The vampire curse of the Cravens ended over a century ago when Josiah Craven was buried in an unmarked grave and a stake driven through his heart. But tonight, his ancestors have awakened their Great-Grandpa Craven. They’re planning a party in the backwoods of Tennessee. And the folks of Green Hollow are in for the night of their lives. The last night of their lives…
Blood Kin is a story of … story of bloodcurdling terror that will keep you awake long after the lights have been turned out…
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Blood Kin by Ronald Kelly is a fast-paced, blood-boiling, and terrifying tale that tests how far individuals will go to ensure their family sticks together, for better or for worse.
Phew, I got so caught up in this tale! I love vampire stories, and this one certainly checked all my boxes! The characters were wonderful people even with their flaws, or they were totally wicked beings. The pacing was quick, but not too fast as the author didn’t hesitate to take a step back to really dive into the meat of the characters lives so the plot was that much more impactful. The action was brutal and wonderfully scripted. And the plot was insane! I was so nervous to see what would happen next and just wanted the best for everyone. Well… Except Blanche Craven. She could go die alone in a hole somewhere. She was the WORST.
All that being said, I really enjoyed the element of family throughout this story. And while there were perfect amounts of terror and love, there was also a lot of frustration. I wanted to reach into the book and smack some people for the things they said or did! But even this frustration really drove the plot and will leave readers thinking about it for a long time to come.
And my last note on the original story is that I just love when a story throws a curveball that I didn’t see coming. If you haven’t read this one yet, but are going to, I can’t wait for you to try to guess which scene I am talking about here!
In the edition that I was sent, it included a short story formatted as journal entries that was called The Wanderer of Twilight Mountain. These entries cover Grandpappy Craven’s disgusting private thoughts, his travels, and how he ended up a vampire in the first place.
This southern story will sink it’s teeth into you right from page one, leaving you zoned in until the very end. It’s a must read for fans of vampire tales!
I had so much fun reading and can’t wait to return to it again later!
Tennessee Shocker! Ancient Vampire Preacher Seeks Converts: “Well, Grandpappy up and bit my throat, now I’m an undead monster.”
A marvelously entertaining and always on point classic vampire horror story. If you enjoyed Stephen King’s Salem’s Lot, you’ll love this book.
Beautifully drawn characters, unapologetic villains, flawed but plucky heroes, and a well crafted plot with balanced pacing and suspense.
Strongly Recommended: 5 ‘Small-Town Fangers,’ Stars.
Wow! This book was literally awesome! I cannot say enough great things about this book as I was just literally swept away on “vampire wings” as I read the story!
A little backstory for you readers:
Green Hollow, Tennessee is home to Craven’s Mountain where Josiah Craven lays in restful slumber in an unmarked grave until Dud Craven accidentally “digs” him up. From that moment forward, all hell breaks loose on the mountainside and the town as Josiah becomes unleashed in full vampire form. When Josiah decides to go after all his “blood kin” is when the story goes into full blown vampire action which sets the pace for the book at full “vampire” throttle!
Without going into too much detail because of spoilers, I will say this about the storyline.
It was a thrilling, edge of your seat, suspenseful and nail-biting tension story that just grabs you from the first page and takes you on a bloody ride into the back hills of Tennessee.
This book just kept me awake and it fueled my insomnia as I could not put this book down! I would stay up at all hours of the night engrossed in the book and I would lay it down for a few minutes thinking I could go to sleep, but my hand would creep over to the book as I wanted to see what would happen next!
When I first picked up the book I was just planning on reading a couple of chapters, but I ended up reading eight chapters in one sitting!
The author, Ronald Kelly, has an amazing writing style that just grabs you and keeps you pinned into the book!
The storyline just flows and I loved all the characters in the book as I became connected to each one as the story moved along. Attachable characters and attachable storyline makes me give this book five “blood bite” stars!
Blood Kin by Ronald Kelly is a good old southern vampire tale of fun! It’s everything I have come to expect from this author. Great characters, a great story that flows very quickly, great writing. This is a unique and original vampire tale.
1898- We meet the Craven family just as Papa (Josiah Craven) is being prepared for his grave. There’s an uproar from his congregation about how his burial is being handled but Mama ain’t having none of that. She buries him in secret, in the dead of night.
Then we skip ahead to 1996,modern day for the time this came out. Dud Craven unearths something as he’s plowing his land. He unknowingly unleashes evil into all of his family. People start disappearing and dying. A few towns folks are determined to put a stop to all this. You’ll have to read to see if they do!