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Department of Unclassified Artefacts #2
The Parliament of Blood
George Archer, Liz Oldfield and Eddie Hopkins have survived some rather frightening events in their lives, but things are about to get much scarier. They discover that vampires do exist, are intent on taking over London and ending the human race. Together with Sir William Protheroe, they must research ancient Egyptian mummies, a secret underground London gentlemen's club, and a well-known theatre actor to try and stop the vampires from overthrowing Parliament and taking over the world.
369 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2008
15 people are currently reading
232 people want to read
About the author
Justin Richards
331 books241 followersJustin Richards is a British writer. He has written many spin off novels based on the BBC science fiction television series Doctor Who, and he is Creative Director for the BBC Books range. He has also written for television, contributing to Five's soap opera Family Affairs. He is also the author of a series of crime novels for children about the Invisible Detective, and novels for older children. His Doctor Who novel The Burning was placed sixth in the Top 10 of SFX magazine's "Best SF/Fantasy novelisation or TV tie-in novel" category of 2000.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews
November 4, 2021
This very enjoyable YA book fits firmly into the Gaslamp genre, featuring vampires in Victorian London. This is not the first book in the series, but not having read the series starter didn't reduce my enjoyment of the story.
The story starts at a pretty slow pace, as a lot of scene-setting is taking place, but the pace picks up as the story progresses and the ending is very cinematic. Also, it's nice to read a book where the vampires are basically old-school vampires - they are not interested in being friends with humans, and they don't feel sympathy for humans - we are their food, and they are out to set up a vampire empire.
Definitely a fun read.
The story starts at a pretty slow pace, as a lot of scene-setting is taking place, but the pace picks up as the story progresses and the ending is very cinematic. Also, it's nice to read a book where the vampires are basically old-school vampires - they are not interested in being friends with humans, and they don't feel sympathy for humans - we are their food, and they are out to set up a vampire empire.
Definitely a fun read.
March 21, 2009
Those girls who like the Twilight -esque romantic version of nice, chivalrous vampires will not like this book, where the vampires are, for the most part, very evil. Give it to boys, however. If they can get past a bit of a slow start there's a lot of really nice action set pieces with a good mix of suspense and gore. In one particularly spine-tingling bit vampires start bursting through the walls and floors of an old haunted house. Good stuff.
May 29, 2023
This book is by far the most thrilling book I've read, apart from the hunger games, throughout my entire life of being surrounded by books. The words gave me chills and it felt very much like reality. It'd be a great novel for those who like horror stories and for those who'd like to try something new. Also for those who are interested in vampires 🧛♂️🩸;)
December 29, 2008
With all of the vampire books coming out right now, how could I resist a book where vampires want to take over the British empire (and the rest of the world) during the Victorian age? The story is pretty good, and there are a number of plot twists, but I only give this book *** because I did not like all of the head-hopping that the author does. It may not bother some people, but I like it when an author doesn't do it so much. In short, if you haven't had your fill of vampire books, and you like historical/fantasy fiction books set in England, then this fast-paced supernatural thriller might be for you!
January 10, 2010
What an awesome book. Really. Now here's a guy that knows how to play with the lore, not ass rape it.
First off, I was surprised by how British it was. Usually with British books, when we get them, they're Americanized. Like the Harry Potter books. Most of the British colloquialisms were removed apparently because we wouldn't get it. But this one appeared relatively untouched. There are even 'ou' spellings, British punctuation and everything. I liked it. It didn't insult my intelligence (because, really, Americanizing is pretty insulting) and it made the read feel that much more authentic.
While I pretty much raced through it, I felt it did meander a bit at times. The dawdling at the work house, for instance. I felt too much time was spent there in comparison to the relevance of the place to the greater plot. Yeah, it's a little wordy but I've read worse and even though there were a few too many words, it still remained interesting and I wanted to keep reading. That's really what matters, right?
Out of all the characters, I felt the closest to Eddie. I felt like he was the one character where we were really able to get into his head and his feelings and understand them. Plus he's a snarky little shit and I just really liked that. Sir William's a pretty cool dude. I wouldn't mind working with him. George was a bit of a stiff, especially for someone his age, but he proved useful and not nearly as anal-retentive as he first appeared. I think I liked Liz the least. That's not to say I didn't like her but I felt she didn't really add much to the overall story. I was neither here nor there about her but really just meh.
Plus I felt her "big role" would have been easily found out by the vampires. That was the only part of the book that I had a hard time believing in. By the time we get to that point in the book, we know what the vampires are capable of, what their powers are and so on. Considering that knowledge and the situation, I didn't find her situation plausible and I think they would have ripped open her neck for playing them. But that's just my opinion.
