Court of the Undying Seasons, A.M. Strickland

About the Book

In becoming a vampire, I’m less than a girl. And more.
Or maybe I’m becoming what I always have been, deep inside.
A blade.

When nineteen-year-old Fin volunteers to take her secret love’s place in their village’s Finding, she is terrified. Those who are chosen at the Finding are whisked away to Castle Courtsheart, a vampire school where human students either succeed and become vampires, fail and spend the rest of their lives as human thralls…or they don’t survive long enough to become either.

Fin is determined to forge a different path: learn how to kill the undead and get revenge for her mother, who was taken by the vampires years ago. But Courtsheart is as captivating as it is deadly, and Fin is quickly swept up in her new world and its inhabitants – particularly Gavron, her handsome and hostile vampire maker, whose blood is nothing short of intoxicating. As Fin begins to discover new aspects of her own identity and test her newfound powers, she stumbles across a string of murders that may be connected to a larger ritual – one with potentially lethal consequences for vampires and humans alike. Fin must uncover the truth and find the killer before she loses her life…or betrays her own heart.

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Releases May 16th

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My Thoughts

I’m not sure how I first stumbled across this book, but I requested it to review because I’m still a fan of vampire books, even though it seems they’re going out of fashion. This one definitely carries unique attributes which set it apart from others, mainly the ability to shapeshift. It’s a vastly different trait from typical vampire lore, and I appreciate the author’s willingness to step out of the box.

I think we, the reader, are supposed to cheer for Fin, but I found her distasteful. She’s selfish, manipulative, and obsessive and chases leads that make no sense but refuses to see reason. It makes her a bumbling heroine. And why is she pining for a village that refused to care for her or feed her a decent meal? One person stepped up, and even then, Fin was constantly starving. The attachment to the village doesn’t make sense. But she shows some character growth and doesn’t stay wholly stagnant throughout the book.

But I can dislike characters and still enjoy a book, and I think the unique spins on vampire lore are where this book shines. I also super appreciated that the storyline finished within the length of one book, with no cliffhangers and a year’s wait for another cliffhanger. That you get a complete story in one book deserves 4 stars alone. But this is a fun read and a unique take on some of the lore. Thank you, Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group, for sending this over.