Love Never Dies: A Review of "Till Death" by Kellan McDaniel
- Kim Bartosch
- 2 days ago
- 5 min read
If Twilight had more angst, Let the Right One In had a queer heart, and Harold & Maude had fangs—Till Death by Kellan McDaniel would be their love child. In this debut young adult romantic horror, McDaniel (aka Hugo and Nebula-nominated KM Szpara) crafts a story that’s tender, violent, political, and painfully beautiful.
Published by MTV Books, Till Death is a gothic, queer coming-of-age tale—just with more blood, secrets, and century-spanning romance. It’s not just about love; it’s about who gets to love freely, who pays the price, and how far you’re willing to go to protect it.
Thank you to Simon & Schuster for the book and my honest review. Please scroll down to read my full review and enter the giveaway for the book!
Title: Till Death
Author: Kellan McDaniel
Publisher: MTV Books
Genre: young adult, vampire romance
Publishing date: March 18, 2025
Book Buy Links: Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | IndieBound
Synopsis:
Two gay men—one young, one ageless—sink their teeth into reclaiming their lives and identities from those who would silence them in this insatiable romantic horror novel from Hugo and Nebula Award–nominated author Kellan McDaniel.
Howard is biding his time until he can finally leave for college, where he has been promised it "gets better." The last thing he expected was to meet a boy. But George reminds Howard of the movie stars from the 1960s he’s obsessed with. Plus, George is endearingly formal and well-read, and his grandpa fashion is super authentic.
After over twenty years together, George is about to lose his life partner. He met James when they were teenagers then lost track of him until they reconnected in their early sixties. Now, James is going somewhere beyond George’s reach—because George is a vampire, forever trapped in the body of a nineteen-year-old.
As the two grow closer, George begins to see a future beyond losing his first love, and Howard stops imagining himself always being alone…even if companionship comes at the cost of his mortality. When the discrimination the men have suffered their whole lives rears its ugly head to take away their happy ending, they finally strike back at the world that’s done its best to subdue them their entire lives.
My Review of "Till Death" by Kellan McDaniel
George, a vampire frozen in the body of a 19-year-old, is mourning the imminent loss of his long-time partner, James. After decades apart—separated by the tragedy of death and the passage of time—they reunited in James’ sixties and spent twenty secretive, tender years together. Now, George is on the edge of heartbreak once again.
Enter Howard, a bullied queer teen counting down the days until he can escape to college. He’s vintage-obsessed and awkward, yet immediately drawn to George’s dapper, old-soul vibe. George sees something familiar in Howard—hope, maybe even redemption. Howard sees someone who could finally understand him.
What begins as an unexpected connection becomes a full-on romance as George and Howard find in each other something neither thought possible: a future. But beneath the sweetness is a rising hunger—for love, for justice, and perhaps… for revenge.
👥 Characters: Immortal Souls and Living Pain
McDaniel excels at building emotionally rich characters. George and Howard are both outsiders—by nature and by choice—and their dynamic is electric. George’s age and emotional maturity offer a unique contrast to Howard’s vulnerability and earnestness. It’s a pairing that shouldn’t work, and yet it absolutely does—tender, strange, and deeply compelling.
George, despite his youthfully frozen exterior, carries the grief and wisdom of a man who's lived—and lost—a great love. Howard, meanwhile, wears his trauma like armor. Their romance is messy, complicated, and morally murky in all the best ways. This is not a sanitized love story; it’s love with blood on its hands.
However, some secondary characters fall into expected tropes—particularly the depictions of bullying and queer suffering. While the book explores very real pain, it doesn’t always subvert the well-tread narratives we’ve seen in LGBTQ+ fiction, especially in YA.
🌒 What I Loved: Grit, Heart, and a Dash of Heat
This novel captures that classic vampire feeling—an aching sense of forever. The prose is lush and atmospheric, echoing the tragic romance of the undead with haunting precision. The chemistry between George and Howard is believable and heartfelt, with just the right amount of heat to make the romance feel earned and electric.
The exploration of time and love is especially moving—how do you date when you’ve outlived generations? How do you start over when your past is still bleeding? Those deeper questions are where Till Death shines.
And yes, there’s some spice—nothing overly graphic, but enough to add depth and tension. The emotional intimacy is as important as the physical.
😕 What Didn’t Work For Me: Familiar Tropes & Missed Freshness
As much as I was swept up by the concept and the characters, I couldn’t shake the feeling that I’d read parts of this story before. The “bullied gay teen meets mysterious love interest” setup, the secrecy, the vengeance—all hit familiar beats. And while they’re executed well, I was craving something fresher or more subversive, especially given how bold the concept is.
The love story, though beautifully written, occasionally felt like it was following a known map rather than forging a new one. I kept waiting for a twist that never quite came. That said, for readers who don’t mind a bit of narrative déjà vu, these tropes are delivered with heart and sincerity.
🩷 Final Thoughts
Till Death is a darkly romantic, emotionally rich novel that combines timeless vampire lore with queer coming-of-age themes. It’s poetic and painful, tender and terrifying. While some of the plot leans into familiar territory, the emotional truths it explores are anything but ordinary.
This is the kind of story that sticks with you—not because it reinvents the genre, but because it reminds you why these stories matter. Love that defies death. Hope that survives cruelty. And the radical act of believing that, even for queer kids and ancient vampires, it can get better.
📚 Would I Recommend It?
Yes—especially to fans of queer romance, vampire lore, and readers who enjoy a little grit in their love stories. It’s not perfect, but it’s powerful, and it gives space for queer characters to be messy, loving, angry, and immortal. And honestly? That’s a win in my book.
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐✨ (3.5/5 stars)
Meet the Author:
K.M. Szpara, writing here as Kellan McDaniel, is a queer and trans author. He is the author of Docile, Till Death, and First, Become Ashes, as well as the Hugo and Nebula Award–nominated “Small Changes Over Long Periods of Time” novelette. He lives in Baltimore, Maryland, with his tiny dog.
You can find Kellan @kmszpara on
Instagram or connect with him online at kmszpara.com.
Giveaway:
One (1) hardcover of "Till Death" by Kellan McDaniel. USA only, giveaway ends on April 30, 2025, Midnight EST.
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