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Minty Fresh: A Vampire Pulp Novella
GOTH BITES VAMPIRE, GETS BAD CASE OF THE VAMPS
Araminta Chase is a fuck-up. Falling out of a window to avoid someone? Life as usual. Landing on a vampire? That's a new one. And the vampire wants to know exactly why Minty was where she was, when she was. "I'm afraid of commitment" won't cut it.
When Minty's accused of murdering that same vampire, shit really hits the fan. She's nabbed by the very people she works for, an agency that acts as a go-between for monsters and the human world. Killing a vampire is a no-no for non-agents. Worse, Minty's body count is supposedly at two.
Minty didn't kill anyone, but she doesn't want to clear her name. What she wants is her kid brother, a thirteen-year-old werewolf named Sid. But a mysterious research institute called Better Choices, Better World has been looking for him for a long time, and Minty's "crime" was all they needed to sniff him out. They wanted him, now they've got him.
Well, Minty wants him back. And she's got new teeth.
Araminta Chase is a fuck-up. Falling out of a window to avoid someone? Life as usual. Landing on a vampire? That's a new one. And the vampire wants to know exactly why Minty was where she was, when she was. "I'm afraid of commitment" won't cut it.
When Minty's accused of murdering that same vampire, shit really hits the fan. She's nabbed by the very people she works for, an agency that acts as a go-between for monsters and the human world. Killing a vampire is a no-no for non-agents. Worse, Minty's body count is supposedly at two.
Minty didn't kill anyone, but she doesn't want to clear her name. What she wants is her kid brother, a thirteen-year-old werewolf named Sid. But a mysterious research institute called Better Choices, Better World has been looking for him for a long time, and Minty's "crime" was all they needed to sniff him out. They wanted him, now they've got him.
Well, Minty wants him back. And she's got new teeth.
145 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 31, 2022
1 person is currently reading
27 people want to read
About the author
Vex Corvine
1 book16 followersVex Corvine (p.k.a. J. Corvine) is a suspected vampire, confirmed goth, and no-good, pulp-writin’ dyke.
English (ze/hir) | Svenska (hen/hens)
English (ze/hir) | Svenska (hen/hens)
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
February 4, 2023
A nail-bitingly fast-paced novella, Minty Fresh grips the reader by the throat and refuses to let them go. Minty (Araminta) is a fresh, snarkily loveable character readers won't have a problem following to the ends of the Earth as they attempt to save her werewolf (adopted) brother, a boy by the name of Sid.
The blood flows, the alliances are drawn, and Minty finds herself with a new outlook (and body temperature) on life in this pulp novella that is sure to appease vampire and werewolf lovers alike.
The blood flows, the alliances are drawn, and Minty finds herself with a new outlook (and body temperature) on life in this pulp novella that is sure to appease vampire and werewolf lovers alike.
September 8, 2022
I received an advanced copy of MINTY FRESH and have been patiently waiting my turn to absolutely gush about this delightfully campy *treat* of a vampire novella in its final form.
MINTY FRESH is a fantastically fast paced vampire novella with notes of dystopian science fiction and urban fantasy. The author has done an amazing job constructing hir debut publication for fans of platonic intimacy, and monsters for the sake of monsters (particularly, the queer vampire). It is chock-full of the kind of colorfully cynical and cinematic moments you can expect in pulp fiction, but with a whole lot of heart in between. The thing I came away loving the most were the characters— especially in case of the prickly, lethargic title character Minty, who is guaranteed to grow on you like a fungus.
We come into Minty’s life at a time of comfortable unhappiness, having seemingly resigned herself to a (very familiar) type of stagnancy in her day-to-day life. After all, she’s finally found herself a stable place to live, with roommates she loves like blood. Minty even considers the youngest of the household, a 13-year-old werewolf named Sid, to be something between a brother and son.
Their bond plays as direct catalyst for the narrative, as Minty finds herself torn away from this life she’s convinced herself of. As she is pushed headfirst into the festering underbelly of the unjust world she *thought* she already knew, Minty is left with a choice: give into the end of her life-long suffering, or fight, *fight,* ***fight*** to save the only scrap of this world she still cares about.
