Chapter 1 - whetting my appetite for Thirst

"Sebastian sets up a compelling conflict right from the start. Immediately, I was immersed in this heavy, dark, oppressive world. Monroe Carter, our underdog-slash-heroine, cuts through the dank scenery like a knife. Slick and unshakeable (for now, at least), it feels like we're in a David versus Goliath battle, and this sassy Southerner is our David. I want to throw in my weight alongside the motley crew of downtrodden undead. We can only hope she makes it out the other side without losing her unlife (or her shine). A broad cast of characters comes up within the first chapter, leaving plenty of room to expand on further on in the story, but Monroe (and later, Isodoro) take centre stage, to not overwhelm the reader with too many detailed characters right from the jump. Although the focus is on Monroe and the first big-baddie we encounter, Isodoro, the side characters don't feel like mere NPCs either; little details like the fact Tucker lost his "best and only friend" breathe life into background characters that would otherwise be little more than set-dressing. Strikes a nice balance between having a fleshed out and populated world full of "real people/characters" without weighing the reader down under tens of backstories and personalities unnecessarily (We don't need to know Tucker's whole life story, but the detail that he's there and he lost his best and only friend says SO much and makes him an interesting and sympathetic figure without lingering too long to distract from the real headliner, Monroe.) Monroe provides a (much-needed) breath of fresh, light air into an oppressive and heavy (grimy) dystopian undead underworld. While she may have won the battle in the first chapter, jury is out on how to win the war ahead... but one thing is for certain, it'll be an interesting read. "