After witnessing his friend’s death at the hands of some kind of monster, Blake is running from said monster as fast as his car will let him go. His car breaks down though just outside of a small town. When he enlists the help of Joam, an auto mechanic at the local garage in town, Blake doesn’t know that he’s in for a world of trouble. Blake and Joam both have their separate problems before they met, but when Blake takes Joam’s virginity they suddenly have to face things together.

Now I want to go out and read anything and everything Jessica Freely has written. There was never a dull moment in this novella. Every scene told a unique story and fed right into the next, just like pieces of a puzzle. I have never read the old world virgin-sacrifice scenario told with a contemporary modern day twist. The conflict Joam and Blake find themselves in just made both characters that much more likeable the more I read. I may not know what a varnal is, even after reading the story, but that only makes me want to read more about these creatures. The fact that I’m still trying to picture the characters in their varnal form is just one of the things I love about Virgin.

Reviewed by: April