
Lo cual no tiene sentido alguno porque no es que nos conozcamos lmao. El universo nos envió la misma visión, pero ellos la plasmaron.
Tendré que leerlo porque sí me da mucha curiosidad. Por lo menos ya no tendré que escribirlo para explorar ese mundo 😂
Lo cual no tiene sentido alguno porque no es que nos conozcamos lmao. El universo nos envió la misma visión, pero ellos la plasmaron.
Tendré que leerlo porque sí me da mucha curiosidad. Por lo menos ya no tendré que escribirlo para explorar ese mundo 😂
May 13, 2026
GAY 👏 VAMPIRES 👏
What else is there to share?
This is a great palette cleanser book, following Tobias’ twist and turn as he plan to get his revenge.
I read this in one sitting, and every chapter had me at the edge of my seat!
What else is there to share?
This is a great palette cleanser book, following Tobias’ twist and turn as he plan to get his revenge.
I read this in one sitting, and every chapter had me at the edge of my seat!
Want to Read
February 17, 2026OH MY GOD? the premise sounds thrilling 🥰
May 16, 2026
Honestly I don't really have much for words other than I truly enjoyed what the authors did with this vampiric spin on Romeo and Juliet.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
This book reminded me that I need more vampire novels in my life. I also loved the non traditional elements or lore. Really enjoyed!
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