The Greyfriar-Clay Griffith, Susan Griffith

The Greyfriar
Clay Griffith, Susan Griffith
PYR, Nov 1 2010, $16.00
ISBN 9781616142476

In 1870, vampires came out of the coffins to attack western civilizations in the northern temperate zone. Instead of leading a counterinsurgency, human leaders fled south while their former subjects became food for the conquerors.

A century and a half later, the world remains divided between the vampire and human zones. A party led by Senator Clark of the American republic stunningly takes back St. Louis from the vampires. At the same time, Equatorian Empire Princess Adele is on a state visit to Marseilles when British vampire Prince Cesare kidnaps her in spite of the efforts of the mysterious freedom fighter Greyfriar. These two events bring a treaty between the two human superpowers and a plan to attack jointly the vampires.

The first Vampire Empire fantasy is an exciting thriller that grips the audience with the divided world concept that feels like a supernatural Cold War with heated incursions. The story line is fast-paced though it behooves the reader to ignore the plausibility factor; especially of the limited lack of major difference on how minorities are treated yet react radically different to injustice in both camps. Mindful of Phil Ochs’ Ballard of William Worthy “But somehow it is strange to hear the State Department say You are living in the free world, in the free world you must stay”. Still this is an exciting paranormal futuristic spin to the Cold War.

Harriet Klausner