Vampires at Sea by Lindsay Merbaum had such a unique premise—a short gothic tale on the open seas, with vampires, no less! I expected atmosphere, intrigue, maybe even a touch of lyrical prose. But despite being only 168 pages, it took me five days to get through. It wasn’t dense in a rich or immersive way; it was dense in a way that made it hard to connect.

The writing style felt unnecessarily complicated, like the prose was trying too hard to sound elevated. At times, it read like a thesaurus had been fed into the manuscript. The metaphors were heavy and abstract, to the point where I often found myself confused about what was actually happening. There’s a difference between poetic and impenetrable—and this leaned toward the latter.

Unfortunately, the characters didn’t help ground the story either. They felt underdeveloped, and the pacing wobbled between rush and drag. I kept waiting for an emotional core or character growth, but it never quite came.

I received an ARC via NetGalley, and I do appreciate the opportunity to read it early. I know this might resonate with readers who enjoy experimental or metaphor-forward writing—but it just wasn’t the right match for me.

This is a very strange romp that’s going to appeal to a very specific niche and probably be despised by Everyone Else. I think that, if I’m correctly understanding and interpreting the soul of this thing, it succeeds at what it sets out to do. It’s simultaneously strikingly poetic and tackily purple. Maybe that’s fitting – a tacky account of a tacky cruise, Rebekah accurately or inaccurately recounting her experiences on the high Black Sea for those of us who couldn’t secure our own discount attendance coupons for the queer cruise to end all queer cruis(es/ing).

That doesn’t necessarily mean that it tells a perfectly cohesive story, or that everyone is perfectly likable, or that it’s a perfect 10/10; it does mean, however, that if you’re looking for a bit of an obfuscated poke-fun at rainbow capitalism and the commodification and flanderization of modern queerness set against a backdrop of two toxic immortals grappling with their attraction to a fictional individual who may or may not be an alternate-universe pastiche of a certain Queer Eye reboot entity, you’re in the right place.

Some folks have been put off by the nebulous and almost dismissive references to “the wars” and “plagues” and all of the other terrible things happening in this universe without any additional detail, but I think it actually works really well: it’s impossible to tell whether this is actually an alternate version of our current reality where everything has gone wrong, or if it’s a faithful account of our current reality through the lens of a being older than time for whom the last 400 years of wars have probably all bled into one big indistinguishable memory-chain of skirmishes and apocalypses anyway.

I think my number one gripe with this title, actually, has to do with its genre marketing more than anything else. It is neither horror nor smut, both of which it’s tagged and marketed as; the horror is really not so horrifying and the sex is perfunctory at best, even when described in vivid detail. In my opinion, it’s more of an absurdist dark fantasy than anything. If you try to read seriously and take everything at face value, it’s frankly pretty unpleasant. If you take a step back and read without trying to align yourself with any one character, narrator or otherwise, and just let her tell their story, the ship immediately rights itself.

Look, there’s only one way to know whether you’re the target audience here: pick it up (or double-click) and sample a few pages. The prose is ultraviolet, but the UV Cake is flowing. Meet me at the Black Laguna if you want to talk shop.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Creature Publishing, and author Lindsay Merbaum for the opportunity to read and honestly review this ARC.

Unfortunately, this wasn't for me. I'd say the cover really drew me in and I usually will read anything with vampires so it is probably my fault for requesting this one without doing much research into it. It felt more spice focused than plot focused which works for some but not for me. Being a novella, it was a quick paced read. Unfortunately, that can leave room for the story to be lacking in enough plot to keep me engaged. While I didn't personally love it, I can see a lot of people finding this a fun read.

I’m never opposed to a detestable protagonist, sadly in this one I wasn’t a fan of.
I will however give credit where it’s due. This book has an interesting and very unique premise as well as an unusual way of handling fantasy creatures such as vampires. Sadly I wasn’t a fan of the execution. I do feel a bit dissatisfied by the way sex is handled here. Didn’t feel to me as if it was actually necessary to the plot nor to flesh out characters, rather just a tool to drive a point home.
I also feel like the characters in this book lacked depth and growth, mainly Rebekah. I also feel like some plot points that were left opened (mainly Rebekah’s past as it’s mentioned many times) could’ve been explored a bit more. I do realise this is a short story but I wouldn’t mind if it had been a bit longer and I think it could’ve greatly benefited from that.
Either way I’m sure there will be readers who will still enjoy this book a lot and I’m excited to see what the author does next.

🧛🏼‍♀️ 🚢 Vampires at Sea🚢🧛🏼‍♀️

What do you get when you throw horny vampires into a all adult all-inclusive cruise? A giant horny and funny book! This leans more towards the LitFic & comedy side with a splash of horror, but definitely more of a smutty read than a horror thriller.

It was not what I expected per the descriptions, but still an enjoyable read. We start off with a narcissistic, capricious and pretentious MC that narrates how she's all that and a bag of chips, and soon she meets the actual bag of chips.

It was about 90% literary fiction & smut and 10% horror. I enjoyed the book towards the end and wish some of the other vampires/monsters would've played a bigger role, also the background story of the surrounding areas would've been cool addition to play a bigger roll.

As a horror read I did not care for it much, but as a literary fiction was a solid read.

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this e-book ARC in exchange of an honest review.

This quick read was a delightfully dark yet fun look at what life on a queer cruise ship would be for a vampire couple. Rebeka and Hugh have been together for centuries, but there’s trouble on the ship when a third named Heaven joins the party. I enjoyed everything about this book; the pacing, the setting, our insane MCs. Can’t wait to read more from this author and thank you for the arc!

The duality of this narrative, between human war and the war within ourselves, is nuanced. There is so much I want to read into this short tale of love, lust, marriage, betrayal, fear, bravery, finding yourself while killing yourself, and humanity, but all I can hear is Rebekah saying something akin to “humans try too hard”.

I ATE this story up and was left unsatisfied and needing more.

This was a cute quick read with an interesting premise. Fans of “What We Do in the Shadows” will enjoy the story of two vampires who go on a queer cruise and meet an unexpected new “friend”. Although intended to be quite short, I feel like this could have used a bit more development. There was a lot more about the world I wanted to know; the supernatural elements were a little vague and in some parts, didn’t shine through. I might have preferred if the story leaned into horror a bit too. Also, the threat of a vague war was interesting but again not well explained and left me with more questions than answers.
If you like vampires or queer fantasy books, definitely give this is a shot. This would be a great palette cleanser or maybe even a quick comfort read for many.

Thank you to NetGalley, Creature Publishing and Lindsay Merbaum for the opportunity to read this in exchange for an honest review.

What a fun, humorous light read! I breeze through this as I follow the main character Rebekah through her kooky adventures on (and off) the cruise hip. I love how the author explore themes of queerness and identity through the lens of vampires.

3.5 ⭐️. What We Do In The Shadows is one of my favorite shows & this gave such big Lazlo/ Nadja vibes. I loved this current take on vamps.

TY to Creature Publishing and NetGalley for an advance reading copy in exchange for an honest review.

A different type of vampires that felt kind of refreshing.

Husband and wife, they join a queer cruise in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea.
It was difficult for me to start, but then the story suddenly picks up. If not for the title, it’s difficult to know who’s narrating at first and what they are.
I don’t think I am the right audience for this book, as it’s almost a constant string of sex scenes, with some mystery about a third party who enters their open relationship, and turns out not to be what they seem to be.

For the right readers, I feel it will be ecstatic, provocative, and amusing.

Many thanks for the ARC, provided in exchange for my honest and personal review.

I absolutely loved this book and thought it was so fun. I hate cruises but I almost wish I’d been on one just so I could have read this at the same time. These are definitely problematic characters who should probably as prime examples of how to not practice ethical non-monogamy. But this is just a story and these are Vampires. At Sea! So naturally, things go very badly, in what I found were very interesting ways. They’re dramatic, they’re obnoxious, they’re hyper focused on feeding and well, f*cking. The global war of poverty in the background didn’t need to serve a larger purpose than providing a backdrop to rich people having bad days on a cruise ship, so I enjoyed that it wasn’t explained in more depth. I was all in, as far as seeing what happened to the trio of main characters, and I found the ending satisfying. No notes, I’m ready for more from this author!

A sultry cruise into identity and discovery.

An exotic escape. The titillation of a beautiful stranger. Watching all that is familiar and comforting in the world slip far, far away. But, hey, we’re on vacation!

Vampires at Sea is the second work of author Lindsay Merbaum, who brings her own distinct brand of queer, feminist magic to her many projects. Merbaum is the founder of Pick Your Potion, a curated cocktail enterprise, and is the author of multiple award-winning short stories. Her first book, The Gold Persimmon, was a 2021 Foreward Indies Finalist. In Vampires at Sea, Merbaum blends masterful study of queer themes in art and literature to a decadent (depraved) escape a la The White Lotus.

Let’s set sail!

“Immortal beloveds Rebekah and Hugh are on vacation! Against a backdrop of ongoing war, this pair of chic emotional vampires from San Francisco sets off on a queer Black Sea Cruise, eager to relax, join an orgy, and feast upon their fellow passengers’ desires and sorrows. When Hugh becomes enchanted by an alluring–and possibly magical–non-binary social media influencer named Heaven, Rebekah’s reality capsizes.”

Merbaum and Vampires at Sea join a proud literary tradition of vampires as ideal canvases for reflections on time, our cultured self versus our most primal nature, and what it is to face the notion of forever. Centering Hugh and Rebekah as energy vampires, over the more “fang forward” versions, keeps the story centered in a cerebral, philosophical plane. It also places our two lovers on opposing ends of a cosmic spectrum. Two forces that have the power to either create perfect harmony, or destroy one another.

As a central pairing, Rebekah and Hugh are utterly captivating. Brought to life by Merbaum’s sensual prose, it is the influence of the characters that holds readers in thrall. A bitter aftertaste of melancholy and danger that balances rich vignettes of sex and hunger.

The introduction of Heaven — a non-binary being of mysterious origin — is a perfect catalyst to destroying the careful balance of Rebekah and Hugh’s perspective. But, more importantly, Heaven acts as a direct challenge to the reader’s expectations of Old World and New World ways of thinking. Even in contemporary retellings, the vampire legend is rooted in what is ancient and unmoving. Heaven is positioned in the novel as a social media influencer. A creature that, by their very essence (I won’t spoil it for you), breaks the careful categories of existence.

This distinction on Merbaum’s part is what makes Vampires at Sea so much more than a delicious smutty read. With every page, Merbaum poses question that brush against what’s expected and comfortable. Combine that with beautiful, ethereal queer representation and Vampires at Sea strikes a chord as contemporary philosophy sipping a mai tai.

Vampires at Sea is a vicious, delicious read. As deeply sensual as it is intellectually probing, Lindsay Merbaum offers readers a next level experience in narrative intimacy. Hypnotic.

Vampires at Sea arrives on October 7, 2025.

3.5 ⭐ I am thankful that I received an e-arc copy of this book through NetGalley for my honest opinion. <b>Review contains minor spoilers.</b>

In barely 200 pages, I experienced so many emotions that I'm finding it difficult to process. Mostly, this book isn't very deep or thought-provoking and is largely just hedonistic fun. Unfortunately for me, I am unable to separate myself from putting getting emotionally invested as if I were the person in the situation, so watching a husband get entranced by another and leave his wife really did a number on me, and I ended up sending my boyfriend a tearful voice note at 1:30 am. He found this highly amusing. In the process of reading this book, I was very quickly reminded of why I could personally never be in an open/poly relationship, despite my love for polyamorous romance books.

Right off the bat, I could tell this book was quite unique just based on the writing style. It took me a while to get used to, and a part of me feels like I never did. There would often be moments I would need to re-read a section, thinking I missed a line, only to find I didn't, leaving me starved for more context. There were a lot of things I would have loved more clarification on, and I feel like the writing style excused itself from providing such information to the reader, as it was subject to the whims of Rebakah's short attention span and selfish desires. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, and I actually found myself enjoying it most of the time, but there were things I wish had been communicated in more depth:
- How do the vampires feed? It is quite apparent that they largely feed on emotion. Whether it's an emotion of their choosing or something each individual is naturally inclined towards is unknown, but I wonder if they also feed on blood.
- What is Rebekah and Hugh's relationship like, really? They largely seemed not to enjoy each other's presence or personalities, both being bored or even annoyed at the other's interests and conversation topics (feelings, especially expressed by Rebekah and Hugh, were a seemingly one-dimensional character that didn't get very fleshed out). Despite my personal reaction to him leaving her, I am under no illusion that she was impacted by that for the same reasons I was. Rebekah craves attention and has an almost possessive hold on Hugh because she knows she would always have his. Until the moment she didn't, which in turn rocked her view of herself and self-confidence, which was the much more devastating blow.

It's hard to explain, but the tone of the book and the way Rebekah communicated her thoughts and feelings reminded me of the film <i>Poor Things</i> starring Emma Stone. She is an incredibly unreliable narrator, exacerbated in how she's childish in the way a child only cares about their wants and desires, possessive in the way a child doesn't like to share their favourite toys, and greedy in the way a child craves the attention of the people in any given room. There was also a sense of unease present throughout the entire book as we, alongside Rebekah, are watching her husband very quickly fall under the thrall of an unknown being who seemingly has it out for Rebekah. It made for a very unsettling but intriguing experience that made it difficult to put the book down before I knew how it ended, which is great for such a short book.

I actually quite liked the book and it is a story I would recommend to people as something that doesn't take a long time to read and is interesting to talk about.

Thank you, NetGalley, for giving me this e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I was expecting a little bit more from this book. Since it’s a short novel, I didn't expect much worldbuilding, however, some was needed. In the beginning of the story, I was just confused. I didn’t know who any of the characters were since the writing was quite chaotic (in a good way, I think I would've loved it in a longer book, it just didn’t work in this short novel), and a lot of characters felt flat, especially Hugh. The protagonist herself was interesting and well developed, but she did get on my nerves sometimes.

There were too many unnecessary spice scenes. I feel like if we understood more about the new take the author had on vampires, the book would've been much more enjoyable and a lot less chaotic. The immortals themselves were interesting, which is why I was quite sad that we didn't delve deeper into their world.

In the second half of the story, I got really invested and I started enjoying the book a lot more. However, the ending was anticlimactic. The final fight itself gave us nothing—it was way too fast and easy (although I did enjoy the suspense).

This book was certainly not like anything I've ever read. Rebekah and Hugh are energy vampires invited to vacation on a queer black cruise. Rebekah feasts on desire and Hugh on sadness, and they're here to avoid problems - both their personal problems and the problems of the world at large. Then they meet Heaven, another inhuman creature who enters their poly relationship and throws a wrench in the whole thing.

Every character is incredibly hate-able. Some personas are characters are completely over the top personas, while other fall flat. I found this quite hard to get into, as the writing style is a little erratic with its random and unnecessary switches to second person, and it's certainly not your trendy current romantasy. I wanted to love this. I love What We Do in The Shadows and Interview with the Vampire and Twilight, but somehow it just wasn't for me. There is actually an interesting psychological horror element going on in the background in a couple different ways, but the narrator's obsessions and self-centeredness get in the way of anything interesting actually going on. The story also pokes at questions of human condition (What does it mean to be human? What is human enough to not be a monster?) we don't really get to explore enough to be interesting or meaningful.

It was, of course, delightfully queer and and a quick read which I enjoyed. I loved the idea of this but it just wasn't quite for me.

I kept waiting for there to be more actual vampire but that was my own preconceived notions of what that would look like- they were draining emotions and feeding off that.

The premise of a married vampire couple going on a queer, poly cruise to get up to some debauchery, with a horror tag on it? Should have been right up my alley.

Honestly, I liked the structure and the story kept picking up but the ending felt rushed. Hugh felt like such a flat character and I instantly hated Heaven but I really wanted to lean into the jealous/reactive feelings that Rebekah kept having. Her need to be a spectacle and seen by those around her while being ignored by the one she wanted most was the most relatable part about her.

Ultimately, I don't think this felt much like a "horror" novella, I felt like I was constantly waiting for something to happen and it didn't

Thanks Netgalley for this ARC, this is scheduled to be released Oct 7, 2025.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for gifting me a ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I chose the book blindly on NetGalley because I thought the cover and title were fun and boy was I in for a ride. This novella follows Rebekah and Hugo, immortal vampires who are on a 'queer Black Sea Cruise'. If you love What We Do In The Shadows vampires and White Lotus's vacation drama, this is for you! It was truly so fun and silly with heavy What We Do In the Shadows vibes without being an exact copy. It made me laugh out loud at times but also kept me entranced with these unapologetic queer characters. I loved how temperamental and nonchalant these immortals were but also how they weren't just 'normal' vampires. The author's take on vampires was interesting, unique, and exciting without being too different from a standard blood sucker. That being said, I enjoyed most of the plot but found the ending a bit lackluster and wrapped up too easily. My only other negative for the book was that Hugh was not fleshed out enough and was really more of a background character than a love interest. All in all though, I loved the concept, and it was definitely a wild and entertaining ride.

This story does include spice (and an orgy), cheating, toxic relationships, drugs and alcohol, and language so it's definitely for an adult audience but I wouldn't classify it as 'horror', it's more fantasy mystery comedy.

Immortal lovers Rebekah and Hugh take a risqué, pleasure filled cruise to satiate their deepest sexual (and vampiric) desires. A captivating, spirited, enchantress named Heaven comes along and fills their world with temptation and lust.

Things I like:

1. The sultry, dark romance & seductive tone of this story is really enticing.
2. IMMORTAL lovers??? Yes please!
3. Confined to a floating vessel with nothing to do but feed your darkest cravings? 1000% yes.

Things that could be better:

1. The characters all could have been flushed out a tad bit more. Specifically Hugh & Heaven, they’re a bit 1 dimensional.
2. I wanted more TENSION. The slow simmer, deep aching, longing…. More of that please!


Thank you SO much for this ARC. I thoroughly enjoyed this story!

I was very excited for this book but unfortunately it fell flat for me. I was expecting vampires and horror on a cruise ship but it didn’t deliver for me and the horror never showed up.

Thank you for the ARC and apologies I couldn’t rate it higher.