Reviewed by Jess

TITLE: Thrall

AUTHOR: Avon Gale and Roan Parrish

PUBLISHER: Self-published

LENGTH: 529 pages

RELEASE DATE:  September 27, 2018

BLURB:

Dating Sucks & Love Bites

Happy couple Mina Murray and Lucy Westenra have begun to garner national attention for their quirky New Orleans true-crime podcast, Shadowcast. When Lucy’s brother Harker disappears while researching the popular new dating app Thrall, they’re thrown into a real-life mystery. Aided by their social media expert, Arthur, and Harker’s professor, Van Helsing, they follow the trail, hoping to find Harker before it’s too late.

When their investigation crosses the path of a possible serial killer, the line between fantasy and reality begins to blur. And as they race against the app’s countdown clock, so does the line between friendship and love. What starts as a flirtatious rivalry between computer-savvy Arthur and techno-averse Van Helsing becomes much more, and Mina and Lucy’s relationship is tested in the fires of social media.

As they get down to the wire, the group discovers that nothing on their screens is as it seems—including their enemy.

A modern retelling of Bram Stoker’s Dracula.

REVIEW:

I’ve been a consistent fan of Gale and Parrish’s writing for a couple years now, and they rarely disappoint. Their stories span genres and publishers and heat levels, but they all have an easygoing flow and distinct character voices that make each read completely accessible. This is one of their more adventurous and ambitious works, and though it won’t be a hit for everyone, it totally is for me.

Before you read any further—this is a completely epistolary work. So if that turns you off, then you may want to skip it. But I absolutely love epistolary works, from classics like Frankenstein to silly modern stories like Lauren Myracle’s TTYL. The possibilities for epistolary storytelling have tripled with the internet age, making books out of anything from chat room logs to text messages to Twitter feeds. All of those things make appearances, along with straightforward diary entries, flirty fantasy scenarios, and long-form e-mails between main characters Lucy, Mina, Arthur, and Van Helsing. It feels incredibly intimate, like we’re part of the mystery-solving crew as well. When I checked a text while reading this book, a part of me almost expected it to be from one of the characters!

The main plot of the book involving Lucy’s missing brother, Harker, and a mysterious dating app called Thrall unfolds slowly, with building worry and subtle thrills. All of the characters feel modern and even-keeled. Nobody is freaking out or making rash decisions. So when things start getting really weird, they have to reexamine their relationship with their town, their beliefs, and with each other. It’s generally a lighthearted read with a lot of romance and smut, but moments of darkness will surprise you. It’s definitely a successful mystery that will keep you guessing.

As a reader of both F/F and M/M works, I really enjoyed both romantic pairings. Lucy and Mina, girlfriends and co-hosts of a New Orleans true crime podcast, have that more comfortable established-couple vibe. They can be both silly and passionate with each other, and their personalities mingle so easily. And introverted, fact-driven Mina gets a little stern with her bouncy, social butterfly girlfriend once in a while, which is always delicious. I like seeing a committed and loving F/F couple at the hear of a queer story rather than being reduced to sideline characters who chastely kiss and offer supportive words once in a while.

For M/M readers, Arthur and Van Helsing’s sweet, playful, smoldering courtship will definitely be a winner. Arthur feels like a lot of Gale/Parrish main characters—an outgoing, slightly flighty bisexual who finally finds “the one”—but he’s never a stereotype. And the older, scholarly, slightly dorky Van Helsing is absolutely smitten with him. His e-mails to his best friend about how enamored he is of Arthur are absolutely swoon-worthy. Van Helsing’s structured, formal way of “speaking” in his texts and Google Hangout messages might be tedious to some, but it really sets him apart from the younger characters, making it easy to distinguish each person’s voice.

I don’t know if “retelling” is the proper term for this book. I’d almost call it, in fanfiction terms, a “remix.” Characters, storytelling tropes, and the mysticism of what lurks in the shadows all make appearances in both works, but if you’re thinking of the classic Dracula plot, you won’t get that modern version in this book. It also keeps you guessing right up until the end—is this a missing person mystery, or is something supernatural lurking beneath the surface? I suppose you’ll just have to read to find out.

This is a perfect Halloween read. It builds a slow mystery with a lot of missteps and little clues, and we’re left wondering if something sinister is brewing beneath the surface. It won’t work for all readers, but it works for me.

RATING: 

BUY LINK: 

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