By: Jamie Steinberg
I had to do a double take on the cover of The Ground that Devours Us to be sure the author read Kalla Harris and not Charlaine Harris since this world of vampires and humans was so immersive and this love story so will they/won’t they a la Sookie Stackhouse and Bill Compton. Kalla Harris knows her stuff and with this tale of humans versus vampires it’s all out war for survival – for both sides. But there is also a beautiful rom-dram that lies within and keeps readers hooked from start to finish. Grab a copy of The Ground that Devours Us to find out if vampires and humans can actually play nice and set the world right.
Ruby and her twin sister Ripley have been fighting for their survival since their mother became a vampire when they were only about ten years old. Taken in by Barnett, the leader of the local humans against vampires army (The Hunt), they are trained from an early age how to take down vampires. With one final mission ahead of them before they can officially become slayers, things go wrong and it’s all because of X – the leader of the local vampires. Sadly, Ripley becomes a vampire but it’s that twin bond that tells Ruby that her sister is still in there somewhere and therefore can’t be slayed. What can Ruby do, though, to save her sister? She’ll go so far as to strike a deal with the devil – in this case vampire X – to protect Ripley until she can get a hand on the cure. This means risking her own life though for X’s bestie Marjorie and ruining her own future with The Hunt. But X is also kinda cute for someone with gray skin and no beating heart. He seems to have a soft spot for Ruby as well. Could these two star crossed lovers actually unite to take down to save both sides from themselves?
As a twin myself I KNOW I’d go to great lengths for my sister. There is a bond that only twins have that link them across space and time. So, I can certainly understand Ruby’s deep need to save and salvage her sister. Ruby pushes that link to the extremes with the lengths she’d go to keep her sister safe – a promise she made to their mother a long time ago. Could I cast all my training and teachings aside to team up with the enemy – handsome and as undead as he may be – to keep her safe? I’m going to say yes. It would mean throwing away any and all of my connections and double crossing someone that has become like a father figure and someone else who has become a good friend. I can’t tell you what Ruby decides, but I will say that Harris writes a compelling story that makes you yearn for Ripley’s salvation and truly wonder if Ruby and X find real feelings for one another.
The Ground that Devours Us is less “The Walking Dead” and more Romeo and Juliet meets Bronte sisters. Sure, this takes place during a vampire apocalypse with a side story of the bonds of [twin] sisterhood, but at its core there is that lingering Shakespearean will they/won’t they and can they/do they that keeps you turning page after page.