My Goodreads review: Kiss of the Butterfly

[ankh_hpl]

Kiss of the Butterfly by James Lyon

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


My rating on this one is actually the average of two ratings: one for writing style, one for concept / research / fresh ideas. Kiss of the Butterfly, so far as I know, is a first novel -- and from time to time, it read like one. In writing style, and even in some of the overall characterization & plotting, it seemed like an average thriller on the horrific side. Lyon definitely kept the pages turning - or, in my case, the screen-swipes & page-clicks going -- but the style was nothing out of the ordinary. Three stars.

Plus five stars for the most meticulously researched take on vampires I've read in a very long time. So meticulous, in fact, that it includes an entire Historical Note section at the end -- in which one can learn that almost every moldering tome, secret vampire-hunting society, & appalling slaughter mentioned in this book is actually real. Names, dates, & titles are provided for anyone interested in researching further.

Authentic Balkan vampire folklore, with a heavy side order of recent history & reasonably compelling characters, make this book a treat for vampire fans jaded by a few too many urban fantasies.













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