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Blood Riders
“The history of the Old West written in blood and laced with dark humor, all set against a backdrop of ancient evil and a struggle for survival….You’re in for the ride of your life.”
—James Rollins, New York Times bestselling author of The Devil Colony Already a New York Times bestselling author for his satiric, gore-soaked “songbooks” ( It’s Beginning to Look a Lot like Zombies ; Every Zombie Eats Somebody Sometime ), author Michael P. Spradlin now dons a different hat and gallops hell for leather into a darker, wilder West. Blood Riders is the story of Civil War veteran Jonas R. Hollister, who’s recruited by the U.S. government to hunt down and destroy an ancient tribe of vampires that is terrorizing the frontier territories. An ingenious mash-up of western and dark fantasy—with an intriguing touch of American steampunk weaponry thrown in for good measure—Spradlin’s Blood Riders has Hollister joining up with real-life historical figures Samuel Colt and Alan Pinkerton and one of horror literature’s most famous monster hunters (Abraham Van Helsing from Bram Stoker’s Dracula ) to rid the West of the undead scourge once and for all.
—James Rollins, New York Times bestselling author of The Devil Colony Already a New York Times bestselling author for his satiric, gore-soaked “songbooks” ( It’s Beginning to Look a Lot like Zombies ; Every Zombie Eats Somebody Sometime ), author Michael P. Spradlin now dons a different hat and gallops hell for leather into a darker, wilder West. Blood Riders is the story of Civil War veteran Jonas R. Hollister, who’s recruited by the U.S. government to hunt down and destroy an ancient tribe of vampires that is terrorizing the frontier territories. An ingenious mash-up of western and dark fantasy—with an intriguing touch of American steampunk weaponry thrown in for good measure—Spradlin’s Blood Riders has Hollister joining up with real-life historical figures Samuel Colt and Alan Pinkerton and one of horror literature’s most famous monster hunters (Abraham Van Helsing from Bram Stoker’s Dracula ) to rid the West of the undead scourge once and for all.
405 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 25, 2012
44 people are currently reading
536 people want to read
About the author
Michael P. Spradlin
59 books129 followersMichael P. Spradlin is the author of more than a dozen books for children.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 86 reviews
November 9, 2012
Captain Jonas Hollister watched blood-drinkers slaughter his men and wound up with a ten year sentence to Leavenworth. When a senator's son witnesses similar killings, detective Allan Pinkerton springs Hollister and sends him after the creatures that slaughtered his men. But can Hollister trust the men the senator has sent to watch his back? And what about the mysterious woman following him?
Blood Riders was a fun read, no two ways about it. You've got stalwart natural leader Jonas Hollister, his mysterious multi-racial all-knowing kung fu sergeant Chee and his dog Dog, the lovely and mysterious Shaniah, and tons and tons of vampires in the old west. Historical personages, both real and fictitious, such as Oliver Winchester, Allan Pinkerton, and Abraham Van Helsing are also characters. Actually, the vampires are actually Archaics, a species similar to but not the same as vampires. The line isn't clearly drawn, something Hollister himself remarks upon.
The story is pretty straightforward. Hollister gets out of Leavenworth in exchange for doing some vampire hunting. Carnage and witty one-liners ensue. Hollister and Chee kill vampires by the wagonload using a variety of steampunk gadgets like the Ass-Kicker and the Fire Shooter, a high powered shotgun and a flamethrower, respectively. It reminded me of the first volume of American Vampire at the beginning. Later, it felt more like an enjoyable version of that Wild Wild West movie, minus the giant mechanical spider.
I liked that Spradlin used the Archaics instead of vampires so he was free to deviate from established vampire fiction as much as he pleased. He also hinted at werewolves and witches, giving further credence to my idea that this would be the first book in the series, something confirmed at the end.
While it was a lot of fun, I couldn't justify giving it higher than a three. For one thing, I found all the supposed twists fairly obvious, from Shaniah's hidden background to what transpired between her and Hollister. For another, I at no point felt like Hollister and Chee were in any real danger of failing in their mission despite being surrounded on several occasions.
That being said, I still enjoyed it and I'll give the next book in the series a shot. Three stars, mostly for the fun factor.
Blood Riders was a fun read, no two ways about it. You've got stalwart natural leader Jonas Hollister, his mysterious multi-racial all-knowing kung fu sergeant Chee and his dog Dog, the lovely and mysterious Shaniah, and tons and tons of vampires in the old west. Historical personages, both real and fictitious, such as Oliver Winchester, Allan Pinkerton, and Abraham Van Helsing are also characters. Actually, the vampires are actually Archaics, a species similar to but not the same as vampires. The line isn't clearly drawn, something Hollister himself remarks upon.
The story is pretty straightforward. Hollister gets out of Leavenworth in exchange for doing some vampire hunting. Carnage and witty one-liners ensue. Hollister and Chee kill vampires by the wagonload using a variety of steampunk gadgets like the Ass-Kicker and the Fire Shooter, a high powered shotgun and a flamethrower, respectively. It reminded me of the first volume of American Vampire at the beginning. Later, it felt more like an enjoyable version of that Wild Wild West movie, minus the giant mechanical spider.
I liked that Spradlin used the Archaics instead of vampires so he was free to deviate from established vampire fiction as much as he pleased. He also hinted at werewolves and witches, giving further credence to my idea that this would be the first book in the series, something confirmed at the end.
While it was a lot of fun, I couldn't justify giving it higher than a three. For one thing, I found all the supposed twists fairly obvious, from Shaniah's hidden background to what transpired between her and Hollister. For another, I at no point felt like Hollister and Chee were in any real danger of failing in their mission despite being surrounded on several occasions.
That being said, I still enjoyed it and I'll give the next book in the series a shot. Three stars, mostly for the fun factor.
January 23, 2019
Another Tricksy review
Vampires (or, as they’re called here, Archaics) in the Old West does certainly sound like fun. And in fact, on paper, there is almost nothing wrong with this book (except perhaps the cover).
The premise of Blood Riders is fairly simple. Undead critters from Europe have arrived on American shores and are chowing down on the locals. EnterFranco Nero Jonas Hollister, a “disgraced” Yankee Cavalry officer, to put an end to the problem. Alongside the likes of Abraham Van Helsing and ninja shaman sidekick Burt Reynolds as Navajo Joe Sergeant Chee, all kinds of mayhem and uneven pacing ensues.
