Scan barcode
branch_c's review
3.0
I remember Those Who Hunt the Night as one of the few traditional vampire stories I really enjoyed, and the reason was Hambly's solid historical realism and supernatural aspects that are well thought out and more plausible than others of the genre.
The plot was compelling enough while I was reading it, though in the long term less than memorable; same for the sequel, Traveling with the Dead.
Now it looks like I skipped over the next couple in the series to find this book, which certainly fits the pattern. Hambly has become even more accomplished in her confident portrayal of the people and places of 1913. The numerous throwaway references and casual asides show that she's intimately familiar with that world and graciously assumes that the reader is too. This is a fine and admirable style, and mostly makes up for the fact that the story itself was a bit slow to draw me in. On a minor note, I cringed at the reference to James drinking "Indian pale ale" (as opposed to "India...") suggesting that neither Hambly nor her editor is a beer drinker!
The vampire mythology that was fairly original in the first book is reiterated here too often for me. Yes, they have the power to make humans trust them, this is how they hunt, along with their impossibly heightened senses - and since much of the book is told from Lydia's POV we get her extensive thoughts and feelings about this.
Ironically maybe, it's her "normal" life that seems a bit unreal to me - I didn't get her connection to these various society women and family members. I realize she's supposed to be a bit of an outsider by their standards but still she seems too distant when interacting with them. I'm afraid I lost track of the distinctions between Aunt Isobel and Aunt Lavinnia, Valentina, Vorena, and the rest. Even Lydia's constant worry about her daughter comes across like she's an actress reciting her lines.
But for the most part, this was an enjoyable read, especially the ending, with a nice pickup in the action and a couple of twists to keep it interesting. The dream sequences were also particularly well done. All in all a solid effort.
The plot was compelling enough while I was reading it, though in the long term less than memorable; same for the sequel, Traveling with the Dead.
Now it looks like I skipped over the next couple in the series to find this book, which certainly fits the pattern. Hambly has become even more accomplished in her confident portrayal of the people and places of 1913. The numerous throwaway references and casual asides show that she's intimately familiar with that world and graciously assumes that the reader is too. This is a fine and admirable style, and mostly makes up for the fact that the story itself was a bit slow to draw me in. On a minor note, I cringed at the reference to James drinking "Indian pale ale" (as opposed to "India...") suggesting that neither Hambly nor her editor is a beer drinker!
The vampire mythology that was fairly original in the first book is reiterated here too often for me. Yes, they have the power to make humans trust them, this is how they hunt, along with their impossibly heightened senses - and since much of the book is told from Lydia's POV we get her extensive thoughts and feelings about this.
Ironically maybe, it's her "normal" life that seems a bit unreal to me - I didn't get her connection to these various society women and family members. I realize she's supposed to be a bit of an outsider by their standards but still she seems too distant when interacting with them. I'm afraid I lost track of the distinctions between Aunt Isobel and Aunt Lavinnia, Valentina, Vorena, and the rest. Even Lydia's constant worry about her daughter comes across like she's an actress reciting her lines.
But for the most part, this was an enjoyable read, especially the ending, with a nice pickup in the action and a couple of twists to keep it interesting. The dream sequences were also particularly well done. All in all a solid effort.
fizzy_lizard's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
jeansbooks's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
lottpoet's review against another edition
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
lsneal's review against another edition
4.0
Another enjoyable and atmospheric entry in the series. This one finds us back in England, where the Master of London has kidnapped the Ashers' daughter, in order to force Lydia to use her skills to track down a rogue vampire who is drawing entirely too much attention. This puts a lot of the focus on Lydia for the book, as she tries to deal with both the vampires and her terror for her daughter on the one hand, and her relatives (and their demands that she chaperone her niece through her first London season) on the other. It is hard to say which group is more monstrous, most of the time. The tension is certainly high throughout, and the knowledge that WWI is about to kick off in the background (which is why James isn't onsite initially) just adds to the dread. There are some good philosophical musings about the morality of dealing with active serial murderers like the vampires, vs. working for governments that may bring about many more deaths through their policies (and dealing with high society members, who underpay their servants and generally ignore the poor around them, leading to yet more desperation and death).
jdmerry's review against another edition
5.0
Another excellent book in her wonderful James Asher Vampire Series. I cannot recommend it highly enough.