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A review by mdstepp1998
Already Dead by Charlie Huston
5.0
Raw, grimy, and excessive are the best adjectives I can come up with to describe the amazing first book detailing the world of urban vampire Joe Pitt. This isn't anything like the mediocre vampire science fiction dramas that are currently saturating the market, but instead a super sonic roller coaster ride that I dare you not to finish in one sitting.
To put it succinctly, the story takes place in a very similar, current day New York City where vampyres exist. By being bled into by another that is infected by a "vyres", author Charlie Huston's vampyres must drink blood to keep the infection from eating themselves. Of course, some of the traditional vampire lore holds true: no sun (UV rays cause death by an explosion of cancerous tumors) and wounds heal quickly. On the contrary, garlic, holy water, and crosses are nothing but a myth.
The core of the Joe Pitt saga involves numerous "clans" of vampyres, each with their own goals, such as staying hidden from the human population, or revolutionary determination, such as uniting all vampyres and revealing themselves to humans. In the middle of all of these clans and the politics that surrounds them is rogue Joe Pitt, who acts as a hand for hire of sorts by doing odd jobs for money and blood. He cares about no one (except his human, HIV infected girlfriend), curses like a sailor, and has a knack for staying alive (usually through the death of countless others).
'Already Dead', as well as the succeeding books, center on Pitt undertaking a job and the havoc that seems to occur whenever he is involved. The story is fast paced, the dialogue is harsh and often times funny, and there is a lot of blood (being consumed or otherwise). While being more Grindhouse than Stoker, what makes me want to read the rest of the series are the multiple levels of clan history, secrets, and plots that make for some great twists, reveals, and surprises. Therefore, the story never gets stale and Huston's characters are each unique and interesting, which led me to tear through the pages to find out how they fair.
All in all, great first book that isn't for the narrow minded or queasy. Enjoy.
To put it succinctly, the story takes place in a very similar, current day New York City where vampyres exist. By being bled into by another that is infected by a "vyres", author Charlie Huston's vampyres must drink blood to keep the infection from eating themselves. Of course, some of the traditional vampire lore holds true: no sun (UV rays cause death by an explosion of cancerous tumors) and wounds heal quickly. On the contrary, garlic, holy water, and crosses are nothing but a myth.
The core of the Joe Pitt saga involves numerous "clans" of vampyres, each with their own goals, such as staying hidden from the human population, or revolutionary determination, such as uniting all vampyres and revealing themselves to humans. In the middle of all of these clans and the politics that surrounds them is rogue Joe Pitt, who acts as a hand for hire of sorts by doing odd jobs for money and blood. He cares about no one (except his human, HIV infected girlfriend), curses like a sailor, and has a knack for staying alive (usually through the death of countless others).
'Already Dead', as well as the succeeding books, center on Pitt undertaking a job and the havoc that seems to occur whenever he is involved. The story is fast paced, the dialogue is harsh and often times funny, and there is a lot of blood (being consumed or otherwise). While being more Grindhouse than Stoker, what makes me want to read the rest of the series are the multiple levels of clan history, secrets, and plots that make for some great twists, reveals, and surprises. Therefore, the story never gets stale and Huston's characters are each unique and interesting, which led me to tear through the pages to find out how they fair.
All in all, great first book that isn't for the narrow minded or queasy. Enjoy.