There is quite a bit of name dropping in this book: the story features a number of historical characters, such as George Armstrong Custer, Allan Pinkerton and Oliver Winchester. Is this a good thing or a bad thing? You decide.
I enjoyed the story, but at the same time it felt like a bit of a missed opportunity. For one thing, the latter end of the book is marred by an ‘orrible love story that seems slapped on only because the novel features Vampires and therefore it is expected. It seems to be the curse of the new Vampire fiction: writers feel compelled to insert a bit of the old fang banging.
The action sequences are well executed for the most part, although they are contained to a few large confrontations in isolated settings, which creates the feeling of “not much happening until a hell of a lot happens”. Since the approach here leans a bit more towards Urban Fantasy than Horror (the Archaics are not enigmatic horrors, but rather a race of beings that have lived alongside mankind, albeit in the shadows, and they have feelings too you know) the edge is taken off some of the proceedings. Vampires are just not that scary anymore.
I really wanted to like this book more (say, 4 stars), since it has a really cool setting. I will say this: the book is definitely better than the cover will lead you to believe. There are also some very good secondary characters, and a cool dog named… wait for it… Dog.
Still: an easy 3 stars.
Vampires (or, as they’re called here, Archaics) in the Old West does certainly sound like fun. And in fact, on paper, there is almost nothing wrong with this book (except perhaps the cover).
The premise of Blood Riders is fairly simple. Undead critters from Europe have arrived on American shores and are chowing down on the locals. Enter
There is quite a bit of name dropping in this book: the story features a number of historical characters, such as George Armstrong Custer, Allan Pinkerton and Oliver Winchester. Is this a good thing or a bad thing? You decide.
I enjoyed the story, but at the same time it felt like a bit of a missed opportunity. For one thing, the latter end of the book is marred by an ‘orrible love story that seems slapped on only because the novel features Vampires and therefore it is expected. It seems to be the curse of the new Vampire fiction: writers feel compelled to insert a bit of the old fang banging.
The action sequences are well executed for the most part, although they are contained to a few large confrontations in isolated settings, which creates the feeling of “not much happening until a hell of a lot happens”. Since the approach here leans a bit more towards Urban Fantasy than Horror (the Archaics are not enigmatic horrors, but rather a race of beings that have lived alongside mankind, albeit in the shadows, and they have feelings too you know) the edge is taken off some of the proceedings. Vampires are just not that scary anymore.
I really wanted to like this book more (say, 4 stars), since it has a really cool setting. I will say this: the book is definitely better than the cover will lead you to believe. There are also some very good secondary characters, and a cool dog named… wait for it… Dog.
Still: an easy 3 stars.
June 30, 2013
I really enjoyed this one, being a mixed genre of Western/Vampire/Horror/Thriller...I could go on, but I'll stop at those! Suffice to say, this book had a bit of everything in it, and in just the right dose. The characterization was exceptional, and I found myself really caring what happened to them at each stage in the novel. This was a fast-paced read with a LOT of action, bringing a new dimension to the vampire legend by creating a sub-species in a sense: the Archaics.
The only complaint I had came towards the very end of the book. Without going into spoiler territory, there was just one part that didn't seem to blend in with the rest of the novel; and I felt could have been easily left out without changing the tone, in general.
Overall, I would certainly recommend this novel, and hope to read more by author Michael Spradlin in the near future.
The only complaint I had came towards the very end of the book. Without going into spoiler territory, there was just one part that didn't seem to blend in with the rest of the novel; and I felt could have been easily left out without changing the tone, in general.
Overall, I would certainly recommend this novel, and hope to read more by author Michael Spradlin in the near future.
December 10, 2013
I saw this book and knew I just had to pick it up.
In terms of potential measured this book is off of the charts. The US Civil War has just ended. It's the American west - the Wild West. There are the noble Utes and other tribes fighting a hopeless war against the unstoppable tide of European settlers. There are corrupt politicians and other crooks. There are dusty towns, saloons, whores, and trains. And then there are vampires.
For the most part, the book works. The hero, Jonas Hollister, survives an attack by a renegade Vampire and, of course, everyone thinks he is crazy. He's sent to prison and the authorities would just as soon as forget about him. And then a Senator's son survives another attack. The right people start to believe him. He is sprung from Leavenworth by Alan Pinkerton on condition that he get to the bottom of the mystery.
Along the way he picks up an unusual cast of characters to help him out. These include my favorite character, Chee, the half-African/half-Creek/half-Asian/half-something-or-other sergeant. Chee is a great, great addition. He inherits the wisdom of his upbringing - Voodoo wisdom from his Haitian-slave grandmother, and Asian martial (and mystery) arts from his father. Military training has only enhanced his skills. Chee brings the best out of Hollister and the author. He makes otherwise dull scenes funny. He is - somehow - Ed McMahon to Hollister's Johnny Carson. This doesn't even get to the next most awesome sidekick, Chee's dog, Dog. Dog is, well, a strange hybrid breed of canine - part wolf and part something else - that possesses an uncanny knack for understanding humans. Without Dog something would have been missing. Then there is Shaniah. She is the obligatory drop-dead gorgeous woman (who turns out to be undead) who first tries to kill Hollister and then allies with him. I felt this relationship was a little forced, but it was still fun. Finally, we have Slater a very bad man who was more than a cardboard prop set up to be torn down. He felt like a real person. I want more "real" villains. Well done.
Clearly I liked the book and the characters, so why only four stars? Well, it comes down to the logic of the author's world. I like the worlds that I read about to make a certain sort of logical sense. If, for example, there is magic, I want that magic to 'fit' within the world. The author was mostly successful here. Vampires fit within the world and were revealed to us in a way that made sense. The underlying conflict between Malichi and Shaniah that drives the story as a whole also made sense. Where I thought the story struggled was in terms of the more mundane technology: firearms, steam engines and such.
It is sometime between 1875 and 1880. Up until the book's beginning the world's technological innovation has perfectly matched our own world. Now, quite suddenly and with no logical explanation what-so-ever we are introduced to super-fast steam engines that never need to refuel with water, super enhanced Gatling guns, flame throwers, some sort of canister grenade launcher thing, and more. Monkey Pete even rigs up a mini-tank of sorts. I found my willingness to believe stretched dangerously thin. (For a point of comparison take a look at the way Larry Correia explains super-technology in the Grimnoir Chronicles).
It is possible that all of this will be explained in good time - which would be fantastic. One of the things that I liked about Blood Riders was the way the author unrolled the world. It was done bit by bit and in a matter of fact way rather than by laboriously explaining it to me. This was done best with Chee who you learn more about as the story goes on.
Two other minor gripes. First, the author tended to jump around quite a bit in terms of perspective. The story was mostly focused on Hollister, but the author was not afraid to take us behind someone else's eyes. I guess this was good for passing along the story but it also took me a bit to sink into each character and get to know them. Next, the book's ending was, I felt, just a tad cheesy. It felt like a bad "B" horror movie ending where the door is left open for a sequel. The book was too good for such a turn. (Those of you who have read the book know exactly what I am talking about.)
Regardless, the book was loads of fun. It easily could have been five stars.
In terms of potential measured this book is off of the charts. The US Civil War has just ended. It's the American west - the Wild West. There are the noble Utes and other tribes fighting a hopeless war against the unstoppable tide of European settlers. There are corrupt politicians and other crooks. There are dusty towns, saloons, whores, and trains. And then there are vampires.
For the most part, the book works. The hero, Jonas Hollister, survives an attack by a renegade Vampire and, of course, everyone thinks he is crazy. He's sent to prison and the authorities would just as soon as forget about him. And then a Senator's son survives another attack. The right people start to believe him. He is sprung from Leavenworth by Alan Pinkerton on condition that he get to the bottom of the mystery.
Along the way he picks up an unusual cast of characters to help him out. These include my favorite character, Chee, the half-African/half-Creek/half-Asian/half-something-or-other sergeant. Chee is a great, great addition. He inherits the wisdom of his upbringing - Voodoo wisdom from his Haitian-slave grandmother, and Asian martial (and mystery) arts from his father. Military training has only enhanced his skills. Chee brings the best out of Hollister and the author. He makes otherwise dull scenes funny. He is - somehow - Ed McMahon to Hollister's Johnny Carson. This doesn't even get to the next most awesome sidekick, Chee's dog, Dog. Dog is, well, a strange hybrid breed of canine - part wolf and part something else - that possesses an uncanny knack for understanding humans. Without Dog something would have been missing. Then there is Shaniah. She is the obligatory drop-dead gorgeous woman (who turns out to be undead) who first tries to kill Hollister and then allies with him. I felt this relationship was a little forced, but it was still fun. Finally, we have Slater a very bad man who was more than a cardboard prop set up to be torn down. He felt like a real person. I want more "real" villains. Well done.
Clearly I liked the book and the characters, so why only four stars? Well, it comes down to the logic of the author's world. I like the worlds that I read about to make a certain sort of logical sense. If, for example, there is magic, I want that magic to 'fit' within the world. The author was mostly successful here. Vampires fit within the world and were revealed to us in a way that made sense. The underlying conflict between Malichi and Shaniah that drives the story as a whole also made sense. Where I thought the story struggled was in terms of the more mundane technology: firearms, steam engines and such.
It is sometime between 1875 and 1880. Up until the book's beginning the world's technological innovation has perfectly matched our own world. Now, quite suddenly and with no logical explanation what-so-ever we are introduced to super-fast steam engines that never need to refuel with water, super enhanced Gatling guns, flame throwers, some sort of canister grenade launcher thing, and more. Monkey Pete even rigs up a mini-tank of sorts. I found my willingness to believe stretched dangerously thin. (For a point of comparison take a look at the way Larry Correia explains super-technology in the Grimnoir Chronicles).
It is possible that all of this will be explained in good time - which would be fantastic. One of the things that I liked about Blood Riders was the way the author unrolled the world. It was done bit by bit and in a matter of fact way rather than by laboriously explaining it to me. This was done best with Chee who you learn more about as the story goes on.
Two other minor gripes. First, the author tended to jump around quite a bit in terms of perspective. The story was mostly focused on Hollister, but the author was not afraid to take us behind someone else's eyes. I guess this was good for passing along the story but it also took me a bit to sink into each character and get to know them. Next, the book's ending was, I felt, just a tad cheesy. It felt like a bad "B" horror movie ending where the door is left open for a sequel. The book was too good for such a turn. (Those of you who have read the book know exactly what I am talking about.)
Regardless, the book was loads of fun. It easily could have been five stars.
May 24, 2021
https://booknest.eu/reviews/charles/2...
4.5/5
BLOOD RIDERS by Michael P. Spradlin is one of the rare books that I am very upset is a one and done. Published in 2012, I'm pretty sure that there's not going to be a sequel but this is a work I probably would have continued to read over a dozen novels. It has very strong Dresden Files energy and while utterly ridiculous in places is hardly a turn off for someone who absolutely adores that. I have some minor complaints about it but wish this had many a sequel after all the build-up of the first book.
Jonas R. Hollister is a Union soldier and Civil War veteran who has had quite enough of the Army after serving under George Armstrong Custer. However, it is not that man's vainglorious ways that destroy his career but a chance encounter with a pack of vampires. Unfortunately, even in the 19th century, claiming undead horrors killed your unit is enough to get you labeled a madman. Thankfully, sort of, the vampires keep killing and Ulysses S. Grant provides Jonas with a pardon as well as a mission to exterminate the undead in the Wild West.
This is both a profoundly silly and entertaining book without ever getting into camp. If I were to compare it to anything then I would say it is closest to a better version of Will Smith and Kevin Kline's Wild Wild West. John is recruited to join a task force of steampunk adventurers using modern 19th century technology to hunt down the undead. Doctor Van Helsing, John Pinkerton, a mixed race man who can talk to animals, and the protagonist that stubbornly clings to his atheism despite holy water burning vampires. Oh and they have a beautiful female vampire helping them because of course they do.
I was genuinely surprised we didn't see Quincy Morris in this book and am actually kind of disappointed we didn't. Seriously, once you have it established they're traveling on a super-train with far more advanced locomotive power than available in this time, you understand this book is about a vampire-hunting Western Justice League.
Opposing our antiheroes are the vampires who want to rule over our kind that don't get much characterization. Malachi is pretty one-note while his followers are closer to zombies than they are to actual people. This isn't bad because there's a Walking Dead siege of the undead in a nearly-deserted town that is one of my favorite parts of the book. Zombies and Westerns need to be combined more often than in just Deadlands. There's also a ruthless United States Senator and his chief henchman who are stock characters from the John Ford days of filmmaking. They're not very developed either but they don't have to be, just hateable.
I'm a little iffy about the romance between Jonas and Shaniah. It's developed fine but it's never quite clear what either sees in the other beyond being really hot. I also have trouble believing the only person who would have a problem with Jonas being with one of the things they're sworn to exterminate would be the mixed race member of the group. You'd think Van Helsing, of all people, would think it was an unhealthy romantic choice.
This is a book full of action, adventure, and fun. I would give it a higher ranking but for the fact that it really should have been a trilogy and knowing it's not continuing makes me sad given how the book ends with some shocking twists. I also feel like Chee, a multiracial man, is a bit of a magical Native stereotype as well as a Chinese one (since he can talk to animals as well as use kung fu!) but he's a likable character regardless. In short, this is definitely worth picking up.
4.5/5
BLOOD RIDERS by Michael P. Spradlin is one of the rare books that I am very upset is a one and done. Published in 2012, I'm pretty sure that there's not going to be a sequel but this is a work I probably would have continued to read over a dozen novels. It has very strong Dresden Files energy and while utterly ridiculous in places is hardly a turn off for someone who absolutely adores that. I have some minor complaints about it but wish this had many a sequel after all the build-up of the first book.
Jonas R. Hollister is a Union soldier and Civil War veteran who has had quite enough of the Army after serving under George Armstrong Custer. However, it is not that man's vainglorious ways that destroy his career but a chance encounter with a pack of vampires. Unfortunately, even in the 19th century, claiming undead horrors killed your unit is enough to get you labeled a madman. Thankfully, sort of, the vampires keep killing and Ulysses S. Grant provides Jonas with a pardon as well as a mission to exterminate the undead in the Wild West.
This is both a profoundly silly and entertaining book without ever getting into camp. If I were to compare it to anything then I would say it is closest to a better version of Will Smith and Kevin Kline's Wild Wild West. John is recruited to join a task force of steampunk adventurers using modern 19th century technology to hunt down the undead. Doctor Van Helsing, John Pinkerton, a mixed race man who can talk to animals, and the protagonist that stubbornly clings to his atheism despite holy water burning vampires. Oh and they have a beautiful female vampire helping them because of course they do.
I was genuinely surprised we didn't see Quincy Morris in this book and am actually kind of disappointed we didn't. Seriously, once you have it established they're traveling on a super-train with far more advanced locomotive power than available in this time, you understand this book is about a vampire-hunting Western Justice League.
Opposing our antiheroes are the vampires who want to rule over our kind that don't get much characterization. Malachi is pretty one-note while his followers are closer to zombies than they are to actual people. This isn't bad because there's a Walking Dead siege of the undead in a nearly-deserted town that is one of my favorite parts of the book. Zombies and Westerns need to be combined more often than in just Deadlands. There's also a ruthless United States Senator and his chief henchman who are stock characters from the John Ford days of filmmaking. They're not very developed either but they don't have to be, just hateable.
I'm a little iffy about the romance between Jonas and Shaniah. It's developed fine but it's never quite clear what either sees in the other beyond being really hot. I also have trouble believing the only person who would have a problem with Jonas being with one of the things they're sworn to exterminate would be the mixed race member of the group. You'd think Van Helsing, of all people, would think it was an unhealthy romantic choice.
This is a book full of action, adventure, and fun. I would give it a higher ranking but for the fact that it really should have been a trilogy and knowing it's not continuing makes me sad given how the book ends with some shocking twists. I also feel like Chee, a multiracial man, is a bit of a magical Native stereotype as well as a Chinese one (since he can talk to animals as well as use kung fu!) but he's a likable character regardless. In short, this is definitely worth picking up.
June 19, 2013
You will never know how hard it is for me to rate this book so low. I had such high hopes for it. It seems to me that the American west or "Old West" should be a marvelous place to set a monster/vampire/urban type fantasy (if we could call Dodge City, Deadwood or Tombstone an urban environment). So far I've only found one really good book in this "vein" (get it, "vein"?). That's The Dead of Winter. Sadly in the follow up to that book the author trashes his own protagonist and brings in another "Victorian Lady protagonist" a la Parasol Protectorate (Soulless) or The Ministry of Peculiar ( The Janus Affair)....and the second was also a poor book.
This one I was prepared to give a high rating if it was readable because I liked the idea. It started out promisingly with a cavalry troop wiped out by vampires. The leader survives and kills one of the vamps. The "Leader/lord/Big vamp" sets out to kill him, but the sun pops up in time to save our hero. Sadly the army doesn't buy his story and sends him to Fort Leavenworth....
After this things slow down...a lot. This is not an action read. After the initial confrontation we go almost 200 pages before any action takes place. We spend all kinds of time in background, introductions, set up and so on...but as in the story itself the vampires have faded off not to be seen.
The said vampires in this novel are a variety I'd call "one from column A and one from column B". Some of their characteristics are from folklore, some are from movies, some just seem to be from the author's own imagination as we see often today. Of course we have the requisite "non-evil, non-human blood-drinking, romantic, love interest vampire (Major Spoiler Ahead .
The writing is a bit wooden. I've read that this is the author's first non-youth book and I think it shows a bit especially in the dialogue. With a slow story line and wooden story telling, characters from "Protagonists Are Us" this one just fell lower and lower in my estimation.
And remember I wanted to like it. A touch of steam-punk with an attempt at an all star cast (Alan Pinkerton and Oliver Winchester are main characters) the book simply lost me. I actually just put it down at about page 225 but decided I wanted to see how it came out.
It wasn't worth it.
With all my heart I hope someone will write a good western/fantasy...but we're still waiting.
sigh.
This one I was prepared to give a high rating if it was readable because I liked the idea. It started out promisingly with a cavalry troop wiped out by vampires. The leader survives and kills one of the vamps. The "Leader/lord/Big vamp" sets out to kill him, but the sun pops up in time to save our hero. Sadly the army doesn't buy his story and sends him to Fort Leavenworth....
After this things slow down...a lot. This is not an action read. After the initial confrontation we go almost 200 pages before any action takes place. We spend all kinds of time in background, introductions, set up and so on...but as in the story itself the vampires have faded off not to be seen.
The said vampires in this novel are a variety I'd call "one from column A and one from column B". Some of their characteristics are from folklore, some are from movies, some just seem to be from the author's own imagination as we see often today. Of course we have the requisite "non-evil, non-human blood-drinking, romantic, love interest vampire (Major Spoiler Ahead .
The writing is a bit wooden. I've read that this is the author's first non-youth book and I think it shows a bit especially in the dialogue. With a slow story line and wooden story telling, characters from "Protagonists Are Us" this one just fell lower and lower in my estimation.
And remember I wanted to like it. A touch of steam-punk with an attempt at an all star cast (Alan Pinkerton and Oliver Winchester are main characters) the book simply lost me. I actually just put it down at about page 225 but decided I wanted to see how it came out.
It wasn't worth it.
With all my heart I hope someone will write a good western/fantasy...but we're still waiting.
sigh.
August 16, 2012
Blood Riders by Michael P. Spradlin
I am not sure how to classify this book. It is a meld of Western, Steam Punk, SciFi and horror. There are classic Steam Punk toys, cowboys and vampire like creatures populating this book. It seems like that is too many genres crammed into one story but somehow it worked and was a very entertaining book.
Jonas Hollister was a likeable, engaging character. Spradlin did an excellent job crafting his characters. Hollister displays an open attitude and stubborn courage. Chee, his mysterious multinational sidekick provides a positive counter point.
The plot was interesting and the female protagonist, Shaniah, was soulfully captured by an “ordinary” human much to her dismay. The action was plentiful and I enjoyed dog the dog. This book should appeal to those who like all of the genres mentioned above. The author sets up a series with Jonas as the lead. It should be a very good series.
I enjoyed the book and I recommend it.
I am not sure how to classify this book. It is a meld of Western, Steam Punk, SciFi and horror. There are classic Steam Punk toys, cowboys and vampire like creatures populating this book. It seems like that is too many genres crammed into one story but somehow it worked and was a very entertaining book.
Jonas Hollister was a likeable, engaging character. Spradlin did an excellent job crafting his characters. Hollister displays an open attitude and stubborn courage. Chee, his mysterious multinational sidekick provides a positive counter point.
The plot was interesting and the female protagonist, Shaniah, was soulfully captured by an “ordinary” human much to her dismay. The action was plentiful and I enjoyed dog the dog. This book should appeal to those who like all of the genres mentioned above. The author sets up a series with Jonas as the lead. It should be a very good series.
I enjoyed the book and I recommend it.
December 12, 2012
I would have given this book a five star, until the last 20% when a particular element arose that pulled me out of the story somewhat. However, it's a personal preference. I'm sure many readers would love the added element to the story.
Having said that, I sincerely hope this is the beginning of a new series. Hollister, Chee and Dog, not to mention Monkey Pete are phenomenal characters whom I will happily follow for years to come. If you like action, and a western with a side of Steampunk, you'll enjoy Blood Riders.
Having said that, I sincerely hope this is the beginning of a new series. Hollister, Chee and Dog, not to mention Monkey Pete are phenomenal characters whom I will happily follow for years to come. If you like action, and a western with a side of Steampunk, you'll enjoy Blood Riders.
May 28, 2013
3.5
This book has a weird ending. It's just a warning. It isn't a cliffhanger, just a sort of an opening.
Jonas Hollister witnessed the death of his men and nobody believed him since no body was ever found. He survived thanks to sunrise. He ended up in prison, since he didn't want to change his story that the killers weren't Indians. Four years later, Allan Pinkerton came to get him out since there was another similar attack. Hollister wanted another inmate, Chee, to be pardoned and placed under his command if they were to hunt the things that killed his men. They were not the only ones who were hunting. Another person who was after Malachi, the insane Ancient, was Shaniah, also an Ancient, but the one who follows the rules and doesn't feed on human blood. She came to America either to capture or kill Malachi.
Although there is nothing new in this book which I haven't seen before and with all the books featuring vampires either as good guys or villains, there is little left to surprise a reader. There are vampires here - Archaics in this book - with their own laws, they can be hurt with water, and a number of other already used things (Van Helsing is helping them, Winchester is their gunsmith), but the setting is great and I think that is the greatest strength of this book. That and its awesome characters (Chee and his Dog). The combination of already used motifs with this setting is still great. The weakest points are the vampires. With characters like Hollister, Chee and his dog, any monster would do for a story. I didn't like how the Ancients were depicted though (You are more than a few hundred years old and you are surprised to hear that men send their best to places where they learn battle tactics? Really?)
The world in this book is horrible and harsh. The army is full of pompous fools, corruption is very common and racism is commonplace. Chee is half Chinese and one quarter black and a lot of people treat him as if he isn't a human being. Or they try. Shaniah's encounter with the three scavengers shows how people treat women (especially if they are alone).
The bottom line is if you like Dracula and 19-century America, you will like this story. But take this with reserve. Don't expect it to be the same. It's just a few elements you might recognize, but they don't ruin the story.
Hollister, Chee and his Dog are reason enough to like this story.
This book has a weird ending. It's just a warning. It isn't a cliffhanger, just a sort of an opening.
Jonas Hollister witnessed the death of his men and nobody believed him since no body was ever found. He survived thanks to sunrise. He ended up in prison, since he didn't want to change his story that the killers weren't Indians. Four years later, Allan Pinkerton came to get him out since there was another similar attack. Hollister wanted another inmate, Chee, to be pardoned and placed under his command if they were to hunt the things that killed his men. They were not the only ones who were hunting. Another person who was after Malachi, the insane Ancient, was Shaniah, also an Ancient, but the one who follows the rules and doesn't feed on human blood. She came to America either to capture or kill Malachi.
Although there is nothing new in this book which I haven't seen before and with all the books featuring vampires either as good guys or villains, there is little left to surprise a reader. There are vampires here - Archaics in this book - with their own laws, they can be hurt with water, and a number of other already used things (Van Helsing is helping them, Winchester is their gunsmith), but the setting is great and I think that is the greatest strength of this book. That and its awesome characters (Chee and his Dog). The combination of already used motifs with this setting is still great. The weakest points are the vampires. With characters like Hollister, Chee and his dog, any monster would do for a story. I didn't like how the Ancients were depicted though (You are more than a few hundred years old and you are surprised to hear that men send their best to places where they learn battle tactics? Really?)
The world in this book is horrible and harsh. The army is full of pompous fools, corruption is very common and racism is commonplace. Chee is half Chinese and one quarter black and a lot of people treat him as if he isn't a human being. Or they try. Shaniah's encounter with the three scavengers shows how people treat women (especially if they are alone).
The bottom line is if you like Dracula and 19-century America, you will like this story. But take this with reserve. Don't expect it to be the same. It's just a few elements you might recognize, but they don't ruin the story.
Hollister, Chee and his Dog are reason enough to like this story.
January 7, 2013
Minus one star for the repeated use of "Huh..."
August 5, 2019
I bought this novel when I was in the middle of a weird western hype. It came recommended in one of those 'top 30 whatever' lists and I thought it sounded interesting. After all, vampires are fairly common in other fiction, but I hadn't seen them handled in weird westerns all that much.
This novel is three stars because of how it swung from good to bad so wildly, rather than just being a consistent read throughout. On one hand, the protagonist and his right hand man (and Dog) were really interesting and had some pretty in depth backgrounds that drew you in. On the other hand, the antagonist and the vampire hunting him were two dimensional cut outs that felt flat and uninteresting. A vampire lord who feels humans should be cattle and is going to take over the world by turning or killing all humans? Yes, we have never seen that before. *cough cough*
The weapons and train are very weird west, and provided some interesting elements to the story. Though providing a mobile base for the protagonists to operate from, they often left its safety, which was a pleasant experience. This lead to some every well done moments of tension as our heroes battled vampires and were left very vulnerable, forced to use their brains to think of ways out of the situations they were in. These were exciting, entertaining, and at times, nail biting. You actually felt worry for the protagonists.
And then later on in the story, the vampires become a non-threat as they mow them down by the hundreds. No longer is there tension, no longer do you worry that they are going to die, and no longer do you really care. What makes this worse, this is the final battle, and it robs it of everything it could have been.
In the end, this novel was just okay. I really enjoyed certain parts of it, and really had to slog through others. This is one reason it took a very long time to read. Other books just kept taking my time and interest when this novel lagged. Spradlin is a good writer, and I am disappointed the ending felt so rushed, as if they were tired of the novel and just wanted to be done with it. Which was why I was surprised that it seemed to imply more in the series.
So if you are looking for a weird western to read, I would keep this one on the back burner while you picked out some of the higher rated ones. If you are specifically looking for vampires, this may be the book for you however.
This novel is three stars because of how it swung from good to bad so wildly, rather than just being a consistent read throughout. On one hand, the protagonist and his right hand man (and Dog) were really interesting and had some pretty in depth backgrounds that drew you in. On the other hand, the antagonist and the vampire hunting him were two dimensional cut outs that felt flat and uninteresting. A vampire lord who feels humans should be cattle and is going to take over the world by turning or killing all humans? Yes, we have never seen that before. *cough cough*
The weapons and train are very weird west, and provided some interesting elements to the story. Though providing a mobile base for the protagonists to operate from, they often left its safety, which was a pleasant experience. This lead to some every well done moments of tension as our heroes battled vampires and were left very vulnerable, forced to use their brains to think of ways out of the situations they were in. These were exciting, entertaining, and at times, nail biting. You actually felt worry for the protagonists.
And then later on in the story, the vampires become a non-threat as they mow them down by the hundreds. No longer is there tension, no longer do you worry that they are going to die, and no longer do you really care. What makes this worse, this is the final battle, and it robs it of everything it could have been.
In the end, this novel was just okay. I really enjoyed certain parts of it, and really had to slog through others. This is one reason it took a very long time to read. Other books just kept taking my time and interest when this novel lagged. Spradlin is a good writer, and I am disappointed the ending felt so rushed, as if they were tired of the novel and just wanted to be done with it. Which was why I was surprised that it seemed to imply more in the series.
So if you are looking for a weird western to read, I would keep this one on the back burner while you picked out some of the higher rated ones. If you are specifically looking for vampires, this may be the book for you however.
October 4, 2012
Jonas Hollister was a soldier in the army, having done his duty during the Civil war, he continued on with much less dangerous work – until checking some disappearing settlers leads him to Malachi, vampire, Archaic, blood sucking monster that destroys Hollister’s entire squad.
Hollister survives and makes the terrible mistake of telling the truth – which gets him thrown in military prison for several years. Until Malachi is more open and a secret branch of the government wants to recruit him – to hunt down Malachi, stop what he’s planning and stop any more towns being wiped off the map.
Shaniah is an Archaic from the old country, their leader in fact, a role she won over Malachi. Her people know how to survive – hide, hide from the humans and their numbers and their magic and their deadly technology. Unfortunately, Malachi doesn’t agree and thinks himself top of the food chain. His attempts to subjugate humanity will, in her eyes, only raise humanity’s wrath against her people. He must be stopped before the backlash destroys them.
Both Shaniah and Hollister are on the hunt to save both their people.
I didn’t expect to like this book much. A paranormal steampunk set in the old west. Now, I like steampunk and, obviously, I like the paranormal – but, I have to say, I really don’t like westerns and I have never read or watched one I’ve enjoyed. And I liked this book. The plot, characters and concept entirely engaged me despite my dislike of the setting – I have to applaud any book that can take elements of a genre I have no time for and still make me like it.
Paranormal Steampunk can be quite difficult to get right. It’s hard to set the balance between revelling in the beautiful steam-driven technical devices, the cultures and mores of the time and setting and then to insert supernatural elements. Balancing all three can be difficult to do well and usually one or other will suffer – or, all 3 will be balanced but so much effort will be spent on creating this perfect world that the story suffers.
This is one of those that hits the balance. The world is extremely reminiscent of the Old West – and not just the Old West of bad TV and Spaghetti Westerns , but the real Old West. It has the shiny brass, the nifty trains, the big, clever guns and the steam that so characterises steam punk. It has the historical references and places that mean you never ever forget exactly where it is set and who these people are. And we have sufficient attention devoted to the history and nature of the supernatural to give them weight and depth rather than them just being miscellious bad guys with fangs.
