Captain Nathan J. Northland had no idea what to expect when he returned home to Lorehaven injured from war, but it certainly wasn’t to find himself posted on an island full of vampires. An island whose local vampire dandy lord causes Nathan to feel strange things he’d never felt before. Particularly about fangs.
When Vlad Blutstein agreed to hire Nathan as Captain of the Eyrie Guard, he hadn’t been sure what to expect either, but it certainly hadn’t been to fall in love with a disabled werewolf. However Vlad has fallen and fallen hard, and that’s the problem.
Torn by their allegiances–to family, to duty, and the age-old enmity between vampires and werewolves–the pair find themselves in a difficult situation: to love where the heart wants or to follow where expectation demands.
The situation is complicated further when a mysterious and beguiling figure known only as Lady Ursula crashes into their lives, bringing with her dark omens of death, doom, and destruction in her wake.
And a desperate plea for help neither of them can ignore.
Thrown together in uncertain times and struggling to find their place amidst the rising human empire, the unlikely trio must decide how to face the coming darkness: united as one or divided and alone. One thing is for certain, none of them will ever be the same.
Hunger Pangs provides examples of the following tropes:
- Fur Against Fang: Vampires and werewolves in general, though of course Vlad and Nathan's relationship is an inversion.
- Our Vampires Are Different: They have many of the trademark weaknesses and powers, but cap their teeth with metal to show that they're peaceful and don't hunt humans anymore.
- Our Werewolves Are Different: Werewolves live in huge family groups and often go into the military.
- Polyamory: Nathan, Ursula, and Vlad are all love interests for each other.
- Taking the Heat: The Count is actually the one who turned Elizabeth, but Vlad allows everyone to think that he did it. He knew that people would be willing to let the crime slide if they believed it was simply a case of two impulsive young lovers who wanted to be together forever, so he let everybody believe that's what happened.
