A Vile Season by Davide Ferraro

I devoured this YA Historical Romance book in one day. It was such a fun read, with vampires, angry villagers, vampire hunters, dukes, court intrigue and revenge. The main character, Count Lucian, has been a vampire for centuries. He’s gotten comfortable living in a remote old castle with his servants and protege. But, all good things come to an end and he’s chased out of his castle by a group of vampire hunters.

On the run and unlikely to survive on his own, he comes across a god of vampires who offers him a deal. Track down all the vampire hunters, win the hand of a Duke in a bachelor type of contest, and he’ll make Lucian the most powerful vampire. But if he loses, the god will torture Lucian forever. The god makes Lucian a mortal, and for the first time in centuries, Lucian can walk in the sunlight, eat and appreciate real food, and have human emotions. These all change Lucian (for the better), and as he becomes besotted with the Duke’s brother, he tries to decide if being mortal with his new love is worth giving up immortality. Add in a curious mystery and lots of backstabbing, and this book is a hit.

I loved reading Lucian’s progression from cruel and jaded vampire to a loving and considerate person that seeks to protect others. The changes were subtle enough to not give you whiplash, but moved the story along so that the book didn’t drone on for 500 pages. The Duke is a vain goofball, so it’s no wonder Lucian is drawn to his warm and caring brother instead. I figured out the overarching mystery pretty quickly, but I still enjoyed reading how the author revealed it. The catfights and jockeying for the Duke’s attention between the contestants was fun to read and reminded me of The Selection and other books that center on a game for a royal’s hand in marriage. If you want a quick and easy read that will make you smile and keep you on your toes, this book comes out on Oct. 22, 2024 and is for you.

I was provided a complimentary e-copy of this book from TBR Beyond Tours, NetGalley, the author and Page Street YA. All opinions are my own.

Book Links:

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/123262670

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Vile-Season-David-Ferraro/dp/B0CFGF48FD/

Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-vile-season-david-ferraro/1144473183

IndieBound: https://bookshop.org/p/books/a-vile-season-david-ferraro/21046929

About the Author:

David Ferraro grew up in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota, where he was raised on a steady diet of comic books, horror movies and YA novels. He graduated with a B.A. in English and creative writing from St. Cloud State University, and currently resides in Milwaukee, Wisconsin with his boyfriend and a very spoiled tortoise. He is represented by Eva Scalzo of Speilburg Literary.

Author Links:

Website: https://davidferraroauthor.com/

Twitter: https://x.com/Dave_Ferraro

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dave_ferraroauthor/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/20936736

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