Disclaimer: This book is a participant in the Indie Ink Awards 2024 and I read it as a judge. My personal rating does not reflect its score for the contest.

People often assumed that just because vampires were old, this automatically made them wise. This, as most who actually knew any vampires would tell you, was false. They were, after all, just people. Just because they had been peopling about longer didn’t actually mean they were any better at it. Worse, usually, on account of them thinking they knew how everything worked while mostly hanging out with other vampires who also thought they knew how everything worked.

The standout of this book is the cast filled with picturesque characters, each with their own charm. They might be annoying most of the time, but those quirks are what make them more lovable.

The protagonist is a failed villain with family issues who has been working for years in a job where he is underappreciated. When a new tenant arrives at the building he manages, he must try to rein in all the other inhabitants to hide their magical nature.

I enjoyed the fun lyricism in these pages and would love reading more from this author. Come for the distinctive cover, stay for the heartwarming found-family tale where the main character realizes good feels good.

This is a story of standing up for yourself, learning to rely on others, and letting your walls down.