Title: Saltwater Vampires Author: Kristy Eagar Series: N/A Cover Art: Marina Messiha Genre: Urban Fantasy Published: 30 Aug 2010  ISBN 13: 9780143011460  ISBN 10: 0143011464  Type: PAPERBACK (PB)  Pages: 372 Source: Author Reviewed by: (Guest) Tori from Smexy Books

Book Description

He looked to the sky, praying for rain, a downpour, some sign from the heavens that he should refuse the abomination contained in that flask. But all he saw was the bloated white face of the moon smiling down on him … 

And the sky around it was cold and clear and black …

They made their circle of blood. And only the moon witnessed the slaughter that followed.

For Jamie Mackie, summer holidays in the coastal town of Rocky Head mean surfing, making money, and good times at the local music festival. But this year, vampires are on the festival’s line-up … fulfilling a pact made on the wreck of the Batavia, four hundred years ago. If their plans succeed, nobody in Rocky Head will survive to see out the new year.

Page-turning and suspenseful, Saltwater Vampires is a distinctly Australian vampire thriller

 Review

400 hundred years ago four men made a pact sealed in blood and violence. The time has come for that pact to be fulfilled.

Jamie Mackie expects this summer to be like all others. Plenty of surfing, fun, and money from the yearly music festival. All that’s about to change when vampires headline at the festival.

If all goes like planned, Jamie and his town will never see the light of day again.

Kristy Eagar’s SALTWATER VAMPIRES is a bold ambitious tale that brings vampires back into the more traditional role of unrepentant monsters. Set in the small laid back town of Rocky Head; Ms Eager mixes modern with the past as we learn how a 400 year old story develops and pushes it’s way into modern times.

Our protagonist, Jamie Mackie, is your average 15 year old boy who lives for surfing. A serious young man, he uses the ocean for healing as he tries to come to terms with an accident that crippled his best friend Dale. Jamie blames himself and is sure everyone else does too. When Jamie is attacked during a night surf, he is positive that it was Dale. Only, that’s not possible. Or is it? As Jamie and his friends divulge deeper into the changes in Dale, Jamie, and the town they are unprepared for the catastrophic events that are unfolding before their eyes.

I was hard pressed on how to rate this one. On one hand the premise is a brilliant blast from the past as we are re introduced to a seemingly forgotten storyline-evil unlikable vampires. These vampires do not sparkle, aren’t attractive, do not joke, nor want to interact with humanity. These vampires, from whom the myths are written about, come back and steal from their own conclave in order to extend and increase their own immortality.

I loved Ms. Eagar use of Australian history and physical descriptions to landscape and promote the concepts of this book. Loneliness, horror, and helplessness permeate this book, symbolized by the ocean. You get a distinct gothic feel to the whole story.  On the other hand, I just could not “hear” the voice that tells this story-a 15 year old boy. I found him forgettable. Part of it being that his voice has an adult feel to it and didn’t transcribe well into a YA for me. Almost like a documentary; I felt like I was reading facts. The secondary teenage characters, and I hesitate to use secondary as they are all on equal footing here, are all viable deeply evolves, but like Jamie, they did not interest me.  Set in a conversational writing style; I did find it oddly formal and it didn’t “click” for with me as this style often does. There again because I could not “click” with our protagonist.

There are 3 storylines running simultaneously that interact with one another and are painstaking told. The first 1/2 of the book paced slowly for me as we watch the story line being set up and placed. We find ourselves back in time to the ship Batavia where this all begins. Then we jump forward to Rocky Head to see where it will all play out. Once the vampires make themselves known in Rocky Head and to Jamie and his friends, I found the pacing picks up as more action concerning the main conflict is introduced. We learn more about the vampire’s agenda and I found the tension increases dramatically. I do wish the vampire conclave’s make up and history would have been explored a little more in depth. It was very interesting to see the extreme differences between them (the conclave) and the very people who it was all based on and started from.

The ending, though predictable, is a study in subtle horror and suspense as we are led down a path filled twist and turns to a climatic finale that satisfies our questions about Jamie, Dale, and the vampires.  I am giving this 3 bats because I feel the book is well written despite my own inability to connect with it.

 

Sexual Content: Kissing.

My Rating:

3/5
Good - A fun read with minor flaws. Maybe read an excerpt before buying.

Click HERE to read an excerpt

Previous books in the series:

1. N/A

Also reviewed by:

• Lost in Stories
• The Book Nerd Club
• ALPHA reader

Giveaway

Giveaway courtesy of Kristy Eagar

One copy of SALTWATER VAMPIRES

Giveaway Guidelines

1. Open to US/CA only
2. Leave a comment & way to contact you if you win
3. Entries must be received by Midnight MST on February 4th.

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