There are only so many tropes that a vampire story can contain, and this one has them all. There’s a burgeoning love affair, ancient rivalries, mentor/student conflict, and a secret government organization of vampire hunters. Additionally, in the proper form of all the great horror masters, there is a cyclic ending. 

The author opted to go with the traditional vampire legends, including hairy palms, aversion to garlic and crosses, and the required invitation to enter a home, leaving behind the sparkly, new-age vampire characteristics in newer vampire tales. Picture characters in Old Scores more akin to Dracula-types rather than the vampires portrayed in Twilight.

You won’t be able just to skim this book for a little light reading, though. The details are dense, and the descriptions are minute. The reader gets a three-dimensional view of the action, the surroundings, and, in some cases, the participants’ emotions. 

I can’t give a perfect review because a few factors prevented me from fully satisfying my appetite for horror genre reading. In addition to the attention required due to the intricate descriptions, some backstory gaps puzzled me. The vampires had a history that the reader only got a sliver of information about. I am positive that the author has a detailed outline of these backstories, and the ‘here-we-go-again’ ending leaves the door open for a sequel or two exploring those, although Old Scores is perfect as a stand-alone. 

The jumps between vampire perspectives also confused some of the storylines for me. Halfway through the book, I realized there were three, not two, vampires. See what I mean about requiring close reading! 

Some scenes are graphic, so sensitive readers might not enjoy the blood bath vampire battles (which even feature a brief zombie appearance). The romance is underplayed and undeveloped, so readers expecting a paranormal romance might also find the book not to their liking. 

Overall, I envision this book becoming a classic vampire horror novel and, potentially, even being adapted into a movie as it captures the attention of more readers.

I received an ARC from Reedsy Discovery. You can see my review HERE.