Becoming

by Katherine Villyard

In this short fiction prequel to my novel in progress, an innocent young man must face an ancient evil—including an evil that has taken root inside him—and learn who he really is.

This story is a newsletter exclusive.

Genres: Historical Fiction

28 pages, ebook

Published January 13, 2023

About the author

Katherine Villyard is an award-winning author of speculative fiction and the President of Broad Universe, an organization promoting women and other traditionally marginalized genders in science fiction, fantasy, and horror. She lives in Atlanta, Georgia, with her cats. When she’s not writing, she’s probably working at her day job in IT, spoiling cats, or playing The Sims. Her greatest ambition is to rule the world.

She currently has a Kickstarter for a special edition hardcover of Immortal Gifts! Go and follow the campaign!

Reviews

[Bonnie DeMoss · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very intriguing novella about the beginnings of a vampire. It is the prequel to the author's upcoming book. It begins in the Catholic Church in 1762 when a young man is deceived by a trusted priest and turned into a vampire. The story that follows is dark and haunting, but well-written. It is definitely way darker than I usually read, but fans of vampire fiction may want to check it out.

Be aware that this story includes prejudice and violence.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you enjoy reading historical fiction and short stories, mixed with a little bit of suspense and a lot of fantasy, then I think you’ll definitely want to read BECOMING by Katherine Villyard. I read this short story not knowing anything about it or what to expect. I came away really loving it, though! It is beautifully written and the main character, Ludwig, has such tremendous depth — even though a short story, he is so well developed. This story acts as a prequel to the author’s upcoming book, which I am now super anxious to read! Can’t wait for it to be released!!

I want to extend a huge thank you to BookSirens, Katherine Villyard, and the review team and publishers for BECOMING for gifting me the digital copy of this book! I appreciate you trusting me with an honest review!! (I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.)

[Alyson Walton · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didnt know what to expect but this little prequel is great! I found the characters to be very engaging & will eagerly read the next book in this series. I received an advance review copy for free from booksirens.com, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Cy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rhapsody in...red?
Becoming sings like a choir of angels accompanied by a wicked underlying basso sostenuto. The prose is at times spiritual and soaring, and other times evocative of unspeakable, irresistible desire.
Villyard harnesses her creativity and comprehensive knowledge of music, religion, and history to craft a story that comes alive (and unalive) on the page in ways that are moving, joyous, and tragic, and ultimately leave the reader thirsting for more.

[Steve Rufle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent novella about vampires and, surprisingly, religion.

Look forward to reading the next book in the series.

[Amanda Stuntz · Rating 3 out of 5]

This story is about a man who is betrayed by his priest and turned into a vampire. He then turns someone into a vampire and regrets it. It was a good story but it felt like there really was no point to the story and there wasn’t really an ending. I know this is a prequel to one of the authors other books but it just didn’t read like a complete story to me. I guess I just wanted more.
I received a free copy of this book and am leaving a review voluntarily.

[Artemis · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this short story, a person must struggle to come to terms with what happened to him. Then later in the story, he has to deal with doing the exact same thing to someone else. It was a quick-paced plot, but a good story overall. It ends on an open note that has a positive view of the future. This is a great book to read if you have some time.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Kat M · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading this, it had what I enjoyed about Katherine Villyard's writing. It had a great use of vampires and was unique in the genre. The characters were what I was looking for and glad I got to read this.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Michael Wells · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a vampire story. A young violinist and his priest he come involved and the student became a vampire. He now has to have blood so it goes all around, looking for it, well also traveling with this priest. There are some very religious views in this book and also some evil views. I recommend this book for all vampire readers.

[Katherine]

This is a newsletter exclusive!

[Mary Urban · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting introduction to the main book. It you like Anne Rice vamps, you will like this one.