Review of No Truce With The Vampires
Posted: 10 Dec 2024, 08:02
[Following is a volunteer review of "No Truce With The Vampires" by Martyn Rhys Vaughan.]
No Truce With The Vampires: Those Who Sleep by Martyn Rhys Vaughan is an engaging thriller. It is a blend of fantasy, paranormal, and science fiction. Charles Gray worked in the Human Division of the State Security Police in a world ruled by vampires. He was a sergeant, usually the highest a regular human could reach in the police service. He took his orders directly from the police commissioner, Alicia Aiyana, a female vampire. The world was taken over by vampires twenty years before Charles was born. Humans were forced to live as lowly citizens without any advanced education or high-paying jobs. There were blood farms run by humans where blood was harvested from the residents, bottled and branded in advanced labs, and sold in shops. Charles' job was easy and limited to dealing with traffic violations or petty brawls until some mysterious deaths and explosions started to threaten the peaceful environment and the blood farms. A secret organization of humans, The Sons of Man, threatened the vampires and their power. While working undercover to find the source of explosives and infiltrate the secret organization, Charles came across several secrets and advanced technologies of some unknown beings. He resented the lowly status of humans, but his loyalty towards the rulers was unwavering, and his pretty deputy, Serafina, was not much help in boosting his morals.
The story is speculative fiction, and the plot is highly imaginative. The author has depicted a realm where the vampires are quite contrary to the traditional vampires of the bite-and-suck type. These are highly intellectual and sophisticated species having great scientific knowledge and advanced technology. They are the ruling class and look down upon humans as slaves and the source of food. The safety, sentiments, or well-being of humans do not concern them. Most humans believe that the vampires saved the destruction of humanity from nuclear, chemical, and biological weapons. Many people are satisfied living on blood farms, giving blood in exchange for a comfortable life. The vampires live for hundreds of years and call humans shadflies because of their mortality and powerless lives.
The depiction of society is quite realistic. The emotions of humans, like resentment, fear, and acceptance of their fate, are evident in the characters. The author has quite remarkably illustrated how a few acts of rebellion arouse hope in people, which is typical of every society under an oppressive regime. The powerful and well-crafted characters are really impressive. The nightmares of Charles, his memory of the orphanage where he was brought up along with his twin brother, and the appearance of a woman in his dreams add to the mystery of the plot. The writing style is quite impressive and effective in maintaining the suspense. Charles’ brother Edward is an intriguing character and an antagonist. His lover, Eleonora, and Lieutenant Ardelean, a vampire, are characters worth remembering. Charles’ assistant Serafina is another mysterious character, more efficient than him, who often teases him. I found the story fantastic and did not notice any negative aspects of the book. It is a well-edited book, and there is nothing to dislike about it. I have no hesitation in rating it 5 out of 5 stars.
The book is the first part of the story, which continues in the second part, No Truce With The Vampires: Those Who Wake. As it is, it is not a stand-alone book. The suspense continues to build up, and the narration ends with unexpected revelations. I would recommend the book to people who like books about spatial dimensions, portals to other worlds, and the struggle for power between species. The book shows the vampires in a new, somewhat positive light, and not as nocturnal creatures hiding in darkness.
******
No Truce With The Vampires
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
No Truce With The Vampires: Those Who Sleep by Martyn Rhys Vaughan is an engaging thriller. It is a blend of fantasy, paranormal, and science fiction. Charles Gray worked in the Human Division of the State Security Police in a world ruled by vampires. He was a sergeant, usually the highest a regular human could reach in the police service. He took his orders directly from the police commissioner, Alicia Aiyana, a female vampire. The world was taken over by vampires twenty years before Charles was born. Humans were forced to live as lowly citizens without any advanced education or high-paying jobs. There were blood farms run by humans where blood was harvested from the residents, bottled and branded in advanced labs, and sold in shops. Charles' job was easy and limited to dealing with traffic violations or petty brawls until some mysterious deaths and explosions started to threaten the peaceful environment and the blood farms. A secret organization of humans, The Sons of Man, threatened the vampires and their power. While working undercover to find the source of explosives and infiltrate the secret organization, Charles came across several secrets and advanced technologies of some unknown beings. He resented the lowly status of humans, but his loyalty towards the rulers was unwavering, and his pretty deputy, Serafina, was not much help in boosting his morals.
The story is speculative fiction, and the plot is highly imaginative. The author has depicted a realm where the vampires are quite contrary to the traditional vampires of the bite-and-suck type. These are highly intellectual and sophisticated species having great scientific knowledge and advanced technology. They are the ruling class and look down upon humans as slaves and the source of food. The safety, sentiments, or well-being of humans do not concern them. Most humans believe that the vampires saved the destruction of humanity from nuclear, chemical, and biological weapons. Many people are satisfied living on blood farms, giving blood in exchange for a comfortable life. The vampires live for hundreds of years and call humans shadflies because of their mortality and powerless lives.
The depiction of society is quite realistic. The emotions of humans, like resentment, fear, and acceptance of their fate, are evident in the characters. The author has quite remarkably illustrated how a few acts of rebellion arouse hope in people, which is typical of every society under an oppressive regime. The powerful and well-crafted characters are really impressive. The nightmares of Charles, his memory of the orphanage where he was brought up along with his twin brother, and the appearance of a woman in his dreams add to the mystery of the plot. The writing style is quite impressive and effective in maintaining the suspense. Charles’ brother Edward is an intriguing character and an antagonist. His lover, Eleonora, and Lieutenant Ardelean, a vampire, are characters worth remembering. Charles’ assistant Serafina is another mysterious character, more efficient than him, who often teases him. I found the story fantastic and did not notice any negative aspects of the book. It is a well-edited book, and there is nothing to dislike about it. I have no hesitation in rating it 5 out of 5 stars.
The book is the first part of the story, which continues in the second part, No Truce With The Vampires: Those Who Wake. As it is, it is not a stand-alone book. The suspense continues to build up, and the narration ends with unexpected revelations. I would recommend the book to people who like books about spatial dimensions, portals to other worlds, and the struggle for power between species. The book shows the vampires in a new, somewhat positive light, and not as nocturnal creatures hiding in darkness.
******
No Truce With The Vampires
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon