Rules for Vampires - Alex Foulkes. Illustrated by Sara Ogilvie

Leo is 111 years old and is a vampire who has reached her birth night which means she is about to go out on her first Hunt,  ‘The Hunt of the Waxing Moon, an important rite of passage for every young vampire entering adulthood’ but when your mother is Sieglinde Von Motteberge there is extra pressure, especially when told that no von Motteberge has ever failed to make a kill in their first time out. Deciding to go to the local village of Otto’s End, Leo chooses St Freda’s Home for Unfortunate Children, the orphanage as her target, figuring that nobody would miss an orphan. Leo, however, doesn’t bank on encountering Minna, who is happy to chat, nor does she expect to wake The Orphanmaster, the rather ferocious and despicable owner of the orphanage. When he wakes and a fire breaks out, Leo’s plans are turned upside down and, instead of making her first vampiric kill, she ends up being responsible for the orphanage burning down and the death of Minna and The Orphanmaster.  Minna, as a ghost, quickly finds Leo and updates her, but can they stop the ghost of The Orphanmaster before he acquires his full power and can Leo manage to keep all of this mess from her mum?

This is one of those books that you quickly discover seems to have everything! There’s a lightheartedness to it that entices you in  it with enough spookiness to keep you gripped. Descriptions of the castle, Leo’s elder sister and thoughtful touches such as references to claws instead of hands will all hook readers in, as will the tension that mounts as the book progresses.

Leo is clearly a vampire who is desperate to impress her incredibly foreboding mother but seems to end up getting everything wrong. She appears to live in her elder sister’s shadow (despite the fact her elder sister is actually a toddler) and is thrilled at finding her first ever friend, even if she is a ghost. Thankfully though, she has Marged (her butler who also happens to be a set of armour) on her side and who is always looking out for her.

The Orphanmaster is a truly horrible character (in the best possible way!) and is one readers will love to hate. His threatening manner from the start will engage readers and he’ll be somebody they’ll delight in  hating! His constantly menacing manner allows for some great tension in the book, particularly towards the end, and helps to make Rules for Vampires a gripping read. 

Due for release on the 15th September, and with wonderful illustrations from Sara Ogilvie, this is the perfect book for fans of The Last Chance Hotel or those who read the Amelia Fang books when they were first released. Perfectly timed for Halloween, this is one book you’ll definitely want to get your claws in and your teeth stuck into!