Zoraida Cordova

Natalie C. Parker

Eleven fresh vampire stories from young adult fiction’s leading voices! In this delicious new collection, you’ll find stories about lurking vampires of social media, rebellious vampires hungry for more than just blood, eager vampires coming out—and going out for their first kill—and other bold, breathtaking, dangerous, dreamy, eerie, iconic, powerful creatures of the night. Welcome to the evolution of the vampire—and a revolution on the page. Vampires Never Get Old includes stories by authors both bestselling and acclaimed, including Samira Ahmed, Dhonielle Clayton, Zoraida Córdova and Natalie C. Parker, Tessa Gratton, Heidi Heilig, Julie Murphy, Mark Oshiro, Rebecca Roanhorse, Laura Ruby, Victoria “V. E.” Schwab, and Kayla Whaley. An Imprint Book "Vampire fans, sink your teeth into this satisfying collection." —Kirkus Reviews

Tales with Fresh Bite

Vampires Never Get Old

Nessa Luna

I'm not a huge fan of vampires (yes, Twilight kind of ruined them for me) but I'm always up to try a new book about vampires. This one was an anthology and I mainly wanted to read it for V.E. Schwab's story (because it's being turned into a Netflix show) but I was of course going to read the other stories as well. 

As with most anthologies, there were stories I loved (Victoria's included) and ones I didn't love as much. Overall, as per usual when I rate anthologies, it came up to a 3,5 star rating. Can't waif for First Kill the Netflix show, because I am really curious how they're going to turn a short story into a show of 8 one-hour episodes... 


  Individual ratings

Seven Nights For Dying - 2,5
The Boys From Blood River - 3
Senior Year Sucks - 3
The Boy and the Bell - 3.5
A Guidebook for the Newly Sired Desi Vampire - 4
In Kind - 3.5
Vampires Never Say Die - 4
Bestiary - 3.5
Mirrors, Windows & Selfies - 3.75
The House of Black Sapphires - 3.5
First Kill - 4

Maria Kais

Luc 

Eh, I really liked some, some others were boring and underdeveloped. I love the huge range of representation tho

mahi

4.5 stars for first kill, i’m not reading the rest

krissy

only read first kill it’s a good start for calliette

More 

4,5⭐* VICTORIA DON'T BE SHY DROP THE WHOLE BOOK

soph

Akansha

I started reading this for First Kill because it was getting adapted and these were short stories around vampires. (Vampires never disappoint) 
There is something super hot about lesbian vampires that reading most of these stories was so worth it. 

My favorite were First Kill (of course, Schwab never goes wrong for me) and Vampires never say die. 

Alexa Jade

The beginning stories were definitely on the weaker side which made for a bad start to this book but VE Schwab’s First Kill was the perfect closer and i’m very much looking forward to the Netflix adaptation.

Sahi K

Average Rating : ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.1

The editor’s note at the beginning talk about the various literature through which readers have gotten introduced to the lore of vampires through the years, but I think my first encounter was through Twilight and The Vampire Diaries; that too after a couple of movies/seasons had already released respectively. But I did go on to read a lot of paranormal stuff after and developed a love for vampire stories. So when I saw the announcement for this anthology, I was very excited because I really was ready to explore these creatures of the night outside of the cis, white, male, thin, hot cliche we were so used to. 

And this collection truly delivers. We have amazing Black and brown representation here, alongwith vampires across a whole spectrum of gender and sexuality, and it was such a delight to read these stories. The editors also give some details about the inspirations for each of these stories, about the myths they are based upon, and the themes that are being addressed - I really appreciated that extra commentary because it gave me so much more insight. Within this collection are stories full of grief, pain, excitement, loneliness and various other emotions, and I think all of you will find something that will connect with you. My desi heart was obviously delighted with Samira’s story the most, but you could say I’m biased. 

If you are a vampire lover, this is a fun collection of stories to explore and I would definitely recommend it. Below you can read my detailed thoughts on each of the stories:


  Seven Nights for Dying by Tessa Gratton


We are so used to stories of vampires full of violence and force, so this was refreshing in the sense that it was very quiet and contemplative with the main theme being about choice. What if you could live forever ? Would you wanna be a vampire? What should drive this decision - anger, grief.. or just love. I really enjoyed the idea behind this one.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️


  The Boys from Blood River by Rebecca Roanhorse


In contrast to the first story, this one also is about choice, how a young Native gay boy who has lost almost everything and is bullied constantly in his small town feels like he has nothing left but would love to not be alone, even if it means becoming a vampire. But how much is he ready to sacrifice for it ? 

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5


  Senior Year Sucks by Julie Murphy


Told from the POV of a young fat vampire slayer/ cheerleading team captain in a Texas small town, this is a story about having to do your duty even if that’s not all you want to do, but still trying to make choices that feel true to yourself. And all the dangerous sexy tension between this slayer and the vampire girl she meets is just a delightful added bonus.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5


  The Boy and the Bell by Heidi Heilig


Set around the time of Bram Stoker’s Dracula release, this one featuring a trans protagonist is an interesting take on what it means to be human and wanting to be something that you aren’t allowed to be; while also making a fascinating comparison between vampires and the rice and privileged people of the time. 

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5


  A Guidebook for the Newly Sired Desi Vampire by Samira Ahmed


I knew I was gonna love this before I even started. Written as a online how to guide to be a new teen desi vampire, this was both hilarious and profound with the usual instructions you would assume to give someone new, but also full of desiness that delighted me. From taking digs at British colonizers to American capitalists to Zuck, while also mentioning memorable places and food in the motherland - this was amazing. I also thought it was interesting to see vampirism and colonialism as parallels, sucking blood literally and metaphorically out of normal people. And I’m still reveling in the nostalgia of seeing the mention of Sultan Bazaar (which happens to be a huge and bustling area full of street markets in Hyderabad), a place I’ve visited quite a bit in my childhood, in a book published in the US. Now I just want more desi vampire stories. 

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️


  In Kind by Kayla Whaley


Featuring a completely wheelchair bound young woman turned vampire, this story takes a dark but important look at both the difficulty that caregivers have in providing the required support for their disabled children, as well as throws light onto the horrific aspect of mercy killings where the caregivers (aka murderers) are considered being merciful but no one ever asks the disabled person what they wanted to do with their life. This was hard to read but also empowering towards the end. 

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5


  Vampires Never Say Die by Zoraida Córdova & Natalie C. Parker


A story about an unlikely Instagram friendship between a human and a vampire, the kinds of connections that can be built online amidst all the fake online personas we create, the beginning of a beautiful relationship, the difference we can make in the world if we get to live forever - and all of this happening with the backdrop of stabby vampire politics. This was both poetic and intense and very intriguing. 

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5


  Bestiary by Laura Ruby


This was such a unique tale - set in a time where earth has been ravaged by climate change, there’s food and water scarcity and the Uber rich control these resources even more - our protagonist is a shape shifting vampire who was betrayed when turned but she finds solace in the company of animals at the zoo she works at. I absolutely loved her interactions with the bear and the lionesses, and also her older boss. 

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5


  Mirrors, Windows & Selfies by Mark Oshiro


A boy who shouldn’t exist, sheltered and isolated all his life, having never even seen a mirror, uses his blog to put out all his thoughts just to feel a little less lonely. His story and the comments he gets are interesting to read but there’s so much pain laced with hope in his predicament, and I just wanted him to be able to get out into the world and find himself. As always, Mark Oshiro’s writing is stunning and emotional, packing a punch. 

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️


  The House of Black Sapphires by Dhonielle Clayton


I loved this story more for its setting of an Eternal version of New Orleans where all kinds of immortals live and I thought the descriptions of the city as well as the ball that takes place and the overall ambience was very beautiful. Added to that was some delicious attraction between two immortals who are enemies, and it made for a cool story. The open ending however, did leave me wanting, and it felt more like the beginning of a new story than the end of one. 

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️


  First Kill by Victoria “V. E.” Schwab


This is also in a way similar to the previous story, two young high school senior girls who are attracted to each other unexpectedly find that one can’t escape her thirst for blood while the other can’t forget her destiny of being a supernatural hunter.. This definitely had a more fun vibe but that ending was super cool. 

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Candyce Kirk

Jessica Williamson

3.5 Stars

A decent collection of vampire novellas. They weren't great but I think quite a few of them had a little something new to add to the vampire myths that I really enjoyed. But then some of them I didn't really understand why we were there? But that just goes with the novella territory. You never get all the answers, and that's okay. 

1. Seven Nights for Dying by Tessa Gratton: 3 Stars
2. The Boys From Blood River by Rebecca Roanhorse: 3 stars
3. Senior Year Sucks by Julie Murphy: 3 stars
4. The Boy and the Bell by Heidi Heilig: 3 stars
5. A Guidebook for the Newly Sired Desi Vampire by Samira Ahmed: 4 stars
6. In Kind by Kayla Whaley: 4 stars
7. Vampires Never Say Die by Zoraida Córdova & Natalie C. Parker: 2 stars
8. Bestiary by Laura Ruby: 2 stars
9. Mirrors, Windows & Selfies by Mark Oshiro: 4 stars
10. The House of Black Sapphires by Dhonielle Clayton: 3 stars
11. First Kill by Victoria Schwab: 4 stars

Kerri McDonald

Thank you to Hear Our Voices Book Tours, Netgalley, and the publisher for sending me a free e-ARC in exchange for an honest review

Here’s a fun fact about me: I haven’t read a ton of anthologies. Which mean, when it came down to writing this review, I was unsure how to tackle it at first. Do I review the book as a whole? Do I fully review each story? I figured I would just do short reviews for each story, else we would be here for ages. Let's go!

Seven Nights for Dying by Tessa Gratton

The first story in the anthology follows a young woman as she tries to decide whether or not she wants to become a vampire. Instead of turning all at once, though, the process in this story takes seven days and she can back out at any time. I thought this put an interesting twist on the creation myth! The strength of this story is in it’s characters. Tessa Gratton took the limited time we had with our main character and managed to give her depth that some full length novels can’t achieve.

Mirrors, Windows & Selfies by Mark Oshiro

This was one of my favorite stories! The protagonist, Cisco, is a young vampire who is being hidden away from the world by his parents. They say he is the only one of his kind, a vampire born not made, and that they hide him for his protection. But Cisco wants the freedom to see more and, most importantly, to see himself. I loved the format of this story (it’s written as blog posts, complete with comments) and how much the author can make you ache for Cisco’s situation. This is a coming-of-age story with a dark twist and I really enjoyed it!

The House of Black Sapphires by Dhonielle Clayton

I thought this story about a bevy of beautiful, Black vampires was quite fun. The Turners have just had to move (again) and have ended up in the city of New Orleans. They are all ready to get to their new home, but Bea, our protagonist is also yearning for something more. She wants to find her eternal love. I loved the way this story weaves together. Dhonielle Clayton certainly has a way with words! And the splash of romance that we get had me wanting more.

The Boys of Blood River by Rebecca Roanhorse

Another one of my favorites! This story by Rebecca Roanhorse was probably one of the most frightening in the entire anthology and I was living. For. It. The dark tale follows Lukas, a young Native man who is working to make ends meet in a dead-end town. He’s bullied for being gay, his mom is very sick, and he wants nothing more than to just feel safe. Enter the Blood River Boys, a group of mysterious men with an air of danger and promises on their lips. This story got real spooky, real quick and I loved it! The atmosphere was woven so well that I wouldn’t recommend reading this at night if you scare easily 💀

Senior Year Sucks by Julie Murphy

I do love a good vampire slayer story and this one was a treat! It gives off major Buffy vibes, with our main character being a high school cheerleader who happens to hunt vampires on the side. We also get fat representation in this story as our slayer is described as such. I thought the way Jolene talked about her size and how it had no bearing on her skills as both a cheerleader and a slayer was awesome! And there’s the added wrinkle of her meeting a vampire that she might possibly want to kiss more than she wants to stake. This is one of the stories where I wanted it to keep going!

The Boy and the Bell by Heidi Heilig

CW/TW: Intentional misgendering

This story was deliciously creepy and I loved it! It also stars a transgender graverobber who stumbles on something rather supernatural while on the job. I loved the mixture of science and superstition in this story. The dark, spooky atmosphere of this story made it fun to read at night, too! This short tale really grips you and makes you forget that you live in the 21st century for a small space of time. The writing snagged me quickly and did not let go!

In Kind by Kayla Whaley

CW/TW: Caregiver abuse

We start this story off with a murder and it just gets more intense from there. I thought this story about a disabled girl who was turned after her father attempts a “mercy killing” (biggest eye roll ever) was horrifying on several different layers. The writing is excellent and I definitely felt the anger that is motivating our protagonist. And this story had one of the most satisfying endings out of all the ones in this anthology!

A Guidebook for the Newly Sired Desi Vampire by Samira Ahmed

I loved the concept and the formatting of this story! The premise is that you, the reader, are a newly sired desi vampire and a new app has appeared on your phone to guide you through this unfamiliar territory. I love the tongue-in-cheek humor and all the cultural references. There’s also a really interesting discussion on colonialism which I loved. I always enjoy when social issues are interwoven into fantasy/horror. This was fun while taking a hard look at the effects of colonialism that are still seen today.

Bestiary by Laura Ruby

Oh man, was this story topical. There’s a bird flu that has swept the country. Water has become scarce and corporations are jacking up the prices. Most people are struggling while the 1% are living it up. And, in the middle of it all, we have Jude, a girl who was turned against her will and can now talk to animals. Among other things. Jude was such an intriguing character and I loved how complex she is. I enjoyed the animal communication aspect, as well. I thought it added an interesting wrinkle. I would have loved to get more of this story, but it was definitely a solid entry in this anthology.

Vampires Never Say Die by Zoraida Córdova and Natalie C. Parker

And we’ve arrived at, perhaps, my favorite story in the entire anthology! Definitely top two. In this, we follow the story of Theolinda and Brittany, two friends that have a deep relationship on Instagram but have never met in real life. Mostly because Brittany happens to be the Vampire Premier of NYC and Theo has no idea. But Theo wants to finally meet the person she’s grown close to on social media and decides to do it big… she throws a surprise party for Brittany and invites all her friends! Friends who all happen to be vampires. This story was a ride, y’all. The story is told from both Theo and Brittany’s perspectives and is intense! I loved the characters, I loved the creepy atmosphere, and I loved the fierce friendship between these two women.

First Kill by Victoria “V.E.” Schwab

This is the other contender for the top spot! I absolutely loved this story of a vampire and a slayer both planning for their first kill, but perhaps finding their first love. This story is told from both Juliette, our vamp, and Calliope, our slayer’s, perspective. It’s so intriguing watching the same day play out through their very different eyes. Also, Calliope’s family gave me major Supernatural vibes and I loved it! Definitely a fun, scary, and intense story. Can we get a whole book about these two? Please??

Final thoughts: Overall, I found myself really enjoying this anthology. Has it resparked my interest in creatures of the blood-sucking kind? I would say ‘yes’ but with a caveat. Give me all the diverse vampire stories! I loved the representation in this anthology and I think it gives a fresh spin on an old tale. As with any short story collection, there were some stories I enjoyed more than others, but they all struck me in some fashion. If you’re looking for vampire stories that will delight and frighten you in unique ways, I think you’ll enjoy Vampires Never Get Old!

Heather Killeen

Rating: 5/5 non-sparkly vampires

Format: E-book. I’d like to thank the authors and FierceReads for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. 

What it's like: This was like everything we want and deserve from YA contemporary horror right now. It’s diverse, it’s sassy, it’s dark as hell.

To sum up: This is a collection of short stories featuring vampires and sometimes slayers! The authors and stories are varied in their background and scope, but all offered unique takes on the vampire myth. 

What I enjoyed: This collection was an absolute blast to read! I LOVED all the different takes on the myth, the different questions raised, the varied themes and emotions played out. This collection absolutely reminded me why I love young adult books AND why I love horror/vampire fiction. I think I forgot how much I love it, in between reading the disaster that is Breaking Dawn and now haha, but the ideas these authors bring to the table and what they have to say about teens and vampires are fascinating and fresh. 

What was meh: I have very little bad to say about this collection! There were a few stories that were a bit slower, a bit less of a gut punch, but they all did interesting things that I wanted to take note of. I finished each story and truly felt inspired as a writer.

Overall, I HIGHLY recommend this collection! Even if the last thing related to vampires you read or watched was Twilight. Do yourself a favor and give vampires another chance! If this collection doesn’t win you over (back to the dark side heh heh) then nothing will!

Lisa Beasley

Update to come for each story but overall I liked the new takes on the vampire story.

Vampires Never Get Old Tales with Fresh Bite

Reviews