Count Taka and the Vampire Brides

by C. Chancy

Welcome, traveler, to wild Tramontana! Here you will find snowclad mountains, roaring rivers, vast caves perhaps never seen before by mortal man! Here the strong Horses of Night roam the mountainsides - perhaps you can tame one to ride with your charms. Here the shepherds call to the long-fleeced sheep, the sheep to their sweet lambs - and you can find true telemea, the softest and freshest of cheese, in the gift shop, herb-flavored, a dozen special varieties- Eh? You’re not here for the gift shop? Ah, the cameras, of course! Forgive me, most of the photographers we see head straight for the ski lifts. Or the whitewater. Yet there’s so much more to Tramontana! The healthy farmers bringing in the hay, the soaring churches, the wild gypsy dancers - you must dance with the gypsies - and Raven Castle! Oh, there’s a place of history... and mystery. It held the line against the Turks, they say, and the ancient lords rooted out all manner of uncanny beings... or bargained with them. Have you heard the rumors? That Count Herodes has ruled from that castle for over a hundred years? True, I tell you, all true! ...Monsters don’t exist, eh? Well, well, take your photographs, and we’ll see! But you must visit the castle. The Blood Moon is coming, yes, and they say that’s when vampire lords can take a Bride! Other years have come and gone with no new lady in the castle, but this year... oh, you should hear Mistral sing the omens! A lass with your modesty and charms- What’s that? Ah, temper, temper; location shots, yes, I see. Which way to the castle... there are maps in the gift shop, and tour schedules - but we can do better than that! Why, we’ll escort you there ourselves, no trouble at all, I insist- Ooof. That’s a feisty one! Well, she’s packed off now. The other Brides should have some interesting weeks.... Mihail? What do you mean, Kae’s not a girl’s name? ...Oops. (Vampire with annoying relatives meets photographer with terrifying relatives. Hilarity Ensues.)

Genres: Vampires, Fantasy

374 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 20, 2016

Reviews

[Racke · Rating 5 out of 5]

As with most of C Chancy's stories, this book delves deep into a mixture of both self-discovery in the world of the supernatural (where a great many strange clues about their pasts finally begin to piece together the puzzle that has been their life) and the surrounding world's discovery of that discovered self.

I will go on to say that... I'm not entirely convinced of the summary's acclaim of "bromance", as I see no reason why a "b" should be added to this interesting and surprisingly refreshing dynamic. Though I will admit that my fondness for C Chancy's characterization of relationships like this has likely colored my views somewhat.

And yes, I believe that (should there ever be one) I would be delighted to read a sequel of the sheer amount of fallout that I have no doubt will still be present when they try to find some way to surpass this grand performance for the next Halloween.

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

A funny, lighter story of Chancy's. Something to read for the fun, and still get her amazing storytelling.

[Milady133 · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was fun to read, definitely out of the usual vampire paranormal romance/adventure. I didn't exactly get how the "Brides" system worked, but it doesn't matter really to enjoy the story.

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

this hit SO MANY of my buttons, wow. it had a huge cast, and I want moooooorrrrreeeee. that said, it had a LARGE CAST and occasionally it felt like certain characters were sketched in and relied on a certain context that wasn't present.

honestly, i really did enjoy this book-- but i think it could have benefited from an editor who wasn't familiar with the author's fanfic and/or harem manga, because there were certain tropes/in jokes that just don't make a ton of sense without that context. (also, there were a couple cultural generalizations and uses of "gypsy" as a descriptor that made me cock my head to the side and go "whaaaaa?")

also i super understand sidelining the romance between taka and kae because of events in the book/there was already a bunch of shit going down/etc, but it felt like it needed some smooching. maybe there's going to be a sequel with smooching? but it needs some smooching. it's too explicitly romantic to hit my smarm hatred, but. smooching.

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book as a fun and interesting fantasy read. I liked the writing style where we get to see from the perspectives of a few limited characters and thus appreciate the way that different people with different situations and personalities interpret different events. I also enjoy the gradual reveal of information as it becomes relevant which enriches the world and characters by making it feel larger and more detailed without spoon-feeding the reader anything.

Supernatural elements were drawn from a few different sources and always felt very true to their origin which is a neat juxtaposition to the protagonists living and working in the modern day with elements such as photography and tourists. The characters were all unique, the emotional issues as messy as real life often is, and I liked the lead up to the end and how previous elements all came together to affect it.

I will definitely enjoy rereading in the future.

[Elis · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book just didn't work for me. While the premise sounded good, in practice it turned out to be an attempt to write a comedy anime in book-form, which sadly failed to hit the comedy part properly. I enjoy C. Chancy's more serious writing a lot more.

[Dawn · Rating 4 out of 5]

A literary rollercoaster

Action,adventure,magic,mayhem, a dash of romance. Stir. Taste. You won't be sorry. Take a ride. Take two. Have some fun. Enjoy

[Bonnie Huffington · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another fantastic book from one of my favorite authors. If you're an anime fan and like a little tongue in cheek in your urban fantasy, a must read for sure!