SWALLOWED BY NIGHT

After one of the last surviving human beings kidnaps a sheltered vampire, the pair must look past their differences to survive in Harrison’s post-apocalyptic LGBTQ+ paranormal romance.

Vincent Asposito is a vampire whose wealthy father has forced him to live in isolation from the savage outside world. This is partly because Vincent’s blood holds a vitally unique power and partly because, 65 years after a deadly pandemic and war, the only beings that roam the streets are a ragtag human army and mechanical “Dogs”—vicious metal creatures originally created by the government for surveillance before they went rogue and began attacking anything in sight. Vincent’s only companion is his kind and loyal boyfriend, Gabe. After Jude, the son of the remaining humans’ leader, abducts Vincent and imprisons him in a converted mall called Silvertown, the vampire begins to discover some uncomfortable truths—about the Dogs, about humans, and about the vampire world. When Vincent and Jude are forced to fight for their lives, they feel a romantic spark that no amount of violence can extinguish. Vincent rethinks his ideas of freedom, loyalty, and love as danger mounts and the two face a series of stunning betrayals. Harrison has crafted a sharply funny and insightful vampire romance that balances explosive action and biting social commentary: “Before the apocalypse, the locker room at my school always felt like a battleground. Was I going to get caught in an explosion of name-calling, or was a bomb of toxic masculinity going to go off?” Jude occasionally comes across as overly juvenile (“You saved me ’cause you liiiike me”), and there’s some seriously flawed science. But the smooth narrative voice and the largely realistic dialogue together contribute to a believable, immersive world—one that may be run by capitalism, politicking, and vampires, but it still leaves space for heartfelt, and seriously steamy, relationships.

A darkly fun romp brimming with romance, action, and a refreshingly different take on fanged creatures of the night.