Ponca City Vampires

by Ethan Richards

Ponca City Vampires

Henry Harding just wants to play his cello, keep his head down, and survive high school in Ponca City, Oklahoma. But when a new girl with pale skin and a haunting smile joins the orchestra, the music room becomes ground zero for something ancient and hungry.

As strange disappearances rock the town and rumors swirl around the old Marland Mansion, Henry is drawn into a world of blood, beauty, and deception. Every note he plays pulls him closer to the truth—one that will test his courage, his faith, and the very soul of Ponca City.

Will Henry and his friends uncover the darkness before it consumes them?
Or will the music of the undead play forever in Ponca City?
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350 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 21, 2025

Reviews

[K.B. King · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ponca City Vampires is a young adult paranormal novel by Ethan Richards that follows a group of high school students hoping to keep a low profile while navigating their everyday ambitions. Their routine is disrupted when a mysterious new girl arrives… aloof, gothic, and distinctly out of place. Soon, the students find themselves drawn into a growing supernatural mystery marked by unexplained disappearances, strange deaths, and an unsettling atmosphere that hangs over the town. What begins as a typical high school experience gradually evolves into a confrontation with an ancient, hidden threat that appears intent on embedding itself within the very core of their school and lives.

The story maintains a steady sense of momentum, and I often found myself genuinely curious about where the plot was heading. While it didn’t always deliver that urgent, “can’t put it down” feeling that some horror/thriller fans may crave, it did keep me engaged and interested in uncovering the mystery.

I felt there were missed opportunities to cultivate a deeper sense of unease throughout the novel. I found myself wanting more emotional and psychological depth from the characters individually and through their interactions. The story relies heavily on dialogue, which isn’t inherently a flaw, but in this case many conversations could have been replaced with descriptive detail to heighten tension and deepen the sense of mystery. Being told repeatedly that something was creepy or unsettling was less impactful than being shown those elements through action, setting, or character behavior. These elements weren’t missing entirely, but I found myself wanting more.

I also found some of the dialogue—particularly between adults and teens—to be somewhat unrealistic. It wasn’t distracting enough to derail the story, but it did require more suspension of disbelief than I typically expect from a casual read. Through the lens of a teen boy, certain choices make sense, but as a reader I still had to work to fully buy into those interactions.

Ultimately, I think this novel will be most appealing to younger teen readers, particularly ages 12–16, who enjoy eerie, accessible stories with a paranormal edge. It was ultimately an enjoyable read, and I can imagine a promising future for Richards’ writing career.

Ethan Richards’ first book, The Dark Lord of Oklahoma, was published in 2020. He previously participated in the Tulsa writing club and spent significant time doing beta reads on Scribophile. He is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Creative Writing from Southern New Hampshire University.

[Donna Robinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall, this story really draws back on past influences and knowledge of vampires from old lore, fiction, and movies, and it did it really well. I enjoyed the choice of including so much prior knowledge and facts about vampires in this YA novel. The characters were really diverse from each other and allowed plenty of thoughts to be their own person. The city of Ponca was really gritty and dark, especially with the author's choice of how these vampires chose the city as their target. The setting was dark and fit perfectly with the plot of three young teen boys discovering their city is being invaded by vampires from the odd occurrences in the city. I would give this a solid 3.5 stars for its creative storytelling and unsettling atmosphere.

[Angela Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ponca City Vampires is more than just a vampire story where high school orchestra students battle an evil plaguing their city. It’s "Lost Boys" meets "Stranger Things," with teenage angst, rats, comic book references, and my favorite pet tie in, Sparkie. I loved the music and orchestra connections throughout each chapter, and in the naming of chapter titles. Rated for ages 13-18, but really a fun read for any age.

[Emily Haynes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Vampires

Henry wants first chair in the high school orchestra, but someone steals his spot. Henry 's life changes after this odd things being to happen. People are dying, rats are everywhere and totally unafraid. His new girlfriend behaves oddly. What is happening? Delightfully creepy coming of age chiller.

[Brittney · Rating 4 out of 5]

Indie vampire magic. I loved this, you can tell it caters to a younger crowd but regardless it was a very good story. The plot flows, the characters were all great (Sam was my fav, Henry close second). All the vampire lore was solid, I loved the comparison with life (zombie and vampire).

[lucky 13 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Round up to 3.5 this young adult book rated 13/18 was fun for all with classmates forming to fight a vampire and rat infestation in this small town