THE RIFT WALKER Vampire Empire Book Two: Iconoclastic and Unique

Synopsis
Princess Adele struggles with a life of marriage and obligation as her Equatorian Empire and their American Republic allies stand on the brink of war against the vampire clans of the north. However, the alliance's horrific strategy for total victory drives Adele to abandon her duty and embark on a desperate quest to keep her nation from staining its hands with genocide. Reunited with her great love, the mysterious adventurer known to the world as the Greyfriar, Adele is pursued by her own people as well as her vengeful [putative] husband, senator Clark. With the human alliance in disarrray, Prince Cesare, lord of the British vampire clan, seizes the initiative and strikes at the very heart of Equatoria.

As Adele labors to bring order to her world, she learns more about the strange powers she exhibited in the north. Her teacher, Mamoru, leads a secret cabal of geomancers who believe Adele is the one who can touch the vast power of the Earth that surges through ley lines and wells up at the rifts where the lines meet. These energies are the key to defeating the enemy of mankind, and if Princess Adele could ever bring this power under her command, she could be death to vampires. But such a victory will also cost the life of Adele's beloved Greyfriar.

The Rift Walker is the second book in a trilogy of high adventure and alternative history. Combining rousing pulp action with steampunk style, the Vampire Empire series brings epic politcal themes to life within a story of heartbreaking romance, sacrifice, and heroism.  AMAZON

Vampire Empire is Iconoclastic:
I have always wanted to see humanity learn that we are not the only sentient, intelligent beings in the universe.  In a way, the Griffiths do just that with the Vampire take over of the chillier parts of the world. Humanity and its iconic religions lose a bit of their hubris.

In Vampire Empire, it is the Vampires who have stuck themselves into a sophomoric state. They not builders or designers, nor are they engineers or users the way humans are.  They are parasitic; they moved into the trappings of humanity without knowing how to use or maintain them. Their servants, slaves and food are all the same species, and there is only one thing they eat.

The couple make the story exciting, with action and morality, without dragging religiosity into the mix.  What is fun is the mixing of cultures, the evening out of the strength's of all nations and races by the needs of humanity to survive.  It would be impossible if one religion held sway or superiority over the others. It also allows the exploration of various abilities without the kinds of witch hunting repeatedly occurring in our human world.  The "shape" of this world technologically, politically and sociologically makes the story so interesting and gives the charaters room to break out of the norms of a society that feels Victorian, but really isn't.

Vampire Empire is destined to be a classic series within the genre.  The authors, a married couple with  years of team writing behind them have hit on an amazing story line with Vampire Empire. The world they build is neither Tolkien-like, nor Steam-Punk (although its technology is a bit Steam-Punkish). It is unique and fresh; we can relate to it but it is quite different and new. I know I have never read anything like it.

One thing I love in the series is the vulnerability of the heroes.  Gareth has amazing vulnerability; in The Greyfriar he was always saving Adele, in this volume, she is the leader in decision making and in defense. But, in The Greyfriar it was his emotional vulnerability, his childlike thrill in learning, I found exciting.  It put the couple on an even playing field.  In Rift Walker I felt the emotional connection less, but when one is an Empress one's personal emotional connections suffer as duty and the needs of an entire empire have to come first.  Adele is emotionally vulnerable too.  She was resigned to a life without love,  but once she falls in love she knows it will be miserable to be with the bombastic Clark.

There is still a lot of hinting around about Adele's destiny: In Greyfriar/Gareth's mind she is the end of his kind which he doesn't see as a bad thing.  In her teacher's mind she is the greatest geomancer ever and was born to save humanity. I do think it is time that Adele was honestly introduced into Mamoru's organization and into what she is learning.

I did feel the slightest drag in the story as Adele and Gareth peregrinate through the hot climes of organized human society. It builds on their interaction and possibly will help build the next story but it was too long. There is also a section with the geomancer, Selkirk, who we met when he helped Adele in The Greyfriar, that could have been much, much shorter. And there is some time with Adele's guard Anhalt, a colleague of Clark and an other desert fighter that confused me.

There is some hinting at the end of a more sensual relationship than would have been tolerated in European royalty. Some of the politics, and the behavior of some of the antagonists is surprising and indeed, you will not see the twists in this story coming and will be floored right up to the last page.

THE RIFT WALKER Vampire Empire Book Two
Clay Griffith and Susan Griffith

AMAZON AVAILABILITY

Paperback: 399 pages
Publisher: Pyr (September 6, 2011)
Language: English
Kindle: 950 KB
Print Length: 300 pages
Publisher: Pyr (September 6, 2011)
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services



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