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broughtyoubooks's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
3.75
apotheosizing's review against another edition
3.5
3* - A Sheep Among Wolves
2* - Fine Print
4.5* - The Land of Milk and Honey
2* - Fine Print
4.5* - The Land of Milk and Honey
sam_dupree_reads's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
4.0
I was compelled to read this when Caitlin Starling shared the synopsis of "The Land of Milk and Honey" on Twitter and after I saw the full synopsis on Hoopla, I downloaded this and absorbed it very quickly.
I know ZERO about Vampire: the Masquerade and I still fund this a super entertaining read that gave me enough trickled down info about the world these vampires live in to keep me engaged. The audiobook is VERY good, especially the narrator of Fine Print. He really put his heart and soul and maybe some blood into that recording.
I would absolutely look forward to reading more short snippets in this vein of story telling (pun intended) and I feel like I should definitely be looking into Vampire: The Masquerade now...
I know ZERO about Vampire: the Masquerade and I still fund this a super entertaining read that gave me enough trickled down info about the world these vampires live in to keep me engaged. The audiobook is VERY good, especially the narrator of Fine Print. He really put his heart and soul and maybe some blood into that recording.
I would absolutely look forward to reading more short snippets in this vein of story telling (pun intended) and I feel like I should definitely be looking into Vampire: The Masquerade now...
talian1201's review against another edition
5.0
Great stories. Slow burn at first to build things up, but once they get started the stories are awesome. Would love to read more by these authors in the world of darkness setting.
bookishminna's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
this was such a wonderful collection of novellas! if you're fond of vampires, you'll absolutely love this book. i loved the taste i got of each author's unique writing style and approach to vampire lore within the world of Vampire the Masquerade (despite knowing little to nothing about it haha). fuller review to come on my blog!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood and Death
Moderate: Animal death
catsluvcoffee's review against another edition
3.0
Walk Among Us is a collection of three novellas set in the world of Vampire: The Masquerade. For those of you unfamiliar with Vampire: The Masquerade, it's a gothic tabletop RPG that rose to popularity in the 1990s. Set in the "World of Darkness", players play vampires, complete with the struggle to maintain some humanity as well as navigating treacherous political machinations of both vampire and human alike. True to the vampires of that world, these stories are dark and broody. The vampires within these tales have diverse backgrounds and ideologies.
"A Sheep Among Wolves" is the first foray into the world of White Wolf. This story by Genevieve Gornichec was the weakest of the bunch for me. In it, a college student dealing with depression and loneliness finds herself realizing a whole other world has been right in front of her. I struggled with this story the most. The pacing was incredibly slow and I really had to push myself to get through it. The main character felt very insipid and reserved. Any supporting characters went the reverse direction and were absurdly stereotypical. While I certainly appreciated the overall mental health theme, this one just felt like something I'd read before.
The second story, Cassandra Khaw's "Fine Print", certainly elevates the collection. Bringing a modern-day touch, the main character here is someone that you love to see get what he deserves. Khaw brings this detestable character to life in hi-def and lets us take a seat to watch his undoing. Arrogant and overbearing, this rather tedious specimen of manhood thinks that he's getting the better deal when in all actuality he's getting played by vampires way older and smarter than he is. This one truly shows that vampires are inexhaustible masters of manipulative and cunning.
"The Land of Milk and Honey" by Caitlin Starling brings up the rear in this collection. This unique story combines ethics and vampirism with this setting of sustenance and sustainable farming. Out of all the stories, I enjoyed this one the most. The strange quandary of needing blood to survive but to do so without killing is one that has been touched on before in vampire fiction but never quite in this way. It brings up some interesting parallels to our own struggles. This story has a bit of everything, some romance, a little treachery, and a lot of manipulation.
For a collection that only holds three stories, it took a while to get through this one. I enjoyed the variety of themes presented by each story. Vampire fiction has been around for a long time so getting something that feels fresh is a unique experience in itself.
Website | Twitter | Pinterest
"A Sheep Among Wolves" is the first foray into the world of White Wolf. This story by Genevieve Gornichec was the weakest of the bunch for me. In it, a college student dealing with depression and loneliness finds herself realizing a whole other world has been right in front of her. I struggled with this story the most. The pacing was incredibly slow and I really had to push myself to get through it. The main character felt very insipid and reserved. Any supporting characters went the reverse direction and were absurdly stereotypical. While I certainly appreciated the overall mental health theme, this one just felt like something I'd read before.
The second story, Cassandra Khaw's "Fine Print", certainly elevates the collection. Bringing a modern-day touch, the main character here is someone that you love to see get what he deserves. Khaw brings this detestable character to life in hi-def and lets us take a seat to watch his undoing. Arrogant and overbearing, this rather tedious specimen of manhood thinks that he's getting the better deal when in all actuality he's getting played by vampires way older and smarter than he is. This one truly shows that vampires are inexhaustible masters of manipulative and cunning.
"The Land of Milk and Honey" by Caitlin Starling brings up the rear in this collection. This unique story combines ethics and vampirism with this setting of sustenance and sustainable farming. Out of all the stories, I enjoyed this one the most. The strange quandary of needing blood to survive but to do so without killing is one that has been touched on before in vampire fiction but never quite in this way. It brings up some interesting parallels to our own struggles. This story has a bit of everything, some romance, a little treachery, and a lot of manipulation.
For a collection that only holds three stories, it took a while to get through this one. I enjoyed the variety of themes presented by each story. Vampire fiction has been around for a long time so getting something that feels fresh is a unique experience in itself.
Website | Twitter | Pinterest
quirkycatsfatstacks's review against another edition
4.0
Walk Among Us is a collection of three short stories based in the world of Vampire: The Masquerade. Since that is a roleplaying game I love/d, I'm thrilled to see the world being brought back to life here.
These are three dark tales about the deadly and political nature of vampires. These are not the pretty or friendly vampires found in romance novels. No, these are the sort that are more likely to get you running, if you had the bad fortune to come across them.
To my knowledge, this collection is an audible exclusive, at least for the moment. That means it'll only be available as an audiobook for now, but it's still absolutely worth the listen to. Especially if you're an avid fan of the franchise.
Included in this collection are three tales. The first is titled A Sheep Among Wolves. Written by Genevieve Gornichec and narrated by Erika Ishii, it follows a young woman who found herself in a world beyond her imagination.
Cassandra Khaw's Fine Print is next. Narrated by Neil Kaplan, this is a political story through and through, but not for the reasons you might imagine. It shows the darker side of making a deal.
Last, there's The Land of Milk and Honey. Written by Caitlin Starling and narrated by Xe Sands, it follows a totally different perspective on vampire life – the concept of sustainable farming and everything it entails. All three shorts will be reviewed in further depth down below.
A Sheep Among Wolves by Genevieve Gornichec and Erika Ishii
Rating: ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆
Warnings: Depression, anxiety
A Sheep Among Wolves is an absolutely fascinating tale, especially as you try and sort out what is truly happening. It is a tale of depression, radicalization, and the tending to of humans with high potential.
This is one of those stories that doesn't go at all how one might expect. It gets dark, naturally, yet the twists are truly surprising. Likewise, it is a story full of suspense. All the more so thanks to the main perspective, who shows what it must be like to be a human going through the grooming process.
Fine Print by Cassandra Khaw and Neil Kaplan
Rating: ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆
Warnings: Gore, graphic depictions, torture, imprisonment
Fine Print was a shocking read/listen, especially following the events of A Sheep Among Wolves. If any of the stories can be taken as a cautionary tale, let it be this one. Read the fine print. Treat others with basic respect. Use common decency. All that, and more.
This is the darker side of making a pact. You can think you're making the best deal in the world until you get to that fine print. Even then, the fine print can seem drastically different, depending on the context.
This one really did do an excellent job of portraying the darker sides of White Wolf. Not just of vampires in general, but of humanity as well. There really are no punches pulled in this story, but that is fitting.
The Land of Milk and Honey by Caitlin Starling and Xe Sands
Rating: ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆
Warnings: Gore, animal death
The last story in this collection is titled The Land of Milk and Honey. It follows a different side of living as a vampire. Actually, that's not quite accurate. It shows one vampire's way of coping and feeding – a way that is different from what is normally depicted.
Out of all the stories in this collection, this is the one that's going to get you thinking. It raises questions of ethics, morality, and the differences between humans and animals. This is a world where humans are the renewable resource, and sustainable farming allows for a specific cultivation of traits.
Understandably, it gets dark – though perhaps not for the reasons you might assume and expect. That it comes with several points to be made makes the story all the more chilling and impactful.
Check out more reviews over at Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks
These are three dark tales about the deadly and political nature of vampires. These are not the pretty or friendly vampires found in romance novels. No, these are the sort that are more likely to get you running, if you had the bad fortune to come across them.
To my knowledge, this collection is an audible exclusive, at least for the moment. That means it'll only be available as an audiobook for now, but it's still absolutely worth the listen to. Especially if you're an avid fan of the franchise.
Included in this collection are three tales. The first is titled A Sheep Among Wolves. Written by Genevieve Gornichec and narrated by Erika Ishii, it follows a young woman who found herself in a world beyond her imagination.
Cassandra Khaw's Fine Print is next. Narrated by Neil Kaplan, this is a political story through and through, but not for the reasons you might imagine. It shows the darker side of making a deal.
Last, there's The Land of Milk and Honey. Written by Caitlin Starling and narrated by Xe Sands, it follows a totally different perspective on vampire life – the concept of sustainable farming and everything it entails. All three shorts will be reviewed in further depth down below.
A Sheep Among Wolves by Genevieve Gornichec and Erika Ishii
Rating: ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆
Warnings: Depression, anxiety
A Sheep Among Wolves is an absolutely fascinating tale, especially as you try and sort out what is truly happening. It is a tale of depression, radicalization, and the tending to of humans with high potential.
This is one of those stories that doesn't go at all how one might expect. It gets dark, naturally, yet the twists are truly surprising. Likewise, it is a story full of suspense. All the more so thanks to the main perspective, who shows what it must be like to be a human going through the grooming process.
Fine Print by Cassandra Khaw and Neil Kaplan
Rating: ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆
Warnings: Gore, graphic depictions, torture, imprisonment
Fine Print was a shocking read/listen, especially following the events of A Sheep Among Wolves. If any of the stories can be taken as a cautionary tale, let it be this one. Read the fine print. Treat others with basic respect. Use common decency. All that, and more.
This is the darker side of making a pact. You can think you're making the best deal in the world until you get to that fine print. Even then, the fine print can seem drastically different, depending on the context.
This one really did do an excellent job of portraying the darker sides of White Wolf. Not just of vampires in general, but of humanity as well. There really are no punches pulled in this story, but that is fitting.
The Land of Milk and Honey by Caitlin Starling and Xe Sands
Rating: ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆
Warnings: Gore, animal death
The last story in this collection is titled The Land of Milk and Honey. It follows a different side of living as a vampire. Actually, that's not quite accurate. It shows one vampire's way of coping and feeding – a way that is different from what is normally depicted.
Out of all the stories in this collection, this is the one that's going to get you thinking. It raises questions of ethics, morality, and the differences between humans and animals. This is a world where humans are the renewable resource, and sustainable farming allows for a specific cultivation of traits.
Understandably, it gets dark – though perhaps not for the reasons you might assume and expect. That it comes with several points to be made makes the story all the more chilling and impactful.
Check out more reviews over at Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks