Sanguine Symphony

Information

Status

Hiatus

Year

2022

Author

Sickened Fanfics

• Me, Rice, a Savage in a Garden, and Getting Old
  Dec 18, 2022
• Chapter Twelve
  Dec 21, 2022
• Chapter Eleven
  Dec 21, 2022
• Chapter Ten
  Dec 21, 2022
• Chapter Nine
  Dec 21, 2022
• Chapter Eight
  Dec 21, 2022
• Chapter Seven
  Dec 21, 2022
• Chapter Six
  Dec 21, 2022
• Chapter Five
  Dec 9, 2022
• Chapter Four
  Nov 19, 2022
• Chapter Three
  Nov 13, 2022
• Chapter Two
  Nov 12, 2022
• Chapter One
  Nov 11, 2022
• Sanguine Symphony (A Tears of Pearls Parody)
  Dec 3, 2022
• Human Overview
  Nov 22, 2022
• Vampire Overview
  Nov 11, 2022
• Fully Qualified
  Nov 22, 2022
• Note to Readers
  Dec 4, 2022

Reviews

Community Reviews(10)

• Apollo149Royal Road

  ★★★★★ 5.0

  I am not a Savage Garden fan or that I know who any of these people are; however, I see how their passion is written in this project/story. Despite my unfamiliarity and general feeling of these characters. For example, Darren is pretty epic and has lots of details plus development.This story has some awesome vampire fanfic.
  Side note! Lots of epic details in the background/world building. I like the idea behind the hunters.
  Characters: Entertaining characters. My favorite is Darren. He has some struggles and I enjoyed learning about this world with his eyes. I enjoyed seeing their interactions with each other. I don't know how accurately they are depicted; however, I feel more empathy for Darren than I do most people or other stories I have read.
  Story: This story really took me back to the days when I used to read Anne Rice. I am not currently a huge vampire fan, but for better or for worse, it is a classic styling of vampires that reminds me of Rice’s vampires. Basically, to sum things up, it's a pseudo-fanfiction based on an Australian band that fell off the grid which is powered and fueled by the author's vivid and excellent imagination which was sparked by his passion for Savage Garden.
  Grammar: I am not great at grammar myself; however, I wasn't held up by the need to reread anything. Overall, not much to say about this one. The author writes well.
  Overall, it's a great piece of writing, written passionately about subjects the author is clearly invested in, and the story moves along nicely.
  I hope you enjoy the story.
• OsiriumWritesRoyal Road

  ★★★★★ 5.0

  Conclusion: A really interesting take on the vampire genre whilst fused together with a fanfiction. Give it a read!
  Style: It started off weird from a strange perspective/present, to suddenly third person/past tense. Beyond that, the style was solid. It was consistent throughout the entire story and nothing really stood out as bothersome. The chapters were thick for your average reader, but would no doubt fit the targeted audience.
  Grammar: Minor errors here and there. The Author has stated to want to convey an informal approach to writing, which is fine. The errors I did find are those that are easily fixed after a second look or by an editor. Nothing major that broke the immersion for me.
  Story: For a fanfiction, it was actually really well done. I’d go as far as to say that it could have been worthy of an actual book with original characters. Without spoiling too much, I can say that this story has enough drama, action and a darker tone. I was hesitant about the latter, seeing as some authors like to paint with a wide brush when they go for the more sensitive topics, yet here it is done subtly. You don’t feel assaulted after reading it, but rather a sense of intrigue at the darker tones of this ‘vampiric society’.
  Also, Vampires! Who doesn’t like vampires?
  Characters: This is where the story shines the most. Each character feels ‘real’, beyond who they represent in real life. Thoughts, fears, cravings, everything feels right and real. The MC’s of the story all have a story to tell and the reader can almost imagine the sights, pleasantries and horrors that these characters undergo. I really enjoyed the character arcs/developments of these.
  The best part for me was the fact that the darker tones were occasionally mixed with humour, allowing the reader to decompress now and again and view the story and its characters in a new light.
• PizzaPizzaRoyal Road

