Spoilers!
I liked this book.
Right off the bat, we’re hit with a time skip. It’s wild to think Darren’s journey has been unfolding over nearly a decade. Evra having grown older and drifting apart from Darren hit hard. The vampire way seems to be all about watching those you love grow old while you stay the same, tragic as it is inevitable.
Mr Tiny continues to radiate this subtle, almost playful intimidation that makes him all the more unsettling. His demand that Larten and Darren bring along the little people feels both annoying and ominous.
The trek to Vampire Mountain is as treacherous as it sounds, though I’ll admit I wished we got a deeper look into the Vampire Princes themselves, that’s just personal preference.
Along the way, Gavner Purl returns still as likable as ever! Wolves are shortly introduced as distant cousins, it was heartwarming to see Darren bond with them in such short time.
The vampaneze-blood-fueled bear fight was chaotic and brutal, and the death of one little person hit just as hard. Darren’s near death experience felt like its own rite of passage, a reminder that even vampires have to fight to survive.
Lefty finally speaks, revealing himself as Harkat, and his message about the vampaneze lord leaves a bitter yet thrilling taste.
Upon reaching Vampire Mountain, we meet several vampires, most notably Arra Sails, a female Vampire and a fierce warrior whose respect Darren earns only after taking a beating.
The ending feels abrupt, as though the entire book was meant as a setup for the next, and while I still wish we got more in-depth with more and specific vampires, the world building, though short, wasn’t half bad. The introduction to the Princes themselves was also brief but very good, maybe intentionally so, and the insertion of vampire politics, especially in contrast to the vampaneze was nice to see. Needless to say, I’m excited for what’s next.