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Gidion Keep, Vampire Hunter #1
Tales of a 10th Grade Vampire Hunter
For Gidion Keep, hunting vampires is easy.
It’s high school that might kill him.
Hunting vampires is a Keep family tradition. Dad quit the business over a decade ago when Mom was killed, so Grandpa has been teaching Gidion -in secret- to take up the hunt. As Gidion closes in on the local coven, he discovers their plans to kill one of his teachers and a girl from another school. One of his best friends might be the key to finding the vampires’ lair... if he can be trusted.
To complicate matters - the vampires know they're being hunted and they're determined to kill Gidion and everyone he's protecting, no matter what it takes.
Tales of a 10th Grade Vampire Hunter delivers a fast-paced thriller with a young hero whose deadliest weapon isn't a wooden stake but his wits and a lot of luck.
It’s high school that might kill him.
Hunting vampires is a Keep family tradition. Dad quit the business over a decade ago when Mom was killed, so Grandpa has been teaching Gidion -in secret- to take up the hunt. As Gidion closes in on the local coven, he discovers their plans to kill one of his teachers and a girl from another school. One of his best friends might be the key to finding the vampires’ lair... if he can be trusted.
To complicate matters - the vampires know they're being hunted and they're determined to kill Gidion and everyone he's protecting, no matter what it takes.
Tales of a 10th Grade Vampire Hunter delivers a fast-paced thriller with a young hero whose deadliest weapon isn't a wooden stake but his wits and a lot of luck.
298 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 20, 2013
4 people are currently reading
543 people want to read
About the author
Bill Blume
22 books62 followersBill Blume discovered his love for the written word while in high school and has been writing ever since. His latest book West of Apocalypse is now available.
His first novel, Gidion's Hunt (originally titled Tales of a 10th Grade Vampire Hunter), was released in 2013. His short stories have been published in many fantasy anthologies and various ezines.
Just like the father figure in his first novel, Bill works as a 911 dispatcher for Henrico County Police and has done so for more than two decades. He served as the 2013 chair for James River Writers, which produces one of the nation's best annual conferences for educating and connecting writers.
He graduated from the University of South Carolina with a degree in Broadcast Journalism in 1995. In the years after, he worked as a TV news producer, first in Columbus, Georgia, and then in Richmond, Virginia, which has become home for Bill & his family.
His first novel, Gidion's Hunt (originally titled Tales of a 10th Grade Vampire Hunter), was released in 2013. His short stories have been published in many fantasy anthologies and various ezines.
Just like the father figure in his first novel, Bill works as a 911 dispatcher for Henrico County Police and has done so for more than two decades. He served as the 2013 chair for James River Writers, which produces one of the nation's best annual conferences for educating and connecting writers.
He graduated from the University of South Carolina with a degree in Broadcast Journalism in 1995. In the years after, he worked as a TV news producer, first in Columbus, Georgia, and then in Richmond, Virginia, which has become home for Bill & his family.
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
September 2, 2015
Words of advice from the hunter:
You can tell from the blurb itself that we'll have plenty of blood-suckers here. Now I'm not a fan of vamps but for many forgivable reasons, this one somehow nailed itself in my small, narrow heart and got stuck there. For good, I believewhich isn't something that occur often.
Vampire hunting have run in the Keep's family for a long, long time. As a hunter in secrecy, it pretty much made Gidion Keep a very secretive person and his social life borders on non-existent. After he saved his teacher from getting sucked dry one night, he soon found leads that point straight to a coven - and where there's a coven there is most definitely a powerful vampire behind it. Somebody is targeting unassuming people, somebody wants these people's throats ripped out and Gidion is on the hunt to stop them.
I did not care that the plot was unremarkable, and oh-blaaaah-so-overused. I did not care that I was right in guessing who may be behind the killings. I also did not care for that nagging feeling that this comes close to a Blade movie. I'm a very fussy person, a dramatic reader and an even more nitpicky one, but this book might as well had slapped me across the face and told me to shut the hell up with the complaints because guess what? THOSE CAN GO TO HELL because this came so close to damn perfection.
BEHIND THE SCENE, Gidion is painted as the mumbler-fumbler, and the socially awkward dude who likes to read comics. ON THE SET, he is fearless: he'd brave a full-on assault from the suckers, and he'd risk his life on the line to save civilians and the people who matter to him.
I don't remember having such a huuuge ass crush on a fictional guy close to my age but my god, Gidion was just fucking adorable. He is the big bad hunter - push him into a room full of bloodsuckers, and he'd slash their throats from ear to ear. No problemo. Now, throw in a cute girl his way and see how he acts like an idiot.
Doesn't he sounds just like a real guy?
Goddamn, I just feel like doing the nasty to him.Pardon the crudeness, that's just the hormones talking.
I especially love, LOVE the narration and how Gidion isn't angst-ridden.
I like some angst/bitterness in my teenage characters because it does actually exist which makes it realistic but when it gets excessive, it gets tiring. Ya feel me? But on Gidion's part, he goes through his day with barely any whines. He lost his mother at a very young age, presumably to a vampire attack, which to my surprise he did not make it seem like a sad, sad, sob story like any other typical male heroes would. Gidion has a very healthy relationships with his family who only consists of his Dad and Grandpa. The Dad and Grandpa both also have good relationships with each other! So you can imagine, its very refreshing that for once, in the Young Adult genre, the family depicted isn't dysfunctional but affectionate and tight-knitted.
The whole book is written in the third person point of view and normally, this type of writing can read remote if not done right. But Gidion never lets me disconnect. I feel close to all the characters and the events that happened. Props to Mr Bill Blume for his writing skillsn while it's not in any way intricate or wordy, it has a readable, gripping tone.
