Review: A really good gay vampire romance--we need more of these.
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 09 7, 2012
I was cruising for vampire gay books (checking out the competition) on Amazon-Kindle, and was surprised at how relatively few there were. I tried a couple which I hated, but I really enjoyed Tia Fielding's "Technically Dead."Set in Atlanta, Fielding's romance adopts the post-Charlaine Harris trope of vampires being part of the general culture. It is very nicely done, and the background story is worked into the narrative neatly and efficiently.The main character, Bran, works as a counselor for low pay but high gratification at a homeless shelter for throwaways: teenagers--both vampire and human--who have been tossed out by their families, as he himself was at nineteen. His long personal history with vampires, and the beautifully described tattoo that he wears, are intertwined, so to speak.His friendships, his sex life, his work ethic, his inner sadness are all laid out for us elegantly and convincingly. Bran is a great character beautifully painted for the reader.Heath, the old-old vampire (you'll see), is not depicted with quite that level of finesse and depth, although we do learn his history. His story is, ultimately, a touching one, but I was slightly disappointed that he didn't get the kind of depth we got for Bran--maybe it's just my perception. The essentials are all there, don't get me wrong, but it was such an interesting story, I wanted more to really "get" him.I really enjoyed this book, and, as I find more and more true these days, liked the fact that the sex was not about sex, but about the characters' connections. There is emotional heft to the interrelationships of these people's lives. Again, with a surprising economy, Fielding clarifies the various connections without overexplaining or killing the real feelings. It's a good plot, which I felt could have been elaborated--there's no reason the book couldn't have been longer, richer.The Epilogue (often my favorite part, I like my epilogues) sort of disappointed me. It wasn't bad, honestly, but just felt a little flat, when so much of the book was so replete with everything I like best in a romance. All that said, if Fielding ever writes a sequel about Bran and Heath, I'll buy it. They're worth another look.