Book Review: A Bleak Remedy by D.S. LaLonde
Title: A Bleak Remedy (Savage Panacea #1)
Author: D.S. LaLonde
Release date: November 17th, 2022
Recently, D.S. LaLonde reached out to me to see if I’d be keen to check out their debut novel.
I gotta admit – I was super intrigued about this one, BUT, that page count was daunting. I don’t mind chonky books. Those 500+ page door stops. You know you’ll either be getting a thoroughly told story that takes its time to unfold and review its secrets, or you’ll be getting a story filled to the brim with action, plot and tons of characters.
Knowing that I was near the end of the year and had a ‘break’ between pending release date ARC’s, I popped this to the top of my Kindle and got reading. Funny enough, I had also started Adam Nevill’s ‘No One Gets Out Alive,’ which is over 600 pages as well. This is probably the first time in at least five years that I’ve had multiple 600+ page books on the go at the same time.
What I liked: This one opens with an incredibly fantastic prologue that grabs the reader right away and sets up the rest of the novel. We are introduced to a rich older man, on vacation in remote South America, when his wife is attacked by a crazy creature. LaLonde has given us the arrival of the creature previously, which humanizes it to a degree, but it’s not until the after effects of the prologue do we both have to deal with the ethical considerations of what this creatures offers.
LaLonde then switches gears and brings us to a research facility. We get more characters, more ‘what’s’ going on surrounding this vampire-like creature and more depth regarding its possibilities. Once again, we switch gears and leave the facility and begin to learn more about these creatures but also head to a wooded location.
It’s a great shift, because there is only so much space to play within a facility setting.
The character depth definitely adds to this one, as with a larger page count they’re able to fully develop and become family to the reader.
The ending is dark, chaotic, but as this is book one in the series, it also gives us a suggestion of where the series would be going next.
What I didn’t like: I can see the page count on this being a potential detriment or a discouragement to readers. I’d say, push that away. There’s a lot of story in here and LaLonde does a great job of controlling it and keeping all of the stories ducks in a row.
Why you should buy this: This is a really well done, fully imagined take on the vampire lore. It gives us a unique opening that works well to push away from a lot of the common trope pitfalls vampire fiction can have. We get engaged characters, room for the story to breathe and vicious, brutal moments that will keep your feet tucked in and the lights on.
5/5
