Walk Among Us: Compiled Edition
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- Create Date：2021-05-04 10:50:57
- Update Date：2025-09-06
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- Author：Genevieve Gornichec
- ISBN：0062994050
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Summary
One of the most popular role-playing properties in the world gets new life with this trio of horror novellas set in Vampire: The Masquerade's World of Darkness by three brilliant talents: Genevieve Gornichec， Cassandra Khaw， and Caitlin Starling
The subtle horror and infernal politics of the World of Darkness are shown in a new light in Vampire: The Masquerade: Walk Among Us， an audio-first collection of three novellas that show the terror， hunger， and power of the Kindred as you've never seen them before。
In Genevieve Gornichec's A SHEEP AMONG WOLVES， depression and radicalization go hand-in-hand as a young woman finds companionship in the darkness。。。
In Cassandra Khaw's FINE PRINT， an arrogant tech bro learns the importance of reading the fine print in the contract for immortality。。。
And in Caitlin Starling's THE LAND OF MILK AND HONEY， ideals and ethics bump heads with appetite on a blood farm。
Three very different stories from three amazing， distinct voices， but all with one thing in common: the hunger never stops， and for someone to experience power， many others are going to have to feel pain。
The subtle horror and infernal politics of the World of Darkness are shown in a new light in Vampire: The Masquerade: Walk Among Us， an audio-first collection of three novellas that show the terror， hunger， and power of the Kindred as you've never seen them before。
In Genevieve Gornichec's A SHEEP AMONG WOLVES， depression and radicalization go hand-in-hand as a young woman finds companionship in the darkness。。。
In Cassandra Khaw's FINE PRINT， an arrogant tech bro learns the importance of reading the fine print in the contract for immortality。。。
And in Caitlin Starling's THE LAND OF MILK AND HONEY， ideals and ethics bump heads with appetite on a blood farm。
Three very different stories from three amazing， distinct voices， but all with one thing in common: the hunger never stops， and for someone to experience power， many others are going to have to feel pain。
Reviews
Lizy
，
I know this book - or specifically， the first novella in this book - has been getting less than stellar reviews， but I'm just going to come in here like a wrecking ball and say that the ENTIRE anthology was incredible and that Gen's story was my favorite。 Fight me。I haven't read anything haunting and gothic in far too long， and this hit me like a drink of cold water on a hot summer day。 If you follow my reviews you know I haven't finished a book-book in months-- life things are happening， I have I know this book - or specifically， the first novella in this book - has been getting less than stellar reviews， but I'm just going to come in here like a wrecking ball and say that the ENTIRE anthology was incredible and that Gen's story was my favorite。 Fight me。I haven't read anything haunting and gothic in far too long， and this hit me like a drink of cold water on a hot summer day。 If you follow my reviews you know I haven't finished a book-book in months-- life things are happening， I have no focus， I'm just reading manga and pretending I'm fine， basically？？ I actually finished this in less than a week！ It's a huge deal！ It's SUCH A GOOD ANTHOLOGY！And the first story， by the way， is spot on。 Not to keep oversharing but I was a borderline suicidal college student once， and apart from not being the tool of a malicious vampire， the first story perfectly hit on the experience I had and the way I felt of being lost， alienated， disfunctional， unable to explain my headspace to others， seeking joy with simple things like lukewarm burritos eaten alone in my dorm， and resentful at a beautiful world I was on the outside of。 I loved seeing the dark catharsis of the tale， the creep of mania， the allure of purpose even when that purpose was misguided， the way the main character couldn't ask herself moral questions because the threat of going back to rock bottom was too much， because I know what that feels like and it deeply resonated with me。 This is a phenomenal novella and you can't change my mind about it。 I also loved seeing the ace rep！I also really loved Cass's story。 This is the second story from Cass I've gotten to read - I was one of the first "public" （if booksellers couht as public） reviewers for Nothing But Blackened Teeth。 What I love about both of these is how the stories are very clearly set up for a catharsis where sh*tty people get what's coming to them， and I find it obscenely therapeutic。 This story is intense， especially the ending， but it was also weirdly relaxing because of the sense of closure。 And Caitlin's tale-- such an interesting saga！ I love reading stories with "long game" aspects to it， and this felt like reading a vampiric KJ Parker novella。 It was definitely the most lore-heavy and I'm not super familiar with lore so at times I had to pretend I knew what was happening， but that's more of a me problem than a story problem。 I really enjoyed this one regardless， and I loved seeing the LGBTQ+ rep in this story as well！ 。。。more
Kal ★ Reader Voracious
，
why am I only finding out about this now？！ Blog | Twitter | Instagram why am I only finding out about this now？！ Blog | Twitter | Instagram 。。。more
Anscar
，
