by Dylan J. Morgan
Pill Hill Press
ISBN:978-1617060755
Review by:Dana Bell
Review posted 06/28/2011
Much like 'Underworld' a war brews between werewolves and vampires, escalating when hybrids, a mixture of the two species begin to appear. The conflict spans over four hundred years, ending with a battle in a village filled with the half breeds and, during the victory celebration, the betraying revelation of the powerful vampire leader.
Unlike many books about the undead and werewolves, more of their kind are not made by biting a human. Instead, there are breeding colonies and married couples who produce offspring, and raise them as well.
The imagery is vivid, drawing the reader a clear picture of the place, and early in the book, the time. However, the constant labeling of where/when the section took place became distracting as the novel progressed.
Fans of gore and the horrific werewolf transformations will love this story. The details are vivid, complete with smells. Yet the 'snapping bones' during the change got tiresome. Since that had already been established, there was no reason to continually remind the reader of the details.
One minor detail in the early section of the book is the question raised about what happened to a little girl during the Black Death. Yes, undoubtedly she died, yet the inclusion of such an image demanded some sort of finish. Instead, the reader is left dangling wondering why the scene had been included at all, unless it was an attempt to convey the feeling of real people during a horrible tragedy. And how, from the viewpoint of the character involved, would he have had such knowledge of her life? And why would he have even cared considering he was chasing his quarry?
All in all, an enjoyable book for vampire and werewolf fanatics and for those who wish to read more stories along the lines of the 'Underworld' trilogy. By the way, the name of the vampire leader is Markus - just like in the films.
