Dnf at 40%
The writting style is not for me, almost halfway through and I don't know what's happening and I couldn't care less about any of the characters

Andrea Morstabilini’s Blood as Bright as the Moon is a haunting, lyrical foray into the gothic tradition of vampire literature. It is steeped in atmosphere and vivid prose that often reads like poetry. Morstabilini’s command of language is undeniable—there are passages so rich and strange, I found myself rereading them just to savor the cadence.

The novel’s early chapters bristle with promise: an eerie setting, complex queer undercurrents, and characters who seem poised to unravel something dark and meaningful. It’s clear that the author has deep reverence for the gothic genre, and for much of the first half of the novel, I was fully immersed.

Unfortunately, as the story progressed, I found myself drifting. The narrative momentum began to falter for me in the second half, and the emotional grip I’d felt early on loosened. While the prose remained beautiful, I struggled to stay invested in the plot and characters as they moved toward the novel’s conclusion.

That said, Blood as Bright as the Moon will no doubt find its ideal readers, and I genuinely admire its aesthetic boldness. Though it wasn’t ultimately a match for me, Morstabilini’s talent is clear, and I’ll be keeping an eye on what they do next!

..: Disclaimer :..
I received an ARC of A Blood as bright as the Moon by Andrea Mostabilini, published by Titan Books via Netgalley in exchange for my honest opinion. Many thanks to the author and publisher for the trust!

A BLOOD AS BRIGHT AT THE MOON is filled with lush prose and has a unique take on the vampires. Beautiful.

Thank you NetGalley and Titan Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

In Andrea Morstabilini's mesmerizing English-language debut, readers are taken into a gothic horror story with queer vampires, secret societies, and grotesque experiments.

A Blood as Bright as the Moon is such a beautifully unique story that I find it difficult to review, but I'll do my best to put my love for this book into words. I was originally drawn in by the idea of vampires creating wings to fly themselves to the moon. It's a refreshingly original plot that sounds just strange enough to make sure I wouldn't be able to move on from the idea of this story.

Morstabilini's writing style is particularly noteworthy, capturing readers from the very beginning. From the first line, this book will sink it's teeth into you and pull you along. Though it doesn't have to pull very hard because you won't want to look away. The pacing is able to take a slow and steady approach because of its addictive eeriness. It's not a horror book filled with constant scares, but it's one that gets under your skin and into you head, and it will build itself a home there as well.

Although this is a horror story, it also felt like a story about love--love for people, for places, and, perhaps most of all, love for identity. Vampires aren't just an aesthetic in this book, they're a tool for exploring the individual and showing why we're important, and why we don't need to be changed. It shows how our flaws and our love and our choices, both good and bad, make us what we are. This book masters weaving beauty into horror.

This book is rich in complex character dynamics, breathtaking atmosphere, and perfectly intertwining subplots. It's a story you'll never run out of things to talk about. You could fill each page with countless annotations and spend hours telling everyone you know about it. It's beautiful and it's strange and it's heartbreaking. Andrea Morstabilini has taken on vampires and he has absolutely perfected them. If you're counting down the days to any 2025 release, it needs to be this one.

Review on Goodreads (sophreadingbooks https://www.goodreads.com/sophreadingbooks) expected 9/1/2025
Review on Instagram (sophiesreading https://www.instagram.com/sophiesreading/) expected 9/1/2025

★★★ ¾

What an interesting title this was! Filled with lush prose and a unique take on the vampire stories we all know and love (I wasn't expecting a book about a vampire cult building wings to fly to a castle on the moon to work as well as it did) and absolutely teeming with magic, this book so easily drew me in. With its mythology, side characters that felt like three-dimensional figures that could really exist rather than being used simply as vehicles, and a parable that felt reminiscent of classic gothic literature but that did not draw away from the story at hand, this book felt like a fairytale in all the best ways—a world that I could enjoy delving into and savoring—and I appreciated all of the historical references to help cement the world into being, even if I didn't understand all of them (and I think I may benefit for a reread to put together all of the threads I missed the first time around).

The main things that drew me away from the immersion were firstly that the historical elements were expected to be known by the reader, which—though not necessarily a negative—expected a certain amount of knowledge that the reader may not initially possess or know to cross-reference, what with the fantastical feel of the rest of the novel. A bit of extra telling to clarify which parts of the story are myth and which are not so that the reader can truly immerse themselves into the experience may be to the work's benefit. Furthermore, I simply wish the title was longer. The author did a wonderful job packing a story that felt so rich and full of love into under three hundred pages, but I think the underlying story would move from "great" to "perfect" if just a little bit more meat was included to tie all the different threads together.

Thank you to Titan Books and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review! All opinions are my own.

This book is a mesmerizing blend of gothic horror and historical fiction! I was captivated by the narrative, especially in the second act, which was downright chilling. The horror was visceral, and the tension built with such a slow, haunting burn. The setting is absolutely stunning, the atmosphere thick with unease, and with the eeriness of it being a perfect backdrop for this dark tale.

It's both grotesque and beautiful, nauseating at times but impossible to look away from. A gripping, intellectually stimulating experience that will stay with you long after the final page.

I highly recommend it for anyone who loves gothic fiction that blends history, horror, and a deep exploration of human nature. It’s dark, haunting, and so wonderfully thought-out.

This book was impossible to put down. I read an eARC of this book on NetGalley so thank you to the author and the publisher.

This was such a fascinating take on vampires and also a blending together of different events from history. I loved the Frankenstein setting, the vampire characters, the anatomist horror and the mythos of Mad King Ludwig. It just all worked together so well! This book just embodies gothic literature so beautifully.

I found myself mesmerised by this book. I was genuinely horrified at times (act two). I had so much empathy for the main character. It was such a fascinating tale that challenges the traditional view of what a monster is.

The setting was incredible with the seemingly abandoned castle in the town of Frankenstein. The cult like residents, the desire for the moon. This felt like such a reverent collection of certain gothic elements from the 1800s and I just loved it.

Highly recommend this, it was gripping, thoughtful, nauseating at times and an incredible reading experience.

This book was such a ride, and I was glad to be on it the whole way through.
Beautifully written, and full of excitement.
Would absolutely love to read more from this author in the future!

Thank you to Titan Books and NetGalley for the DRC.

This book is essentially in 3 components. The first and third read like a dark fairy tale with flourishes of fantasy and fable. The middle is more of a gruesome horror that is a notable tonal shift from the other parts. Depending on how you feel about that, this will either work for you or feel a little disjointed. I personally didn't mind the tone shifts but overall found it difficult to really relate to the main character or get fully invested in this story. The dark fable-like writing and pacing of the first part had me feeling largely removed from the character and some of the events of the book which again were tinged with fantasy and almost magic kept me further away from the story rather than closer.

you love literary horror with psychological depth, symbolic storytelling, and vampires as metaphors for trauma and transformation—this book will quietly wreck you.

“A Blood as Bright as the Moon” by Andrea Morstabilini

Summary: Ambrose is a vampire trapped within a group, who have all fallen under a fantastical tale of a saviour, who lives on the moon. They believe they can fly, and join them; fly with their handmade wings and be at peace at last. Ambrose, having been told this story for many years now, wishes for something else and decides to seek out someone who may be able to help. Unknown to him, someone is watching his little vampire family, someone with insidious plans.

⭐⭐⭐

Thoughts: This was an ARC, so thank you to Titan Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to have read this earlier.

I must admit, the cover pulled me in. It’s gorgeous.

The story is split into three parts; interestingly the second part it switches perspective to second person (i.e you). This, to me, really disrupted the flow to an otherwise interesting concept. I feel the best way to go into this story is by not assuming anything.

The vampires are different from traditional portrayal; this wasn’t a bad thing, but the author definitely made some choices. In some cases, the story felt like a fever dream. Ambrose, our main lead, has some character development, and grows into himself I feel.

It is a queer novel, but with that, there are some derogatory and homophobic terms towards Ambrose, which could make people feel uncomfortable, so be aware of that.

It’s a short book, and if you are wanting something different and odd, you may enjoy this. I can’t compare this book to another because it is so unique in it’s storytelling, and story itself.

weird and gorgeous gothic, dark work with some excellent vibes and interesting stories. great flips in vibe throughout. 5 stars. tysm for the arc.

"A blood as Bright as the Moon" is complex book to rate and review. I'm glad it is rather short, because I might have gotten lost otherwise. Not because it is written in an overly complicated way or not well thought through, but because the author plays with elements of historical fiction and contemporary, with horror/fantastical. I had a hard time placing the story in a timeline until a few chapters in, which meant I had to revise my understanding of things a few time. For some reason, the writing gave me a very strong end of victorian era feel.

Beside the timeline thing, the prose is sharp and well used. I am not a fan of first POV narration except in specific type of story, but I see why it was chosen here. I did enjoy the bit in the middle switching the second person POV, with pieces of theatre writing. It might confuse some reader but it felt ritght and easy to follow to me.

The plot is less straighforward while still being quite simple, if that makes sense? Deeply, it is straightfoward but wrapped in a mystical logic and convulted storyline (since there is a link with Ludwig of Bavaria). These kind of workings are ore stimulated that confusing to me so I enjoyed in reasonnably enough.

My main cricism would be my lack of investement in the mais character trouble. He felt distant, as did the secondary characters. Given the very graphic content going on in the middle of the book, I wished I had cared more about all of them in a way or another, so the events would have more weight on me. Similarly, I might have liked a bit more information on the world and the place of the different creatures, but I think it might have hindered the story.

Overall a nice read, with well researched historical elements, nice ideas and good writing!

This was a strange, fanciful and heartbreaking tale. It was told from a number of different perspectives and in a variety of ways, which was confusing at first but soon became second nature. I loved the cast of characters. Definitely one where you have to read twice

CW: Blood, Paralysis (Induced), Medical Experimentation, Vivisection, Mutilation, Homophobia, Racism

Morstabilini’s prose is the real strength of this book. His descriptions of interpersonal relationships, internal observations and emotions, and casual cruelty are all rendered beautifully. I also liked his descriptions of vampires, generally, and the tying of them to the moon. I’m sad to say, though, that despite these strengths, this book wasn’t for me.

The beauty of the first segment, contrasted with the brutality of the second, was a great switch on an artistic level, but just didn’t suit my taste. I did like the final section of the book, which may round it all out. I also struggled consistently with the switches in points of view and emergences of what is ”true” or not.

I would still recommend the book for others who find the premise interesting, even though it wasn’t to my personal taste.

Sadly this was a DNF for me. The writing is lovely and atmospheric, but the scenario and world-building just couldn't keep me reading. It seemed a little too odd and obtuse. I've no doubt this book will find its audience who vibe with its universe, but alas, not for me. Apologies.