MILKTEETH follows Beatrice, a vampire charged with nursing newly turned fledglings through their early years.  You see, the recently turned cannot handle pure human blood and must be eased into their new diets through the blood of an established bloodsucker.  Beatrice has experience with this, however, and has mothered many younglings throughout the years.

A major change occurs when Beatrice takes on a third nursling, having only previously provided for two at a time.  Desperate to have her body keep up with the demands of her brood, she reaches out to a human doctor for guidance.  This does not go well, to say the least.

I really enjoyed this.  I wouldn’t consider myself a vampire novel expert by any means, but as with any horror novel, I’m always looking for unique twists on an old staple of the genre.  

Caitlin Starling’s world building here is excellent.  I loved the idea of Beatrice’s lair being an abandoned underground office space provided by a patron who supplies her with fresh bodies to turn into food for her “children”.  The rules and lore created to allow the vampire society to both function and thrive really captured my imagination, as well as the way in which blood is harvested and the dangers of attacking and consuming an already dead human.

It goes without saying, but there is a fair bit of gore and violence, as well as bodyhorror used throughout the story.  All of it was used to such great effect, especially the climax where the chains really come off and the pages are coated with blood.

I’ve read only one other Caitlin Starling novel to date (The Graceview Patient) and I will absolutely be returning to her work.

Look for MILKTEETH to hit shelves in October.