Rules for Vampires: The irresistibly spooky Halloween treat!

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After one hundred years of being a vampire, it’s time for Eleonora to have her Birthnight. Since Leo’s last rite of passage, her Grimwalk, ended with her losing her right leg and a good deal of her confidence, she’s hoping to redeem herself in the eyes of her mother, the fearsome Lady Sieglinde. All Leo has to do is hunt down and kill her first prey, and she already has the perfect plan. After all, who will miss an orphan from the bleak St. Frieda’s Home for Unfortunate Children? This is a story about a vampire and a ghost managing to be friends despite centuries of traditional animosity, and that is something lovely to see. It's also a story about justice, and about just what that means. There's a lot of interesting thoughts to take away from it.

This is the first novel of Alex Foulkes, and I have to say she's done a good job. The characters are likeable, the writing style is very digestible and entertaining and the plot is well-paced. My only real quibble with the style of the book is that some of the words the author wished to emphasise are in all-caps, which did kind of ruin my immersion in some parts of the book, but I don't think it'll detract too much from your enjoyment of the book overall. The book also contains illustrations by Sara Ogilvie, which perfectly complement the way the characters are shown in the book, for example Leo's mother being shown as this sharp, imperious figure while her husband is more of a rotund mad scientist, both of which suit their characters perfectly. It is supposed to be the first in a series, and I for one am interested to see where it goes. Unfortunately, the hunt goes disastrously wrong. The orphanage is destroyed, killing two of its residents, the evil Orphanmaster and a young girl called Minna, both of whom become very angry ghosts. The Orphanmaster is even more vicious in death than he was in life. Although it is unheard of for vampires to associate with ghosts, Leo vows to help Minna vanquish his evil spirit, before he destroys the whole town. The winners of the Diverse Book Awards 2023 have been announced, with one winner from each of the four categories announced: Picture book, Children... The only slight criticism that I have is that I can see some of the names in the book being difficult for children to pronounce. But aside from that, this is definitely worth a read, no matter your age! The way ghosts and vampires are depicted in this book is interesting. Rather than being seen as these pale, sexy bad boys/girls like so often portrayed in popular media, the vampires are shown in a much more monstrous light. For example, Leo is about six feet tall, incredibly skinny and has a mouth full of fangs, and can turn into an even more monstrous form (which we're thankfully spared an illustration of) before eating someone. The titular rules for vampires cover and prevent the balance from shifting too much and giving away the existence of vampires, enforced by the Vampire Council. The powers of ghosts in this book are fairly standard, but also have some interesting twists. Minnie is, of course, able to walk through walls and turn invisible, but she can also project some of her own memories. Despite being trapped by Leo, the Orphanmaster's powers allow him to reach out and affect the world, manifesting as a kind of rot that affects the town, the Dreadwald forest around the town and even the castle Leo lives in. His presence is genuinely threatening, even while he's trapped, and he will eventually become even stronger once the week is out. Overall, I like what the author did with the setting, and I look forward to seeing what she how she further explores it in the future.Learning about ghosts and what they do. Also how to get rid of one (which involved quite the quest for items). This book is a funny take on what it is like to be a real-life vampire and all the good and bad things that go with it! If you like comedy, thrills and suspense then you will definitely like this book as it has strong characters and a good plot throughout!

A little horror, a little gore, adventure, tons of humor, and imagination pure make this into a read to get lost in and wish it continued without an end.

Leo is caught in a maelstrom of worry. If Mum finds out she not only didn’t take her first bite, but has made friends with Vampires’ worst enemy – a ghost, she will be toast. Emmeline is being particularly nasty, and Minna is piling on the guilt factor. Leo is torn between family duties, guilt and worry her secret will be discovered. It's great to see Minna coming more into her powers as a ghost. She's so determined and loyal to her friend and family, and is a fabulous character. I also loved seeing more about the ghosts beyond the lovely Minna and the horrifying Orphanmaster. Ulf is one of the new characters it's just impossible not to love, he's so funny and cool. And there's a scary new villain, with a really interesting new style, making the conflict very different to the first book, but the stakes may be even higher. Straighten your cape and sharpen your claws . . . being a vampire is harder than it looks! The spookiest story you'll read this year from Alex Foulkes, illustrated by Sara Ogilvie. While it has 0 hit points in mist form, it can’t revert to its vampire form, and it must reach its resting place within 2 hours or be destroyed. Once in its resting place, it reverts to its vampire form. It is then paralyzed until it regains at least 1 hit point. After spending 1 hour in its resting place with 0 hit points, it regains 1 hit point. can, when once he find his way, come out from anything or into anything, no matter how close it be bound or even fused up with fire"

Vibrant world-building, hilarious horror happenings, and splendidly quirky characters - Alex Foulkes’ debut, Rules for Vampires (the first in a series), has plenty for adventure-loving 9+ year-olds to sink their teeth into, a devour-in-one-bloodthirsty-sitting story that’s made even more engaging by Sara Ogilvie’s cleverly comic illustrations. An S-T -A-K-E stake is a horrifying wooden spike traditionally hung on one’s belt and wielded like a dagger. It is a vital piece of equipment for any budding hunter who does not wish to become lunch. Simply plunge deep into the vampire’s heart before their snapping teeth can reach your face. Twisting is optional. You see, Leo is a vampire, her mother the most evil vampire around, and Minna is a ghost. Minna pops up in shiny things to talk to Leo when she's in her room, or even visits Castle Motteburg when no one else is around. Vampires and ghosts are actually supposed to be sworn enemies, so they keep things very low key. If Leo's mum found out, Leo would be mere dust in seconds.And one more thing... The little girl's ghost character is also quite odd. From the start this 11 year old girl planned a cold blooded murder of the orphanmaster. How is this normal?! What little girl would be able to do that? This story is extremely twisted if you look at it closer. The ending. Both happy and a tad of sad because of farewells, but also ominous. I am quite curious about that last glimpse and I was immediately thinking of who it could be. Despite her sympathy for Lord Ayman—or what was left of him—Leo couldn’t help but feel sorry for herself too. Was Sieglinde really going to miss Leo’s special night? Electromagnetic Interference - Similar to ghosts, attempts to film or photograph the afflicted will result in technological malfunctions.​ [9] Unlike ghosts, however, who can still be seen on camera despite causing static to appear in footage, any attempts to film or photograph the afflicted will cause their image to become distorted beyond recognition, preventing proof of their existence from being exposed to humans.