Fantasy

Step into the magical world of the Noble Dead. Traitor to the Blood is the forth novel in the series by Barb and J.C. Hendee which follows the adventures of Magiere (a dhampir, half-human/half-vampire), Leesil (a half-human/half-elf), and their equally unique companions. In this story, former-assassin Leesil tries to track down his parents that he left behind years ago. Meanwhile, he and Magiere are trailed by her half-brother, Welstiel, who is trying to use Magiere for his own gain. They also face many foes: a ruthless overlord, a woman that Leesil orphaned set on revenge, a group of elven assassins, and a mysterious shape-shifting couple forced into servitude, just to name a few.

This installment delves deeper into each character, but especially Leesil since this book focuses on his tortured past and what has shaped him into the man he is. And each book in the series gets better with more character development, more complex storylines, more mythological lore, and more action. Any fan of vampire stories or the fantasy genre in general will love this series.

Traitor to the Blood was also the first in the series to make the jump to hardcover. Look for the next hardback installment, Rebel Fay, January of 2007.

Check out http://nobledead.com for excerpts from the books, more on the world of the Noble Dead.

The Historian is Elizabeth Kostova’s first published novel, and at 642 pages it was very impressive. She held my attention throughout the entire book. I hated putting it down. Kostova has a beautiful writing style and makes the history of “Vlad the Impaler” very interesting. Most of the story is told through letters and jumps around quite a bit, but it is very easy to follow.

The book begins when a teenage girl comes across an ancient book and containing some mysterious letters in her father’s library. The book is blank, save for the center pages which contain a woodcut rendering of a dragon with the word “Drakulya.” Her father then proceeds to explain his personal search for Dracula and the truth behind the historical figure.

The vast references to the history of the 1400’s in the surrounding eastern European countries, makes this book seem more like a work of non-fiction. But the supernatural qualities add an eerie, suspenseful dimension to this work of art. The only complaint I have is that the ending seemed somewhat anti-climatic. But on a whole, this was a great piece of literature. I highly recommend it to those who love historical fiction or just a good vampire tale.

Dhampir by Barb & J.C. Hendee. It’s a cross between the Blade series and Lord of the Rings. Magiere, her half-elf companion Leesil, and his mysterious dog are con-artists who pretend to rid small villages of supposed-vampire infestations. But when they decide to settle down and go straight, they just happen to pick a village with actual vampire residents. Here, Magiere discovers her true destiny, whether she likes it or not.. that she’s a true vampire slayer.. a Dhampir. Half-vampire herself, she is a living person, but has all the strengths of the “Noble Dead” (vampires). This is an action-packed vampire-slayer book with heart. The Hendee’s do a great job of exploring the main characters, even the “Noble Dead” themselves. I highly recommend this book to any fan of the vampire genre.