I'm really glad we're starting to get some VtM novels again， under the updated V5 lore too。 All these novellas were very different， and all were well narrated I thought。 I also enjoyed the little hints or references to V5 lore， like the Second Inquisition， resonances and dyscrasias， the fall of the Tremere Chantry in Vienna。- The first novella （A Sheep Among Wolves） offered a very real and relatable depiction of depression， anxiety and isolation， so that was well written。 However it was a long s I'm really glad we're starting to get some VtM novels again， under the updated V5 lore too。 All these novellas were very different， and all were well narrated I thought。 I also enjoyed the little hints or references to V5 lore， like the Second Inquisition， resonances and dyscrasias， the fall of the Tremere Chantry in Vienna。- The first novella （A Sheep Among Wolves） offered a very real and relatable depiction of depression， anxiety and isolation， so that was well written。 However it was a long slow build up， I wasn't a fan of the twist， and in the end it had little to do with vampires or VtM lore。 2/5- The second （Fine Print） was a bold comeuppance story， with a writing style that was particularly 'intense' with lots of visceral descriptive language and stacked with colourful profanities。 I enjoyed this tbh， it made it all feel both vivid and repulsive （which I think was the intention）。 The depiction of the vampire's hunger was well done too。 It could have done with a little more 'happening' though。 3/5- The third （The Land Of Milk And Honey）， was my standout favourite of the three。 A commune for 'farming' human blood， I thought was a really interesting concept， and had clearly been thoroughly thought-through by the author， and then was very well written。 It raised a lot of interesting moral questions， which the characters themselves grappled with， attempting to justify their actions （and raised those questions for the listener too）。 Plus this one had the most overtly to do with vampires and the VtM setting， with dozens of little references to V5 for those who know their lore， so that was always a little treat。 For this alone the whole collection gets 4 stars。 4/5I hope we get more of this type of vtm content in future！ 。。。more
Matthew Galloway
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I think my rating on this one is completely down to me not being the right kind of reader for this book。 The stories seemed well enough written and I enjoyed most of each story。 However， each had a core piece that just felt。。。 gross。。。 to me， leading me to be quite unhappy with the way things turn out。 I should clarify that it's more an emotionally gross feeling rather than gore or some such。 I think my rating on this one is completely down to me not being the right kind of reader for this book。 The stories seemed well enough written and I enjoyed most of each story。 However， each had a core piece that just felt。。。 gross。。。 to me， leading me to be quite unhappy with the way things turn out。 I should clarify that it's more an emotionally gross feeling rather than gore or some such。 。。。more
Nathaniel Teeter
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This is an excellent collection of short stories。 The three chosen did a good job of introducing the reader to the world of vampires。 The first story hit home and I could see myself easily falling into the sort of trap Cleo did if not for a difference of circumstances。 It was an increasingly interesting story/mystery with a surprisingly good twist。 The second story， the dude had it coming。 He was such an idiotic， self-entitled jerk and deserved what he got。 The third left me with a melancholy fe This is an excellent collection of short stories。 The three chosen did a good job of introducing the reader to the world of vampires。 The first story hit home and I could see myself easily falling into the sort of trap Cleo did if not for a difference of circumstances。 It was an increasingly interesting story/mystery with a surprisingly good twist。 The second story， the dude had it coming。 He was such an idiotic， self-entitled jerk and deserved what he got。 The third left me with a melancholy feel。 I really empathized with the main character and her plight。 The elaborate trap that occurred was tragic。 。。。more
Heather McIntyre
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The voice actors for the audiobook of this were all amazing。 The three novellas got better as they went on。Genevieve Gornichec's "A Sheep Among Wolves"， performed by Erika Ishii1/5Unfortunately， this story reads like a bad fanfic， which is a real waste of Erika Ishii’s voice。 The story has a main character defined only by her depression。 Most of the side characters were also awful caricatures， like the Mean Girls roommate squad and Jade， the Cardboard Cutout of an SJW。 The integration of vampire The voice actors for the audiobook of this were all amazing。 The three novellas got better as they went on。Genevieve Gornichec's "A Sheep Among Wolves"， performed by Erika Ishii1/5Unfortunately， this story reads like a bad fanfic， which is a real waste of Erika Ishii’s voice。 The story has a main character defined only by her depression。 Most of the side characters were also awful caricatures， like the Mean Girls roommate squad and Jade， the Cardboard Cutout of an SJW。 The integration of vampires felt tacked-on， as the plot would have worked equally well with human radicals， and the personal horror themes of WOD are ignored。 Worst， the story’s attempt at its themes was limp and unimpressive。 The story tried to deal with the question of radicalization of mentally-ill or vulnerable youth。 To address these themes， the story could use a more complicated main character with more factors leading into their radicalization。 