Roberta Writes: Book review – The Vampire of Kings Street by Asha Greyling #readingcommunity #fiction #vampires

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The December holiday period and my Dad’s illness has put me behind with sharing my reviews. I am slowly catching up and I have a most interesting and unique vampire story to share with you today.

Picture caption: Cover of The Vampire of Kings Street by Asha Greyling featuring a coffin, two bats and a raven on a dark background with an entwining red patterning

What Amazon says

In this gothic debut novel, perfect for fans of Tread of Angels and Gail Carriger’s Soulless, Miss Radhika Dhingra, a newly minted lawyer in 19th century New York, never expected that her first client would be a vampire accused of murder.

Having a resident vampire is just the thing for upper-class New Yorkers–besides being a status symbol, they make excellent butlers or housekeepers. The only thing they require in return is a drop or two of blood and a casket to shut out the dawn’s early light. 

Tolerated by society only if they follow a strict set of rules, vampires are seen as “less than”–and as the daughter of immigrants, Radhika knows firsthand how this feels. Accused of murder, her undead client Mr. Evelyn More, knows that the cards are stacked against him.

With the help of a journalist friend and a diminutive detective inspector, Miss Dhingra sets out to prove her client’s innocence and win his freedom. Failure will mean Mr. More’s death, the end of her dreams of becoming a successful attorney, and the loss of the vampire Miss Dhingra has begun to call her friend.

Offering an alternative paranormal history, delightful characters, and insightful social commentary, The Vampire of Kings Street will thrill readers of Deanna Rayburn and Rebecca Roanhorse. 

My review

I enjoy vampire folklore and mythology and through this book had a unique and interesting take on vampires. Far from having the upper hand, vampires have descended into being wards of wealthy families who ‘host’ the vampire in exchange for services. Essentially, vampires who were previously hunted down and killed by vampire slayers, have evolved into ancient and immortal servants to the wealthy.

This story starts with Evelyn More, vampire ward to a wealthy and powerful family called Frost, calling on the dilapidated offices of Miss Radhika Dhingra. Radhika is an interesting character. The daughter of a couple who’d immigrated from South India, she had chosen to put herself through a college focused on uplifting women and gaining qualification as a lawyer. Naturally, due to her heritage, Radhika had not gained employment with the well-known and powerful firm of attorneys that all lawyers dreamed of working for and had decided to try and build her own practice. Mr More is seeking legal advice and despite her misgivings at acting for a vampire, she is excited to have her first client. Radhika connects to Mr More as vampires are heavily discriminated against by society and have limited legal rights. I thought Radhika’s internal conflict about the reputational risks of acting for a being even more disadvantaged than herself, and the enticement of the money, her first case, and also her desire to stay true to her own beliefs and moral values was fascinating. Radhika decides to go ahead and represent Mr More although he has not as yet committed any crime. Mr More is engaging her on the expectation that a crime would be committed that he would be blamed for due to circumstantial evidence.

I enjoyed the character of Radhika very much. I was pleased she stood up for her beliefs and I thought she developed nicely over the course of the story, as both a lawyer and a person. She demonstrated bravery in difficult circumstances and also determination and grit.

Mr More is an ancient being and has been with the Frost family for centuries. The family is not as it initially appears to be and there are lots of egos, desires, and discord at play. I disliked the family matriarch, as I was intended to, and resented her snooty and ungrateful behavior. Sadly, I thought Mrs Frost was entirely believable. As the book unfolds, Mr More’s background and how he became a vampire unfolds as a truly tragic story. His backstory gives a lot of insight into who he is and why he is both loved and hated by various characters in the book, both vampirical and otherwise.

The author introduces some unique and intriguing ideas around blood, both human and vampire, and I enjoyed these innovations on the traditional vampire story very much.

In summary, if you enjoy unique slants on mythical creatures and an entertaining story, this book will appeal to you.

You can purchase The Vampire of Kings Street by Asha Greyling from Amazon US here: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/163910867X

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Published by robertawrites235681907

I am a writer of young adult fiction and poetry

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56 thoughts on “Roberta Writes: Book review – The Vampire of Kings Street by Asha Greyling #readingcommunity #fiction #vampires”

  6. Such an interesting premise to use these characters to explore large ideas about culture and society. Thank you for sharing, Robbie.

    (I hope your father’s health is improving. 💙)

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  7. I don’t usually lean towards Vampire stories, except of course the original. I have enjoyed TV dramas and comedies showing the human side of vampires. This story sounds really intriguing and one I would want to read.

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  11. This book sounds so interesting, Robbie. I rarely read vampire books because the tropes become boring after a while, but this one sounds quite original and different. I love that kind of fresh approach. Thanks for the excellent review!

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      1. Oh, that sounds interesting! I like books that feel unique. I’m looking forward to your review on your current read.

        I read “The Fox Wife,” recommended by Olga, which was woven around the Japanese mythology of people who are really foxes. It was fabulous.

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  15. This sounds like a different and very interesting vampire book. I often that vampire stories are too unrealistic and extreme and filled folklore I have a hard time buying. However, a story like this is something I might like. Thank you for writing an excellent and helpful review.

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    1. HI Thomas, I liked the very unique approach taken in this book. I also liked the young lawyer and the psychology around both her and the vampire. I don’t read books that have gore for gore sake but I did love Carmilla, Bram Stoker’s Dracula and Interview with a Vampire.

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  17. Great review Robbie an interesting take on the Vampire I have just finished reading for the second time The Discovery of Witches about the marriage of a Vampire and a Witch…I love a good vampire novel…I am sorry to read about your father , Robbie…Hugs xx

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  19. Sounds like a fab book, Robbie.

    I think it must be a challenge to write a Vampire story with a twist, there have been so many. It sounds like Asha accomplished just that

    Thanks for the review! 🌟

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