A wonderful debut novel from Asha Greyling!
The Vampire of Kings Street is set in an alternate 19th-century New York where vampires exist in society but only as possessions of the wealthy city elite. Our story begins at the office of Radhika Dhingra—a new, young lawyer trying to establish her own legal practice within a society that is still skeptical of women in her profession, especially women of color. When the vampire of an influential family, Mr. Evelyn More, shows up at her office door asking for her help and saying he thinks he will be accused of murder, Radhika is drawn into a sprawling murder mystery full of family drama, sordid secrets, and forgotten history.
❤️ What I loved: For me, his was a quick, compelling read! I enjoyed the way that the mystery unfolded, I found myself really wanting to unravel the layers of secrets and lies to find out what was going to happen next. I thought there was a great cast of characters in this story, with Radhika an interesting and likable lead.

💔 What I didn’t love: I wish there had been a little more—both in the development around the society (particularly the ways vampires operated within it) and some of the character development. However, for a short book, I think it was just enough for me to make it a success overall!

I would definitely recommend The Vampire of Kings Street to fans of paranormal fiction, particularly with gothic or historical settings. I would love to see more in this world, so I hope Greyling continues Radhkia’s story in the future.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐/5 (4-4.5)

Acknowledgments & Disclaimers
✨ Thank you to NetGalley, Asha Greyling, and Crooked Lane Books, for providing an ARC and the opportunity to share an honest review of this book.
✨ All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.
✨ My reviews and ratings strive to evaluate books within their own age-demographic and genre.

I'm not well versed in vampire lore but that didn't matter. This is an engaging and entertaining mystery that pairs two outsiders- Radhika and Evelyn- as they fight to prove that he is innocent of murder. An odd couple, to be sure given that he's a vampire, but after a bit you can sort of forget about the implausibility of the situation and go with it. They're lucky to have some good friends who help them and that Radhika is a clever and thoughtful attorney. Racism and otherness looms large but it makes everyone more human. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A good read.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of The Vampire of Kings Street.

I love the author's unique take on the popular vampire storyline; in her world, vampires are not sparkly, cool, and the dominant species but indentured servants.

When a vampire is falsely accused of a murder, it's up to Radhika, a young, inexperienced lawyer to discover the truth.

But will it be at the cost of her own life?

I like the historical, gilded-age like setting, and the old school feel.

Radhika is a likable, relatable character; the child of immigrants who don't fit into the typical mold the patriarchal society expects of her.

She's educated, unmarried, an entrepreneur, and living in a not so great part of the neighborhood.

And she knows what it's like to be disregarded.

Evelyn More was less interesting, which was disappointing, since he's the vampire in the title of the book. He didn't come across as compelling or interesting.

He doesn't have to be incredibly charming or alluring, but interesting would be nice. I can't say I wanted to know more about him after I finished this.

I wished I liked the story more but it was more cozy than I anticipated.

The pacing dragged, it was mostly exposition, and I wasn't a fan of the diary excerpts, which is all telling and no showing.

Also, I realize my expectations were very different.

When I saw 'vampire' in the title, I thought of horror and true terror, but the narrative was pretty tame.

This wasn't bad, but I expected more bite (pun intended).

Thank you for the opportunity to read this book, but it just cannot hold my attention. DNFing. Extremely slow moving, and I just don't care about the characters the way that I should.

This is not the right book if you're expecting the Twilight like vampire or the sexy one.
If you want to read a well plotted and intriguing story that talks about vampires which are sort of pets with just some basic rights and how it was hard to be a dark skinned woman lawyer, go on and read it
It's not a very fast story, it takes its time to build the world and it takes some times before we get to know what is behind the story.
But Rahika and Evelyn grew on me and I was left wanting more.
I'm not sure if the comparison to Gail Carriger is the right one so read this novel if you want a well plotted paranormal mystery set in an alt-London and featuring some steam punk.
I loved it.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

As much as I liked the idea behind this story, I struggled with the actual novel. Although it is a relatively short read it has a slow pace (in my opinion) and not much happens until the last few chapters.

I like alternate histories, I like paranormal stories, I like detective stories, I even like it all mixed together, but this book just didn't work for me. Maybe because most of the background information about the vampires wasn't revealed until later in the story. I'm not sure.

2.5/5 Stars

The Vampire of Kings Street by Asha Greyling follows a young woman Radhika, in the early 19th century as she is struggling to get clients for her law firm. Her first and only customer is Evelyn More, a vampire that is needing help because he feels that he is going to be arrested for murder. Yet the crime has not happened. Radhika is hesitant to take the case because Mr. More is a vampire and is not so sure that he is innocent of the crime. Now Radhika is running out of time to save her only client as the clues that she is finding is sending her in other directions. This is a debut novel by Asha Greyling and I was absoultly hook by the first chapter. I have never read a book where someone is wanting to prove the innocents of a vampire. I would recommend this book to anyone that loves both a great mystery and a vampire book. I would like to thank both NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for letting me read an advanced copy of this book.

thank you to netgalley and the publisher for this e-arc! 3.5/5 stars rounded up, I was holding on to the edge of my seat while I was flying through this

mystery isn't usually my thing, but the promise of vampires really lured me in. (I think it's crazy that even in fantasy worlds where vampires exist, humans still manage to find a way to oppress someone, but I digress.) I do think this story could've benefitted from the inclusion of more vampire characters - I understand why there weren't more, considering the way vampires are treated in this world, but that last little glimpse was honestly one of the more interesting parts and I was left wanting to see more. the mystery is a bit of a slower build - it starts off very quick but kinda of slows down which I think does well to build tension. you get this very frantic, desperate energy at the beginning that, though it mellows out as radhika starts to methodically piece things together, carries you through the slower parts of the plot, especially as radhika starts to uncover more pieces of the puzzle, some of which are especially interesting. the characters grated on me a bit - both radhika and evelyn both make certain choices and say certain things in the beginning that had me confused as to why they were holding back, but they still felt like real people, not just paper caricatures with no depth. I did think that teeny romance inclusion towards the end was unnecessary - I mean, it was super minimal, but I still thought there was no real reason to include that. however, greyling is a phenomenal writer - sometimes in period novels, authors will write something that just immediately takes you out of the time era in a jarring way, but greyling has all of that down to a t and very artfully fits in world building, info dumping, and character introspection in a relatively short novel in a way that doesn't jar the flow of the story. overall, a really promising debut - unsure if greyling intends to continue this as a series, but I would love to read more in this world if they plan to write it!

This is an honest review and my opinions on this read. This would an ideal read for those who love vampires, love history and enjoy a slow paced read. It begins with lawyer who isn't very popular and has had a long road with her career. Until one day a vampire walks in and hires her to represent him and plead his case to be innocents. When i say this is a slow paced read i am not kidding you don't find out much until the last few pages. Most of the time it speaks about Evelyn the vampire that could be the murderer and not a lot of the actual murder mystery. In the end the book perfect for anyone who loves gothics, mysteries, vampires, and fantasy and i hope there will be a sequel as it leaves me with many questions.

Miss Radhika Dhingra is a newly minted lawyer in New York City in this story. She hasn't been hired by any of the local firms and is eking out a living in a lower-class part of town and living in her office.

When a vampire comes to her door looking for legal advice, she is interested and afraid and conflicted. Mr. Evelyn More fears that he will be accused of the murder of a young woman who was once his ward. Vampires aren't often given the benefit of a doubt when it comes to murder.

Agnes Tomson had been killed in a particularly brutal way in her dressing room at the opera and a bloody glove belonging to More was discovered on site. Things aren't looking good for More. But Radhika is determined to find out the truth even though she's fired by the Frost family who have sheltered More for hundreds of years.

This alternate paranormal history mystery was an interesting look both at vampires and at life in Nineteenth Century New York. I enjoyed it and especially enjoyed Radhika's mixed feeling about defending a vampire.

DNF at 26%

Unfortunately, this book just didn't do it for me. I was excited for a vampire mystery but it is so hard to get into and I didn't find it gripping at all.

I struggled to care for the MC or her vampire client and the mystery side of things was tepid at best.

The book is short so I thought I'd struggle through it in the hopes that it would get better but there is nothing exciting to keep me going.

I've seen it described as a slowburn mystery but sadly the burn is so slow, it has actually gone out.

Hear me out. I love a good mystery and I love vampires. I just don't think the two mixing in this one did the book the amount of justice and fun twist that I was hoping. I don't feel like either one helped the other much at all.

It's the 1870's in London and vampires have been integrated into society by becoming wards to some of the city's most powerful and wealthy families. For the families to host a vampire is an honour - even though some fear and dislike them, they protect their host families and act almost as servants. Despite their status, they are still considered outsiders and have very little legal standing.

Radhika is a brown-skinned young lawyer who also feels like an outsider. She is not wealthy, having put all her money into her failing practice, and she doesn't look the same as her peers. She has a strong sense of justice, so when a vampire appears on her doorstep one evening, she is compelled (not by the vampire) to help him despite his strange story.

Evelyn More is the ward of the Frost's on Kings Street - a prestigious family and address. He turns to Radhika in desperation as he feels he will soon be arrested for murder. Despite being a vampire, he has compassion and admiration for humans. And he does not want to suffer the punishment of eternal death, should he be convicted.

As Radhika learns more about Evelyn, his origins and his host family, she too finds compassion for him. Despite being warned to exercise caution with Evelyn, she is drawn to his case and becomes his champion.

There's so much going on in this relatively short read. Themes of racism, persecution of minorities and exploitation are the obvious ones to point out. But the story is never preachy. Radhika and Evelyn are wonderfully complex characters. They are both relatable and their friendship is heartwarming. I loved the other characters as well, especially the indefatigable reporter and Mr Blacklace.

There's no cliffhanger ending but I really hope this is the start of a series, as I would hate to say goodbye to this world when it seems like their stories are just beginning.

I received an ARC of this book from Crooked Lane Books and Netgalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Thanks so much to Crooked Lane Books and NetGalley for an ARC of The Vampire of Kings Street by Asha Greyling in exchange for an honest review.

Rating: 3/5


Historical fiction fantasy novels like this are powerful ways to explore contemporary societal challenges, including misogyny. I was captivated by the protagonist’s unwavering self-assurance and her deep bond with her journalist companion. The book left me with numerous valuable insights. Suppose you appreciate narratives akin to “The Phantom of the Opera,” stories about Star Wars, X-Men, or those centred around marginalized individuals and struggles of being seen as equal. In that case, this literary work is tailor-made for you. 📚✨

I got this as an arc on Netgalley and it will come out in September. This was pretty solid for a debut novel! The writing is occasionally TOO formal even for the era it was meant to be in, which occasionally took me out of the story but the plot was really interesting and I didn't see the plot twist coming!

Nice book. Short and interesting read. I like the representation of WOC and the male character. Overall a fun , light read. Would recommend this for a sunny Sunday afternoon.

3.5 stars rounded down - not bad for a debut!

I think many people will find that this story is entertaining and relatively well written, but at times I struggled to engage with the story. I, like some other reviewers, also was not a fan of the inclusion of the vampires towards the end of the story. I think later installments may change my mind on this, but for now I think I'm hovering around a solid 3.5. I'll still recommend this book to my friends, but I don't believe it's a household favorite currently.

As always, thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Entertaining and engaging. A recommended purchase for collections where historical mysteries and paranormal titles are popular.

1.5 Rounded up

I'm happy to see how many readers liked and loved this book. Perhaps it just has something to do with me - maybe I missed some salient points, which is why this book didn't 'do' it for me. I normally adore vampire novels and thought that this one would be different enough to capture my attention.

I AM a fan of Gail Carriger, and in no way does this book come close. Well, maybe the female journalist who dresses in men's clothes?

It was difficult t understand anything about these vampires until near the end. The idea of a vampire being what amounts to a bulter was unique, but that was it. Unless you want to consider how far you have to suspend your disbelief about a woman being a lawyer in the very early 1900s AND her being Indian, and not American Indian either.

It just didn't do it for me. The female protagonist was too wishy-washy, and the author pounded us with her 'marginalization' rhetoric.

*ARC was supplied by the publisher Crooked Lane Books, the author, and NetGalley.

I loved the play on the status of vampires, the world that Greyling created and the general atmosphere was everything. The return of vampire books are here!