Walk Among Us: A Vampire: The Masquerade Gothic Horror Collection of Dark Secrets and Deep Hunger

Vampire: The Masquerade #1

by Genevieve Gornichec, Cassandra Khaw, Caitlin Starling

One of the most popular role-playing properties in the world gets new life with this trio of horror novellas set in Vampire: The Masquerade's World of Darkness by three brilliant talents: Genevieve Gornichec, Cassandra Khaw, and Caitlin Starling

The subtle horror and infernal politics of the World of Darkness are shown in a new light in Vampire: The Masquerade: Walk Among Us, an audio-first collection of three novellas that show the terror, hunger, and power of the Kindred as you've never seen them before.

In Genevieve Gornichec's A SHEEP AMONG WOLVES, depression and radicalization go hand-in-hand as a young woman finds companionship in the darkness...

In Cassandra Khaw's FINE PRINT, an arrogant tech bro learns the importance of reading the fine print in the contract for immortality...

And in Caitlin Starling's THE LAND OF MILK AND HONEY, ideals and ethics bump heads with appetite on a blood farm.

Three very different stories from three amazing, distinct voices, but all with one thing in common: the hunger never stops, and for someone to experience power, many others are going to have to feel pain.

Genres: Horror, Vampires, Fantasy, Fiction, Audiobook, Urban Fantasy, Short Stories

448 pages, Paperback

First published May 4, 2021

About the author

Genevieve Gornichec very occasionally logs on here to rate a book or two. She lives in northeast Ohio, where she has been known to haunt local coffee shops and also pretend to be a tenth-century Scandinavian weaver on the weekends.

Instagram: @gengornichec (most active)
Twitter: @gengornichec (updates only)
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gengornichec (updates only)

Reviews

[Gianfranco Mancini · Rating 3 out of 5]

“What does it mean?” Clea asked.
“There have been people coming to town lately that have been threatening everything we’re trying to build here,” Finn said, running a hand through his shoulder-length blond hair, unbound for once. “People who didn’t care about this city before I got here. I’d like to remind them whose domain this is.”

Genevieve Gornichec's A SHEEP AMONG WOLVES ☆☆

The ending was more than ok for me and I've not seen that twist arriving at all, sadly it took nearly 90 pages of teenage depression and angst before things got interesting for me.
To say nothing about this story essentially lacking everything about the World of Darkness besides just a couple of casually added short references to the setting like Anarchs and Camarilla, or the main character's addiction to Netflix nearly bordering on covert advertising... Oh, good grief.



“No answer? That’s all right. We have eternity, Marmalade, for you to learn how to bend and scrape and lick my boots. You’ll wish you had asked.”

Cassandra Khaw's FINE PRINT ☆☆☆☆

A nasty and entertaining little tale about a neonate Ventrue learning to respect his elders the hardest way, nailing for good the gothic-punk dirty atmosphere and mood of the World of Darkness setting and its trademark elements.
And in the end I was visualizing in my mind poor Duke as Dev/Null, the Malkavian hacker from the Vampire the Masquerade: Redemption (2000) video-game.

“There are rumors,” I whisper to the empty hallways of my house, “that it was Caine who spread agriculture across the early human world. He planted his crop then, a growing swell of humanity to feed upon, and we have harvested it for millennia since. Perhaps I am only implementing it in a more focused manner.”



Caitlin Starling's THE LAND OF MILK AND HONEY ☆☆☆

An interesting take about a Kindred managing a blood farming community while trying to stick to his ideals and ethics without succumbing to hunger or Camarilla’s machinations.
I enjoyed the storyline a lot, the author's knowledge about the World of Darkness setting was outstanding, and references to new powers and traits of thin-blooded “duskborns” left me craving for reading more about the fifth edition of the Vampire: The Masquerade RPG.
Sadly I’m not much a fan of first person narrative and characters just left me cold for good.



