Night’s Edge by Liz Kerin

Liz Kerin’s Night’s Edge is a sun-drenched novel about the darkest secrets we hide and how monstrous we can be to the ones we love most.

Having a mom like Izzy meant Mia had to grow up fast. No extracurriculars, no inviting friends over, and definitely no dating. The most important Tell no one of Izzy’s hunger – the kind only blood can satisfy.

But Mia is in her twenties now and longs for a life of her own. One where she doesn’t have to worry about anyone discovering their terrible secret, or breathing down her neck. When Mia meets rebellious musician Jade she dares to hope she’s found a way to leave her home – and her mom – behind.

It just might be Mia’s only chance of getting out alive.

Goodreads Synopsis

Overall Rating

4/5

Spooky Rating

3/5

Quick Take

Night’s Edge by Liz Kerin is one of those rare novels that comes once in a blue moon and really packs a punch. It beautifully reinvents the vampire mythos in a terrifying and utterly realistic way. Not only does it terrify, but it pairs classic horror with the horror of the human experience by portraying a deeply problematic mother/daughter relationship. Each page packed a punch, and this is one novel that will stick with me for a long time. I severely need the sequel!

Tell Me More

I have always been a fan of vampires – in horror and otherwise – so I never pass up a new novel when it focuses on vampires or reinvents the mythos. Night’s Edge by Liz Kerin does just that!

The novel focuses on Mia, a woman whose mother contracted the Sara virus, which subsequently turned her into a vampire. Mia’s relationship with her mother is extremely complicated, and emotional and physical abuse is present. The chapters alternate between the past and the present to give the reader background on Mia’s life and her relationship with her mother after she contracted the virus. While there are gruesome scenes, a lot of the horror is implied, which allows for the reader to fill in the gaps with their imagination.

As a queer person, I was deeply satisfied with the sapphic elements of the story. Watching Mia’s queer awakening was thrilling and romantic, and I found a lot of joy in it. However, the overall atmosphere of the novel was heartbreaking, and the ending absolutely crushed me.

My only gripe is that the climax and ending felt a bit rushed, and I would have liked for them to be expanded on more. For such a short novel, it could have been at least fifty pages longer, but the ending was effective and left me yearning for the sequel.

If you enjoy vampire horror paired with sapphic themes and complicated parent/child relationships, you simply must pick up Night’s Edge by Liz Kerin. It breaks the vampire mold and is a novel I will not forget it for quite some time.