by Lorie Lewis Ham

Details on how to win a copy of Night Owls at the end of this review, along with a link to purchase the book.

This is the first book in a new series, and what grabbed me right away was that it was set in a bookstore that was open at night to accommodate supernatural beings–such as its owner, Val, who happens to be a vampire.

Night Owls begins with a girl named Elly who finds herself on the run from what they call Creeps, or Jackals, the villains in this book. They are after a book that belonged to her now deceased mentor, but she has no idea why. She takes the book to the only person she feels might be able to help her, a college professor who was a colleague of her mentor.

For safekeeping, the book ends up at Night Owl’s in their rare book room, without Val knowing what it really is until the professor is killed. Elly, Val and Val’s Renfield Chaz, end up figuring out why the book is so valuable and saving the day in the end. There is a lot of world building in this book but it didn’t seem to really slow the story down. We only get glimpses of Val’s mysterious past which I hope begins to be revealed to us in future books.

I enjoyed the different takes on vampires and mystical creatures that this series provides. It is an interesting story filled with magic and action, but my favorite thing about Night Owls are the characters. There is a wonderful chemistry between Chaz and Val that I look forward to seeing more of, and there were a lot of other great characters in this book as well. I also enjoy kickass female characters and both of these girls have that in spades.

I look forward to the next book in the series and seeing where Lauren Roy takes things. And I still love the setting of a bookstore open all night–that’s my kind of bookstore! And if it’s run by a vampire all the better.

To enter to win a copy of Night Owls, simply email KRL at krlcontests@gmail[dot]com by replacing the [dot] with a period, and with the subject line “Owls,” or comment on this article. A winner will be chosen July 5, 2014. U.S. residents only.

Check out more fantasy book reviews in our fantasy and fangs section.

Lorie Lewis Ham is our Editor-in-Chief and an enthusiastic contributor to various sections, coupling her journalism experience with her connection to the literary and entertainment worlds. Explore Lorie’s mystery writing at Mysteryrat’s Closet.