Vampire:The Masquerade rocked the world of pen-and-paper roleplaying games in 1991 and inspired a generation of fans the likes of which the games and hobbies industries had never seen before.
The World of Darkness setting introduced by VtM, is a darker, more devious and more conspiratorial “Gothic-Punk” version of our world where decadence, cynicism, and corruption are common. Humans are unwitting victims or pawns of vast secret organizations of supernatural creatures: vampires, werewolves, mages, and much more struggle with internal factionalism and against other species in secret wars of intrigue for control.
Vampire:The Masquerade reached hundreds of millions of people through thousands of books published in a wide variety of languages, a television show, video games, comics, and even World of Darkness-focused conventions throughout the world.
In addition to Vampire:The Masquerade, the other popular settings within the World of Darkness include: • Werewolf: the Apocalypse • Mage: the Ascension • Wraith: the Oblivion • Changeling: the Dreaming.

This book was a mostly decent anthology for me, but being a long time fan of Vampire: The Masquerade and the World of Darkness since second edition of the pen and paper roleplaying game was released in 1992, and having read a lot of books from the previously released fiction about the franchise, I was so excited from reading a new VtM paperback after years that I was expecting much more.

Besides that, if you never played the tabletop RPG or any related videogame, or ever read any previously released franchise related novel, I highly recommend you trying the two mind blowing Clan Novel sagas, this book is a good starting point to step into the amazing grim setting of the World of Darkness.



Enjoy.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read the e-book version of this book on Kobo Plus. As always, my honest thoughts and opinions are directly below.

–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

This book contains three novellas set in the Vampire: The Masquerade universe with the novellas written by Genevieve Gornichec, Cassandra Khaw, and Caitlin Starling.

–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

Okay, so I know nothing of Vampire: The Masquerade, which means I went in completely blind. I do this quite often so that my reading experience is not ruined by me being biased toward events or characters.

This obviously shoots me in the foot quite a bit, which I feel like happened here. I was left confused at times because I feel like I should have seen things coming and was left blindsided or that I should have known characters or known about events that happened off-page that I knew nothing about.

I prefer going in blind most of the time but I feel like I didn't enjoy these novellas as much because I don't know the universe like I should. I feel like this really took me out of the experience but I'm not holding that against the authors of these novellas because it's my own fault.

I will say that the FMC in the first story was a total pansy but that's just my personal opinion. I hate that she didn't stand up for herself and I think that led to a lot of the bullying. I know that mental health issues can take a lot out of a person but I feel like that's still no excuse.

I do like that she got the vengeance that she so rightly deserves against her bullies but I feel like it took almost too long. If Jade hadn't entered Clea's life when she did, I don't think Clea would have survived her college experience, honestly. This is coming from someone who is also depressed.

I also enjoyed the ending of the second novella because I feel like Duke was an absolute trash panda of a vampire. I feel like he never should have been embraced at all but, again, that's just my personal opinion.

I wouldn't be surprised if Duke's embrace was a piece of revenge against him by the old woman and that's something I actually wanted to bring up. I feel like I should have known who she was when Duke didn't so the ending of the second novella left me confused and scratching my head.

I feel like I should have done my research into the universe before starting this book so that's on me. I'll take the "L" on this one, for sure. But, yeah, I feel like I should have known who the old woman was but I didn't so the revenge against Duke didn't feel as good as I was hoping it would.

I was also left confused about the terms of the agreement Duke signed when becoming a vampire. I am under the assumption, after finishing the novel, that the old woman changed the agreement that he signed between him reviewing it with an attorney and when he actually signed it.

I'm still scratching my head on that ending, though, and the ending of the last novella. I honestly feel bad for the FMC in this one but she definitely should have seen the ending coming a mile away but she didn't. It drove me up one wall and down the next.

I felt she was so self-absorbed that I was honestly glad she ended up being betrayed in the end. I know that's an awful thing to say but I can't help it sometimes. I know we're all a little self-absorbed sometimes, but that's really no excuse.

I'm glad her love interest didn't end up being a truly awful death like we were led to believe at first but I'm not sure how I feel about her being embraced. I'm wondering now about her motivations for wanting the embrace and her role in the hostile takeover because that's what it was in the end.

All in all, I'd say I would recommend this book if you're into a different backstory for vampire-kind in a futuristic setting. I enjoyed it more this time around than when I tried to read it a few months ago. I couldn't get through it then but I'm glad I was able to finish it this go-around.

[Earwen · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Sheep Among Wolves - 1/5
Fine Print - 5/5
Land of Milk and Honey - 5/5

You see the trouble I have rating this book. It averages out to 3.6 and somehow it feels wrong to give a 4 to a book that contains one of the worst pieces of fiction I read. But also it also contains some of the best? I hope the print version of these are separate so I can rate them accordingly.

I highly recommend the 2nd and 3rd story they were both excellent and everything I wanted this to be.

my original review for first novella below.
----
First novella was a complete disaster on every level I'm shocked this got approved for the collection. I don't think I read something quite so bad in a while.


-every two sentences there is a thinly veiled psa about mental health, chronic pain, weight, sexuality etc etc inserted very unnaturally. I agree with everything in it technically and generally am weary of people complaining about such topics being shown down their throat but in this case it really was. If this was a YA Issue book that'd be fine but it isn't? I'm not here to be educated about this shit. It wasn't even particularly insightful or new it felt like seeing cold twitter takes inbetween the story. Yes I get it mental health is important. Can we move on.
- and while doing all the above it still managed to fall into classic sexist tropes more at home in a early 2000s teen drama. The most unlikeable characters in this story are beautiful women. In one case the only reason the mc feels disdain for her its that she's hot. In the other case while the chracter is a bully but not in any believable way and the way the story justifies treating her is laughable
-it..completely ignores vtm setting rules. vampires just prancing around during daytime as long as they dont go into the sun? okay. I get the impression this story was written for another setting but the author changed it for this collection. There is nothing tonally or even story wise that ties this to the vtm setting beyond some name drops like saying camarilla once.
-this story had the most obnoxious characters i ever encountered. This is partly because the author uses them to give (unnecessary, unnatural) lessons about mental health but also they're just annoying fucking people who talk in weird unnatural ways. The whole time I was thinking, you guys don't have any friends because you are impossible to converse with.
-the stupid nonsensical twist that makes the whole story laughable if you think about it for two seconds. honestly looking back at some scenes is a comedy and I'm sure this wasn't intended from the start. It was just a twist for twists sake. Nothing in the plot made sense in general and the ending instead of contextualizing it just adds another layer of stupid to it.
-mental health is important <3 unless you're blonde and got big tiddies then well obviously that means you're evil and deserve to die

I think that this is an official part of vtm now is frankly, embarrassing. I hope the other two are better.

[Sud666 · Rating 2 out of 5]

I am a huge vampire fan. The White Wolf, now World of Darkness, series is up there with my favorites genres of vampire world building. The company has had a makeover and is now writing stories again. I was rather excited to pick up this collection of three novellas. The stories are, unfortunately, merely ok. The strength of this series is best highlighted when the various clans and their coflicts are explored in depth. The three authors, instead, spent far too much time on the development of the human characters and as they are all some variant of woke fucktard I had issues caring or liking them.

"A Sheep mong Wolves" was amusingly set in the World of Darkness version of Columbus, Ohio and Ohio State University. Since I live in Columbus and work at OSU this drew some chuckles. It's the story of a lonely girl who finds "friends" among a strange meeting group. It had potential but the majority of the story is far too focused on the human side of it and suffers accordingly.

"Fine Print" is better in that it has more of a focus on the vampire clan of Ventrue. But, the main character- a hipster, tech guru is not really what the Venture are about. They are the Blue Bloods of the Camarilla (the governing body for vampires that maintain the Masquerade) and prefer people with a good family background and wealth. The hipster d-bag doesn't fit in with this crowd as wealth can be acquired, but breeding and blood can not. Glad he got his comeuppance as he was an annoying character. Still out of place with the Ventrue clan.

"Milk and Honey" is far too focused on the main vampire's "feelings" and , again, suffers for it. A vampire is seeking to farm humans in a more humane fashion (heh pun) and finds her project in jeopardy from the rulings powers that be.