  ★★★★★ 5.0

  Hooo boy! This story really took me back to the days when I used to read Anne Rice, for better or for worse. To sum things up, it's a pseudo-fanfiction based on an Australian band that fell off to the grid, fueled by the author's vivid and excellent imagination and prose.
  It's an excellent start, and the author clearly writes to market. I'll go through this point by point for an advanced review.
  Style Score: If you're a fan of dark vampire paranormal romance, this story is right up your alley. The author's storytelling style and prose is almost perfect for a story like this - every chapter is underpinned and charged by an electric layer of oozing sexuality and dark romance. I found myself blushing on at least five occasions just reading the interactions and descriptions of the characters in the first four chapters.
  Characters: Darren and Daniel are vampires, and that comes with the usual mountain of vampire existential angst. It's hard to talk about this without getting into spoiler territory, but suffice to say, both of them are pretty 'young' for vampires and neither are all too happy about the life they've fallen into. The two main characters are in a loosely functional live-in relationship, and Daniel definitely hasn't taken to vampirism well. On a very high level, Daniel blames Darren for it which sets the stage for the interpersonal conflict and dark romance here.
  Story: It feels like the story is barely out of a prologue right now, so it's a little bit hard to write about this. As mentioned in the characters section, the main characters' background as young vampires sets the stage for conflict in this piece. They are new to vampire, or rather, 'nocturnal' society and there's more than a bit of angst and sexually fueled drama in the scene.
  This is definitely a LGBTQ+ story that deals with very serious subjects such as drugs, grooming, and consent on multiple levels. If that's your cup of tea, the execution here is splendid, but I could see that turning someo r
• AustimizedRoyal Road

  ★★★★★ 5.0

  This story absolutely drips style. From the narrator's voice to the lavish architectural descriptions, to the characterization, the author's sense of style permeates everything.
  Though a narrator definition usually accompanies new terms and ideas, it rarely lasts too long to divert from the story. When the author embraces it and actually says "here's the deal: xxx" it actually integrates into the narrator's voice and becomes a feature rather than a bug.
  And it's raw. From the (homo)sexuality to the emotionally fraught interactions between the MC and his boyfirend, to the details of how they feed, it feels coarse and rough and vivid.
  Digging into vampire society is cool too: the hidden places within places, their alchololic "blood wine" made from the blood of drunk humans, their personal evolution and details - I'd always thought vampires were super wasteful with how little blood they actually took from a body and this is the first fiction that accounted for how much blood sloshes around inside us. Little details that raise it a step above your standard vampire story.
  Definitely not what I was expecting from a "Aboriginal vampire Savage Garden" fanfic.
  Biggest downside: it's only 5 chapters. :/
  Definitely worth checking it out!
• AlyRoyal Road

  ★★★★★ 5.0

  For those wondering, you don't need to know anything about the source material to understand what's going on in this story.
  -
  This story isn't for the faint of heart, or for people looking for a quick, fluffy read. This is a tale of deep love, depression, desperation, and a general achiness of the heart. There is some respit, some silver linings and some gentle moments, but not the majority. It's hard not to read this and not feel with our main character, Darren. The characterization and emotion throughout is the strength of this story in general. Sometimes, it's cathartic to read another's suffering. If that's what you need, this novel will do it for you.
  Style & Story: I think, collectively, 9/10 stars. The first five postings for this series are not "necessary" to read, thus why only 9 and not 10. I think, actually, if it was all condensed to one appendix entry, it would still be fine if it was even necessary. There's a lot of information there that highlights the amount of work that's gone into this story--and I love story notes, I just usually like them at the end so I can...sink my teeth into the meat. (Vampire puns, sorry)
  Everything that comes up with the lore is explained easily enough in the narrative through the story and the character's perspective. However, I do know some readers don't appreciate moments of ambiguity or moments before something is explained, but I have no solutions other than maybe condensing those five extra pieces, organizing it a bit, maybe linking it inside the chapters as the topics come up if the reader needs. I don't know. More information isn't a bad thing, just thinking of ways we can get more story and narration out of it rather than resources.
  The vampire lore is different from some that I've read, so some of the extra explanations were appreciated. Some clever turns of phrase and sarcastic inner monologue is, personally, my favorite kind of exposition. I don't know if so much if it being new to me is for this particular nove
• Ujwal VujjiniRoyal Road

  ★★★★★ 5.0

  Now as given in the title, I don't normally read stories like this. Especially fan-fiction. But given this is out of the realm of regular fanfics and more so a retcon or retelling of an existing person's life with supernatural elements, well let's say it falls quite out of the norm and even veers more toward the literary side, making for an interesting and at times seductive read.
  Story: Beautifully presented to us through the mind of Darren, an ex-member of the band Savage Garden, who's now a vampire, as he navigates his life with his abusive partner Daniel and the vampiric underworld.
  Much of the world-building is given upfront in separate Note and Overview Chapters and is passively mentioned through Darren's narration. This kind of a story doesn't need it, but the fact that the author went through such pain-staking detail to account for many of the terms and ways of behavior of both human and vampiric orders is something I commend!
  Time is spent explaining these elements but not to the detriment of what Darren's showing us. There is quite a bit of mystery of how this society functions and is something I'm sure will be elaborated on in later chapters, perhaps to be tinted in perception by Darren's thought.
  Style: No problems here. While the language is informal, it can get quite articulate especially in the descriptions. I found the balance stays steady throughout.
  Grammar: No problems here. Everything is well edited, with only a few instances of pronoun usage that I was confused. Nothing to detract from the reading experience as a whole.
  Character: This is where I think the story truly shines! While this story is in third-person it is presented mostly through Darren's perspective, and as such his perception clouds the entirety of the narrative. We see how his actions and reactions toward certain things be influenced by his past, such that even a rather simple off-hand remark of his partner, Daniel, sends him into an obsessive spiral of wondering why he would've s
• MoonlightGardensRoyal Road

  ★★★★★ 4.5

  This was not a story for me. I couldn’t tell if it’s simply because the appeal was lost on me or if there’s actually some problems here. I’d say if you’re interested in the band or vampires, then maybe this is a good story for you. If you’re not into any of those things, then there’s probably something more interesting for you out there.
  Style (4/5)
  The author describes a lot—almost too much. Especially in the first chapter, when it describes the building they live in, and just… do we really need that much detail? I also didn’t read the summaries on vampires and humans, since the author said I didn’t have to, but I feel like there’s too much I don’t understand. Then there’s parts where the reader’s told information I doubt they care to know. It’s a balancing act that doesn’t feel very balanced. Still, the overall prose is fine.
  Story (4/5)
  I don’t quite understand what’s supposed to be happening. Is this a casual slice of life story about being a vampire? Breaking free of an abusive situation? It doesn’t really seem like anything interesting is happening. Or perhaps the appeal is seeing the characters in action, which is lost on me for reasons mentioned in the character section.
  Grammar (5/5)
  I found very few, if any, grammar errors.
  Character (4/5)
  I couldn’t really understand any of the characters or their motives. Sure, I could understand the basics of the situation, but nothing that personally connected me to the characters. They’re all just… people, and not particularly the interesting kind.
• RensenRenRoyal Road

