This book is so fun!! Bite sized (pun intended), fast-paced, queer horny (energy) vampires. Need I say more?
Married couple Rebekah and Hugh attend a queer cruise during a time of war. Through the POV of narcissistic Rebecka, we watch Hugh fall for a nonbinary being named Heaven and the true nature of all three come out to play.
Based on What We Do In the Shadows, this book brings sexy energy vampires to life.
Additionally, I thought the ending was absolutely perfect.

Overall this was a fun read! It was a bit difficult to get into at the beginning since it really just jumped into the story without much preamble. I seriously thought for awhile that this was a sequel and that I was missing something, but once I got into the rhythm of the narrative it made more sense! I was not a fan of Hugh, but I did love Rebekah and her journey. I loved how she was able to grow in such a short period of time without it feeling forced. I want more of her!

Vampires at Sea is a quirky novella that blends horror, comedy, and erotica with a campy, modern twist. Set aboard a queer-themed Black Sea cruise, the story follows two stylish emotional vampires, Rebekah and Hugh, as they navigate relationship drama, indulgent debauchery, and supernatural intrigue. The plot is fast-paced and leans heavily into the absurd, often prioritizing style and atmosphere over deep character development or intricate storytelling.

Readers looking for a serious vampire narrative or traditional horror might find it a bit too over-the-top or tongue-in-cheek, while those open to a raunchy, genre-bending ride will appreciate the book's irreverence and queer-positive themes. The writing is lush and self-aware, often veering into the poetic or decadent, which may either delight or distract depending on the reader’s taste.

Overall, Vampires at Sea is a bold, playful romp best suited for fans of camp horror, queer fiction, and literary smut. It's not for everyone, but it knows exactly what it is and doesn’t pretend otherwise.

Wow this was an absolute blast to read. An ancient pair of (unique) vampires board a queer cruise for a little change of pace. Fueled by sex and feeding, they stumble upon Heaven, their “unicorn.”

From there, you’re tumbled through an absolute fever dream. Is the world ending? Who is who? What other monsters are out there?

I think the concept and execution was perfect for a novella of this length. I did find the ending slightly rushed, but not in a way that left me wanting.

The humor in the book was amazing. The writing was decadent. Our MC, Rebekah, was a stunning creature. Truly had so much fun reading this.

Thank you to NetGalley and Creature Publishing for the ARC. This will be out in the world in October.

Okay, so the concept totally had me at “queer cruise full of vampires.” I mean, come on. That sounds like chaos in the best way. And yeah, it was chaotic… but not always in the way I hoped.

The story was fast-paced and easy to read, and there were definitely moments that made me laugh out loud. I also appreciated how unapologetically messy and dramatic some of the characters were. If narcissism was the assignment, they understood it perfectly.

But the plot itself didn’t fully land for me. It felt like a lot was going on, but at the same time, not enough? Like I kept turning the pages hoping it would blow my mind… and it just didn’t. I was intrigued, but not emotionally invested.

This feels like the kind of story that’s gonna hit really well for a very specific crowd. I’m just not in that crowd, I guess. Still, I’d recommend it to anyone looking for a short, unhinged vampire story on a boat. Just don’t expect it to be super deep, it's more vibes than substance.

This novella didn’t meet my expectations, but the idea is spectacular. Many times I found myself not even rooting or finding much care for the main characters. The unbridled jealousy and attempts at tension fell flat for me sadly. I enjoyed the character creation though with each character seeming to have their own voice and style. I was expecting more flamboyance or theatrics in the way Rebekah and Hugo (Hugh) interacted, but it just came off like faux swingers that do it because they aren’t happy with each other except for when they are on each other, but refuse to part making a toxic environment. I greatly enjoyed the horror elements though.

Huh. Well that was an interesting, quirky read with a main character that’s as close to an anti-hero as I’m willing to go, I think. There were some really interesting themes around memory/time and capitalist opulence in the midst of global turmoil that I think will really resonate with readers post-pandemic - though I agree with some of the other reviews that they’re not 100% satisfactorily flushed out. However, as far as novellas go, it felt pretty complete to me and in a way, I think the ambiguity lends to the choppy, present-tense feel of the story with a (very) flawed narrator with a limited view of what’s happening around her. I also personally enjoyed the conflict resolution at the end and felt it was the perfect conclusion to what had built between the characters. I enjoyed the subliminal horror of the story and the atmosphere created, even if it fell outside the realm of usual vampire fiction. It was definitely unique!

Thank you to NetGalley and Creature Publishing for the chance to read early in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and Creative Publishing for the opportunity to read this eARC!

I have no clue how I feel about this book. The plot, I thought, was an original idea and appealed to me immensely. Vampires on a queer cruise? Brilliant concept. It had so much potential. It was a quick and easy read. There were a few moments that were quite funny and absolutely no shortage of the promised unbridled narcissism. I feel like the actual plot fell a bit short for what I was expecting. I basically stuck around because I was interested enough in trying to figure out the mystery of Heaven.

The writing was a tad bit choppy for my taste. The flow of the story came off as abrupt and scattered at times, which caused some disorientation regarding what was happening and whether it was actually happening or just inner dialogue from the FMC. I found all of the characters to be insufferable. This book, I think, was just not for me.

I think this book could be very fun for a very specific audience. This novella might be for you if you enjoy weird, short books with a superficial plot.

Thanks to Lindsay Merbaum and NetGalley for this ARC!

I liked this one for a quirky little fun read. It doesn’t try to be profound or poetic, it’s literally just “what if there was a bunch of monsters on an adults only cruise”. It wasn’t necessarily my favourite but after a particularly heavy read before this one, it was the playful and short respite I needed.

What a delight to see that Netgalley approved my request to read this novella! I found Vampires at Sea via Kristen Arnett and I'm happy I did.

As someone who hates the very idea of big boat cruises, I found a cruise ship to be a prime setting for a horror, and many details about just being on the cruise itself contributed to a sense of dread and unease in the story.

WWDITS inspired, as many have noted. Queer poly vampires and our narrator is deliciously narcissistic. A simple thing, but I liked how she tuned everyone out mid-sentence because she literally doesn't care about anyone but herself. Her narcissism fuels an existential dread/identity crisis that is central to the story when her lover catches eyes for another.

What stood out to me in this story, and what will likely linger after my goldfish brain has forgotten the finer details, was Merbaum's masterful depiction of the madness that occurs when a person is overwhelmed with jealousy and fears losing their lover to another.

I enjoyed the subtle social commentary, and the queer campiness of it all.

The ending felt a bit discordant for me, but overall I loved this and want to read more like it. Thanks Netgalley for the ARC!

I really wanted to like this book, but sadly enough I didn’t. So much was happening at once but at the same time nothing was really happening. Usually I really like story’s with non-monogamy or polyamory but this didn’t feel like it was executed well. There also were a few things that didn’t really make sense, like something about the war that was mentioned once and then never again. All in all I was just kinda bored while reading this book.

Thank you netgally and creature publishing for letting me read this in exchange for an honest review

This was…. something. I thought the premise sounded fun and interesting: a super-queer horror-comedy novella about vampires? Should be a good time!

There might be a super niche audience that will love this novella. Unfortunately, I am not part of that audience. For it being only 84 pages, I felt like it took a while to actually get into the story and the comedy aspect of the “horror-comedy” did not translate for me. I found the writing style hard to follow at times and could not understand the main character's decisions half the time.

I think it’s still worth giving a shot if it sounds interesting to you since it’s only 84 pages. And I can at least say that the cover is absolutely stunning.

Thank you NetGalley and Creature Publishing for providing this eARC for an honest review.

I am so glad I got to read this, it is a very cute book. It was well worth the read. I can’t wait to see what she has next

This story had a really interesting premise, and I enjoyed the writing style and humour a lot. I will say that I found it to be fluffy in parts, and I feel as if the ending was rushed, however it was a good time overall.

It’s a fun, supernatural story that you could bring on holiday. You could easily read it in a day by the pool 😊

I loved the premise of this, but the writing style was really not for me. The sentence structure was all wrong and the language used erratic. It had so much potential but it's a no from me

I was so hoping to love this book because the premise really was interesting. Unfortunately, all that waited for me was disappointment. The characters were narcissistic and sex-crazed to a degree to which I genuinely don't think would strike anyone as sexy or alluring. The entire story was bland and basic with little actual plot. The only part of this book I enjoyed was the writing style (which I have to praise the author for: it was really well written), but when there's terrible characters, surface-level interactions, and a lack of plot...writing style can't really save you.

I don't think there's anyone I know that would enjoy this book. I really hope that the author decides to write a different book with less asshole characters and confusing story because I would definitely give it a chance.

Man, I really fucking hated the characters.

I think this was supposed to be comedic, but it wasn't funny. It was horny, but not arousing. The characters were unique, but unloveable. Reading things from the main character's POV was grating. I think this was intentional, but still wasn't a lot of fun. I love vampires and was pretty excited for the premise (queer Black Sea sex cruise with emotion-vampires, wow!), but was unsatisfied by the execution. I can feel the inspiration from Anne Rice & WWDITS dripping all over this, but it was so unfocused and confusing that it didn't quite come together, I think.

I received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Kind of ate this up I can't lie, such a nice surprise. Something about it reminded me of Veronica Roth's "When Among Crows".

this is a book that has a very specific audience that will enjoy it, and i most definitely did. this was a wild ride, started slow but really built itself up. the characters were insufferable in a way that made you completely obsessed, the writing was different and captivating. thank you to net galley for the arc!

Fast and fun read. Rebekah had me snorting with laughter much it the time. There’s a very What We Do In the Shadows mixed with Lestat de Lioncourt vibe going on and I think many fans of either would enjoy this story. Thanks Netgalley for the arc!