Blood Slaves

In Redmond’s brutal and unflinching debut, it’s humans, not vampires, who are the real monsters. Rafazi, the last survivor of an African vampire clan that has rapidly died out from a mysterious blood-borne disease, is kidnapped by slave traders and brought to the Carolinas in 1407. His story eventually converges with that of Willie, an enslaved man introduced to readers in 1710, when his thwarted escape attempt results in the horrific murder of his friend and a series of brutal punishments that almost kills Willie. Later, Willie’s love, Gertie, learns she is pregnant with their child, and the pair are faced with the abject reality of having a baby born into slavery. So when Willie meets the enigmatic Rafazi and discovers his supernatural secret, he’s primed to relinquish his human form and become something more, hoping for freedom and a chance at revenge against the plantation owner and his cronies. The revolt that follows is steeped in violence, anguish, and triumph. Redmond’s seething prose elevates what might otherwise feel like tired horror tropes and his heroes are both monumental and complicated. The result is searing, tense, and unforgettable. (Aug.)