Many love a book with a happy ending. Myself included. But the ending for this one partly shattered my heart to bits and pieces. Apparently not everyone can have their happy endings. It's not all fluffy. At some point, this book can be very realistic - it hurts!. In some part, it can go detailed on the violence: gory parts are mentioned though not as excessive as I like it to be. Overall, I can only say that Gidion's Hunt is worth all the time spent reading, and if any book deserve more readers and reviews, this one does.
If you want a quick, vampy read just for kicks... Then why the hell are you still reading this review?
*I received an Advanced Reading Copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.*
Never try to kill a vampire during the day. They wake up super-pissed.
You can tell from the blurb itself that we'll have plenty of blood-suckers here. Now I'm not a fan of vamps but for many forgivable reasons, this one somehow nailed itself in my small, narrow heart and got stuck there. For good, I believe
Vampire hunting have run in the Keep's family for a long, long time. As a hunter in secrecy, it pretty much made Gidion Keep a very secretive person and his social life borders on non-existent. After he saved his teacher from getting sucked dry one night, he soon found leads that point straight to a coven - and where there's a coven there is most definitely a powerful vampire behind it. Somebody is targeting unassuming people, somebody wants these people's throats ripped out and Gidion is on the hunt to stop them.
I did not care that the plot was unremarkable, and oh-blaaaah-so-overused. I did not care that I was right in guessing who may be behind the killings. I also did not care for that nagging feeling that this comes close to a Blade movie. I'm a very fussy person, a dramatic reader and an even more nitpicky one, but this book might as well had slapped me across the face and told me to shut the hell up with the complaints because guess what? THOSE CAN GO TO HELL because this came so close to damn perfection.
BEHIND THE SCENE, Gidion is painted as the mumbler-fumbler, and the socially awkward dude who likes to read comics. ON THE SET, he is fearless: he'd brave a full-on assault from the suckers, and he'd risk his life on the line to save civilians and the people who matter to him.
I don't remember having such a huuuge ass crush on a fictional guy close to my age but my god, Gidion was just fucking adorable. He is the big bad hunter - push him into a room full of bloodsuckers, and he'd slash their throats from ear to ear. No problemo. Now, throw in a cute girl his way and see how he acts like an idiot.
"I have a senior girl in her underwear in my bathroom," he whispered to himself. "Wow." Then he heard the shower start running and he knew his stupid grin must be as wide as his face. He now had a naked senior girl taking a shower in his bathroom. "Wow."
Doesn't he sounds just like a real guy?
Goddamn, I just feel like doing the nasty to him.
I especially love, LOVE the narration and how Gidion isn't angst-ridden.
I like some angst/bitterness in my teenage characters because it does actually exist which makes it realistic but when it gets excessive, it gets tiring. Ya feel me? But on Gidion's part, he goes through his day with barely any whines. He lost his mother at a very young age, presumably to a vampire attack, which to my surprise he did not make it seem like a sad, sad, sob story like any other typical male heroes would. Gidion has a very healthy relationships with his family who only consists of his Dad and Grandpa. The Dad and Grandpa both also have good relationships with each other! So you can imagine, its very refreshing that for once, in the Young Adult genre, the family depicted isn't dysfunctional but affectionate and tight-knitted.
The whole book is written in the third person point of view and normally, this type of writing can read remote if not done right. But Gidion never lets me disconnect. I feel close to all the characters and the events that happened. Props to Mr Bill Blume for his writing skillsn while it's not in any way intricate or wordy, it has a readable, gripping tone.
Many love a book with a happy ending. Myself included. But the ending for this one partly shattered my heart to bits and pieces. Apparently not everyone can have their happy endings. It's not all fluffy. At some point, this book can be very realistic - it hurts!. In some part, it can go detailed on the violence: gory parts are mentioned though not as excessive as I like it to be. Overall, I can only say that Gidion's Hunt is worth all the time spent reading, and if any book deserve more readers and reviews, this one does.
If you want a quick, vampy read just for kicks... Then why the hell are you still reading this review?
*I received an Advanced Reading Copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.*
August 23, 2015
This review first appeared on Addicted to Media
Gidion Keep is a teenage vampire hunter upholding a long Keep family tradition of hunting. When Gidion’s mother died at the hands of a vampire, Gidion’s father quit the business and it fell to Gidion’s grandfather to train Gidion in secret and pass on the legacy.
When Gidion saves a woman from a vicious vampire attack, he is stunned when she recognises him. It turns out the secrecy of his craft is the least of his worries for as Gidion closes in on the local vampire coven, he uncovers a deadly plot to kill off a student and a teacher. Worse yet, the vampires know they are being hunted but it may just be that Gidion’s biggest threat lies within his own group of friends at high school.
Gidion’s Hunt is the first novel by Bill Blume and the first in the Gidion Keep, Vampire Hunter series. Originally titled Tales of a 10th Grade Vampire Hunter, Gidion’s Hunt is not just another vampire novel. Blume has written as realistic a novel as possible, focusing not on the vampires themselves but on the type of person that would put themselves in danger in order to hunt and destroy monsters.
The novel is gritty, fast-paced and entertaining. Gidion is a likeable hero and just the right shade of bad boy. Blume pulls no punches and the vampires are pretty nasty at times, reducing their victims to mindless slaves or worse, draining them of blood and killing them.
I really enjoyed the high school dynamics and was reminded of Joss Whedon and the high-school-as-Hell metaphor that we saw in Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Just like in high school, loyalties are fickle, only valid for as long as they provide social capital, and Gidion is left wondering who he can trust right until the very last page.
Gidion’s unconventional relationship with intended vampire victim Tamara is another highlight of the plot. Rather than endless pages of angst and insecurity, they really just get on with it despite their age difference.
Without giving the plot away, the best aspect of the story is the reveal of the Big Bad and the motives driving their actions. In an ultimate display of scorn, insecurity and revenge, the actions and decisions of the Big Bad were realistic and chilling.
Ultimately, Gidion’s Hunt would be a four star book but for one thing: the rampant misogyny of the male characters. You’d expect that a book featuring a male vampire hunter as a protagonist might only be read by boys but you’d be wrong – the primarily readers of young adult fiction are females, of all ages, and we don’t like being referred to as whores and bitches.
I’m glad that Blume has released Gidion’s Blood, the second book in the series, and I’m definitely going to read it but I do hope he tones down the misogyny before he alienates a good part of his readership.
With that in mind, I giveGidion’s Hunt a qualified three out of five stars. I would definitely recommend it to fans of Buffy the Vampire Slayer or Teen Wolf and I will be reading the next books in the series.
March 8, 2016
More reviews (and no fluff) on the blog http://surrealtalvi.wordpress.com/
Gideon's Hunt is a breezy YA urban fantasy featuring a likable every-guy whose family goes back generations as vampire hunters. The story keeps the action going as Gideon attempts to solve some mysteries and clues as the location of a vampire coven he wants to exterminate. While the dialogue is fun and Gideon has some great comic book reference moments (calling 911 and using the name "Tim Drake" anyone?), the lack of something to set the book apart from the countless similar vampire-hunter urban fantasies began to wear after a bit. At around the middle (and despite the action) I felt like I had read something similar too many times and had a hard time finding the interest to continue. There wasn't an original bone anywhere in this book.Story: 10th grader Gideon is all set to go out and kill vampires. Secretly trained by his vampire-hunter grandfather (against the wishes of his father), he saves his first 'victime' and dusts his first vampire. But the victim ends up being his world history teacher - and she recognizes him! As he uses the first vampire to begin to track down the Richmond coven, things get messy as friends, teachers, and more become embroiled in the vampire world as either targets or blood 'donors'. Gideon is about to find out that even with his formidable grandfather's help, taking down a coven may not be as easy as he had suspected.
This is the first in a series and several mysteries (the death of Gideon's mother, for example) are left to be explored. Because the writing is assured and easy to follow, it makes for a fast read. The dialogue is snappy but very appropriate and everyone feels like the genuine article - down home Richmond inhabitants.
Gideon has a love for comics and there are many references throughout - Easter eggs for those who grew up with DC and Marvel. I would have preferred to see references from the newer batch of superheroes that a 10 grader would be reading currently rather than referencing ones that the author likely grew up with - perhaps an Image title? Damian Wayne instead of Tim Drake? But heck, it was cute to see all the references in there.
In all, I liked the character of Gideon a lot. I just wish he had been set in a different milieu than vampire hunter. I've read too many 'anti-sparkly vampire' books now to dislike them as much as the sparkly vampire counterparts. Reviewed from an advance reader copy provided by the publisher.
January 14, 2016
This was a really enjoyable read! Gidion is likeable without being perfect. He's a main character you get behind more because he reminds you of yourself than some ridiculously flawless hero. (I'm looking at you Dan Brown) The plot is tight and zippy with lots of little loose ends to keep a series going.
The main strength of the book is the world, though. There are some really fun side characters who liven up the environment and give Gidion someone to play off of. In fact, it almost reads as an ensemble instead of a single hero story, which I totally dig. I can't wait to continue the journrey with all of them!
The main strength of the book is the world, though. There are some really fun side characters who liven up the environment and give Gidion someone to play off of. In fact, it almost reads as an ensemble instead of a single hero story, which I totally dig. I can't wait to continue the journrey with all of them!
August 19, 2015
Gidion Keep isn't your average sophomore in high school; not after his grandfather let him on the family secret. The Keeps know something everyone else doesn't know; Vampires are real and the Keeps hunt them down. Gidion now hunts vampires and when the job is done he notifies his grandfather, who owns a funeral home with its own incinerator. The only problem Gidion faces is his father finding out. His father is an ex-cop we works for the dispatching unit now, and once hunted vampires but after a death close to home he stopped and focused on Gidion. Gidion constantly has to come up with plausible stories for his father, and this might not seem like a lot of trouble, but for a son of an ex-cop it's pretty tough. Besides this, Gidion is your average teen looking for some action whether it's fighting vampires or you know... girls. That is, until Gidion saves someone he knows from a vampire, alerting that person to what he does. Not only does this happen once but twice, and soon Gidion realizes the vampires are contracting hits against these two people. Now Gidion must figure out who is involved, where to locate the vampire leader, stop being tongue tied in front of the hot senior girl he saved, and figure out what's going on with his best friend all before it's too late.
I really liked Gidion as a character. First, he's a guy... yay! for a guy MC. Second, the humor was spot on. Most of the interactions between characters were funny and moved the story along quickly. This was a quick read because it kept me engaged one moved along so quickly I couldn't stop if I wanted to. I also really liked the relationship between Gidion, his father, and his grandfather. All three guys are there for each other in many different manners, and each one has their own secret that they are keeping from each other.
4 out of 5 stars. Thanks NetGalley.
I really liked Gidion as a character. First, he's a guy... yay! for a guy MC. Second, the humor was spot on. Most of the interactions between characters were funny and moved the story along quickly. This was a quick read because it kept me engaged one moved along so quickly I couldn't stop if I wanted to. I also really liked the relationship between Gidion, his father, and his grandfather. All three guys are there for each other in many different manners, and each one has their own secret that they are keeping from each other.
4 out of 5 stars. Thanks NetGalley.
August 22, 2015
I received this book from Netgalley for my honest opinion.
I wasn’t entirely sure if I would like this one, I think this is the first YA Vampire Hunter book I’ve read where a male is the lead character. I really enjoyed it. Was a fresh take on an idea where there is already lot of choice.
Most books I’ve read have a female lead protagonist so this was a real breath of fresh air to what I am used to.
Gideon’s Hunt jumps straight into the action with him on the trail of a vampire and the action and suspense is kept throughout . Don’t think it will dwindle out, because it won’t.
There are a few mysteries to keep you hooked as well. The Vampire Coven is targeting certain people and Gideon needs to find out why so he can do something about it. We are also told and given hints about the death of Gideon’s mother which will hopefully be explored in future books.
The vampires in this book are what I would call ‘real’ vampires. They are strong, dangerous and unpredictable, certainly vampires that need hunting down and rid of.
This book features some real strong male characters, we have Gideon himself, his father and grandfather. His grandfather is a great character and also Gideon’s hunting teacher. They have a great relationship which is funny but also relatable….not the vampire training bit obviously.
My only criticism of the book is that Gideon is sometimes a little too good at killing vampires. He is just a teenage boy who has been trained by his grandfather but he can easily defeat a vampire. We are told they don’t have super strength but I still think that some vampires could over power a teenage boy.
Overall this is a great book with adventure, mystery, a little romance and some vampire action. What more could you want?
Original review posted here https://natcentral.wordpress.com/2015...
I wasn’t entirely sure if I would like this one, I think this is the first YA Vampire Hunter book I’ve read where a male is the lead character. I really enjoyed it. Was a fresh take on an idea where there is already lot of choice.
Most books I’ve read have a female lead protagonist so this was a real breath of fresh air to what I am used to.
Gideon’s Hunt jumps straight into the action with him on the trail of a vampire and the action and suspense is kept throughout . Don’t think it will dwindle out, because it won’t.
There are a few mysteries to keep you hooked as well. The Vampire Coven is targeting certain people and Gideon needs to find out why so he can do something about it. We are also told and given hints about the death of Gideon’s mother which will hopefully be explored in future books.
The vampires in this book are what I would call ‘real’ vampires. They are strong, dangerous and unpredictable, certainly vampires that need hunting down and rid of.
This book features some real strong male characters, we have Gideon himself, his father and grandfather. His grandfather is a great character and also Gideon’s hunting teacher. They have a great relationship which is funny but also relatable….not the vampire training bit obviously.
My only criticism of the book is that Gideon is sometimes a little too good at killing vampires. He is just a teenage boy who has been trained by his grandfather but he can easily defeat a vampire. We are told they don’t have super strength but I still think that some vampires could over power a teenage boy.
Overall this is a great book with adventure, mystery, a little romance and some vampire action. What more could you want?
Original review posted here https://natcentral.wordpress.com/2015...
August 26, 2013
For Gidion Keep, hunting vampires is easy.
It’s high school that might kill him.
Hunting vampires is a Keep family tradition. Dad quit the business over a decade ago when Mom was killed, so Grandpa has been teaching Gidion -in secret- to take up the hunt. As Gidion closes in on the local coven, he discovers their plans to kill one of his teachers and a girl from another school. One of his best friends might be the key to finding the vampires’ lair... if he can be trusted.
To complicate matters - the vampires know they're being hunted and they're determined to kill Gidion and everyone he's protecting, no matter what it takes....
What a great read! This book was fast, fun and funny! Gidion is a great narrator. He's young but street smart and he's definitely easy to root for.
The interactions between Gidion and his grandpa are fantastic. I don't normally laugh out loud while reading but I did quite a few times while reading this book. Gidion is a well rounded character- friends, family and he struggles with the mundane an supernatural elements of his life.
The 'mystery' is good too! Why is the Richmond Coven targeting certain people? And why did it have to be one of Gidion's teachers, forcing his vampire hunting life to cross over I to his school life. How are his friends involved?
I'm hoping there will be more in the series! This was a great read!
It’s high school that might kill him.
Hunting vampires is a Keep family tradition. Dad quit the business over a decade ago when Mom was killed, so Grandpa has been teaching Gidion -in secret- to take up the hunt. As Gidion closes in on the local coven, he discovers their plans to kill one of his teachers and a girl from another school. One of his best friends might be the key to finding the vampires’ lair... if he can be trusted.
To complicate matters - the vampires know they're being hunted and they're determined to kill Gidion and everyone he's protecting, no matter what it takes....
What a great read! This book was fast, fun and funny! Gidion is a great narrator. He's young but street smart and he's definitely easy to root for.
The interactions between Gidion and his grandpa are fantastic. I don't normally laugh out loud while reading but I did quite a few times while reading this book. Gidion is a well rounded character- friends, family and he struggles with the mundane an supernatural elements of his life.
The 'mystery' is good too! Why is the Richmond Coven targeting certain people? And why did it have to be one of Gidion's teachers, forcing his vampire hunting life to cross over I to his school life. How are his friends involved?
I'm hoping there will be more in the series! This was a great read!
December 29, 2015
I don't normally read vampire books (or any supernatural book for that matter), but I can honestly say that I enjoyed this book! It wasn't too "supernatural" (i.e.fake) and the action kept me interested, especially for the 2nd half of the book! I also liked that it was set in Richmond!
July 11, 2016
liked the fact that it wasnt another teen novel romance with a female lead. though it wasnt much mature eather it was a fun and enjoyable read with distinct characters that play nicely with eachother. not many surprises on the plot though.
October 24, 2018
This book is about a teenage vampire hunter named Gidion Keep, and while I’ve never been super into vampires, I really enjoyed it! Gidion’s inner monologue is pretty hilarious, so if you’re looking for a fun, fast paced YA, check it out!
May 2, 2020
The most refreshing thing about this book is the lack of angst. The stakes are high (in a vampire book--hah!), but our main character isn't fighting himself alongside the bad guys. Though there's some tragedy in his backstory, he's not destroyed by it. He's a well adjusted person trying to do some good in this world, both in the supernatural and more natural spheres of life.
While the plot is fairly predictable, I stayed engaged by the relationships--Gidion was surrounded by family, friends, and potential romance, and all of them played realistically. And again, refreshing that the adults in the main character's life were neither destructive nor useless.
Quite an enjoyable read.
While the plot is fairly predictable, I stayed engaged by the relationships--Gidion was surrounded by family, friends, and potential romance, and all of them played realistically. And again, refreshing that the adults in the main character's life were neither destructive nor useless.
Quite an enjoyable read.
September 5, 2024
Gideon Keep is a sophomore in high school who hunts vampires while hiding that fact from father. His grandfather trained him and still helps him with his hunting. This book was a quick read and Gideon is an ok character, but all the women in this book are bitches and sluts (except for his dead mom and his teacher, but the teacher is still mentioned as being pretty).
I like the dynamic he has with his friends and how his home life is explained, but basically every relationship in this book is flawed somehow. I also felt like the way Gideon is written changes too frequently. Sometimes he's just a high school kid and other times he seems like he's written a bit older and he likes hurting the vampires. Using technology to figure out the mystery is nothing new, but it's used well in this book.
A lot of the scenarios really are just dumb luck. He must be a really good fighter because sometimes he kills the vampires way too easily (in my opinion). I won't be reading book two.
I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.
I like the dynamic he has with his friends and how his home life is explained, but basically every relationship in this book is flawed somehow. I also felt like the way Gideon is written changes too frequently. Sometimes he's just a high school kid and other times he seems like he's written a bit older and he likes hurting the vampires. Using technology to figure out the mystery is nothing new, but it's used well in this book.
A lot of the scenarios really are just dumb luck. He must be a really good fighter because sometimes he kills the vampires way too easily (in my opinion). I won't be reading book two.
I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.
August 15, 2015
check out http://cabookle.tumblr.com for more YA book reviews!
I received this book in advance through NetGalley for reviewing purposes; the following is my HONEST opinion of the book as I was in no way obligated to give a positive review. Thank you NetGalley and Diversion Books for letting me read this book in advance!
Gidion’s Hunt is about a high school sophomore student who spends his night’s hunting vampires. During a kill one night, he happens to run into his history teacher whom the vampires had put a hit out on. While investigating why someone would want to kill her, Gidion uncovers an entire coven of vampires operating in his hometown of Richmond… a coven that just happens to have pulled in one of his best friends as their newest feeder. With some detailed action, witty responses, and a few awkward moments that made me laugh, Gidion’s Hunt is an enjoyable read. While I think Bill Blume has plenty of room to improve, I’m definitely going to keep my eye out for the next book in his series.
Gidion really doesn’t change much from the beginning to the end of the story. I mean, the major differences are that he has a girlfriend and now is a force to be reckoned with as a hunter. However, he is pretty much a character who comes in without any big flaws, which kind of bothered me while I read. I truly did enjoy reading from Gidion’s perspective – it’s witty, without trying too hard. But there doesn’t seem to be much trouble for him. Whenever the going seemed to get tough, Gidion got his way out of the situation: he lied to his dad with relative ease; his grandpa didn’t yell at him at all, really, for going into dangerous situations without telling anyone; and when the police get involved, he never seems to actually get in trouble. Even his “unlucky” day at the beginning seemed like a pretty lucky day to me: he bagged a vampire, didn’t get in too much trouble with his dad, and uncovered a plot that made him even cooler in the long run. What’s so bad about that? The one time we see Gidion somewhat in trouble was when he was fighting the boss at the end, but even there it seems that he won the fight only after a few pages and a very clichéd moment where someone off to the side distracts the boss so he can get the upper hand. The only somewhat flaw in his character was his lack of experience with ladies and with his friendships, but both of those cases still work out for him. His love interest kissed him the first time they met! His friends forgave him almost immediately when he acted like an ass! For such a well-written character that really was enjoyable to read, he really was too perfect from beginning to end. I hope we do see some weakness in Gidion in the next book – he can’t always be perfect.
Since I mentioned his love interest a bunch of times, I think it’s only right to go into detail about her. We learn about Tamara early on in the book – she’s another girl he saves from vampire attack. She’s a little different than the last one he saved, however; he actually takes her home, which he isn’t supposed to do, and somehow doesn’t get caught doing it. While it was obvious from the start that she was his love interest, again it just worked out a little too easy. Sure, he saves her life…twice, but does that really mean she knows enough about him to be happily dating him and moving her life around to see him again? (You’ll know what I mean at the end of the book!) It just seemed a little too unrealistic and annoyed me quite a bit how Tamara is changing her life for him after knowing him for about a week. Besides, there wasn’t really much romance to talk about. He saved her, they kissed, maybe there was one date, and then the story ends. I still gave the romance a B because I loved the beginning awkwardness for them, but, again, this is somewhere Bill can improve on.
I gotta say, I really did love the plot. While there wasn’t too much originality on it, I loved the fresh spin I got by reading from the vampire hunter’s perspective. I’m honestly used to reading from the vampire’s perspective. The plot is somewhat obvious as we go around – Bill doesn’t leave much of the major plot line up for guessing. However, there are still plenty of mysteries to be solved: what happened to his mother? Why did his dad give up on hunting? Where did Stephanie really go? There was just enough going on to keep you entertained and following along with Gidion as he tried to figure out what was going on, but it was a pretty straightforward plot.
In the end, this book was still an enjoyable read with great writing, but I just wish there was a little more. Gidion needs to be less perfect, but continue being such a witty/funny narrator. Bill could also include a little more romance, though I bet it was his intention to write an action book, not romance. And I really want to uncover the truth behind all the open mysteries still left after reading this first book; I just hope that it’s a little less straightforward by having some unexpected plot twists or multiple plot lines occurring at once.
I received this book in advance through NetGalley for reviewing purposes; the following is my HONEST opinion of the book as I was in no way obligated to give a positive review. Thank you NetGalley and Diversion Books for letting me read this book in advance!
Gidion’s Hunt is about a high school sophomore student who spends his night’s hunting vampires. During a kill one night, he happens to run into his history teacher whom the vampires had put a hit out on. While investigating why someone would want to kill her, Gidion uncovers an entire coven of vampires operating in his hometown of Richmond… a coven that just happens to have pulled in one of his best friends as their newest feeder. With some detailed action, witty responses, and a few awkward moments that made me laugh, Gidion’s Hunt is an enjoyable read. While I think Bill Blume has plenty of room to improve, I’m definitely going to keep my eye out for the next book in his series.
Gidion really doesn’t change much from the beginning to the end of the story. I mean, the major differences are that he has a girlfriend and now is a force to be reckoned with as a hunter. However, he is pretty much a character who comes in without any big flaws, which kind of bothered me while I read. I truly did enjoy reading from Gidion’s perspective – it’s witty, without trying too hard. But there doesn’t seem to be much trouble for him. Whenever the going seemed to get tough, Gidion got his way out of the situation: he lied to his dad with relative ease; his grandpa didn’t yell at him at all, really, for going into dangerous situations without telling anyone; and when the police get involved, he never seems to actually get in trouble. Even his “unlucky” day at the beginning seemed like a pretty lucky day to me: he bagged a vampire, didn’t get in too much trouble with his dad, and uncovered a plot that made him even cooler in the long run. What’s so bad about that? The one time we see Gidion somewhat in trouble was when he was fighting the boss at the end, but even there it seems that he won the fight only after a few pages and a very clichéd moment where someone off to the side distracts the boss so he can get the upper hand. The only somewhat flaw in his character was his lack of experience with ladies and with his friendships, but both of those cases still work out for him. His love interest kissed him the first time they met! His friends forgave him almost immediately when he acted like an ass! For such a well-written character that really was enjoyable to read, he really was too perfect from beginning to end. I hope we do see some weakness in Gidion in the next book – he can’t always be perfect.
Since I mentioned his love interest a bunch of times, I think it’s only right to go into detail about her. We learn about Tamara early on in the book – she’s another girl he saves from vampire attack. She’s a little different than the last one he saved, however; he actually takes her home, which he isn’t supposed to do, and somehow doesn’t get caught doing it. While it was obvious from the start that she was his love interest, again it just worked out a little too easy. Sure, he saves her life…twice, but does that really mean she knows enough about him to be happily dating him and moving her life around to see him again? (You’ll know what I mean at the end of the book!) It just seemed a little too unrealistic and annoyed me quite a bit how Tamara is changing her life for him after knowing him for about a week. Besides, there wasn’t really much romance to talk about. He saved her, they kissed, maybe there was one date, and then the story ends. I still gave the romance a B because I loved the beginning awkwardness for them, but, again, this is somewhere Bill can improve on.
I gotta say, I really did love the plot. While there wasn’t too much originality on it, I loved the fresh spin I got by reading from the vampire hunter’s perspective. I’m honestly used to reading from the vampire’s perspective. The plot is somewhat obvious as we go around – Bill doesn’t leave much of the major plot line up for guessing. However, there are still plenty of mysteries to be solved: what happened to his mother? Why did his dad give up on hunting? Where did Stephanie really go? There was just enough going on to keep you entertained and following along with Gidion as he tried to figure out what was going on, but it was a pretty straightforward plot.
In the end, this book was still an enjoyable read with great writing, but I just wish there was a little more. Gidion needs to be less perfect, but continue being such a witty/funny narrator. Bill could also include a little more romance, though I bet it was his intention to write an action book, not romance. And I really want to uncover the truth behind all the open mysteries still left after reading this first book; I just hope that it’s a little less straightforward by having some unexpected plot twists or multiple plot lines occurring at once.
July 29, 2021
I really enjoyed this book. Vampire hunter books can be hit or miss, but this was a thoroughly fun and engrossing read
February 4, 2024
Mr. Blume puts a different spin on vampire hunting. Not super powerful, but still incredibly dangerous and murderous. This was a well done coming of age vampire novel, with heart.
March 21, 2017
Cannot wait to read the next on
Cannot wait to read the next one! Gideon is a keeper. I love the mix of humor and horror. Excellent read
Cannot wait to read the next one! Gideon is a keeper. I love the mix of humor and horror. Excellent read
September 5, 2015
*** THIS REVIEW AND MORE ON MY WEBSITE***
The Review: This was a fast read for me. So if you take this one on, don’t expect a long and drawn out storyline. That being said, it was one of the reasons that I actually liked the book. There is not a lot of angsty teenage monologue or emotional drawn out chapters like in some YA vampire books. Gideon is a fun main character because he’s so nonchalant about all of the terrifying stuff he takes part in. Killing a vampire and trying to make it home before his dad freaks out? No problem, as long as he can get the body to his grandpa’s crematorium in time. Accidentally getting caught by his school teacher after he saves her from becoming a Dracula snack in the city? Not too bad either, maybe it means he can get extra credit in class. He’s hilarious in that sense. I was unsure about reading a book with a male lead (most YA books I read have female protagonists) but it was refreshing to see things from a guy’s perspective and avoid the emotional drama. He wasn’t insensitive, though. Gideon proves that he is willing to fight for others in true hero fashion. As far as the plot goes, there were some things that were a bit unrealistic (I know, I know, it is a vampire book.) that stuck out for me. For instance, Gideon seems to do a lot of ‘body hauling’ for a tenth grade kid. I know that boys are strong, but hauling around multiple adult dead vampire bodies by yourself seems like it would be more difficult that it plays out in the book. Everything seems to fall in place for Gideon in that respect. There are a few close calls, but I feel like the author made it too easy for Gideon to get away with essentially stabbing people in public all of the time. The second complaint is his dad’s oblivious attitude to Gideon’s behavior. His dad used to be a hunter himself, how could he not know what his son is up to? I’m hoping we get more explanation to that one in book two. I think the last thing I would’ve liked to see done a bit differently were the villains. I won’t write any spoilers now, but I will say that the motivation behind some of the crimes in this book were ridiculous. I’ll elaborate more on that when I get around to actually writing the spoiler review. In a way though, the way things played out remind me of ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’ before she got all weird in college. I liked that. There’s simple motivation and action in this book. I can’t wait to read the second one to see where the author plans to take everything. All in all, it was lighthearted and had a sincere main character. (I was given a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review).
The Conclusion: Read this if you’re into: Fast paced action, witty main characters, and good ol’ fashioned vampire slaying.
Don’t read this if you can’t stand: Lack of emotional dialogue, kids with unrealistic amounts of freedom to do what they want, or weak villains.
The Rating: A solid 3.5 out of 5 stars because it was a good, quick story. I would’ve given 4 stars, but I can’t get past the villains’ motivation and cheesiness. I still recommend giving this one a shot and I look forward to book two.
September 29, 2014
May contain few, small spoilers.
I didn’t know much about this book then what the synopsis gives but I think I found quite a few things to enjoy about this book. First off, I love the fact that this book just starts off with action and continues on an amazing pace that never dulls or stalls the conflict. Although I would’ve liked to know some of the characters more, I think the major characters get a fair chance to show off their true colors.
The main character, Gidion, is a lot more mature then I would’ve thought a 10th grader would be and he definitely takes his hunting seriously. I liked this character for the majority of the book. The only moment I wanted to slap him over the head were when he takes cover for Pete, which wouldn’t be a problem if Pete would at least have acknowledge Gid’s kindness. I side with Gid’s dad when it came to Pete’s redemption and I really wish Gid would’ve just left him alone. But considering Gidion doesn’t give up, I do admire him for his loyalty.
There a few cliched moments that I thought were too predictable, like character descriptions. Especially when Gid meets Stephanie and then Tamara, I definitely felt like rolling my eyes at how their clothing is meant to reveal their role in Gid’s mission. Initially, I thought the author would reverse the clichés but it didn’t happen and it was too predictable for me. I also found it unconvincing that Gid’s dad was not aware of Gid’s situation considering he was a cop. I understand about training story but Gid’s story to his dad was not very believeable to me
The ending, however, was not predictable and I rather enjoyed how well things were wrapped up. I thought the way Pete’s story wraps up is, although somewhat sad, ended the way it should considering Pete really did not have any sense of control.
The only true flinching moments while reading this book were the heavily graphic violence scenes. This is mostly just me, who is quite squeamish about these things, considers all the ripping apart Gid does with his box cutter a bit too graphic. Although the tone of this book is serious from the beginning and we fully understand that vampires in Gid’s world kill, not sparkle, I couldn’t help but feel like I should just skip over a graphic paragraph or two. But like I said, this is mainly just a personal issue for me.
All in all, I really enjoyed this book considering I had no idea what to truly expect. I would highly recommend it to readers who love hardcore, paranormal action with sprinkles of drama, romance, and mystery.
I was provided a copy of this book by the author in exchange for an honest review.
I didn’t know much about this book then what the synopsis gives but I think I found quite a few things to enjoy about this book. First off, I love the fact that this book just starts off with action and continues on an amazing pace that never dulls or stalls the conflict. Although I would’ve liked to know some of the characters more, I think the major characters get a fair chance to show off their true colors.
The main character, Gidion, is a lot more mature then I would’ve thought a 10th grader would be and he definitely takes his hunting seriously. I liked this character for the majority of the book. The only moment I wanted to slap him over the head were when he takes cover for Pete, which wouldn’t be a problem if Pete would at least have acknowledge Gid’s kindness. I side with Gid’s dad when it came to Pete’s redemption and I really wish Gid would’ve just left him alone. But considering Gidion doesn’t give up, I do admire him for his loyalty.
There a few cliched moments that I thought were too predictable, like character descriptions. Especially when Gid meets Stephanie and then Tamara, I definitely felt like rolling my eyes at how their clothing is meant to reveal their role in Gid’s mission. Initially, I thought the author would reverse the clichés but it didn’t happen and it was too predictable for me. I also found it unconvincing that Gid’s dad was not aware of Gid’s situation considering he was a cop. I understand about training story but Gid’s story to his dad was not very believeable to me
The ending, however, was not predictable and I rather enjoyed how well things were wrapped up. I thought the way Pete’s story wraps up is, although somewhat sad, ended the way it should considering Pete really did not have any sense of control.
The only true flinching moments while reading this book were the heavily graphic violence scenes. This is mostly just me, who is quite squeamish about these things, considers all the ripping apart Gid does with his box cutter a bit too graphic. Although the tone of this book is serious from the beginning and we fully understand that vampires in Gid’s world kill, not sparkle, I couldn’t help but feel like I should just skip over a graphic paragraph or two. But like I said, this is mainly just a personal issue for me.
All in all, I really enjoyed this book considering I had no idea what to truly expect. I would highly recommend it to readers who love hardcore, paranormal action with sprinkles of drama, romance, and mystery.
I was provided a copy of this book by the author in exchange for an honest review.
June 6, 2018
Gideon Keep is a high school sophomore who hunts vampires at nights and on weekends. He comes from a long line of vampire hunters, but his dad stopped after Gideon’s mom died and he does not want or know that Gideon has taken up the family business. His grandfather no longer hunts, but luckily he still runs the crematory and funeral home and Gideon uses this to destroy the bodies of the vampires he kills.
Gideon has always been told that he must keep secret the family’s unofficial job but runs into problems after he saves one of his teachers when she’s attacked by a vampire and he kills it. She really doesn’t believe it when he tells her why he killed the “man” that was attacking her but she agrees not to tell anyone at this time. Before disposing of the body, Gideon confiscates the vampire’s car keys and cell phone; from the phone he discovers that the local coven has a contract out on the teacher with the reward being immediate entrance into the coven.
He has tow best friends, Pete and Seth, but since Seth started dating Andrea he’s so wrapped up in her that he rarely hangs with them and over the last few months Pete has just gotten weird and is not the same either so this given him even more time to hunt vamps.
While this book had a few flaws and Gideon seemed too perfect for a high school student it was an entertaining, quick read.
4/5 STARS: **I want to thank the author and/or publisher for providing me with a copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review; all opinions are mine.**
Gideon has always been told that he must keep secret the family’s unofficial job but runs into problems after he saves one of his teachers when she’s attacked by a vampire and he kills it. She really doesn’t believe it when he tells her why he killed the “man” that was attacking her but she agrees not to tell anyone at this time. Before disposing of the body, Gideon confiscates the vampire’s car keys and cell phone; from the phone he discovers that the local coven has a contract out on the teacher with the reward being immediate entrance into the coven.
He has tow best friends, Pete and Seth, but since Seth started dating Andrea he’s so wrapped up in her that he rarely hangs with them and over the last few months Pete has just gotten weird and is not the same either so this given him even more time to hunt vamps.
While this book had a few flaws and Gideon seemed too perfect for a high school student it was an entertaining, quick read.
4/5 STARS: **I want to thank the author and/or publisher for providing me with a copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review; all opinions are mine.**
November 11, 2013
I'm not much for titles that could be considered young adult. With that said, I ended up reading the entire book in one sitting. Here's why: First off, Gidion is pretty spot on for a sixteen year old kid. He's practically fearless in the fact he's slaughtering vampires, but freaks out at the very presence of a girl. It's pretty amusing watching him go from Blade Jr. to a total wreck because a girl is taking a shower in his house. Grandpa was pretty damned awesome as well, and was probably my favorite character out of the entire book. In a lot of ways he reminded me of the grandfather from the Lost Boys.
There were only two things that kept me from giving the book five stars. The first, I feel like Gidion could have been challenged a bit more than he was. The stakes were high, yes, but you sort of knew from the start he was going to be able to handle it. Granted I don't consider this a major detriment as this is the first in what will probably be a series, and as such there has to be some world building going on, establishing characters, that sort of thing. The second...there really wasn't enough Grandpa. Seriously. He was awesome.
There were only two things that kept me from giving the book five stars. The first, I feel like Gidion could have been challenged a bit more than he was. The stakes were high, yes, but you sort of knew from the start he was going to be able to handle it. Granted I don't consider this a major detriment as this is the first in what will probably be a series, and as such there has to be some world building going on, establishing characters, that sort of thing. The second...there really wasn't enough Grandpa. Seriously. He was awesome.
March 14, 2017
Met the author at #mysticon a few weekends ago and bought the book to give it a try. I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed the book. It is a quick read literally not a lot of pages, but a page turner for me. The characters were likable without being directly relatable to my own life. The new twists on vampires are refreshing - no super human strengths or powers and the fact that they don't turn to ash brings up a whole new set of issues for vampire killing. I have already ordered the next book in the series because I genuinely want to know what happens for Gidion next. I would suggest giving this one a try for a good, fun read.
December 30, 2015
Gidion's Hunt is amazing. The characters are well developed and relatable. Grandpa was probably my favorite because he kind of had a Bobby vibe to him. All in all this was a great supernatural book.
December 5, 2013
I would have read this through in one sitting had time permitted. I found it well written and the characters well developed; I especially liked Grandpa!
August 20, 2013
"Tales" mixes humor and action as Gidion Keep starts his career in the Vampire hunting business. Any time a book can elicit emotion like "Tales" does makes it a winner for me.
August 31, 2014
A classic vampire romp reminiscent of Lost Boys. Smart, refreshing, and fun.
August 9, 2015
Great tone and lots of action for reluctant readers.
I read an ARC from NetGalley.
I read an ARC from NetGalley.
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