They Thirst

With such a chilling title, it's easy to think 'They Thirst' is going to be another gory addition to vampire fiction. To some extent, this is true as the city of Las Angeles is partially transformed into a literal city of the dead. However, despite the use of some clichéd vampire tropes, MacCammon manages to write an electrifying and terrifying tale of awe-inspiring evil. Abandoning any attempt to paint vampires as misunderstood creatures of the night, 'They Thirst' is a brilliant reminder of why humans are scared of the dark and McCammon's prose chillingly fits with the disturbing tone of the novel. With descriptions like "prepare to face the Prince of Evil and his satanic disciples", MacCammon occasionally draws dangerously close to corny writing. However, these sloppy descriptions are few and are made up for MacCammon's relentless pacing and ruthless characterisation of the novel's villains. While 'They Thirst' has been criticized for its darker take on vampires, many view the inhuman and pitiless vampires as a truly fitting adversary for the citizens of Las Angeles.