How to describe this book? I think this one will find its way into many a readers’ hearts. It’s strange and whimsical, raw and tragic. It’s an interesting take on vampires, eternal life and love.

It took a bit to get the feeling of the narrator, then I flew through 3/4 of the book and then it kind of felt like the story didn’t know what it wanted to do? Or I wasn’t clever enough to get it.

Anyway, Rebekah, a vampire feeding of desire (I think?), is our narrator and she’s on a queer cruise with her husband, Hugh. They meet a dazzling personality called Heaven and even though Rebekah finds them attractive, something is off. Hugh is drawn in immediately, though.

I really liked the queerness, the poly relationship and how, even after an eternity together, things can sting and jealousy can arise. I liked the messy and even though it was a fun read, it’s also kind of dark and tragic. Melancholic. People being used, people dying. A lifetime of lost memories.

But yeah, all in all, I really enjoyed it. A bit pretentious, but I like one of those stories now and then.

/ Denise

I think this will be a really popular read this year! it was equal parts funny and heavily emotional and spooky.

This read like an x-rated paranormal Wes Anderson film. Brilliant, disturbing, and pretentious. It took me a bit to get into it, but once I did I could not stop.

I read the description of this one and immediately thought "this would be right up my alley!"

Honestly, it started off so strong. I even commented to my friends that it reminded me a lot of our youth and talking about our own queerness.

Then, it sort of fell flat for me personally. I felt like the storyline wasn't there for about a quarter of this short read, and I was left confused about what this book was about. However, that feminine rage? *Chef's kiss*

I did love the poly and enby, rep, though!

All-in-all, this was an okay read for me, though quick!

Thank you to NetGalley and Amanda Manns for the ARC!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for sending me an advance copy in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Vampires at Sea is a lush a rich exploration of two Vampires Rebekah and Hugo on a cruise. While their they meet an influcer Heaven who is more than she seems.

This was a fasinatic short read, the richness of the language is not going to be for everyone but I loved it. I wish it was just a few pages longer to draw out the tension between Rebekah and Heaven, but I would recommend.

Not my usual read, but it seemed Fun so I was lured in. Vampires at sea? Sure! Why not?

This book took a while for me to get into—I think it was the 50-60% mark when I started to feel invested in the narrative. There were a few moments I enjoyed, but the pacing and tone (very Tell Tell Tell) wasn’t working for me. I think it was supposed to be funny, but I wasn’t getting any of the humour. The events felt far too repetitive for the length, and the fact that the main characters are vampires somehow felt insignificant to the plot, and the horror did not feel present enough for something marketed as a horror. The world-building is non-existent and so was my understanding of the paranormal creatures.

However, I am a big fan of a non-binary shapeshifter nemesis, and I too would not be overly fussed if my boring husband didn’t come back one night.

4.5 stars

This was so much fun. A short novel about a couple of emotional vampires on a queer cruise that find themselves ensnared by a shape-shifting social media influencer.

I just let myself go, no trying to read into the narrative, find the hidden messages, just an entertaining read. The characters were modern and fun and the narrative voice was unusual, at least for me. It felt almost second person at times and I liked that we had only one POV.

There was no clearly defined villain initially, which made it so much fun when things got messy, and they definitely got messy. The struggles the main character experienced with the open relationship between herself and her partner were relatable and the way the infatuation played out kept me guessing as to how things would end.

Overall, this was a good time and I would definitely recommend this book to readers who enjoy something on the strange side.

Thank you to NetGalley and Creature Publishing for the eArc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Contrary to the author's intent, apparently, I found this book to be deeply melancholy. Perhaps it is because I don't watch "What We Do In the Shadows," which the author lists as an influence, but a post-apocalyptic cruise where the main character watches her longtime lover be slowly seduced away from her while the bombs fall in the ports of call is ...sad? Yes? Which is not to say I didn't like it, I actually really enjoyed the interplay of relationships. Until a really confusing ending that only made sense when I discovered it was all meant to be funny.

Personally, I enjoyed reading the book but I wasn’t as invested in it as I could have been. I think one of the things that bothered me while reading this is that it is not my kind of book to read when it comes to romantic relationships. I felt for the main character Rebekah and while she is monstrous, I think the way she embraces it makes her feel more authentic than most people. Honestly, I fully support poly relationships but the way this one turned out hurt me just because I could not have believed that Hugh would do that to Rebekah.

Spoiler!!!!!! Like he just broke up with Rebekah, who he’s been married to for centuries, for one person that he’s met in such a short time. Like seriously, I screamed because although I know he must have been under a spell or something, I felt this sick satisfaction at the end of the story when Rebekah didn’t go back to him after she killed his lover. Like he seriously had the audacity to call her by a nickname like she would accept him crawling back to her after his lover is gone.

Personally, it was a good book that annoyed and frustrated me more than I can count but I did laugh because Rebekah was hilarious. The first person POV of the book is something I am not used to while reading but it didn’t bother me, it is just not a personal choice.

Interesting in premise, I found the writing to be hard to follow and I was not a fan of the main character. there were one or two supporting characters that stood out to me but all in all, one that I will not revisit.

A Fun Concept That Didn't Quite Hit the Mark for Me

I really wanted to love this book! The premise of immortal emotional vampires on a queer Black Sea cruise sounded like a unique and wild adventure. Plus, the poly couples and nonbinary representation were refreshing to see—it's always great when stories showcase diverse relationships and identities.

Unfortunately, I struggled to connect with the characters. Rebekah’s confidence sometimes came across as a bit much, making it hard to root for her, and overall, the characters felt a little flat. The pacing and scene transitions around the ship were disorienting, making it tricky to picture the setting or get fully immersed. And while the book’s bold approach to intimacy might appeal to some readers, one particular scene gave me a strong dose of secondhand embarrassment that made it difficult to continue.

While this one wasn’t quite for me, I appreciate the creativity and representation. I’m sure readers looking for a daring, boundary-pushing story with a diverse cast may find it a fun and memorable read!

Thank you to Netgalley for approving me to review this book! My opinions are my own.

I wasn’t entirely sure about this book going in, the writing style was very different to what I’m used to and normally that makes it very difficult for a book to get me hooked.

But after a while I noticed I was just zipping through this stream of consciousness that is the main character’s perspective. And sometimes it’s very fun to be inside the mind of someone so separate from humanity and so devoid of empathy. (Ironic since she’s an emotional vampire!)

I found myself comparing this book style to the one-woman show version of Fleabag - like a really good monologue play that you actually forget it’s just one person on a stage their descriptions are so vivid.

I liked how a lot was hinted at but not fully explained, like her flashes of memories - are they hers or are they people she feeds off? - and what exactly Heaven was doing on their Queer cruise and with Hugh…

If there’s a sequel then I’m definitely picking it up. I’ve already recommended this book to a friend who I’m sure will absolutely love this.

One thing I wasn’t too fond of was how repetitive the cycle of jealousy at Heaven was and the flips between rooms, it started to feel a little like Deja vu as the same or similar thing kept happening again and again.

However, I was surprised how I didn’t mind the level of explicit sexuality that this book contained - normally I’m at best apathetic and at worst annoyed to see sex scenes in my books - it might be due to the fact that I’m Demi - but I just don’t tend to enjoy it in my books much. Not that I’m against sex scenes, I would never want to ban it, I’d just recommend something like that to other friends of mine and put it back on the shelf for me most of the time.

But in Vampires at Sea it was something about how they flowed and mingled with the need to be wanted and to feed that made me actually quite interested in them. It made it more about the dynamic between who was having sex and the power they were trying to gain over the other, very captivating.

Overall, a great novella that I sped through incredibly fast!

This had its moments, but overall, it really wasn't for me. I loved the different representation in it, but the writing style and the characters fell kinda flat for me. Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher for my digital ARC!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for the ARC!

Loved this read! I wasn't sold at first, as I felt it seemed pretentious... then I realized that it was supposed to. Such unique and interesting characters, and a beautifully done exploration of greed, sex, and opulence.

if what we do in the shadows was also big swiss and also poor things. visceral, decadent, totally mad.

SO much atmosphere packed into not a long book. The cruise ship is SUCH a perfect setting. Pacing was awesome, writing was so enticing and enthralling - like Rebekah herself!!

This book is incredibly interesting. Conceptually, it's unique and fascinating. But I am not the target audience for it. It was heavier and more esoteric than the things I generally read.

The way I need MORE Rebekah and Hugh. Hot, lustful, artsy vamps on a queer cruise...? It's incredible.

I have recently been getting into more vampire books and am a devout love queer horror in literature so I have excited tO have stumbled upon this book. It was short and fast paced and easily digestible when it came to reading it. However, it was boring and many times I found the plot to fall flat for me. There was no part in the book that really stood to me or that made me have "wow" moment. In terms of characters, I did not really find them interesting and they lacked a certain spark for me to enjoy them in the story.

This was gay trash horror at its finest. The dedication sums it up perfectly: “for all hot queer sluts. You know who you are.”
This novel doesn’t take itself too seriously, and I adored the flamboyant characters, the delightfully campy narrative, and the wonderfully overdramatic inner monologue. Yet, amidst all the fun, this novel managed to convey deeply intense emotions, like envy, that anchor it back to serious territory alongside the horror elements.

I found a lot to admire here, but I think I'm just not the right reader for it as I couldn't connect with it emotionally. I'd read another book by this author though.