Blood Slaves

For readers of Victor LaValle, Tananarive Due, and Colson Whitehead’s The Underground Railroad, this ingenious reimagining of the vampire origin story set during the early days of American slavery blends alternate history with supernatural horror, as the last surviving member of an ancient African vampire tribe meets a slave desperate for freedom, and together, they lead an army of enslaved people in a cinematically blood-soaked battle for freedom and revenge.

What if nobody ever freed the slaves…because they freed themselves – 150 years before the Civil War?

In the Province of Carolina, 1710, freedom seems unattainable for Willie, for his beloved Gertie, and for their unborn child. They live, suffer, and toil under their brutal master, James “Big Jim” Barrow, whose grand plantation was built by the blood, sweat, and tears of the enslaved. To flee this hell on earth is be hunted and killed. Until one strange night Willie is offered a dark hope by Rafazi, an enigmatic slave with an irresistible and blood-chilling path to liberation.

Hailing from the Kingdom of Ghana, Rafazi is the lone survivor of the Ramanga, an African vampire tribe rendered nearly extinct by plague. Rafazi has roamed the world for centuries with an undying desire to replenish the power that once defined his heritage. In Willie, Rafazi has found his first biddable subject to be turned and to help in a hungry revolt. And Willie desires nothing more than to free his people from malicious bondage. Whatever it takes. 

One by one, as an army of blood slaves thirsting for revenge is gathered, the headstrong Gertie fears that no good can come from the vampiric legacy that courses through Rafazi’s veins. Willie knows that only evil can fight evil. And when the woman he loves stands between the reemergence of the Ramanga and the justified slaughter of the oppressors, Willie must make an irreversible decision. Only one thing is certain: on the Barrow plantation, and beyond, blood will spill.

Part historical drama, part supernatural horror, and part alternate history, Blood Slaves is an ingenuous and defiant new creation myth of the vampire, one rooted in both justice and the sometimes-violent means necessary to achieve it.

• Blood Slaves by Markus Redmond
• Published by: Dafina (expected date July 29, 2025)
• Genre: Historical fiction, horror
• Pages: 400
• Dates/Time read: 4.24.25 – 5.2.25 (8 days); 11 hours 48 minutes
• Format: ARC, paperback, Goodreads Giveaway
• Add to Goodreads
• Preorder/purchase on Amazon
• ⭐⭐⭐⭐
• ☠

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I received this book from a Goodreads Giveaway, and while it is not a requirement to give a review, it’s obviously appreciated. Especially as this book has yet to hit the shelves. The projected date of release for Blood Slaves is late July of this year. This was my first ARC (advanced reader copy) that I’ve ever read, and I’ve got to admit. It’s pretty exciting to get the opportunity to read something before anyone else and help the author out with a review.

When I sat down to start writing this review, it got me thinking about trigger warnings. I think I’ll make a post about it later, because I’ve gone down a rabbit hole, and it’s something I’m really curious about. For this book, there are definitely some trigger warnings, such as: racism, blood, gore, violence, nudity, murder, maulings, rape, animal death, abuse, slavery, pregnancy, dismemberment, and torture. The author kindly has a trigger warning page at the beginning of the book.

I know that this book is labeled as “horror”, but for me, it came off a lot more like a historical fiction fantasy horror book. I have a hard time considering something a horror book, if I find myself actually rooting for the monster! lol And that’s how I felt reading this book. I wanted the monsters to win! I wanted them to get their revenge! I cheered for them when they ascended upon the slave owners. So yeah, for me, it wasn’t a horror book. But I can appreciate how some people might think that the fact that it’s dark or about “vampires” automatically makes it a horror book. To each their own, right?!

As a white girl from Texas, born in 1979, this book was really hard to stomach at times. My only knowledge of what life was like for slaves during the early years of our country is through depictions in books or movies. So I am definitely not an expert to speak about any of it. But if life were anything like what the author, Markus Redmond, depicts in Blood Slaves…it broke my heart, and literally made me sick to my stomach at times. I read a few other people’s reviews on the book, and some were upset about the content and felt that it wasn’t necessary. I disagree. I think that it was a necessary evil POV that needed to be told. It helped me invest in the story, and fall in love with the characters, and eventually, cheer them on from my couch. The author definitely does not sugar-coat things in this book, and I’m ok with that!

The one issue that I had with the book, which I found a bit far-fetched, was how quickly they turned the other slaves and expected them to control themselves. When Rafazi turns Willie (later known by his given birth name of Kwadzo), he takes him to the forest to train and teach him how to hunt, feed, hide, and control his power. A process that seems to take at least a few days. But when they turn the other slaves, the house slaves are sent back to the house, since they don’t want to alert Big Jim to anything being amiss amongst the slaves, ruining the element of surprise for their attack. While I get the basis for the decision, it just seems like an unrealistic expectation. That’s like sending a 5-year-old to spend the day in a candy store, but telling them not to touch or eat any of the candy! lol Not gonna happen!! It definitely added some extra tension and shenanigans to the ending, that’s for sure. And that epilogue ending…OMG!!!!! I won’t spoil it, but I squealed with happiness at that ending! 🧑‍🍳💋

Overall, I thought this was a great debut novel by Markus Redmond!! The subject matter is rough for sure, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t an amazing story. I really hope this turns into a series, because I would love to see what the new Ramanga tribe will do. Especially if they join sides with the Native Americans, which is alluded to briefly in Blood Slaves. It would also make an awesome TV show or movie. So excited to see what comes next!!