Deadly Assessments

This is the final, as of this writing, available installment of the FRED series, but I'm hopeful it's not the last. For one thing this is one of the absolute best audios series I've listened, and I can say that despite liking Fred, his friends, and his adventures very much, it's [a:Kirby Heyborne 2740918 Kirby Heyborne https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1361505917p2/2740918.jpg] who has kept me coming back almost slavishly. Bravo. In this installment Fred has to come to terms with what it really means not only to be a Vampire but also a clan leader. The inevitable loss of his humanity is not something that sits well with our Fred, nor should it. In any case Fred's life isn't in his control at the moment. Due to the events of the last 2 books, or really everything Fred's competency and really his whole existence is being judged by The Blood Council, which is the highest Vampire authority, in the form of Deborah, one of their representatives. As usual the book is divided into “adventures” but in this case they're all about Fred's abilities as a leader. He learns where he's been shortsighted and where his strengths are and his friends, as expected truly come through for him. Deborah is a super interesting character, but being a Fred fan, I couldn't completely warm up to her. Though I see the logic of the things she tells Fred and the lessons she means to impart, I couldn't help but feel that she's a representative of the Old School guard, telling the younger vampires how they don't understand about the enormity of the passage of time, because essentially they are babies. This may all be true and she does put Fred in touch with the vampire instincts he's been trying to ignore or suppress, but ultimately it also had that feel of “you young ones don't know anything” which is really a way of keeping the status quo going. Change can be good. Scary. But good. All Hail Fred.