Title: Fevre Dream

Author: George R.R. Martin

Rating: 4/5

Are there LGBT characters? No. One character hints at sleeping with men but it’s never made explicit and isn’t relevant in the slightest.

Brief summary / book review: Abner Marsh is a riverboat captain who is down on his luck when a mysterious stranger approaches him with a deal – build a boat for me, we’ll run it together. Oh, and I may bring some friends on board, and we might do strange things, so don’t ask any questions. Vampires. They’re vampires. (This isn’t much of a spoiler; the book’s dust jacket makes it clear). It’s set in the antebellum south, on the Mississippi River (among others), and in New Orleans. The use of the n-word is a little jarring in the book, and is usually used by bad guys and the ignorant. Aside from that, the book is moody and evocative, and a little thrilling. This was written in the ’80s, so it can be seen in the context of the resurgence of vampire tales alongside Anne Rice’s own works.

About the series: Being a gay reader, I am interested in LGBT books, but I haven’t always seen reviews clearly note if there are LGBT characters and how significant they are. These mini reviews are my way of addressing this problem.