dragononabook
Written on Jul 8, 2020
Jack Valentine, our main character, was very much a classic slightly grumpy, has-an-authority-issue detective, but with a vampire twist. I really liked how determined she was, and how strong her personality was, without setting off my 'oh no she's going to get herself into massive trouble' radar constantly. Said radar did get set off a couple of times though, but that's just how Jack is! She's a very complex character, and very adaptable to the situations she gets herself in to. I was particularly fond of Cam, who is Jack's best friend, and I'm very much hoping to see more of him as well as the other supporting characters in upcoming novels.
I was not a massive fan of the relationships, partly because I'm not a massive fan of love triangles, but also because I didn't much like the way that Jack approached both options. On the one hand, there's the cute Scottish doctor, and on the other there's the man Jack has spent her entire time as a vampire disliking. I personally was rooting for Dr Ross, because she and Jack seemed like a good fit, and there aren't enough f/f relationships in vampire books. However, a lot of the vampire attraction was very animalistic in a way, with marking and pheromones, and that's just not my cup of tea, which is what made this book less than five stars for me. If it is your thing, then I think you'll really like the relationship execution, because it's not bad, it's just not for me.
The plot is also solid and compelling, and kept me very much hooked when it started picking up. It was very much a build-up of suspense, starting fairly low key with a normal, albeit slightly odd, case for the Seekers, but it progresses and the way that information is revealed balances suspense and foreshadowing very well. There's also a lot of hinting at potential upcoming plotlines, especially with the Solis Invicti, and some interesting hints about Winta, the Silver who turned Jack, so I'm very much looking forward to seeing where the rest of the series goes.
Now, one of the things I loved most about this book was the setting. Not because I particularly enjoy books set in Oxford, but because I actually live just down the road from Oxford, and I could picture the setting so vividly. Josie Jaffrey did an excellent job of evoking Oxford and the atmosphere it has, and for me this made the story that much more 3-Dimensional. I particularly liked the jab at boys from Magdalen College School, because I know several of them and the jab was well deserved. Also, the town I live in was mentioned, something which has never happened!
I highly recommend checking out this book if you enjoy vampires, corrupt secret systems, a good mystery, or all of the above. You don't have to have read the Solis Invicti, set in the same universe, before as it comes after chronologically, but if you want more of the worldbuilding, it's a good next step. Overall, May Day was a very enjoyable book, so if you're interested, go read!
Thank you to the author for providing me with a review copy in exchange for an honest review!