4,5 stars

Oh my god, my god, AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA I'M SCREEEAMINGGGGG

Okay, I calmed down and now I can talk about the book.

Here we will see three stories: the main one is from Holly, a trans vampire who wants to change his name (a common thing with vampires), but the "big guy" says he has to wait, but Holly doesn't like his name, so...
And the two secondary ones: one in the 19th and 20th centuries, where we see Lila trolling Claudia and Claudia trolling Lila, and after following their lifes; and in the other, a group of young boys are preparing to kill vampires. So....

And it’s almost obvious that they’ll intersect, so if you want to know how, you’ll have to read it, sorry

I loved that vampires are not the same as what is commonly portrayed in the movies (for example, here they kill people with a knife, not biting, and then suck the blood). This whole side is not very explored, because it is a short book, but I liked what it had.

I really liked Holly and her boyfriend Cain, I found them very cute and I was hoping that nothing would go wrong (lol how deluded). The secondary characters are not wonderful, but neither are they hideous.

I remove half a star because I wanted that Lila's story to cross more with Holly's, and I thought the ending was a little quick (I wanted more description in the scene, because she is very fast and could be extended) but I liked what happened.

Thanks a lot to netgalley for a free ARC (though it came out december 1st and I'm kind of late) of this book. As always these are all my honest opinions.

The Mellification is a story about a vampire society. They live together and have a lot of traditions that in some cases seem quite nice, but in others actually... well they're interesting for sure. One example is the fact that when you love someone, they will be buried alive and you will have to try and find them as a sign of your love. The core value among them is patience. But the main character, Holly, is getting frustrated by how patient he is expected to be. He is supposed to receive a 'vampire name' which everyone else got, but he has no idea when he will get it and it keeps getting delayed.

Then there's also another story being told in a type of flashback. Though it wasn't always clear to me how the two were connected, I did really like reading it. Especially the way time effects it, vampires being immortal and everything.

Since it's only 200 pages I won't give away much about the plot. Even though I haven't really been a fan of vampire stories, I thought this one was really interesting. It has some actually cool cultural habits and I also really liked learning about the things vampires can and can't do.
And the main character is trans, the main romance is between two men and the other romance is a sapphic one. The way these people got to know each other and developed was hilarious and amazing to read.

The ending is kind of frustrating, I WANT MORE!!! But it's a really good fit with the dark feeling this book gives off and though I would absolutely love to read a sequel, I think it works.

Another fascinating and intriguing volume into the realm of vampires, further increasing the lore of the mythic creatures. A fun, quick, and interesting read into vampire traditions through the eyes of a young Trans Vampire named Holly. All he wants in the world is to change his name to begin his new life. A name that will help erase his pasts and the last connection that ties him to his previous life as Holly. Time and time again Holly gets denied a new name in the special rites, and finally gets fed up enough to make a move. But there is an ever present danger looming over the Vampire colony. Will Holly fulfill his plans in time to free himself of his past and his name?

A great coming of age tale, suitable for anyone, slightly creepy, humorous, and absolutely fascinating.

Holly is a transgender vampire living in an underground society meant to protect vampires from those meaning them harm. His greatest wish is to finally receive his new name, a traditional act done by the lead vampire, something he is refused more than once. Strange things start occurring in the colony, and the eerie story unfolds. This is a fast paced book set mostly in a New York Cemetery, with the mysterious rooms hidden underground. I liked the mythology of vampires in this world, the different perspectives (especially Lila’s), as well as the general weirdness of the story. It was really entertaining. My biggest complaints were that some of Cain (Holly’s partner)’s actions weren’t understandable and that the ending was too open und a little rushed. It is certainly a testament to the author that I wanted more of this book than I got. This is the only book I can think of in which a character turns into a swarm of bees, and I love that about it. A pleasure!

I'm really not sure how I feel about this one. I greatly enjoyed the queer representation throughout, and the characters themselves were decent (if a little flat at times). However, the pacing was a bit rough and I always felt like I was missing just a little bit of information. I expected a bleak ending with the way the book was trending, but I'm not sure I cared much for the way it was implemented. Ultimately this was not a title I'd recommend to others without a fair bit of warning beforehand.

3/5

***Special thanks to NetGalley and Independent Book Publishers Association for Providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review***

I liked this book overall. The plot and characters were engaging enough, but I had problems with pacing throughout the novel. In addition, I was not a fan of how the story was concluded and felt that it fell flat. Overall, I enjoyed this book.

I would recommend this book as a unique, supernatural read

I loved the book. It kept me reading until i finished it. a unique take on vampires with a great protagonist, Holly. And a fantastic side story. which I really want to find more out more about. I am definitely interested in reading a second part to the story. I really liked how familiar the characters felt and were so well developed. I think the strength of the book is in it’s unique take on vampires and it’s characters/representation. The only thing I would say is that at times the pacing felt off, a lot happened at the end that seemed somewhat rushed. However, I am still loved every bit of the story and want more. ♡

This was a really interesting read! I liked the unique take on vampire mythology and Holly was an incredibly relatable protagonist. It was a nice quick read, but I think my one complaint was that it was maybe a little bit *too* short and ended fairly abruptly. I'm a sucker for a good dark ending though, so I'm still giving it four stars.

The Mellification has a great premise, a trans vampire struggling to get rid of the last trace of his human life and chafing against the traditions of his colony. In execution, I wish this story was just a little longer. I think all the elements were there, but I would have loved to have seen more. We were introduced to some fascinating side characters, but some of them never intersected with the Holly's main story. The ending made sense to me, I just would have liked a little more time to connect with the characters.

The mellification by Nat Buchbinder.
This was a good read. Likeable story. I did like Holly. Just found it a little slow. I didn't like the ending. 3*.

This wonderful novel follows Holly, a vampire indefinitely awaiting his new name from the colony that he inhabits, as well as the other vampires in his world. It is an extremely engaging and addictive read, with a well-thought-out plot and enticing developments throughout.

I was also delighted to see so much queer representation in one book—the characters were written as humans (well, as vampires) and while their goals sometimes revolved around pursuits in relation to their identities, it never clouded the novel. It all felt so perfectly natural.

The only thing that I wish that this book could’ve done was end on a more satisfying note. Although it was an ending (and not a bad one), I feel like it could’ve been more. Otherwise, it was a beautifully written book. I look forward to reading more works by this author.