This week we return to the bloody and sex-filled
world of Travis Luedke’s The Nightlife series. This time around I have been
reading The Nightlife: New York, the first in the main series (for those who
have read my Bloodslave review you’ll know that novel was a spin-off).
Anyway, for those unfamiliar with Travis Luedke’s
work, it’s about vampires...and sex...and more sex.
But I digress. The Nightlife: New York introduces us
to Aaron Pilan, a twenty-year-old waiter working in a restaurant in the Big
Apple. The story wastes no time in Aaron leaving work one night, attempting to
help a mysterious French woman who is being accosted by two nasty policemen and
then getting shot for doing so.
Feeling bad for his plight, the woman, Michelle,
decides to turn Aaron into a vampire like her - it being the only way to save
him from certain death. Aaron survives the transformation and the rest of the
book chronicles his first two weeks living his new life in the shadows.
Aaron’s transformation into a super-strong blood
sucker is told very personally through the narrative as he goes from being
amazed by his new powers to be taught the rules of feeding on humans and not
being caught (because everyone knows if you get caught you’re dead meat).
I liked Aaron’s character because you see him going
through the motions of learning that he can never go home, to acceptance, to
almost eventually fearing what he has become. As the story develops he almost
develops a dual personality; part of him intoxicated with the power, the other,
his former, good natured, easy-going self.
Michelle on the other hand (Aaron’s master and
teacher) I did not feel like I really connected with. You learn some things
about her long, dark past as the story goes on but I don’t think enough is
revealed about her and at times I feel like she lacks personality.
If you have read Bloodslave, you will find that The
Nightlife: New York is more toned down. Yes, there are a few sex scenes in it
but nowhere near as many. Bloodslave was a fantastic book at times I felt there
was a bit too much sex, so it is nice to read another story in the series
that’s more plot driven and also less graphic.
Also I had another moment at the end of this book
where I wanted to cover my eyes again because something quite grisly happens
(Damn you Travis, you did it again).
The Nightlife: New York gets 7/10
It is available from Kindle here.
Thank you very much for an insightful and flattering review. I'm so glad you enjoyed it. Its interesting to see people's reactions when working backwards, from Blood Slave to this one. Nightlife New York was the first novel I ever wrote, and it has become my ambassador to the world, introducing people to my own particular brand of macabre perversion.
ReplyDeleteSince you have survived and even enjoyed two of my novels, you might be happy to know the Nightlife Las Vegas is FREE right now. It takes up where New York left off.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00A9K1S6Q?ie=UTF8&camp=213733&creative=393177&creativeASIN=B00A9K1S6Q&linkCode=shr&tag=twluedkecom-20
And then, very soon, we can enjoy the misadventures of Aaron and Michelle in Paris. The Nightlife Paris should be ready by the first week of March.
:)
Hi Travis, thanks for commenting. I`m glad you liked the review.It was another great read.I now look forward to reading the Las Vegas edition and Paris when it is out. Keep up the good work. :)
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