Fledgling by Mari Miniatt

Publisher: Animated Liar Media
Pages: 134 (pdf) 218 (print)

From the Cover:

"She didn't scream. She should have, but the scream never formed." Rebecka "Beka" Saberhagen had a shock of her life when she found out her brother worked for a vampire. Just as she was able to understand that Vincent was a vampire, multiple murders began to happen close to her home. Then she was attacked by another vampire. A giant by the name of Steopa. With the help of Steopa and Vincent. Beka begins to accept the changes. Her old fears are gone, but new ones are becoming apparent.

Strange creatures and other beings, things she would never had seen as a human are suddenly real for her. The night has become a new playground for her and sometimes a nightmare. But, her brother and friends are being targeted; by someone with an old grudge. A grudge, she has nothing to do with. But it has ties to both Vincent and Steopa. As she discovers the past, she realizes she will have to fight. Will Beka find the strength to fight for the people she loves? Is she powerful enough? Will she survive?

Beka is a lonely woman, down on her luck. She's been in and out of mental hospitals, after her step-father raped her and her brother, John, damn near kills him for it. She's lost most of her self respect to become the overweight crazy lady, living on social media sites, "Saber" to her online friends.


When she stumbles upon Vincent's secret, she tries to escape, only to have him explain the facts of life to her as a vampire. As she attempts to slink away from her brother's overcrowded goth club, she is attacked, and slowly becomes what she didn't believe existed.


Fledging by Mari Miniatt is exactly what the title describes, the beginning of life as a fledging vampire. Beka is attacked by a starving vampire, Steopa, a monster of a vampire who finds himself attracted to the accidentally turned Beka. But, in becoming a vampire, she gains more than she ever lost.... a new love, life, name, and the ability to like herself once more. Rebeka is strong than Beka ever was, and with vampirism, comes new abilities, like blood magic. She becomes almost indestructible, ash wood still blisters her flesh, but not even taking her head will kill her, and she knows from experience.


Fledgling has an excellent storyline, a solid basis, and a breath of fresh air in the vampire genre. I liked the new twist Ms. Miniatt brings with her story as well as new mythos added to it's unique storyline. There are a few grammatical errors and iffy sentence structure (more complex sentences with a few descriptors and contractions would have been nice...again, maybe that's my preference and prejudice?) but with editing this would be a fantastic entry into the genre! It's unique in world building, allowing her vampires to be everyday people who aren't dramatically changed by vampirism. Though I prefer my vampires hot and steamy, lol, Ms. Miniatt's unique take freshens the genre, allowing it to grow. If you'd like a different take on vampires, gritty urban fantasy, and are prepared for the writing style, The Fledgling may be a book for you. If you'd like to see more reviews, click here. Three out of five fairy kisses for this reader.

 


I received this ebook from the author (she tweeted the code for a free copy) @ Smashwords for review.