BLACK AMBROSIA is exactly what I hoped it would be, plus some.

Here's the synopsis:

"Angelina is a killer. You'd never know it to look at her--until you look into her eyes. Angelina doesn't kill out of hatred or fear--she kills out of love, bringing solace to her victims, guided by the seductive Voice that speaks only to her. Angelina offers you eternal peace--at the cost of your soul!"

Quiet horror is more to my liking these days, and this book fits the bill. Don't get me wrong, violent and gory scenes appear throughout this book, but most of the picture comes from the reader's imagination rather than with blow-by-blow descriptions.

This review has to be rather general to avoid spoilers, but here I am going to wander into spoiler territory for just a moment. I'm a huge fan of a book called SOME OF YOUR BLOOD by Theodore Sturgeon. In a lot of ways this book reminded me of that one. Specifically how the reader is left wondering if this is, indeed, a case of a vampire or is it a case of mental illness, instead? This book is horrific, no matter how you would answer that question.

Perhaps a little slow to get going, but once Angelina leaves home things start to pick up. The whole time leaving you wondering, is she or isn't she? I prefer to think she is, but you'll have to read this to find out!

Highly recommended!

Get your copy here: https://amzn.to/2ZWUQJM

*Thanks to Valancourt Books for the e-copy of BLACK AMBROSIA in exchange for my honest feedback. This is it!* ( )

Elizabeth Engstrom's BLACK AMBROSIA follows Angelina's descent into darkness as she decides that she's had enough of the world around her and feeling weak so decides to become a vampire. Engstrom's prose is almost romantic as she describes Angelina's journey, and what ends she'll go to to achieve her goals. At turns both perverse, depraved, and beautiful, Engstrom does not shy from the darkness found in humanity.

Karly Hutchins narration is clear and understandable and perfectly captures Angelina's detached emotions. My only drawback for the audiobook are the chapter ending interviews. As Angelina makes her way across the country, characters give interviews of their impression of the young girl at the end of each chapter, and sometimes there is no break between the chapter and the interview, making it sound like it's part of the continuing story. I found this confusing at times. Had there been a slight pause before these interviews, or if they had even been narrated by someone different, I think these breaks would have been much more clear. Overall, however, it doesn't detract from the story's telling.

I would like to thank Valancourt Books for providing a free audio download of BLACK AMBROSIA in exchange for a fair and honest review. ( )

Angelina Watson leaves home at the age of fifteen, following the death of her mother. Once on the road she begins to exhibit vampirish behavior. She sleeps all day. She drinks blood, though she believes she is bestowing on her victims a gift out of love. She begins to hear a voice that urges her on. What makes all of this interesting is the ambiguity. She was never bitten. There was nothing that "turned" her. She can't change into anything and she is not fussed by religious icons. And while she seems to develop special powers later on, we must remember that we are reading the first person narration of a young woman who is possibly mentally ill. Even the book's final lines don't offer certainty. Can madness be contagious? Perhaps. I suppose, in the end, it is up to the reader to decide. ( )