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Lin & Leonidas : The Viscount Vampire

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LIN & THE VISCOUNT VAMPIRE
Lindsay Fang McFadden thought becoming Head Girl at St. Augustine’s Academy would make her final year its toughest. She never imagined surviving an attack by an infamous serial killer just before the start of term. If that wasn't enough to make her final year more lethal than it should be, the attack wasn't random, and the attacker wasn't human.

Unbeknownst to Lin, a hidden world of supernatural creatures inhabits the misty woods surrounding her school. Mystics, witches, shadows, and demons are all held at bay by the handsome Head Boy, Leonidas Forsyte, who also bears the burden of being the Vampiric Viscount of Augustine. His Bloodletter witch, Nicola, keeps him from sinking his fangs into his classmates thanks to her delicious blood. But to Leonidas, Lin’s ethereal beauty, unmatched wit, and incredibly rare blood are impossible to resist. How can he work beside her all year without revealing himself or betraying Nicola? And how can Lin hide the truth about her attack and her twisted connection to the serial killer when Leonidas is the only thing keeping her together?

In a school surrounded by witchy queen bees, gunslinging vampires, and headline-making murders lives a girl hiding a lethal lineage and a boy concealing his unbeating heart from the girl he's falling in love with. Soon they'll discover that the price of keeping their secrets will plunge all of Augustine into chaos.

Fantasy Romance Novel
Not a Mystery

348 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 12, 2026

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About the author

C.K. Blackwater

1 book7 followers
CK Blackwater is a British author, VTuber, and educator currently living in Japan. Their work combines gothic aesthetics, supernatural intrigue, and emotionally driven fantasy romance.

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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
Profile Image for Maryann Larucci-Troche.
423 reviews50 followers
July 2, 2026
I was excited to receive an advance reader copy of Lin & Leonidas: The Viscount Vampire by C. K. Blackwater for free for an honest review.

Any book featuring a vampire is an automatic read for me, and this one grabbed my attention. I really enjoyed it. I was so captivated by the personalities of Lin, Leonidas, Heroz, and McKenzie. It wasn't filled with annoying teenage scenarios involving Lin, Leonidas, McKenzie, and Heroz; instead, their discussions and thought processes were wise, intellectual, and supportive of one another. This really stood out to me.

I truly admired Lin's wit, calmness, and strength when she was around others. She carried herself with remarkable confidence and grace, which is always inspiring to see in a woman. On the other hand, Nicole seemed to struggle with her insecurities and sometimes felt threatened by Lin’s positive energy. I can understand her desire for attention and the difficulty she faces. At times, I wished I could gently help her see her worth. I was glad to see Leonidas remain true to himself and stand up for what was right, even in challenging moments.

A lot is going on at the school. Leonidas and Nicole are together. Leonidas and Lin are the top students, in charge of events, and make sure the students are not lingering when curfew has started. Lin’s uncle appears after being gone for a long time. The evil side of the story wants to capture Lin and kill her. Lin has some incredible power, and they do not want Lin to use it; it will make her stronger.

There has to be a book 2, and I can't wait!!

Please note that I gave four stars because of several errors in the book, such as missing words, misspellings, and misplaced words within sentences. Once these issues are fixed, I believe the story truly deserves five stars.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
61 reviews
June 18, 2026
4.5 Stars

I honestly loved the book and it kept me hooked.
I felt that the character development was realistic, how they both started appreciating each other and the feeling started to grow. The theme and society was really relatable and simple to understand, which is a pro for me. Another thing I liked is that the vampires weren’t stereotypical but rather unique in their own way. And the reader feels connected to all of the characters and not only the MFC and MMC.
Nevertheless, it confused me multiple times which perspective I’m reading from in each chapter. I was simple to understand but still a bit tiring.
SPOILER:
Near the end, where Lin discovers why her father did what he did, i didn’t understand it at all. I had the feeling that i was supposed to interpret his past intentions. It confused me and till now i still have no clue what was meant by that scene.

Still i believe the book was really interesting and captivating which is why I read it in 2 days 😅. I would totally recommend you to read it .
Profile Image for Diana Ivan.
6 reviews1 follower
July 19, 2026
I had the oportunity to have an arc copy of this book and I want to thank the author for that❤️ I loved it but I had a bit of trouble to get into it since it is a bit slow at the start. Other than that really enjoyed it❤️❤️❤️
1 review
Review of advance copy received from Author
June 29, 2026
This book was amazing I loved it!! The emotional depth that was slowly build between the characters I felt like was so ideal and realistic the way they became friends then became so much more.
Profile Image for Viper.
56 reviews
Review of advance copy received from Author
July 5, 2026
DISCLAIMER: I received a gratis advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. This is my first time doing an ARC review, readable below.

CK Blackwater is one of my coworkers. Since I saw her promoting her debut novel on social media, I figured I would help her out when she asked for advance readers. I admittedly don't enjoy romance or supernatural fantasy, much less romantasy, so I thought coming in unfamiliar with the genre conventions would allow me to give a more unbiased review.
Overall, the story was fine. It was neither pleasant nor painful to read. The plot threads made enough sense and loose ends were generally tied up in a way that made sense. The major characters all felt like they had at least two dimensions. I would want to be friends with Mackenzie and Heero too. Sometimes it was hard to follow the specifics of narration. If you've heard the phrase "show, don't tell," this book did that to an extreme. There were a few bits of information that we received no prior context for. An example would be the character Wolfrick, who was name-dropped before we had even an idea of his relation to Lin. I also don't feel like eyes being "marble-like" is particularly appealing, especially when being used for a character who's supposed to be unfathomably pretty.
I think my biggest gripe overall would be in proofreading. The spelling was correct except for an early chapter in which the character Mackenzie's name is spelled without the C. The punctuation, however, was noticeably inconsistent. Commas were missing in many places they were needed in writing. Whether single quotes, double quotes, or no quotes at all were around a character's italicized thoughts varied throughout. I could not for the life of me understand why the formatting after colons:
proceeded,
like,
this.
Many a paragraph consisted only of a single sentence. In part because of this, the first-line indents didn't feel indented enough. I don't know how much printing books costs, but one might be able to save a bit of money and paper by condensing the unusual line break choices. This book is in desperate need for a copy edit before its official release.
I'm sorry, Ms Blackwater, for nitpicking at your baby. I admire the work and commitment you brought into bringing it to life. I appreciate your trust in me to give you an honest review. My last bit of brutal honesty is that I audibly burst out laughing when I spotted your self-insert.
Profile Image for Vivienne Louis.
Author 13 books6 followers
Review of advance copy received from Author
July 6, 2026
I was lucky enough to receive an advanced review copy of Lin & Leonidas: The Viscount Vampire, and I genuinely had a great time reading it.
In full disclosure, I do know CK from work.


Since this was an ARC, I did notice a few typos here and there, but that’s completely normal with advance copies. The author has already sent out an updated version with additional edits and improved formatting, and it made the reading experience much smoother. One of my favourite changes was the addition of chapter headers showing whose point of view you’re reading from. It makes switching between Lin and Leonidas much easier to follow, especially as the story becomes more layered.

The setting of St. Augustine’s Academy was probably my favourite part of the book. It has that mysterious, gothic boarding school atmosphere that made me want to keep exploring every corridor and secret hidden within its walls. The blend of dark academia, vampires, romance, and mystery kept me turning the pages to find out what would happen next.

The character I loved the most apart from the mcs was Mackenzie, she was so warm and thoughtful. All the side characters added to make the school feel real. There were so many personalities like the uber shy Missy or the attached at the hip pair Amelia and Edward who were funny.

The characters really grew on me as the story progressed. Lin is easy to root for, and Leonidas has the kind of inner conflict that makes him an interesting romantic lead.


Spoilers 🚨





Leonidas’s reveal was heartbreaking and made me route for him and Lin so much more.

One surprise for me was Nicola. I honestly didn’t like her for a good portion of the book, but as more of her story unfolded, I found myself feeling genuinely sorry for her. She’s a much more complicated character than she first appears, and I appreciated that the author didn’t make her simply good or bad. How Leonidas left things with her shocked me and gave closure to their relationship.

I also loved the glossary at the back of the book. It’s a thoughtful addition that helps readers keep track of the different supernatural terms, characters, and worldbuilding without interrupting the flow of the story.

Overall, this was an enjoyable read that blends romance, supernatural intrigue, and dark academia into an engaging YA fantasy. I’m looking forward to seeing the polished final release and can’t wait to find out what happens next in the series.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Faiqa.
2 reviews
Review of advance copy received from Author
July 15, 2026
I'm really lucky that i got a chance to read Lin & Leonidas: The viscount Vampire. Here's an honest review on my experience. Eagerly waiting for the next series!
I've sent you a detailed review on email.
The story is about Lindsay "Lin" Fang McFadden and Leonidas Forsyte. They have a complicated relationship.

Lindsay "Lin" Fang McFadden is a student from a rich family. Lin is a student at St Augustine. The truth that no one knows is that she is from the Fang family. Her father gave her to the McFadden family to keep her safe from Sinfonia Bianchi. Lindsay "Lin" Fang McFadden thought she was being kept like a prisoner.

Leonidas Forsyte is in charge of keeping Augustine safe. The Imperial family made him the Vamperic Viscount of Augustine. He used to work as an Imperial Inquisitor for fifty years and made a lot of enemies. Now Leonidas Forsyte is pretending to be a student at St Augustine school. He is perfectly keeping up with his two lives as he is a student at St Augustine.

Both Lin and Leonidas are hiding behind school roles to cover up their painful pasts. This makes their romance more believable.
The elite school where everyone tries to fit in is a world of vampires that exists in secret. The deal between Nicola and Leonidas shows a relationship based on magic and blood but Leonidas and Lin have a natural and caring connection.
Characters like Mackenzie and Heero don’t know anything about the supernatural world (Fangs, vampires, blood letter, mystic magic) that creates a great balance and a realistic image.

The pacing and suspense hits perfectly. I found myself completely absorbed in the book. The chapter transitions move smoothly from Lin's to leonide's perspectives.
I highly appreciate your wild imagination, like blood letter, description of the mystic magic, Leader of the Covenant of the Undead, and all the other imaginary places/people. Your patience about every detail is wonderful. I really liked your idea about small drawings before start of every chapter and the map you added at the start. Overall, I’m in love with your layout styles


One thing that i would have added would be A PLOT TWIST , as the story was quite easy to understand and not much suspense full as they quickly got to find the killer and captured it and no scene about how the killer got caught either or any action about battle between the killer and leonidas.
Profile Image for S *.❤︎₊ ⊹.
16 reviews
August 19, 2026
**May contain spoilers + thank you, CK Blackwater, for sending me an ARC in exchange for my honest review!**

Rating: 3.4/5 ⭐️
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I intended to leave this review much sooner than now, so my apologies, and thank you for your patience! I haven’t read a romantasy book with vampires and what not on a hot minute. When I had the opportunity to read this book, I jumped on it. I can say it definitely scratched an itch.

I enjoyed how descriptive the book was. The main characters were petty likable. It was a refreshing read for me since the characters could actually…communicate with each other 😭. Lin and Leonidas were so cute!!

My only critiques are the grammar, formatting, and pacing. There were several times throughout the book where words were misspelled. Additionally, the dialogue formatting was a bit jarring. It sometimes made it difficult to follow along with who was saying what. Also, there were small inconsistencies. For instance somewhere towards the end of the book, it mentioned a pink umbrella, but the next page describes a black, ruffled umbrella. Nothing crazy or anything.

As far as pacing, I feel like some parts dragged on longer than they should’ve. I do agree that the relationship between Leonidas and Nicola could have ended sooner, which would’ve made more room for Leonidas and Lin’s relationship to further develop. The author cameo was pretty funny 😭😭.

Overall, it’s a pretty decent book—I can’t wait to see what this author comes out with next! Thank you again for sending me an ARC :).
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for JJ.bennet_1813.
104 reviews
Review of advance copy received from Author
July 17, 2026
Thank you to the author for granting me an e-arc of this book to read and review. Immediately, it was a little different than I expected, in that I was surprised that it was set in modern day, with social media references and such. As this was an arc, it may have not been done being edited, and there were quite a few formatting mistakes I noticed. I didn't like the relationship between Nicola and Leonidas that lasted for over half of the book, and also the way it seemed in the beginning like they were actually together and even sleeping together, but later on that all taken back and their not actually together, it's just a mutual agreement between them, so I'm not sure what exactly was going on there. The world-building could have been better, and even now, I don't really understand the rules and politics of the magical world. I liked the discussion on vampires and the good and bad things about them and how they are torn between the two, especially the actual discussions on a book the characters are reading in school. It was easy to read and short, and I liked the murder mystery plot as well.

