Vampires and Fairytales Just Don’t Mix

I recently picked up Black Lily by Juliette Cross. It’s the first book in the Vampire Blood series which, based on the blurbs I’ve read on the other books, is a series that mixes vampire mythology with fairy tales. Interesting, right?

Well, it depends of the execution.

Black Lily is a Cinderella story and it’s definitely an entertaining one. If you like vampires and you want a sexy romance with lightweight, no-brainer worldbuilding, and fast-paced action, go ahead and read this book. If you’re looking for something with a bit more gravity, skip it.

I personally thought it started great, but then it became kind of ridiculous. There’s insta-love. There’s a “fairy” god-witch who came out of nowhere, conveniently wearing a red riding hood. There’s a myopic revolution of humans against their overlord vampires. It’s led by the heroine who is feisty (which is great) and is always at the right place and the right time. Contrived? Very much so. But it’s better than being clueless, which is what the hero has been most of his life.

For some reason, I finished the book all the way. Had fun running around the storyworld. Was surprised at the nefarious twist at the end. I just needed to know how things played out- which is a point to the author for sure.

Am I going to read the next books? Nope. It’s a 2/5 stars on my Goodreads.