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Bloodlines
Bloodlines
Her name is Julie. She’s sixteen. She’s a vampire.Julie’s story began in 1944, the night she was made, and continued for seventy-six years. A vampire, sixteen forever. But also a hunter. A hunter of other vampires. The Hounds are her pets. Her servants. Her protectors. But the Hounds are not vampires. They’re demons. Yes, sixteen year old Julie, the vampire-hunting vampire, made a deal with the devil. And now she hunts the one who made her.
283 pages, Kindle Edition
Published February 6, 2020
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
April 30, 2020
This is 5 star book. Major Fan and Follower of all Dennis Young Books. This a great Vampire story. You Love Julie our main Vampire and her hounds. You love Nils and hate Vincent. It well written thru out and never want to put it down. It all takes place during World War 2, in England and France. READ READ READ
And find all the wonderful characters and all the hidden Easter Eggs.
And find all the wonderful characters and all the hidden Easter Eggs.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 6, 2026
I have read a lot of vampire fiction. A lot. And somewhere along the way I quietly accepted that the genre had a ceiling that there were only so many directions you could take the mythology before it started feeling recycled. Bloodlines blew that ceiling wide open and I am still thinking about it weeks later.
Julie is everything.
Sixteen forever sounds like a concept that has been done before but Dennis Young does something with it that genuinely caught me off guard. The weight of seventy six years lived inside a body that will never age past adolescence is handled with a psychological depth that most adult protagonists never get. She is ancient and young simultaneously and that tension lives in every scene she occupies. She is not brooding or romanticized she is sharp, dangerous, and carrying a burden that would have broken anyone else long ago.
The decision to make her a hunter of her own kind is inspired. There is a ruthless logic to it that the book earns completely. She knows what vampires are, what they do, what they take. Who better to stop them than one of them.
Then there are the Hounds. The moment I understood what the Hounds actually were I put the book down for a second and just sat with it. Demons. Her pets, her servants, her protectors all because of a deal made with the devil by a sixteen year old girl backed into the darkest corner imaginable. The audacity of that setup is extraordinary and Young pulls it off completely.
The 1944 origin story is haunting in all the right ways. Setting the creation of a vampire against the backdrop of World War II adds a layer of historical darkness that fits the tone perfectly and makes Julie's world feel grounded in real horror rather than fantasy.
The hunt for the one who made her drives the narrative with relentless momentum. Every revelation adds another dimension to Julie's story and by the end I felt like I genuinely understood her all seventy six years of her in a way that snuck up on me completely.
Dark, clever, emotionally rich and unlike anything else in the genre right now. Dennis Young has created something genuinely special here.
Do not sleep on this one.
Julie is everything.
Sixteen forever sounds like a concept that has been done before but Dennis Young does something with it that genuinely caught me off guard. The weight of seventy six years lived inside a body that will never age past adolescence is handled with a psychological depth that most adult protagonists never get. She is ancient and young simultaneously and that tension lives in every scene she occupies. She is not brooding or romanticized she is sharp, dangerous, and carrying a burden that would have broken anyone else long ago.
The decision to make her a hunter of her own kind is inspired. There is a ruthless logic to it that the book earns completely. She knows what vampires are, what they do, what they take. Who better to stop them than one of them.
Then there are the Hounds. The moment I understood what the Hounds actually were I put the book down for a second and just sat with it. Demons. Her pets, her servants, her protectors all because of a deal made with the devil by a sixteen year old girl backed into the darkest corner imaginable. The audacity of that setup is extraordinary and Young pulls it off completely.
The 1944 origin story is haunting in all the right ways. Setting the creation of a vampire against the backdrop of World War II adds a layer of historical darkness that fits the tone perfectly and makes Julie's world feel grounded in real horror rather than fantasy.
The hunt for the one who made her drives the narrative with relentless momentum. Every revelation adds another dimension to Julie's story and by the end I felt like I genuinely understood her all seventy six years of her in a way that snuck up on me completely.
Dark, clever, emotionally rich and unlike anything else in the genre right now. Dennis Young has created something genuinely special here.
Do not sleep on this one.
March 14, 2026
I have a friend who has been pushing vampire fiction on me for the better part of two years. I have resisted every single recommendation until last week when she put her phone in my face and said read the first page right now and tell me you are not hooked.
I was hooked.
