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Vampire Innocent #14
A String of Seriously Unlucky Events
In her short time as a vampire, Sarah Wright has made some enemies… but she never expected to piss off the Universe. All things considered, for only being two months into her second year as a vampire, she’s doing well. She’s earned some status with the local undead. Her family is reasonably safe. Her boyfriend is kinda plain, but she needs to have a dose of normal somewhere. Things are looking good… right up until they’re not. One near death experience could be chalked up to bad luck, but two defies plausibility. The third time a freak accident nearly destroys her for good, she starts to wonder if it’s not so freak. If Sarah’s going to survive another month of undeath, she’ll need to find out why the fabric of probability hates her. And do it fast.
346 pages, Paperback
Published September 13, 2021
9 people are currently reading
6 people want to read
About the author
Matthew S. Cox
187 books265 followersBorn in a little town known as South Amboy NJ in 1973, Matthew has been creating science fiction and fantasy worlds for most of his reasoning life. Somewhere between fifteen to eighteen of them spent developing the world in which Division Zero, Virtual Immortality, and The Awakened Series take place. He has several other projects in the works as well as a collaborative science fiction endeavor with author Tony Healey.
Hobbies and Interests:
Matthew is an avid gamer, a recovered WoW addict, Gamemaster for two custom systems (Chronicles of Eldrinaath [Fantasy] and Divergent Fates [Sci Fi], and a fan of anime, British humour (<- deliberate), and intellectual science fiction that questions the nature of reality, life, and what happens after it.
He is also fond of cats.
Hobbies and Interests:
Matthew is an avid gamer, a recovered WoW addict, Gamemaster for two custom systems (Chronicles of Eldrinaath [Fantasy] and Divergent Fates [Sci Fi], and a fan of anime, British humour (<- deliberate), and intellectual science fiction that questions the nature of reality, life, and what happens after it.
He is also fond of cats.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
September 22, 2021
Worse Than Usual Bad Luck?
•••NOT for the homophobic, transphobic, closedminded or faint of heart! •••
This series must be read in order. This is the fourteenth book. I can't wait to read more!
Sarah's bad luck seems to have grown to epic proportions. It seems like every time she turns around something is going horribly wrong. Is she just having a run of bad luck or is something more sinister going on? Usually it only gets bad when she helps someone... But she hasn't helped anyone new in a while. And her feelings for Ash are super intense. What is going on with that? Has she made a new enemy without realizing it? Is this Woolen the fault? Could somebody be trying to get back at him through her? What exactly has she inadvertently gotten herself into this time?
I am super addicted to this series and I hope it continues for a long time to come! All the characters are relatable and super funny. I am ready to start this series all over again because I just want more!
•••NOT for the homophobic, transphobic, closedminded or faint of heart! •••
This series must be read in order. This is the fourteenth book. I can't wait to read more!
Sarah's bad luck seems to have grown to epic proportions. It seems like every time she turns around something is going horribly wrong. Is she just having a run of bad luck or is something more sinister going on? Usually it only gets bad when she helps someone... But she hasn't helped anyone new in a while. And her feelings for Ash are super intense. What is going on with that? Has she made a new enemy without realizing it? Is this Woolen the fault? Could somebody be trying to get back at him through her? What exactly has she inadvertently gotten herself into this time?
I am super addicted to this series and I hope it continues for a long time to come! All the characters are relatable and super funny. I am ready to start this series all over again because I just want more!
September 19, 2021
This series just keeps getting better and better!
When this book popped up on my tablet my family knew better than expect much more than minimal responses from me til I finished it.
When this book popped up on my tablet my family knew better than expect much more than minimal responses from me til I finished it.
September 28, 2021
still great after 14 books
I’ve become quite the fan of this fun series, and the shock ending of the 14th installment makes me eager for more!
I’ve become quite the fan of this fun series, and the shock ending of the 14th installment makes me eager for more!
September 30, 2021
A good read as always. Given the meticulous insight into the thought processes of an 18 year old female vampire, One has to wonder if the authors name isn't Matilda instead of Matthew. :)
September 24, 2021
An ok addition to the series.
The first halfsof the book was just too slow and took some effort to read through. Sarah introspecting gets kind oferepetative and boring at times and this was one of them. Then things got better. Also ended with a reveal that hopfully won't be left hanging for too long. Still waiting for the mib's to make a more substantial return.
