The Greyfriar
Ratings6
Average rating3.3
15
Ratings6
Average rating3.3
In the year 1870, a horrible plague of vampires swept over the northern regions of the world. Millions of humans were killed outright. Millions more died of disease and famine due to the havoc that followed. Within two years, once-great cities were shrouded by the gray empire of the vampire clans. Human refugees fled south to the tropics because vampires could not tolerate the constant heat there. They brought technology and a feverish drive to reestablish their shattered societies of steam and iron amid the mosques of Alexandria, the torrid quietude of Panama, or the green temples of Malaya.
It is now 2020 and a bloody reckoning is coming.
Princess Adele is heir to the Empire of Equatoria, a remnant of the old tropical British Empire. She is quick with her wit as well as with a sword or gun. She is eager for an adventure before she settles into a life of duty and political marriage to a man she does not know. But her quest turns black when she becomes the target of a merciless vampire clan. Her only protector is the Greyfriar, a mysterious hero who fights the vampires from deep within their territory. Their dangerous relationship plays out against an approaching war to the death between humankind and the vampire clans
Vampire Empire: The Greyfriar is the first book in a trilogy of high adventure and alternate history. Combining rousing pulp action with steampunk style, Vampire Empire brings epic political themes to life within a story of heartbreaking romance, sacrifice, and heroism.
(From the Publisher)
Series
3 primary booksVampire Empire is a 3-book series with 3 primary works first released in 2010 with contributions by Clay Griffith and Susan Griffith.
Reviews with the most likes.
A vampire romance set in a steampunk world, where the strongest country is not the United States of America, but Equatoria, the place where the remnant of the once proud and powerful Europeans fled to, when the vampires attacked en masse and conquered Europe.
Here we are introduced to Princess Adele the heir to Equatoria, and Gareth one of the vampire princes of the European vampire nation, their story as they meet, each characters dreams and hopes and the question is there a happy ending for a human and vampire.....
As a first in a trilogy, I think it's a good opening, not a lot of action but when it comes, it sizzles, a lot of questions especially the magical aspect, since technology has usurped it...
On to book two then.....
È un peccato che questo libro sia così sottovalutato. Per essere un romanzo su vampiri e storie d'amore (genere ormai saturo) è scritto bene, non è volgare e non ha personaggi così stereotipati.
A more serious review will come soon, As soon As I'm at the keyboard :)
In 1870 the vampires rose up and conquered the northern lands of Earth in a catastrophe known as the Great Killing. The survivors fled to warmer climes that the vampires usually avoid. By 2020 the two great human powers of the world are the Equatorian Empire and the American Empire. Princess Adele of Equatoria becomes a pawn in the coming human-vampire war. She is aided by a mysterious adventurer known as the Greyfriar. It's a world of airships, gas attacks, swords and machine guns. The story reads like an old-fashioned adventure serial come to life but with a healthy romantic element stirred into the mix. It's a fast-paced read, the first of a planned trilogy. It's got some fun action scenes in it and some characters that are not much of a step above one-dimensional. The story slows down a bit in the middle. I'm not sure if I'll continue with the series.
I just love me a good vampire/steampunk/alt-history read! I love the take on vamps here. As long as they've been around, they are behind in terms of social and artistic evolution.
Looking forward to the next two books in the series!