I finished Bloodlines the following morning having stayed up far longer than any responsible adult should on a weeknight and I spent the entire next day at work thinking about Julie when I should have been thinking about literally anything else.
What Young has done here is so quietly radical that it takes a beat to fully appreciate. Julie is not a vampire who happens to be sixteen. She is a sixteen year old girl who has been a vampire for seventy six years and that distinction matters enormously. The way those two things sit inside each other the ancient and the forever young creates a psychological portrait that is unlike anything I have encountered in this genre. She is world weary and razor sharp and carrying a history that would have destroyed anyone else and yet there is something underneath all of that which the world keeps refusing to take seriously because of the face she wears. That tension never goes away and it makes every scene she is in crackle.
The deal with the devil is the moment where the book goes from very good to extraordinary. Understanding why she made it and what it cost her reframes everything that came before and deepens everything that comes after. The Hounds stopped me completely the reveal of what they are is one of the best single moments I have read in recent memory.
The 1944 origin haunts the entire book like a shadow and I mean that as pure praise.
Brilliant, dark and completely one of a kind. I have already texted my friend to apologize for taking two years to listen to her.
I was hooked.
I finished Bloodlines the following morning having stayed up far longer than any responsible adult should on a weeknight and I spent the entire next day at work thinking about Julie when I should have been thinking about literally anything else.
What Young has done here is so quietly radical that it takes a beat to fully appreciate. Julie is not a vampire who happens to be sixteen. She is a sixteen year old girl who has been a vampire for seventy six years and that distinction matters enormously. The way those two things sit inside each other the ancient and the forever young creates a psychological portrait that is unlike anything I have encountered in this genre. She is world weary and razor sharp and carrying a history that would have destroyed anyone else and yet there is something underneath all of that which the world keeps refusing to take seriously because of the face she wears. That tension never goes away and it makes every scene she is in crackle.
The deal with the devil is the moment where the book goes from very good to extraordinary. Understanding why she made it and what it cost her reframes everything that came before and deepens everything that comes after. The Hounds stopped me completely the reveal of what they are is one of the best single moments I have read in recent memory.
The 1944 origin haunts the entire book like a shadow and I mean that as pure praise.
Brilliant, dark and completely one of a kind. I have already texted my friend to apologize for taking two years to listen to her.
July 26, 2023
Man, this was a super solid vampire read! I really enjoyed this one.
In this book we follow Julie, a young girl of sixteen living across the pond in 1944. When war breaks out, she nearly loses her life and is forced to make a deal with a strange man who turns out to be a vampire. Julie joins the undead, finding a new purpose under her master's orders. As she navigates her new life, Julie embarks on an epic quest of self-discovery, growth, and valor as she fights to turn the tide of the war on her own terms.
There's a lot to love with this book, but I think what really surprised me is how much I enjoyed the intermingling of genres. I'm not the biggest fan of historical fiction, but putting vampires in the mix made it so interesting that it was hard to put down. Since this is about vampires primarily there is plenty of horror, so expect many epic and gruesome battles.
Julie was a great main character to follow around. She's only sixteen, so she hasn't yet fully formed her world view. There was a ton of progression with her as she questions what she knows and the new vampire landscape before her. She also tackles a lot of moral issues and deals with some pretty frightening demons along the way.
I also enjoyed the Hounds and Nils as characters. They helped make things light in certain instances. Vincent was also a treat as her master.
As far as the plot was concerned, I really enjoyed all the sudden twists and turns. There was a lot of mystery that involved Julie and her allies trying to piece things together as events occurred, and that really drove me forward. Also, I have to point out that the beginning really drew me in, so extra kudos there.
If you're in need of a read with a fresh take on vampires, look no further!
In this book we follow Julie, a young girl of sixteen living across the pond in 1944. When war breaks out, she nearly loses her life and is forced to make a deal with a strange man who turns out to be a vampire. Julie joins the undead, finding a new purpose under her master's orders. As she navigates her new life, Julie embarks on an epic quest of self-discovery, growth, and valor as she fights to turn the tide of the war on her own terms.
There's a lot to love with this book, but I think what really surprised me is how much I enjoyed the intermingling of genres. I'm not the biggest fan of historical fiction, but putting vampires in the mix made it so interesting that it was hard to put down. Since this is about vampires primarily there is plenty of horror, so expect many epic and gruesome battles.
