I'm not usually much of a fan of vampires, zombies, and other undead beasties, so I wasn't sure what I'd make of this book. But these are post-apocalyptic vampires, and I like Kagawa's style, so I decided to give it a go - and I'm glad I did. 
 The story is told from the perspective of Allison, who starts out as an ordinary girl at the bottom of the food chain, scavenging for sustenance and hiding from the dangers of the night. But when she's attacked and on the brink of death, a mysterious vampire offers her a second chance at life (well, sort of) and in desperation she agrees to become a vampire herself. Allison has grown up thinking of vampires as evil demons, but she's determined to keep her human ethics - a challenge when she has to drink human blood to survive. This internal conflict continues throughout the novel, colouring every judgement she makes as she negotiates the world. There's also plenty of sword-fighting against evil bad guys, against a backdrop of collapsing skyscrapers, and a touch of romance. 
 I might have preferred it without the vampire cliches, but I'd still be happy to keep reading this series.