Two gay men—one young, one ageless—sink their teeth into reclaiming their lives and identities from those who would silence them in this insatiable romantic horror novel from Hugo and Nebula Award–nominated author Kellan McDaniel.
Howard is biding his time until he can finally leave for college, where he has been promised it gets better. The last thing he expected was to meet a boy. But George reminds Howard of the movie stars from the 1960s he’s obsessed with. Plus, George is endearingly formal and well-read, and his grandpa fashion is super authentic.
After over twenty years together, George is about to lose his life partner. He met James when they were teenagers then lost track of him until they reconnected in their early sixties. Now, James is going somewhere beyond George’s reach—because George is a vampire, forever trapped in the body of a nineteen-year-old.
As the two grow closer, George begins to see a future beyond losing his first love, and Howard stops imagining himself always being alone…even if companionship comes at the cost of his mortality. When the discrimination the men have suffered their whole lives rears its ugly head to take away their happy ending, they finally strike back at the world that’s done its best to subdue them their entire lives.
THE FACTS
📕unique, well developed concept
📘if you’re angry about the things the queer community is facing…this may make you feel better
📙 all about love, and death
THE GOOD BITS
I just finished this book in one damned day. I come from a unique perspective when it comes to this novel – and I found that I really was drawn in by the anger in this plot. I’ll explain that – and it certainly doesn’t mean that I didn’t like it. In fact, I adored it.
Howard is going to a school that is hell. Sure, the constant message is that “it gets better.” But does it really? Howard is bullied; his parents basically gave up on him when he came out as gay. His solace is his Oma who took him in and his volunteer job leading craft night for senior citizens. When Howard is dispatched by a couple of charmingly, nosey residents to try and persuade the newest resident to come and join in – he meets a young man who changes his life.
George is spending time with his life partner, James. James has been moved into the home, a home that George can only visit at night and never as the partner of James. George is a vampire. He’s spent twenty years with James. They met in high school and George kept his distance while he was coming to terms with being a “monster”. When he returned to James it was still a time in which they couldn’t live openly. As James aged…it became more and more difficult until he is sneaking into a window to see his life partner.
But vampires really have more than one life, don’t they?
George meets Howard when they are both in transition. George is losing his partner and facing being alone. Howard is engaged in a battle at school trying to fight for the rights of 2SLGBTQIA+ students. The two of them are on different journeys, but they have remarkable things in common.
What I really enjoyed about the relationship between the two characters was the mesh of history of the Queer community and the fact that the current state is sometimes, no better.
Here’s where my experience comes into my view on this book. I worked on the frontlines of the HIV/AIDS crisis. I’m talking hands on, in the thick of it. One year, I went to more than 30 funerals. Come forward to today and I’m watching my trans friends battle for their own existence, books with queer themes being banned, and authors with too much money trying to erase people. This book addresses the history and the now of being part of the queer community.
As a vampire, George may appear to be a young man, but he has lived through history. He has watched his friends die, longed to be able to hold a boy’s hand while they were on a date, he is about to outlive his life partner. On the other hand, Howard hasn’t experienced that history but, in some ways, he is still living it. Things may have changed in some ways, but Howard has been disowned by his parents. He has a friend whose family refused to acknowledge a gender transitions. He witnesses and experiences bullying, violence and it’s not stopping.
When these two souls come together, it’s like a perfect storm and one of them is a monster. There is resilience in love.
This story ends up being a remarkable blend of love story, self-discovery, advocacy and fantasy. That is a place the McDaniel inhabits and I’m so thankful for it.
I have thoroughly enjoyed everything from Kellan McDaniel (K.M. Szpara) because his writing is intelligent, creative and stunning. The ideas that come from this author’s mind are truly amazing to experience and I am so grateful to be able to read their creations.
I recommend this book whole-heartedly to anyone who likes thoughtful plots, multi-faceted characters and love.
THE LINKS
🖊 Author
I purchased my own copy of Till Death. This is an unbiased review.
Kinzie Things 