The Last Keeper’s Daughter

Twilight fans craving more vampire romance and action might find solace in Rebecca Trogner’s The Last Keeper’s Daughter. The novel centers around a girl named Lily, whose dying father begs the vampire king, Krieger, to protect his daughter for the rest of her life. Krieger, because Lily’s father was the “last keeper” of the vampires, does not deny him this request, and he brings Lily into the vampire world. They have an inexplicable bond, an unusual occurrence between a vampire and a human. Soon after Lily comes to Krieger’s home, that bond becomes a passionate love…but then Lily’s father is murdered, sparking an investigation that will shatter her whole world.

Don’t be fooled by the book’s description as a “vampire novel.” The Last Keeper’s Daughter is atypical of the myriad supernatural novels out there today and introduces a new perspective of vampires. The blending of the modern and Others worlds is confusing in that it’s never clear how exactly vampires separate themselves from humans, but Trogner does an excellent job of introducing readers to her interpretation of a vampire world. She leaves little to be desired in the emotional connections with the characters and description of the setting, creating a human-like depiction of vampires, which fans of Robin McKinley’s Sunshine will appreciate.

The Last Keeper’s Daughter, where it is full of vivacious and relatable characters, lacks in character development. Though we do see Lily go from a shy and unconfident girl to a strong and independent woman, she seemed to make this transition in a matter of minutes, instead of gradually developing over the course of the novel. The same goes for all the characters; they are heartwarming and complex, but their development happens too fast. As a reader, I like to see characters slowly become different people, so the rapid development of characters in the novel bothered me. But the characters are so beautifully brought to life that despite the lack of gradual development, they are still relatable.

The Last Keeper’s Daughter is a fresh take on vampires and is complex without being confusing. It’s an engrossing and easy read for any romance, mystery, or supernatural fan.