Book Review: Night’s Edge by Liz Kerin

I received a review copy from the publisher. This does not affect the contents of my review and all opinions are my own.

Night’s Edge by Liz Kerin

Mogsy’s Rating: 4 of 5 stars

Genre: Horror

Series: Book 1 of Night’s Edge

Publisher: Nightfire Books (June 20, 2023)

Length: 278 pages

Author Information: Website

One can argue that vampires are so overdone in fiction these days that anyone still writing about them need to tackle the subject from new and unique angles just to stand out from the crowd. Of course, this has spawned many interesting vampire books in recent years, and Liz Kerin’s gruesome, intensely heart wrenching Night’s Edge offers a particularly potent example.

In a way, the novel can be seen as a chilling allegory of a daughter’s struggle with a controlling mother whose codependency and tendency to get into abusive relationships have plagued her from childhood to well into her adult life. The story follows Mia who was only ten years old in 2010 when her mother Izzy contracted Saratov’s Syndrome from her boyfriend Devon. Caused by a mysterious virus, the disease was just beginning to emerge as a worldwide threat back then and not much was known, but those infected gain superhuman strength and immortality while becoming fatally sensitive to sunlight. They also need to consume fresh human blood to survive. Even at this early stage in the pandemic, the danger was clear. The infected, called Saras, were rounded up to be “monitored” at treatment facilities, though everyone knows there is no cure. To prevent being separated, mother and daughter go on the run, with Mia swearing to keep Izzy’s condition a secret.

Fast forward to the present, and Mia is now a 23-year-old woman trying to hold her life together. For the past thirteen years, she and her mother have been living in Tucson, Arizona where they remain hidden from the government and also from Devon, Izzy’s old boyfriend. To keep her mother alive but also from harming others, Mia provides Izzy with her own blood to drink. Their existence is a lonely one, just the two of them. By now, Saratov’s has become a full-blown pandemic, and with everyone on high alert, social engagement of any kind would only risk drawing unwanted attention. Still, Mia can’t help but be attracted to Jade, a young musician who frequents the bookshop where she works. As their friendship grows into something more, Mia begins dreaming of a future where she might finally be free to live her own life without the burden of her mother’s secret.

The story gradually unfolds by alternating between these two timelines. In the 2010 chapters, Mia is a child completely dependent on her mother for survival, though in truth Izzy can barely even take care of herself and this was before she became a vampire. After Izzy became infected, things got worse. Drinking blood becomes like an overpowering need for a Sara. As a result, Mia grew up in the most heartbreaking conditions with a mother who was in every respect like a drug addict going out every night with her menacing boyfriend in order to get their fix. All the while, Mia was kept in the dark, not knowing that every time Izzy and Devon were out until the wee hours of the night, someone had to die so they could feed.

But although older Mia in the present chapters is much less naïve, in a lot of ways she still has a childlike mind, likely due to the way Izzy has infantilized her. Even despite the traumas she has experienced and awful things she’s seen, Mia remains innocent and unsure of herself in social situations. She has no idea how to act around people, and never knows the right thing to say. Some days she dares to fantasize about being on her own, but also can’t imagine a life where she doesn’t come home to her mother every night to feed her blood. Mia loves Izzy, but also resents her deeply for her bad choices and all that she’s put them through.

As such, Night’s Edge probably isn’t the vampire book you’re expecting, but that’s okay, because it works for the story. Less about vampires or even the Saras pandemic, the primary focus is the mother-daughter relationship. It’s also about a young woman’s journey to find her own voice and say, ENOUGH. However, whether Mia actually achieves this may be a point of contention, and that’s what makes this book so thought-provoking and insightful. There is nothing simple or black and white about Mia’s dynamic with Izzy. Of course there are the moments where their loving bond is plain to see, but just as evident are the insidious and destructive elements.

In sum, Night’s Edge is harsh, brutal, emotional, tragic, beautiful, virulent and hopeful, all rolled into one. It’s a vampire book all right, but also guaranteed to be different from any you’ve read before, settling into that strange place where paranormal dread meets the horrors of a toxic parent you can’t escape. Because sometimes, it’s about more than blood.