The Accursed Vampire looked like it would be a funny story. I mean, a story of three vampire kids? You know there is going to be hijinks. I was ready for Madeline McGrane to dazzle me. Instead, I was, not underwhelmed nor overwhelmed by the result.
What happens when three kids set off on an adventure to steal a book that was stolen from the master of one of them? (A master who just happens to be a witch)? You get The Accursed Vampire. These three kids might be immortal, but they still screw up and have successes as only kids can. You get to see how family, friends and magic all have their places, but sometimes they are not always good places. Or good magic.
And you get goofy illustrations (that since this is a reader copy of a book due later this year, I am hoping are “smoothed out” a little) that show you a Vampire from the 1400’s (Dragoslava) who has a troubled past (who happens to be our hero? Antihero? Or more accurately what is the non-binary word for hero?), a Roman Vampire Boy whose mother is the head of an underground vampire clan and a girl with odd looking feet who likes bugs and is the “baby” of the group. She was in some ways my favorite of our band of misfits to as she is always hungry and has her spider friends (I related on an odd level). Yet, I never loved any one person as they all had flaws that were not always endearing or charming. |
I had a few questions (such as how a few of the vampires turned and how did a some of the people meet). The story is one that I know I would have enjoyed: Dragoslava must steal a book back from another witch but learns that things are not always as they seem. There are a few twists (who are the “good guys” and “bad guys.” The modern aspects (there is a same sex female couple, fathers do not seem to play a large role (though Dragoslava’s is mentioned), there is a not-nice-Buffy-wanna-be-vampire slayer) are a nice touch, but a few seem a tad forced, just to be there to be there and not so much move the story along. It feels as if this will be a series for ages 8 to 10, so hopefully some of those “bumps” are ironed out as we go along.