This book grabbed me right away. Starting off with a vampire suicide was pretty alarming. But what really held my attention here were the characters and their backstories. A vamp trying to save his father, but instead dooming him to eternal senility. A servant turned just to play nursemaid. Another being slow corrupted by his gifts. The fact that they don't have super strength, or super speed also made me like this world.

The whole mind reading thing had me rolling my eyes, thinking it very Twilight, but then I remembered this is probably 10 years older. And honestly, much less creepy. The romance, in fact, is pretty much completely absent. It's all about connecting with people (or other vampires) and not being alone, then find love which I really appreciated.