Now the lore part, totally awesome. Richards has all the basic constructs of vampires; fangs, light sensitivity (not combustion level but sensitive), blood drinking, plus he even went with the water fear and the connection to home soil. I loved that part, how they keep their soil on them. Very smart! The Great Lie, though, was quite possibly the best part. It twists the lore just enough that it still maintains its integrity but creates for something new and interesting and YES! I don't want to give it away but let me just say that it takes a "standard" part of the lore that's in favor of the vampires and turns it right against them. Very awesome. And then there's the hibernation bit of it as well. That was another one of the parts of this book's lore that I loved the most, vampires switching places in order to not inundate the planet. No wonder there was discord!
I loved all of the twists this book had to offer, especially with Liz's father. He was such a dynamic character, and one of my favorites, even though he didn't appear much in the book. He was such a strong presence that from the moment he was introduced, even when he wasn't in scene, his presence permeated the pages. Really, no wonder the Reverend wanted to keep Liz away from the theater. While the reason, to me anyway, was pretty obvious as soon as it was introduced, the way it came to light, and then dark, was totally cool.
This is an excellent, and creepy, book about vampires. It makes them a little more realistic, a little sexy but very dangerous and very undead. You can't become a vampire until you die and then you get to claw your way out of your grave. It's probably one of the most traditional pieces of vampire lore and one that I liked the best. It gives them the juxtaposition of being appealing but at the same time truly the abominations that they are. They are undead, as they should be. People shouldn't want to be that but there's a side with a draw that, for some, is irresistible.
Read this book. Now. The vampires will appreciate it.
First off, I was surprised by how British it was. Usually with British books, when we get them, they're Americanized. Like the Harry Potter books. Most of the British colloquialisms were removed apparently because we wouldn't get it. But this one appeared relatively untouched. There are even 'ou' spellings, British punctuation and everything. I liked it. It didn't insult my intelligence (because, really, Americanizing is pretty insulting) and it made the read feel that much more authentic.
While I pretty much raced through it, I felt it did meander a bit at times. The dawdling at the work house, for instance. I felt too much time was spent there in comparison to the relevance of the place to the greater plot. Yeah, it's a little wordy but I've read worse and even though there were a few too many words, it still remained interesting and I wanted to keep reading. That's really what matters, right?
Out of all the characters, I felt the closest to Eddie. I felt like he was the one character where we were really able to get into his head and his feelings and understand them. Plus he's a snarky little shit and I just really liked that. Sir William's a pretty cool dude. I wouldn't mind working with him. George was a bit of a stiff, especially for someone his age, but he proved useful and not nearly as anal-retentive as he first appeared. I think I liked Liz the least. That's not to say I didn't like her but I felt she didn't really add much to the overall story. I was neither here nor there about her but really just meh.
Plus I felt her "big role" would have been easily found out by the vampires. That was the only part of the book that I had a hard time believing in. By the time we get to that point in the book, we know what the vampires are capable of, what their powers are and so on. Considering that knowledge and the situation, I didn't find her situation plausible and I think they would have ripped open her neck for playing them. But that's just my opinion.
Now the lore part, totally awesome. Richards has all the basic constructs of vampires; fangs, light sensitivity (not combustion level but sensitive), blood drinking, plus he even went with the water fear and the connection to home soil. I loved that part, how they keep their soil on them. Very smart! The Great Lie, though, was quite possibly the best part. It twists the lore just enough that it still maintains its integrity but creates for something new and interesting and YES! I don't want to give it away but let me just say that it takes a "standard" part of the lore that's in favor of the vampires and turns it right against them. Very awesome. And then there's the hibernation bit of it as well. That was another one of the parts of this book's lore that I loved the most, vampires switching places in order to not inundate the planet. No wonder there was discord!
I loved all of the twists this book had to offer, especially with Liz's father. He was such a dynamic character, and one of my favorites, even though he didn't appear much in the book. He was such a strong presence that from the moment he was introduced, even when he wasn't in scene, his presence permeated the pages. Really, no wonder the Reverend wanted to keep Liz away from the theater. While the reason, to me anyway, was pretty obvious as soon as it was introduced, the way it came to light, and then dark, was totally cool.
This is an excellent, and creepy, book about vampires. It makes them a little more realistic, a little sexy but very dangerous and very undead. You can't become a vampire until you die and then you get to claw your way out of your grave. It's probably one of the most traditional pieces of vampire lore and one that I liked the best. It gives them the juxtaposition of being appealing but at the same time truly the abominations that they are. They are undead, as they should be. People shouldn't want to be that but there's a side with a draw that, for some, is irresistible.
Read this book. Now. The vampires will appreciate it.
July 15, 2009
Great victorianish, mystery for middle schoolers. Vampires, London Museum of History, orphans, pickpockets, and Egyptian mummies. These vampires are not nice they are bloodthirsty and are trying to take over the world. Good suggestion for anyone who liked the Phillip Pullman mysteries, or scary (but not too scary) stories.
August 4, 2018
An easy-to-read vampire fiction! There were some parts that were rather predictable. Characters were fine, but not much development. It's a fine read, nonetheless.
December 3, 2023
This book is very good and important to make known to be a readers.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 3, 2009
After reading the Twilight series, I had enough of “good” vampires. There are tons of vampire books, but can you believe there are very few with “bad” vampires in them? It makes you wonder if anybody knows that vampires were considered evil (yeah, sorry girls, if vampires were real, chances are Edward would be more interested in his next meal than getting a girlfriend) or that they are more monster than human. I mean, seriously, if vamps really existed, they’d probably be laughing their fangs off reading all the stuff we’ve come up with about them (no offense readers and authors).
[Somewhere near a dark forest, in a misty grave yard, a muffled voice from deep within the earth says, “None taken.”:]
Um, did you hear something? Ooookay.......
My idea of a vamp novel would be a good old fashion one where the vampires are “bad”-ya know the ones where the villagers hang garlic on their doors and scream “AHHH! Vampire, run! instead of “OMG! It’s Edward!! Pinch me!”. With much searching, I found one:
It all starts out with Sir William and his discovery of an old sarcophagus in the Unclassified Department where he works in the London Museum (aka the department full of stuff that the museum doesn’t have a special room for, or things that They don’t want anyone to see). And for the record, museums really do have stuff on file that has been discovered blah blah years ago, but has never been displayed. Kinda of creepy if you ask me. Anyways, after a little accident with a knife and some spilled blood, the mummy decides to take a trip in a carriage that has a creepy symbol on it. At first everyone thinks it was a prank, but after George Archer and Sir William find some mysterious photographs that reveal literally nothing, lets just say they’ve really uncovered something worth show casing. With the police involved, half the nobles attending a centuries old secret Club, and all their witnesses turning up either dead or undead, George, Eddie, Liz, and Sir William must get to the bottom of this......before it’s too late.
Parliament of Blood is told from the human’s side of story and is clearly a humans vs. vampires book like that of Dracula. The book takes place in the late 1800s and sticks to traditional and historical vampire facts and legends. I gave it four B.L.T. not because there was anything in it, but because it was a tad creepy at times. I’m glad a choose this vampy book, but I for one won’t be reading another thriller book for awhile.(Not good for the subconscious mind.)
And, oh yes, don’t read this book at night......
Want to read more reviews? Check out booksandliteratureforteens.blogspot.com
[Somewhere near a dark forest, in a misty grave yard, a muffled voice from deep within the earth says, “None taken.”:]
Um, did you hear something? Ooookay.......
My idea of a vamp novel would be a good old fashion one where the vampires are “bad”-ya know the ones where the villagers hang garlic on their doors and scream “AHHH! Vampire, run! instead of “OMG! It’s Edward!! Pinch me!”. With much searching, I found one:
It all starts out with Sir William and his discovery of an old sarcophagus in the Unclassified Department where he works in the London Museum (aka the department full of stuff that the museum doesn’t have a special room for, or things that They don’t want anyone to see). And for the record, museums really do have stuff on file that has been discovered blah blah years ago, but has never been displayed. Kinda of creepy if you ask me. Anyways, after a little accident with a knife and some spilled blood, the mummy decides to take a trip in a carriage that has a creepy symbol on it. At first everyone thinks it was a prank, but after George Archer and Sir William find some mysterious photographs that reveal literally nothing, lets just say they’ve really uncovered something worth show casing. With the police involved, half the nobles attending a centuries old secret Club, and all their witnesses turning up either dead or undead, George, Eddie, Liz, and Sir William must get to the bottom of this......before it’s too late.
Parliament of Blood is told from the human’s side of story and is clearly a humans vs. vampires book like that of Dracula. The book takes place in the late 1800s and sticks to traditional and historical vampire facts and legends. I gave it four B.L.T. not because there was anything in it, but because it was a tad creepy at times. I’m glad a choose this vampy book, but I for one won’t be reading another thriller book for awhile.(Not good for the subconscious mind.)
And, oh yes, don’t read this book at night......
Want to read more reviews? Check out booksandliteratureforteens.blogspot.com
September 21, 2009
Victorian England, the British Museum, a mummy is about to be unwrapped during an invitation only gathering of high society types. This is the hottest invitation in London. The sarcophagus is opened, revealing a silver lining. As the unwrapping begins there is a slip of the hand, and the shears gash the hand of the Egyptologist, splashing blood onto the mummy. The blood is quickly absorbed by the dry bindings. Suddenly, the mummy shifts and squirms. A desiccated hand breaks free, grabs the edge of the sarcophagus, pulls itself up and out, and runs from the main hall into a waiting coach. Pandemonium ensues.
A small band of scientists and an engaging Cockney street urchin begin hunting, fleeing and chasing vampires in a race to prevent a takeover, and the overthrow of Parliament. The vampires plan to seize power and institute the Parliament of Blood.
Ghoulish, bloody, with a little romance, this was a lot of fun.
A small band of scientists and an engaging Cockney street urchin begin hunting, fleeing and chasing vampires in a race to prevent a takeover, and the overthrow of Parliament. The vampires plan to seize power and institute the Parliament of Blood.
Ghoulish, bloody, with a little romance, this was a lot of fun.
February 10, 2010
I'm totally stuck in this YA rut (and there are some clear winners: Mortal Instruments), but most of it is starting to all sound the same. More vampires trying to take over the world/kill a bunch of people. Blah, blah. Been there, done that, read it before. What a craze Twilight started. It's like it's cool to read about/like vampires now, so authors are dashing out books as fast as they can so they can get in on the action before the fad fades. I just finished this book last week and it's already fading from my memory. So, yeah, don't read this.
March 9, 2013
Pretty decent and entertaining vampire novel that takes place around the turn of the 20th century in London. The vampires are more traditional monsters to be feared rather than brooding hunks to be loved. There are also some mild but good twists on the traditional lore that made for a novel just different enough so it's not just another vampire novel.
July 23, 2014
Enjoyable enough, but it didn't engage me in parts, as this writing style and type of vampire novel are not my cup of tea. Some of the endings to the scenes were repetitive and cliche, like something out of a cheesy horror movie (ex. someone's fangs going for someone else's neck). I did like the intrigue, however. 3.5 stars
February 3, 2016
even more heart pounding then the first one. The action never stopped, and there were so many times that i laughed and screamed at the characters in anticipation. The only downer is that there was no progress between George and Liz. I swear if something dosent happen there soon, Justin Richards will have a lot of explaining to do!!!
February 4, 2016
Victorian vampires attempt to overthrow the British government in this overpopulated but fast-paced thriller. Far too many characters (most of whom are underdeveloped) in brief scenes that switch quickly in cinematic fashion make this book hard to follow. The Twilight crowd won't find the vampires a sufficient lure to slog through this confusing plot.
June 1, 2009
I came into this little series with this one. I really like Justin Richards. He's very British, but not incomprehensibly so, and this has a nice mix of Sherlock Holmes and teen mystery, mixed with some great vampires.
Read
March 2, 2010Bogged down in places, but interesting take on the whole "Vampires try to take over the world" thing. Billed as a YA book, I don't think there's many teenagers out there that would stick with this one!
May 3, 2012
3.5 stars.
Very Dracula-esque. Not at all like the vampire junk coming out now. Overall a decent book, though it is very blunt in its descriptions of vampires and their practises, which could be too much for some.
Very Dracula-esque. Not at all like the vampire junk coming out now. Overall a decent book, though it is very blunt in its descriptions of vampires and their practises, which could be too much for some.
May 9, 2015
Justin Richards just keeps getting better! This sequel to The Death Collector is my favorite of his three novels.
June 15, 2009
Kind of cute, especially if you like London settings.
November 8, 2009
Good for fans of Thirsty, The Reformed Vampire Support Group and other boy/girl vampire fans. Not romancy...
October 4, 2015
A vampire mummy in Victorian England. I love Justin Richards.
Read
October 2, 2011B20759659J
August 26, 2015
Enjoyed this book
February 1, 2016
gave up reading it- too slow.....
Read
October 2, 2016great book absolutely astonishong
December 13, 2010
A slow moving plot that was unrealistic and predictable
July 8, 2011
absolutely breath-taking
May 28, 2016
Oh God... I couldn't sleep after it...
Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews