The accursed vampire

Gr 5--8--Dragoslava, Quintus, and Eztli are each centuries old, but they haven't matured beyond childhood. These three vampire children sleep in a coffin by day, complete with a pillow and stuffed animal, and drink "ethically sourced" blood that comes in bags. Dragoslava, who completes odd jobs for a remorseless witch under threat of magical torture, brings their friends along to Baneberry Falls, MI, to retrieve a grimoire. There they meet an adult vampire named Sara, her witch girlfriend Ayesha, and magical obstacles that force Dragoslava to choose between their obligations and friendship. McGrane channels the Kate Beaton school of comic timing, with impish protagonists who skate between delivering hilarious nonsequiturs and displaying vulnerability. One minute they're crying in the street with nowhere to go, the next they're absentmindedly coloring their menus in a diner. Many pages use six- or eight-panel grids of square panels, with double-wide panels to pause for impact. Dragoslava's quest drives the story, with recurring flashbacks from the past few centuries telling the story of how they, Quintus, and Eztli met and bonded. McGrane's humor and cute illustrations disarm readers just in time for deftly handled themes of accepting joy. Bald, pale white Dragoslava sports a cape and evokes a tiny, much more adorable Nosferatu; Quintus is Black; and Eztli is brown-skinned and bird-footed. Sara is white; Ayesha is Black. VERDICT McGrane's silly and spooky tale uses poignant moments about found families to touch readers' hearts between bouts of laughter.--Thomas Maluck, Richland Lib., SC

At the command of a cruel witch, a vampire child seeks a stolen grimoire of dangerous power in this graphic paranormal fantasy. Long ago, Dragoslava, a White, hairless vampire, drank the blood of an old, White woman, a witch in disguise who promised to "rend [their] flesh and sinews to crawling worms" unless Dragoslava agreed to serve her. When the witch demands that Dragoslava hunt down her stolen grimoire and curse the thief, their only two friends, Quintus (a Black vampire prince) and Eztli (a presumed Nahuatl vampire with bird feet), want to help them. However, two unlikely allies, an adult vampire (depicted with pale skin) and her witch girlfriend (depicted with darker skin and curly hair), complicate the three young vampires' feelings about their quest. In order to fulfill the witch's task, Dragoslava may have to betray people who matter to them. Underneath the magical conflict, the characters encounter themes of abuse, prejudice, and belonging. Although the evil witch wields frightening power, the real harm she causes comes from manipulation and unkindness toward those who trust her. Her curses are not the only threat to Dragoslava and their friends. Another unexpected enemy hides hatred for vampires behind small-town niceness. Quirky art and characterizations balance the heavier aspects of the narrative. Queer representation within the story is prevalent and casual, and the satisfying resolution emphasizes the joy of chosen families. A mischievous and treacherous adventure. (Graphic paranormal adventure. 8-12) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.