Scarlet Thirst

Scarlet Thirst is an introduction into a whole vampire world, existing secretly alongside the human world. These vampires don't kill, they just `feed' from humans, taking a pint or so of blood: a precident set in another vampire novel The Gilda Stories by Jewell Gomez. The characters are believable: the vampire narrator - a butch called Rob, a human who becomes a vampire, called Rani, an ex of Rob's called Selena, a dastardly Count, his girlfriend Leah, and a very funny drag queen called Jameel. All these people were quickly real to me, Claxton's characterisation is vivid. This is an erotic book, and there is plenty of descriptive sex, however I was surprised to find myself quickly caught up in the story. Almost as soon as Rani `comes into the life' (becomes a vampire) the book turns into a page-turning thriller. I loved the idea of a vampire world, complete with their own police force (guardians), judges, government (The Night Council) and even executioners (enforcers). Anybody into the vampire genre would probably appreciate the detail of Claxton's vampire society. It was funny, sexy and sad, and I wanted to keep reading. Sometimes the sex actually detracted from the story, and anyone buying the book solely for it's erotic content may find themselves skipping pages - but I'd whole heartedly recommend this book for an exciting sexy read. Just the thing for hot summer nights!.