All the stories were ok, though some had the potential for greatness they were all befouled by the focus on humans and their stupid feelings/hopes/desires...next time? Stick to the vampires, they are far more interesting.

[Landice (Manic Femme) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rating 4 stars because Fine Print (Cassandra Khaw) and In the Land of Milk and Honey (Caitlin Starling) were both phenomenal stories that felt true to the current lore/vibe of Vampire the Masquerade, but A Sheep Among Wolves (Genevieve Gornichec) fell super flat for me.

Interesting choice to lead with the weakest story instead of sandwiching it between the two stronger tales. I did the audio version of this collection and while I’m generally pretty easy to please when it comes to books, my love for Erika Ishii + my own neurotic completionist tendencies were the only things that kept me from DNF’ing the first story and skipping to the second.

I was hyperfixated on Vampire the Masquerade v5 in 2019 but then had to step back from the chronicles I was involved in because I was so busy, and then my attention moved on to books, so this was a nice intersection of both of those interests. Definitely made me miss playing.

Love queer books, too? Let's be friends! Bookstagram | Booktok | Booktube | Twitter

[Ladz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Content warning for suicide ideation, blood consumption, gore, violence, manipulation

Genevieve Gornichec's "A Sheep Among Wolves" performed by Erika Ishii
A college student looks for companionship and finds it in the unlikeliest of places. I really appreciate how Gornichec approached the recruitment strategy, and laid out a solid framework for that final reveal. The mental health aspect of it was also relatable, plus the general loneliness that comes with being in college. Very atmospheric.

Cassandra Khaw's "Fine Print" performed by Neil Kaplan
Of the three, I think this one might have been the grossest. Khaw takes the approach of food insensitivities and the paperwork that goes into  becoming a vampire. It also tackles individual interpretations of privilege that are both incisive and has you rooting for the antagonists in the best way. Sometimes the vampires are the good guys.

Caitlin Starling's "Land of Milk and Honey" performed by Xe Sands
The setpiece of a verfiable blood farm was exquisite in this work. Leigh just wants to have an ethical source of vampire food, and nearly compromises the Masquerade in the process. If you're looking for some sapphic pining, this novellas also has plenty of that to go around. The women are complex, and the attention to detail regarding animal husbandry is particularly good.

A must-listen for people needing more vampire stories in their life.

[Ece]

-Updated with the review for the second story -

I finished the first story yesterday. Honestly shocked how it managed to get editorial approval.

As someone who has been battling with bipolar disorder for years, and also a queer person, all of the so-called "woke" undertones felt like I was reading a Twitter activist's hot takes. Defining the main character by their mental condition, revolving their every action around depression is counter-productive. Non-neurotypical people are so much more their condition. Wish the protagonist had an identity beyond being depressed. Yes, mental illness and the societal pressure to fit into norms are both awful things. While having meaningful messages about these issues, sprinkled into the plot organically can add rich layers to a story, Sheep Among Wolves just screams in your ear how it has the right, "good" idea about every sensitive discussion from body image issues to social relations. So much virtue signalling that after a while I forgot it was a Vampire: the Masquerade story.

Characters were shallow and had no meaningful character building/arcs - including the protagonist. I understand novellas' genre limitations but using mean girls vs. nerdy "i'm not like other girls" girl stereotype is out of date and tasteless. They felt like cardboard cutouts, not actually characters with their own personalities and ideas. Side characters, being already "side" as they are, quickly fell into irrelevance. I have noticed that none of the women who were described as beautiful were likable by the protagonist's standards - yet, the only "hot guy" in the story got her unconditional loyalty for some reason. For a story that goads in its wokeness for almost 4 hours, it falls into years-old sexist tropes very quickly.

Plot-twists are tricky narrative tools: if they don't serve to enhance your narrative depth, they can turn the story you have tried to build meaningless - just as it was for this story. After The Big Twist happens, half the story loses any meaning (without any plausible explanations/theories either). The twist in question ends up causing so many plotholes that a friend of mine spent hours trying to come up with logical explanations for some semblance of redemption for the story - to no avail.

For a story titled "Sheep Among Wolves" I never felt like the protagonist was truly among predators. All of the themes which makes Vampire: the Masquerade what it is were glossed over. Oh yeah, the story has vampires, I think the commonalities end there. The dark wickedness and the corrupt nature of VtM as a setting were lost on the author. I saw no real darkness, no terror of being the prey among alien hunters - our protagonist quickly came over what illogical, supernatural aspect of vampirism they've encountered and at the end become The Cool Misunderstood Girl (tm). They wore *skinny jeans* at the end instead of a tracksuit so you know they've become cool and rad!

Also, I wonder if the author has any familiarity with Vampire: the Masquerade as a setting. Not only there are mechanical errors (vampires being able to hang around during sunrise in shades etc.) and inconsistencies with the current lore of VtM, not once I got the feeling of "personal horror" which is the central theme of Vampire: the Masquerade. This story felt like someone heard about VtM's general idea and decided to write a loosely-based fanficton. Wish someone who has in-depth knowledge of the setting (both thematically and mechanically) gave this story a final reading because it is obvious the author's knowledge in terms of VtM's vampire politics and cosmology does not go beyond knowing a couple of important names such as "Camarila" and "Anarchs"

More than anything, this story felt like a self insert revenge fantasy fanfiction - nothing wrong with them, I used to think they're cool when I was 12 too. Not every story has to tackle legitimately serious topics such as mental illnesses, sexuality etc. and if your ideas on these topics don't go beyond social media takes, please don't do so. As a long time fan of Vampire: the Masquerade, it makes me sad the first story is a failure. Hope the other two will redeem this one's shortcomings.

-FINE PRINT-
Very good, almost perfect atmosphere - Neil Kaplan's voice contributes to this as well. The author clearly had a good grasp of what it means to be a fresh vampire in Vampire: the Masquerade. Gritty, down-to-earth, realistic. Keeps you on your toes and truly draws you into this world of horror and isolation where you can't trust anyone. Removes the romanticized veil of vampires and reveals them for what they are: immortal puppeteers who hunt mortals for blood. Twists and questions presented in this story are actually smart, compliment the plot, and make the listener *think.* I truly got the experience a devious Ventrue schemery through and through. A modern, fresh take on VtM which carries its urban horror to our day.

[Liz (Quirky Cat) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Walk Among Us is a collection of three short stories based in the world of Vampire: The Masquerade. Since that is a roleplaying game I love/d, I'm thrilled to see the world being brought back to life here.

These are three dark tales about the deadly and political nature of vampires. These are not the pretty or friendly vampires found in romance novels. No, these are the sort that are more likely to get you running, if you had the bad fortune to come across them.

To my knowledge, this collection is an audible exclusive, at least for the moment. That means it'll only be available as an audiobook for now, but it's still absolutely worth the listen to. Especially if you're an avid fan of the franchise.

Included in this collection are three tales. The first is titled A Sheep Among Wolves. Written by Genevieve Gornichec and narrated by Erika Ishii, it follows a young woman who found herself in a world beyond her imagination.

Cassandra Khaw's Fine Print is next. Narrated by Neil Kaplan, this is a political story through and through, but not for the reasons you might imagine. It shows the darker side of making a deal.

Last, there's The Land of Milk and Honey. Written by Caitlin Starling and narrated by Xe Sands, it follows a totally different perspective on vampire life – the concept of sustainable farming and everything it entails. All three shorts will be reviewed in further depth down below.

A Sheep Among Wolves by Genevieve Gornichec and Erika Ishii
Rating: ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆
Warnings: Depression, anxiety
A Sheep Among Wolves is an absolutely fascinating tale, especially as you try and sort out what is truly happening. It is a tale of depression, radicalization, and the tending to of humans with high potential.
This is one of those stories that doesn't go at all how one might expect. It gets dark, naturally, yet the twists are truly surprising. Likewise, it is a story full of suspense. All the more so thanks to the main perspective, who shows what it must be like to be a human going through the grooming process.

Fine Print by Cassandra Khaw and Neil Kaplan
Rating: ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆
Warnings: Gore, graphic depictions, torture, imprisonment
Fine Print was a shocking read/listen, especially following the events of A Sheep Among Wolves. If any of the stories can be taken as a cautionary tale, let it be this one. Read the fine print. Treat others with basic respect. Use common decency. All that, and more.
This is the darker side of making a pact. You can think you're making the best deal in the world until you get to that fine print. Even then, the fine print can seem drastically different, depending on the context.
This one really did do an excellent job of portraying the darker sides of White Wolf. Not just of vampires in general, but of humanity as well. There really are no punches pulled in this story, but that is fitting.

The Land of Milk and Honey by Caitlin Starling and Xe Sands
Rating: ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆
Warnings: Gore, animal death
The last story in this collection is titled The Land of Milk and Honey. It follows a different side of living as a vampire. Actually, that's not quite accurate. It shows one vampire's way of coping and feeding – a way that is different from what is normally depicted.
Out of all the stories in this collection, this is the one that's going to get you thinking. It raises questions of ethics, morality, and the differences between humans and animals. This is a world where humans are the renewable resource, and sustainable farming allows for a specific cultivation of traits.
Understandably, it gets dark – though perhaps not for the reasons you might assume and expect. That it comes with several points to be made makes the story all the more chilling and impactful.

Check out more reviews over at Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks

[Sonja O. · Rating 3 out of 5]

I haven't read many anthologies, which is why I feel a little out of my element rating this one. More so because I ended up really liking two of the short stories and heavily disliking one of them. I can't say any of them necessarily expanded my understanding of WoD. But then, I'm not sure they were even supposed to.

I really liked the first story and was immediately sucked in by the ambiance and the narration. The second one though, I barely got through. I couldn't tell you why, exactly. I was just not interested at all and ended up skipping half of it. The third one, on the other hand, I absolutely loved! If I were to rate each story individually, I would give the first story four stars, the second one star, and the third five stars. Add all those together and you get an insipid rating of 3.33 stars. It's hardly emblematic of how I actually feel about the book as a whole, but at least it's mathematically sound.

[Matthew Galloway · Rating 2 out of 5]

I think my rating on this one is completely down to me not being the right kind of reader for this book. The stories seemed well enough written and I enjoyed most of each story. However, each had a core piece that just felt... gross... to me, leading me to be quite unhappy with the way things turn out. I should clarify that it's more an emotionally gross feeling rather than gore or some such.

[Becky Spratford · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review in the the April 2021 issue of Library Journal: https://www.libraryjournal.com/?revie...

and on the blog [link live 4/5/21]: https://raforall.blogspot.com/2021/04...

Three Words That Describe This Book: atmospheric, close narration, new voices for an old trope

Draft Review:
Set within the popular Vampire: The Masquerade role playing game world and originally published as audio only, Walk Among Us brings three exciting, new female horror authors together in one volume. While these novellas are not connected to each other in any way besides their vampire frame, they do all share an oppressive atmosphere and close narration which immediately draw readers into their unsettling worlds. “A Sheep Among Wolves” uses a horror lens to look at depression and grooming, appealing to readers of The Drowning Girl by Kiernan. “Fine Print” takes a detailed look at the consequences of making a dark deal much like the classic King novella “Fair Extensions” [Stephanie-- in Full Dark, No Stars]. And the final story, “The Land of Milk and Honey” contemplates vampire sustainable farming, reminiscent of Tender is the Flesh by Bazterrica. Each author has her own style, but all are immersive and terrifying.

Verdict: There is no need to know anything about the RPG in order to enjoy these modern, original, female focused novellas of vampire menace that take the old trope into exciting new directions. Just make sure you have the latest works by these authors in your collections as readers will be clamoring for more upon completion.

Extra notes:

Set in a world of a RPG [role playing game], but you do NOT have to know the world of the game to enjoy this collection of novellas. Originally in Audio only.

Three female horror authors to watch!

Obviously for fans of new tales of vampire menace, but each author has a different storytelling style and the frame of the vampire story is unique. So specific readalikes for each story and its main Frame:

A Sheep Among Wolves: Mental Health/Depressing and Grooming: The Drowning Girl by Kiernan

Fine Print: Consequences of a Dark Deal: "Fair Extensions" by King from FULL DARK NO STARS

The Land of Milk and Honey: Tender is the Flesh by Bazterrica

I don't expect every reader to like every story equally. But, each will have a reader who LOVES one of the stories and will seek out more by the author. Let patrons know that going in. The stories are not connected for those not aware of the RPG. They do not have to read it cover to cover.

[Laura (crofteereader) · Rating 2 out of 5]

The collection as a whole really didn't do it for me. Read on to get my reviews on each novella individually.

A SHEEP AMONG WOLVES: I was warned in advance that this was not particularly great novella, but I figured I'd give it a shot anyway. I was bored almost immediately by Clia's passivity, her meekness, and the stereotypical bullying. Plus, it took a loooong time for anything of note to really happen. I actually DNF'd this story, skipping ahead in the hopes that Khaw's would be better (since I've lived Khaw's evocative descriptions and lyrical style in the past). Which brings me to...

FINE PRINT: Between a character we don't like, a severely isolated setting with few characters (and none but Duke with anything resembling depth), and little to no action/movement, this novella was dry. Khaw usually thrives on the super descriptive and a kind of dry, off-kilter tone. But honestly, Duke could burn and I found the antagonists to not be threatening/looming enough. The ending didn't shock me as I'm sure it was supposed to. It all just felt inevitable. Indeed, the editors of this collection absolutely believed in saving the best for last...

THE LAND OF MILK AND HONEY: Leigh (Lee?) was such a fun take on the "ethical" vampire. Plus, the hierarchical structure to the area's mythical underbelly, the different castes of vampires (all inspired by different traditions) made for a fascinating backdrop. Add in gay ladies and a touch of obsession and I'm here for it. The story was clever and fascinating - by and large the best of the bunch. But making a listener slog through those first two in order to get to this one... It would have made anyone impatient.

[Shadowdenizen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Let me start by saying I read almost all of the original World of Darkness fiction, for most of the lines they produced. And the one thing they all had in common was 1. Melodrama, and 2. Metaplot. Those staples served that line well, and made the books inherently readable, though only a few of the titles REALLY stood out.

This compilation is the first fiction for the new (5th) edition of Vampire: The Masquerade, and, (keeping in mind I've only read the first story thus far) this is QUITE a difference from the previous lines.

Full review to come when complete.
*****
Post-Read:
3.5 stars.
Well, I have mixed thoughts on this.

This trio of short novels is all about neonate vampires trying to find their way in the "Updated" World of Darkness; this is both a boon and a hinderance to the line. It's a subject that is great for the RPG, but hasn't really been a focus of the WoD fiction to date, which has been focused on established characters, action, and the previous metaplot. (I imagine that's actually the point.)

With the three entries in this compilation, I enjoyed meeting these new characters, though I'm not sure I'd follow any of their exploits on a continuing basis as I did in the previous incarnation.

[Vervada · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars

"A Sheep Among Wolves" written by Genevieve Gornichec and performed by Erika Ishii 5 stars
I related so much to the main character of this story. While I've never been depressed, I have a lot of social anxiety and I've definitely felt some of what Clea did ( I hope this is how her name is spelled ). And I enjoyed the mystery and the twists at the end very much.

"Fine Print" written by Cassandra Khaw and performed by Neil Kaplan 3.5 stars
This is a well written story, but the pacing was kind of slow and Duke was too annoying. But the last chapter and the ending got really interesting.

"Land of Milk and Honey" written by Caitlin Starling and performed by Xe Sands 5 stars
I thought this was the best story of the three. The way Caitlin Starling made Leigh's thinking so inhuman and monstrous, while still making her a likeable character is phenomenal. And the ending was so awesome! I definitely hadn't seen that coming.

P.S. I thought all three narrators did an excellent job.

[Kal ★ Reader Voracious]

why am I only finding out about this now?!

Blog | Twitter | Instagram

[Caitlin · Rating 2 out of 5]

This short story collection just wasn’t it, team. The first story was dreadful and that was a tone I had a hard time getting out of for the next two pieces, even though they did get a little bit better. But not enough for me to feel like reading this was worth it. Such a bummer.

[Wade · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not to my taste. Slow and overwritten. What is it about V:tM that turns anyone who writes stories about it into a purveyor of purple prose?

The voice actor for the first novella was good.

[Hel · Rating 3 out of 5]

- A Sheep Among Wolfs: * (did not like it)
- Fine Print: ** (it was ok)
- Land of Milk and Honey: **** (really liked it)

I round it up to *** because the voice actors are amazing.

[Gerry Sacco · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is tough, because it's a collection of three stories.

The first story, A Sheep Among Wolves, fantastic.

The second story, Fine Print, horrible. Like, really really bad. A young adult novel written by a high schooler.

The third, Land of Milk and Honey, very good, but not as good as the first, but still well written.

Honestly I'd be close to giving this 5 stars but the second story was just so very bad. But worth the pickup for the other two for sure.

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed the stories and am happy I ignored the negative reviews and sampled them. The world of the Masquerade entices me, and these 3 stories each present a different perspective. Very cool.

[Samantha Reinhart · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed all 3 of the stories, the first one though I think you have to be patient and push through all the edgy teen stuff but other than that all 3 had great twists that actually had me gasping once you finally put things together.

The second story was pretty satisfying to read and probably my favorite one.

[Jessica]

Read WALK AMONG US by Genevieve Gornichec, Cassandra Khaw & Caitlin Starling if you love the RPG Vampire: The Masquerade, novellas, uncertainty, isolation, starting college, twists, Iceland, fraternity, contracts, sustainable farming, overwhelming passions & blood.

[the vampire damien]

pierwsza nowelka mi sie w ogole nie podobala, druga przeleciala mi nad glowa, a trzecia byla fajna, wiec zostawiam bez oceny bo nwm jak ocenic 😭

[Lena · Rating 3 out of 5]

I finished two out of three stories but only somewhat enjoyed the first one.

[Ash · Rating 2 out of 5]

the last story was great

[David Paton · Rating 3 out of 5]

Being of an age where I have been largely unaware of the Masquerade rpg I entered this space sans expectation. I finished this book intrigued, wanting more information regarding the clans and hierarchy encapsulated here in fragments. An entertaining, quick read read that fulfilled its purpose as I consider my interest piqued!

[Storm K · Rating 4 out of 5]

i really liked it! all three novellas are good in their own way, and I absolutely reccomend this to any VTM fan 💙

[Megan Russ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed these short stories from the wod universe. Each has its strengths and weaknesses.

[Youmna · Rating 4 out of 5]

ثلاث قصص قصيرة عز مصاصي الدماء
القصة الأولى كانت مقبولة
الثانية كانت دموية أكثر من الأولى.
الثالثة كانت مرعبة وحزينة ... مزرعة المواشي تقوم المسئولة عن المزرعة برعاية القطيع المكون من الحملان والخراف والنحل والبشر ..
عندما لا تتصدر قمة الهرم الغذائي ويعلوك نوع أخر من الكائنات تتغذى عليك.
مش عارفة اقيم القصص ككل ازاي لأن كل واحدة فيهم لها تأثير عليا غير التانية وخصوصا الأخيرة برغم ان كل نهايتهم غير سعيدة إلا ان التالتة زعلتني.

[Hans Kjenes · Rating 3 out of 5]

1. Sheep among wolves: 3,5
It was okay, though the glaringly obvious attempts at foreshadowing put me off a bit. My issues with it this one piece of foreshadowing: "... One day, karma is gonna come and bite you in the throat..."

2. Fine Print: 1,5
I had high hopes for this one. I love a couple other novellas by the same author, but this one was just painful. A straight up annoying poorly written, shallow MC, with a weak, utterly predictable and dissapointing story, that even the comeuppance at the end don't do much to help.

3. The land of Milk and Honey: 3,5
My favourite among these three, with a fairly satisfying ending that leaves a want for more.