About the Book:

“And so at last, you reveal what it is you want from me. My story. The answer is no.”
“I’ve saved your life twice by now. You owe me, and you can’t run from me here.”

There are some things you can’t escape.

In a first-class aircraft cabin, on a red-eye flight from Singapore to Europe, sit two extraordinary passengers. They’re on the run. And they’re both vampires.

Cheng’s origins reach back to ancient China, while Henry is a vampire who can thrive in the day. For all intents and purposes, they are enemies.
Despite the chasm that separates them, they share a tragic connection rooted in the past, a connection which resulted in her becoming his people’s most dreaded adversary.
A chain of events has thrown them together and in return for saving her life, Henry wants her story.

What did Cheng do to make his people hate her so much?
How far will she go to redeem herself?
How many people will she entangle in the process?
And who is hunting them both?

The is the tale of her origins, told in midflight, vampire to vampire.

My Thoughts:

I came across the author’s eARC reading campaign on Instagram and was instantly drawn to the book by the premise. I quite enjoy reading about the supernatural and this book teased at something different in the genre. Vampire’s sharing their story during a flight! I was intrigued to say the least and joined the team to read and review this book!

I am grateful to the author for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book blew me away from the start. The narrative is smooth and flows so well that the reader doesn’t pause even when it shifts from person to person, past and present but almost always told in first person. This is a story of origins, friends and enemies, love and honor among other things. Though slow to start, the story picks up pace towards the middle and gets more and more interesting as it unfolds with layers of Chinese history interspersed with the narrative.

There are multiple plot lines in this story and the author weaves them together seamlessly, without giving away anything very easily. It is a slow burn novel that takes time to unravel, drawing the reader in and ensuring that the attention of the reader is on the characters at all times. I was wholly invested in Cheng and curious to know her story. This is also a book that deals with a identity crisis, addressing the questions of ‘Who am I?’; ‘Who do I want to be?’ Cheng goes through so much in her life with friends, love, and makes a whole lot of enemies up until a point where when she does good, it is not always seen in the same light.

Henry was an interesting character to pit against Cheng, striking wits right from the very beginning. His angle and interest were not always clear but as the story progresses, it is easy to see how important he is to this entire story. This story is told as a conversation between Cheng and Henry in the present with narrations of the past from Cheng’s point of view. There are some 3rd person POVs (very limited) to add some more perspective to the story telling.

I truly fell in love with each of the characters as well as their journeys. If this is how the origins are presented, I am truly looking forward to reading more about the characters and the events that unfold.