Ambrose is in a cult. To specify, Ambrose is a vampire who studies under another vampire who believes that King Ludwig of Bavaria is a vampire who has a castle on the moon. Regina, the vampire in question, has been working to build specialized mechanical wings to take her fellow vampires to this fabled place. When someone begins leaving the corpses of swans and broken snow globes of Prussian castles around their home, Regina sounds the alarm and begins rushing plans to take flight sooner than later. The problem is Ambrose’s wings are faulty. He soon finds himself battered and bruised on the ground, returning to the castle he’s called home to heal. Unfortunately, a local priest and high-ranking member of a group called the Royal Diurnal Society finds him quickly and unfurls a dastardly and painful plan for Ambrose’s body.
Blood as Bright as the Moon is a lot. The cover art is absolutely stunning, but it does feature a skinned man wearing wings. Author Andrea Morstabilini tells a story that tends to meander, often taking the reader places they absolutely would not expect. In some instances, this is brilliant storytelling. In other instances, it can cause the novel to feel disjointed or as if key scenes are missing from Ambrose’s perspective. I also found myself struggling with shifting tones and tenses. All three acts of the book follow different storytelling styles; again, interesting style choice but it makes for frustrating reading.
Blood as Bright as the Moon is available September 2, 2025 from Titan Books.
