Damien The Vampeal

R D Noland

Book cover for Damien The Vampeal
Book cover for Damien The Vampeal

Damien The Vampeal

Damien The Vampeal

R D Noland

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Description

Damien is a 14-year-old orphan who has spent his entire life in foster care, and one day makes a shocking discovery-he is a vampeal, a being born of both vampire and human lineage. In addition, Damien is also dealing with his romantic feelings for a young man named Brian. Following a kiss that leads to him being kicked out from an overly religious foster home, Damien finds himself abandoned on the streets, only to find himself in a perilous situation involving a vampire.

Brian, overwhelmed with guilt, sets out to locate Damien the following night, only to fall victim to the vampire himself. Now, it falls upon Damien and Patrick-Damien's newly assigned caseworker-to rescue Brian from impending danger.

In the second installment, we witness Damien securing a more permanent residence outside the foster care system with Patrick and his twin brother Matt. He is now enjoying a budding romantic relationship with Brian; however, Brian is grappling with losing his memories of that fateful night, until he starts having haunting nightmares of a vampire and a mysterious figure cloaked in shadows...

Amidst this turmoil, Damien struggles with the fear of disclosing his true vampeal identity to Brian. Will they both be able to share the truth of themselves with one another?

In the third installment, Damien's past resurfaces, unwilling to remain buried. As Brian approaches his eighteenth birthday and prepares to return home, the unsettling events of the night at the warehouse continue to haunt them.

When rumors of a pair of ghosts sighted near the Ohio River prompt Damien, Pat, Brian, and a friend from Pat's past to investigate the paranormal activity, it becomes clear that all paths lead back to the red-haired vampire and their mysterious hooded friend.

Will the gang succeed in aiding the restless spirits to find solace, and unravel the secrets that lie ahead?

Critical Reviews

Review by Jessica Reads it, at Reedsy Discovery

Three Stars, Worth Reading

The first story, Child Under the Stairs introduces readers to Damien Lampir, a 14-year-old "Vampeal"- born from a vampire and human. As if being a Vampeal wasn't bad enough, he is also coming to terms with his growing attraction to boys while navigating a slew of mismatched foster homes.

Luckily, Damien has the Feral Society, a supernatural workforce created to maintain order between worlds, and a new Renfield to watch over him until he reaches maturity. Damien has such an interesting journey ahead with his new forever home and love interest and I am excited to see what's in store.

I believe the author laid an excellent foundation for the continuation of the series and I applaud the creative spin he has taken on this paranormal story. Writing from a child's perspective can be tricky but I am vested in seeing how Damien matures throughout the books. The Davidson twins, Patrick and Matthew are quite the dynamic duo with their shared supernatural gifts and add a much-needed adult dynamic to the writing.

My only qualm with this book was that I felt the writing was a bit stiff at times and did not allow the dialogues to flow freely. Other than that, I think this story has great potential!

Thank you to Reedsy Discovery for providing me with an arc in exchange for an honest review.

Publishing Information

Publisher: Raymond D. Noland
Pub date: 2024-12-15
Length: 294 pages

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