The Truants

An interesting twist on the vampire myth falls victim to some weak execution in Markham’s debut. The unnamed and ancient last vampire learns that his mate has killed herself, and decides to follow suit by exposing himself to the sun. Right before sunrise, however, he’s stabbed by a thug, and though the sun takes him as planned, the deaths of others by the thug’s knife return him to consciousness. The victims—largely poor teens—mostly come under his control, but he soon finds some wild cards that make his quest for the now-powerful knife problematic. This is a genuinely innovative and interesting take, but the shifting narrative voices (including two first-person narrators who are often indistinguishable) would work better in the hands of a more skilled writer. The numerous characters often feel disposable, and are, indeed, often disposed of. Markham’s attempts to give them life often leads to triteness bordering on the twee (“She didn’t put food down for the cat. She didn’t have a cat”). Fans of vampire stories might enjoy the premise, but others will be disappointed. Agent: David Godwin, David Godwin Associates. (July)