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A review by quirkycatsfatstacks
Late Night Partners by Fennel Steuert
4.0
I received a copy of Late Night Partners in exchange for a fair and honest review.
Late Night Partners is an urban fantasy novella revolving around vampires, ghouls, and other creatures that go bump in the night. However, it is very different from many other vampire novels, and the difference in perspective and characters is quite refreshing.
Late Night Partners was described to me as a ‘horror-ish urban fantasy novella’ and while I don’t normally go for horror novels, I figured I would give this one a shot. I’m very happy I did so, and am pleased to report that this novel, while having me on the edge of my seat at times, did not leave me terrified to turn the lights out at night (I’ll openly confess the fact that I’m a chicken when it comes to reading or watching horror series).
Lately I’ve been hesitant to try new vampire series, and instead have found myself going back again and again to my favorites. Why, you ask? Because the mainstream tendency is still recovering from the recent uptick in vampire novels. The market was flooded with dozens of vampire novels that all read far too similar for my liking. Plus, if I’m being honest, I’m a bit of a vampire snob. I like my vampires to be dark, brooding, and typically found working on grand schemes.
I’m tell you this because I want you to understand what I mean when I say that Late Night Partners will stand out against the crowd of other novels, and I for one am very glad I didn’t mistakenly overlook it. The vampire characters introduced are all different, with their own driving forces and motivations. They’re old, far beyond their times, and dealing with more than any one mortal would ever wish to see.
What I love the most though is their different perspective given to us in this vampire story. They’re not vampires haunting goth clubs, or maneuvering humans for their pleasure. They’re not interacting with humans only for food. They’ve been beaten down by time and life (er, unlife) and are still fighting on. Actually, it occurs to me that last bit mostly applies to Doris, but that’s one of the reasons I liked her the most.
I love the choice of ghouls used for this story; it complemented the darker tone perfectly. I would almost love to see a novella focusing on a ghoul or two, though I’m not sure what that would entail (though it would probably be a bit more graphic than this story, I imagine).
On the whole I was pleased and impressed with this novella, and am glad I decided to step out of my normal boundaries, even if for just a moment. I’ll be curious to see what else Fennel Stuart comes out with, and truly hope they continue writing.
For more reviews, check out Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks
Late Night Partners is an urban fantasy novella revolving around vampires, ghouls, and other creatures that go bump in the night. However, it is very different from many other vampire novels, and the difference in perspective and characters is quite refreshing.
Late Night Partners was described to me as a ‘horror-ish urban fantasy novella’ and while I don’t normally go for horror novels, I figured I would give this one a shot. I’m very happy I did so, and am pleased to report that this novel, while having me on the edge of my seat at times, did not leave me terrified to turn the lights out at night (I’ll openly confess the fact that I’m a chicken when it comes to reading or watching horror series).
Lately I’ve been hesitant to try new vampire series, and instead have found myself going back again and again to my favorites. Why, you ask? Because the mainstream tendency is still recovering from the recent uptick in vampire novels. The market was flooded with dozens of vampire novels that all read far too similar for my liking. Plus, if I’m being honest, I’m a bit of a vampire snob. I like my vampires to be dark, brooding, and typically found working on grand schemes.
I’m tell you this because I want you to understand what I mean when I say that Late Night Partners will stand out against the crowd of other novels, and I for one am very glad I didn’t mistakenly overlook it. The vampire characters introduced are all different, with their own driving forces and motivations. They’re old, far beyond their times, and dealing with more than any one mortal would ever wish to see.
What I love the most though is their different perspective given to us in this vampire story. They’re not vampires haunting goth clubs, or maneuvering humans for their pleasure. They’re not interacting with humans only for food. They’ve been beaten down by time and life (er, unlife) and are still fighting on. Actually, it occurs to me that last bit mostly applies to Doris, but that’s one of the reasons I liked her the most.
I love the choice of ghouls used for this story; it complemented the darker tone perfectly. I would almost love to see a novella focusing on a ghoul or two, though I’m not sure what that would entail (though it would probably be a bit more graphic than this story, I imagine).
On the whole I was pleased and impressed with this novella, and am glad I decided to step out of my normal boundaries, even if for just a moment. I’ll be curious to see what else Fennel Stuart comes out with, and truly hope they continue writing.
For more reviews, check out Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks