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A Long Time Dead
Samara Breger's A Long Time Dead is a lush, Victorian romance, drenched in blood and drama, about the lengths two women will go to secure a love that cannot die.
Somewhere foggy, 1837 . . .
Poppy had always loved the night, which is why it wasn’t too much of a bother to wake one evening in an unfamiliar home far from London, weak and confused and plagued with a terrible thirst for blood, to learn that she could no longer step out into the day. And while vampirism presented several disadvantages, it more than made up for those in its benefits: immortality, a body that could run at speed for hours without tiring, the thrill of becoming a predator, the thing that pulls rabbits from bushes and tears through their fur and flesh with the sharp point of a white fang.
And, of course, Roisin. The mysterious woman who has lived for centuries, who held Poppy through her painful transformation, and who, for some reason, is now teaching her how to adjust to her new, endless life. A tight, lonely, buttoned-up woman, with kindness and care, pressed up behind her teeth. The time they spend together is as transformative to Poppy as the changes in her body, and soon, she finds herself hopelessly, overwhelmingly attached. But Roisin has secrets of her own, and can’t make any promises; not when vengeance must be served.
Soon, their little world explodes. Together and apart, they encounter scores of vampires, shifty pirates, conniving opera singers, ancient nobles, glamorous French women, and a found family that throws a very particular sort of party. But overhead, threat looms—one woman who is capable of destroying everything Poppy and Roisin hold dear.
Somewhere foggy, 1837 . . .
Poppy had always loved the night, which is why it wasn’t too much of a bother to wake one evening in an unfamiliar home far from London, weak and confused and plagued with a terrible thirst for blood, to learn that she could no longer step out into the day. And while vampirism presented several disadvantages, it more than made up for those in its benefits: immortality, a body that could run at speed for hours without tiring, the thrill of becoming a predator, the thing that pulls rabbits from bushes and tears through their fur and flesh with the sharp point of a white fang.
And, of course, Roisin. The mysterious woman who has lived for centuries, who held Poppy through her painful transformation, and who, for some reason, is now teaching her how to adjust to her new, endless life. A tight, lonely, buttoned-up woman, with kindness and care, pressed up behind her teeth. The time they spend together is as transformative to Poppy as the changes in her body, and soon, she finds herself hopelessly, overwhelmingly attached. But Roisin has secrets of her own, and can’t make any promises; not when vengeance must be served.
Soon, their little world explodes. Together and apart, they encounter scores of vampires, shifty pirates, conniving opera singers, ancient nobles, glamorous French women, and a found family that throws a very particular sort of party. But overhead, threat looms—one woman who is capable of destroying everything Poppy and Roisin hold dear.
412 pages, Paperback
First published May 16, 2023
292 people are currently reading
15435 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 497 reviews
May 8, 2023
1 "a long time bored..." star !!
Thank you to Book Sirens and the author for an ecopy. This will be released May 2023. I am providing a brief reaction for the first 18 percent as I can no go any further...
I should not be bored by a lesbian vampire revenge romance but I am I am I am...I can go no further...I am not a vampire and so my reading years are numbered...
Way too long winded and somewhat anachronistic...the cleverness and charm are just not working...
cumbersome and dull...
I am throwing in the bloody towel...
Thank you to Book Sirens and the author for an ecopy. This will be released May 2023. I am providing a brief reaction for the first 18 percent as I can no go any further...
I should not be bored by a lesbian vampire revenge romance but I am I am I am...I can go no further...I am not a vampire and so my reading years are numbered...
Way too long winded and somewhat anachronistic...the cleverness and charm are just not working...
cumbersome and dull...
I am throwing in the bloody towel...
May 19, 2023
It is 1837 and Poppy Cavendish understands her lot in life and makes the most out of it. Leaving her family’s pig farm for the streets of London, Poppy survives by working as a sex worker. Meeting a mysterious woman one night finds Poppy waking to country air and a voracious thirst for blood. Ancient vampire Roisin is there to ease Poppy into her new life. Roisin gives Poppy gentleness and caring as she adjusts to the new dos and don’ts in her life. As they spend every night together, talking about their past lives, love blooms for Poppy. She may think she knows Roisin’s feelings for her but she doesn’t understand why Roisin must leave to chase down a monster who could destroy them both.
Breger had me in her thrall by the end of the third sentence. Her writing is descriptively rich and inviting while using the Victorian vernacular to bring the reader easily into the era. The saga of Poppy and Roisin’s love story is an epic gothic tale that takes its time to unfold. It holds you firmly in its grasp with its exotic view of life as a vampire. Breger brings her imagination to play with the well known legend and colours in the minutiae of the myth for a fuller understanding. There are many aha moments as the vampire’s life before turning bleeds into their new life. From Catholicism to appetites, sexual or food, there is a logic very rarely applied to vampires which is captivating.
A Long Time Dead is a brilliant second novel from a writer who has become a must read favourite of mine.
I received an advance review copy from Bywater Books and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Breger had me in her thrall by the end of the third sentence. Her writing is descriptively rich and inviting while using the Victorian vernacular to bring the reader easily into the era. The saga of Poppy and Roisin’s love story is an epic gothic tale that takes its time to unfold. It holds you firmly in its grasp with its exotic view of life as a vampire. Breger brings her imagination to play with the well known legend and colours in the minutiae of the myth for a fuller understanding. There are many aha moments as the vampire’s life before turning bleeds into their new life. From Catholicism to appetites, sexual or food, there is a logic very rarely applied to vampires which is captivating.
A Long Time Dead is a brilliant second novel from a writer who has become a must read favourite of mine.
I received an advance review copy from Bywater Books and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
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August 10, 2023Thank you to the publisher for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
“Please, do what she did to me and make it good. Make me weak and willing, and let it be good in the glow of you. Make me need and make me weep and get to the truth of me, the meat of me, and show me that it isn’t rotten.”
A Long Time Dead is an expansive gothic vampire romance about change: the kind that happens so fast you have to struggle to catch up with it, the kind that comes along with growth that feels like stretching into a new skin, as well as the kind that happens slowly over time so that one day you look back and are slapped in the face with the realization of how different things have become.
I have INCREDIBLY mixed thoughts over this book, and find myself unable to rate it, torn between bits that shine brightly and confidently in the best ways, and others that are muddy and sticky in the worst ways.
Poppy is such a unique main character for a gothic story. Not only is she a fat sex worker, she is jovial, lively, a bit crass, and not at all like the sullen, dark vampire archetype we’re used to. In fact, for a vampire, she feels incredibly human. Her heart bleeds more than her victims do.
And Poppy’s love leaks throughout the text, pulling forward tropes and themes uncharacteristic of the genre, such as found family and happy endings. Despite being a historical vampire story, this book is first and foremost a romance about two people finding each other and crafting a world that brings them peace and warmth.
Though of course, this book isn’t without its gothic moments. It handles large conversations about abuse–as a lot of vampire novels do–and quite well, in my opinion. You can tell that the themes of abuse are very personal to the author, and were very carefully represented.
I also think this book had a lot of interesting things to say about desire and self restraint, particularly on moderating your desires so as to find the balance between keeping yourself from happiness and over-indulging.
Samara Breger has a background in theater, and this is very apparent in her writing style. I felt very much like the chapters are written like scenes, which I think was both beneficial and detrimental to the book. Each individual scene on its own was an absolute masterpiece. Distance covered in plot and in characters, check. Beginning, middle, end, check. Established point, check. And some of these scenes have such incredible interpersonal dialogue that I think would work SO well for acting classes/showcases. But I felt the scenes were not edited together well, and frankly, a lot of the chapters felt like filler episodes. I felt a lot of the story struggled to stay on its path, and with that I found myself lacking a forward motion to grasp onto.
I did reach a point where I found myself racing against time, attempting to beat my own urge to DNF this book. And though I did win and finish this book before I was consumed by the need to put it down, the fact that I took on that race isn’t the best sign, and the urge to DNF was still definitely there.
I think the part for me that really failed was the pacing (which I know is subjective and hard to pin down, but bear with me). The emotional arc mapping was not done well, and the gothic tones were often in conflict with the romance which was often in conflict with the main action of the story. At times, it was meandering and dragging (especially in its dialogue or stretches of inner monologue), causing it to become repetitive and/or boring. I’m usually one who asks authors to milk their moments more than they do, and would rather scenes go on too long than too short. But I found myself skimming whole pages at times just to finish a scene that could’ve ended way earlier. And especially in the Gothic genre, where the reader expects to infer a lot of plot and messaging through subtext, it felt even more jarring when we did hit those overdone moments.
I mostly found this boiled down to the fact that the readers’ emotional journey through the book is uncertain, and could use with a few more rounds of editing to solidify.
Though Breger’s theatrical writing style gave me a mixed impression, I was really a fan of her Jewish perspective. There’s quite a lot of Jewish influence in this book, which was really exciting to see, especially in a vampire novel. There’s a large history of vampire archetypes being used to push antisemitic rhetoric, and it was delightful instead to have Jewishness unabashedly featured (however briefly and subtly) in a vampire story. All of the harmful archetypes were easily avoided, and there was even a conversation about Jewish morals and how they apply to a vampirical lifestyle. (I geeked out a little bit at this part for SURE.) But I do want to make it clear: there isn’t any actual Jewish representation in this book, though for all you Catholics out there, it’s filled to the brim with that Catholic guilt rep.
And lastly, this is a very neutral element for me, but it’s something I’d like to prepare other readers for: this book has a looot of sexual over- and undertones. Of course, it IS spicy (and WOW those were some delicious spicy scenes!! Honestly, I don’t have very formal words about the romance in this book other than AHHHHHH ), but as a former sex worker, the MC has a lot of sexual experience and is constantly thinking about it and using it to inform her life. Moreover, her sexual desires are very tied into her vampirical urges. I actually found it a fascinating literary addition to the canon of the vampire experience, but I know it might catch some folks off-guard. Especially because it really is quite crass.
Okay I will quickly mention: the romance really was all that. In fact, despite the bits that DID drag, I do wish some of the more romantic moments were dragged out further.
But Breger’s prose is the absolute star of the show in this book. It’s enchanting and gut-wrenching and undeniably show-stopping. Each time I felt dragged down in this book, I found myself renewed, vibrant with the life injected into me by a new gorgeous quote to fall deeply in love with. It shone the most in expressing the love between the main characters, and I was constantly squealing with delight and reading lines over and over in utter adoration.
Overall: I think this book was sexy, confident, and brilliant in the conversations it added to the gothic genre and featured some iconic sapphic vampires, but was held back by poor structure and editing, as it lacked a strong, intentional hand to guide our journey through this story.
This isn’t a book I will likely be going out of my way to recommend, but if you’ve read through this whole review and are intrigued by this story, I think it could be worth a read.
CW: sexual content, abusive relationship, blood & gore, violence, gun violence, mind control, animal death, drugging, confinement, forced institutionalization, dead bodies, fatphobia (mention), character death
“Please, do what she did to me and make it good. Make me weak and willing, and let it be good in the glow of you. Make me need and make me weep and get to the truth of me, the meat of me, and show me that it isn’t rotten.”
A Long Time Dead is an expansive gothic vampire romance about change: the kind that happens so fast you have to struggle to catch up with it, the kind that comes along with growth that feels like stretching into a new skin, as well as the kind that happens slowly over time so that one day you look back and are slapped in the face with the realization of how different things have become.
I have INCREDIBLY mixed thoughts over this book, and find myself unable to rate it, torn between bits that shine brightly and confidently in the best ways, and others that are muddy and sticky in the worst ways.
Poppy is such a unique main character for a gothic story. Not only is she a fat sex worker, she is jovial, lively, a bit crass, and not at all like the sullen, dark vampire archetype we’re used to. In fact, for a vampire, she feels incredibly human. Her heart bleeds more than her victims do.
And Poppy’s love leaks throughout the text, pulling forward tropes and themes uncharacteristic of the genre, such as found family and happy endings. Despite being a historical vampire story, this book is first and foremost a romance about two people finding each other and crafting a world that brings them peace and warmth.
Though of course, this book isn’t without its gothic moments. It handles large conversations about abuse–as a lot of vampire novels do–and quite well, in my opinion. You can tell that the themes of abuse are very personal to the author, and were very carefully represented.
I also think this book had a lot of interesting things to say about desire and self restraint, particularly on moderating your desires so as to find the balance between keeping yourself from happiness and over-indulging.
Samara Breger has a background in theater, and this is very apparent in her writing style. I felt very much like the chapters are written like scenes, which I think was both beneficial and detrimental to the book. Each individual scene on its own was an absolute masterpiece. Distance covered in plot and in characters, check. Beginning, middle, end, check. Established point, check. And some of these scenes have such incredible interpersonal dialogue that I think would work SO well for acting classes/showcases. But I felt the scenes were not edited together well, and frankly, a lot of the chapters felt like filler episodes. I felt a lot of the story struggled to stay on its path, and with that I found myself lacking a forward motion to grasp onto.
I did reach a point where I found myself racing against time, attempting to beat my own urge to DNF this book. And though I did win and finish this book before I was consumed by the need to put it down, the fact that I took on that race isn’t the best sign, and the urge to DNF was still definitely there.
I think the part for me that really failed was the pacing (which I know is subjective and hard to pin down, but bear with me). The emotional arc mapping was not done well, and the gothic tones were often in conflict with the romance which was often in conflict with the main action of the story. At times, it was meandering and dragging (especially in its dialogue or stretches of inner monologue), causing it to become repetitive and/or boring. I’m usually one who asks authors to milk their moments more than they do, and would rather scenes go on too long than too short. But I found myself skimming whole pages at times just to finish a scene that could’ve ended way earlier. And especially in the Gothic genre, where the reader expects to infer a lot of plot and messaging through subtext, it felt even more jarring when we did hit those overdone moments.
I mostly found this boiled down to the fact that the readers’ emotional journey through the book is uncertain, and could use with a few more rounds of editing to solidify.
Though Breger’s theatrical writing style gave me a mixed impression, I was really a fan of her Jewish perspective. There’s quite a lot of Jewish influence in this book, which was really exciting to see, especially in a vampire novel. There’s a large history of vampire archetypes being used to push antisemitic rhetoric, and it was delightful instead to have Jewishness unabashedly featured (however briefly and subtly) in a vampire story. All of the harmful archetypes were easily avoided, and there was even a conversation about Jewish morals and how they apply to a vampirical lifestyle. (I geeked out a little bit at this part for SURE.) But I do want to make it clear: there isn’t any actual Jewish representation in this book, though for all you Catholics out there, it’s filled to the brim with that Catholic guilt rep.
And lastly, this is a very neutral element for me, but it’s something I’d like to prepare other readers for: this book has a looot of sexual over- and undertones. Of course, it IS spicy (and WOW those were some delicious spicy scenes!! Honestly, I don’t have very formal words about the romance in this book other than AHHHHHH ), but as a former sex worker, the MC has a lot of sexual experience and is constantly thinking about it and using it to inform her life. Moreover, her sexual desires are very tied into her vampirical urges. I actually found it a fascinating literary addition to the canon of the vampire experience, but I know it might catch some folks off-guard. Especially because it really is quite crass.
Okay I will quickly mention: the romance really was all that. In fact, despite the bits that DID drag, I do wish some of the more romantic moments were dragged out further.
But Breger’s prose is the absolute star of the show in this book. It’s enchanting and gut-wrenching and undeniably show-stopping. Each time I felt dragged down in this book, I found myself renewed, vibrant with the life injected into me by a new gorgeous quote to fall deeply in love with. It shone the most in expressing the love between the main characters, and I was constantly squealing with delight and reading lines over and over in utter adoration.
Overall: I think this book was sexy, confident, and brilliant in the conversations it added to the gothic genre and featured some iconic sapphic vampires, but was held back by poor structure and editing, as it lacked a strong, intentional hand to guide our journey through this story.
This isn’t a book I will likely be going out of my way to recommend, but if you’ve read through this whole review and are intrigued by this story, I think it could be worth a read.
CW: sexual content, abusive relationship, blood & gore, violence, gun violence, mind control, animal death, drugging, confinement, forced institutionalization, dead bodies, fatphobia (mention), character death
Read
February 21, 2024*whew* *fanning myself* this sapphic romance is STEAMY. The horror is there but it takes a back seat to the love story and sex.
More soon!
More soon!
June 16, 2023
First of all….. Anne Rice wishes!!! (Okay, rip Anne, why I am picking a fight with a dead woman but also…. I feel like she would be cool with it (?) and it IS kind of in the spirit of this book so I’m going with it.)
This is a hilarious blood-soaked horny lesbian historical vampire romance comfort read with juuuuuuust enough scariness to keep you on your toes. It starts almost as a kind of gothic satire, and then morphs into a much funnier The Old Guard. (And then goes a bit too long in wrapping everything up with the epilogue etc imo, but I generally dislike an epilogue so make of that what you will.) This take on vampires is a fun spin on the Anne Rice/Buffy/Twilight modern canon. All the time jumps just *work*. And this book about vampires, correctly, has a lot of time jumps! What’s the point of writing about people who live forever if you stay in the same decade the whole time!
And last but absolutely not least, Poppy, our heroine, is a genius protagonist, full of heart and one-liners. Loved her. More books about (characters like) Poppy!!
This is a hilarious blood-soaked horny lesbian historical vampire romance comfort read with juuuuuuust enough scariness to keep you on your toes. It starts almost as a kind of gothic satire, and then morphs into a much funnier The Old Guard. (And then goes a bit too long in wrapping everything up with the epilogue etc imo, but I generally dislike an epilogue so make of that what you will.) This take on vampires is a fun spin on the Anne Rice/Buffy/Twilight modern canon. All the time jumps just *work*. And this book about vampires, correctly, has a lot of time jumps! What’s the point of writing about people who live forever if you stay in the same decade the whole time!
And last but absolutely not least, Poppy, our heroine, is a genius protagonist, full of heart and one-liners. Loved her. More books about (characters like) Poppy!!
May 23, 2023
When I reviewed Samara Breger’s debut novel, Walk Between Worlds, I mentioned that she kept taking me by surprise, that whenever I thought I knew where the journey was taking me, there were twists. And I began the review by saying I didn’t know how to write about this book but that I really liked it a lot.
I have some of the same feelings towards this one. It’s a more mature book, on every level, be it the story or the writing. It took me a little time to get into it because Breger’s humour kept unsettling me. It’s a good thing, trust me. Everything about this book kept me on my toes. Vampires are supposedly not alive yet Poppy and those around her, her found family, are more alive than quite a few characters I’ve encountered in non-vampire books. There’s blood and laughter, an epicurean joie de vivre and appetite for life, such as it is, that make A Long Time Dead bloody brilliant (should I apologize for the pun?).
The story opens with Poppy waking up somewhere foggy in 1837, in pain and thirsty for blood. She’s just been turned into a vampire and the next few months will be spent learning how to manage her blood cravings and everything that goes with being a baby vampire, including (and it matters a lot to her and to the story) coming to terms with not enjoying food anymore. To help her on this journey of self-discovery, the mysterious and stern Roisin stays by her side, her only company for a while, until she sends Poppy to join a vampire family of sorts in London while she goes on a quest for revenge against the woman who sired them both as vampires.
A Long Time Dead spans decades of a love that cannot be, of a fight for eternity, for peace. Love in all its forms is at its tragicomic core, binding lives and existences, some for the better, some for the worse, though as it is romance, albeit dark and gothic, good will prevail, through gore and wits. On the way, there are orgies, drama, a whole lot of pining, some really fun scenes and some very rough ones. All written in beautiful and lush prose, with the baroque mood one expects from vampire stories and more (at times crass) humour than they usually feature.
If this is Breger’s sophomore novel, I am very much looking forward to what she’ll grace us with in the future. And I’ve already written several times about how much I love Ann McMan’s covers. This one is my new favourite.
I received a copy from the publisher and I am voluntarily leaving a review.
Read all my reviews on my blog (and please buy from the affiliation links!): Jude in the Stars
June 1, 2025
A great sapphic vampire read! Set over several decades in the 1800s, this book does a great job immersing you in the time period. It took me a couple of chapters to adjust to the language, but once I found the rhythm, I was engrossed.
Roisin and Poppy are such a sweet, compelling couple, and I loved watching them fight to be together—especially with Roisin’s sadistic sire standing in their way. The story is mostly from Poppy’s POV, but Roisin really stole the show for me. Her character development was beautifully done.
The world-building is rich, the side characters are well-crafted, and the gothic atmosphere hits all the right notes.
That said, it did feel like a longer read than it actually was. A bit of tightening in places—especially during slower stretches—would’ve helped the pacing.
Also, small gripe: the cover is gorgeous, but I’m sure it’s meant to be Poppy, and she’s blonde—not ginger. I wish publishers wouldn’t overlook details like that just to fit a stock image they have.
Overall, though, this is a lush, romantic, and enjoyable read. Highly recommend if you're into sapphic historical fantasy with bite!
Roisin and Poppy are such a sweet, compelling couple, and I loved watching them fight to be together—especially with Roisin’s sadistic sire standing in their way. The story is mostly from Poppy’s POV, but Roisin really stole the show for me. Her character development was beautifully done.
The world-building is rich, the side characters are well-crafted, and the gothic atmosphere hits all the right notes.
That said, it did feel like a longer read than it actually was. A bit of tightening in places—especially during slower stretches—would’ve helped the pacing.
Also, small gripe: the cover is gorgeous, but I’m sure it’s meant to be Poppy, and she’s blonde—not ginger. I wish publishers wouldn’t overlook details like that just to fit a stock image they have.
Overall, though, this is a lush, romantic, and enjoyable read. Highly recommend if you're into sapphic historical fantasy with bite!
October 19, 2023
This was a fun little vampire book. Or actually, not so little because I think it was close to 500 pages?
I enjoyed this for the most part. I will say the way Poppy acted sometimes got a little over the top. I also didn't love the way she treated and acted toward Roisin all the time. But I loved the Brood and the found family aspect.
My biggest issue is a me thing. But once the main character has feelings for the love interest I have no desire to see them have sex with others. I know they're vampires and blah blah blah but I don't need to see it on page.
p.s. The poor hares, I was so sad for them.
I enjoyed this for the most part. I will say the way Poppy acted sometimes got a little over the top. I also didn't love the way she treated and acted toward Roisin all the time. But I loved the Brood and the found family aspect.
My biggest issue is a me thing. But once the main character has feelings for the love interest I have no desire to see them have sex with others. I know they're vampires and blah blah blah but I don't need to see it on page.
p.s. The poor hares, I was so sad for them.
April 25, 2023
A Long Time Dead is a gothic, vampire romance.
The story follows newly-turned vampire, Poppy, and her vampire companion, Roisin, as they fall in love and fight to be together. Poppy and Roisin, along with all the other characters in this story, are incredibly complex. Their faults make them feel real and makes their stories more satisfying.
The writing is lush, dense and absolutely stunning. Like any good gothic story, the pace is slow and deliberate, which adds tension and really lets the reader sink into the melancholy of it all. The atmosphere shifts between gloomy, opulent and sometimes grotesque.
A Long Time Dead isn’t like most of the lighthearted paranormal romances that are currently so popular. It’s darker and has a vibe that's more like Interview with the Vampire by Ann Rice. Roisin is even a bit of a Louis – inherently good, but self-loathing because of it.
I recommend this read to anyone who loves gothic stories, even if you’re not typically a paranormal fan. It has great characters, adventure, love, loss and even orgies.
The story follows newly-turned vampire, Poppy, and her vampire companion, Roisin, as they fall in love and fight to be together. Poppy and Roisin, along with all the other characters in this story, are incredibly complex. Their faults make them feel real and makes their stories more satisfying.
The writing is lush, dense and absolutely stunning. Like any good gothic story, the pace is slow and deliberate, which adds tension and really lets the reader sink into the melancholy of it all. The atmosphere shifts between gloomy, opulent and sometimes grotesque.
A Long Time Dead isn’t like most of the lighthearted paranormal romances that are currently so popular. It’s darker and has a vibe that's more like Interview with the Vampire by Ann Rice. Roisin is even a bit of a Louis – inherently good, but self-loathing because of it.
I recommend this read to anyone who loves gothic stories, even if you’re not typically a paranormal fan. It has great characters, adventure, love, loss and even orgies.
did-not-finish
April 24, 2023DNF
The writing here is beautiful in prose, and so many lines absolutely sucker punch you in the gut and soul, and rip out your heart... but then there was this juxtaposition of hare-brained-ness which I get you need to balance it, so it's not all gothic pining and angst. But it ended up not working, for me.
I guess because I'm a fairly black and white, moralistic character, with a good dose of Catholic guilt - just like the character of Roisin, so to see our MC Poppy treat her as she does, and the utter weirdness that pops up as they pine and angst for one another, and the constant rehashing and pushing of ethics - absolutely grated on me.
I cannot stand people telling me how I should or shouldn't feel or react, and it seems this is all Poppy ever does to Roisin, despite her supposedly being in love with her. It became ridiculous, for me, to even root for them. They were such polar opposites, and not in a good way.
I totally get that the author was going for how both need to bend a little the others way, and could both do well from it - but I never felt that was actually true.
It all felt like being preached to by a shallow party-girl who lacks responsibility or forethought, and oftentimes seemed to deliberately hurt Roisin, or do shit just to get under her skin - again things I cannot stand IRL, let alone in stories between characters.
So this is just one where it just didn't work for me, and it was becoming an utter slog to get through let alone pick up again and again, so I had to quit. It made me feel bad, and I just don't need or want that in my life.
There's also a perverse level of sex talk and sex acts - which again just seemed to be for shock value, and made me uncomfortable in how they were presented, but again different strokes, for different folks!
Highly recommend others check it out, as I said the writing itself was superb, but the plotting and characters just weren't there, for me!
The writing here is beautiful in prose, and so many lines absolutely sucker punch you in the gut and soul, and rip out your heart... but then there was this juxtaposition of hare-brained-ness which I get you need to balance it, so it's not all gothic pining and angst. But it ended up not working, for me.
I guess because I'm a fairly black and white, moralistic character, with a good dose of Catholic guilt - just like the character of Roisin, so to see our MC Poppy treat her as she does, and the utter weirdness that pops up as they pine and angst for one another, and the constant rehashing and pushing of ethics - absolutely grated on me.
I cannot stand people telling me how I should or shouldn't feel or react, and it seems this is all Poppy ever does to Roisin, despite her supposedly being in love with her. It became ridiculous, for me, to even root for them. They were such polar opposites, and not in a good way.
I totally get that the author was going for how both need to bend a little the others way, and could both do well from it - but I never felt that was actually true.
It all felt like being preached to by a shallow party-girl who lacks responsibility or forethought, and oftentimes seemed to deliberately hurt Roisin, or do shit just to get under her skin - again things I cannot stand IRL, let alone in stories between characters.
So this is just one where it just didn't work for me, and it was becoming an utter slog to get through let alone pick up again and again, so I had to quit. It made me feel bad, and I just don't need or want that in my life.
There's also a perverse level of sex talk and sex acts - which again just seemed to be for shock value, and made me uncomfortable in how they were presented, but again different strokes, for different folks!
Highly recommend others check it out, as I said the writing itself was superb, but the plotting and characters just weren't there, for me!
May 16, 2023
Poppy and Roisin are complex characters in this gothic vampire romance.
I usually enjoy this type of plot but this time unfortunately, I could not get beyond some characters aspects, the turtle pace of the tale and struggled to finish the read.
While Breger's latest book didn't hit the right buttons for me, I leave it up to other readers to form their own opinion.
I rec'd a copy through BookSirens and my review is completely voluntary.
I usually enjoy this type of plot but this time unfortunately, I could not get beyond some characters aspects, the turtle pace of the tale and struggled to finish the read.
While Breger's latest book didn't hit the right buttons for me, I leave it up to other readers to form their own opinion.
I rec'd a copy through BookSirens and my review is completely voluntary.
June 25, 2023
It's been a REALLY long time since I've read a vampire book. I mean, I did listen to Interview with the Vampire a few years ago after reading it back in the 90s but I don't think that counts.
So, just to get it out of the way, I fucking loved this book. Loved everything about it. The blood, the love, the angst, the humor, the characters, everything. I absolutely love the author's voice and style and want to read her debut now. And then maybe A Long Time Dead again. And then wait for the next book.
And I should have known that the gorgeous cover was an Ann McMan creation. I love McMan's writing but I think her true gift might be her book covers. With covers like this and Bev Prescott's 2 Degrees, she honestly has the most beautiful covers I've seen in our little WLW publishing world.
Thank you to Bywater Books and NetGalley for giving me a chance to discover a new-to-me author who I encourage everyone to read. This book! So much!
So, just to get it out of the way, I fucking loved this book. Loved everything about it. The blood, the love, the angst, the humor, the characters, everything. I absolutely love the author's voice and style and want to read her debut now. And then maybe A Long Time Dead again. And then wait for the next book.
And I should have known that the gorgeous cover was an Ann McMan creation. I love McMan's writing but I think her true gift might be her book covers. With covers like this and Bev Prescott's 2 Degrees, she honestly has the most beautiful covers I've seen in our little WLW publishing world.
Thank you to Bywater Books and NetGalley for giving me a chance to discover a new-to-me author who I encourage everyone to read. This book! So much!
September 21, 2023
OKAY BUT THE SAPPHIC VAMPIRE BOOKS HAVE BEEN HITTING JUST RIGHT FOR ME LATELY!!
I loved this one. Poppy is ABSURD and a delight and a total brat. Roisin is so steadfast and DENSE and lovely. CARMEN IS PERFECTION AND I LOVE HER. I loved this whole little vampire family and I want ten more books abt them pls and thank.
ALSO THIS COVER!!!!!!??? STUNNING. I’m so glad I own a copy and get to pull it off my bookshelf and look at it whenever I want.
I loved this one. Poppy is ABSURD and a delight and a total brat. Roisin is so steadfast and DENSE and lovely. CARMEN IS PERFECTION AND I LOVE HER. I loved this whole little vampire family and I want ten more books abt them pls and thank.
ALSO THIS COVER!!!!!!??? STUNNING. I’m so glad I own a copy and get to pull it off my bookshelf and look at it whenever I want.
August 29, 2023
I requested this ARC after the multitude of great reviews from those opinions I trust. This is definitely not a type of book I'd typically pick up but I ended up loving the world building and storyline. This is gothic literature in its prime, mixed in with a sapphic romance.
A Long Time Dead follows Poppy and her sire, Roisin over many, many years. The best part of this novel was the way this story is told. It's beautiful and descriptive, and spends a lot of time building this world we follow. Although this book is long (464 pages), I was engaged throughout and loved the time I spent within this world. The romance between Poppy and Roisin was beautiful and although I was reading about vampires, I was completely captivated by their love story.
A Long Time Dead is a dark novel with little bits of lightness throughout. There's quite a bit of gore and dark themes, but there is also humour and love strewn throughout. This is a great novel for those looking for something different in sapphic literature. I'm already looking forward to what's next from Samara Breger.
Many thanks to Netgalley and Bywater Books for a copy of this novel. ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.
A Long Time Dead follows Poppy and her sire, Roisin over many, many years. The best part of this novel was the way this story is told. It's beautiful and descriptive, and spends a lot of time building this world we follow. Although this book is long (464 pages), I was engaged throughout and loved the time I spent within this world. The romance between Poppy and Roisin was beautiful and although I was reading about vampires, I was completely captivated by their love story.
A Long Time Dead is a dark novel with little bits of lightness throughout. There's quite a bit of gore and dark themes, but there is also humour and love strewn throughout. This is a great novel for those looking for something different in sapphic literature. I'm already looking forward to what's next from Samara Breger.
Many thanks to Netgalley and Bywater Books for a copy of this novel. ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.
January 23, 2025
2.5⭐️
“Poppy couldn’t read a book but the body had always been so legible.”
A Long Time Dead is just begging for a long, heavy edit. Seriously, it was a struggle getting through this one. I anticipated a gothic horror vampire story with a touch of sapphic romance. Instead, this was mildly spooky at best and wildly hedonistic….but not in a fun way! I’ll just be honest and say I was bored and annoyed by the monotony.
“Poppy couldn’t read a book but the body had always been so legible.”
A Long Time Dead is just begging for a long, heavy edit. Seriously, it was a struggle getting through this one. I anticipated a gothic horror vampire story with a touch of sapphic romance. Instead, this was mildly spooky at best and wildly hedonistic….but not in a fun way! I’ll just be honest and say I was bored and annoyed by the monotony.
October 1, 2024
i think i’d make a great roisin me poppy sandwich
dnf
May 24, 2023I hate the writing so I give up
June 11, 2023
"Some impulses are meant to be curtailed. But not love."
A Long Time Dead is a sapphic Victorian vampire romance with found family and a large array of queer characters.
This is the most intensely passionate book I have ever read. The two main characters were vehement in their love for each other, but this degree of nearly instant infatuation felt unbelievable to me from the beginning.
Our main character is Poppy, a brave and outspoken sex worker, who is turned into a vampire at the beginning of the novel. During her transition she is taken care of by an older vampire named Roisin, and their time together quickly blossoms into a deep mutual desire for companionship that fuels the revenge journey they take together against Roisin's evil and powerful vampire sire, Cane.
The first 35% of the book takes place in one house in London, with Poppy and Roisin getting to know each other while Poppy learns the ins and outs of vampirism. This was the weakest part of the novel in my opinion and almost led me to DNF. We get a lot of Roisin during this part of the book - and I found her to be insufferable. This portion of the book was undeniably insta-lovey, but without the romance really coming to fruition. This hesitancy really did not make sense to me, and it felt like an attempt to create tension for the audience but instead caused me a lot of frustration. I did start to believe in the romance more towards the end after years of interactions - but I never really understood their initial connection.
The middle portion of the book was incredible - with Poppy finally getting to meet new Vampires, build relationships, and have some adventures. I LOVED the found family in this book - and would've read an entire book about the Brood. The characters were well rounded and dynamic with distinct personalities. The author did a great job organically building these characters relationships with Poppy in a way that was both entertaining and endearing.
- I appreciated the inclusion of sexuality (which warning - is at times pretty explicit) woven in with vampirism. The book is very sex positive, and vampires are the perfect supernatural vessel to use to represent greed and pleasure.
- The vocabulary used in this book is pretty advanced. Not in a way that felt out of place with the text at all, but as someone who reads 100+ books a year I was still looking up definitions at least once or twice per chapter. I actually enjoyed that a lot, but it was something I felt worth mentioning!
- Roisin struggled a lot during the book with dramatic self pity, shame, believing she didn't deserve happiness, etc. This may seem insensitive to me, but this was all introduced way too early for me to care. I never really felt invested in Roisin's character, so I had no patience for her constant self-loathing. Poppy on the other hand was undeniably self-centered, and it was painful to follow her journey for that reason sometimes.
There were so many parts of this book that I loved, and I see so much potential in the characters. But there were too many moments where I was checking every page to see if I was closer to the end. Without feeling connected and invested in the characters, the intense passion seemed misplaced and uninteresting.
Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the free ARC in exchange for an honest review!
A Long Time Dead is a sapphic Victorian vampire romance with found family and a large array of queer characters.
This is the most intensely passionate book I have ever read. The two main characters were vehement in their love for each other, but this degree of nearly instant infatuation felt unbelievable to me from the beginning.
Our main character is Poppy, a brave and outspoken sex worker, who is turned into a vampire at the beginning of the novel. During her transition she is taken care of by an older vampire named Roisin, and their time together quickly blossoms into a deep mutual desire for companionship that fuels the revenge journey they take together against Roisin's evil and powerful vampire sire, Cane.
The first 35% of the book takes place in one house in London, with Poppy and Roisin getting to know each other while Poppy learns the ins and outs of vampirism. This was the weakest part of the novel in my opinion and almost led me to DNF. We get a lot of Roisin during this part of the book - and I found her to be insufferable. This portion of the book was undeniably insta-lovey, but without the romance really coming to fruition. This hesitancy really did not make sense to me, and it felt like an attempt to create tension for the audience but instead caused me a lot of frustration. I did start to believe in the romance more towards the end after years of interactions - but I never really understood their initial connection.
The middle portion of the book was incredible - with Poppy finally getting to meet new Vampires, build relationships, and have some adventures. I LOVED the found family in this book - and would've read an entire book about the Brood. The characters were well rounded and dynamic with distinct personalities. The author did a great job organically building these characters relationships with Poppy in a way that was both entertaining and endearing.
- I appreciated the inclusion of sexuality (which warning - is at times pretty explicit) woven in with vampirism. The book is very sex positive, and vampires are the perfect supernatural vessel to use to represent greed and pleasure.
- The vocabulary used in this book is pretty advanced. Not in a way that felt out of place with the text at all, but as someone who reads 100+ books a year I was still looking up definitions at least once or twice per chapter. I actually enjoyed that a lot, but it was something I felt worth mentioning!
- Roisin struggled a lot during the book with dramatic self pity, shame, believing she didn't deserve happiness, etc. This may seem insensitive to me, but this was all introduced way too early for me to care. I never really felt invested in Roisin's character, so I had no patience for her constant self-loathing. Poppy on the other hand was undeniably self-centered, and it was painful to follow her journey for that reason sometimes.
There were so many parts of this book that I loved, and I see so much potential in the characters. But there were too many moments where I was checking every page to see if I was closer to the end. Without feeling connected and invested in the characters, the intense passion seemed misplaced and uninteresting.
Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the free ARC in exchange for an honest review!
April 10, 2023
Vampires will never get old, baby!
Historical sapphic vampires, and a whole cast of other queer characters, what’s not to love?
Historical sapphic vampires, and a whole cast of other queer characters, what’s not to love?
April 14, 2023
3.5 stars
June 19, 2023
Reading this book felt like reading a classic in a way that I can’t explain. It’s rare that I get so lost in a world that I cannot fathom the story coming to an end. Even now I am having trouble articulating what exactly this book made me feel because it made me feel so many beautiful things.
I was hesitant at first to start this book because I am not a fan of vampires or paranormal romances. But A Long Time Dead is so much more. It’s a story of friendship. Of family. Of loyalty. Of destruction. And, of course, love.
Poppy quickly became one of my favorite characters to ever exist. She’s ridiculous in the most wonderful way. And hilarious. She could banter with a wall.
Thank you to Smith Publicity for sending me a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review!
Oh, and I know Cane is the villain, but I think i’m a little in love with her.
I was hesitant at first to start this book because I am not a fan of vampires or paranormal romances. But A Long Time Dead is so much more. It’s a story of friendship. Of family. Of loyalty. Of destruction. And, of course, love.
Poppy quickly became one of my favorite characters to ever exist. She’s ridiculous in the most wonderful way. And hilarious. She could banter with a wall.
Thank you to Smith Publicity for sending me a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review!
Oh, and I know Cane is the villain, but I think i’m a little in love with her.
April 15, 2023
actual rating 4.5
Thank you NetGalley and Samara Breger for the ARC! This review is my honest opinion on this book.
"It was easier than crossing that invisible boundary in the bed, easier than tossing her and Roisin's hearts into the sea and hoping they floated"
I knew I would love this book as soon as I read the first few pages. Poppy, the protagonist, is funny and confident and a bit annoying but in the best way. She's a sex worker in Victorian London when she's turned into a vampire and meets Roisin, an older vampire who takes her in and helps her not only through the painful experience of transformation but also how to become a vampire and have self-control. They become the annoying/annoyed pair that I love so much and as they fall in love they understand that not everything will be so easy and they will have to fight to protect what they have and those they love.
Even if it seems a bit obvious, this book has a lot of blood talk, so be careful if that's something that bothers you. Now
*Stefon voice* This book has everything: vampires, queer characters, found family, pirates, nobles, opera, and a very intense party.
I can't explain how beautifully written this book is without feeling dense and still managing to be really funny in some parts. The contrast between Poppy and Roisin is amazing in the way they talk and act, and they are a very interesting pair to read about. When we meet the Brood, a group of vampires that live together in a big mansion, everyone has a very distinct personality, which is something I tend to find doesn't always happen in books with somewhat big groups (5 vampires and a few human servants), and I loved all of them but especially Carmen, I love her so much.
As a Spanish speaker as soon as I read Carmen say "pobrecita" I was really excited, and I'm pleasantly surprised that I found only 1 mistake when she says "evidentamente" when it should be "evidentemente".
I hope you enjoy this book and its beautiful characters as much as I did and thank you again NetGalley and the author!
"If we die and we go somewhere after. If we find one another in that up or a beyond or anywhere else, I want to have a body that's changed for you being beside it."
Thank you NetGalley and Samara Breger for the ARC! This review is my honest opinion on this book.
"It was easier than crossing that invisible boundary in the bed, easier than tossing her and Roisin's hearts into the sea and hoping they floated"
I knew I would love this book as soon as I read the first few pages. Poppy, the protagonist, is funny and confident and a bit annoying but in the best way. She's a sex worker in Victorian London when she's turned into a vampire and meets Roisin, an older vampire who takes her in and helps her not only through the painful experience of transformation but also how to become a vampire and have self-control. They become the annoying/annoyed pair that I love so much and as they fall in love they understand that not everything will be so easy and they will have to fight to protect what they have and those they love.
Even if it seems a bit obvious, this book has a lot of blood talk, so be careful if that's something that bothers you. Now
*Stefon voice* This book has everything: vampires, queer characters, found family, pirates, nobles, opera, and a very intense party.
I can't explain how beautifully written this book is without feeling dense and still managing to be really funny in some parts. The contrast between Poppy and Roisin is amazing in the way they talk and act, and they are a very interesting pair to read about. When we meet the Brood, a group of vampires that live together in a big mansion, everyone has a very distinct personality, which is something I tend to find doesn't always happen in books with somewhat big groups (5 vampires and a few human servants), and I loved all of them but especially Carmen, I love her so much.
As a Spanish speaker as soon as I read Carmen say "pobrecita" I was really excited, and I'm pleasantly surprised that I found only 1 mistake when she says "evidentamente" when it should be "evidentemente".
I hope you enjoy this book and its beautiful characters as much as I did and thank you again NetGalley and the author!
"If we die and we go somewhere after. If we find one another in that up or a beyond or anywhere else, I want to have a body that's changed for you being beside it."
August 13, 2023
What a surprise! I thoroughly enjoyed this book kindly provided by NetGalley. There were a couple of moments in the beginning of the book and another towards the end where the story dragged a bit for me. But the epic story line more than made up for it. The love story between the two protagonists keeps this story flowing. Their love story is definitely a slow burn. The Brood was another surprise that I enjoyed immensely. Everyone had distinct personalities and their affection for each other was beautiful. Highly recommend!!
March 8, 2024
‘be happy while you’re living, for you’re a long time dead.’
the epigraph is from “christabel,” and from there we’re off to the races. THERE IS AN ARTHUR MEME REFERENCE: no door nor morality tale could stop her. after all, she couldn’t read. there is a “you better hold on tight, spider monkey” moment (alongside other twilight references), although breger sensibly leaves her characters, living in victorian england and with nary a biologist among them, seemingly unaware of new world primates. hates pygmalion, as it should. quotes rumi and pushkin. melville. the song of songs. we’ve got nods to dracula and other dracs to watch out for, obviously, but there’s frankenstein, too; truly this is a book that has everything: it is aware of its positionality in relation to the canon, and it revels in it, campy—there is a particular scene of such intense gothic character it had me yelping aloud with scream-laughs—while also being sweetly earnest.
breger is jewish, and though none of the characters are (at least not explicitly), there’s a certain jewish sensibility to the book, here and there (or I guess what I maybe mean, more accurately, is just that mentions judaism at all, which is, unfortunately, not common in historical novels not written by jewish authors!!!!); breger also fucking nails the catholic vampire representation, lollllllll (“it is my curse to be burdened with the company of catholics.” / “imagine what it’s like for us”). POPPY EXPLICITLY COMPARES GETTING TATTOOED TO THE RELIGIOUS ECSTASY OF MARTYRDOM; I’ll take “feeling unexpectedly seen” for a thousand, alex. (I do think that the artist of my most time-intensive tattoo to date—I’ve lost track of the number of hours at this point, although we’re probably getting close to fifty, and it’s still incomplete—would love this book, straight though she is. I’ll have to recommend it to her if ever again I find myself with enough spare cash to burn on a session. “spare cash”! “lol”!)
in that same wonderful interview, breger indicates that this book was born out of a desire to write the “funny lesbian fantasy romance” she wanted to see in the world, and she succeeds.
“I’ve always hated that term. brown study. it sounds like I’m wallowing in my shit.”
it does, poppy; I’m right there with you.
“you were right about all that greek business. [...] stork. philomena. eric. erm…” she thought hard. “zebra. all them loves.”
although I was sad to see poppy’s friendship with lizzy set aside—which it is for what, it must be said, are narratively understandable reasons—I enjoyed watching the unfolding of her friendship with valentin—
he had light eyes, blue as springtime. In them, she could finally understand how some eyes might be described as “piercing”—needles, not swords. a bouquet of them.
—who proved something of a sleeper standout for me.
“I wish I could eat a petit four.”
he looked her up and down. “cannibalism.”
I think this is what the youth are calling “marxist–leninist–maoist”/“wallowa lake monster” solidarity.
“try not to look like such a rustic,” valentin had said, pushing her through the narrow doorframe. “whenever we go to a place like this, you act as though you aren’t a thoroughgoing tribade and, frankly, I’m sick of it.”
also contains well written sex that didn’t make me want to die, which, WOW!!!!!; hard to do, honestly. in general, this one IS for all the girlies who’ve had wet dreams about being bitten by a vampire, and obviously, I am the (gender-neutral) girlies. if you are too, welcome, my sibling; I embrace you and invite you to partake of this feast. love my subby masc bottom roisin and my switchy femme vers poppy.
just plum enjoyed breger’s writing and storytelling on the whole!! there are some nice little bits of figurative language that might work their way onto like, a device identification quiz in the future lol. always like to branch out of the canon! when poppy wakes up, outside the heavy drapes, greenery forced its way in, stubborn and wet, teeming with fresh, split-leaf fragrance; in a derelict home, we get a garderobe that might have been one of dante’s more macabre imaginings, and a brace of unused bedchambers huddled uncertainly at the top of the stairway, as though even they couldn’t recall their intended purpose. at dawn: the sun rose outside, hot as sizzling butter in a skillet, then set; at dusk: in the she knew, when the night crawled beneath her skin and tugged, that it was time to rise. a rat has unfortunately lovely little ears, like petals, like fairy cups that were pink. she’s got craft! sometimes it is the littlest bit cheesy, but you can tell that she knows and leans into it, because that’s gothic, baby!
orsola’s perfume smelled of it: belladonna and hemlock and deadly nightshade. bitter foxglove. lords-and-ladies. a daffodil bulb swallowed whole.
this is a book that is historically aware (you can tell that breger is well researched) but also finds ways to let its characters feel modern in such a way that it doesn’t grate too badly, you know? I mean, roisin leads poppy in a meditation session, and I know that meditation is old as fuck, but, you know. there’s a warm attention paid to what it means to be embodied; poppy’s parents’ loving cautioning “and mind you take care with that body of yours. it belongs to you, and there’s none like it” is later echoed in “have a care. you’ve only got one body.” a learning disability (dyslexia) is referred to as a “difference.” poppy muses in passing that perhaps the roots of marriage, as suspected, were hopelessly barbaric.
was legitimately moved by the running bit about these vampires’ lamentation of their inability to age: yes, aging is a fucking beautiful gift, and we should be louder about that more often.
the inconsistency about whether or not and to what extent they can feel the cold did paw at my brain (MAKE UP YOUR MIND!!!!), but whatever.
this website is owned by our evil overlords, but without it I would never have seen X’s & laura’s reviews and might therefore never have known about this book, which would have been a shame indeed!! I’d like to check out more from bywater books, the small press that put this out. breger’s dedication and acknowledgments also got me interested in the work of alessandra amin, the book’s dedicatee, who apparently “[pays] particular attention to the gendered dimensions of palestinian futurities” and is “working on her first book.” cool; I hope to be able to check that out when it is finished!!!
two last little language bits that didn’t fit anywhere else:
- ‘minetting’ as in faire la minette
- one so rarely sees ‘diluvian’ with its antecedent! (one is also prone to terrible, grammatically unsound jokes)
April 3, 2023
I don't really like books that are too dark and violent, so was apprehensive about reading about vampires, and this book was surprisingly warmhearted and soft despite its cold, immortal protagonists.
This book follows the story of the tightly-laced vampire Roisin, who finds herself being the caretaker to new vampire Poppy. Although Poppy was turned through an unfortunate turn of events when another vampire took advantage of her vulnerability as a sex worker, she looks on her new supernatural circumstances with wonder. Poppy is sensual when Roisin is stiff and spontaneous when Roisin is still, and through her Roisin starts to see her immortality in a whole new way. Roisin and Poppy develop an intense bond, but must part when Roisin embarks on a journey to hunt down her sire Cane, and leaves Poppy with a colorful found family in London. All the while, Poppy and Roisin pine for each other, exploring what it means to be in love and living when they literally have forever.
I really enjoyed this book, especially the balance between Roisin and Poppy's personality, and the thought that went into developing a diverse cast of vampiric characters. I give it four stars because I feel that the pacing between the middle of the book and the closing climactic action was a bit awkward, and it made me loose interest for a while. Its hard to keep a reader engaged when the story takes places across decades. But overall, I think readers can make their way through that if they stick around to see the conclusion of the romantic throughline. The sex scenes were super steamy as well!
This book follows the story of the tightly-laced vampire Roisin, who finds herself being the caretaker to new vampire Poppy. Although Poppy was turned through an unfortunate turn of events when another vampire took advantage of her vulnerability as a sex worker, she looks on her new supernatural circumstances with wonder. Poppy is sensual when Roisin is stiff and spontaneous when Roisin is still, and through her Roisin starts to see her immortality in a whole new way. Roisin and Poppy develop an intense bond, but must part when Roisin embarks on a journey to hunt down her sire Cane, and leaves Poppy with a colorful found family in London. All the while, Poppy and Roisin pine for each other, exploring what it means to be in love and living when they literally have forever.
I really enjoyed this book, especially the balance between Roisin and Poppy's personality, and the thought that went into developing a diverse cast of vampiric characters. I give it four stars because I feel that the pacing between the middle of the book and the closing climactic action was a bit awkward, and it made me loose interest for a while. Its hard to keep a reader engaged when the story takes places across decades. But overall, I think readers can make their way through that if they stick around to see the conclusion of the romantic throughline. The sex scenes were super steamy as well!
November 5, 2024
i read this basically in two sittings. the main characters are fun, the ensemble cast is well balanced, the dialogue is really fun, i had a great time. i actually think my main and only criticism is breger would have been well served just being more insane--its weird bc there's a lot of sex in the book but it felt like it was just on the precipice of being unhinged and filthy which is wild to say given that its lesbian d/s and has real flashes of like fun fUN writing. just like aggressively fine and fun and i finished it. god bless.
also full fucking offense everyone saying the book has 'beautiful prose' needs to read more. the prose is fine, very readable, clips right along, largely unnoticeable. but its, again, fine! its not even adjacent to the floridity of tent poles of the gothic genre. i also don't really think this counts as gothic--there are vampires and thats it and that does not really make it a gothic romance or horror novel. lmao.
also full fucking offense everyone saying the book has 'beautiful prose' needs to read more. the prose is fine, very readable, clips right along, largely unnoticeable. but its, again, fine! its not even adjacent to the floridity of tent poles of the gothic genre. i also don't really think this counts as gothic--there are vampires and thats it and that does not really make it a gothic romance or horror novel. lmao.
April 13, 2023
Thanks to Bywater Books and NetGalley for the ARC!
When Poppy Cavendish, a young, cheerful sex worker, finds herself turned into a vampire, she has no idea of the wonders that her new life has in store: a found family of people from all walks of life, a love to last a lifetime, and a hunter who will stop at nothing to end Poppy's happiness. This book is an enthralling romance that explores a new take on the vampire mythos, with all the gore, beauty, and reflection on mortality that entails.
This book was very nearly a 5-star read; it's so, so dear to my heart, after only a couple of days spent with it, that I'm sure I'll acquire a paperback once it's officially out. Every character was delightful, but Poppy- fittingly - takes the cake. Her wit and optimism light up the page every time she's on it. However, she's far from the only wonderful character - Valentin and Massimo have their own tragic and beautiful story, Carmen was enchantingly written, and the representation in general sets this book apart. The only gripe I had was that the plot, involving Cane and the Brood, was lopsided and somewhat clumsily executed, and I didn't like how many timeskips there were. The romance lacked the particular spark of exhilaration that I looked for, but it was still very sweet. Where this book really shines, in my opinion, is its depiction of the Brood, and I wish they had come into the story earlier. Watching Poppy integrate into this motley found family is genuinely one of the sweetest things I've read in recent memory.
Breger shines so bright in her complex characters, and their dynamics to each other, that it is easy to forgive any other flaws. The pacing was off, but acceptably so, because every moment we spend in Poppy's perspective is its own kind of fun. The descriptions were well-realized but never overblown. The adventures the characters go on are, while exciting, never the main point of the book, and rightly so. The best moments of the book come from the antics that Poppy and the Brood get up to, and Roisin plays the role of the straight-man admirably (though sometimes I felt underwhelmed by her as a love interest.)
This book is like a home-made cake: lumpy, uneven, and otherwise imperfect, but made with so much love and care that you can't help but savor it. An excellent sophomore novel from a promising author.
When Poppy Cavendish, a young, cheerful sex worker, finds herself turned into a vampire, she has no idea of the wonders that her new life has in store: a found family of people from all walks of life, a love to last a lifetime, and a hunter who will stop at nothing to end Poppy's happiness. This book is an enthralling romance that explores a new take on the vampire mythos, with all the gore, beauty, and reflection on mortality that entails.
This book was very nearly a 5-star read; it's so, so dear to my heart, after only a couple of days spent with it, that I'm sure I'll acquire a paperback once it's officially out. Every character was delightful, but Poppy- fittingly - takes the cake. Her wit and optimism light up the page every time she's on it. However, she's far from the only wonderful character - Valentin and Massimo have their own tragic and beautiful story, Carmen was enchantingly written, and the representation in general sets this book apart. The only gripe I had was that the plot, involving Cane and the Brood, was lopsided and somewhat clumsily executed, and I didn't like how many timeskips there were. The romance lacked the particular spark of exhilaration that I looked for, but it was still very sweet. Where this book really shines, in my opinion, is its depiction of the Brood, and I wish they had come into the story earlier. Watching Poppy integrate into this motley found family is genuinely one of the sweetest things I've read in recent memory.
Breger shines so bright in her complex characters, and their dynamics to each other, that it is easy to forgive any other flaws. The pacing was off, but acceptably so, because every moment we spend in Poppy's perspective is its own kind of fun. The descriptions were well-realized but never overblown. The adventures the characters go on are, while exciting, never the main point of the book, and rightly so. The best moments of the book come from the antics that Poppy and the Brood get up to, and Roisin plays the role of the straight-man admirably (though sometimes I felt underwhelmed by her as a love interest.)
This book is like a home-made cake: lumpy, uneven, and otherwise imperfect, but made with so much love and care that you can't help but savor it. An excellent sophomore novel from a promising author.
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May 29, 2023DNF. Maybe I will go back to it one day. For now it didn't work for me.
The cover is absolutely amazing. I know I'm very picky about gothic novels and vampires.
The cover is absolutely amazing. I know I'm very picky about gothic novels and vampires.
April 18, 2023
A Long Time Dead is a story of beauty, love, acceptance, and trust. each word spoken with delicate understanding of it’s characters and their movement in life (or- death.) was so expertly executed by Samara Breger. So, So happy to have this as my first ARC!
i found myself having the time of my life from page one until the last sentence, breaking my sapphic little heart; yearning for more. AND TO GIVE ME THE FOUND FAMILY OF MY DREAMS— YESSSS—
the brood. the motherfucking brood. baby, everyone in this family coaxed my heart is warm tinted hues. valentin, my beloved; you will always be famous.
beyond those great inclusions, i do wish we could have gotten more for the romance. as someone that doesn’t particularly enjoy romance novels, i utterly and wretchedly enjoyed the romance here; although, i felt something missing. that’s not to say it was disingenuous to me just, suppressed— which could be intentional in roisin’s own suppression of her feelings. that’s fine in the sense of a timeline under 1 year seeing as this story spans decades.
Samara Breger has perfected her beautifully complex language, which has been woven seamlessly through the pages and I can’t wait for her next venture!
Thank you NetGalley and ByWater Books for this ARC!
i found myself having the time of my life from page one until the last sentence, breaking my sapphic little heart; yearning for more. AND TO GIVE ME THE FOUND FAMILY OF MY DREAMS— YESSSS—
the brood. the motherfucking brood. baby, everyone in this family coaxed my heart is warm tinted hues. valentin, my beloved; you will always be famous.
beyond those great inclusions, i do wish we could have gotten more for the romance. as someone that doesn’t particularly enjoy romance novels, i utterly and wretchedly enjoyed the romance here; although, i felt something missing. that’s not to say it was disingenuous to me just, suppressed— which could be intentional in roisin’s own suppression of her feelings. that’s fine in the sense of a timeline under 1 year seeing as this story spans decades.
Samara Breger has perfected her beautifully complex language, which has been woven seamlessly through the pages and I can’t wait for her next venture!
Thank you NetGalley and ByWater Books for this ARC!
May 15, 2023
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It *was* a long time dead, and the cause was boredom.
I'd never left posting a review for the day before release, and I was so excited about the prospect of a lesbian vampire romance that I didn't think this would be my first time doing that. Despite my best intentions, though, it took me nearly a month to finish it. Halfway through it became a hate-read, motivated by my desire not to hurt my NetGalley stats as much as to be able to say "I read it all and it did not get better". So there: I read it all, and it did not get better.
The publisher's summary is promising, but I should have known this: it promises too much.
The story follows Poppy Cavendish, a sex worker in Victorian era England, who wakes up one day to find out she's an immortal vampire. She's being taken care of by a buttoned-up elder vampire, Roisin, in a countryside cottage. Roisin helps Poppy adapt to her new life and control her urges for human blood for a year. But Roisin is on a mission so, after the year, she will send Poppy away with a vampire family in London. The problem: Poppy falls in love with Roisin. She still moves to London and lives there several years, until Roisin comes back. Afterwards, Poppy and her new family decide to help Roisin end the threat that is looming over them all.
Everything else that is mentioned in the summary is filling, and not one I liked. The author mentions in the acknowledgements at the end that the story was pitched as a novella, but she was encouraged to turn it in a longer and more ambitious book. I think that the base premise certainly worked for a novel; however, I think this new proposal affected the structural integrity of the plot and left it a shambling mess. We spend the first third of the book stuck with Poppy and Roisin on that cottage, and while I enjoyed seeing Poppy reckon with her new reality and her new urges, most of that time is spent between the two of them talking. I appreciate a good talk, but this was too much. Worse than that: it actually didn't manage to give me feels for the two of them or why Poppy should be so attached to Roisin. So after they part, and Poppy spends over a decade pining for Roisin? It doesn't feel earned. It would have made more sense for Poppy to feel a potential fondness for Roisin, get over her, and then fall hard once Roisin comes back.
The book had plenty of smut, some of it even toying with kink but, unfortunately, it made me feel absolutely nothing because of the annoyance.
The Brood was maybe the most interesting part of it, as a group of immortal queer people supporting other, mortal and not, queer people. There is a trans woman character, and I thought she was fascinating, and that her sexuality and her backstory were handled with sensitivity - bearing in mind that I'm not trans myself. I also enjoyed getting glimpses of everyone's backstories as Poppy gets to know them.
But the pirates and opera singers and glamorous French women? They were all filling! I'm not sure why they're mentioned at all in the summary! Oh, and guess where we go, too? Transylvania! With a scene that I'm positive features in the original Dracula! Take those parts away, and you'd have a novel that is less than the undeserved +400 pages but more structurally sound.
The writing was okay, but aimed to be poetic and, unfortunately, I was so bored and annoyed that it felt laughable. This was not helped by the author deciding to mention at every turn that Roisin's eyes were silver like "tuppence". This was mentioned 13 times. Eye descriptions are okay, as long as you don't go overboard with them. When you use such a specific word thirteen times, I would qualify that as going overboard. Oh, and since Poppy was a working class English person, apparently it made sense for the author, a New Yorker, to have her saying "mate" 31 times.
I can't decide if the ending was abrupt, if it made sense or not, because I was just hoping for the sweet release. But then we have an epilogue! And by that point, I was not surprised that it was also unbearably long and pointless.
tl;dr: Look, your mileage may vary; clearly, a lot of people seem to have enjoyed this one. It certainly had some interesting elements with a lot of potential. And I admit that I'm generally bored with Gothic stories. But I did not think this was a good Gothic story, I didn't think it was a good story about vampires, and I didn't think it was a good romance. It was tedious and poorly edited, and I'm upset because that gorgeous cover feels like a waste.
Thank you to NetGalley and Bywater Books for making this book available to read in exchange for an honest review.
It *was* a long time dead, and the cause was boredom.
I'd never left posting a review for the day before release, and I was so excited about the prospect of a lesbian vampire romance that I didn't think this would be my first time doing that. Despite my best intentions, though, it took me nearly a month to finish it. Halfway through it became a hate-read, motivated by my desire not to hurt my NetGalley stats as much as to be able to say "I read it all and it did not get better". So there: I read it all, and it did not get better.
The publisher's summary is promising, but I should have known this: it promises too much.
The story follows Poppy Cavendish, a sex worker in Victorian era England, who wakes up one day to find out she's an immortal vampire. She's being taken care of by a buttoned-up elder vampire, Roisin, in a countryside cottage. Roisin helps Poppy adapt to her new life and control her urges for human blood for a year. But Roisin is on a mission so, after the year, she will send Poppy away with a vampire family in London. The problem: Poppy falls in love with Roisin. She still moves to London and lives there several years, until Roisin comes back. Afterwards, Poppy and her new family decide to help Roisin end the threat that is looming over them all.
Everything else that is mentioned in the summary is filling, and not one I liked. The author mentions in the acknowledgements at the end that the story was pitched as a novella, but she was encouraged to turn it in a longer and more ambitious book. I think that the base premise certainly worked for a novel; however, I think this new proposal affected the structural integrity of the plot and left it a shambling mess. We spend the first third of the book stuck with Poppy and Roisin on that cottage, and while I enjoyed seeing Poppy reckon with her new reality and her new urges, most of that time is spent between the two of them talking. I appreciate a good talk, but this was too much. Worse than that: it actually didn't manage to give me feels for the two of them or why Poppy should be so attached to Roisin. So after they part, and Poppy spends over a decade pining for Roisin? It doesn't feel earned. It would have made more sense for Poppy to feel a potential fondness for Roisin, get over her, and then fall hard once Roisin comes back.
The book had plenty of smut, some of it even toying with kink but, unfortunately, it made me feel absolutely nothing because of the annoyance.
The Brood was maybe the most interesting part of it, as a group of immortal queer people supporting other, mortal and not, queer people. There is a trans woman character, and I thought she was fascinating, and that her sexuality and her backstory were handled with sensitivity - bearing in mind that I'm not trans myself. I also enjoyed getting glimpses of everyone's backstories as Poppy gets to know them.
But the pirates and opera singers and glamorous French women? They were all filling! I'm not sure why they're mentioned at all in the summary! Oh, and guess where we go, too? Transylvania! With a scene that I'm positive features in the original Dracula! Take those parts away, and you'd have a novel that is less than the undeserved +400 pages but more structurally sound.
The writing was okay, but aimed to be poetic and, unfortunately, I was so bored and annoyed that it felt laughable. This was not helped by the author deciding to mention at every turn that Roisin's eyes were silver like "tuppence". This was mentioned 13 times. Eye descriptions are okay, as long as you don't go overboard with them. When you use such a specific word thirteen times, I would qualify that as going overboard. Oh, and since Poppy was a working class English person, apparently it made sense for the author, a New Yorker, to have her saying "mate" 31 times.
I can't decide if the ending was abrupt, if it made sense or not, because I was just hoping for the sweet release. But then we have an epilogue! And by that point, I was not surprised that it was also unbearably long and pointless.
tl;dr: Look, your mileage may vary; clearly, a lot of people seem to have enjoyed this one. It certainly had some interesting elements with a lot of potential. And I admit that I'm generally bored with Gothic stories. But I did not think this was a good Gothic story, I didn't think it was a good story about vampires, and I didn't think it was a good romance. It was tedious and poorly edited, and I'm upset because that gorgeous cover feels like a waste.
Thank you to NetGalley and Bywater Books for making this book available to read in exchange for an honest review.
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