Butler does interesting things with vampires' living arrangements and appearances and changes the canon in an impactful way. My favorite part of the book was the trial. I'm not big on race allegories because I think it's better explained directly, but I think Butler does a good job illustrating the nonsensical/ illogical/ obtuse nature of bigotry . I felt very conflicted about Shori looking like a child. It makes it difficult for me to like/ empathize with some of her symbionts. I can be fine with shocking or gross story elements if they feel purposeful, but I wasn't sure how this one enhanced or impacted the story. I think this story could really only be a novel. I wouldn't have been able to watch this as a movie or show or read it as a graphic novel.