Thank you to the publishers, author and NetGalley for the free copy of this book.

Not sure everyone will like the writing style & slow burn to this but I enjoyed it! Unique take on vampires, very different from most vampire stories I have read. I loved Mark and Dain and would absolutely read more by this author.

3.5 stars.
Growing up in his small town, teenaged Mark is the daylight hands and eyes of his vampire master, Dain. Day Boys have some privileges and standing in the town, as well as responsibilities to their masters. Day Boys also have expiry dates: Mark is approaching the time when either his master recommends his transformation into a vampire, or sends Mark on his way into the world. (This is the same world as Trent Jamieson's other book. "The Stone Road", and it's a place full of dangers outside of towns, with monsters prowling the countryside, and vampires congregating in the Red City.)

Mark has a tendency to run his mouth and get in fights. He's also enamoured with Anne the daughter of the town's shopkeeper. Neither Dain nor the Anne's mother are happy with Mark's infatuation, and Mark is unable to see that Anne has her own ambitions for her life beyond the small confines of their town.

In an effort to get Mark to focus, Dain takes Mark to the Red City to see what could await him if he smartened up. Things don't go well, and Mark's missteps end up having repercussions back home, and precipitate long simmering tensions amongst the vampires and their Day Boys who live in his town.

I flat out loved "The Stone Road", and though Mark is a appealing character, this book did not hold my attention in the same way. The prose and worldbuilding are great, and Mark is believable in his tendency to cause trouble while posturing and snarking his way about his peers, the other Day Boys in town.

I liked Dain's long-suffering attitude to Mark, and his care and fondness for the boy. The vampire and boy make an interesting pair, with Mark both revering Dain, and chafing at the rules restricting his behaviour.

The story is full of violence and optimism and humour, and I so wished I had loved this book as much as "The Stone Road".

Thank you to Netgalley and to Erewhon Books for this ARC in exchange for my review.

I DNF'd this at 10%. The action is mind-numbingly slow and uneventful, with an impossibly bland narrator that I can't bring myself to caring about.

I got about 5% of the way through this story and put it down. The premise is so intriguing but I couldn't get into the writing style of this one.

They worship the Sun: the only god as cruel as they are.

The Masters, dreadful and severe, rule the Red City and the lands far beyond it. By night, they politic and feast, drinking from townsfolk resigned to their fates. By day, the Masters must rely on their human servants, their Day Boys, to fulfill their every need and carry out their will.

Mark is a Day Boy, practically raised by his Master, Dain. It’s grueling, often dangerous work, but Mark neither knows nor wants any other life. And, if a Day Boy proves himself worthy, the nightmarish, all-seeing Council of Teeth may choose to offer him a rare gift: the opportunity to forsake his humanity for monstrous power and near-immortality, like the Masters transformed before him.

But in the crackling heat of the Red City, widespread discontent among his fellow humans threatens to fracture Mark's allegiances. As manhood draws near, so too does the end of Mark's tenure as a Day Boy, and he cannot stay suspended between the worlds of man and Master for much longer.

With brilliantly evocative, hypnotic prose, Trent Jamieson crafts a fang-sharp and surprisingly tender coming-of-age story about a headstrong boy—and the monster who taught him to be a man.

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Lovely cover with a pretty okay plot and storyline. It's unique and i love the characters here.
Thanks Netgalley and Erewhon books for the ARC!

A really interesting take on vampires, set in a post-apocalyptic (post-climate-change related collapse?) world, where Masters, vulnerable during daylight hours, rely on their Day Boys to assist them in their control of the villages where they reside. We follow Mark, the Day Boy who serves Dain, who is conflicted about his role, and about his future. Dain himself is quite conflicted about Mark's future as well. Despite some heavy and violent events (ya know, vampire novel, post-apocalyptic future etc), this is a quiet and thoughtful story. The setting is vividly realised, and not over-explained. A really well-crafted novel.

A wildly imaginative look at vampires in a post-apocalyptic Australia, DAY BOY is a coming-of-age story like no other.

Start was slow even with the fight amongst the day boys. Getting to know what makes them and their masters was perfect, I was curious about the build of this new vampire. I adored Dain and how he felt for his Day Boy. All the death and violence, leading to who we are following being stranded and kind of hated. Then finding a new path was incredible.

3.5 stars rounded up. I would not categorize this book as a horror novel, but its definitely a dystopian setting with some horror elements. This is a mid-paced, methodical, lyrical post-apocalyptic novel set in a fantasy future Australia where vampire Masters rule over the region with the assistance of their human Day Boys. We follow Mark as he spends his days protecting and serving his master Dain, and as he dreams of being chosen to become a Master after his apprenticeship ends. Mark's story parallels a lot of the angst and uncertainty of teenagers transitioning to adulthood- obedience to adults and the defiance of self-determination, the dream of a certain life and the harsh reality of those dreams, learning what power and influence you may have, and what powerful forces in the world could crush you like an ant.
While this story is not as exciting as I usually want my vampire fiction to be, I really appreciated the unique take on vampires in this world. There is a lot of exploration of the unique grief of being an immortal, feared being. In sacrificing their mortality, the masters also sacrifice their ability to create beautiful things like music, and they crave these uniquely human creations almost as much as they crave blood and power. And Dain's relationship with Mark is complex and touching.
The ending totally surprised me, and yet was utterly fitting with the trajectory of the story. And while it is not a cliffhanger, it does pique my imagination in thinking about what kind of story could come after.

Immortal, vampiric-like being called Masters rule the Red City, but during the day, they turn to stone and require servants (known as Day Boys) to help with their housework.

Mark is one of these Day Boys, and if he proves himself worthy, he might one day be offered the opportunity to become a Master himself. However, the city is beginning to grow restless, threatening to topple his life as he knows it.

Day Boy by Trent Jamieson is a gritty dystopian that brings new blood to the vampire mythos. I mean, we have sun-worshipping vampires here who use ash to give themselves tattoos. How cool is that?

The world is wonderfully immersive and almost has a post-apocalyptic, Wild West quality to it that reminds me of Vampire Hunter D, so if you adore that series, I think you’ll enjoy this book as well.

On top of that, the writing style has a lyrical, literary quality to it that grips ahold of you and doesn’t let go even after the final page.

Lastly, I do want to point out that this book was originally published back in Australia in 2015. Now it’s been picked up by Erewhon, so I hope more people will get to experience it because it truly is such a gorgeous, introspective work.

In a post-apocalyptic Australia, there are beings who rule the civilized world known as Masters. These Masters are immortal and have a symbiotic relationship with their territories – they protect the humans in the area but also feed upon them. Each Master has a Day Boy, and Mark is one of these boys. His Master isn’t as cruel as others, and Mark finds plenty of time to get into trouble. But as Mark is getting older, it’s time for him to discover his fate – will he be subjected to the Change and become a Master, or remain a human and fight to survive?

I was completely blown away by this book. This take on vampirism was phenomenal, and the way the author used some classical elements of the myths but introduced new elements was wonderfully done. While this setting is post-apocalyptic, there was no real discussion of what the apocalypse was or what happened to most technology – I didn’t mind this, but it would be interesting to see if future books discuss this more.

The worldbuilding was excellent. Reading this work transported me into the setting and I was completely immersed; the author wove details and meaningful descriptions throughout the prose that created a beautiful and memorable read. Towards the beginning of the book, there were a few instances where I wanted a bit more explanation for some things, usually setting related, but the more I read, the more these details came to light.

Mark was a well written protagonist. I enjoyed his sass and need to find trouble, which made for some interesting plot hooks. He underwent some serious character growth, making his journey fantastic to watch. His relationship with his Master was relatable and realistic and made the characters feel alive. The secondary characters were just as well written, with plenty of depth, development, and growth.

My review can in no way do this book justice. I highly recommend this work, and it’s one of the best I’ve read in a long while. My thanks to NetGalley and Erewhon Books for allowing me to read and review this work. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own. Y’ALL GO READ THIS.

𝗚𝗲𝗻𝗿𝗲: Post apocalyptic vampire fantasy 😏
5+ /𝟱

Anne - out here asking the important questions.

🌱THE EXCELLENT
~ Post apocalyptic-ish setting
~ Scene setting is somewhat similar to The Year of the Witching
~ 👏 so many great observations (life quotes)
~ Mature writing with gravitas that captivates
~ Old & re-imagined vampire lore

Opening slowly like a delicate dahlia, we follow the irrepressible & rambunctious Mark - a Day Boy - servant to Master Dain, annoyance to Dougie & friend to Grove & George - keeper of secrets, vampire familiar - wake up daily and ask himself: “What can I do to unsubscribe from life today” - while doing his many chores around the town.

As Mark begins to age out of being a Day Boy, future options that may include masterhood to exile lay before him - tantalizing - if only he can learn to shut up, learn to follow orders, not incite a fight between masters, not get killed in the City, not embarrass & shame Dain, keep his neck attached, keep blood in his veins, not become an enemy of random Day Boys… 😒 you get the drift.

A brilliantly written story that is well worth the wait the beginning forces on you.

✨𝗚𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗶𝘁 𝗮 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱.

🌱THE MEH
~ Mark driving up my blood pressure

♡🌱 𝗕𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁'𝘀 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗺𝗲 ;)

They worship the Sun: the only god as cruel as they are.

That sentence had me hooked immediately. And once I started reading, I couldn't put this down. I don't want to spoil anything, so I'll just say that the prose is lovely. And anyone who enjoys a good fantasy will enjoy this.

I ended up absolutely loving Day Boy!
It has ended up being one of my favourite reads of the year!
It ended up being a really unique Vampire book!
I definitely highly recommend this to everyone!
Thank you Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Young man is the servant of a vampire, a "day boy." A cruel fate in a crueler world. One is a servant, a vampire, a prey, or an enemy. Vampires rule, not only as a monster but in some degree as a herd master, a keeper of livestock. Day boys are sometimes turned to vampirism, sometimes to prey, rarely are there other choices.
A good read, a grim world, some kind of partial redemption.

4 stars. I enjoyed this one, and other vampire lovers will as well. Thank you to the publisher an NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Mark is a Day boy, a bit taken by a young age to serve a Vampiric master. His duties are many, including tending to the townsfolk after his master has fed upon them. The townsfolk have made a deal with the masters to keep themselves safe, twice a month they are fed upon in exchange for protection. When trouble finds Mark and his master, they leave their small world for the larger city. With Mark's time with his master comes towards an end, Mark must train his replacement and figure out where his life goes from here.

When I initially finished this story I was leaning more towards a 3 star rating, but upon reflecting upon all the components that made up this book, it's a solid 4 star read at the least. It has great characters who help Mark become who we see grow thoughout the novel. The pacing is a bit slow at times, but only to ensure the author had the proper time to fully describe the world as it was. A post apocalyptic setting where we never really find out what happened with technology. Vampire lovers will enjoy Day Boy, however I don't think it will become a favorite of many. Fresh concepts and Master Dain really made this book for me.

4 stars and a recommendation for Day Boy to those who love everything vampire. Nothing is exceptionally graphic so age range I would recommend is 13+. I really enjoyed Day Boy and am so grateful to have been allowed into it's world.

Day Boy is unlike any other vampire book I have ever read. I'll be honest -- I requested an ARC simply because the cover was drop dead gorgeous. It has just the right amount of mystery to it, too. It fits the book to a T, I'm happy to say. Day Boy is truly a coming-of-age story set in a new world emerging after an ending. (This is perhaps badly phrased -- it's our world, just after a disaster/world war or something. The novel takes place in what's left of Australia.) Jamieson alludes to some awful thing that has ended the world and brought upon the Masters (they are the vampires of the world. I really wish he had just come out and said what happened. Authors do this all the time with dystopian/post-apocalyptic books. Just tell me what happened!!!

Anyway, the main character is a young boy named Mark. We're not really told how old he is, just that he's been with his master for eight years, and this is his last year as a Day Boy. Day Boys are basically servants for their masters -- doing whatever needs doing during the day while the vampires can't come out. In turn, they get protection, a home, education, and care. Some Day Boys get the bite, and turn into masters as a reward once they're done. I got the impression, though, that this was rare. Mark, as a character, is a little spitfire, and is constantly getting into trouble that would be easily avoided if he just listened to his master.

But he's a young boy, so why would he do that?

We watch Mark as he makes bad decision after bad decision, and how he deals with the consequences of those decisions. Mark's voice tells the story, and it's through his eyes we see everything. Dain is Mark's master, and he was frequently waffling between caring for him as a son, or terrifying him into behaving. He was an interesting vampire -- bookish and seemingly weak compared to the others on page. The other masters in town were much more foreboding -- especially the ones in the City Beneath the Mountain.

There's no real plot, which normally doesn't bother me all that much. However, when you do a vampire novel with no real plot...it begs the question what the book is really even about. Overall, I'd say Day Boy was an interesting way to say that life is what you make of it. There is no such thing as fate -- you are in charge of what happens. The writing is well done, you really feel as if you're there with Mark watching everything awful unfold.

A solid three stars. Two stars docked because I do wish more information had been given about certain things I don't want to spoil. Another thing that bothered me that was never explained -- why did that one Master hate Dain so much? What happened between them? Too many questions left unanswered.

I did not finish this book. It is a bit odd and wont be for everyone, but I am sure it will be nice for the right person.

3.5/5 stars

Day Boy, or Dain being a father for 300 and some pages.
Really liked the concept and the writting is so beautiful. I liked the writting style and the prose a lot, very very beautiful.
I liked the relationships between the characters and how every new thing marked the protagonist, still felt the main plot a bit floppy, but he writting and the ever present mystery of this town, these Masters and they Day Boys made this read very interesting.
Very recommended!!

Another great read from Trent Jamieson, I had just finished The Stone Road by the same author and started this book as soon as I could. It was different in writing from the Stone Road but I still could see the same style as the other book. It was a interesting story and I enjoyed going through this book. The characters were great, I could see the improvement from book to book. I look forward to reading more from Mr. Jamieson.

"I’m on my rear, and the sun’s beating down almost as hard as Dougie, and blood’s flowing, nose, split lip, grazed cheek, and every time I try and get up, Dougie pushes me back onto that hard-packed earth. And I sit up again: blinking out sweat and dust and the cruel sun. I give myself a glance past the prick."