The main character here has no legitimate reason to personally hate the power structures of the world， to give up her humanity， or to resort to violence – she just has a mental illness and a bad roommate， neither of which can be cured by vampire powers。 Worse， the main character is never proactive and is led around by the other characters。 The ending seemed to portray her brutal revenge against her bullies as a triumphant moment， and not the psychopathic loss of humanity that it actually was。 “Is it bad if I lead my roommate and her friend to believe they were sexually assaulted because they put a messy burrito on my pillow？” is not a viable moral question。 Cassandra Khaw's FINE PRINT， performed by Neil Kaplan4/5The author has a real eye for detail which shows in her use of description， and a great authorial voice。 She presents a main character so realistic I could run into him on Bay Street。 And Kaplan’s performance takes this story from great to stunning。 We get an idea from the start that the character is dealing with things way beyond his ken and， worse， navigating the situation with hubris and ignorance。 There’s a bitter humour to watching him blunder around Reykjavik hurting himself in order to figure out things that the usual VTM character figures out in the first game session。 All simply because he failed to ask any questions about what being a vampire actually involves before signing on the dotted line。 The main character’s unsympathetic nature immediately places this story in the World of Darkness， and the portrayal of Clan Ventrue’s drive towards dominance is spot-on。 Unfortunately， the pacing is a bit off – it gets slow in the middle， especially the excruciatingly long first encounter with the Icelanders and the interminable visit to the grocery store。Caitlin Starling's THE LAND OF MILK AND HONEY， performed by Xe Sands5/5The twist ending here works so ideally。 I didn’t see any of it coming， yet it made perfect sense all along。 It adds a delicious irony as a character who is constantly thinking in terms of business and dominance was so blindsided by the one real threat。 Additionally， the idea of a blood farm is a great twist – dealing with feeding is one of the prime problems of vampire existence， and making that central to the story makes great use of the concepts of VTM。 The possessive， obsessive feelings Leigh had towards Robin gave the sense of a realistic monster – every element of their interactions shows Leigh’s desire for control and possessiveness of the beautiful things that she wants。 Even her Toreador compulsions towards art and beauty are integrated in a way that complements the action and plot。 。。。more
Julia
，
Also reviewed on www。curiosityboughtthebook。comA Sheep Among Wolves 1/5I didn’t care for this story at all。 In fact， it felt like I was reading a badly written YA novella。 I simply disliked all the characters， and it all felt too forced。Fine Print 5/5 This was my favorite out of all three。 It is an excellent story about making deals with the wrong people。 I loved how dark and gruesome this story was。 Cassandra Shaw did an amazing job bringing the World of Darkness into this collection。 The Land Also reviewed on www。curiosityboughtthebook。comA Sheep Among Wolves 1/5I didn’t care for this story at all。 In fact， it felt like I was reading a badly written YA novella。 I simply disliked all the characters， and it all felt too forced。Fine Print 5/5 This was my favorite out of all three。 It is an excellent story about making deals with the wrong people。 I loved how dark and gruesome this story was。 Cassandra Shaw did an amazing job bringing the World of Darkness into this collection。 The Land of Milk and Honey ⅘Caitlin Starling’s entry in this book is also very solid。 It’s a very unique story， and I enjoyed the double meanings surrounding the ethical issues in it。A big thanks to Harper Voyager and Netgalley for the advanced copy 。。。more
Joel Harris
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Great stories。 Slow burn at first to build things up， but once they get started the stories are awesome。 Would love to read more by these authors in the world of darkness setting。
Becky Spratford
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Review in the the April 2021 issue of Library Journal: https://www。libraryjournal。com/？revie。。。and on the blog [link live 4/5/21]: https://raforall。blogspot。com/2021/04。。。Three Words That Describe This Book: atmospheric， close narration， new voices for an old tropeDraft Review:Set within the popular Vampire: The Masquerade role playing game world and originally published as audio only， Walk Among Us brings three exciting， new female horror authors together in one volume。 While these novellas are Review in the the April 2021 issue of Library Journal: https://www。libraryjournal。com/？revie。。。and on the blog [link live 4/5/21]: https://raforall。blogspot。com/2021/04。。。Three Words That Describe This Book: atmospheric， close narration， new voices for an old tropeDraft Review:Set within the popular Vampire: The Masquerade role playing game world and originally published as audio only， Walk Among Us brings three exciting， new female horror authors together in one volume。 While these novellas are not connected to each other in any way besides their vampire frame， they do all share an oppressive atmosphere and close narration which immediately draw readers into their unsettling worlds。 “A Sheep Among Wolves” uses a horror lens to look at depression and grooming， appealing to readers of The Drowning Girl by Kiernan。 “Fine Print” takes a detailed look at the consequences of making a dark deal much like the classic King novella “Fair Extensions” [Stephanie-- in Full Dark， No Stars]。 And the final story， “The Land of Milk and Honey” contemplates vampire sustainable farming， reminiscent of Tender is the Flesh by Bazterrica。 Each author has her own style， but all are immersive and terrifying。 Verdict: There is no need to know anything about the RPG in order to enjoy these modern， original， female focused novellas of vampire menace that take the old trope into exciting new directions。 Just make sure you have the latest works by these authors in your collections as readers will be clamoring for more upon completion。Extra notes:Set in a world of a RPG [role playing game]， but you do NOT have to know the world of the game to enjoy this collection of novellas。 Originally in Audio only。 Three female horror authors to watch！ Obviously for fans of new tales of vampire menace， but each author has a different storytelling style and the frame of the vampire story is unique。 So specific readalikes for each story and its main Frame:A Sheep Among Wolves: Mental Health/Depressing and Grooming: The Drowning Girl by Kiernan Fine Print: Consequences of a Dark Deal: "Fair Extensions" by King from FULL DARK NO STARSThe Land of Milk and Honey: Tender is the Flesh by BazterricaI don't expect every reader to like every story equally。 But， each will have a reader who LOVES one of the stories and will seek out more by the author。 Let patrons know that going in。 The stories are not connected for those not aware of the RPG。 They do not have to read it cover to cover。 。。。more
Allison
，
First story aside， this collection is one of the best I’ve read。 The second and third story alone are what makes this worthy of a 5 star rating。 Impeccable prose and fantastic plot momentum。
Kelly Spoer
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Like everyone else thinksthe first story sucks to the point where I couldn't get past the first page， while the other two were utterly fantastic。 Please consider， idk， NOT including the first story？ Gives V:tM a bad name。 Like everyone else thinksthe first story sucks to the point where I couldn't get past the first page， while the other two were utterly fantastic。 Please consider， idk， NOT including the first story？ Gives V:tM a bad name。 。。。more
TIMOTHY L
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Walk Among Usby Cassandra Khaw， Genevieve Gornichec， Caitlin StarlingPub Date: 04 May 2021 Vampires have been written as sexy， sparkles， and just monsters who crave blood。 This book shows them in a new view。Here we are given a collection of stories about one set of vampires and how they treat each other， not so much on how they treat humans。 A totally unexpected view of these creatures。 We learn to be happy with the choices we are given， to be careful about what we wish for， and to think long an Walk Among Usby Cassandra Khaw， Genevieve Gornichec， Caitlin StarlingPub Date: 04 May 2021 Vampires have been written as sexy， sparkles， and just monsters who crave blood。 This book shows them in a new view。Here we are given a collection of stories about one set of vampires and how they treat each other， not so much on how they treat humans。 A totally unexpected view of these creatures。 We learn to be happy with the choices we are given， to be careful about what we wish for， and to think long and hard about our choices。。This group of vampires are cruel and have a total disregard for the others in the clan。， betrayal is the norm and the unlucky vampire that steps away from the normal activity or beliefs will be dealt with in a twisted and cruel way。。Very enjoyable to read and a different way to view this type of book。 I do recommend reading this book。#WalkAmongUs 。。。more
Pål
，
Three excellent stories。 Great narration。
Erik Warming
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There were 3 stories hereI really like the first one。I really disliked the second one。The third one was okay。But all in all， it was nice to relate the stories to my favorite vampire roll playing game
Ernesto I。 Ramirez
，
I sort of grew with the vampire mythos and Vampire: the masquerade become one of my favorite RPGs （even if I didn't have the luck to play it that much）， especially the setting and the metaplot。 I liked the stories larger than life， but also the small ones， I have a big collection of their novels and short stories。And I can say 'Walk among us，' are true to the spirit of the setting， both dark and sensual， and so full of personal horror。 I loved them all， but the narrators imprinted them with life I sort of grew with the vampire mythos and Vampire: the masquerade become one of my favorite RPGs （even if I didn't have the luck to play it that much）， especially the setting and the metaplot。 I liked the stories larger than life， but also the small ones， I have a big collection of their novels and short stories。And I can say 'Walk among us，' are true to the spirit of the setting， both dark and sensual， and so full of personal horror。 I loved them all， but the narrators imprinted them with life （or is that unlife？） and gave them a unique touch to each story。I simply couldn't stop listening。 。。。more
AtomicRed
，
