Crimson Shadow: Noir by Nathan Squiers

This book was intriguing. It didn't present as a story about vampires at first. I saw a young man, almost grown, living with impossible memories of being viciously abused by his stepfather. The abuse escalates until he witnesses his stepfather kill his mother during a beating. Now, with both parents dead, he's living with his grandmother. Unable to escape the memories and seeing no way out of the bullying at school, Xander places all his hope in a nightly ritual of Russian roulette. I found this to be uncomfortable to read. Teen suicide attempts are a serious matter, and the author handles it simply and with a deft hand.

I thought I knew what to expect of this book when it took a turn, well, sideways. A mysterious boy starts showing up with warnings of danger. Not long after the warnings begin, he wakes up in a hospital having been brutally beaten by bullies. Xander learns his grandmother died in an apparent mugging, and someone really does want him dead. Rescued by strangers from a second attempt on his life in one day, he passes out from his injuries.

When he wakes up, Xander learns secrets about his family that his grandmother had kept from him in an attempt to give him a normal life. But how normal can that life be when you live with a voice in your head that can take control of your body if you let it? There really are vampires and other creatures out there. Xander has a choice to make and the rest of his life depends on what he chooses. The biggest one will give him a better chance at staying alive. He must not only choose to become a vampire, but what kind.

The author has a way with words that envelopes the reader and draws you in to Xander's world. This isn't the typical spin most vampire stories get, not even those that have "good" and "bad" vampires. Squires has come up with a completely new take on the vampire mythos, given it depth and richness, creating a worldscape rich in detail and promise. And he delivers. I like seeing a new twist on an old favorite. I'll be checking out some of his other books.

This book is available at Amazon.