 |
It’s been over 900 years since Danielle and John were turned into vampires during their honeymoon in the 12th century. At first confused and distraught over their new undead life, the couple has made peace with immortality, learning the ins and outs of their power and successfully blending into society so as not to raise suspicion. But after a few centuries of peaceful, quiet living, the couple’s lives are at risk once more. A secret organization called the Sons of Gods that hunts down demons and the like has discovered the two vampires and, following an encounter with one of their members, has launched a mission to destroy them. Up against this highly trained group, Danielle and John must figure out a way to take down this fanatic organization before it’s too late.
With thematic similarities to such works as Van Helsing and Anne Rice’s Interview with a Vampire peppered throughout, this book is both action-packed and philosophical, filled with fangs, monster fights, contemplations of faith, and the battle of good versus evil. The author takes great care in providing a ton of detail for many aspects of the book: about the vampires and their powers, werewolves, and any sort of technical or mechanical information about technology present in the novel. The result is successful worldbuilding that readers will find themselves immersed in. For example, the author borrows old vampire tropes and sets rules around them, such as the fact that vampires can’t love or feel anything once dead. He then breaks those rules by letting readers know that John and Danielle are the exception, and gives suggestions as to why they’re special. Is it because they were married and in love before they were turned? Does this make them more powerful?
As far as vampire literature goes, this book is a tale as old as time: vampires exist and contemplate their existence; vampires exist and are hunted down. The twist in this book is that these vampires aren’t inherently evil or in an age-old battle with another clan of vampires. Danielle and John are a married couple, living their undead life in a way that causes minor harm or damage to humans as best they can. The end up being targeted because they are vampires, not because they are wreaking havoc on a city. It’s a point that is further explored in the book, as a leader of the SOGs begins to doubt his faith, as well as when the two vampires end up having a conversation with The Pope. There’s talk of good versus evil, of intentions and redemption. Just because something or someone has been historically labeled as evil doesn’t necessarily mean it is. Although focused on demons, it’s a lesson about discrimination that can be applied to real life, to look below the surface before passing judgment. Hand in hand with that idea is also the idea of redemption, which is an important theme in this book. As the first book in a series, this vampire novel is a delightful read full of promise for the next installment.