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Thea #1
Thea
How far would you go to protect your child?
Vampires are real - hidden among us, concealing their lust for human blood. But monsters come in many forms. Teenage boys, drug addiction, underage sex - single mother Sarah battles to keep these demons from her daughters.
As the long nights of worry start to feed Sarah's paranoia, she must take desperate measures to save her family.
Although sometimes, the only way to kill a monster...
...is to become one.
Vampires are real - hidden among us, concealing their lust for human blood. But monsters come in many forms. Teenage boys, drug addiction, underage sex - single mother Sarah battles to keep these demons from her daughters.
As the long nights of worry start to feed Sarah's paranoia, she must take desperate measures to save her family.
Although sometimes, the only way to kill a monster...
...is to become one.
234 pages, Paperback
Published August 23, 2016
71 people are currently reading
629 people want to read
About the author
Steven Jenkins
34 books197 followersBorn in the small Welsh town of Llanelli, Steven began writing stories at the age of eight. His inspiration came from his love for ‘80s horror movies, and novels by Stephen King and the late Richard Matheson.
During Steven’s teenage years, as well as being a black-belt kickboxer, he became a great lover of writing dark and twisted poems – six of which gained him publications with Poetry Now, Brownstone Books, and Strong Words.
Over the next few years, and after becoming a father and a husband, Steven's passion drove him towards writing short stories, gaining him further publication with Dark Moon Digest: an American horror magazine. His terrifying tales of the afterlife and zombies gained him positive reviews, particularly his story, Burning Ambition, which also came runner up in a Five-stop-story contest.
Finally, in 2013, after years of hard work (and countless rejection letters), Steven got his debut novel, Fourteen Days, published by Barking Rain Press.
During Steven’s teenage years, as well as being a black-belt kickboxer, he became a great lover of writing dark and twisted poems – six of which gained him publications with Poetry Now, Brownstone Books, and Strong Words.
Over the next few years, and after becoming a father and a husband, Steven's passion drove him towards writing short stories, gaining him further publication with Dark Moon Digest: an American horror magazine. His terrifying tales of the afterlife and zombies gained him positive reviews, particularly his story, Burning Ambition, which also came runner up in a Five-stop-story contest.
Finally, in 2013, after years of hard work (and countless rejection letters), Steven got his debut novel, Fourteen Days, published by Barking Rain Press.
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
September 11, 2016
I received this book for free from the author for an honest review.
My attention was captured from the very beginning with this book. Whilst the vampire theme flows throughout the book I think the author has also portrayed the lengths people will go to protect their family very well. This can be seen not only from Sarah's relationship with Thea's but also from the relationship Sarah's mother has with her husband. The characters have a good amount of depth to them (particularly Sarah) which meant that I felt for them as the story was progressing.
Whilst there isn't a massive amount of gore the emotions portrayed by Sarah and the dark thoughts that harbour her create a horror situation in itself.
The writing style was easy to follow/understand and the book flowed very well. I wouldn't hesitate to read another book by this author.
My attention was captured from the very beginning with this book. Whilst the vampire theme flows throughout the book I think the author has also portrayed the lengths people will go to protect their family very well. This can be seen not only from Sarah's relationship with Thea's but also from the relationship Sarah's mother has with her husband. The characters have a good amount of depth to them (particularly Sarah) which meant that I felt for them as the story was progressing.
Whilst there isn't a massive amount of gore the emotions portrayed by Sarah and the dark thoughts that harbour her create a horror situation in itself.
The writing style was easy to follow/understand and the book flowed very well. I wouldn't hesitate to read another book by this author.
August 20, 2016
This was a free download for an honest review.
I'll be the first to admit that many a freebie has either disappointed me or has been mildly amusing. This was a rare gem.
Sarah, a single, falling-into-alcoholism mother has lost one daughter to drugs, depression, and suicide, and now must deal with a rebellious tween. Throw in a demanding damaged mother and a dying abusive father and there just isn't enough wine to drown out her sorrows. Going against her better judgment, she cowtows to her mother's passive-aggressive requests to help her attempt to save the man she despises. What's a woman to do? Vampire blood. It's illegal, it's dangerous, but can it save a man's life or destroy it and those around it.
Sarah's rash (and drunken) actions take a sideways juke in the road and her life takes an interesting side adventure instead of the journey it was originally headed for.
Very, very good. I look forward to reading more of Mr. Jenkins' stories.
I'll be the first to admit that many a freebie has either disappointed me or has been mildly amusing. This was a rare gem.
Sarah, a single, falling-into-alcoholism mother has lost one daughter to drugs, depression, and suicide, and now must deal with a rebellious tween. Throw in a demanding damaged mother and a dying abusive father and there just isn't enough wine to drown out her sorrows. Going against her better judgment, she cowtows to her mother's passive-aggressive requests to help her attempt to save the man she despises. What's a woman to do? Vampire blood. It's illegal, it's dangerous, but can it save a man's life or destroy it and those around it.
Sarah's rash (and drunken) actions take a sideways juke in the road and her life takes an interesting side adventure instead of the journey it was originally headed for.
Very, very good. I look forward to reading more of Mr. Jenkins' stories.
December 7, 2017
No
This book was free on Amazon, and it has the quality of a free book. I didn't notice many grammar errors, but nothing happened in the story. In my opinion, it would have been better if the author wrote this book from Thea's perspective. The main character has no real progression other than becoming a drunkard. She just sinks lower and lower in her wine bottles while screaming and swearing at Thea, saying that she will be just like her sister (who killed herself.) The beginning of the book skips time between the chapters, but doesn't do that at the end. Some consistency would be nice... The characters are not introduced, and it took me a while to figure out that "Mum" was the main character's mother, not Thea's mother who also calls herself Mum around Thea.
This book was free on Amazon, and it has the quality of a free book. I didn't notice many grammar errors, but nothing happened in the story. In my opinion, it would have been better if the author wrote this book from Thea's perspective. The main character has no real progression other than becoming a drunkard. She just sinks lower and lower in her wine bottles while screaming and swearing at Thea, saying that she will be just like her sister (who killed herself.) The beginning of the book skips time between the chapters, but doesn't do that at the end. Some consistency would be nice... The characters are not introduced, and it took me a while to figure out that "Mum" was the main character's mother, not Thea's mother who also calls herself Mum around Thea.
October 21, 2018
NOTE: I am going to review both 'Thea' and 'Thea II' here (copying same comments in each), so if that interferes with your plans, skip this now. I'm doing so because both books are quite short (not novellas per se but only just) and I don't want to overly inflate my yearly count (as such, I'm counting them both as 1 book and setting my 'read' date for the 2nd book at last year)! 'Thea' will get a 3-star nod while 'Thea II' will only be rated with 2, as the latter is much less sympathetic and only relies on 2 characters throughout.
The cover of this book says: "Thea: A Vampire Story"... however, this is NOT a vampire story. Yes, we eventually get to meet one (or more) vampires, but otherwise it's ONLY a very realistic story of family life in the modern era with a tiny bit of vampire content thrown in for flavouring. Steven Jenkins creates an extremely accurate (I assume) portrait of a single mother struggling with kids, abandonment, addiction and even worse. It seemed all the more real to me to me as my own daughter is the same age as Thea and to be honest, shares some of her more typical teenage characteristics (age 14 going on 24). And yes, I've reached for a bottle of whiskey or two in the past owing to some of these 'blessings' she has brought us!
However, what the book achieves in terms of painting a typical urban portrait - which continues as well into 'Thea II' just in a different setting and a change of 'parental player(s)' - it fails in terms of setting up any conflict whatsoever. Sure, vampires are to be dealt with lethally when found but as the world accepts them as existing, that's not really an issue. The only 'villains' we face for most of either of these books are the aforementioned challenges of trying to raise a child in the modern world with all that entails. The fact that the title child is eventually 'vampirized' seems even secondary if not tertiary to the entire conversation. Yes, Jenkins has an interesting take on how these vampires are created - even brutally so in Thea II - but that is not enough by any stretch of the imagination to carry these tales.
What little is available in terms of action is unsatisfyingly brief and incomplete at best. And are the 'invaders' really bad guys when all is said and done? Disappointing for sure as I find Jenkins to be an excellent wordsmith. I think in many ways, my 'poor' rating is due to the fact that I have so enjoyed the first two books of his 'Blue Skin' series which is as inventive as it is spell-binding! I'll also be checking out the entire 'Burn the Dead' as my new Kindle subscription prices them all within my budget!
Bottom line is that these are 'well'-written books but without the need oomph to keep the reader involved with ALL the issues at hand. Jenkins is a better writer and especialy a better 'imaginist' than either of these books prove to be. You can't win them all.
The cover of this book says: "Thea: A Vampire Story"... however, this is NOT a vampire story. Yes, we eventually get to meet one (or more) vampires, but otherwise it's ONLY a very realistic story of family life in the modern era with a tiny bit of vampire content thrown in for flavouring. Steven Jenkins creates an extremely accurate (I assume) portrait of a single mother struggling with kids, abandonment, addiction and even worse. It seemed all the more real to me to me as my own daughter is the same age as Thea and to be honest, shares some of her more typical teenage characteristics (age 14 going on 24). And yes, I've reached for a bottle of whiskey or two in the past owing to some of these 'blessings' she has brought us!
However, what the book achieves in terms of painting a typical urban portrait - which continues as well into 'Thea II' just in a different setting and a change of 'parental player(s)' - it fails in terms of setting up any conflict whatsoever. Sure, vampires are to be dealt with lethally when found but as the world accepts them as existing, that's not really an issue. The only 'villains' we face for most of either of these books are the aforementioned challenges of trying to raise a child in the modern world with all that entails. The fact that the title child is eventually 'vampirized' seems even secondary if not tertiary to the entire conversation. Yes, Jenkins has an interesting take on how these vampires are created - even brutally so in Thea II - but that is not enough by any stretch of the imagination to carry these tales.
What little is available in terms of action is unsatisfyingly brief and incomplete at best. And are the 'invaders' really bad guys when all is said and done? Disappointing for sure as I find Jenkins to be an excellent wordsmith. I think in many ways, my 'poor' rating is due to the fact that I have so enjoyed the first two books of his 'Blue Skin' series which is as inventive as it is spell-binding! I'll also be checking out the entire 'Burn the Dead' as my new Kindle subscription prices them all within my budget!
Bottom line is that these are 'well'-written books but without the need oomph to keep the reader involved with ALL the issues at hand. Jenkins is a better writer and especialy a better 'imaginist' than either of these books prove to be. You can't win them all.
October 28, 2017
A very good story..
A family lost in pain. A lost child so hurting inside from abusive boyfriend, drugs, to gaving to have a abortion, kills her self..
Mon can't cope and falks to alcohol ti live. Leavibg her youngest to grow up before her time. Angry and bitter.. And playingbon leaving with her 14 yr old boyfriend. Her mom will not lose her..will not her die to. As she's drunk beyound belief, she adds vampire turning blood to her daughter to protect her.or so she thinks with her damaged mine from alcohol & grief..it was meant to be for her dad who was dieing of cancer...now the consequences were way more than she exoected...and only would get worse...
A family lost in pain. A lost child so hurting inside from abusive boyfriend, drugs, to gaving to have a abortion, kills her self..
Mon can't cope and falks to alcohol ti live. Leavibg her youngest to grow up before her time. Angry and bitter.. And playingbon leaving with her 14 yr old boyfriend. Her mom will not lose her..will not her die to. As she's drunk beyound belief, she adds vampire turning blood to her daughter to protect her.or so she thinks with her damaged mine from alcohol & grief..it was meant to be for her dad who was dieing of cancer...now the consequences were way more than she exoected...and only would get worse...
May 26, 2017
This was a very fascinating, and chilling read....... Spoiler.............. Sarah loses one daughter to suicide, so she has a fear of losing Thea the same way. Unfortunately, in her constant paranoia of losing Thea, she actually pushes her away, which was inevitable with the way she was acting towards her. The mother definitely had issues with her drinking, and needed help, which she never received. The ending was surprising, and I was hoping for just a little bit more, but overall, it was an enjoyable, and creatively extraordinary read. :)
February 27, 2018
Blood and water
This book was brilliant reading, it tells the story of family life and the problems of life and death. After the death of her eldest child the mother dissolves into a drunken haze and decides she cannot lose her other daughter. She embarks on a path that only leads to further anguish. An excellent read for anyone who loves vampires and knows about teenage angst.
The author has brought out family life in such a way as to draw the reader in before the plot has been started.
This book was brilliant reading, it tells the story of family life and the problems of life and death. After the death of her eldest child the mother dissolves into a drunken haze and decides she cannot lose her other daughter. She embarks on a path that only leads to further anguish. An excellent read for anyone who loves vampires and knows about teenage angst.
The author has brought out family life in such a way as to draw the reader in before the plot has been started.
August 24, 2018
Great short read. I hated the main character who I just wanted to throw out of the window. She didn't care for anyone but herself and made decisions laced with alcohol. The main character Sarah who is selfish and thinks that her actions are justified because she is a "good" mother. She was not. She was a nag.
September 1, 2017
I think, overall, it was a decent book. The story-line was a bit stilted and could have been fleshed out a bit more.
As this is the first in the series, I want to read the next one, to see if the author relaxes a bit and let's the story unfold a bit more.
As this is the first in the series, I want to read the next one, to see if the author relaxes a bit and let's the story unfold a bit more.
December 27, 2017
Okay
It was an okay read. I had trouble focusing on but I got through. I don't think it's for everyone, but it was not bad of a read.
It was an okay read. I had trouble focusing on but I got through. I don't think it's for everyone, but it was not bad of a read.
September 25, 2016
I would like to thank the author, Steven Jenkins, for giving me an electronic copy of Thea: A Vampire Story, in exchange for an honest review.
Reeling from a broken heart, 18 year old Ivy is inconsolable, despite best efforts by her mom Sarah and her sister Thea. After Ivy takes drastic measures, Sarah and Thea are left to deal with their tragic loss. As Sarah drowns herself in the bottle, young Thea must turn to others for comfort. when Sarah feels that she is on the cusp of leasing Thea, will she take steps to keep her remaining daughter safe?
Although this author writes consistently in the horror/supernatural genre, I wish that he had not given away part of the story in the title. Most of Thea: A Vampire Story is just an average read, but the ending is where it gets exciting. Having read most of the author's previous books, I was expecting that the ending would be an attention-grabber, and I was not disappointed. A bit predictable at times, I still enjoyed this author's unique take on a vampire story.
Reeling from a broken heart, 18 year old Ivy is inconsolable, despite best efforts by her mom Sarah and her sister Thea. After Ivy takes drastic measures, Sarah and Thea are left to deal with their tragic loss. As Sarah drowns herself in the bottle, young Thea must turn to others for comfort. when Sarah feels that she is on the cusp of leasing Thea, will she take steps to keep her remaining daughter safe?
Although this author writes consistently in the horror/supernatural genre, I wish that he had not given away part of the story in the title. Most of Thea: A Vampire Story is just an average read, but the ending is where it gets exciting. Having read most of the author's previous books, I was expecting that the ending would be an attention-grabber, and I was not disappointed. A bit predictable at times, I still enjoyed this author's unique take on a vampire story.
August 30, 2016
I received a copy of this book from the author for an honest review. Very different to any vampire story I have read before, which I have to say is a refreshing change. I can't say I found the story frightening, but it is wrought with emotion and, as it is written as a diary from the mothers point of view (and perhaps because I am a mother myself) you become very wrapped up in her tale and can understand the fear that she feels. The story is a captivating read that I found I couldn't put down, not so much looking forward to what came next, but almost dreading it. Not sure I'd have personally gone to the same lengths as the main protagonist to protect my child, but the storyline is very powerful and definitely leaves you with a feeling of needing to know what comes next. I do hope that the story continues in another book, it certainly leaves itself open to it!
August 25, 2016
Really enjoyable modern vampire thriller. The story centres around an almost alcoholic single mother Sarah whose already lost one child. She struggles to cope with Thea, her attitude and secrecy, which is what most parents of a teenage girl will be able to empathise with. Add that to her mothers request that Sarah gets hold of some vampire blood to save a father that Sarah has long washed her hands of. Sarah's drunken misjudgement has major consequences she would never have imagined. This is not Count Dracula or Nosferatu, this is a present day thriller that has intriguing, believable characters and I hope to see more in this genre by the author who is a firm favourite of mine.
December 25, 2017
Thea is a sad and sordid story of a mother’s obsession with saving her daughter. After losing her first one to drugs, her drunken focus is on keeping her remaining daughter safe, at any cost.
I can’t say one good thing about Thea’s mother. Poor Thea. And soon enough, poor mother.
Even though I suspected where this was going to go, it was still well worth the read. Especially as I enjoy a dark, twisty vampire story.
I can’t say one good thing about Thea’s mother. Poor Thea. And soon enough, poor mother.
Even though I suspected where this was going to go, it was still well worth the read. Especially as I enjoy a dark, twisty vampire story.
August 17, 2016
Fun, suspenseful story with believable and flawed characters. Looking forward to more from this author.
May 21, 2022
Absolutely gripping. Kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time. I cannot wait to read the next one in the series.
July 31, 2017
I liked the book but was disgusted with Sarah and her problem with alcoholism. So sorry for Thea but the ending took me totally by surprise with Kate.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews