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The Line of Tepes
To Emma King, the only thing worse than losing her grandmother is having to call the cops on her cult leader mother the night of the wake. Now a mysterious stranger Emma met in the family graveyard says he wants to talk. Reeling from her mother’s attack and pursued by death worshiping sycophants called the Order; Emma needs a place to lie low. A phone call to the mysterious stranger sends Emma into a high-stakes’ world of secrets. Towering over the Houston skyline in the fortress Vlad calls his apartment, Emma faces a truth she never saw coming. Her mother might be evil, but she isn’t wrong. Monsters do exist. A storm is gathering. The Order is closing in. Will Emma make the right choice before one is made for her? Is the devil she knows better than the one she just met? Find out in The Line of Tepes, the first in E.A. Williams’ sizzling new supernatural thriller series. Join Emma’s fight for her life today!
- GenresVampires
368 pages, Kindle Edition
Published February 28, 2021
About the author
E.A. Williams
4 books8 followersE.A. Williams is a graduate of the University of North Texas where she studied film and playwriting. While completing her degree, she stretched her creative limits helping to run a writer’s collective, as well as studying special effects. Her love for the fantastical can be seen in her thrilling debut series The Line of Tepes, which invites readers to explore Williams’ hometown of Houston through the lens of a sexy vampire noir.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
December 16, 2021
I loved the story! The reason for the 3 is the editing. Lots of errors.
March 8, 2021
Wow!
Everything I love in a book only this one ended too soon! I wasn’t ready to let go of the characters nor the story. I have developed a real connection with them and am anxious to continue reading so that I know how it all plays out. Waiting for the sequel is going to be hard!!
I love a book with a strong female protagonist and to have her be from Houston is all the better. The author fleshed out the characters so that I feel like I know them!
This is a debut novel from a young author. I have no doubt that I will be following this one and devouring all publications!
Everything I love in a book only this one ended too soon! I wasn’t ready to let go of the characters nor the story. I have developed a real connection with them and am anxious to continue reading so that I know how it all plays out. Waiting for the sequel is going to be hard!!
I love a book with a strong female protagonist and to have her be from Houston is all the better. The author fleshed out the characters so that I feel like I know them!
This is a debut novel from a young author. I have no doubt that I will be following this one and devouring all publications!
January 13, 2026
I'll start this review by saying that I am decidedly not a reader of vampire stories. Prior to this, I've read one vampire book, and only out of morbid curiosity. It's not that I think books about vampires are universally bad - they're just not my thing. But I know E.A. Williams, have interviewed her for a podcast, and have read a short story of hers (which I loved!) that was included in the Mixed Bag of Tricks anthology. So, I fired up the Kindle and got to reading this first installment of The Line of Tepes trilogy.
The story opens as Emma, our protagonist, is at a cemetery burying her beloved grandmother. Emma is heartened by all the people who have turned out for the funeral, but obviously bummed out because...dead grandmother. After the crowd disperses, she's approached by a mysterious man with an intense stare and an Eastern European accent. He tells her he's been a lifelong friend of Gran and gives Emma his card. His name is Vlad. He tells her to call if she needs anything.
Emma goes back home, where she is surrounded by friends and neighbors at the repast, but once they leave, she's left alone in the big, empty house where her grandmother raised her. She starts to cry, and in her grief, she is unaware that a new presence has entered her refuge. When she discovers her mother, Melissa, has let herself in, Emma is rightly upset.
Melissa is a stone-cold lunatic who abandoned Emma as a baby, joined a cult, and has spent Emma's entire life harassing her and her grandmother. Melissa tries to convince Emma to come back with her to "The Order" and "be a real family," but Emma, a headstrong Texas girl with a mighty sense of justice, tells her mom to piss off. This sends Melissa into a fury. She smashes up the places, threatens Emma, and generally shows her true colors.
Emma's neighbors, including her bestie, Simon the Texas Ranger, show up and chase Melissa off. Simon says he'll stay with Emma, and she goes to have a shower and get herself together. She stops into Gran's bedroom and finds herself looking through the desk, only to discover decades of correspondence with the Vlad chap she met at the cemetery. When Melissa's cult makes another attempt to kidnap Emma the following day, she calls Vlad, and he takes her to his place - an enormous high-rise building in downtown Houston - to keep her safe.
From there, we meet a cast of characters, including a squad of vampires who, I was surprised to discover, are all endearing in their own ways. These vampires live fabulously, and Emma is generously provided for in every possible way, including freshly-baked cookies and luxurious showers. Emma discovers that she has familial ties to Vlad, and that the cult her mother belongs to is actually a group of vampire hunters. (Nothing about this is realistic, but we're reading a vampire book, so sit back and have fun already.)
The ensuing plot revolves around a group of strong, scary men protecting Emma (and who are also impressed that she is no shrinking violet and can handle herself when she needs to). Emma finds herself attracted to one of the vampires (who is, admittedly, pretty sexy). The feeling, as it turns out, is mutual. Eventually, Simon and another Texas Ranger show up because they're worried about her, and they're inducted into the vampire fam in time to do battle with a gang of intruders sent by The Order.
Although I'm not a reader of this genre, I enjoyed this book way more than I expected to. I think it largely has to do with Williams' writing style. It's funny, witty, contemporary, and very, very Texan. These two things - vampires and Texas (specifically, Houston) - may seem incongruous, but they worked really well together, and I think that's because this is who Williams is. She's a monster-loving Texas gal with a great sense of humor, and that's exactly what you get from this story. Which is to say, you don't have to like vampires to enjoy it! Because I did enjoy it, down to the last bloody drop.
What I loved:
-A strong, confident woman protagonist with a great sense of humor.
-Witty dialogue and exchanges. I especially loved Emma's relationship with the Fields character.
-Not just vampires - TEXAS vampires!
-Not a single thing about this book was boring.
-Vlad's backstory is compelling stuff.
-Plenty of ass-kicking action!
-One word: Ava
What I found challenging:
-In general, I don't care much for vampire fiction, so I had to get over it and allow myself to go along with the story until it really kicked in for me.
The story opens as Emma, our protagonist, is at a cemetery burying her beloved grandmother. Emma is heartened by all the people who have turned out for the funeral, but obviously bummed out because...dead grandmother. After the crowd disperses, she's approached by a mysterious man with an intense stare and an Eastern European accent. He tells her he's been a lifelong friend of Gran and gives Emma his card. His name is Vlad. He tells her to call if she needs anything.
Emma goes back home, where she is surrounded by friends and neighbors at the repast, but once they leave, she's left alone in the big, empty house where her grandmother raised her. She starts to cry, and in her grief, she is unaware that a new presence has entered her refuge. When she discovers her mother, Melissa, has let herself in, Emma is rightly upset.
Melissa is a stone-cold lunatic who abandoned Emma as a baby, joined a cult, and has spent Emma's entire life harassing her and her grandmother. Melissa tries to convince Emma to come back with her to "The Order" and "be a real family," but Emma, a headstrong Texas girl with a mighty sense of justice, tells her mom to piss off. This sends Melissa into a fury. She smashes up the places, threatens Emma, and generally shows her true colors.
Emma's neighbors, including her bestie, Simon the Texas Ranger, show up and chase Melissa off. Simon says he'll stay with Emma, and she goes to have a shower and get herself together. She stops into Gran's bedroom and finds herself looking through the desk, only to discover decades of correspondence with the Vlad chap she met at the cemetery. When Melissa's cult makes another attempt to kidnap Emma the following day, she calls Vlad, and he takes her to his place - an enormous high-rise building in downtown Houston - to keep her safe.
From there, we meet a cast of characters, including a squad of vampires who, I was surprised to discover, are all endearing in their own ways. These vampires live fabulously, and Emma is generously provided for in every possible way, including freshly-baked cookies and luxurious showers. Emma discovers that she has familial ties to Vlad, and that the cult her mother belongs to is actually a group of vampire hunters. (Nothing about this is realistic, but we're reading a vampire book, so sit back and have fun already.)
The ensuing plot revolves around a group of strong, scary men protecting Emma (and who are also impressed that she is no shrinking violet and can handle herself when she needs to). Emma finds herself attracted to one of the vampires (who is, admittedly, pretty sexy). The feeling, as it turns out, is mutual. Eventually, Simon and another Texas Ranger show up because they're worried about her, and they're inducted into the vampire fam in time to do battle with a gang of intruders sent by The Order.
Although I'm not a reader of this genre, I enjoyed this book way more than I expected to. I think it largely has to do with Williams' writing style. It's funny, witty, contemporary, and very, very Texan. These two things - vampires and Texas (specifically, Houston) - may seem incongruous, but they worked really well together, and I think that's because this is who Williams is. She's a monster-loving Texas gal with a great sense of humor, and that's exactly what you get from this story. Which is to say, you don't have to like vampires to enjoy it! Because I did enjoy it, down to the last bloody drop.
What I loved:
-A strong, confident woman protagonist with a great sense of humor.
-Witty dialogue and exchanges. I especially loved Emma's relationship with the Fields character.
-Not just vampires - TEXAS vampires!
-Not a single thing about this book was boring.
-Vlad's backstory is compelling stuff.
-Plenty of ass-kicking action!
-One word: Ava
What I found challenging:
-In general, I don't care much for vampire fiction, so I had to get over it and allow myself to go along with the story until it really kicked in for me.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 28, 2024
I picked this book up because the author presented some great discussions about genre writing at ArmadilloCon.
The main character, Emma, is mourning the passing of her grandmother. And her abusive mother is constantly trying to abduct her, apparently to play a part in some kind of ritual for the mother's anti-vampire cult. Emma yearns for a sense of family and safety, which she finds in Simon, her longtime friend who's now a Texas Ranger. However, Simon is soon upstaged by Vlad, Emma's vampire ancestor who appears in her life to protect her. Vlad is supportive, nurturing, and rich, and he lets Emma live in his luxurious fortified compound to repel the cultists. What's the catch?
The book sort of has the structure of a romance, although the most central relationship in the book is Emma rediscovering her ancestry with Vlad.
I enjoyed it. It's not heavy on conflict, but the pacing is good, especially in the second half.
The main character, Emma, is mourning the passing of her grandmother. And her abusive mother is constantly trying to abduct her, apparently to play a part in some kind of ritual for the mother's anti-vampire cult. Emma yearns for a sense of family and safety, which she finds in Simon, her longtime friend who's now a Texas Ranger. However, Simon is soon upstaged by Vlad, Emma's vampire ancestor who appears in her life to protect her. Vlad is supportive, nurturing, and rich, and he lets Emma live in his luxurious fortified compound to repel the cultists. What's the catch?
The book sort of has the structure of a romance, although the most central relationship in the book is Emma rediscovering her ancestry with Vlad.
I enjoyed it. It's not heavy on conflict, but the pacing is good, especially in the second half.
January 17, 2024
The Line of Tepes was pitched to me this way: to escape from her mother’s cult, a young woman takes refuge with a coven of vampires. How could I say no to that?
Emma really is caught between a rock and a hard place. She has wonderful, supportive friends, but her mother is so over-the-edge crazy that she won’t stop hunting Emma to bring her into the cult. The book is well-written and fast paced with plenty of humorous dialogue. The author gives us good reasons for Emma to take the path she chooses.
One event near the end felt a little rushed to me, but it actually had been set up ahead of time, and it was a logical outcome. Oh - there’s a cool witch in the story as well. And did I mention the hot vampire men? Emma has a close encounter, shall we say, with one of the vampires, and I’m interested to see how this develops in the second book of the series.
Emma really is caught between a rock and a hard place. She has wonderful, supportive friends, but her mother is so over-the-edge crazy that she won’t stop hunting Emma to bring her into the cult. The book is well-written and fast paced with plenty of humorous dialogue. The author gives us good reasons for Emma to take the path she chooses.
One event near the end felt a little rushed to me, but it actually had been set up ahead of time, and it was a logical outcome. Oh - there’s a cool witch in the story as well. And did I mention the hot vampire men? Emma has a close encounter, shall we say, with one of the vampires, and I’m interested to see how this develops in the second book of the series.
April 22, 2026
I normally don't read fantasy but I am so thankful I have a new series to read. The author really knows how to make the characters come alive. I'm glad I can get into the next one and not have to wait!
December 28, 2021
I can’t believe I forgot to review this. Clint Eastwood meets the lost boys with a non annoying main character. We love that.
July 12, 2025
Latte Love
This book is a must have. 10/10, you need this book and it’s wonderfully uplifting vibe for your kindle bookshelf.
This book is a must have. 10/10, you need this book and it’s wonderfully uplifting vibe for your kindle bookshelf.
August 17, 2021
OMG! I can't wait for the next book! I love the way this story had humor and action. I'm a huge fan of Vlad Tepes!
June 8, 2025
This book has everything: a lovable main character (who is a badass, has boat loads of trauma, and isn’t like 19), really hot vampires, a cult, and a hot witch. The plot flows so well and keeps you interested the whole time. And it’s a fantastic love letter to the city of Houston. Cannot wait to read the next two books!!!
September 30, 2025
The Line of Tepes is cinematic. What a delightful, exciting read about vampires in Houston! The twist is that the darkness is emotional, with the main character's complicated history with her mother and the major loss of her grandmother.
This book is also so funny! Emma's sense of humor pervades the scenes and her conflicts. I adored the terrific everydayness of the vampires contrasted with their otherworldliness.
As with the author's story in the anthology Mixed Bag of Tricks, she elucidated grief powerfully. I've never heard anyone describe that so exactly.
oh, and:
THE VAMPIRES ARE FUNNY TOO!
I look forward to reading the next two in the series.
This book is also so funny! Emma's sense of humor pervades the scenes and her conflicts. I adored the terrific everydayness of the vampires contrasted with their otherworldliness.
As with the author's story in the anthology Mixed Bag of Tricks, she elucidated grief powerfully. I've never heard anyone describe that so exactly.
oh, and:
THE VAMPIRES ARE FUNNY TOO!
I look forward to reading the next two in the series.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews