BLOOD DEMANDS

A “half-vampire” confronts daunting foes to help rescue an immortal being with whom she bonded in this second installment of Belasco’s series.

It’s no surprise that Noosh is still adjusting to her life as an “am’r-nafsh”—a vampire who hasn’t yet died a “mortal death.” She’s in love with her “patar,” Sandu (formerly known as Vlad the Impaler), the am’r (vampire) who turned her. However, she also bonds closely with Sandu’s patar, Bagamil, who, for a time, becomes the third in their threesomes. After Bagamil leaves to hide from enemies who believe he’s truly dead, Sandu and Noosh settle into their home caves in Romania. However, it’s not long before both are plagued with dark, vivid dreams, sent by a captive Bagamil. Clues in the dreams point to the existence of am’r in Argentina, so Sandu and Noosh quickly catch a flight. Noosh may not be as strong as immortal am’r, but she won’t hesitate to face them if it means saving Bagamil. As in Belasco’s series starter, Blood Ex Libris (2023), Noosh learns lots of details about the history of am’r and their way of undead life; after all, she’s the am’r’s new digital archivist and collections specialist. However, their story contains ample suspense, as well, as Noosh and Sandu put themselves in as much peril as Bagamil is in. The overall story is a balanced and effective blend of the am’r’s persistent stoicism and Noosh’s often buoyant narration; she frequently lightens the mood, as when she notes that she’s not ready to be a “realio, trulio vampire” and when, after training in combat, names her leaf-shaped bladed weapon “Terry Smatchet”—in apparent tribute to the late comic-fantasy author Terry Pratchett. The pacing remains largely slow and deliberate, with bursts of action and a few explicit sex scenes.

An engaging supernatural tale with a delightful, audacious, and evolving protagonist.