Vampire Crusader Review
Not your typical old-school Vampire story.
Vampire Crusader by Dan Davis, the first in his Immortal Knight Chronicles, is one of the more interesting vampire stories I’ve had the chance of experiencing. Usually vampires are seen in a demonic light, especially if set in the past, but this flips it on its head. The powers that the reader knows to be vampiric are seen as Christlike and holy by some of the characters. I liked this a lot. It felt realistic, just like the setting. Being a history buff, I enjoyed how real it felt.
On the subject of the powers, I liked how they were handled in the novel. Vampirism is more of a regenerative and strength based power set than something with a lot of cliche aspects. It is simpler, and how blood is used is very slick in its application. Streamlined. The way the author made the vampires and their need for blood and their bloods uses was excellent. Interesting to read and it is a good plot device of sorts.
Plot was solid. Revenge story and all. Kind of guessed tragedy would strike again and again. The main character has a lot of death and horror thrown at him but mostly remains stoic. His narration conveys his terse and bare perspective on life. He isn’t flowery or that expressive with his emotions. I had problem with this in the beginning, as I thought it was just iffy writing, but then I realized that it being first point of view, it fits the characters personality.
I have two main complaints. The first is a pet peeve of mine. I much prefer double quotes for dialogue than single quotes. It makes it easier to read, at least for me. Doesn’t really matter that much, but it comes to mind.
The other issue is pacing. I wanted to keep reading, but there were parts that dragged on a bit. That is my most major gripe with the book.
Regardless of those flaws, I really liked this novel. I enjoyed reading it through. I recommend it for both history and vampire enthusiasts because it integrates the two together to create a very enjoyable experience.
