The Greyfriar

September 13, 2010
Griffith and Griffith, perhaps best known for their media tie-in work, merge vampires with steampunk in this tale of derring-do and star-crossed romance. In 1870 the vampires rose up and conquered the northern lands of Earth. The northern elites fled south to new colonies, leaving their subjects to the mercy of the predators. By 2020, the world is still divided. Princess Adele of the Equatorian Empire becomes the catalyst of the final human–vampire war when she is lost in vampire territory with only a mysterious adventurer known as the Greyfriar to help her. Set in a future that is comfortably quaint, where brass-plated technology is uninhibited by plausibility and the northern exiles may feel oppressed but the indigenous equatorial peoples never do, this melodramatic tale is fast-paced and entirely unchallenging.

October 15, 2010

A massive attack by vampires in 1870 drives humans lucky enough to survive the invasion to the tropics, where the hot climate proves intolerable for the vampire clans. When Princess Adele, heir to the Equatorian Empire--formerly the British Empire--travels north to meet with her American suitor, Senator Clark, to cement relations between human powers, a vampire ambush results in her capture. The appearance of a mysterious vampire hunter known only as Greyfriar, who assigns himself the task of rescuing the princess, rouses many questions as to the mystery man's true purpose. Blending vampire fiction with steampunk and romance, this trilogy launch by the married authors possesses a seductive charm and tells a rousing tale of adventure. VERDICT A change of pace from standard vampire fiction, this should find a sizable readership among fans of fantasy romance as well as the vampire and steampunk genres.

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