A review by medievalfantasyqueen
Haiku of the Vampire: Book 1 of The Vampire Haiku Chronicles by Arakaki Soto

adventurous dark fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? N/A
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

Though I went into reading this, just expecting a fun vampire story, Haiku for a Vampire ended up surprising me. Granted, there could have been a bit more tightening to the plot and the mythology used, and the info-dumping at some parts were a bit jarring, but overall, the story was an interesting cross between Kill Bill and Jennifer’s Body, and I hope to see more of the bigger story arcs being resolved in the coming books.

Characters wise, Misake was ruthless and single-minded in the pursuit of her vengeance, and it was nice that she did not seem to think too much about this. I am a little concerned at her lack of empathy for the random people being pulled into her plan (like the frat boy) and I think Uriel only managed to escape her scathing because she liked him. I would like to see Uriel responding to this state of being used in someone’s revenge plot, in the coming books and hope to see him fleshed out more.

I also liked the exploration of the Yakuza mafia-esque scene in Japan, and Haiku of the Vampire is a very welcome addition to the subgenre of mafia-vampire fiction. The haikus included at the beginning of every part was a lovely touch, though I feel that some linguistic and stylistic choices could have been done better. 
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