Julie was a great main character to follow around. She's only sixteen, so she hasn't yet fully formed her world view. There was a ton of progression with her as she questions what she knows and the new vampire landscape before her. She also tackles a lot of moral issues and deals with some pretty frightening demons along the way.
I also enjoyed the Hounds and Nils as characters. They helped make things light in certain instances. Vincent was also a treat as her master.
As far as the plot was concerned, I really enjoyed all the sudden twists and turns. There was a lot of mystery that involved Julie and her allies trying to piece things together as events occurred, and that really drove me forward. Also, I have to point out that the beginning really drew me in, so extra kudos there.
If you're in need of a read with a fresh take on vampires, look no further!
March 14, 2026
Someone in a book group I follow posted about Bloodlines with the caption "trust me just read it" and absolutely zero other context. Normally I would scroll past something like that. For some reason I didn't and now here I am three days later writing a review because I feel the same obligation to pass it forward.
Trust me. Just read it.
I went in knowing almost nothing and I think that is the ideal way to experience this book. What I will say without spoiling anything is that within the first few chapters Young establishes a version of Julie that is so specific and so fully realized that you feel like you have known her for years even though you have just met her. Sixteen forever is a concept that sounds almost whimsical until Young shows you what seventy six years of that actually looks like from the inside the isolation, the anger, the discipline it takes to keep going when the world around you keeps changing and you never do.
I was not prepared for how much the 1944 setting would affect me. There is something about placing a vampire origin story inside one of the darkest moments in human history that grounds the supernatural elements in a very real kind of horror and it lingers.
The Hounds genuinely surprised me and I am not easy to surprise. The deal with the devil at the heart of Julie's whole existence reframes her from a cool concept into a genuinely complex and heartbreaking character and from that moment the book becomes something you simply cannot put down.
Completely original, emotionally unexpectedly rich and absolutely worth every minute. One of my favorite reads of the year without question.
Trust me. Just read it.
I went in knowing almost nothing and I think that is the ideal way to experience this book. What I will say without spoiling anything is that within the first few chapters Young establishes a version of Julie that is so specific and so fully realized that you feel like you have known her for years even though you have just met her. Sixteen forever is a concept that sounds almost whimsical until Young shows you what seventy six years of that actually looks like from the inside the isolation, the anger, the discipline it takes to keep going when the world around you keeps changing and you never do.
I was not prepared for how much the 1944 setting would affect me. There is something about placing a vampire origin story inside one of the darkest moments in human history that grounds the supernatural elements in a very real kind of horror and it lingers.
The Hounds genuinely surprised me and I am not easy to surprise. The deal with the devil at the heart of Julie's whole existence reframes her from a cool concept into a genuinely complex and heartbreaking character and from that moment the book becomes something you simply cannot put down.
Completely original, emotionally unexpectedly rich and absolutely worth every minute. One of my favorite reads of the year without question.
March 14, 2026
I grabbed this on impulse and finished it in one sitting. Bloodlines is the kind of vampire fiction that makes you remember why the genre exists in the first place.
Julie is unlike any protagonist I have come across in this space. Sixteen forever sounds like a concept that has been explored before but Dennis Young does something with it that genuinely stopped me cold. Seventy six years of hunting, surviving and carrying a deal made with the devil all of it trapped inside a body the world will never take seriously. That tension alone could sustain an entire series.
The Hounds are a masterstroke. The moment you understand what they actually are and why they serve her the whole mythology clicks into place in the most satisfying way. A vampire who hunts vampires with demon protectors she bargained from the devil herself it sounds wild on paper and on the page it feels completely inevitable.
The 1944 origin is haunting and perfectly chosen. Setting the night Julie was made against the backdrop of World War II gives the darkness real historical weight and makes her story feel grounded in genuine horror rather than fantasy escapism.
The hunt for her maker drives everything forward with relentless momentum and the emotional core underneath all the supernatural machinery is surprisingly raw and affecting.
Sharp, dark, completely original. Dennis Young has built something genuinely special here and I need more of it immediately.
Julie is unlike any protagonist I have come across in this space. Sixteen forever sounds like a concept that has been explored before but Dennis Young does something with it that genuinely stopped me cold. Seventy six years of hunting, surviving and carrying a deal made with the devil all of it trapped inside a body the world will never take seriously. That tension alone could sustain an entire series.
The Hounds are a masterstroke. The moment you understand what they actually are and why they serve her the whole mythology clicks into place in the most satisfying way. A vampire who hunts vampires with demon protectors she bargained from the devil herself it sounds wild on paper and on the page it feels completely inevitable.
The 1944 origin is haunting and perfectly chosen. Setting the night Julie was made against the backdrop of World War II gives the darkness real historical weight and makes her story feel grounded in genuine horror rather than fantasy escapism.
The hunt for her maker drives everything forward with relentless momentum and the emotional core underneath all the supernatural machinery is surprisingly raw and affecting.
Sharp, dark, completely original. Dennis Young has built something genuinely special here and I need more of it immediately.
February 11, 2020
Suspense! Drama! Plot twists? War!! This book has a little bit of everything for everyone. History? No problem! This is set in WWII, plenty of tidbits of information. Gore? Can't have vampires without it! ...Love? Absolutely. Full of plenty of fights internal and external.
Julie, she's sixteen. Dennis Young does a great job portraying what a sixteen year old girl would feel and experience. Definitely fierce and full of emotions because who would want to to have a life as a vampire at sixteen especially at war? I love how Jie grows as you read her story. Something I would like to have seen more of was her training with the hounds. It is noted that she was not sure of time and how it passed, but I do wish we saw more. However, he makes up for it by showing us how Julie grows throughout and that increases her confidence in her ability to control them. Almost like on the job training or hands on training would do.
I did not see the ending coming which is something I enjoyed the most! I was on the edge of my seat for the whole book.
-----SPOILER----
I loved the ending where Julie went to see Cedric to speak with him and ends up with a surprise at home.
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest ARC review.
Julie, she's sixteen. Dennis Young does a great job portraying what a sixteen year old girl would feel and experience. Definitely fierce and full of emotions because who would want to to have a life as a vampire at sixteen especially at war? I love how Jie grows as you read her story. Something I would like to have seen more of was her training with the hounds. It is noted that she was not sure of time and how it passed, but I do wish we saw more. However, he makes up for it by showing us how Julie grows throughout and that increases her confidence in her ability to control them. Almost like on the job training or hands on training would do.
I did not see the ending coming which is something I enjoyed the most! I was on the edge of my seat for the whole book.
-----SPOILER----
I loved the ending where Julie went to see Cedric to speak with him and ends up with a surprise at home.
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest ARC review.
January 5, 2026
This was not the most comfortable book to read; things change very quickly for Julie, and she isn’t given the luxury of time to adjust. I wanted to reach into the book and protect her.
This world, the U.K. and Europe during WWII, is at once familiar and utterly new. I’ve never considered how any vampire, let alone a sixteen-year-old girl, might handle a world at war. The story was wildly imaginative — the grit, the horror, the humanity. The characters have faces I recognize, driven by purpose, greed, love, and fear; their voices are distinct and utterly relatable. It made me think; it made me hurt.
I highly recommend Bloodlines if you enjoy fantasy blended with real-world history and an emotional wallop.
This world, the U.K. and Europe during WWII, is at once familiar and utterly new. I’ve never considered how any vampire, let alone a sixteen-year-old girl, might handle a world at war. The story was wildly imaginative — the grit, the horror, the humanity. The characters have faces I recognize, driven by purpose, greed, love, and fear; their voices are distinct and utterly relatable. It made me think; it made me hurt.
I highly recommend Bloodlines if you enjoy fantasy blended with real-world history and an emotional wallop.
December 7, 2022
I got to meet this author @Scarefest Lexington back in October. The way he was excited to tell me about his stories was amazing. Great energy and great people skills. I chose the book over all the others because, well, a vampire girl with demon dogs is a no brainier. Super kewl stuff there. I totally loved the beginning of the book so much that I was kicking myself for not buying the other books about Julie. And I'm not saying that I didn't enjoy the rest of the story, but the war theme was very heavy. That's a me thing. As a veteran, I usually avoid all things military related. It's still a good book. How could I resist a story with demon dogs?
September 17, 2025
A fresh twist on vampire lore Julie is both predator and protector, and her pact with demons makes the story dark, fast-paced, and addictive. I loved the mix of horror and humanity in her character. A solid read for fans of supernatural thrillers.
April 16, 2024
This book was different from what. I normally read, but it was very good. It is very well written and interesting.
May 18, 2025
A must read! I couldn’t put it down!
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews