Tag: vampire

Vampire Book Reviews: Hollow By Celina Myers & The Fox And The Devil By Kiersten White

[ad_1]

Vampire books are so back—almost like they never left…just lurked in the shadows. Gather round, lovers of Twilight, Vampire Diaries, and beyond. Because 2026 is shaping up to be a big year for vampire fans, and we’re here to bring you two new vampire novels.

Celina Myers’ debut novel, Hollow, is a tale about Mia, a young woman who becomes a vampire and finds herself caught between two rival families and their complicated history. Kiersten White‘s new novel, The Fox and the Devil, follows Anneke, the daughter of a vampire hunter who becomes obsessed with taking down an immortal serial killer.

These two vampire tales feature a bisexual and sapphic romance that we absolutely live for. Not to mention the powerful, unstoppable female protagonists. Here is our dual review of Hollow and The Fox and the Devil!

Book Overview: Hollow By Celina Myers

Image Source: HarperCollins Publishers

Content warnings: death, parent death, murder, attempted murder, attempted suicide, gore, bodies, corpses, violence, car accident, miscarriage, needles, poisoning, mentions of transphobia

Summary: Mia Adair isn’t even twenty-five yet, but she’s starting to wonder if her peak has already passed. She’s spent years working at her local bookstore, a job that was supposed to be temporary. As a kid, she experienced a strange sort of fame within the paranormal community thanks to her inclusion in a book that revealed Mia’s ability to talk with the dead. But that was then, and Mia’s “gift” dried up once adolescence set in. These days, she feels like she’s nobody special.

Until she dies in a tragic car crash and reawakens as a vampire…

Forced to leave behind everything she knew, Mia must choose to live with one of two rival vampire families. The Bellamy and Sutton clans share a dark, complicated history that spans centuries. As Mia learns about their age-old traditions and extraordinary powers, along with their forbidden romances and betrayals, she’s drawn toward two very different loves. And as she feels her gift returning, more potent than ever before, Mia realizes she’ll need it to protect innocent lives—and save the only family she has left.

Our Review

Let’s start with Hollow by Celina Myers. You may know her online as CelinaSpookyBoo or have watched her journey writing this book until now. Maybe you haven’t seen her content but are open to a new vampire book featuring a bisexual protagonist trying to get back her ability to see ghosts. Whatever the case, Hollow is such a quick and easy read that you won’t want to put down. Seriously, we read it all within a few hours.

Mia Adair’s vampire journey is as rocky as one might expect, given that she didn’t ask to turn. But the method of turning people changes from injecting just one vampire’s blood to injecting the blood of a whole family of vampires. This adds a deeper layer as we meet the members of the Bellamy and Sutton families and hear their stories. With a weakening matriarch at the helm, Mia soon regains her powers and discovers the crucial role she plays in both families.

We also want to highlight the narrative flow of Hollow. When there are so many characters in play, it can be difficult to remember who someone is and why they’re important. But this novel gives us just enough information about each one before we get into their actions that move the plot. Every character adds to the story. It felt so seamless to read, and we know how much effort it takes to make the narration seem so effortless. We were hooked!

Release date: January 13
Order Hollow here!

TO LEARN MORE ABOUT CELINA MYERS:
FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | TIKTOK | TWITTER | YOUTUBE

Book Overview: The Fox And The Devil By Kiersten White

Image Source: Penguin Random House

Content warnings: death, death of loved ones, murder, gore, bodies, corpses, violence, themes of trauma and grief

Summary: Anneke has a complicated relationship with her father, Abraham Van Helsing—doctor, scientist, and madman devoted to the study of vampires—until the night she comes home to find him murdered, with a surreally beautiful woman looming over his body. A woman who leaves no trace behind, other than the dreams and nightmares that now plague Anneke every night.

Spurred by her desire for vengeance and armed with the latest forensic and investigatory techniques, Anneke puts together a team of detectives to catch this mysterious serial killer. Because her father isn’t the only inexplicable dead body. There’s a trail of victims across Europe, and Anneke is certain they’re all connected.

But during the years spent relentlessly hunting the killer, Anneke keeps crucial evidence to herself: infuriatingly coy letters, addressed only to her, occasionally soaked in blood, and always signed Diavola.

The closer Anneke gets to her devil, though, the less sense the world makes. Maybe her father wasn’t a madman after all. Diavola might be something much worse than a serial killer…and much harder to destroy. Yet as Anneke unearths more of Diavola’s tragic past, she suspects there’s still a heart somewhere in that undead body.

A heart that beats for Anneke alone.

Our Review

Our next vampire book is The Fox and the Devil by Kiersten White. We were drawn in by the sapphic vampire story, and we stayed for the incredible storytelling. Told in two overlapping timelines in the late nineteenth century, we follow Anneke as she devotes years to chasing after her father’s killer. All the while, we start to get closer and closer to the present threat, which was so much bigger than Anneke had assumed.

We absolutely loved traveling all over Europe, solving murder mysteries alongside Anneke and her chaotic found family: Dávid, Maher, and Igne. They are true ride-or-dies, even when they don’t agree with one another. But Anneke’s target seems to constantly stay two steps ahead and evade them no matter how hard they try. It doesn’t help that Diavola haunts Anneke’s dreams and thoughts every night and day, either.

The buildup of romantic tension is also done beautifully in this Gothic novel. We really get a sense of intense yearning and curiosity on both sides, as evidenced in the letters that Diavola leaves for Anneke. And Anneke eventually uncovers Diavola’s true identity and reasoning for leading her on this never-ending hunt. We couldn’t see the plot twist or the bittersweet ending coming, but that just made the emotions even more heightened.

Release date: March 10
Preorder The Fox and the Devil here!

TO LEARN MORE ABOUT KIERSTEN WHITE:
INSTAGRAM | TWITTER | WEBSITE

What do you think of these new vampire novels? Have you added Hollow by Celina Myers or The Fox and the Devil by Kiersten White to your reading list? Let us know on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram!

Want to hear some of our audiobook recommendations? Here’s the latest!

Like this:

Like Loading…

Related

[ad_2]

Julie Dam

Source link

January 13, 2026
Sweet Listens: Chilling December Audiobooks For Your Library

[ad_1]

December may be a time for joyous celebrations and holiday cheer, but we’re going against the grain for this month’s Sweet Listens. Another year of audiobook recommendations has come to an end, and we couldn’t be more grateful to share some of our favorites every month.

As the days grow shorter and colder, we want to rest up while also keeping ourselves occupied with reading and listening. So grab a device, cozy up in your favorite chair, and hit play on some of these chilling and thrilling new December audiobooks.

Content warning: The Honey POP encourages mindful listening and checking the author’s website for any additional content warnings.

The Obsession By Natasha Preston

Image Source: Penguin Random House

Much like our Sweet Listens from December 2024, we’re kicking this one off with another thriller by Natasha Preston. The Obsession follows sixteen-year-old Connie, whose has been forced into the digital spotlight thanks to her mother’s incessant vlogging. When her mom and older sister leave for a college tour, Connie can’t wait to act like a normal teen for once. Then an anonymous user starts sending her suspicious messages. And girls in her area start dying in tragic accidents, all of whom seem to resemble Connie. We could not have predicted the last few chapters of this audiobook, and we’re still gagged, honestly.

Release date: December 2
Order The Obsession here!

TO LEARN MORE ABOUT NATASHA PRESTON:
FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | TWITTER | WEBSITE

Watch Us Fall By Christina Kovac

Image Source: Simon & Schuster

Our next December audiobook recommendation is Christina Kovac’s new psychological thriller, Watch Us Fall! It follows Lucy and her three best friends/roommates as they become embroiled in an investigation. The group leader Addie’s ex-boyfriend has gone missing, and detectives suspect the young women have an idea of what happened to him. In a dual narrative of the weeks leading up to Josh’s disappearance to the present-day investigation, this audiobook exposes everyone’s dark family secrets and suppressed childhood trauma. And Lucy seems to have a particularly vested interest in this case.

Release date: December 2
Order Watch Us Fall here!

TO LEARN MORE ABOUT CHRISTINA KOVAC:
FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | WEBSITE

The Uninvited By Nancy Banks

Image Source: Penguin Random House

To round out the final Sweet Listens of the year, we have Nancy Banks’s paranormal fantasy, The Uninvited! Let’s set the scene: modern-day Paris, new girl in town, and a series of vampire attacks. Tosh is ready to leave behind her life in Portland, Oregon for a vibrant fresh start in Paris. With the help of her charming neighbor Nick, she finds her place in the city and a friend group where she belongs. But a vampire has been hunting the streets of Paris, and it lurks ever closer to Tosh and her friends. This audiobook subverts the traditional vampire tale, turning it into a powerful, feminist novel we absolutely loved!

Release date: December 16
Order The Uninvited here!

TO LEARN MORE ABOUT NANCY BANKS:
FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | TIKTOK | TWITTER | WEBSITE

Did any of this month’s chilling audiobook recommendations stand out to you? Which of these December audiobooks will you be adding to your wish list? Let us know on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram!

If you want in-depth book coverage, we got you!

Like this:

Like Loading…

Related

[ad_2]

Julie Dam

Source link

December 16, 2025
‘Buffy’ Pop-Up Deploys Candy Corn Malort for a True Chicago Nightmare

[ad_1]

The Bronze ranks high among fictional TV teen hangouts. The adolescent club, depicted from 1997 to 2003 on Buffy The Vampire Slayer, was anti-establishment compared to the diner scene at Arnold’s from Happy Days or the Max’s wholesome vibe from Saved by The Bell. While the popular kids would frequent those places, the Bronze wasn’t for everyone. It was dark and moody. Bands no one had heard of would play there. This wasn’t a Peach Pit After Dark situation, the 90210 club was strictly for adults. The Bronze served coffee, juice, and soda. Not even Chicago’s famous all-ages bowling alley and punk club, the Fireside Bowl, never had NA options (though the Fireside had a Hammer, advantage: Fireside).

The Bronze is the foundation for the Buffy: The Slayer Experience, a pop-up that debuts today, Friday, September 27 at the Wicker Park location of Cheesie’s Pub & Grub, 1367 N. Milwaukee Avenue. The pop-up extends next door to Cheesie’s sibling, Whiskey Business, utilizing the bar’s rooftop deck where designers have tapped into the horror aspect with a faux graveyard and a DJ booth. Unlike TV’s Bronze, the pop-up is 21+.

The Vampire Bitters contains candy corn-infused malört.

Whiskey Business/Cheesie’s has become the de facto home for holiday pop-ups from Bucketlisters, a company with roots in the Saved by The Bell pop-up that premiered eight years ago near Wicker Park’s Six Corners intersection. That pop-up earned a reputation for fan service and Easter eggs. Expect the same level of love when it comes to the gang from Sunnydale High School.

The pop-up also leans into Doublemeat Palace, the fictional fast-food spot where Buffy Summers briefly worked. The menu features a burger, a sausage pizza puff with a side of ranch, chicken tenders, loaded tots, and fried pickles. Be assured that all the items have witty names tied to the show.

DMP is a fictional fast-food chain.

From tenders, the pizza puffs, the menu is simple.

Drinks include a welcome cocktail, called Spike’s Bloodbag. There are six themed drinks, but take a closer look at Vampire Bitters. Candy corn might be the most polarizing Halloween candy. But is it as polarizing as Jeppson’s Malört? The drink features candy corn-infused Jeppson’s Malort, lime juice, and hibiscus syrup, topped with prosecco. No, it’s not the first time candy corn has been mixed with Chicago’s bitter liquor. Let’s avoid any hurt feelings.

Wander through the space below. The pop-up runs through the end of October.

Buffy: The Slayer Experience, 1367 N. Milwaukee Avenue, now through Sunday, October 27.

The pizza puff

Loaded tots

The burger on a brioche bun.

Five of the six signature drinks.

Sunnydale High football rules!

Giles’ study.

The Bronze was an all-ages hangout.

Spooky.

The path toward upstairs.

The stairs to the roofdeck.

A DJ booth is set up upstairs.

It’s mandatory that the Misfits be mentioned in all Halloween pieces.

Restfield is one of many cemeteries featured in the show.

What could go wrong?

Yes, Buffy did die.

The Alpert Mausoleum was named for a show producer.

[ad_2]

Ashok Selvam

Source link

September 27, 2024
Dimension 20’s Coffin Run is a nearly flawless Dracula adaptation

[ad_1]

Stories, especially beloved stories, have a tendency to bleed past their borders and escape their original bodies. Bram Stoker’s Dracula is among many well-loved works that have long since taken on new shapes, shifting forms constantly. The epistolary tale of vampires has hundreds upon hundreds of adaptations, with one domineering throughline: Stoker’s lasting characterization of the elegant, verbose, vampiric count himself.

Given the breadth and variety of the landscape, it can be difficult, at this point, to iterate on Dracula in a way that feels fresh — which is why Dimension 20’s Coffin Run was, and continues to be, such a delight.

Coffin Run, a Dungeons & Dragons actual-play series, premiered in the summer of 2022. The six-episode run, described on Dropout’s website as “a tale as old as many lifetimes,” was helmed by storyteller and game master Jasmine Bhullar and starred Zac Oyama, Erika Ishii, Isabella Roland, and Carlos Luna. Coffin Run emerged from Bhullar’s love of Stoker’s novel, she told CBR in 2022, as well as comedic source material like Young Frankenstein and What We Do in the Shadows.

The cast of the series shines as archetypical members of Dracula’s retinue, brought together to ferry the Count (who sustains undeath-threatening injuries at the top of the series) home to Castle Dracula in his coffin. Oyama plays Squing, a Nosferatu-like vampire who is Dracula’s “firstborn,” turned as a child and preserved forever. Roland plays Dr. Aleksandr Astrovsky, a brash, invigorated mad scientist figure. Luna plays Wetzel, a young human who lives as Dracula’s plaything in hope of becoming a vampire himself. And Ishii plays May Wong, one of Dracula’s vampire brides, who used to be an actress in New York.

Image: Dropout

Coffin Run unfolds as a love letter to Dracula, both the form of the novel and the vampire himself. The story roots itself in Stoker’s work from the start, anchoring the narrative in the epistolary form. It’s letters all the way down, really (and not just inside Squing, who has a tendency to eat them). The series opens on Dracula himself standing over a writing desk, penning a letter to Squing. The letter takes a journey across the sea before it arrives at the Gold Crona Inn — much like Jonathan Harker at the outset of Dracula. From there, letters guide the narrative, arriving for the players at key moments.

Letters, as a kind of delivery system for the story, are adeptly wielded by Bhullar — because of the fickle nature of their author, Dracula, when heartfelt sentiments are poured out in the letters there’s a lingering sense of unease, perpetuated by the arrival of letters that reveal that the Count’s feelings for his coffin-bearing friends and family might not be what they seem. Wetzel, for example, becomes disillusioned with the Count as the series goes on, slowly beginning to distrust him, while May realizes that her own adoration for Dracula may be more one-sided.

Materially, Coffin Run pays beautiful homage to the Gothic lushness of Dracula. When players are handed letters, they receive actual letters at the table, passed along with a glowing candlestick. In the final fight, Dracula’s vitality is measured by vials of “blood” poured into a crystal goblet by Bhullar and then consumed as the vampire comes back to himself. Black-and-white film adaptations get a nod in the grayscale miniatures and the monochromatic set. The special effects all come together to create a world that feels incredibly familiar to horror fans as well as uniquely new — Rick Perry, production designer and creative producer for Dropout, gets heaps of nods throughout the series for his work on the sets and miniatures, as do the crew in a talkback episode post-series.

Image: Dropout

From the Scooby-Doo-like title sequence to the performances, the crew and cast of Coffin Run perfectly hone in on the comedic influences Bhullar cited for the series, as well as the inherent ironies of the source material. May, the classically gorgeous vampire bride, is played by Ishii with a gleeful, over-the-top accent, as is Roland’s Dr. Astrovsky. Squing, as Dracula’s firstborn, is constantly baffled by modern technology, referring to the train that delivers Dracula’s coffin as a “metal tube.” Seemingly, his lack of understanding stems from apathy, rather than access. Castle Dracula, when the story eventually arrives there, is similarly frozen in time, preserved by caretakers who eventually end up ceding the castle to antiquers and “Lairbnb” opportunists.

So much of vampiric representation in pop culture is rooted in Dracula’s particular brand of allure. Even Dungeons & Dragons has its own storied distillation of Stoker’s Transylvania and the titular count in the enigmatic Strahd von Zarovich and the land of Ravenloft. The cast and crew of Coffin Run do a fantastic job of preserving the larger-than-life presence of Dracula in the story, from adding a silhouetted batwing shadow over Bhullar when she speaks to characters as Dracula to character arcs that nod at the ubiquity of the Count and his story. In discussing his place with Dracula at the end of the tale, Wetzel says, “It’s like everyone in [Castle Dracula], they’re just gonna be in there for a while, you know? It’s like the same thing over and over again. Same stuff.”

No adaptation is perfect — with Dracula in the public domain and vampires back in the zeitgeist (hello, Interview with the Vampire, and the resurgence of Twilight, and a million other fanged options), there will likely be hundreds more distillations in the future. Coffin Run takes a pile of well-known, over-offered ingredients — Dracula, the undying bogs of Transylvania, letters, a carriage ride through wolf-stalked trees — and makes something wonderfully new from them.

At the very least, it’s worth sinking your teeth into.

[ad_2]

Madison Durham

Source link

November 12, 2023
Photos: Actors scare up spooky costumes for Halloween on the picket lines

[ad_1]

Witches, black cats, jack-o’-lanterns, spiders, cowboys and vampires lurked outside Netflix’s offices in Los Angeles this week in the latest group effort by striking actors to spook the major Hollywood studios into agreeing to their demands and bringing an end to the work stoppage that has haunted the entertainment industry for months.

The performers union, SAG-AFTRA, hosted two Halloween pickets on Tuesday, “Double, Double, Toil and Trouble!” at Netflix and “Spooky Solidarity Day” at the Warner Bros. studio lot in Burbank.

Check out who they dress up as on this spooky picket line at Netflix.

1

2

1. Abby Rizo, left and Mika Dyo came dressed as actor Pedro Pascal, based on a photo of Pascal himself picketing. 2. Isaac Burks dressed as a mariachi.

1

2

1. Martin Perea, who is not a member of SAG-AFTRA but said he felt compelled to come out and show his support, dressed up as union President Fran Drescher’s iconic TV show character, “The Nanny.” 2. Jeffrey Johnson wears a costume of his own creation, “Captain Black,” from his 2017 film of the same name.

1

2

1. Thando Skwatsha, wearing his best “baby” costume. 2. Adrian Dev, a strike captain, channeled his alter ego, Randy “Macho Man” Savage.

1

2

1. Cameron Laventure, right, as Link from “The Legend of Zelda” and Ari Fromm as Todd, with their dog as Mr. Peanutbutter, from “BoJack Horseman.” 2. Stevie Nelson as Rosie the Picketer.

1

2

1. Mykle McCoslin, a national board member from Texas, dressed as an L.A. woman. 2. Da’rrel Hobbs came as the “South Park” character Token dressed as a Vulcan from “Star Trek.”

1

2

1. Bennie Arthur, a strike captain, dressed as a ’70s guy. 2. Strike captain Heather L. Tyler doubling as a witch.

[ad_2]

Jay L. Clendenin

Source link

October 31, 2023
Olivia Rodrigo Is Coming Back

[ad_1]

The public loved Olivia Rodrigo’s first leading role as Nini in Disney Plus’ High School Musical: The Musical The Series, where she displayed her lovely singing voice alongside original songs like “All I Want.” But what drove her into superstardom was her chart-dominating, radio-replaying single, “driver’s license”, which kicked off her multi-GRAMMY award winning debut album, SOUR, in 2021.

The impact of the SOUR album is not lost on society, who found a flawless, no skips LP with relatable takes on relationships and feelings of inadequacy. Olivia Rodrigo was hailed the next best female singer-songwriter since Taylor Swift, even taking a note from the Swift Playbook and writing about her public breakup with co-star Joshua Bassett. She quickly became America’s Sweetheart, with a sold-out theater tour (even though she could’ve headlined stadiums), fans were already awaiting her next album.

Well, let us all rejoice because Olivia Rodrigo has announced her new single, “Vampire”, comes out June 30! Rodrigo has the weight of the world on her shoulders, with everyone’s expectations through the roof following a meteoric debut, but I have no doubt she will once again be the face at the top of Billboard’s Hot 100 on release day.

Rodrigo is nothing short of iconic, with her classic Y2K pop punk princess style and ability to create a plethora of genre-bending tracks such as rock anthem “good 4 u” and pop breakup tune “deja vu”. Her new single, “Vampire”, is one of the most highly anticipated tracks of the year, perhaps even the decade.

Tune into Popdust on June 30 for our full review of Olivia Rodrigo’s new single, “Vampire!”

[ad_2]

Jai Phillips

Source link

June 13, 2023
Vampire Survivors Adds A Death Bridge

[ad_1]

Screenshot: poncle

Vampire Survivors, 2022’s break-out game—nay—genre, released its complete 1.0 edition just over a month ago, near the end of October. But if you were worried that meant developer poncle was done, put your worry back in its worry-case, close the lid, clip the clasps, and update your edition to the freshly released 1.10 version. Along with a few smaller details, the patch called The Tiny One adds a fascinating new Challenge Stage, and it’s a very narrow bridge.

poncle

The Tiny Bridge Stage is unlocked by having reached level 80 in Inverse Gallo Tower, and once opened, it provides the most ridiculous challenge: A single lane, in which you have to do some very specific ability tweaking to stand a chance of survival.

Capturing that moment in the regular game when you realize you’re hopelessly trapped, and then scrambling to do anything at all to somehow survive it, the entire concept sounds ghastly. And thus, fantastic.

Also added in this post-release update is Seal Power Up. According to the update information:

When Sealing a weapon, it will be automatically added to the list of banished weapons at the start of a run. When Sealing an item, the item will not be removed from the loot table, but will turn into a Gold Coin instead, which means this does not affect standard drop rates.

It comes with 10 ranks, a base price of 10,000, and is gained by “banishing 1o or more items in a single run.” Goodness me, Vampire Survivor got more complicated while I was looking out this window.

There are also two new achievements, for which poncle nervously apologizes. “Sorry for the extra achievements ruining your completion rate,” he says in his notes. “Most players seem to be in favor of having them so I took the opportunity to add more. The best I could come up with to make them feel less of a “must have” is to tag them as EXTRA achievements.”

And there’s a new secret too. Shhhhhh.

Vampire Survivor is very firmly in Kotaku’s favorite games of 2022 (and yes, you, we know it came out in December 2021, but no one noticed for a few weeks), and it’s going to be riding high in a lot of GOTY lists across the internet. Right now you can get it on Steam for just $4.24, or find it included in Game Pass for Xbox. Although be prepared to see nothing but blue crystals when you close your eyes for the next few weeks.

[ad_2]

John Walker

Source link

November 25, 2022
CNN’s Halloween Quiz

[ad_1]

Which horror film was the first to win the Academy Award for Best Picture?

[ad_2]

Source link

October 30, 2022
Weird Facts

[ad_1]

The idea that vampires die in the sun only dates back to 1922, when it was used in the ending of Nosferatu.

[ad_2]

Source link

August 9, 2022