I was thrilled when I read about the Water Vamps that Giles created in her Vampire Vignette series; they were a being that no one had created yet, at least not to my knowledge. Vampires and vampirism are not new concepts either superstitiously or literary, and every author needs to come up with a new twist that makes their vampires different, unique, and memorable. With vampires seen as a species, Giles has definitely done this over all, but then she takes it one step further by creating an entirely new species that seems a little like a mermaid, a little like a siren, and all vampire!
In V XXX Special Edition Compendium The Vampire Vignettes I-III: Re-Vamped we are introduced to the Water Vamps with their insatiable lust for blood and their penchant for eating dolphins. But, their story was not completely told, until V4: Water Vamps, and it will slake the thirst of anyone wanting to know more.
Giles weaves a tale of intrigue and gives us a glimpse of the underwater world of the water-vamps and the history and origins behind these beautiful and dangerous creatures is truly unique! The description of these creatures is both beautiful and dangerous, much like looking at a venomous snake: It is a lethal beauty. We get to interact with these creatures on a more personal level: they go to school, have spelling and vocabulary tests, have to deal with their parents, and even crush on each other. In this sense, we get to see the more “human” side of the water-vampires and see that the youth water-vamps are similar to the human heroes, Robyn and Marion.
Written for young adults, the main characters are children and the adults are secondary to the story, which will appeal to any young adult. Robyn and Marion understand each other, and they (like the water-vamps) have to deal with all of the things children deal with, despite their unusual gifts. Even without those gifts, Robyn is a role model for any young female with her strength of character, respect for adults (at least those that deserve it) and her loyalty to Marion, of who deserves his own credit with his loyalty and friendship to Robyn. In the end, even the water-vamps come to be people we can relate to and accept in this thrilling ride into the waters of Charleston, South Carolina.
Review by Deanna Anderson