The first halfsof the book was just too slow and took some effort to read through. Sarah introspecting gets kind oferepetative and boring at times and this was one of them. Then things got better. Also ended with a reveal that hopfully won't be left hanging for too long. Still waiting for the mib's to make a more substantial return.
September 30, 2021
Vampire Innocent is a Series that Does Not Take Itself too Seriously
This is a place holder. Full review of Matthew S. Cox's latest book. By my count, this is his 122nd novel since I first read Division Zero in 2014.
This is a place holder. Full review of Matthew S. Cox's latest book. By my count, this is his 122nd novel since I first read Division Zero in 2014.
January 27, 2022
Awesome
One of the best ones yet keep up the good work. Has no dull parts. Action all the way thru
One of the best ones yet keep up the good work. Has no dull parts. Action all the way thru
November 18, 2024
Cox continues his vampire series, both revealing new aspects of his mystical society and raising engaging questions of how much influence over events vampires can actually wield.
This novel is the fourteeth volume of Cox’s Vampire Innocent series. Spoilers for previous volumes might cross your path ahead.
After a year as a vampire, Sarah’s life is almost relaxing: her family and friends are reasonably safe; her relationship with Hunter is going strong; and, while she’s still at the bottom of the pecking vampire pecking order, she’s respected enough the arch-traditionalists mostly ignore her rather than call her a risk. Which makes narrowly avoiding being hit by an out-of-control car all the more of a shock; shock that is replaced by real concern when she almost dies in another freak incident.
Cox opens with a engaging portrayal of vampirism and a normal life (for a given value of normal) fitting together well, then hits Sarah with evidence that her refrain throughout the previous books about the universe slapping her if things are going to well might be more than irony. This is skilfully balanced between being explicable as unlikely but mundane misfortune and seeming probably supernatural when combined with the knowledge that prophets, leprechauns, and other beings associated with fate and fortune exist. Once Sarah decides to investigate, Cox adds a second layer of complexity: other people, both friends and strangers, are also suffering misfortune, both with Sarah present and not, so how can she be sure what is part of the pattern and whether she is actually specifically targetted.
This challenge is made easier and more complex in equal measure by—unlike the byzantine chains of circumstance used by the ghost Sophia released—the misfortunes are at the level of someone driving too fast, smashing through a fence, and crashing into the wall Sarah was standing beside a moment before; thus, there is usually a clear person to check but also no obviously unfeasible series of events to all but rule out chance.
Obviously, Sarah’s decision to investigate does lead to her being drawn into something dangerous. Revealing which events, unfortunate or otherwise, cause this intersection would of course spoil the fun of readers who enjoy speculating along with their protagonist; however, the reveal is not obvious in advance yet entirely plausible after the fact.
In parallel with this possible fated disaster, Sarah receives a request from Eleanor St Ives to assist her. While vampire lore holds that Eleanor’s variety of Academic doesn’t hold grudges, knowing this is different from trusting it is true. As with the misfortunes, Cox balances this tension well, plausibly evoking Sarah’s feelings while allowing the reader space to reach other conclusions. The favour and Sarah’s chosen approach add problems to her life and reveal new aspects of Cox’s world while fitting the feel and myth of the previous volumes perfectly.
As with previous volumes, these two threads interweave both in terms of actual events and thematic echoes. In addition to making things more complex for Sarah, this pervades the novel with broader questions of whether she is ready for adult responsibilities and whether her family or friends could be lost in an instant despite her powers.
However, this novel is not a maudlin meditation on the shift from teen to adult: the superpowered action might actually be more frequent and faster-paced than many other volumes. And it is filled with the same mix of Eighties cheese and self-aware ironic commentary that mark the rest of the series.
Unlike previous volumes, this one ends on a sudden revelation that almost begs an immediate continuation; however, given that this is the fourteenth volume, any reader who has reached this point is unlikely to feel they are being manipulated into seeking the sequel.
Sarah remains an empathetic and plausible protagonist, concerned she she will not cope with the responsibilities and necessary differences of her life as an “adult” vampire, but very much driven by the active struggle to cope with doing it anyway than the passive aversion to risk; thus, while she retains the mindset of a teenage who has never left home (as Cox’s lore suggests she always might), her uncertainties are likely to feel more like realistic concerns than wallowing angst.
Cox’s supporting cast continue to be plausible, both individually as characters and in the context of the world he has created. Of potential especial note to vampire fans in both his portrayal of Academics and older vampires in general is the way they are perhaps more unnerving for the humanity they retain than the humanity they have lost.
Overall, I enjoyed this novel greatly. I recommend it to readers seeking a vampire tale that is neither brutal horror nor love-conquers-all.
I received a free copy from the author with a request for a fair review.
This novel is the fourteeth volume of Cox’s Vampire Innocent series. Spoilers for previous volumes might cross your path ahead.
After a year as a vampire, Sarah’s life is almost relaxing: her family and friends are reasonably safe; her relationship with Hunter is going strong; and, while she’s still at the bottom of the pecking vampire pecking order, she’s respected enough the arch-traditionalists mostly ignore her rather than call her a risk. Which makes narrowly avoiding being hit by an out-of-control car all the more of a shock; shock that is replaced by real concern when she almost dies in another freak incident.
Cox opens with a engaging portrayal of vampirism and a normal life (for a given value of normal) fitting together well, then hits Sarah with evidence that her refrain throughout the previous books about the universe slapping her if things are going to well might be more than irony. This is skilfully balanced between being explicable as unlikely but mundane misfortune and seeming probably supernatural when combined with the knowledge that prophets, leprechauns, and other beings associated with fate and fortune exist. Once Sarah decides to investigate, Cox adds a second layer of complexity: other people, both friends and strangers, are also suffering misfortune, both with Sarah present and not, so how can she be sure what is part of the pattern and whether she is actually specifically targetted.
This challenge is made easier and more complex in equal measure by—unlike the byzantine chains of circumstance used by the ghost Sophia released—the misfortunes are at the level of someone driving too fast, smashing through a fence, and crashing into the wall Sarah was standing beside a moment before; thus, there is usually a clear person to check but also no obviously unfeasible series of events to all but rule out chance.
Obviously, Sarah’s decision to investigate does lead to her being drawn into something dangerous. Revealing which events, unfortunate or otherwise, cause this intersection would of course spoil the fun of readers who enjoy speculating along with their protagonist; however, the reveal is not obvious in advance yet entirely plausible after the fact.
In parallel with this possible fated disaster, Sarah receives a request from Eleanor St Ives to assist her. While vampire lore holds that Eleanor’s variety of Academic doesn’t hold grudges, knowing this is different from trusting it is true. As with the misfortunes, Cox balances this tension well, plausibly evoking Sarah’s feelings while allowing the reader space to reach other conclusions. The favour and Sarah’s chosen approach add problems to her life and reveal new aspects of Cox’s world while fitting the feel and myth of the previous volumes perfectly.
As with previous volumes, these two threads interweave both in terms of actual events and thematic echoes. In addition to making things more complex for Sarah, this pervades the novel with broader questions of whether she is ready for adult responsibilities and whether her family or friends could be lost in an instant despite her powers.
However, this novel is not a maudlin meditation on the shift from teen to adult: the superpowered action might actually be more frequent and faster-paced than many other volumes. And it is filled with the same mix of Eighties cheese and self-aware ironic commentary that mark the rest of the series.
Unlike previous volumes, this one ends on a sudden revelation that almost begs an immediate continuation; however, given that this is the fourteenth volume, any reader who has reached this point is unlikely to feel they are being manipulated into seeking the sequel.
Sarah remains an empathetic and plausible protagonist, concerned she she will not cope with the responsibilities and necessary differences of her life as an “adult” vampire, but very much driven by the active struggle to cope with doing it anyway than the passive aversion to risk; thus, while she retains the mindset of a teenage who has never left home (as Cox’s lore suggests she always might), her uncertainties are likely to feel more like realistic concerns than wallowing angst.
Cox’s supporting cast continue to be plausible, both individually as characters and in the context of the world he has created. Of potential especial note to vampire fans in both his portrayal of Academics and older vampires in general is the way they are perhaps more unnerving for the humanity they retain than the humanity they have lost.
Overall, I enjoyed this novel greatly. I recommend it to readers seeking a vampire tale that is neither brutal horror nor love-conquers-all.
I received a free copy from the author with a request for a fair review.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews