Companions of the Night

Title: Companions of the Night

Author: Vivian Van Velde

Publication date: 1995

Book's setting: The mid-90's

Random facts: This book reminded me of the X-Files, especially with all the 90's culture and religious fanatic cult group and random road trips.

Plot summary: Kerry drives to the laundromat in the middle of the night to fetch her brother's forgotten toy. What she thought would be a quick in-and-out before her father notices the car is gone turns into a night of terror. She finds herself trapped in the midst of a hostage situation. Members of what appears to be a religious cult have a seriously injured young man, Ethan, tied up. They're claiming he's a vampire. Kerry knows vampires are fairytales, but despite her protests she finds herself involved in a deadly game of murder and mysticism.

Favorite aspects: Ethan reminded me more of Howl Pendragon than of Con or Edward or Dracula. He was funny and enjoyed teasing and shocking Kerry. He was rather self obsessed, but in a sweet and almost petty way. He was not a stereotypical vampire. Nor was he some sort of reinvented, revamped vampire with shiny new abilities. His powers were limited. His personality was what made him original. Also the setting was gorgeous. Either Van Velde knew Brockport like the back of her hand or she researched a lot. Her descriptions of the college town were natural and engrossing.

Least favorite aspects: I found the exposition awkward at times. When you're writing a fantasy world you need to lay down its ground rules... and you need to incorporate these rules into the narration or the dialogue or the plot. I think that Van Velde took a few too many pauses from her story to straighten things out with her reader. It slowed the pace of an otherwise treacherously fast-paced novel.

Other works it reminded me of: Sunshine by Robin McKinley; Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones.

Sadie's merciless break-down: I desperately want to turn this into a What's Wrong With Twilight lecture but I'll try to stay general. Let me start by saying that I really love vampires. I love their extreme, insane, flexible mythos. I love vampires who sleep in coffins and have OCD tendencies that make them pick up scattered objects. There is an endless supply of mythology to be explored. But there is one thing vampire stories should be consistent in. Their tone. They need to be disturbing. They need to feel unreal and wrong. Companions of the Night didn't take vampires lightly.
Kerry actually spent most of the book terrified of Ethan which I wholeheartedly approve of. I don't think that Twilight is bad mythos because Edward sparkles, I think Twilight is bad mythos because Meyer stripped the story of it's core. The reader must be unnerved.
Let me end my review with a spoiler. (you've been warned.) While I was reading Companions of the Night I kept thinking, "if this ends well it will be a magnificent book, and if it ends with her staying it will be rendered useless." But it ended magnificently. Kerry didn't turn, she didn't even want to. When it was over and her family was safe she just said goodbye to Ethan and went home. I was just very impressed.

Recommendation rate: It's vampires. You either: a. love them. b. hate them. c. are just tired of them. Choose accordingly.