Publisher: Prometheus Books
Pages: 304
Price: $16.00
3.5 Acorns
The Greyfriar by Clay and Susan Griffith is a fairytale from a parallel universe, where love and respect blossom between a prince and princess from warring families and cultures. The twist is one is human and one is a vampire.
This steampunk, urban fantasy novel takes place in an alternate reality where Earth was overtaken by vampires. In 1870, the vampires emerged from hiding to take their rightful place as the rulers of humankind. The world became consumed in war, destroying human civilization and establishing the Vampire Empire in the north.
As humans reorganized, new cultures took root. A colorful world of steam-powered machines, secret societies and complex social customs emerged, with a common enemy knitting human society together. The novel begins 130 years after the fall, when human technology has advanced enough to combat the vampires’ exceeding strength and agility.
What follows is the story of a human princess who has been taken hostage on the eve of the Second World War. It is a classic story of knowledge conquering ignorance, reminiscent of Beauty and the Beast. This is the story of a monster and a girl—a deeply complex character misunderstood by society, and a girl who comes to care for him in ways she never imagined she could.
The Greyfriar is a high-action tale where creatures are hardly ever what they seem, a story emphasizing that an open mind is crucial when judging character. It features a strong female lead who grows throughout the story amongst a backdrop of page-turning events. The villains are one-dimensional and the writing is simple and straightforward, but the story is so engaging that it is hard to put it down. It is the first book in the Vampire Empire series.
@kelrawrsaur
