SYLVIO

In Beebe’s debut series-starter, a Utah woman’s cancer cure involves a centuries-old vampire.

Rachel Burns resigns herself to her fate when she finds out that her bone cancer isn’t responding to chemotherapy. However, Carrie, her best friend and co-worker at Costa Investments, suggests that she seek help from the company’s mysterious owner, Sylvio Costa. During their first one-on-one meeting, Sylvio admits that he’s a vampire and maps out his plan to save Rachel’s life. She would have to live in one of his three houses, along with other humans who willingly provide him with blood. For a period of five to 15 years, he’ll exchange blood with her, curing her cancer, but then wean her off so that she doesn’t turn into a vampire. However, her mind would be “captive” to him—she’d be compelled to follow his commands ever after. Still, Rachel goes through with the procedure, but it turns out that she is a powerful empath who’s less susceptible to Sylvio’s powers. She also learns a bit about her own mysterious background; her birth mother, whom she knows nothing about, died when she was born. She also finds out about the existence of other supernatural beings, including witches and werewolves. However, Sylvio and the people he’s helping are soon endangered by entities looking to steal their powers. Beebe’s novel offers an unusual variation on traditional tales of mythical creatures and black magic. Sylvio, for example, claims he’s controlling a literal inner demon without actual succumbing to evil (as he only kills evil people); this choice, he says, allows him to walk in daylight, which other vampires can’t do. The author slyly hints at the origin of Rachel’s powers, which entail “unseen beings” that warn her of danger. The novel, despite its relative brevity (fewer than 200 pages), offers abundant worldbuilding details, aptly setting up material for future volumes. Even so, a few characters feel underdeveloped. For example, readers may have trouble sympathizing with two victims in a later scene; despite making earlier appearances, they only receive names moments before they die.

A fresh take on horror-genre conventions that will bring readers back for sequels.