Book Review: ‘Vampires at Sea’ by Lindsay Merbaum (horny vampires on a cruise)
This is a strange, unexpected, horny little novel and I just still can’t decide if I like it or not.
The cover is great, the title is great, but the actual book is just…weird.
Immortal beloveds Rebekah and Hugh are on vacation! Against a backdrop of ongoing war, this pair of chic emotional vampires from San Francisco sets off on a queer Black Sea Cruise, eager to relax, join an orgy, and feast upon their fellow passengers’ desires and sorrows. When Hugh becomes enchanted by an alluring—and possibly magical—non-binary social media influencer named Heaven, Rebekah’s reality capsizes, and her true nature is unleashed.
I didn’t really know what to expect, and yet it was still unexpected.
I really love the setup of the novel: a horny, queer, party cruise on the Black Sea with a vampire couple who have been together for centuries. Neither Rebekah or Hugh are likeable and even though they were supposed to be each other’d great love, I felt no chemistry between them at al.. From that basis, it’s very hard to then be invested in the rest of what unfolds in the novel.
There were so many facets to the set-up of ‘Vampires at Sea’ but I’m not sure that there was really enough page time for anything to settle and be explored at any depth. I wanted more of Heaven and their motivations, more history and snippets from Rebekah and Hugh’s life in San Francisco and their long history, and more glimpses of life on the cruise ship and the stops. I just needed more depth along with the horniness.
‘Vampires at Sea’ is a quick and unusual read and I think I’m glad I read it, but I remain a little baffled.
Thank you to NetGalley and Creature Publishing for the review copy.