Overall, MINTY FRESH is a story I won’t be forgetting any time soon. As a disabled reader, I appreciated the author’s attention to Minty’s void of suffering, and the tangle of emotions that comes with it. As a queer reader, I loved getting to know a queer character as she comes to understand herself, her gender, and her new monstrous skin. MINTY FRESH is punk, crude, showstopping, and sincere. You won’t want to miss it!
MINTY FRESH is a fantastically fast paced vampire novella with notes of dystopian science fiction and urban fantasy. The author has done an amazing job constructing hir debut publication for fans of platonic intimacy, and monsters for the sake of monsters (particularly, the queer vampire). It is chock-full of the kind of colorfully cynical and cinematic moments you can expect in pulp fiction, but with a whole lot of heart in between. The thing I came away loving the most were the characters— especially in case of the prickly, lethargic title character Minty, who is guaranteed to grow on you like a fungus.
We come into Minty’s life at a time of comfortable unhappiness, having seemingly resigned herself to a (very familiar) type of stagnancy in her day-to-day life. After all, she’s finally found herself a stable place to live, with roommates she loves like blood. Minty even considers the youngest of the household, a 13-year-old werewolf named Sid, to be something between a brother and son.
Their bond plays as direct catalyst for the narrative, as Minty finds herself torn away from this life she’s convinced herself of. As she is pushed headfirst into the festering underbelly of the unjust world she *thought* she already knew, Minty is left with a choice: give into the end of her life-long suffering, or fight, *fight,* ***fight*** to save the only scrap of this world she still cares about.
Overall, MINTY FRESH is a story I won’t be forgetting any time soon. As a disabled reader, I appreciated the author’s attention to Minty’s void of suffering, and the tangle of emotions that comes with it. As a queer reader, I loved getting to know a queer character as she comes to understand herself, her gender, and her new monstrous skin. MINTY FRESH is punk, crude, showstopping, and sincere. You won’t want to miss it!
December 15, 2025
Content warnings: emetophobia, nonconsensual medical experimentation, body horror, blood, mentions of drug use
Step into the terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day that belongs to Amarinta “Minty” Chase. If biting a vampire wasn’t enough, having her werewolf ward kidnapped by secret agents makes the day worse. This is an urban fantasy featuring a lesbian protagonist trying her best with some sharp prose and cool world-building.
I really liked the voice that Corvine lends to Minty. It’s very direct and sardonic, making the horror of an uncontrolled vampire transformation a hoot to read, and the characterization is so good. Minty isn’t likeable in the classical sense, but she’s trying her best, even if it means getting herself in harm’s way. While there are no romantic elements playing out on page, I really enjoyed the complexity of Minty’s relationships, both in the past and the present. The fact that she can rely on an ex to not just help her out of a bad spot but also save someone else felt so refreshing. That level of character history is not something I see play out very often in non-romances, and it was very cool to read here.
The ending is hopeful, even though Minty comes out a bit worse for wear.
Step into the terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day that belongs to Amarinta “Minty” Chase. If biting a vampire wasn’t enough, having her werewolf ward kidnapped by secret agents makes the day worse. This is an urban fantasy featuring a lesbian protagonist trying her best with some sharp prose and cool world-building.
I really liked the voice that Corvine lends to Minty. It’s very direct and sardonic, making the horror of an uncontrolled vampire transformation a hoot to read, and the characterization is so good. Minty isn’t likeable in the classical sense, but she’s trying her best, even if it means getting herself in harm’s way. While there are no romantic elements playing out on page, I really enjoyed the complexity of Minty’s relationships, both in the past and the present. The fact that she can rely on an ex to not just help her out of a bad spot but also save someone else felt so refreshing. That level of character history is not something I see play out very often in non-romances, and it was very cool to read here.
The ending is hopeful, even though Minty comes out a bit worse for wear.
