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Vampire Innocent #3
The Artist of Ruin
Sarah Wright knows she’s in for a rough week when a ghost asking for help is the least frightening thing she has to deal with.
A month after waking up as a vampire, unlife is feeling pretty sweet. Her mood swings are easing off, she’s got a decent boyfriend, and best of all, the parents let her slide on being lazy. They understand it’s a little awkward to keep a job when daylight can kill her.
Oh, and the whole magical powers thing is pretty cool, too.
After two weeks of quiet, her new normal blooms into a chaotic mess. Ashley’s awful luck with romance hits dangerously close to home. A simple favor for Aurélie ends with a possessed antique doll loose in the house, and worse, one random act of kindness gives Sarah something she’s never had before—a nemesis who wants to do more than kill her.
She wants to utterly ruin her.
A month after waking up as a vampire, unlife is feeling pretty sweet. Her mood swings are easing off, she’s got a decent boyfriend, and best of all, the parents let her slide on being lazy. They understand it’s a little awkward to keep a job when daylight can kill her.
Oh, and the whole magical powers thing is pretty cool, too.
After two weeks of quiet, her new normal blooms into a chaotic mess. Ashley’s awful luck with romance hits dangerously close to home. A simple favor for Aurélie ends with a possessed antique doll loose in the house, and worse, one random act of kindness gives Sarah something she’s never had before—a nemesis who wants to do more than kill her.
She wants to utterly ruin her.
- GenresUrban Fantasy
278 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 13, 2018
95 people are currently reading
24 people want to read
About the author
Matthew S. Cox
192 books266 followersBorn in a little town known as South Amboy NJ in 1973, Matthew has been creating science fiction and fantasy worlds for most of his reasoning life. Somewhere between fifteen to eighteen of them spent developing the world in which Division Zero, Virtual Immortality, and The Awakened Series take place. He has several other projects in the works as well as a collaborative science fiction endeavor with author Tony Healey.
Hobbies and Interests:
Matthew is an avid gamer, a recovered WoW addict, Gamemaster for two custom systems (Chronicles of Eldrinaath [Fantasy] and Divergent Fates [Sci Fi], and a fan of anime, British humour (<- deliberate), and intellectual science fiction that questions the nature of reality, life, and what happens after it.
He is also fond of cats.
Hobbies and Interests:
Matthew is an avid gamer, a recovered WoW addict, Gamemaster for two custom systems (Chronicles of Eldrinaath [Fantasy] and Divergent Fates [Sci Fi], and a fan of anime, British humour (<- deliberate), and intellectual science fiction that questions the nature of reality, life, and what happens after it.
He is also fond of cats.
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
February 27, 2020
The Artist Of Ruin
Another fun filled adventure with the entertaining and humous vampire. I enjoyed the story and liked the various additions with evil dolls and ghosts.
Another fun filled adventure with the entertaining and humous vampire. I enjoyed the story and liked the various additions with evil dolls and ghosts.
October 28, 2019
This very good series continues. Sarah is getting more and more into the hang of her vampiric abilities and her family is still supporting her.
One of the things I like most about his writing style is the way the people talk in a realistic manner. You get the impression of watching people talking quite normally rather than the stilted form of communication in many other books of this type.
Ashley wants to become a vet. Michelle wants to become a lawyer.
One of the most important parts of the book takes place when the family is in a movie theater. Sierra says "I don't want to get shot.' One of the adults responds 'What the hell is wrong with our society that a kid even considers someone might show up to kill her in a theater?"
An excellent comment on the state of our current society.
So, problems for Sarah? How about a You Tube video of her escaping from the morgue. When she was naked? then Aurelie wants her to pick up a doll she had ordered. Should be simple enough, right?
Not simple if the doll is possessed, though. It has a mind of its own and it kind of takes over one of the kids. If that wasn't enough, of course, there's the matter of Petra who gets ultra-nasty and threatens Sarah's friends.
It's time to deal with her once and for all. And take care of a haunted doll. And protect her family. And protect her friends. And do this without being turned into a crispy version of herself by the sun.
The author does a really good job of handling all of this in a way that actually makes sense.
One of the things I like most about his writing style is the way the people talk in a realistic manner. You get the impression of watching people talking quite normally rather than the stilted form of communication in many other books of this type.
Ashley wants to become a vet. Michelle wants to become a lawyer.
One of the most important parts of the book takes place when the family is in a movie theater. Sierra says "I don't want to get shot.' One of the adults responds 'What the hell is wrong with our society that a kid even considers someone might show up to kill her in a theater?"
An excellent comment on the state of our current society.
So, problems for Sarah? How about a You Tube video of her escaping from the morgue. When she was naked? then Aurelie wants her to pick up a doll she had ordered. Should be simple enough, right?
Not simple if the doll is possessed, though. It has a mind of its own and it kind of takes over one of the kids. If that wasn't enough, of course, there's the matter of Petra who gets ultra-nasty and threatens Sarah's friends.
It's time to deal with her once and for all. And take care of a haunted doll. And protect her family. And protect her friends. And do this without being turned into a crispy version of herself by the sun.
The author does a really good job of handling all of this in a way that actually makes sense.
April 6, 2019
Mission From A Ghost?
•••NOT for the homophobic, transphobic, closedminded, or faint of heart!•••
This series must be read in order. The first book is "Vampire Innocent". The second book is "A Beginner 's Guide To Fangs". This is the third book. I can't wait to read " The Last Family Roadtrip"!
Sarah has been finding her way pretty well I'm her new, undead life. Truth be told, in many ways it is way better than her mortal one ever was. She still has her great friends and has made a few new ones. Her new boyfriend is amazing. Really, she couldn't ask for much more. Then she meets a ghost to wants her help and her life gets way complicated super fast. How was she to know Alex (The guy the ghost wanted her to help) was some other vampire's "art project" ?! And who is that sick anyways?! Can she keep her family and friends safe from the ire of a ticked off vampire with a sick sense of "Art"? Can she even keep herself safe? What new and horrible thing lurks behind the next corner? Will she ever understand other vampires? Glim is amazing and the best friend a girl could have but it seems like immortality has at least as many duds as shining examples. Hopefully she can figure out how to sort this mess soon so she can go back to the relative normalcy of her undead existence!
I love the way Sarah gets herself into the oddest predicaments trying to help others out. She may have been a pushover before she died... But No More. As she expands her world and her circle of friends her life gets more and more interesting. I can't wait to read what kind of predicament she gets into next!
•••NOT for the homophobic, transphobic, closedminded, or faint of heart!•••
This series must be read in order. The first book is "Vampire Innocent". The second book is "A Beginner 's Guide To Fangs". This is the third book. I can't wait to read " The Last Family Roadtrip"!
Sarah has been finding her way pretty well I'm her new, undead life. Truth be told, in many ways it is way better than her mortal one ever was. She still has her great friends and has made a few new ones. Her new boyfriend is amazing. Really, she couldn't ask for much more. Then she meets a ghost to wants her help and her life gets way complicated super fast. How was she to know Alex (The guy the ghost wanted her to help) was some other vampire's "art project" ?! And who is that sick anyways?! Can she keep her family and friends safe from the ire of a ticked off vampire with a sick sense of "Art"? Can she even keep herself safe? What new and horrible thing lurks behind the next corner? Will she ever understand other vampires? Glim is amazing and the best friend a girl could have but it seems like immortality has at least as many duds as shining examples. Hopefully she can figure out how to sort this mess soon so she can go back to the relative normalcy of her undead existence!
I love the way Sarah gets herself into the oddest predicaments trying to help others out. She may have been a pushover before she died... But No More. As she expands her world and her circle of friends her life gets more and more interesting. I can't wait to read what kind of predicament she gets into next!
February 16, 2020
Have you ever thought about how to protect your friends from bad choices or how to deal with a wacked out vampire chick who is pissed that you messed with her "art project" Welcome to Sarah's world, she deals with possessed dolls, fighting siblings, human boyfriend , and trying to protect her friends from thing evil , human or vampire. Matthew Cox writes with emotions so strong that we can feel them. This makes this book more enjoyable to read (I enjoyed reading anyway) Anger, happiness, love, hate, revenge , and how Sarah deals with all of them. Great book that is worth reading more then once. Another home run hit
March 6, 2019
Another light hearted chapter in the unlife of baby vamp Sarah. The first part of the book is mainly her trying to enjoy any time with her family and friends which she is all too aware will soon be gone as they age and she does not. Helping out a ghost to save a teen from addiction runs her afoul of a vampire who destroys human lives as an art form. The older vampire then sets her sights on Sarah's circle and things go very dark and action packed. This is a fun series and I can't wait for the next installment.
February 29, 2020
I loved this book and this series
January 7, 2019
Excellent as expected
I just love learning about Sarah and how she deals with her new Vamperism. This series is such a good way to leave your own world.and immerse yourself. I look forward to the next chapter and what trouble this 'Innocent' can get into.
I just love learning about Sarah and how she deals with her new Vamperism. This series is such a good way to leave your own world.and immerse yourself. I look forward to the next chapter and what trouble this 'Innocent' can get into.
February 12, 2020
Clever
A clever take on life as a vampire, when your young and life is just beginning. Family, friends, enemies, other vampires so many things to deal with.
A clever take on life as a vampire, when your young and life is just beginning. Family, friends, enemies, other vampires so many things to deal with.
October 14, 2024
Cox continues to blend classic horror tropes, the issues common to teenagers, and unique perspectives, creating another young-adult vampire tale that will appeal to readers of all ages and on many levels.
This novel is the third in Cox’s Vampire Innocent series. Spoilers might lurk ahead.
With the mood swings her transformation brought fading, her parents agreeing a summer job isn’t sensible, and a boyfriend who isn’t freaked out by her new state, Sarah is enjoying being a vampire. However, the interference of not one but two ghosts throws her lazy life back into chaos; her co-best-friend Ashley choice of new boyfriend hurls her into memories of the past; and a good deed accidentally irks a vampire who is vengeance personified.
Where the previous volume left Sarah struggling with the potentially lethal political machinations of vampires, this one exposes how a vampire’s magical powers and need for stimulus can cause the smallest of things to turn into an obsessively byzantine feud.
In parallel with this new thread of vampire society, Cox provides details of a vampire type previously only mentioned in passing and reveals a little about how ghosts function, both deepening and expanding his world further.
However—while readers familiar with White Wolf’s World of Darkness are likely to feel a resonance with Cox’s vampire mythos—this is very much not a clan book or other gaming supplement: the world-building is entirely subsidiary to Sarah’s personal experience of teenage life as a vampire.
Indeed, fulfilling some arcane geas imposed on all YA authors in the mists of time, perhaps half the book is focused on romance. Sarah is revelling in new love but challenged by questions of how (or even if) conflicting schedules could work in the long run. One of her friends is interested in a coworker, but unsure if they are as wholesome as they seem. And Ashley is determinedly in a relationship with someone who doesn’t get on with any of her friends. However, Cox applies the same compassion for character that he displays in other areas, capturing the emotion without drowning the reader in angst as some YA novels do.
Of course, telepathy, compulsion, and memory editing (the simplest of vampire powers) are ideal tools to resolve the doubts and misunderstandings that plague teen romance—if one can resolve the ethical and emotional questions of violating people’s privacy and autonomy. And, to make matters more complex, Ashley’s behaviour might be a reaction to her previous sexual encounter with Sarah’s mentor, raising the spectre that even if a vampire is extremely careful with their powers, merely being around humans might cause psychological issues.
As previously, Sarah is a sympathetic character, neither tumbling into inhuman selfishness nor maintaining a priggish refusal to use her new abilities. While her attempts to resolve issues retain the naivety and compassion of a decent teenager, her time as a vampire has—very plausibly—added a greater comfort with both violence and action in general.
The supporting cast are similarly nuanced, shaped by a mix of personal quirks and situational forces. While this makes all of the characters more plausible and engaging, it is especially powerful in the vampires, both offering the hope that Sarah can avoid losing herself to her vampire nature and casting the monomaniacal obsession of her nemesis in starker contrast
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this novel. I recommend it to readers seeking a character-driven perspective on fledgling vampirehood.
I received a free copy from the author with a request for a fair review.
This novel is the third in Cox’s Vampire Innocent series. Spoilers might lurk ahead.
With the mood swings her transformation brought fading, her parents agreeing a summer job isn’t sensible, and a boyfriend who isn’t freaked out by her new state, Sarah is enjoying being a vampire. However, the interference of not one but two ghosts throws her lazy life back into chaos; her co-best-friend Ashley choice of new boyfriend hurls her into memories of the past; and a good deed accidentally irks a vampire who is vengeance personified.
Where the previous volume left Sarah struggling with the potentially lethal political machinations of vampires, this one exposes how a vampire’s magical powers and need for stimulus can cause the smallest of things to turn into an obsessively byzantine feud.
In parallel with this new thread of vampire society, Cox provides details of a vampire type previously only mentioned in passing and reveals a little about how ghosts function, both deepening and expanding his world further.
However—while readers familiar with White Wolf’s World of Darkness are likely to feel a resonance with Cox’s vampire mythos—this is very much not a clan book or other gaming supplement: the world-building is entirely subsidiary to Sarah’s personal experience of teenage life as a vampire.
Indeed, fulfilling some arcane geas imposed on all YA authors in the mists of time, perhaps half the book is focused on romance. Sarah is revelling in new love but challenged by questions of how (or even if) conflicting schedules could work in the long run. One of her friends is interested in a coworker, but unsure if they are as wholesome as they seem. And Ashley is determinedly in a relationship with someone who doesn’t get on with any of her friends. However, Cox applies the same compassion for character that he displays in other areas, capturing the emotion without drowning the reader in angst as some YA novels do.
Of course, telepathy, compulsion, and memory editing (the simplest of vampire powers) are ideal tools to resolve the doubts and misunderstandings that plague teen romance—if one can resolve the ethical and emotional questions of violating people’s privacy and autonomy. And, to make matters more complex, Ashley’s behaviour might be a reaction to her previous sexual encounter with Sarah’s mentor, raising the spectre that even if a vampire is extremely careful with their powers, merely being around humans might cause psychological issues.
As previously, Sarah is a sympathetic character, neither tumbling into inhuman selfishness nor maintaining a priggish refusal to use her new abilities. While her attempts to resolve issues retain the naivety and compassion of a decent teenager, her time as a vampire has—very plausibly—added a greater comfort with both violence and action in general.
The supporting cast are similarly nuanced, shaped by a mix of personal quirks and situational forces. While this makes all of the characters more plausible and engaging, it is especially powerful in the vampires, both offering the hope that Sarah can avoid losing herself to her vampire nature and casting the monomaniacal obsession of her nemesis in starker contrast
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this novel. I recommend it to readers seeking a character-driven perspective on fledgling vampirehood.
I received a free copy from the author with a request for a fair review.
August 18, 2019
How can vampires be so refreshing?
Just like this! So much fun to read. Not sparkly though. LoL, glad to find a different perspective. Isn't the infinite possibility of imagination wonderful!
Just like this! So much fun to read. Not sparkly though. LoL, glad to find a different perspective. Isn't the infinite possibility of imagination wonderful!
March 29, 2020
On Yeah!
What a strange and adventurous book this has been! Sarah having a nemesis has sure put a damper on the story. And a haunted doll? Whoa! That alone has been crazy! Well, can't wait now to take that road trip in the next book.
What a strange and adventurous book this has been! Sarah having a nemesis has sure put a damper on the story. And a haunted doll? Whoa! That alone has been crazy! Well, can't wait now to take that road trip in the next book.
May 4, 2020
How Can you NOT love Sarah?
I'm really loving the family dynamics of this series. The entire thing is so real. The parents are very involved with their kids but still maintain a strong relationship with each other. Theirs an abundance of love in this series. I'm on book 4.
I'm really loving the family dynamics of this series. The entire thing is so real. The parents are very involved with their kids but still maintain a strong relationship with each other. Theirs an abundance of love in this series. I'm on book 4.
November 1, 2023
Still fun and a good continuation of the story, though I found some aspects of it a bit tedious.
August 2, 2024
Awesome books.
I feel like an addict. I've read the first three, and now I'm hot to read the rest! Party on!
I feel like an addict. I've read the first three, and now I'm hot to read the rest! Party on!
August 20, 2024
Each book is getting better and better. I'm definitely enjoying the series...well until the character called 40 old!! 🤣🤣🤣
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews