A Cruel Thirst coming December 17, 2024 from Joy Revolution; 432 pages
Content Warning: Death, violence, language, grief
About the Author: “Angela comes from a family of storytellers with revolutionary ideas, including her grandfather, José Montoya, who was a celebrated activist and poet laureate. When she isn’t lost in the world of words, Angela can be found on her small farm in Northern California where she’s busy bossing around her partner, their two children, as well as a whole host of animals” (Bio from author’s website).
Find Angela Montoya on the following platforms:
In this glittering young adult romantic fantasy, aspiring vampiro huntress Carolina Fuentes and newly-turned vampire Lalo Villalobos must work together to rid the world of vampirism. After being secretly trained by her abuelo since she was a little girl, Carolina wants nothing more than to join her father’s guard and hunt down the vampiros in her town. Lalo’s parents were killed by a vampiro, and he has dedicated his life to researching and killing the beast. However, when he’s turned into a vampiro by his parents’ murderer, Lalo and his sister Fernanda are forced to flee their city and their parents’ murderer in search of an end to the vampiro curse. His research takes him to Carolina’s pueblo, though she would love nothing more than to kill him. When Lalo convinces Carolina they share a common enemy, they work together to destroy the vampiros once and for all, falling in love along the way.
A Cruel Thirst was a captivating novel filled with heart-stopping romance and dazzling adventure. While I was merely enjoying it at first, I slowly became increasingly invested in Lalo and Carolina’s story. Carolina is strong and willful, while Lalo is more quiet and timid in the beginning. I liked their dynamic and how they learn so much from each other, growing as people along the way. They are both so passionate about protecting the people they love, which I think was a key part of why they fit so well together. The plot of the novel was intensely interesting, especially the way the history of the vampiros was intertwined with Carolina’s family line and her pueblo. By uncovering the truth with Lalo, she wasn’t just enacting revenge on the vampiros—she was making amends for the past and helping Lalo create a new future where both their families would be safe. As with many vampire books, I found quite a few parallels to The Vampire Diaries. However, there were unique elements to Montoya’s vampiros that helped separate her novel from the countless other vampire books. I would have liked to see more mystery in Lalo and Carolina’s search for answers, because they seemed to quickly discover the truth and there were no big plot twists. But, I still thoroughly enjoyed the storyline and the way Lalo and Carolina’s romance blossomed in the second half of the novel. Anyone searching for a romantic vampire novel rich with culture and strong familial bonds will love A Cruel Thirst.
A Cruel Thirst releases on December 17, 2024.
Pine Reads Review would like to thank NetGalley and Joy Revolution for sending us an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Any quotes are taken from an advanced copy and may be subject to change before final publication.
Sam Yanis, Pine Reads Review Lead Writer