Salomé: Daughter or Demon is a lively vampire romp about a teenage girl destined to become a daughter of the night. Salome is a headstrong and stubborn typical teenager who doesn’t change much after she is turned into a blood-sucker. The story shows her early days of adjustment and learning how to survive as a vampire. She is mentored by two very old immortals, Master Kajika and Leslie, who have extreme patience with her teenager mouth and impulses.
“To take a life is no easy undertaking. The conflict between your old life and your present one lingers until you make this kill. Salomé, remember we’re hunters, not killers,” Kajika said, in a distant voice.
“My pleasure.” I had enough of people consoling me. I’m no child. No misunderstandings exist of what I must do tonight.
She gets to exact revenge on some bad guys early on and then she gets involved in a Vatican cover up and mysterious cult that could be the end to her new life. She’s a quick learner and masters the rough protocols required for fighting and killing.
Salome maintains a friendship with her high school friend Theodore, who has gone into the priesthood and can offer insight into much of the disruption with the church and vampires. She also has new friends of a supernatural nature she didn’t know existed. This includes discovering who her biological father really is as well as lifetime friends.
The book is written from Salome’s viewpoint. Her dialogue is written in a short, abbreviated style that is typical for the young, cell phone generation. She’s sarcastic and sometimes naïve. Although not always likeable, she sometimes is and can grow on you. It’s clear she mainly has good intentions and is fiercely loyal to those she considers deserve it. She still enjoys food, reading, writing, and exercising. Like everyone, she’s doing the best with the cards dealt to her…
I enjoyed this book and can recommend it for vampire/fantasy fans. It’s a fun story that has humor and action, plus it’s left open for a sequel!
~ HughOrange.com Publication Review
