Tags

, , ,

9781455502127_p0_v2_s300x This ebook was provided to me by NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing in exchange for an honest review.

Grieving after the death of his friend and protege, Abraham Lincoln, vampire Henry Sturges is contacted by Adam, the leader of the good vampires. This group wishes to co-exist peacefully with humans. It seems as though a mysterious villain known only as Grander, has been killing every vampire emissary that has been sent to Europe. Henry, who has been feeling nostalgic for his homeland, agrees to track down Grander, and as he does, he also takes the reader on a journey through his life. 

First, I have to admit I’ve been a huge fan of Grahame-Smith’s ever since his Pride and Prejudice, and Zombies helped kick off the whole genre mash-up craze. While some of his books haven’t quite panned out, I’m happy to say I absolutely loved The Last American Vampire. The book is a sequel to Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter, but it’s fine as a standalone. I actually preferred this to it’s predecessor. And how awesome is that cover? So, as Henry reminisces about his very long life, we’re taken on a kind of Jack Kerouac road trip beginning with Henry’s turning at the Roanoke colony. From there, we meet such luminaries as Mark Twain, Bram Stoker, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Jack the Ripper, Nikolas Tesla, and Rasputin, among many others. To help put the historical passages in context, there are numerous footnotes as well as accompanying photographs. While these can be a little distracting, you don’t have to read all of them. The mystery itself is intriguing, especially when you discover who Grander really is. It’s a huge plot twist and one that took me completely by surprise. If you like historical fiction with a little tongue-in-cheek humor, and you’re not overly squeamish, I highly recommend The Last American Vampire.