HNS Reviews - August 2010
ATTILA: THE GATHERING OF THE STORM
by William Napier (9780312598990)
In the second volume of William Napier's Attila trilogy, the prince returns from exile to reclaim his place as king from his usurping uncle. But it is not mere revenge Attila seeks—thirty years of survival in barren wastelands has forged something stronger in his heart. He has a single goal: to unite all the Huns into one people, a people as empowered and unified as they were in the legends of ancient times, not a scattered federation of tribes but a powerful, mobile empire. Attila assembles a cadre of chosen men and begins training his people for conquest. One by one, through battle and bribery, the eastern tribes come under his rule. Attila pursues his goal relentlessly, ignoring loss and danger, waiting for the day when he will turn his gaze to the west and take his new empire all the way to the slowly rusting gates of Rome.
The middle book in a trilogy is often the least complete, but the introduction here immediately captures the reader and brings the story up to date without any shoehorning. The story stands on its own, yet it also entices the reader to come back for the conclusion. Not a book for the squeamish, the author never shies from describing the brutality of life and death among Attila's people. The scene-setting is marvelous, the dialogue curt and snappish, the history incredibly real. The shift to Rome in the middle halts the flow somewhat, with a different and less engrossing style, but the rest of the book makes up for it. This is an adventure as consuming as the fires that blaze through its pages, as thrilling as the arrows singing through every word. It is sure to raise the blood of any battle-loving reader. Highly recommended.
ABRAHAM LINCOLN: VAMPIRE HUNTER
by Seth Grahame-Smith (9780446536086)
Every once in a while a reviewer sees a title and instantly thinks, I have to read this. But how to review it? First, the synopsis. As a boy Abe Lincoln lost his beloved mother to illness. Later he learns her sickness was not caused by the perils of frontier life, but by something more insidious: a vampire. His heartbreak turns to rage, and so begins a lifelong quest to annihilate the scourge infecting his country. Along the way he is aided by an unlikely mentor, a series of sidekicks, a few guest stars, and an arsenal of weapons. After starting a family, Abe decides to hang up his axe and fight evil in the political realm rather than the supernatural one—but in Washington DC he finds the two are intertwined more deeply than he could have imagined. The history of vampires in America is as dark as the history of slavery, and both will take a war to eradicate.
At this point likely half of readers have curled their lip in indignation, and the other half are thinking, I have to read this. The bottom line is, if you think you'd like this book, you'll love it. If you're sure you'd hate it, you'll probably prove yourself right. More than a parody but less than a joke, preposterous without mockery, well-constructed but self-aware, equal parts absurd, audacious, exciting, and endearing—this is a book not easily categorized but very easily enjoyed. Some devices are repetitious, and the "illustrations" are ridiculous, but the altered history feels authentic and the storytelling is excellent. A book like this either works or it doesn't—this book works. If you're up for something different, check out of reality and enjoy the gory, messy, blood-splattered fun.
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