Review by Lorie Lewis Ham
Details at the end of this post on how to enter to win an ebook copy of the book and a link to purchase it.
Earlier this year I reviewed The Lightslayer, the first book in the Everdusk dark fantasy series written by Jack Townson. While that was the first book in the series, it wasn’t the first book in the story of the Vampire Jack Townson. (Yes the author and the character share a name.) The first book in Jack’s story was Fame Has Its Price, which I read after reading The Lightslayer, and the first in Jack’s Everdusk Side Quests series, Stolen Power. While you could say I read them out of order, Jack actually isn’t writing these stories in a linear fashion and I wasn’t at all lost reading them in the order that I did. However, recently Jack did suggest reading Fame first, then Stolen Power, and then The Lightslayer.
The only drawback I had to reading this later, was that I had to remind myself this was not the Jack I had met in The Lightslayer and Stolen Power. This was a broken naïve young man so desperate for love and success that he far too quickly believes that he is in love. He is used and manipulated. This Jack broke my heart. This Jack I wanted to grab and beg him not to fall for the lies. Not to leave behind his younger sister whom he took care of—a choice he soon regrets. His new life may have given him a brother, Aiden, but this brother would like nothing more than to destroy him.
This story is dark and tragic, but is an excellent beginning to Jack’s story. It is essentially an origin story and helps the reader understand some of what the Jack of The Lightslayer has gone through to make him the man, the hero, and the vampire, that he becomes. Jack (the writer) has created an intricate and fascinating supernatural underworld hidden from the humans of New York. I can’t wait to read more of Jack’s story, both in New York, and in Draconia.
I LOVE vampires and Anne Rice’s books have always been my favorite, but Jack Townson (both the vampire and the writer) is now right up there on the same level. Jack may actually be my new favorite vampire. If you love vampires, run don’t walk to get your hands on everything Jack has written so far—with so much more to come!
If you don’t know who Jack is, then you must not be a vampire lover on TikTok. My love of vampires caused the algorithm on TikTok to bring me to the videos of The Vampire Jack Townson—and boy am I glad that they did. This handsome man with long, dark, curly hair, dressed as though he walked straight out of a dark fantasy vampire novel, caught my attention immediately. But it wasn’t until late last year when Jack mentioned that he was looking for reviewers for his new vampire fantasy novel, The Lightslayer, that I began to take a deeper dive into who this man is, beyond just the handsome vampire on TikTok. Boy am I glad that I did. You will be too! This series has everything you could want—great characters, interesting lore, found family, and so much more! Oh, and this man can also sing beautifully—I’m not sure there is anything he can’t do.
If you would like to learn more about Jack, check out the extremely interesting interview KRL did with him when we reviewed The Lightslayer. And also follow him on all of his socials.
To enter to win an ebook copy of Fame Has Its Price, simply email KRL at krlcontests@gmail[dot]com by replacing the [dot] with a period, and with the subject line "fame,” or comment on this article. A winner will be chosen November 1, 2025. US residents only and you must be 18 or older to enter. If entering via comment please include your email address so we can contact you. You can read our privacy statement here if you like.
You can click here to purchase this book.
Lorie Lewis Ham is our Editor-in-Chief and a contributor to various sections, coupling her journalism experience with her connection to the literary and entertainment worlds. Explore Lorie's mystery writing including her latest mystery novel One of You, the latest Tower District Mystery, at Mysteryrat's Closet.
Disclosure: This post contains links to an affiliate program, for which we receive a few cents if you make purchases. KRL also receives free copies of most of the books that it reviews, that are provided in exchange for an honest review of the book.
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