June 28, 2023
The book, on its own, would have gotten a 4-star rating for the story and the writing, but it garnered an extra star for its new take on vampirism and the deft touch used to bring it to us, the readers. I thoroughly enjoyed this, and I'm looking forward to whatever comes next from J. Corvine's pen/keyboard/quill/chisel.
Read
January 18, 2026Did get invested in the "save the wolf" plot, did not get past how annoying I found the protagonist - obviously, YMMV, she's a strong flavor (pun not intended)
February 26, 2023
The pulpy action, ennui and clove cigarettes are delightful, but under those live real people, finding survival and togetherness while very different. Moving as well as pithy, a total bloody blast.
October 12, 2022
This novella is wonderfully written. It flows nicely. An easy read with excellent prose. The character voice is well executed; you really feel like you're crawling into Minty's skin.
The characters are compelling. Minty is bratty but in a way that makes you want to cheer for her while Sid is just the sweetest little thing.
The lore is interesting, especially regarding vampires. One of my favourite things as an avid reader of vampire books is to see how other people imagine them, what powers and abilities they give them, and hiw their bodies work, and this novella brought some fresh things to the table that I do not see implemented very often. Needless to say, I enjoyed that aspect of the novella very much and left me hungering for a more in-depth look into this world.
The story is fairly simple at its core, but it is very fun and the characters really help it come alive.
All in all an excellent read that I would wholeheartedly recommend.
The characters are compelling. Minty is bratty but in a way that makes you want to cheer for her while Sid is just the sweetest little thing.
The lore is interesting, especially regarding vampires. One of my favourite things as an avid reader of vampire books is to see how other people imagine them, what powers and abilities they give them, and hiw their bodies work, and this novella brought some fresh things to the table that I do not see implemented very often. Needless to say, I enjoyed that aspect of the novella very much and left me hungering for a more in-depth look into this world.
The story is fairly simple at its core, but it is very fun and the characters really help it come alive.
All in all an excellent read that I would wholeheartedly recommend.
April 12, 2024
Compelling and fast-paced take on vampires and werewolves with some imaginative and cool additions to the traditional lore. Minty is an engaging character, angry at the world and determined to drive people away from her before they have a chance to abandon or hurt her. The one person she cares about unreservedly is the 13-year-old werewolf she views as her little brother. When he's kidnapped by nefarious forces, Minty puts her life on the line to rescue him. I loved that the rescue attempt is kind of disastrous in many ways as Minty adjusts to, shall we say, a new set of circumstances concerning her body. Feels very real and adds great tension and uncertainty to the story. Felt a little rushed as events move at breakneck speed, but I'd certainly love to spend more time with these characters and the world the author creates here. For fans of urban fantasy with strong LGBTQIA+ rep.
November 15, 2023
Heartbreaking
Loved the world building. Reminded me of the way CJ Cherryh's books thrust you right into the action blind but rapidly acclimated you to the setting by rapid fire vignettes, action, and the perceptions and thoughts of the character.
I cried at the end of the book. I wish this was a full novel. I hope there will be more books about Minty or this setting.
Loved the world building. Reminded me of the way CJ Cherryh's books thrust you right into the action blind but rapidly acclimated you to the setting by rapid fire vignettes, action, and the perceptions and thoughts of the character.
I cried at the end of the book. I wish this was a full novel. I hope there will be more books about Minty or this setting.
November 16, 2023
An excellent and different take on vampirism, though just as much a tale of a person trying to deal with severe self-esteem issues… in a break-neck adventure devoid of clichés. Not afraid to look at peoples strengths and weaknesses squarely in the eye.
Very smart.
Very smart.
June 28, 2023
J. Corvine carves a marble block out of an elephant, and it's a marble, I mean, marvel to behold. Have you ever wondered what happens when you take a cranky goth and give her teeth? What would you do if suddenly your world turned upside-down and your sense of home and safety and family was not what it seemed? Minty Fresh is a, ah hah, fresh take on the vampire transformation and it has plenty of bite. My only complaint would be that it's far too short and I didn't get to spend more time with these fully-fleshed monsters—human or otherwise. But that can easily be rectified with a sequel or, dare I say it, an expanded universe.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews