REVIEW: Fangs and Lullabies by Kallysten

Fangs and Lullabies

(The Demons Age #1)

by Kallysten

4.5 HEARTS

The Blurb

A child’s birth. His first teeth and first steps. School friends and bullies, recess, school plays and science projects. A girl, a crush and a broken heart. These childhood experiences are shared by countless little boys from different horizons.

And yet… Jacob is anything but average. For as long as he has been able to understand, a secret has shaped his life, kept even from his closest friends: his father, Andrew, is a vampire. And so is his other father, Nicholas.

In a strange era when demons are beginning to appear all over the world and threaten humans and vampires alike, the three of them form quite an extraordinary family. And yet, at the same time, they could hardly be more normal.

Two fathers raising a son neither of them ever thought he would have. A Sire and Childe resuming their relationship after years of estrangement. Through snapshots covering Jacob’s life from birth to adulthood, discover this unusual family, and how, in the end, all it takes is love.

Once again Kallysten sets herself apart from the masses with her own special style of storytelling. This novel was written in such a unique way that I've never read anything like it before. Each chapter is dedicated to a year in the life of one of the three main characters, Jacob. These years span from birth through his 17th year.

Another thing that's truly unique to this book is that there's really only protagonists in it. There is no real villain or conflict that needs to be overcome. Yes there are bad guys, demons actually, but this story is more than that. This story is about a reunited vampire Sire (maker) named Andrew and his Childe, Nicholas (progeny). It's about these men as they reunite and become part of each others lives again. The romantic element is their relationship morphing from your basic Sire/Childe thing into something much more stronger, a true partnership. And some hot and frequent sex 0f course . I mean, it is by Kallysten. It's also about these two vampire males learning how to become fathers to the most amazing little boy (Jacob). It's about FAMILY - complete with the good, the bad and the amazing moments that are the realities of life. And perhaps the most important thing that Fangs and Lullabies is about is that it makes it perfectly clear that family dynamics are family dynamics. It doesn't matter if the parents are straight or gay or yes, even vampires (at least for the vamps in her world that is LOL!)

Kallysten has a fabulous gift when it comes to creating a connection between her characters and her readers. I always seen to be falling for at least one of the males in her stories. Here's me reaction to the one in this one:

Andrew: I'm not sure if I'd be too fond of him if he was real and in my life. However, he definitely has my respect. He's one of those men that has a commanding and powerful presence but he's too uptight and buttoned up for me. He's also really strict. I could easily see him as a career military man with the way he acts sometimes. He does love his son something fierce though.

Nicholas: What a delightful guy! I love how he needles Andrew. It's always so fun watching him rile up his stern Sire. I admire his strength. Andrew's one unbreakable rule - no feeding off or killing humans - must be hard from him to adhere to. After 100 years of feasting on humanity he managed to overcome an addiction that is worse than crack IMHO. You know, because vamps live off blood. I'm proud that he pulled himself from that dangerous precipice so he could be by his Sire's side. It amazes me that he just jumped right in when he learned of Jacob. He's an excellent father.

Jacob: OMG. I ABSOLUTELY LOVE HIM!! Call me a cougar if you want to 'cause he's only 17 by the end of this book - I don't care. He is simply the perfect male. He has such a pure soul. Of this I can be no more certain. Why? Because I watched him grow up. He will be quite an astonishing man when he's fully matured. He's such a brave young man and there's not an arrogant bone in his body.

While reading I couldn't help but wish for something more. I think that this is both a good and a bad thing. Seeing as this is a series, I should want more, but because of the way it was written it seemed that there was something missing. Maybe it was the timing. Andrew's reluctance to come to terms with some things seemed to take forever and it frustrated me.

If you want to experience something completely new, read Kallysten's Fangs and Lullabies. I promise you, you won't be disappointed. The vividness of Kallysten's words make the characters come to life right off the pages. They easily show that true love and devotion are truly the keys to it all.

Hotness Rating

4 out of 5