God this collection was such a mixed bag so I'm just going to rapid fire it。The first story， who's name I forget， was so awful。 I have never read something so cringe and with 11th hour twists that come out of nowhere。 Also， the characters are about as flat as my chest in middle school （late bloomers for the win）。 The protagonist is defined by her depression （nothing wrong with being mentally ill but that is literally her only feature， and the final antagonist is only really known for being chron God this collection was such a mixed bag so I'm just going to rapid fire it。The first story， who's name I forget， was so awful。 I have never read something so cringe and with 11th hour twists that come out of nowhere。 Also， the characters are about as flat as my chest in middle school （late bloomers for the win）。 The protagonist is defined by her depression （nothing wrong with being mentally ill but that is literally her only feature， and the final antagonist is only really known for being chronically ill。 But she's not because she's a vampire so she literally just lies and pretends like she has one but still insists that its not something to be ashamed of。 Sure it isn't， but （as a person who has a chronic illness that sometimes makes me struggle to function on a day to day basis） I find it incredibly insulting how she clings to it as if it were the only thing of value。The second one was better。 The protagonist felt impossibly stupid at times but ended pretty well and tied everything together。 The voice acting was also a major imporvement and， wow， I actually cared about the characters。 Overall I'd say it was a pretty average story and convinced me that I at least got *some* value out of getting this purchase。The final was undoubtedly the best。 The voice acting was absolutely amazing。 The characters felt so real and flushed out despite not having so long to build them up and the story， while meandering， really felt pivotal and like you cared about what was going on。 The ending was a bit ass but I'm willing to forgive it and I'd say this story alone was worth picking the whole thing up for。 I wish there was a way I could tell who wrote it and find them so I can buy their next project but this work has such confusingly laid out credits that its a bit of a headache。 。。。more
Julien
，
Three very different stories， delivered with amazing narrations， for the first time bring you into the World of Darkness and the fantasy of Vampire: The Masquerade without at all feeling that they're taken from a game。 Perfectly made for the format， another great way to get introduced to this universe。 Three very different stories， delivered with amazing narrations， for the first time bring you into the World of Darkness and the fantasy of Vampire: The Masquerade without at all feeling that they're taken from a game。 Perfectly made for the format， another great way to get introduced to this universe。 。。。more
veloci。reader
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3。5⭐️
Silas
，
I enjoyed a lot of White Wolf fiction in the past， mostly during the second edition， so I was excited to see that along with a return to form with their 5th edition of games， they were releasing new fiction。 I confess， I have always been more of a fan of Werewolf， Mage， and Changeling， rather than Vampire， but I have read several Vampire stories from them in anthologies and a few standalone books， and these three short stories do not disappoint。 They have vastly different settings， and ways that I enjoyed a lot of White Wolf fiction in the past， mostly during the second edition， so I was excited to see that along with a return to form with their 5th edition of games， they were releasing new fiction。 I confess， I have always been more of a fan of Werewolf， Mage， and Changeling， rather than Vampire， but I have read several Vampire stories from them in anthologies and a few standalone books， and these three short stories do not disappoint。 They have vastly different settings， and ways that the vampires in the stories try to fit into the world and get what they need， and don't shy away from some more unpleasant aspects， though there is a bit less emphasis on the horror of the change than in some previous stories。 Other than a few references to clans and political structures， two of the three stories are a bit vague about their setting， which I think is good for generating interest， and they went in some interesting directions I hadn't expected， which was refreshing for a property that has been around so long。 It also brought some of those elements into a more modern perspective， since a lot of things in society have changed since the late '90s。 I appreciated how much they kept the same， but also how much they changed， and I look forward to seeing more fiction from these properties。 。。。more
Hel
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- A Sheep Among Wolfs: * （did not like it）- Fine Print: ** （it was ok）- Land of Milk and Honey: **** （really liked it）I round it up to *** because the voice actors are amazing。
Laura （crofteereader）
，
The collection as a whole really didn't do it for me。 Read on to get my reviews on each novella individually。A SHEEP AMONG WOLVES: I was warned in advance that this was not particularly great novella， but I figured I'd give it a shot anyway。 I was bored almost immediately by Clia's passivity， her meekness， and the stereotypical bullying。 Plus， it took a loooong time for anything of note to really happen。 I actually DNF'd this story， skipping ahead in the hopes that Khaw's would be better （since The collection as a whole really didn't do it for me。 Read on to get my reviews on each novella individually。A SHEEP AMONG WOLVES: I was warned in advance that this was not particularly great novella， but I figured I'd give it a shot anyway。 I was bored almost immediately by Clia's passivity， her meekness， and the stereotypical bullying。 Plus， it took a loooong time for anything of note to really happen。 I actually DNF'd this story， skipping ahead in the hopes that Khaw's would be better （since I've lived Khaw's evocative descriptions and lyrical style in the past）。 Which brings me to。。。FINE PRINT: Between a character we don't like， a severely isolated setting with few characters （and none but Duke with anything resembling depth）， and little to no action/movement， this novella was dry。 Khaw usually thrives on the super descriptive and a kind of dry， off-kilter tone。 But honestly， Duke could burn and I found the antagonists to not be threatening/looming enough。 The ending didn't shock me as I'm sure it was supposed to。 It all just felt inevitable。 Indeed， the editors of this collection absolutely believed in saving the best for last。。。THE LAND OF MILK AND HONEY: Leigh （Lee？） was such a fun take on the "ethical" vampire。 Plus， the hierarchical structure to the area's mythical underbelly， the different castes of vampires （all inspired by different traditions） made for a fascinating backdrop。 Add in gay ladies and a touch of obsession and I'm here for it。 The story was clever and fascinating - by and large the best of the bunch。 But making a listener slog through those first two in order to get to this one。。。 It would have made anyone impatient。 。。。more
Liz （Quirky Cat）
，
tWalk Among Us is a collection of three short stories based in the world of Vampire: The Masquerade。 Since that is a roleplaying game I love/d， I'm thrilled to see the world being brought back to life here。tThese are three dark tales about the deadly and political nature of vampires。 These are not the pretty or friendly vampires found in romance novels。 No， these are the sort that are more likely to get you running， if you had the bad fortune to come across them。tTo my knowledge， this collection tWalk Among Us is a collection of three short stories based in the world of Vampire: The Masquerade。 Since that is a roleplaying game I love/d， I'm thrilled to see the world being brought back to life here。tThese are three dark tales about the deadly and political nature of vampires。 These are not the pretty or friendly vampires found in romance novels。 No， these are the sort that are more likely to get you running， if you had the bad fortune to come across them。tTo my knowledge， this collection is an audible exclusive， at least for the moment。 That means it'll only be available as an audiobook for now， but it's still absolutely worth the listen to。 Especially if you're an avid fan of the franchise。tIncluded in this collection are three tales。 The first is titled A Sheep Among Wolves。 Written by Genevieve Gornichec and narrated by Erika Ishii， it follows a young woman who found herself in a world beyond her imagination。tCassandra Khaw's Fine Print is next。 Narrated by Neil Kaplan， this is a political story through and through， but not for the reasons you might imagine。 It shows the darker side of making a deal。tLast， there's The Land of Milk and Honey。 Written by Caitlin Starling and narrated by Xe Sands， it follows a totally different perspective on vampire life – the concept of sustainable farming and everything it entails。 All three shorts will be reviewed in further depth down below。 A Sheep Among Wolves by Genevieve Gornichec and Erika IshiiRating: ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ Warnings: Depression， anxietytA Sheep Among Wolves is an absolutely fascinating tale， especially as you try and sort out what is truly happening。 It is a tale of depression， radicalization， and the tending to of humans with high potential。tThis is one of those stories that doesn't go at all how one might expect。 It gets dark， naturally， yet the twists are truly surprising。 Likewise， it is a story full of suspense。 All the more so thanks to the main perspective， who shows what it must be like to be a human going through the grooming process。 Fine Print by Cassandra Khaw and Neil KaplanRating: ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ Warnings: Gore， graphic depictions， torture， imprisonmenttFine Print was a shocking read/listen， especially following the events of A Sheep Among Wolves。 If any of the stories can be taken as a cautionary tale， let it be this one。 Read the fine print。 Treat others with basic respect。 Use common decency。 All that， and more。tThis is the darker side of making a pact。 You can think you're making the best deal in the world until you get to that fine print。 Even then， the fine print can seem drastically different， depending on the context。 tThis one really did do an excellent job of portraying the darker sides of White Wolf。 Not just of vampires in general， but of humanity as well。 There really are no punches pulled in this story， but that is fitting。 The Land of Milk and Honey by Caitlin Starling and Xe SandsRating: ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ Warnings: Gore， animal deathtThe last story in this collection is titled The Land of Milk and Honey。 It follows a different side of living as a vampire。 Actually， that's not quite accurate。 It shows one vampire's way of coping and feeding – a way that is different from what is normally depicted。tOut of all the stories in this collection， this is the one that's going to get you thinking。 It raises questions of ethics， morality， and the differences between humans and animals。 This is a world where humans are the renewable resource， and sustainable farming allows for a specific cultivation of traits。 tUnderstandably， it gets dark – though perhaps not for the reasons you might assume and expect。 That it comes with several points to be made makes the story all the more chilling and impactful。 tCheck out more reviews over at Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks 。。。more
Wade
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Not to my taste。 Slow and overwritten。 What is it about V:tM that turns anyone who writes stories about it into a purveyor of purple prose？ The voice actor for the first novella was good。
Ece
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-Updated with the review for the second story -I finished the first story yesterday。 Honestly shocked how it managed to get editorial approval。As someone who has been battling with bipolar disorder for years， and also a queer person， all of the so-called "woke" undertones felt like I was reading a Twitter activist's hot takes。 Defining the main character by their mental condition， revolving their every action around depression is counter-productive。 Non-neurotypical people are so much more their -Updated with the review for the second story -I finished the first story yesterday。 Honestly shocked how it managed to get editorial approval。As someone who has been battling with bipolar disorder for years， and also a queer person， all of the so-called "woke" undertones felt like I was reading a Twitter activist's hot takes。 Defining the main character by their mental condition， revolving their every action around depression is counter-productive。 Non-neurotypical people are so much more their condition。 Wish the protagonist had an identity beyond being depressed。 Yes， mental illness and the societal pressure to fit into norms are both awful things。 While having meaningful messages about these issues， sprinkled into the plot organically can add rich layers to a story， Sheep Among Wolves just screams in your ear how it has the right， "good" idea about every sensitive discussion from body image issues to social relations。 So much virtue signalling that after a while I forgot it was a Vampire: the Masquerade story。 Characters were shallow and had no meaningful character building/arcs - including the protagonist。 I understand novellas' genre limitations but using mean girls vs。 nerdy "i'm not like other girls" girl stereotype is out of date and tasteless。 They felt like cardboard cutouts， not actually characters with their own personalities and ideas。 Side characters， being already "side" as they are， quickly fell into irrelevance。 I have noticed that none of the women who were described as beautiful were likable by the protagonist's standards - yet， the only "hot guy" in the story got her unconditional loyalty for some reason。 For a story that goads in its wokeness for almost 4 hours， it falls into years-old sexist tropes very quickly。 Plot-twists are tricky narrative tools: if they don't serve to enhance your narrative depth， they can turn the story you have tried to build meaningless - just as it was for this story。 After The Big Twist happens， half the story loses any meaning （without any plausible explanations/theories either）。 The twist in question ends up causing so many plotholes that a friend of mine spent hours trying to come up with logical explanations for some semblance of redemption for the story - to no avail。 For a story titled "Sheep Among Wolves" I never felt like the protagonist was truly among predators。 All of the themes which makes Vampire: the Masquerade what it is were glossed over。 Oh yeah， the story has vampires， I think the commonalities end there。 The dark wickedness and the corrupt nature of VtM as a setting were lost on the author。 I saw no real darkness， no terror of being the prey among alien hunters - our protagonist quickly came over what illogical， supernatural aspect of vampirism they've encountered and at the end become The Cool Misunderstood Girl （tm）。 They wore *skinny jeans* at the end instead of a tracksuit so you know they've become cool and rad！Also， I wonder if the author has any familiarity with Vampire: the Masquerade as a setting。 Not only there are mechanical errors （vampires being able to hang around during sunrise in shades etc。） and inconsistencies with the current lore of VtM， not once I got the feeling of "personal horror" which is the central theme of Vampire: the Masquerade。 This story felt like someone heard about VtM's general idea and decided to write a loosely-based fanficton。 Wish someone who has in-depth knowledge of the setting （both thematically and mechanically） gave this story a final reading because it is obvious the author's knowledge in terms of VtM's vampire politics and cosmology does not go beyond knowing a couple of important names such as "Camarila" and "Anarchs" More than anything， this story felt like a self insert revenge fantasy fanfiction - nothing wrong with them， I used to think they're cool when I was 12 too。 Not every story has to tackle legitimately serious topics such as mental illnesses， sexuality etc。 and if your ideas on these topics don't go beyond social media takes， please don't do so。 As a long time fan of Vampire: the Masquerade， it makes me sad the first story is a failure。 Hope the other two will redeem this one's shortcomings。-FINE PRINT-Very good， almost perfect atmosphere - Neil Kaplan's voice contributes to this as well。 The author clearly had a good grasp of what it means to be a fresh vampire in Vampire: the Masquerade。 Gritty， down-to-earth， realistic。 Keeps you on your toes and truly draws you into this world of horror and isolation where you can't trust anyone。 Removes the romanticized veil of vampires and reveals them for what they are: immortal puppeteers who hunt mortals for blood。 Twists and questions presented in this story are actually smart， compliment the plot， and make the listener *think。* I truly got the experience a devious Ventrue schemery through and through。 A modern， fresh take on VtM which carries its urban horror to our day。 。。。more
Earwen
