Status Updates From Vampires Never Get Old: Tal...

FIRST KILL by V.E. Schwab: 5/5 stars.

LOVE this. Wish the show had been better and hadn't gotten cancelled.

“In Kind” by Kayla Whaley - 3.75

THE HOUSE OF BLACK SAPPHIRES by Dhonielle Clayton: 3/5 stars.

The world building in this story is intriguing as HELL. The different types of immortal beings are fascinating, and the New Orleans setting is perfect. However, in the short story format, I was overwhelmed by the world building and being able to keep up with it. And the plot itself was rushed and the ending abrupt.

MIRRORS, WINDOWS, AND SELFIES by Mark Oshiro: 3/5 stars

I really liked the idea and the structure of this story, though the blog posts were more of a gimmick than a real plot point. The story was great and Cisco as a character was well-drawn, but the lore and plot of this left me a little bereft.

BESTIARY by Laura Ruby: 2.5/5 stars.

I feel SO conflicted about this one. I love the idea of vampirism and connection to animals, and the little hint of a reveal at the end was fantastic. But the world building was confusing, and it was hard for me to tell what was actually happening sometimes. The actual plot just didn't do enough.

“A Guidebook for the Newly Sired Desi Vampire” by Samira Ahmed - 4.2

VAMPIRES NEVER SAY DIE by Zoraida Cordova and Natalie C. Parker: 4/5 stars

The concept? Great. Execution? Almost perfect. I needed a little bit more from the ending, and there were a couple of things I was just a little confused about, but overall this was a fun take.

IN KIND by Kayla Whaley: 5/5 stars

This was stunning. Like, completely wonderful. It managed to give little bits of lore, enough to understand without overwhelming the story. It also had a fantastic representation of disability, and I love its take on vampirism as "cure." Honestly, I loved this one so much.

A GUIDEBOOK FOR THE NEWLY SIRED DESI VAMPIRE by Samira Ahmed: 2.5/5 stars.

This was fine. It wasn't actually a short story, so no characters and no plot. Other than the setting being India, it was pretty standard fare for vampire lore. I liked the idea of the Vampersand app to help new baby vamps, but otherwise it was pretty generic advice.

THE BOY AND THE BELL by Heidi Heilig: 2/5 stars

I immediately saw the "twist" to the story, which I really appreciated, but the story itself was underwhelming. It was too short and too predictable to be all that interesting.

"The Boy and the Bell" by Heidi Heilig - 3.7