Huh. Well that was an interesting, quirky read with a main character that’s as close to an anti-hero as I’m willing to go, I think. There were some really interesting themes around memory/time and capitalist opulence in the midst of global turmoil that I think will really resonate with readers post-pandemic - though I agree with some of the other reviews that they’re not 100% satisfactorily flushed out. However, as far as novellas go, it felt pretty complete to me and in a way, I think the ambiguity lends to the choppy, present-tense feel of the story with a (very) flawed narrator with a limited view of what’s happening around her. I also personally enjoyed the conflict resolution at the end and felt it was the perfect conclusion to what had built between the characters. I enjoyed the subliminal horror of the story and the atmosphere created, even if it fell outside the realm of usual vampire fiction. It was definitely unique!

Thank you to NetGalley and Creature Publishing for the chance to read early in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and Creative Publishing for the opportunity to read this eARC!

I have no clue how I feel about this book. The plot, I thought, was an original idea and appealed to me immensely. Vampires on a queer cruise? Brilliant concept. It had so much potential. It was a quick and easy read. There were a few moments that were quite funny and absolutely no shortage of the promised unbridled narcissism. I feel like the actual plot fell a bit short for what I was expecting. I basically stuck around because I was interested enough in trying to figure out the mystery of Heaven.

The writing was a tad bit choppy for my taste. The flow of the story came off as abrupt and scattered at times, which caused some disorientation regarding what was happening and whether it was actually happening or just inner dialogue from the FMC. I found all of the characters to be insufferable. This book, I think, was just not for me.

I think this book could be very fun for a very specific audience. This novella might be for you if you enjoy weird, short books with a superficial plot.

Thanks to Lindsay Merbaum and NetGalley for this ARC!

I liked this one for a quirky little fun read. It doesn’t try to be profound or poetic, it’s literally just “what if there was a bunch of monsters on an adults only cruise”. It wasn’t necessarily my favourite but after a particularly heavy read before this one, it was the playful and short respite I needed.

What a delight to see that Netgalley approved my request to read this novella! I found Vampires at Sea via Kristen Arnett and I'm happy I did.

As someone who hates the very idea of big boat cruises, I found a cruise ship to be a prime setting for a horror, and many details about just being on the cruise itself contributed to a sense of dread and unease in the story.

WWDITS inspired, as many have noted. Queer poly vampires and our narrator is deliciously narcissistic. A simple thing, but I liked how she tuned everyone out mid-sentence because she literally doesn't care about anyone but herself. Her narcissism fuels an existential dread/identity crisis that is central to the story when her lover catches eyes for another.

What stood out to me in this story, and what will likely linger after my goldfish brain has forgotten the finer details, was Merbaum's masterful depiction of the madness that occurs when a person is overwhelmed with jealousy and fears losing their lover to another.

I enjoyed the subtle social commentary, and the queer campiness of it all.

The ending felt a bit discordant for me, but overall I loved this and want to read more like it. Thanks Netgalley for the ARC!

I really wanted to like this book, but sadly enough I didn’t. So much was happening at once but at the same time nothing was really happening. Usually I really like story’s with non-monogamy or polyamory but this didn’t feel like it was executed well. There also were a few things that didn’t really make sense, like something about the war that was mentioned once and then never again. All in all I was just kinda bored while reading this book.

Thank you netgally and creature publishing for letting me read this in exchange for an honest review

This was…. something. I thought the premise sounded fun and interesting: a super-queer horror-comedy novella about vampires? Should be a good time!

There might be a super niche audience that will love this novella. Unfortunately, I am not part of that audience. For it being only 84 pages, I felt like it took a while to actually get into the story and the comedy aspect of the “horror-comedy” did not translate for me. I found the writing style hard to follow at times and could not understand the main character's decisions half the time.

I think it’s still worth giving a shot if it sounds interesting to you since it’s only 84 pages. And I can at least say that the cover is absolutely stunning.

Thank you NetGalley and Creature Publishing for providing this eARC for an honest review.

I am so glad I got to read this, it is a very cute book. It was well worth the read. I can’t wait to see what she has next

This story had a really interesting premise, and I enjoyed the writing style and humour a lot. I will say that I found it to be fluffy in parts, and I feel as if the ending was rushed, however it was a good time overall.

It’s a fun, supernatural story that you could bring on holiday. You could easily read it in a day by the pool 😊

I loved the premise of this, but the writing style was really not for me. The sentence structure was all wrong and the language used erratic. It had so much potential but it's a no from me

I was so hoping to love this book because the premise really was interesting. Unfortunately, all that waited for me was disappointment. The characters were narcissistic and sex-crazed to a degree to which I genuinely don't think would strike anyone as sexy or alluring. The entire story was bland and basic with little actual plot. The only part of this book I enjoyed was the writing style (which I have to praise the author for: it was really well written), but when there's terrible characters, surface-level interactions, and a lack of plot...writing style can't really save you.

I don't think there's anyone I know that would enjoy this book. I really hope that the author decides to write a different book with less asshole characters and confusing story because I would definitely give it a chance.

Man, I really fucking hated the characters.

I think this was supposed to be comedic, but it wasn't funny. It was horny, but not arousing. The characters were unique, but unloveable. Reading things from the main character's POV was grating. I think this was intentional, but still wasn't a lot of fun. I love vampires and was pretty excited for the premise (queer Black Sea sex cruise with emotion-vampires, wow!), but was unsatisfied by the execution. I can feel the inspiration from Anne Rice & WWDITS dripping all over this, but it was so unfocused and confusing that it didn't quite come together, I think.

I received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Kind of ate this up I can't lie, such a nice surprise. Something about it reminded me of Veronica Roth's "When Among Crows".

this is a book that has a very specific audience that will enjoy it, and i most definitely did. this was a wild ride, started slow but really built itself up. the characters were insufferable in a way that made you completely obsessed, the writing was different and captivating. thank you to net galley for the arc!

Fast and fun read. Rebekah had me snorting with laughter much it the time. There’s a very What We Do In the Shadows mixed with Lestat de Lioncourt vibe going on and I think many fans of either would enjoy this story. Thanks Netgalley for the arc!

this was such an interesting read! this book was crazy and weird in the best way possible. I was a little confused in a few parts but I did enjoy reading it. I didn't rhink it was boring.

the vampires in the book were written very differently than what you normally read about vampires. It was nice that Rebekah chose herself in the end. Heaven definitely doesn't seem to be gone forever as well.


there were a few things in the book that i didn't feel like were answered. there were things that felt like conversations didnt didnt have an ending. but, overall I really enjoyed reading this.

Lindsay Merbaum’s Vampires at Sea is a bloody, lusty, and deliriously fun romp—think What We Do in the Shadows meets The White Lotus, with a heaping dose of queer chaos. This smutty horror-comedy sinks its fangs into emotional vampirism (both literal and figurative) with razor-sharp wit, unapologetic indulgence, and a surprising undercurrent of heart.

Rebekah and Hugh—immortal, glamorous, and terminally self-absorbed—are the kind of vampires you’d swipe right on in a cursed dating app. Fleeing the drudgery of modern San Francisco (and, you know, global wars), they embark on a Black Sea cruise, ready to seduce, snack on passengers’ emotional turmoil, and maybe join an orgy or two. But their hedonistic paradise is upended when Hugh becomes obsessed with Heaven, a mesmerizing non-binary influencer who might be more than human. As Rebekah spirals into jealousy and existential crisis, the novel shifts from a campy feast of narcissism to a surprisingly poignant exploration of identity, memory, and what it means to love someone for centuries.

Merbaum’s writing is a delight—wickedly funny, dripping with decadent descriptions, and unafraid to lean into the absurd. The cruise ship setting is perfect for this story, a floating microcosm of privilege and desire where the vampires’ antics feel both outrageous and weirdly relatable. The supporting cast (a mix of clueless normies and fellow monsters) adds layers of satire, skewering influencer culture, performative wellness, and the hollow allure of luxury.

While the book delivers on its promise of “unbridled narcissism” and steamy queer encounters, it’s Rebekah’s emotional arc that lingers. Her journey—through jealousy, forgotten histories, and the terrifying vulnerability of change—gives the story unexpected depth. It’s a testament to Merbaum’s skill that a novel this raunchy and ridiculous can also make you pause and think about the weight of eternity.

3.5 Stars

A fun, angsty erotica with vampires stuck in a love triangle, who are stuck on an orgy filled cruise ship.

Honestly this novella was definitely fun, the sex scenes were really fun, however I really wish we learned more about the world. I know this book was all vibes and while that was fun and still held my attention I just feel like if we had learned more about the world, we would have been able to have more attraction to the characters were meant to care about.

Our characters are blunt and selfish but also loving and adventurous and felt really human in the way they acted and expressed their emotions.

The ending felt a little glossed over, however for a novella I finished it and I was satisfied!

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the Arc.

I think, thanks in part to this book, that feminist queer horror is becoming one of my favourite subgenres.

Vampires at Sea is both hilarious and unsettling, horny and horrible. I both hated and loved Rebekah and her scenes with Heaven were like watching a car crash--fascinating, visceral and disturbing whilst being titillating as well.

I have a feeling I'll still be thinking of this book for years, it gets its claws into you that deep. Fantastic read.

I love the way that the age of the characters is shown. They behave like "normal" people, but there are references to older time periods and certain things they do just feels out of date. Great stuff

So I think it was a good premise, but the execution not so much. I (maybe) knew what the author wanted to say, but it's lost because of chaotic writing; maybe it would be better longer, but I don’t think so. My problem is that the plot was a mess, the characters are messes, so there is basically nothing to catch your attention. Like is said at the beginning, the premise was so good. Vampires but make them feed on emotions? Great. Unicorn (queer term, not a real unicorn) who is a villain but make them a shapeshifter? Also great, but it all falls out in the end. The ending was rushed, you blink and thats it, done. And even though it's a short, quick read, the culmination of events is underwhelming to be true, and at first I didn’t get it. What was the point? We didn’t learn about characters enough to care about what’s happening to them and where they are at the end. Their relationships are surface-level at best and if I'm reading a story about vampires who have been together for hundreds of years it's not what I should be getting out of it, even if they are narcissists. And it was supposed to be smutty, spoiler it was not. It was bland, dry and anticlimactic.