Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

Hemovore

by Jordan Castillo Price (Goodreads Author)

4.01 of 5 stars 4.01 · rating details · 636 ratings · 96 reviews

Can art imitate death? Oh no, girlfriend. Don’t even go there…

Ten years ago, the Human Hemovore Virus blazed through the world, and left the few victims who survived unable to eat, allergic to sunlight and craving the taste of blood.

Mark Jensen used to think V-positives were incredibly sexy with their pale, flawless skin and taut, lean bodies. Not anymore. Not since he’s b...more

ebook, 1st Edition, 197 pages

Published July 28th 2009 by Samhain Publishing (first published July 2009)

more details... edit details

Get a copy:

More…

Friend Reviews

To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up.

Lists with This Book

Best Gay Vampires

9th out of 275 books — 342 voters

Best M/M Romance Published in 2009

25th out of 137 books — 375 voters

More lists with this book...

Community Reviews

(showing 1-30 of 1,160)

filter | sort: default (?) | rating details

Jun 02, 2012 Heather C rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: pdoc, friends-to-lovers, faves, ebook, m-m, read-2012, read-with-b, paranormal-romance, vampire, lots-of-tension, sex-after-40-percent, review-on-amazon, autographed

I think I'm re-addicted to JCP because I LOVED MARK AND JONATHAN!!

I know I use the word "love" a lot in my reviews, but my affection for this book goes way up above and beyond a measly ol' love. I'm talking...okay, even after "googling" love synonyms I still can't find a word strong enough to express my adoration for this book!

I will just say that this was very different from any other vampire book I have ever read before where Vampirism is actually an easily contracted virus with an 85% mortali...more

like 17 likes · see review

Jun 16, 2012 Kaje Harper rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites, m-m

I'd almost forgotten how much I like a story like this, one that is original and exciting and works logically and gives me two gay main characters who have other concerns besides getting each other naked. Not that there is no sexual tension in this book. It informs most of the narrator's thoughts. But there is very little on-page sex, and the book is in no way diminished by that. I love a scientific take on paranormal tropes and this is one of the good ones. A great read, and highly recommended.

like 14 likes · see review

Aug 24, 2011 Lauraadriana rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: fave-authors, loved-it, m-m, pnr, lmao

Jordan Castillo Price NEVER EVER disappoints...She is just that good.

Well this is not your everyday vampire story. In this world Mark Hansen is the assistant of artist Jonathan Varga. Jonathan is V-positive he has the Hemovore virus, which is very contagious and turns the infected into a vampire. This virus is an issue of contention in this Chicago, there are haters, supporters, groupies and in the midst of this Mark is just trying to figure out the easiest way to get some contraband cat blood...more

like 10 likes · see review

Sep 14, 2011 Bookwatcher ~Mary MooCow~ rated it 5 of 5 stars

Recommended to Bookwatcher ~Mary MooCow~ by: Emanuela ~plastic duck~

Shelves: vampires, suspense, read-it-or-manu-will-kick-my-ass, few-or-no-sex-scene, glbt-gay

CLick here, to a really well done review... It's Emanuela's review, and she really did a great job!

Mine review??? well, it's not a review, it's just something I want to do to tell you...

Jonathan drink cat's blood!!!!!!!!!!

Nooooo he is not the vilan!!! He is the good guy!!!!

YES YES!!! So Jonathan is a vampire and Mark, the only narrator, is willing to give him his blood (and other male body fluids

)

BUT NO! many cats will be sacrificed...

to keep Jonathan alive

so... hummmmm... yeah, I LOVED this...more

like 9 likes · see review

Jun 21, 2010 Tara rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: read-in-2010, m-m, things-that-go-grr-arg-in-the-night, vampires, paranormal-romance, featured, urban-fantasy

So this was very different.

Hemovore is story that presents vampirism as a virus. And people are either V positive or V negative for the HHV virus. In this world people wear gloves all the time and even masks. they carry antiviral hand gel, and clean their clothes in something similar. They carry sanitizing wipes... it doesn't sound so different than the world we live in, does it? Mark Hansen is V negative and works for the brooding V positive artist Jonathan Varga. Mark is obsessive about keepi...more

like 7 likes · see review

Sep 03, 2009 Jenre rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: paranormal, romance, m-m

Aside from the fact that Jordan Castillo Price is an autobuy author for me, I was attracted to Hemovore by the unusual premise. Vampirism as a virus which can be passed on via bodily fluids seemed just such an unusual idea and lent itself to creating a world where people affected by the virus (V-positives) have to live alongside those who don't have the virus. In fact, it was the theme of living and coping with the virus, for those who had it and their loved ones which I found the most interesti...more Aside from the fact that Jordan Castillo Price is an autobuy author for me, I was attracted to Hemovore by the unusual premise. Vampirism as a virus which can be passed on via bodily fluids seemed just such an unusual idea and lent itself to creating a world where people affected by the virus (V-positives) have to live alongside those who don't have the virus. In fact, it was the theme of living and coping with the virus, for those who had it and their loved ones which I found the most interesting and moving part of this book.

I found Hemovore to be a bit of a slow starter. At the beginning we are introduced to Mark who works for V positive artist Jonathan. Jonathan paints art for vampires, which looks like a plain black canvass to those who do not have the virus. This concept itself was one of a number of nice touches added throughout the book to the world building. Mark's job is like a PA: He organises the selling and distribution of Jonathan's paintings and keeps up his diary, just like a normal secretary would, but he is also in charge of collecting blood for Jonathan. Jonathan is very picky and won't drink anything other than cat blood as he refuses to drink human blood and claims that cow's blood slows him down and makes him docile. He has a point because another one of those nice world building touches is that V positive people do start to take on the characteristics of the animal blood they imbibe. Dealing with the cat blood dealer is one of the less pleasant aspects of Mark's responsibilities.

Most of the first part of the story is taken up with Mark's day to day dealings as Jonathan's secretary. Mark is one of life's moaners. He spends quite a lot of time bemoaning the fact that he has to do all the rubbish jobs for Jonathan, being excessively cautious with his use of antiseptic wipes in fear of catching the virus from Jonathan, and inwardly ridiculing the way that Jonathan insists that he drives a complex route to wherever he needs to go.

I could have taken numerous routes—and I’m not talking about normal-person routes, such as, “Should I stay on Halsted, or would it be faster if I turned down Clark?” No, I mean Jonathan-routes, dozens of maze-like paths designed to thwart a would-be pursuer. Not that I ever actually believed someone was following me. It was more that I suspected Jonathan might be checking the odometer to make sure I had followed his instructions to the letter.

All the time Mark is grumbling away in his internal monologue he is also lusting after Jonathan, even though he knows they can never touch one another, never mind kiss or more. This theme is taken up and explored in more detail later in the book when Mark meets a group of people called V-Luvv, who are a support group for those who have loved ones with the virus. The precautions that V-neg people have to take to avoid the virus and the way that they try to conduct normal relationships with their V-pos partners was quite affecting.

Then the story starts to pick up the pace as Mark and Jonathan come under attack. They are forced to flee together and go into hiding when a V-pos man from Jonathan's past, who has a grudge against Jonathan, finds him. Mark is completely bewildered at first but manages, with the help of the V-luvv group, to stay one step ahead of the bad guys. Then there is another twist to the plot and I was glued, unable to put the book down until I'd finished it.

Although the book is quite high on drama, it still retains a fairly light tone. This is due mainly to Mark's self effacing, dry internal humour and also because the story moves around a lot from place to place. There are many different characters who move in and out of the story, but the focus is mainly on Mark and Jonathan and their growing attachment and companionship. There are also many quirky funny moments which help to keep the tone from being too heavy and these were interspersed with periods of high tension and action. The scene where Mark is waiting in line to collect some money is an example of this as the pace moved from quite slow and a bit funny, to a sudden horrific realisation and all action car chase which shows a mastery of form and pacing that I've come to expect from Jordan Castillo Price.

Despite the slow beginning, this book grew into a compelling read with excellent world building and believable characters. Mark may have been a bit of a whiner at the beginning but he grew and matured as the book progressed so that I liked him a great deal by the end. If you've never read a book by Jordan Castillo Price then this would be a good one to start with as the horror aspects found in her other novels are toned down in Hemovore. To those who have read her books and love them as I do, this will be another one for the keeper shelf.(less)

like 3 likes · see review

Jan 06, 2013 Vivian rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: gaymance

Jonathan fucking Varga

Yum.

I liked the world-building a lot, and the sexual tension was definitely there.

My only complaint was that I thought it was going to be a slow build-up to Jordan realising that he loved the fuck out of Jonathan. But then. . .

BAM!

Randomly somewhere in the middle of the beginning and middle (leaning more towards the beginning, I think) it's all JONATHAN. I LOVE YOU. . Except obviously not as all dramatic and everything. But still. It was a bit weird. Unfortuantely though he...more

like 2 likes · see review

Feb 05, 2012 Anna rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: m-m, awesome-couples, smokin-hot-guys, on-kindle, 3-stars

3.5. I had to think for a while if I'd give this book a 3 or a 4 stars. I just couldn't choose between the two so 3.5 stars it is.

What a unique take on vampires! I loved the whole concept of the virus and how the world and people over the years adapted to these "vampires". I was really impressed with the world building. The characters were great too: I loved Mark (his POV was fantastic), but I adored Jonathan... the secretive, artistic and sexy vampire. I could understand 100% why Mark fell in l...more

like 2 likes · see review

Feb 15, 2011 Mel rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: e-book, m-m

Jordan Castillo Price was pretty much my first step into the m/m world and since then she's been an auto-buy author for me. Her books are guaranteed quality UF stories with great world building, witty dialogues and wonderful characters. Plus: this woman writes love scenes that make you wish you were a man!

Hemovore was another high standard story. Price managed to create a new, interesting take on vampires, in where vampirism is a disease caused by a highly contagious virus, and vampires - though...more Jordan Castillo Price was pretty much my first step into the m/m world and since then she's been an auto-buy author for me. Her books are guaranteed quality UF stories with great world building, witty dialogues and wonderful characters. Plus: this woman writes love scenes that make you wish you were a man!

Hemovore was another high standard story. Price managed to create a new, interesting take on vampires, in where vampirism is a disease caused by a highly contagious virus, and vampires - though graceful and sexy- are outsiders. Prejudice, fear, hate, vampire’s statuses ranging from idol to leper and within this setting a self deprecating hero with obsessive compulsive tendencies, Mark, and his boss/love interest Jonathan: a vampire who's afraid to pronounce the word 'blood'.

Safe to say I was expecting a slow, sweet romance about the every day lives of this unlikely couple and how their lives of bland domesticity would be brightened up by their blossoming romance.

So color me surprised when this turned into a suspense/mystery tale.
Although not the kind with high speed action and neck breaking stunts. In stead Price focused more on the chaos and feelings of desolation our couple go through when they find their lives turned upside down. All the while containing that sense of irony and humor Price prevails in, in order to prevent the story from getting overly emotional or sappy.

So why the mere 3 star (3,5 actually) rating?

Because I didn't really feel the connection between the two men. Companionship and trust? Sure. Love? Not really.
This might be partly due to the fact that for the whole story, we are in Mark's head; who has a pretty dry tone narrative and a tendency to understate emotions and actions. On top of that Mark was either drunk, delirious, or high on sedatives for a majority of the scenes which skewered his perception and made it hard for me to judge if what he saw was actually true or just wishful thinking. Next to that some really intimate revelations seemed to come from out of nowhere and lost their impact.

All in all: Hemovore was a good story, which might have gotten a 4 star rating out of me, if it weren't for the fact that this was a JCP story and I set my standards extra high for her.
3,5 stars(less)

like 5 likes · see review

Jan 20, 2013 Straysod rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: hea, m-m, urban-fantasy

There are already a fair number of good reviews for this book, so I'm not going to rehash the plot, just point out a couple of things that stood out to me.

The book starts out fairly slow. Even 200 pages in, I was interested, and in love with Jonathan, but not captivated. By the end, however, I was utterly enthralled. It's a story that builds, slowly but constantly, until by the end you're on the edge of your seat. Mark was ok as an MC, nothing captivating for me even if he was cute and a good na...more

like · see review

Aug 05, 2012 Ayanna rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: reviewed

3.5/5

This is a peculiar book. It's definitely not your typical vampire book. In fact, I found it rather refreshing that, in taking the more clinical view of vampirism, it seemed more oddly real than any other urban-legend-type vampire book I've read. Though the mechanics of the HHv virus (Human Hemovore Virus? Does that mean that other animals could get it?) weren't fully explained, there was enough there that it made sense in a realistic way, yet still preserved the somewhat mystic quality of t...more

like · see review

Aug 18, 2011 Charming Euphemism rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: borrowed, paranormal-fantasy, scifi

I have been putting this off even though I love the author and the psycop books. It sounded too grim, I guess. And there is plenty to satisfy the angst-lovers out there for sure. There are some tough aspects to this world, and they don't go away. But damn it was funny. I'm not an angst lover, but I can put up with a lot if you make me laugh enough.

Mark's voice was a pleasure all the way through. He was so real and endearing - kind of swishy, not young or gorgeous or buffed out, just funny and sm...more

like 2 likes · see review

Oct 27, 2011 Fonzie rated it 2 of 5 stars

I'm having a little problem with the technicalities. The vamp main character being called Varga, having black hair and black eyes pretty much pinpoints him as a Gypsy. Gypsies are like the Jews in the regard that they are present in almost every country, they have their own culture - and language.
Also, they speak Hungarian with a distinct accent.

However, the accent Varga speaks with sounds nothing like Hungarian or even Lovari (the Gypsy dialect spoken in Hungary and most of Europe), it sounds l...more

like 2 likes · see review

Oct 02, 2012 Amanda rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: jordan-castillo-price, kindle-mm-read, ebooks-i-own, paranormal

5 stars

This was my first JCP book and I really enjoyed it. Mark cracked me up through the whole book. I'm sure there were quite a few times I shouldn't have laughed but...I couldn't help it. Jonathon...what a hottie. Another thing I enjoyed was the sexual tension between Mark and Jonathon. Even though the two cared for each other they didn't need to have sex to show it. This has pretty much made me a big fan of JCP and can't wait to read more of her books.

like 1 like · see review

Nov 18, 2012 LG (A Library Girl's Familiar Diversions) rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 5-star, read-2012, m-m, format-ebook, acquired-bought-new

Oh, I loved this book.

Jordan Castillo Price is one of those authors that makes me glad I bought an e-reader, because otherwise I doubt I would ever have read Hemovore or Among the Living, which I also enjoyed. At the same time, however, I found myself wishing that I had been reading Hemovore in paperback form rather than e-book form. There were several times I would have liked to have been able to flip back and forth between parts of the book in order to confirm certain world rules, and that wou...more Oh, I loved this book.

Jordan Castillo Price is one of those authors that makes me glad I bought an e-reader, because otherwise I doubt I would ever have read Hemovore or Among the Living, which I also enjoyed. At the same time, however, I found myself wishing that I had been reading Hemovore in paperback form rather than e-book form. There were several times I would have liked to have been able to flip back and forth between parts of the book in order to confirm certain world rules, and that would have been easier to do with a paperback.

I had a hard time figuring out, at first, whether Mark was just a paranoid germophobe, or whether all his precautions were justified. Even after it became clear that, yes, his precautions were justified, I still had trouble wrapping my brain around the way Hemovore's world worked. As contagious as the hemovore virus was (much more contagious than HIV), I wouldn't have been surprised at all if Mark managed to catch it from Jonathan while they were on the run. In fact, I couldn't really understand why the hemovore virus hadn't taken over the whole world already, since stage one was easy to mistake for normal illness and V-positives were already contagious at that point. In the U.S. at least, V-positives seemed to inspire both fear and fascination, and I couldn't quite get a picture in my head of how that would work.

None of my questions about the world were enough to get in the way of my enjoyment of this book, however. Mark's “voice” was appealing: snarky, quirky, and a little neurotic. If I hadn't long since abandoned marking favorite lines in my e-books (the controls on my e-reader are annoyingly clunky), I'd probably have marked up a good chunk of this book. An example of one of the lines I enjoyed so much: “Dear Lord. I'd become a celebrity in the goth-vampire freedom-fighter circuit.” (p. 98 on my Nook). I also loved the part where Jonathan forced himself to try one of the flavored oil shakes, for lack of any other food.

The only time I found myself wishing parts of the story had been told from Jonathan's perspective was after Jonathan finally revealed how he felt about Mark. It was such a bittersweet, heartbreaking moment, but I was still left feeling a little unsatisfied, wondering what it was about Mark that attracted Jonathan to him in the first place. Jonathan, as far as I can remember, never said. Still, I enjoyed how the setup, with Jonathan and Mark unable to touch each other with their bare skin, kept the sexual tension high and prevented sex scenes from taking over the book.

Although Jonathan and Mark spent a good chunk of the book running and hiding, it never felt monotonous. Things kept progressively getting worse for them. They had no blood and Jonathan was resistant to taking Mark's – in fact, he wasn't even sure he could keep Mark's blood down if he did drink it. They had cash, but not much. They needed antimicrobial gloves and gels in order to keep Mark from catching the virus from Jonathan, but all those things cost money. They needed to stay out of the sunlight, which limited their hiding and traveling options. The list of obstacles in their way went on and on, and I was on the edge of my seat, wondering how they would survive.

I'm still not sure whether I like the ending. I don't mind that it's happy, but I found it a little surreal that Mark went from being Jonathan's cat blood-procuring, painting-selling assistant to genius art critic. Even so, I loved the book as a whole, so much so that I'm considering getting a print copy in the event that my e-book file becomes unusable in the next few years. I tend to worry more about the longevity of my e-book collection than I do about my print collection, and this is one I don't think I'd want to lose.

(Original review, with read-alikes and watch-alikes, posted on A Library Girl's Familiar Diversions.)(less)

like · see review

Jun 20, 2011 Crys Harris rated it 3 of 5 stars

Hmm.. I'm not sure what I think. I liked it but...

I think the writing is quite good. Not PsyCop good, but the story moves along, the plot is clear, and I was engaged. Similar to PsyCop, there is a lot of internal monologue by the main character. But Mark isn't as engaging, troubled, or sexy as Vic. I have no problem with self-deprecation, but the character in this book takes it a bit far. So, basically, I didn't really feel the romance.

On the other hand, what a novel and interesting approach to...more

like 2 likes · see review

Sep 08, 2010 Josephine Myles rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: paranormal, m-m, romance

4.5 stars

I'm not terribly interested in reading about vampires these days, but I make exceptions for authors I know I'll enjoy, and JCP is definitely one of them.

The viral premise behind the vampirism was fascinating, as was all of the world building; particularly the vampire art, shakes (yuk!) and the paranoid anti-viral defence products the protagonist surrounds himself with. JCP has also written a taut thriller, that really keeps you turning the pages.

I haven't given it top marks, purely beca...more

like 2 likes · see review

Jan 28, 2013 Gyn rated it 3 of 5 stars

I love the worlds created by JCP. They are one of a kind and quirky and just amazingly imaginative. With that being said, I feel like everything else suffers or like something is missing. So much time was spent in this book with keeping V-positive and V-negative stuff separate and all the gloves and precautions and such yet so little time I felt was spent developing the relationship or the romance. In fact I thought the interactions between them were rather cold and utilitarian. There was talk o...more

like · see review

Sep 30, 2012 Plainbrownwrapper rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: mm, read-again-maybe

Jordan Castillo Price always seems to have a sharp, sardonic, efficient narrative voice that I enjoy no matter what plot is developing behind her words. Check out this brief paragraph from the first page:

"I felt vaguely guilty as I steered my shopping cart full of Lean Cuisines down the water aisle, but only vaguely. Jonathan had never forbidden me to shop in the water aisle—only the vampire aisle. Though you could argue that they were practically one and the same, especially since water now cam...more Jordan Castillo Price always seems to have a sharp, sardonic, efficient narrative voice that I enjoy no matter what plot is developing behind her words. Check out this brief paragraph from the first page:

"I felt vaguely guilty as I steered my shopping cart full of Lean Cuisines down the water aisle, but only vaguely. Jonathan had never forbidden me to shop in the water aisle—only the vampire aisle. Though you could argue that they were practically one and the same, especially since water now came in such flavors as Dew Kissed Pear Orchard and…Meatball Hoagie."

Just think how many things JCP is telling us in these few short words. For instance, in no particular order: 1. The MC is human -- he eats Lean Cuisine; 2. Jonathan has authority over him; 3. there are vampires in this world; 4. vampires are accepted into society, to the extent that even supermarkets carry products for them; 5. the MC does Jonathan's shopping -- suggesting that Jonathan may be shut-in or at least reluctant to mix with others; 6. the MC feels only "vaguely" guilty -- he feels some responsibility to Jonathan, but he is not a slave or under Jonathan's thrall in any way; 7. for some reason, Jonathan doesn't like having his employee associated with vampire products, even though vampires are accepted in society -- perhaps paranoia? perhaps hiding out from someone?; 8. even with the presence of vampires, the society is still pretty much the same as our own (even Lean Cuisines are available); 9. vampires are not rampaging monsters -- heck, they buy "food" from the supermarket; 10. this version of vampires probably can't eat real food, since flavored water is a popular product; 11. vampires miss the taste of real food, hence the flavored water; 12. the advent of vampires in society is relatively recent (products tailored to vampires are only now coming on the market); and, well, I could go on and on, but you get the picture.

I love this kind of efficiency from an author. I get intensely irritated when romance authors in particular, who tend to write such short stories, waste so many words telling us so very little. And then, when they do tell us something, they feel the need to spell it out word for word as though readers were third graders. Writers who don't understand the use of subtext should take some notes here!

Despite my joy in JCP's writing style, however, I do have problems with the plot in this story. For instance, I don't really believe that society could continue to exist with a virus that's supposed to be this contagious. Humans as a whole just aren't careful enough to be able to avoid contamination -- everyone would be infected within a short time, especially in less affluent societies. And since most infected people die, that means most of the world's population would end up dead pretty quickly. So I had serious problems with suspending my disbelief. I also had trouble believing that Mark (the narrator) progressed so quickly from such an extremely germophobic-paranoid state to a relatively laissez-faire attitude about the virus. Also -- and this may be unreasonably picky of me -- but I just don't think the money coming in balanced with the money being spent in this story. I kept thinking they would have run out of cash a long time before they did, given what Mark said they were spending. We need some literary accounting here. ;-)

On the other hand, much of the plot was entertaining and moved along at a good clip. And there were great ideas to be discovered throughout. For example, I really liked the idea that "you are what you eat" in a literal way -- that vampires would gradually develop the characteristics of whatever type of blood they were drinking. And the way that Mark's abilities developed (I won't spoiler them) were very imaginative. Also, JCP did a good job in giving the secondary characters depth and emotion and real lives -- as with Phil-the-nice-doorman-who-occasionally-drinks-and-has-a-cousin-who-comes-to-the-bad-guy's-funeral.

Well anyway -- you can see why it's been hard for me to write a review of this book. I've got a lot of ideas about it, going off in a lot of different directions. But since this review is already getting pretty darned long, I'll stop here for now!(less)

like · see review

Feb 05, 2011 LdDurham rated it 5 of 5 stars

Recommended to LdDurham by: Carvedwood

Shelves: gay-fiction, m-m-romance, urban-fantasy

This book right here is why Price is still one of my top fave authors. I am, of course, her fan through the Psy-cop series, but in this book she changes things up and delivers a unique and engrossing twist on the vampire tale.

Her dry wit, her attention to details, tight and strong storytelling, and characters I absolutely believe are walking about somewhere, are here in spades. But though the ingredients were the same, the flavor was so different that while reading, I actually forgot who wrote...more

like · see review

May 18, 2012 ttg rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: m-m, reviews

Hemovore is taut thriller that's set in an alternative universe Chicago where vampirism exists, but unlike in stories like Dracula or Twilight, vampirism is a virus, and most who catch it don’t survive. Those who do are more like the vampires we know from pop culture--subsist on blood, allergic to sunlight, beautiful, and with attuned abilities such as strength, speed, or higher awareness.

There are a lot of allusions to HIV with the vampire virus since it can be transmitted through body fluids....more Hemovore is taut thriller that's set in an alternative universe Chicago where vampirism exists, but unlike in stories like Dracula or Twilight, vampirism is a virus, and most who catch it don’t survive. Those who do are more like the vampires we know from pop culture--subsist on blood, allergic to sunlight, beautiful, and with attuned abilities such as strength, speed, or higher awareness.

There are a lot of allusions to HIV with the vampire virus since it can be transmitted through body fluids. The vampire virus is far more contagious though (like a condom isn’t good enough protection) so being in a relationship with a V+ person means you need to think creatively about expressing affection.

Which brings us to our main characters and story--Jonathan Varga is a famed Vampire artist, gorgeous and forever looking 25, even though he’s decades older. His assistant Mark is in his mid-40’s and feels very schlubby in comparison to Jonathan’s sleekness. Mark is V negative, which means he religiously cleans everything that Jonathan touches, all the while trying not to think too deeply about his feelings for Jonathan, both lustful and otherwise, since consummating anything would be impossible without risking catching the virus. This is their existence, day in and day out--V+ employer, V- employee, neither communicating about what they feel about each other.

Then trouble comes along in the form of a deadly vampire from Jonathan’s past, and both Jonathan and Mark are forced to flee together to stay safe. Their journey and choices over the following days will test their relationship, and force them both to confront all the things that had been unsaid before then.

I enjoyed Hemovore—it’s a very creative, well-written story with very consistent world-building. The author really excels at introducing an alternative-world idea (in this case, vampire virus) and rolling it out so it’s very believable. The characters are also engaging, and some of my favorite parts where the conversations between Jonathan and Mark--they have an interesting way of communicating with each other, especially during times when Jonathan, normally very reticent and serious, tries to lighten the mood. You can sense that they have known each other for years, but at the same time, you can feel some of the silent underlying frustration between them because of the virus and the obstacle it plays.

My only notch down about the story is that it’s grimmer than other works I’ve read by the author. There’s nothing wrong with grimness, but it meant for me that it was easier to put down and leave for a while whereas normally I speed right through her work.

Part of the grimness is because the virus is depressing--most people don’t live through it, and the risk of Mark catching it (and the possibility of dying) weighs on Jonathan as heavy as the guilt he feels for getting Mark mixed up in the mess they’re in. Mark’s acerbic, sarcastic voice adds some levity, but overall, I found it a heavier read than say, her Psycop books, or some of her other stand-alone novels. At the same time, I’m not sure how one would lighten the mood a little bit without wrecking the overall tone of the story. (I’ll be honest, the ending helped pick me up from the heaviness of the middle third.)

It’s a good read though, and I recommend it, especially if you’re already a fan of the author. It’s very creative, great characters, and as usual, fantastic writing.(less)

like 2 likes · see review

Jun 20, 2012 Mixedbagreader rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy-spn-romance, favorites, glbt

Just wonderful! Okay, so the climax felt kind of rushed through, (view spoiler), and a bit of the dialogue here and there felt "off"... like, there are a couple "girlfriend" & "miss thang" comments that didn't seem to fit coming from this character.. but that was r...more

like · see review

Sep 03, 2010 Jo rated it 5 of 5 stars

I have these internal debates occasionally where I try work out whether I like this book or the PsyCop series more, and then I realise that it's innately unfair to compare a standalone to a series and resolve to appreciate them both equally.

There is So Much to appreciate about this book- Mark's fashion obsession and his OCD cleaning as sublimation of how much he wants his boss, the fey Jonathan; the incidental details like hoagie-flavoured water; and vampires chugging oil to maintain calorific n...more

like · see review

Feb 19, 2013 Hilcia rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2013-read, paranormal, gay, lgbt-books, romance

I loved the different take on vampires -- the virus -- and the details that JCP provides to make this world of vampires and non-infected humans come alive. Her characterization is also excellent and Mark's voice as the human narrator is fabulous. Jonathan as the secretive vampire love interest comes off as a sex bomb turned sensitive macho love bucket. I don't know who I liked best; Mark's snarky, biggest-queen-in-the-world attitude or Jonathan's sexy, secretive persona.

The story's pacing is a...more

like 4 likes · see review

Aug 07, 2011 Anne Petty rated it 5 of 5 stars

I'm a big fan of JCP, but she really outdid herself with this one. Definitely the best vampire book I've read in the past several years. I'm always impressed when a prolific author still manages to come up with unusual, unique characters who become totally three-dimensional over the course of the book. Even more impressive is coming up with an approach to the vampire mythology that's new and riveting. Price has a visceral, muscular prose that just grabs you by the collar, gets in your face, and...more

like · see review

Jul 24, 2011 Sandra rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: urban-fantasy, vampy-stuff, m-m, nook-lendable, favorite-authors

So this is definitely a very unique take on vampires, but it took me a while to get into this book. The main characters were OK but I wasn't super attached to them, and I didn't really feel the connection between them until very late in the book. I don't know if I'm holding JCP to a higher standard than I would have if this was from a different author, because I am absolutely in love/obsession with her PsyCop series. But like I said, it's certainly an interesting story and it took many twists an...more

like · see review

Nov 01, 2012 Diane rated it 4 of 5 stars

I really love how this author uses humor in her writing. I have read several of her books and this one did not disappoint. She usually tells her story in the first person. I especially enjoy the self-deprecating sense of humor that her main characters show. I enjoyed the development of the relationship between Mark and Jonathan. I thought the way Mark described how Jonathan talked with his Hungarian accent to be very funny. I also like how she writes about vampires and this futuristic story is q...more

like · see review

Oct 16, 2010 Lexi Ander rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: mm-vampires

This is my my first book by Castillo Price and for the first couple of chapters I wasn't sure what to think other than "prissy, prissy, prissy". Just kill me if I have to live in a glove wearing, mouth covered, alcohol wipe carrying, anti-microbial gelled world. Bags and sprays and sanitation lotions and...just yuck. That's not to mention the cats. I'm a dog person myself and really wasn't disturbed until old lady Jeffers died and they were desperate enough to try and do their own bleeding. Like...more

like 1 like · see review

Jul 19, 2010 Missy Welsh rated it 4 of 5 stars

I loved the different take on vampirism in this book! It was a new one for me, and very realistic. Not much suspension of disbelief required. I would've given it 5 stars except for two little things that disappointed me just enough to make me pout: The glossed-over feeling of the event when Mark finally sees his first of Jonathan's paintings, and the odd, sort of tacked-on ending that made me feel like there was a new conflict to tackle before it was just over. But it was still good, still fresh...more

like · see review

Aug 04, 2012 Julesmarie rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: m-m, vampires

This one was fascinating and entertaining and exciting all at once. The vampirism-as-virus idea seemed familiar from her Channeling Morpheus/Sweet Oblivion series, but since I absolutely ADORED that series, this was like a nice return visit to that world.

I actually totally loved the subtlety of the relationship between Mark and Jonathan, how it was a lot of subtext and glances and longing.

Another thing I loved was how equal the two men seemed, in spite of the tremendous differences between them...more

like · see review

« previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 … 38 39 next »

new topic
Discuss This Book

There are no discussion topics on this book yet. Be the first to start one »

Recommend it | Stats | Recent status updates

combine
Other Editions (2)

Genres

Romance > M M Romance

123 users

Paranormal > Vampires

62 users

Fantasy > Paranormal

57 users

Fantasy > Urban Fantasy

21 users

Romance

18 users

Fantasy

17 users

Mystery

12 users

Contemporary

11 users

Romance > Paranormal Romance

11 users

Glbt > Gay

11 users

See top shelves...

Readers also enjoyed similar books

About Jordan Castillo Price

Jordan Castillo Price spent her formative drinking years in inner city Chicago, and is now writing paranormal thrillers from her home in small-town rural Wisconsin.

Jordan is best known as the author of the PsyCop series, an unfolding tale of paranormal mystery and suspense starring Victor Bayne, a gay medium who's plagued by ghostly visitations.

More about Jordan Castillo Price...

Books by Jordan Castillo Price

More…

Share This Book

Facebook Twitter Your website

Trivia About Hemovore

No trivia or quizzes yet. Add some now »

Quotes from Hemovore

“Now I knew how women felt when they thought they were going to get a diamond ring and ended up with an onion ring” — 4 people liked it

“You shot heroin in the bathroom while I was disinfecting the kitchen. Didn’t you?”
“Of course not.” He pulled on his gloves and led the way into the building. “I hatched from a pod and hid the real Jonathan under the floorboards.”
“You’re much less creepy when you’re pensive and focused. Just so you know.” — 3 people liked it

More quotes…

title link	preview: Hemovore
avg rating	preview: Hemovore Goodreads rating: 4.01 (636 ratings)
small image	preview: click here [close]
med image	preview: click here [close]
BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6659898-hemovore?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1365990800l/6659898.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6659898-hemovore?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]Hemovore by Jordan Castillo Price[/url]

Hemovore

Friend Reviews

Community Reviews

Share This Book

Share This Book on Your Website