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A Sheep Among Wolves - 1/5Fine Print - 5/5Land of Milk and Honey - 5/5You see the trouble I have rating this book。 It averages out to 3。6 and somehow it feels wrong to give a 4 to a book that contains one of the worst pieces of fiction I read。 But also it also contains some of the best？ I hope the print version of these are separate so I can rate them accordingly。 I highly recommend the 2nd and 3rd story they were both excellent and everything I wanted this to be。 my original review for first no A Sheep Among Wolves - 1/5Fine Print - 5/5Land of Milk and Honey - 5/5You see the trouble I have rating this book。 It averages out to 3。6 and somehow it feels wrong to give a 4 to a book that contains one of the worst pieces of fiction I read。 But also it also contains some of the best？ I hope the print version of these are separate so I can rate them accordingly。 I highly recommend the 2nd and 3rd story they were both excellent and everything I wanted this to be。 my original review for first novella below。 ----First novella was a complete disaster on every level I'm shocked this got approved for the collection。 I don't think I read something quite so bad in a while。 -every two sentences there is a thinly veiled psa about mental health， chronic pain， weight， sexuality etc etc inserted very unnaturally。 I agree with everything in it technically and generally am weary of people complaining about such topics being shown down their throat but in this case it really was。 If this was a YA Issue book that'd be fine but it isn't？ I'm not here to be educated about this shit。 It wasn't even particularly insightful or new it felt like seeing cold twitter takes inbetween the story。 Yes I get it mental health is important。 Can we move on。 - and while doing all the above it still managed to fall into classic sexist tropes more at home in a early 2000s teen drama。 The most unlikeable characters in this story are beautiful women。 In one case the only reason the mc feels disdain for her its that she's hot。 In the other case while the chracter is a bully but not in any believable way and the way the story justifies treating her is laughable-it。。completely ignores vtm setting rules。 vampires just prancing around during daytime as long as they dont go into the sun？ okay。 I get the impression this story was written for another setting but the author changed it for this collection。 There is nothing tonally or even story wise that ties this to the vtm setting beyond some name drops like saying camarilla once。 -this story had the most obnoxious characters i ever encountered。 This is partly because the author uses them to give （unnecessary， unnatural） lessons about mental health but also they're just annoying fucking people who talk in weird unnatural ways。 The whole time I was thinking， you guys don't have any friends because you are impossible to converse with。 -the stupid nonsensical twist that makes the whole story laughable if you think about it for two seconds。 honestly looking back at some scenes is a comedy and I'm sure this wasn't intended from the start。 It was just a twist for twists sake。 Nothing in the plot made sense in general and the ending instead of contextualizing it just adds another layer of stupid to it。 -mental health is important <3 unless you're blonde and got big tiddies then well obviously that means you're evil and deserve to die I think that this is an official part of vtm now is frankly， embarrassing。 I hope the other two are better。 。。。more
John Geddie
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I enjoyed it， but not quite as much as the prior works with the property。 It’s very atmospheric， but all three stories take an internal monologue approach。 They’re well presented and well written， but I would have like to see more variety in style and viewpoint since we’re looking at an anthology presentation。
Jonathan
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I love the World of Darkness and especially Vampire: The Masquerade。 And the novellas in this compiled edition are top notch。 I particularly love how the first one deals so heavily with mental health。
Vervada
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4。5 stars"A Sheep Among Wolves" written by Genevieve Gornichec and performed by Erika Ishii 5 starsI related so much to the main character of this story。 While I've never been depressed， I have a lot of social anxiety and I've definitely felt some of what Clea did （ I hope this is how her name is spelled ）。 And I enjoyed the mystery and the twists at the end very much。"Fine Print" written by Cassandra Khaw and performed by Neil Kaplan 3。5 starsThis is a well written story， but the pacing was kin 4。5 stars"A Sheep Among Wolves" written by Genevieve Gornichec and performed by Erika Ishii 5 starsI related so much to the main character of this story。 While I've never been depressed， I have a lot of social anxiety and I've definitely felt some of what Clea did （ I hope this is how her name is spelled ）。 And I enjoyed the mystery and the twists at the end very much。"Fine Print" written by Cassandra Khaw and performed by Neil Kaplan 3。5 starsThis is a well written story， but the pacing was kind of slow and Duke was too annoying。 But the last chapter and the ending got really interesting。"Land of Milk and Honey" written by Caitlin Starling and performed by Xe Sands 5 starsI thought this was the best story of the three。 The way Caitlin Starling made Leigh's thinking so inhuman and monstrous， while still making her a likeable character is phenomenal。 And the ending was so awesome！ I definitely hadn't seen that coming。P。S。 I thought all three narrators did an excellent job。 。。。more
Jo Ladzinski
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