  ★★★★★ 4.5

  There were a lot of things I was skeptical about when I first started this story, mainly because almost all vampire stories these days are a drag if the same things over and over again. So considering this work is a fanfiction, I was very impressed because it does better than non-fanfuc vampire stories.
  The writer actually dices into the vampire lore and world building, giving deatil to the little things and building a ground work for why vampire characters do this and that. In other stories they just give us a vampire and say hey, here's a vampire, he's hot and when he wants blood he's even hotter. No story about them whatsoever, them being a vampire is meant to suffice and I'm this story didn't go in the tragectory of lazy writing.
  The vampires here feel like real beings you want to get to know more of and are actually fascinated by, so yeah, good job.
  Another thing I want to commend is style, can't really put my hand on it but I loved they way each new piece of info was given. Sure there's a chapter dedicated to it but that doesn't stop the writer from weaving them into the story. I also liked the added info of vampires and weres hating each other because of slavery , most of the time they just hate each other for no reason because 'they're just meant to, it's instinctual:
  I didn't really love any of the characters though, I felt more of a drive to be entertained by them rather than form any real connections with anyone. Seeing as it's just fanfic I shouldn't really be scrutinizing this aspect as those who know the fandom already have a connection to these characters but I just have to. The writer still does a good job of not making the dysfunctional relationship trope not seem stale. They're having real problems with the added burden of only being able to drink blood and blood wine. Darren is the loyal good boy with trauma who will probably have to learn the lesson of leaving your abusers before it's too and Daniel is the guy we pretty much have to hate until he
• Rookie12Royal Road

  ★★★★★ 4.5

  This review is based on the four chapters that were available at the time.
  Skip the first chapter. I can't stress enough how important it is to be engulfed in this story. Do not read the first chapter, it is merely tidbits of worldbuilding and lore.
  Now for the review. What we are looking at, is a story about how a vampire couple is setting up in the big city. Both of them are talented performers, but over time, one of them clearly gets fed up with the other, causing a crack to appear in their relationships. There are no grand stakes for now, just a simple urban story at first glance.
  I can't in good conscience say that I liked the MCs, but there is something about the story that draws you in. There is not nearly enough material to say if this will be a slice-of-life story or an action story, but there are enough hints for both. As you read the story, it draws you in strangely. From the odd opening of the second chapter to the style choice in the dialogue, the story manages to keep you hooked somehow.
  I failed to notice any serious grammar mistakes, and the language was easy enough to understand. The worldbuilding is extensive, but I am not quite sure why we should care about it when the story is seemingly about the struggle of everyday life for this odd vampire couple. Indeed, the worldbuilding done in the story (revealing the presence of a werewolf, their relationships with the vampire race, and how dogs react to vampires) is much more organic than the dry worldbuilding done in Chapter 1.
  All in all, this is a very odd story. Check it out, skipping the first chapter, you just might like it.
• cheesebunRoyal Road

  ★★★★★ 4.5

  I can't say that I know who any of these people are, but I see how they are written, which is very nicely. Despite the unfamiliarity and general feeling of weirdness engulfing my soul when I read this fanfic, I admit that it was a breezy read. I always love some vampire aus in fanfic, even if I do not know who the fanfic is about.
  Characters: Entertaining characters. I enjoyed seeing their interactions with each other. I don't know how accurately they are depicted, but I know well-rounded characters when I see them. I don't even know who this guy Darren is and yet I feel more empathy for him than I do most people.
  Story: The prose made it easily readable, the dialogue flowed smoothly, and I actually felt empathy for the characters. The characters and their interactions made me greatly invested, however, I couldn't ignore the whiplash from a pleasant introduction to the rest of the chapter displaying a toxic relationship and abuse. All in all, it was a story that sucked me in.
  Grammar: Not much to say about this one. The author writes well, and I could see no typos, no errors, no slips in sentence structure, nothing at all.
  Style: Best I've seen. It almost makes me ashamed of my own style. The author stitches and weaves these words in such a way that once it all comes together, it unfolds into a fine tapestry of sentences that can be so easily visualized that it looks like a 4k film playing inside of your mind's eye. Dark romance and paranormal stuff usually aren't my thing, but seeing it paired with such an inviting style, I easily breezed through the chapters.
  In summary, if you enjoy paranormal dark romance (and know about the people depicted in this fic), this is definitely for you.