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A review by reddyrat
The Geomancer: Vampire Empire: A Gareth and Adele Novel by Susan Griffith, Clay Griffith
5.0
The Vampire Empire series is my all time favorite set of vampire books. And that's pretty high praise from me. This is the fourth book in the series - essentially I think this is going to shape into two related trilogies. I was so happy to revisit Gareth and Adele. I always approach unexpected series continuation with some trepidation. Will it live up to the prior books? Yes, it absolutely does!
It took me quite awhile to get through this book. It wasn't the book's fault. I had some personal stuff going on that derailed all my reading. Plus at one point, I got so excited to revisit Gareth and Adele that I felt compelled to go back and re-read the first book in the series - which is my favorite one of all of them.
Here's a few of my favorite things about the book:
1. Adele - Adele continues to be the most powerful person in this story. Here, her geomancy powers are diminished since the Witchfinder is deploying it against her. This helps demonstrate that her inner strength does not rely upon supernatural powers. Adele is a passionate, headstrong person. She gets close to recklessness in her desire to find solutions to save her people.
2. Gareth - I always have a soft spot for vampires. And Gareth is one of my favorites. I think this series is going to involve a lot of emotional growth for him. Gareth has viewed all vampires, and by extension, himself with hatred for a very long time. Now he has to confront the idea that vampires are not the uniform creatures he thinks of them as. And this, I think, will change his view of himself.
3. Gareth and Adele - The chief plot of the first series was the burgeoning and maturing romance between Gareth and Adele (amongst lots of other things). Now we get to see how they function as a couple. There's still some romance but mostly it's wonderful to watch them as a pair of equals. They have so many different experiences in this book. In some, Gareth leads and in others, Adele leads. They are protective of each other, but also honor the other's experience and ability.
4. Expanding mythology - We meet a lot more people in this book, mostly vampires. We learn that vampires do not have uniform opinions on humans, on progress, or on violence. I love the richer world that's presented here. Having more shades of gray than black and white makes the book feel more realistic.
5. Fast moving plot - All of the Vampire Empire books are well written and quick reads. They're the kind of books you can get through quickly and then go back and read more thoroughly for extra detail. The chapters are short and viewpoints change quickly. This can be a bit jarring, but I ultimately think that the jumps make the book more exciting because you never know what's coming next
If you haven't read the Vampire Empire series, you should immediately pick up Greyfriar, the first book in the series. The Geomancy is a fabulous addition. It continues the world I love and starts a new plot that I'm excited to read more about. It is definitely more of a sequel than a companion novel. Even though it has a plot distinct from the first three books, it draws heavily upon the knowledge of the earlier story. All the more enticement to go back and get Greyfriar!
It took me quite awhile to get through this book. It wasn't the book's fault. I had some personal stuff going on that derailed all my reading. Plus at one point, I got so excited to revisit Gareth and Adele that I felt compelled to go back and re-read the first book in the series - which is my favorite one of all of them.
Here's a few of my favorite things about the book:
1. Adele - Adele continues to be the most powerful person in this story. Here, her geomancy powers are diminished since the Witchfinder is deploying it against her. This helps demonstrate that her inner strength does not rely upon supernatural powers. Adele is a passionate, headstrong person. She gets close to recklessness in her desire to find solutions to save her people.
2. Gareth - I always have a soft spot for vampires. And Gareth is one of my favorites. I think this series is going to involve a lot of emotional growth for him. Gareth has viewed all vampires, and by extension, himself with hatred for a very long time. Now he has to confront the idea that vampires are not the uniform creatures he thinks of them as. And this, I think, will change his view of himself.
3. Gareth and Adele - The chief plot of the first series was the burgeoning and maturing romance between Gareth and Adele (amongst lots of other things). Now we get to see how they function as a couple. There's still some romance but mostly it's wonderful to watch them as a pair of equals. They have so many different experiences in this book. In some, Gareth leads and in others, Adele leads. They are protective of each other, but also honor the other's experience and ability.
4. Expanding mythology - We meet a lot more people in this book, mostly vampires. We learn that vampires do not have uniform opinions on humans, on progress, or on violence. I love the richer world that's presented here. Having more shades of gray than black and white makes the book feel more realistic.
5. Fast moving plot - All of the Vampire Empire books are well written and quick reads. They're the kind of books you can get through quickly and then go back and read more thoroughly for extra detail. The chapters are short and viewpoints change quickly. This can be a bit jarring, but I ultimately think that the jumps make the book more exciting because you never know what's coming next
If you haven't read the Vampire Empire series, you should immediately pick up Greyfriar, the first book in the series. The Geomancy is a fabulous addition. It continues the world I love and starts a new plot that I'm excited to read more about. It is definitely more of a sequel than a companion novel. Even though it has a plot distinct from the first three books, it draws heavily upon the knowledge of the earlier story. All the more enticement to go back and get Greyfriar!