REVIEW: That Which Bites (Celis Rono)

[Apex Reviews]

That Which Bites
Celis Rono
ISBN: 9781602643840
Virtualbookworm.com
Reviewed By Chelsea Perry

Official Apex Reviews Rating:


The Gray Armageddon has decimated the ranks of humanity, and in its wake vampires have risen to the top of the food chain. As a result, the remaining vestiges of mankind are considered “cattle,” good only for the sustenance of the new rulers of Earth. Even worse: those who are not immediately destroyed are relegated to the ranks of lowly servants until the time of their appointed deaths.

All hope is not lost, though, for out of the ashes emerges the most unlikely of saviors: Julia Poe, an intrepid eight-year-old heroine who survives the brutal massacre of her family with the sole mission of destroying every single vampire that crosses her path. Joined by a gentle giant and a nun with a bite that would put a pit bull to shame, Poe embarks on her crusade for the vindication of mankind – but her quest is thrown for an unexpected loop when she encounters the charming, alluring Sainvire. Ironically, Sainvire serves a major leadership role in the New World Order of vampiric rule; however, he takes a particular shine to Poe – even preserving her life when it is threatened by fellow members of his undead ilk.

As their intriguing “entanglement” ensues, Poe is forced to reconcile her strengthening feelings for Sainvire with her allegiance to her vanquished comrades, and Sainvire finds his own loyalty tested time and again – with potentially disastrous consequences.

In That Which Bites, author Celis Rono has crafted a remarkable, revealing story of fantasy and imagination, easily setting it apart from the more hackneyed, predictable vampire tales currently flooding the mainstream. Furthermore, Rono infuses Poe, Sainvire, and every other character of her narrative with such unique authenticity that they bring her tale to inimitable life, a task that would be impossible were the story populated with flat, one- and two-dimensional caricatures.

Perhaps the most salient aspect of Rono’s tale, though, is the impressive creativity that she displays in constructing a vampire story unlike any other, past or present. For example, rather than take a single bite to their necks, her vampires convert their victims through multiple bites over several days – or simply puncture a single hole in their foreheads. Also, rather than drink their blood only once, her fanged predators exsanguinate their victims intravenously for days. Refreshing and original, the vampiric world of Rono’s imagination will hopefully serve as the new model for tales of the undead in the months and years to come.

An exciting, fast-paced read that will hold your attention completely captive until the very last page, That Which Bites deserves to be hailed as the masterful instant classic that it is. Highly recommended.