Reign of Blood (Book 1) by Alexia Purdy

   April should be trying to finish high school.  Instead, she's killing vampires and raiding abandoned stores for food and supplies that she, her mother, and brother need to survive.  A year ago a virus overtook the world and now nothing is how it was.  Almost everyone died and those that didn't, turned into these zombie-like vampires with fangs and a taste for blood.  This is the world she now lives in.  April and her family live in this underground bunker that has solar powered energy and even showers.  Everything gets recycled and there is a lot of non-perishable food there.  But her mom doesn't want them using it unless they absolutely have to.  So they raid the empty stores in Las Vegas.  Then one of the worst things that can happen does; her family is taken.  She has no idea who has them or even where they could be.  So she starts searching for them in the numerous casinos.  Her new-found rage for the loss of her family causes April to get reckless and vengeful, burning some of the casinos and the vampires within them.  Then things change a lot.  Apparently there is more than one type of vampire out there.  There are ones out there that are so very similar to humans it is hard to see the difference except for their glowing, strange eyes, fangs, and incredible speed.  As much as she dislikes these creatures, they are the only way she will find her family.  So for now she must rely on what had been her enemy to find them.  Once April enters their hive though, she hopes she doesn't get murdered by the others before she can get the help she needs.

   I liked reading this book.  It was a different look at post-apocalyptic Vegas and what it would be like with vampires roaming the place.  The best part?  The diversity of the vampires.  It brings a whole new spin to the story.  There is so much that changed when the virus hit and you don't even find out the full extent of it until near the end of the book.  Even April has a few surprises about herself!  However, there were some slow spots in the book that bring down its rating for me personally.  Otherwise, this is a pretty fascinating read!