A review by librarianlayla
Vampires of Portlandia by Jason Tanamor

3.0

I received an eARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

2.5 stars.

I was really excited to read this book, the entire premise behind the story excited me and we need more Filipino own voices fantasy out in the world.

However, I was left feeling a little let down by the writing. I feel that it read like a first draft and needed a lot of work on the timeline, as well as the characters and the dialogue. It has so much rich history and lore to work with, which is why it's a 2.5 star for me. If I only judged this book on the writing alone, it would have been lower. You didn't really get a good grip on the characters and there are plenty of emotionally charged moments, that fell a little flat because you hadn't a real feel for the character, nor time to get attached enough to immerse yourself into their feelings.

Really great concept, I just think it needs more work on it. It has the essence of something really great, and I could easily see it adapted for TV.