This was my first time Octavia Butler book and it did not disappoint.I loved her unique science fiction twist on the traditional vampire story. Within a story of blood-sucking creatures, Butler skillfully wove an insightful social commentary on racial prejudice. Her writing style was sparse, easy to read and suited me well. Even though the plot was slower paced, the world building kept me pulled into the story. I was fascinated by the animalistic nature of the vampires and their symbiotic relationships with their multiple human companions. I loved particularly loved reading from the perspective of the main vampire who was a strong, female protagonist.
In this book, the themes around power, love, intimacy, family and interdependence that were so captivatingly worked in the Xenogenesis stories are explored again, this time drawing ingeniously on vampire mythology and critiquing USian racism.
The insinuations about Shori's "impairment" in the face of her obviously advanced abilities, extralegal attacks on her, and even the insistence of benevolent parties that "race means nothing to us" are all too familiar...
As usual with Butler, I couldn't put the book down and finished it far too quickly
The sad thing about this book is that it is very clearly supposed to be one in a series; unfortunately, Butler died after writing this book. That makes it hard to read because you immediately become attached to Shori, much like the people in the book become attached to her. This book is AMAZING. It introduces the Ina and by doing so, Butler created a new branch of vampire lore--vampires who are not evil, do not kill to feed, who live with families of several humans they feed on and who they love. I swallowed this book whole, I could not get enough of it. It is my favorite Butler. I read Parable of the Sower and I HATED the main character, but I loved the book and how it was written. The fact that I hated the character made it hard to read the sequel, because I could not stand reading about such a cold, impersonable person. In Fledgling, Butler creates a character who had a hard edge but was intensely lovable and that made the book that much more engaging. What a beautiful book.
In this book, the themes around power, love, intimacy, family and interdependence that were so captivatingly worked in the Xenogenesis stories are explored again, this time drawing ingeniously on vampire mythology and critiquing USian racism.
The insinuations about Shori's "impairment" in the face of her obviously advanced abilities, extralegal attacks on her, and even the insistence of benevolent parties that "race means nothing to us" are all too familiar...
As usual with Butler, I couldn't put the book down and finished it far too quickly
The sad thing about this book is that it is very clearly supposed to be one in a series; unfortunately, Butler died after writing this book. That makes it hard to read because you immediately become attached to Shori, much like the people in the book become attached to her. This book is AMAZING. It introduces the Ina and by doing so, Butler created a new branch of vampire lore--vampires who are not evil, do not kill to feed, who live with families of several humans they feed on and who they love. I swallowed this book whole, I could not get enough of it. It is my favorite Butler. I read Parable of the Sower and I HATED the main character, but I loved the book and how it was written. The fact that I hated the character made it hard to read the sequel, because I could not stand reading about such a cold, impersonable person. In Fledgling, Butler creates a character who had a hard edge but was intensely lovable and that made the book that much more engaging. What a beautiful book.