Gypsy Blood

Vampires, a succubus and dead spirits inhabit this confusing and rushed series opener. Half-gypsy Carnival fights the occasional otherworldly creature while working as a fortune-teller. Carnival also faces opposition from his father, whose soul is trapped within his son's chest, and protests Carnival's pursuit of a romantic relation with a vampire. The use of the father falls particularly flat; as only a few characters are able to hear him (and only intermittently), the device will leave the reader puzzled. Carnival himself often comes across as bewildered to the point of hopelessness, leading readers to wonder why he's heading up this winding story. Vernon (Nothing to Lose) keeps things moving at a decent clip, but the adventure eventually dissolves into confusion.