Overall, there were some things I liked about this book, and several I didn't like. I don't know how many books are going to be in this series and am curious to know that. I am curious about the next book, but I'm not sure if I will read it.
Profile Image for Booktrovertt.
39 reviews4 followers
Review of advance copy received from Author
August 5, 2026
As someone who's picking up Vampire romance for the very first time, I couldnt have read a better book and OH MY GOD I need more in this genre immediately 🛐

This book delivers a rich atmospheric blend of dark academia, high stakes supernatural lore and the slow burn romance ( honestly what more do you need ?😭)

Lin (our FMC) is extraordinarily witty, kind, calm, caring and humble, yet fiercely resilient ! Despite the horrific attack she survives right before term starts, she refuses to let herself break. Her strength feels raw and deeply human. Reading her journey felt so personal that I could see a part of myself reflected in her, which became my favorite aspect of the entire book 🥹💗

Beyond the romance, I absolutely adored the side characters Mackenzie and Heero who added much depth to the storyline !

The world building and the setting of St.Augustine's Academy is brilliantly executed creating an immersive gothic vibe without feeling overly complex and the writing style is SOO GOOD that I easily flew through the pages in no time 🤌🏻The pacing was spot on for most of the book but I did feel like the ending was slightly rushed !

Overall, its a captivating read for anyone looking for a rich dark academia fantasy romance with an irresistible vampire hero🛐🖤✨️
Profile Image for Brittney Ewasyn.
21 reviews
August 3, 2026
3.75⭐️’s!
I had the pleasure of getting an e-arc copy from the author! The only thing I would say that made it a bit challenging to read was being a pdf because I had to read with much smaller font for it to not affect the formatting or cut off words and sections.
It’s a captivating read that delivers high emotional stakes, clever humor, and top notch romantasy vibes. Romantasy lovers and vampire romance enthusiasts are going to fall head over heels for Lin and Leonidis. They have a slow burn-natural romance that is more realistic than some inta-love tropes you may read all the time.
P.S the author is super genuine and humble. I am really rooting for her to have all the success!
The sneak peek of the second book at the end also really leaves you wanting more!
Profile Image for Brienna Solis.
6 reviews
Review of advance copy received from Author
July 1, 2026
I was lucky enough to read this book as an arc that was provided to me by the author. I liked the fresh take on the vampire storyline, as well as the mystery elements that was tied into the novel. The relationship between the two characters was refreshing, and the natural progression of their relationship was well done. I love a good friends to lovers, and I felt like this was done well. I am excited to read book two in this novel, because I am needing answers.
Profile Image for Bubble Star Reads.
368 reviews32 followers
Review of advance copy
August 1, 2026
Thank you for this ARC!!!

I wanted to read this because I love vampires. I'm a big vampire fan since Edward Cullen.

This is a quick read if you love vampires!!!
Profile Image for Elanda.
47 reviews8 followers
Review of advance copy received from Author
July 8, 2026
4.5/5
I really enjoyed this book, it's very descriptive, intriguing and cute. I loved the chemistry between Lindsey and Leonidas. They slowly and realistically become friends then slowly it becomes deeper than that. It felt like such a natural progression. I will say one of the most well written relationships I've read in awhile. Their bond forming made me feel like a giddy schoolgirl kicking my feet, they're so cute and wholesome.

I loved the description of magic as well, very ethereal vs dark magic. The representation of vampires was also unique, but nice and refreshing. A nice mystery involved as well to keep the story really interesting.

The only thing I thought was a little confusing was switching between perspectives by chapter, there was no way to know who was talking until they gave it away. A clever way to do that would be to add the name to the quote on each chapter.

All in all I really liked the story. I cannot wait for the other books! I'm dying to know what happens next and NEED to see more of these characters!
Profile Image for Nada.
26 reviews25 followers
Review of advance copy received from Author
July 27, 2026
3.75/5

Thanks to the author CK Blackwater, I received a free e-book of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
I want to start by saying that this novel is a really good start for a series. the mystery part was good but it could be better and since this is the first book of a series its too early to judge the characters or the world that the author try to build. overall it was a nice cozy read and I'm looking forward to see these characters and this magical world to be unfold in a sequal.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews