Title: Vampire Fly – A Samantha Moon Story
Author: J.R. Rain
Publisher: Self-Published
Publication Date: September 4, 2022
Genres: Fantasy, Contemporary
Length: 28 pages
Source: I received a free copy from the author.
Rating: 4 Stars
Blurb:
She’s a horsefly who bit the wrong person—and now something very strange is happening to her.
Something very, very strange.
Not only can she fly faster and see further than ever before, but she has a weird craving for blood.
Her crazy new life has just begun.
That is, until she gets caught in a sticky web and stalked by a massive spider… a spider that’s about to get the surprise of its life…
Review:
Content Warning: A vampiric horsefly, insects eating each other, and an insect pregnancy and birth.
Flies have feelings, too.
Mr. Rain did an excellent job of exploring the logical conclusions of a horsefly accidentally becoming a vampire. Not only was this an imaginative story, it spent a lot of time digging into what horseflies might think and feel as they go about their usual business looking for food and, in this case, a safe place to lay their eggs. The vampiric twist to what should have been a pretty ordinary day only made everything even more interesting as the ecosystem is not exactly set up for a horsefly that is much stronger, faster, and more resilient than any other member of its species has ever been before. This opportunity to get a glimpse into the mind of a creature so unlike humans is one of the many reasons why I adore xenofiction, and this was a very good example of what that micro-genre can do.
I found myself wishing for more details about what happened to the horsefly’s babies. For example, did they inherit her supernatural abilities? Would future generations of this family be little vampires as well, or were her babies sterile like most human versions of this monster are? There was so much more the narrator could have done with this subplot, and I would have gone with a full five-star rating if a few additional paragraphs had been included that explained what their fates might have been.
With that being said, I did enjoy the ending quite a bit. The main character had been hurt by a spider in a previous scene, but many of the assumptions I’d made about what might happen next were turned on their heads in the most marvellous manner. I must tip my cap to the author for pulling this piece in the direction he did. It has piqued my interest in what else might be going on in this universe and made me wonder if this is only the tip of the creative iceberg. As much as I wish I could go into more detail about the last few scenes, I don’t want to spoil anything for other readers as it was a great deal of fun to be surprised by what happened.
This is part of a series, but no prior knowledge of that world is necessary in order to understand what is happening here.
Vampire Fly was a memorable tale that made me curious to read more.
Title: When Sam Met Santa and Other Stories