Beneath A Thousand Skies

Summary:

When Anna is invited to a secluded retreat full of selfish, greedy humans, of course she doesn’t say no. Not only did she manipulate the CEO of the world’s largest oil corporation, Peter Beyer, into organising the four-day getaway in the first place, but no self-respecting vampire would ever turn down such easy prey. Her weekend gets even better when she meets Saira, one of Peter Beyer’s employees, and they begin a whirlwind affair. Blood and beautiful women are Anna’s idea of a great time.

She should have known it was too good to be true.

Hunters are dangerous, deadly, and dedicated to eradicating vampires. When a group of them turn up at the retreat, Anna must use her centuries of experience to escape their ever-closing net. Will she get out unscathed, or will they finally catch up to her? Will she give into her intense and unexpected feelings for Saira, or will she leave her to burn as she destroys all evidence she was ever there?

A fresh twist on urban fantasy, with an added splash of sapphic romance.

Vampires. Pointy teeth. Night hunters…and if you’re of the generation that grew up with Buffy, ridged features and yellow eyes that let you know who the monster is.

Marsden has taken a look at those classic features, and turned them on their head, dragging her vampires into the modern era. That isn’t to say this isn’t your typical vampire book – we still have the Vampire who has lived centuries, seeing the world change considerably in that time. Although Anna has very much stayed abreast of those changes, rather than loitering in the past. And there is still the hunger for blood, the stalking of human prey and of course the bloody mess that follows. And an age-old conflict between hunters and vampires. However, that is really as far as We’re All Monsters Here tips its hat at the classics, before forging its own fresh take on vampires.

The stories of Nightwalkers and so much of what the world thinks they know about Vampires, are myths and misdirection, fed by the Vampires themselves to keep prying eyes off their activities and throw hunters off the trail. Marsden’s vampires – and especially Anna – are chameleons hiding in plain sight, side by side, with the humans they hunt; using technology, experience, and the lovely murkiness of the definitions of human and monster to exist freely in the light of day…albeit with all the necessary precautions of course.

This take on vampires would have been interesting enough, but Marsden really brings it to life with her main character Anna. A vampire with over five centuries of experience, is a wonderful character, cast in a dozen shades of grey…and plenty of red; and the reason why this book hits so hard. Because Anna’s character voice, full of experience, acerbic wit, glamour and ability to cut through all the pretence and nonsense is captivating; and honestly I would read a book a hundred times the size of this novella just to enjoy more of her way of looking at the world – past and present and of course to watch her dissect her prey in more way that one.

This novella is on the nose at many points, especially as we dive into the hunt, with Anna providing our eyes and ears (and appetite) for the walking meals that are the participants of the corporate retreat that is the setting for this story. This is literally a case of eat the rich, or rather eat the doucebags in power and those who are busy representing the worst of what corporate humanity has to offer – and while it makes it hard to have much sympathy for her prey (there are some exceptions), it doesn’t detract from our investment in Anna’s hunt. Hell, it had me cheering her on.

Which leads to that title. We’re All Monsters Here couldn’t be any more appropriate, and what I love is that Marsden is putting the idea of what it means to be human, and who the monsters really are, under the microscope without adopting a moral high ground. We get to see the best and worst of both sides, and honestly – they’re both a bloody mess – and who is worse? The misogynistic CEO and his minions, or the Vampire who wants to devour them? What about the innocents caught in the crossfire? And the hunters closing in? Marsden rips aside the curtain, and lets us see all the tangled threads, corruption, blood and gore and general mess that is masked under polite day-to-day life and leaves it up to us decide.

That isn’t to say that this isn’t a bloodbath, and firmly falls into the horror category with the amount of blood and gore that fill these pages. Yet, it is finely meshed with entertainment, pragmatism – and honestly some of my favourite moments were the clean up, and how Anna went about her plan for this bloody feast.

And of course, I can’t ignore the romance. To some extent it is head over heels lust, but Marsden captures the attraction between Anna and Saira perfectly, like two pieces of the same whole coming together. And despite the time frame of the story, it is easy to be drawn into the pull they feel for one another, the connection through their conversations, and of course…the steaminess that follows. It also further blurs the line between human and monster, because Anna is otherworldly and captivating to humans, and yet here, she is the one captivated and foolish in the face of that attraction.

The latter part of the book shifts the pacing which had been delightfully spread between anticipation and action, hot flashpoints giving way to quieter reflection, to full throttle. Here Marsden flips the table, with a twist I have to admit I didn’t see coming, and some fantastic action – including a memorable incident with an arm. I don’t want to say too much, as it would spoil the story – but it was a brilliant race to the end of the book, and really was the cherry on the top for me.

We’re All Monsters Here is a delicious treat all wrapped up a bloody parcel. Fast-paced and compelling, this novella is delightfully and unapologetically itself from start to finish, and just a great read. I adored Marsden’s take on vampires and hunters, the dip into morality and the idea of what it is to be a monster without losing the entertaining factor, and the perfect level of spice to finish it off. A fantastic read for anyone who enjoys vampires and wants a modern spin on the classic.