Changeling

The first vampire book I ever read was Dracula by Bram Stoker. Yes, the classic vampire tale. I found it thrilling and mesmerizing. Since then, I've managed to read a few other vampire tales, from Anne Rice's Louis and Lestat and Stephenie Meyer's Twilight to the monstrous creatures hiding among us in Jim Butcher's Dresden Files... none of them prepared me adequately for Morgan Gallagher's Changeling. Morgan takes us to a place where vampires are cruel and sadistic. They have lost their humanity, even though they still retain their human features and social skills. In fact, one can easily see how anyone could be taken in by their charm...at first. Dreyfuss, the vamp in this book, is rich, good-looking and sophisticated. He is also a sadistic monster who really gets off on beating his victims. Just ask Joanne. She was an average woman, working at an average job, until fate paired her up with Dreyfuss. At first, she's just another meal to him. When she actually dares to fight back, he is intrigued. Who will win? Even Dreyfuss is intrigued. He begins to play with her as a cat does with a mouse. How much can she take? The author takes you into this bizarre, horrific world as Joanne is reduced to the basics of survival. Could you survive it? She is beaten, starved, punished and trained to Dreyfuss' exact specifications. The psychological horror she endures is almost worse than the physical horror. When she is designated as his Changeling, it gets worse. It is difficult for me not to give any spoilers, but I will resist. If you like vampire books or horror novels, give this book a try. While Dracula may be the quintessential literary vampire, he's going to have to move over for Dreyfuss. And I have a feeling the rest of the trilogy that will be forthcoming will only introduce us to more vampiric characters that will go down in literary history. Read Changeling. In the interests of disclosure... I did edit this book. My review has nothing to do with the editing, and everything to do with recommending a very talented writer. I do not get a percentage of her sales. I posted a review because I truly think this is a wonderful, well-written book.

I've read a lot of books, I've read a lot of vampire books, but none like this. I found Morgan's book sucked me into the world Dreyfuss created around his victim. I felt for her, I bled for her, I cried for her (I stayed up all night and read about her!) As another author has said about this book - "it isn't splatterpunk". This is not gratuitous and self indulgent horror. It's believable terror. Well crafted and intriguing. Well worth reading!

I don't particularly like vampire stories but I loved this book. In the end, all that matters is whether and to what extent a book gives you that "can't put it down" feeling. I love when a book gets grabs me by the brain and won't let me go and this book succeeded mightily at this. About 1/4 of the way through I started to get the itch to put reading it above pretty much all other activities. This book contains brutal violence which could be triggering for some readers, but it is never exploitative. There is so much more going on here than just the surface. I'm itching for more!