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3.87 AVERAGE
3.87 AVERAGE
DNF at about 10%
Maybe I should have given this book longer, but I just was so bored. The writing wasn't bad itself, but I just did not care at all for the characters, and the story was so slow moving it felt like nothing was happening.
Maybe I should have given this book longer, but I just was so bored. The writing wasn't bad itself, but I just did not care at all for the characters, and the story was so slow moving it felt like nothing was happening.
This review is for the audiobook.
'Bloody' good story with excellent narration!
This story, a different take on the world of vampires (known as V-positives), revolves around Jonathan (V-pos) and his snarky assistant, Mark. This is a slow burn romance.
Joel Leslie is superb as the sarcastic Mark and the somewhat sheltered, sweet Jonathon.
It is no secret that I admire Joel Leslie's talent - he is a great performer, no matter the material he works with; but when he has great material, as with Hemovore, he is exceptional!
'Bloody' good story with excellent narration!
This story, a different take on the world of vampires (known as V-positives), revolves around Jonathan (V-pos) and his snarky assistant, Mark. This is a slow burn romance.
Joel Leslie is superb as the sarcastic Mark and the somewhat sheltered, sweet Jonathon.
It is no secret that I admire Joel Leslie's talent - he is a great performer, no matter the material he works with; but when he has great material, as with Hemovore, he is exceptional!
This book right here is why Price is still one of my top fave authors. I am, of course, her fan through the Psy-cop series, but in this book she changes things up and delivers a unique and engrossing twist on the vampire tale.
Her dry wit, her attention to details, tight and strong storytelling, and characters I absolutely believe are walking about somewhere, are here in spades. But though the ingredients were the same, the flavor was so different that while reading, I actually forgot who wrote it. I came across landmarks like The Loop and the MCC and thought, "Oh, hey. Those were just mentioned in the last Psy-cop book I read. Ha. That's funny. Me picking up two books in the same setting." Then it dawned on me that I was reading a Price book. Fantastic! Köszönöm, Ms. Price, for the very good read.
Her dry wit, her attention to details, tight and strong storytelling, and characters I absolutely believe are walking about somewhere, are here in spades. But though the ingredients were the same, the flavor was so different that while reading, I actually forgot who wrote it. I came across landmarks like The Loop and the MCC and thought, "Oh, hey. Those were just mentioned in the last Psy-cop book I read. Ha. That's funny. Me picking up two books in the same setting." Then it dawned on me that I was reading a Price book. Fantastic! Köszönöm, Ms. Price, for the very good read.
Would've given it four stars, but the last chapter was dissapointing for me.
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
emotional
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
4 Stars
I’ve got to give credit to JCP for she knows how to world build. This was quite the unique take on vampirism where this isn't necessarily a paranormal phenomena but more an alternate reality. Here, vampirism is an infectious virus that one can easily contract by the barest exposure to contaminated bodily fluids. Humanity is thus sharply divided into those who are positive and those who are negative, where those not infected live in a paranoid induced state of constant disinfection, which in all honesty is for good reason since there’s an approximate 80% fatality rate should one contract the virus.
This story focuses mainly on Mark. He’s uninfected and is basically the assistant/gopher for artist vampire Jonathan, whom he has been secretly lusting after for years. Sadly though, even if the attraction was mutual, there’s no way they could ever be a viable couple since touch is basically not possible. However, this depressing state of stasis is interrupted as Jonathan’s past comes back to haunt him, and he and Mark become targets of a sinister enemy they desperately try to outrun.
I admit this started out a bit slow for me but with the added suspense, it became the catalyst for this doomed to be forever platonic relationship to morph into something so much more in a blink of an eye. Though smexy-lite in comparison to JCP’s other series such as Psycop or Channeling Morpheus, this made up for it in sardonic humor and the ever changing status of these two as new revelations or twists come to light.
For the audio version, Joel Leslie narrates and I have to say I was quite pleasantly surprised. My previous exposure to Leslie showcased some very strong accents that were a bit hard for me to take. Though there are accents in this, it just worked this time around. I definitely give him credit for his huge repertoire of distinct voices, voices he keeps consistent and straight throughout, which for me, counts for a lot. Leslie also brought great self deprecating dry and wry humor to Mark’s voice that had me laughing out loud in and amongst the more serious parts of the story. This starkly contrasted against Jonathan, who’s a lot more somber and reserved but also mysteriously intriguing.
So overall, if you like JCP, if you want something different and unconventional, then this is another great addition to her eclectic library. I hadn’t read the first edition when it came out 8 years ago, but this one has the quasi-epilogue “Sweet” that brings great closure to lingering questions some may have had with the first edition. Again, I appreciate the wholly original tale, it snuck up on me and the more I think about it, the more I appreciate all of its nuances.
Thank you JCP, for the audio in exchange for an honest review
I’ve got to give credit to JCP for she knows how to world build. This was quite the unique take on vampirism where this isn't necessarily a paranormal phenomena but more an alternate reality. Here, vampirism is an infectious virus that one can easily contract by the barest exposure to contaminated bodily fluids. Humanity is thus sharply divided into those who are positive and those who are negative, where those not infected live in a paranoid induced state of constant disinfection, which in all honesty is for good reason since there’s an approximate 80% fatality rate should one contract the virus.
This story focuses mainly on Mark. He’s uninfected and is basically the assistant/gopher for artist vampire Jonathan, whom he has been secretly lusting after for years. Sadly though, even if the attraction was mutual, there’s no way they could ever be a viable couple since touch is basically not possible. However, this depressing state of stasis is interrupted as Jonathan’s past comes back to haunt him, and he and Mark become targets of a sinister enemy they desperately try to outrun.
I admit this started out a bit slow for me but with the added suspense, it became the catalyst for this doomed to be forever platonic relationship to morph into something so much more in a blink of an eye. Though smexy-lite in comparison to JCP’s other series such as Psycop or Channeling Morpheus, this made up for it in sardonic humor and the ever changing status of these two as new revelations or twists come to light.
For the audio version, Joel Leslie narrates and I have to say I was quite pleasantly surprised. My previous exposure to Leslie showcased some very strong accents that were a bit hard for me to take. Though there are accents in this, it just worked this time around. I definitely give him credit for his huge repertoire of distinct voices, voices he keeps consistent and straight throughout, which for me, counts for a lot. Leslie also brought great self deprecating dry and wry humor to Mark’s voice that had me laughing out loud in and amongst the more serious parts of the story. This starkly contrasted against Jonathan, who’s a lot more somber and reserved but also mysteriously intriguing.
So overall, if you like JCP, if you want something different and unconventional, then this is another great addition to her eclectic library. I hadn’t read the first edition when it came out 8 years ago, but this one has the quasi-epilogue “Sweet” that brings great closure to lingering questions some may have had with the first edition. Again, I appreciate the wholly original tale, it snuck up on me and the more I think about it, the more I appreciate all of its nuances.
Thank you JCP, for the audio in exchange for an honest review
Ridiculously Riveting!
I literally could not stop reading this book. I had to put it aside for a few hours to sleep---and honestly wished I had just stayed awake to finish reading even though I'm way too old to pull an all-nighter. Jordan Castillo Price should be hugged or something she'd positively love for putting this piece of fiction out into the world.
Hemovore presents the vampire concept as a virus known as HHV or Human Hemovore Virus which coincided with the HIV/AIDS outbreak in terms of relative era. Now, given the Big Bad of the book isn't exactly too clear on when he contracted the virus? It's possible HHV has existed longer than before the 1980s only it was so isolated in Europe it didn't get noticed until it spread to more and more first world countries such as those of Western Europe and America. I loved all the details centered around the fear of the virus because I grew up in the era when HIV was causing mass panic. I remember it being called GRID -Gay-Related Immune Deficiency Disease- and when they reported the "first" case of heterosexual individuals having contracted it.
JCP sets up this world in which it's normal to have gloves for the grocery store, the car, the house, the bathroom, everywhere. Homes are equipped with incinerators to best destroy any potential threat of viral contact and autoclaves are a necessity since the "good gloves" aren't cheap. There's entire aisles in the grocery store for cleaning products, wipes, sprays, disinfectants, and on and on to protect V-negatives against the threat their V-positive coworkers or employees or employers or random passers-by pose to them.
It's not a disease people want to contract.
It's scary.
It progresses in stages and it kills more than it 'converts' which is why it's scary and why it isn't this glamorous thing people yearn for the way people typically romanticize vampirism in fiction.
All the world-building is seamless. It's flawless. I could bask in this world for hours because it's so richly-detailed.
The writing is raw and real and reckless at times since the story is a thriller. I wanted to quote several passages, but it's just ridiculous how much of this book is worth quoting. I think it's the kind of writing most writers aspire to manage yet never do which is the best I can do to describe something indescribable.
Every character is three-dimensional. I loved the juxtaposition of the huge helper to the smaller, slighter V-positive painter where we have Mark Hansen as this forty-something queer who is a real Friend of Dorothy versus the much-younger-in-appearance Jonathan Varga who is a strange enigma of a creature. Mark is many guys I know in my own life. He's tall, decent-looking though showing his age, and he's comfortable as a queer man. He makes so many Wizard of Oz jokes I couldn't even keep up with them and they're absolutely perfect to help establish his character. I loved him painfully from page one. Jonathan is a little harder to love at first only because he is meant to be mysterious. I really came to enjoy his macabre sense of humor, self-awareness, and comfort in his physicality. He's one of the few slight male characters I can recall being depicted as ruthlessly male and dangerous. He's a feral breed in a way which is why watching him fall in love with Mark is so thrilling.
There's a wonderful thriller plotline where they're running from a murderer. They have to learn to survive without any of the money or comforts they've come to be accustomed to and they go underground in a way which is really believable. Our pair gets help from a sexual support group designed to help couples who are "mixed" in their viral conditions in that one partner is V-positive and the other is V-negative. I loved the way they got to look at what love can look like for a couple who knows they have to compromise for their own safety. I loved all the people who helped them along their way. It was such a wild ride. I'd definitely take it again.
I read the Kindle version of Hemovore which has a novelette at the end showcasing Mark and Jonathan after the events of the book. I really loved it as an additional read and additional glimpse into their world, but the book doesn't need an epilogue. It's a complete story all on its own and I would recommend it to anyone interested in paranormal romance or thrillers in the M/M genre. It's a perfect 5-star read in my opinion.
I literally could not stop reading this book. I had to put it aside for a few hours to sleep---and honestly wished I had just stayed awake to finish reading even though I'm way too old to pull an all-nighter. Jordan Castillo Price should be hugged or something she'd positively love for putting this piece of fiction out into the world.
Hemovore presents the vampire concept as a virus known as HHV or Human Hemovore Virus which coincided with the HIV/AIDS outbreak in terms of relative era. Now, given the Big Bad of the book isn't exactly too clear on when he contracted the virus? It's possible HHV has existed longer than before the 1980s only it was so isolated in Europe it didn't get noticed until it spread to more and more first world countries such as those of Western Europe and America. I loved all the details centered around the fear of the virus because I grew up in the era when HIV was causing mass panic. I remember it being called GRID -Gay-Related Immune Deficiency Disease- and when they reported the "first" case of heterosexual individuals having contracted it.
JCP sets up this world in which it's normal to have gloves for the grocery store, the car, the house, the bathroom, everywhere. Homes are equipped with incinerators to best destroy any potential threat of viral contact and autoclaves are a necessity since the "good gloves" aren't cheap. There's entire aisles in the grocery store for cleaning products, wipes, sprays, disinfectants, and on and on to protect V-negatives against the threat their V-positive coworkers or employees or employers or random passers-by pose to them.
It's not a disease people want to contract.
It's scary.
It progresses in stages and it kills more than it 'converts' which is why it's scary and why it isn't this glamorous thing people yearn for the way people typically romanticize vampirism in fiction.
All the world-building is seamless. It's flawless. I could bask in this world for hours because it's so richly-detailed.
The writing is raw and real and reckless at times since the story is a thriller. I wanted to quote several passages, but it's just ridiculous how much of this book is worth quoting. I think it's the kind of writing most writers aspire to manage yet never do which is the best I can do to describe something indescribable.
Every character is three-dimensional. I loved the juxtaposition of the huge helper to the smaller, slighter V-positive painter where we have Mark Hansen as this forty-something queer who is a real Friend of Dorothy versus the much-younger-in-appearance Jonathan Varga who is a strange enigma of a creature. Mark is many guys I know in my own life. He's tall, decent-looking though showing his age, and he's comfortable as a queer man. He makes so many Wizard of Oz jokes I couldn't even keep up with them and they're absolutely perfect to help establish his character. I loved him painfully from page one. Jonathan is a little harder to love at first only because he is meant to be mysterious. I really came to enjoy his macabre sense of humor, self-awareness, and comfort in his physicality. He's one of the few slight male characters I can recall being depicted as ruthlessly male and dangerous. He's a feral breed in a way which is why watching him fall in love with Mark is so thrilling.
There's a wonderful thriller plotline where they're running from a murderer. They have to learn to survive without any of the money or comforts they've come to be accustomed to and they go underground in a way which is really believable. Our pair gets help from a sexual support group designed to help couples who are "mixed" in their viral conditions in that one partner is V-positive and the other is V-negative. I loved the way they got to look at what love can look like for a couple who knows they have to compromise for their own safety. I loved all the people who helped them along their way. It was such a wild ride. I'd definitely take it again.
I read the Kindle version of Hemovore which has a novelette at the end showcasing Mark and Jonathan after the events of the book. I really loved it as an additional read and additional glimpse into their world, but the book doesn't need an epilogue. It's a complete story all on its own and I would recommend it to anyone interested in paranormal romance or thrillers in the M/M genre. It's a perfect 5-star read in my opinion.
I loved listening to this book. (I had the audio, not the ebook) The performance was superb and the author weaved an awesome world. It really is a different take on vampires. The suspense was excellent and I loved the extra story at the end! This book is a must listen!
****Reviewed for Prism Book Alliance®****
4.5 Stars -
I loved that Hemovore was not your typical vampire book. Yes, we had blood drinking and light aversion, but the fact it came from a virus was interesting and unique to me. I really liked the thought put into how it all worked and how vampires would function in our society.
When it came to our main characters, Jonathan and Mark, I loved the subtle attraction and longing shown between them. The forbidden nature of their desires really came out in Mark’s musings and internal dialogue.
There is no sex in this book, which I know many appreciate. I prefer to see a little sexy action, but the adventure and mystery part of this book, the fact that they are on the run for most of it, and that Mark is not V-Positive, makes it impossible for them to be together. I was glad that there was no sex for sex sake as I hate that. I like it to be an organic part of the story. Better to have none then for it to be just thrown in.
I really liked the resolution to the whole plot and appreciated the last chapter as it rounded out the book. I also liked the various support characters we meet along the way. Each had personality and weren’t just cardboard cut-outs.
I definitely recommend this book!
