Good writing, technically and stylistically; I quite like it.  It sets the mood and defines an atmosphere for the setting quite well.  This reviewer has no idea if the author's New Orleans is authentic, but who cares?  It feels about right, with an appropriate depth of murky history and musky passion.

After five chapters (admittedly not all that far in,) the outline and progression of the story remain vague.  For example, it is still not clear what the title "The Cave" has to do with anything in the plot.  Maybe it will come eventually?  Looking at the rate of clues being dropped, I expect to feel lost in the woods for a few more chapters.  Meanwhile, the story continues to accumulate puzzling elements, and the storyline gets ever more twisted...  But if you like that kind of depth, you'll love this.

The author cautions that it is written as a casual side project, which is fair warning.  However, I could give it a solid four stars, just for the good writing!  Then the storyline that holds it all together eventually becomes clear.  If not exactly simple, it is enough to tie up the string of atmospheric mood pieces strung together with riffs on New Orleans and vampiric thirst.  In the end, that makes it good for a five-star reading experience.

That being said, thank you to the author for putting it out there!

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