And through that we have a story. It’s not an original story by any means, human agent destroys evil monsters before they proliferate and take over the world. But it is a story with sufficient twists and with some realistic and engaging characters and enough attention to detail and setting to make it well worth the read. It’s well paced, with no deviations except what is necessary to fill the background. All the information is relevant even from the musings. There are some issues with “show don’t tell”, Shaniah in particular is prone to long internal monologues where, for narrative reasons, she decides to reflect on her history, her people’s history, her nature, her strengths and weaknesses etc which is a bit of an info dump. I always wasn’t sure that the senator as a secondary antagonist was particularly necessary especially as it didn’t actually add anything to the plot and dealing with it was so extremely anti-climactic. Still, it was interesting enough that it was a minor distraction rather than a derail and serves to put some lens on how the rest of the government and powers that be are affected by the monsters and by Hollister hunting them. As a balance, the action scenes are tight, well described, well balanced and really get the battling across.
Read More
Hollister survives and makes the terrible mistake of telling the truth – which gets him thrown in military prison for several years. Until Malachi is more open and a secret branch of the government wants to recruit him – to hunt down Malachi, stop what he’s planning and stop any more towns being wiped off the map.
Shaniah is an Archaic from the old country, their leader in fact, a role she won over Malachi. Her people know how to survive – hide, hide from the humans and their numbers and their magic and their deadly technology. Unfortunately, Malachi doesn’t agree and thinks himself top of the food chain. His attempts to subjugate humanity will, in her eyes, only raise humanity’s wrath against her people. He must be stopped before the backlash destroys them.
Both Shaniah and Hollister are on the hunt to save both their people.
I didn’t expect to like this book much. A paranormal steampunk set in the old west. Now, I like steampunk and, obviously, I like the paranormal – but, I have to say, I really don’t like westerns and I have never read or watched one I’ve enjoyed. And I liked this book. The plot, characters and concept entirely engaged me despite my dislike of the setting – I have to applaud any book that can take elements of a genre I have no time for and still make me like it.
Paranormal Steampunk can be quite difficult to get right. It’s hard to set the balance between revelling in the beautiful steam-driven technical devices, the cultures and mores of the time and setting and then to insert supernatural elements. Balancing all three can be difficult to do well and usually one or other will suffer – or, all 3 will be balanced but so much effort will be spent on creating this perfect world that the story suffers.
This is one of those that hits the balance. The world is extremely reminiscent of the Old West – and not just the Old West of bad TV and Spaghetti Westerns , but the real Old West. It has the shiny brass, the nifty trains, the big, clever guns and the steam that so characterises steam punk. It has the historical references and places that mean you never ever forget exactly where it is set and who these people are. And we have sufficient attention devoted to the history and nature of the supernatural to give them weight and depth rather than them just being miscellious bad guys with fangs.
And through that we have a story. It’s not an original story by any means, human agent destroys evil monsters before they proliferate and take over the world. But it is a story with sufficient twists and with some realistic and engaging characters and enough attention to detail and setting to make it well worth the read. It’s well paced, with no deviations except what is necessary to fill the background. All the information is relevant even from the musings. There are some issues with “show don’t tell”, Shaniah in particular is prone to long internal monologues where, for narrative reasons, she decides to reflect on her history, her people’s history, her nature, her strengths and weaknesses etc which is a bit of an info dump. I always wasn’t sure that the senator as a secondary antagonist was particularly necessary especially as it didn’t actually add anything to the plot and dealing with it was so extremely anti-climactic. Still, it was interesting enough that it was a minor distraction rather than a derail and serves to put some lens on how the rest of the government and powers that be are affected by the monsters and by Hollister hunting them. As a balance, the action scenes are tight, well described, well balanced and really get the battling across.
Read More
September 2, 2012
Brought to you by OBS reviewer Heidi
In the year of 1876 Jonas Hollister was a captain of the U.S. Cavalry. He and his men came across a camp where all of the inhabitants had been slaughtered. Jonas had a sick sense that something was wrong, and before they could even begin burial duty, the bodies start to rise and start killing Jonas’s men and drinking their blood. Jonas barely leaves the scene with his life; being saved by the rising sun that sent the creatures running.
When Jonas reports to his superiors on what happened, they don’t believe him and they arrest him. Four years later Jonas is still in prison, when famous detective Allan Pinkerton calls upon him. What happened to Jonas and his men has happened again and they want Jonas to help destroy the monsters responsible. Jonas will be granted his freedom and a hefty salary if he complies. After Jonas makes a few demands of his own; raising his rank to Major and freeing a fellow inmate, Chee, to assist him on his mission, he is on his way, possibly to his own death.
Armed with a specially designed train full of unique weapons specifically designed to fight vampires, and after speaking with vampire extraordinaire, Abraham Van Helsing, and receiving his journals. The men are as ready as they will ever be. But the men are being followed by a couple different parties and only time will tell if they are friends or foes.
At first glance, I was wary of this book; it looks like a typical ‘boy’ book featuring a heavily armed cowboy in a trench coat on the cover. And, the synopsis doesn’t do much to dispel that theory as it mentions the book taking place back in the 1800s, involving the military, and the old west all together. But I ended up enjoying the story. I thought it was interesting how Spradlin interweaved real people and events such as General Custer and the Battle of Little Bighorn (I really enjoyed the confrontation between he and Jonas), with his fictional characters. Not to mention bringing in Dracula’s nemesis, Van Helsing, to help fight the fanged enemy. It was an entertaining mix to say the least. It wasn’t always riveting, but it was never boring.
I also found the Archaic race to be interesting. They are close to vampires, but not quite. There were just so many facets to them to hold your attention. I’ve read a lot of vampire books, some of them turning to goo when they die, others disappearing completely, and some going back to their human form, or what it would be if they had continued to age. So I found it to be pretty interesting that the Archaic’s age dictated what happened to them when they die. It was also interesting that they have to be alive 1500 years before they become immortal.
The romance between Shaniah and Jonas was fun. I want to say it was predictable, but it really wasn’t. Part of me thought they would get together when I was reading the synopsis, but as I read the story I thought the races where just too different for it to work, but yet there it was.
I usually don’t comment on the grammar or editing in a book especially when reviewing an uncorrected proof as I was in this case. But I have to say that beings as this book is an upcoming re-release I was a bit shocked at seeing so many editing mistakes. With that said, I don’t feel that they detract from the story, although I hope they are corrected before the book hits the shelves at the end of September.
Overall I did enjoy this book and I’m surprised that it is not a start to a series as the ending definitely left an opening for a sequel. But who knows maybe in time we will see Shaniah, Jonas, and Chee again. Until then, we will have to be satisfied with Blood Riders, as it very well may be the only book we see of these characters and story. I personally am hoping to see another novel though, as I would love to see what happens with Shaniah and the midwife on that boat!
http://openbooksociety.com/article/bl...
In the year of 1876 Jonas Hollister was a captain of the U.S. Cavalry. He and his men came across a camp where all of the inhabitants had been slaughtered. Jonas had a sick sense that something was wrong, and before they could even begin burial duty, the bodies start to rise and start killing Jonas’s men and drinking their blood. Jonas barely leaves the scene with his life; being saved by the rising sun that sent the creatures running.
When Jonas reports to his superiors on what happened, they don’t believe him and they arrest him. Four years later Jonas is still in prison, when famous detective Allan Pinkerton calls upon him. What happened to Jonas and his men has happened again and they want Jonas to help destroy the monsters responsible. Jonas will be granted his freedom and a hefty salary if he complies. After Jonas makes a few demands of his own; raising his rank to Major and freeing a fellow inmate, Chee, to assist him on his mission, he is on his way, possibly to his own death.
Armed with a specially designed train full of unique weapons specifically designed to fight vampires, and after speaking with vampire extraordinaire, Abraham Van Helsing, and receiving his journals. The men are as ready as they will ever be. But the men are being followed by a couple different parties and only time will tell if they are friends or foes.
At first glance, I was wary of this book; it looks like a typical ‘boy’ book featuring a heavily armed cowboy in a trench coat on the cover. And, the synopsis doesn’t do much to dispel that theory as it mentions the book taking place back in the 1800s, involving the military, and the old west all together. But I ended up enjoying the story. I thought it was interesting how Spradlin interweaved real people and events such as General Custer and the Battle of Little Bighorn (I really enjoyed the confrontation between he and Jonas), with his fictional characters. Not to mention bringing in Dracula’s nemesis, Van Helsing, to help fight the fanged enemy. It was an entertaining mix to say the least. It wasn’t always riveting, but it was never boring.
I also found the Archaic race to be interesting. They are close to vampires, but not quite. There were just so many facets to them to hold your attention. I’ve read a lot of vampire books, some of them turning to goo when they die, others disappearing completely, and some going back to their human form, or what it would be if they had continued to age. So I found it to be pretty interesting that the Archaic’s age dictated what happened to them when they die. It was also interesting that they have to be alive 1500 years before they become immortal.
The romance between Shaniah and Jonas was fun. I want to say it was predictable, but it really wasn’t. Part of me thought they would get together when I was reading the synopsis, but as I read the story I thought the races where just too different for it to work, but yet there it was.
I usually don’t comment on the grammar or editing in a book especially when reviewing an uncorrected proof as I was in this case. But I have to say that beings as this book is an upcoming re-release I was a bit shocked at seeing so many editing mistakes. With that said, I don’t feel that they detract from the story, although I hope they are corrected before the book hits the shelves at the end of September.
Overall I did enjoy this book and I’m surprised that it is not a start to a series as the ending definitely left an opening for a sequel. But who knows maybe in time we will see Shaniah, Jonas, and Chee again. Until then, we will have to be satisfied with Blood Riders, as it very well may be the only book we see of these characters and story. I personally am hoping to see another novel though, as I would love to see what happens with Shaniah and the midwife on that boat!
http://openbooksociety.com/article/bl...
September 19, 2012
http://www.mybookishways.com/2012/09/...
1880: “Some other time…for Caroline”, the creature with the fangs and long white hair hissed to Jonas Hollister as he lay amongst the dead soldiers in his command. The sun was rising, and Jonas was sure he was about to die, but those are the words the creature uttered to him just before he left the scene of the massacre. Earlier that evening, Captain Hollister and his soldiers came across a scene of devastation that looked like an Indian attack, but supplies such as food and other materials were left intact. That in and of itself put Hollister on alert, but the fact that some of the settler’s bodies didn’t seem to have fatal wounds, but were dead nonetheless, definitely sent off warning bells. When the supposed dead began rising and attacking his men, Hollister couldn’t believe his eyes. What he knows is that he should be dead, and by all accounts, he might as well be.
It’s now 4 years after the attacks that killed his men, and he’s been in Leavenworth since he was court martialed for dereliction of duty, conduct unbecoming an officer, and a few other trumped up charges. He was in Leavenworth so fast his head spun. No one believed his story of blood drinking creatures, and frankly, he didn’t blame them. Now he’s come to the attention of one of the most famous detectives in the world, Allen Pinkerton, who brings with him an offer he can’t refuse. A similar attack has occurred, and the lone survivor is a relative of a powerful political figure. Pinkerton wants Hollister’s help, and in return, he’ll be free from Leavenworth and paid a handsome sum. But will it be enough to risk his life? He’ll find out soon enough.
There’s a war waging among the Archaics, and a beautiful woman named Shaniah, and a madman called Malachi are at the center. Malachi is bitter and enraged after Shaniah was named leader of the Archaics, and Malachi has defied centuries of Archaic law by feeding on humans. Shaniah is sure that the fate of her people relies on staying hidden, yet Malachi insists on indulging his animal nature, endangering his entire race. Shaniah is not about to let him run wild, and is very intrigued by the brave Hollister, who may be her key to stopping Malachi.
After consulting with Dr.Van Helsing (yep, the very one), Hollister, Chee (who has some interesting abilities of his own), and Monkey Pete (conductor, weapons ace, and field medic) hop on a tricked out train bound for the west where they are to confront these monsters, and kill them. They eventually arrive in a town that seems to be full of life interrupted, but eerily devoid of people. Then the bodies start turning up. The gang eventually finds a group of women and children holed up in the jail and they know they must get them to safety, but how? Night is falling, and the creatures have them surrounded. Remind you of anything? It very much reminded me of 30 Days of Night, with the Old West replacing Barrow, Alaska, and for me, that’s a good thing! The not-quite-vamps are just as scary, and I like how the author twisted the vampire mythos just a bit in order to keep things interesting. Archaics are not vampires, but they do share a few characteristics, and fighting them involves similar techniques and weaponry. Especially fun is the gun designed for them by Oliver Winchester nicknamed the Ass-Kicker, and it does, indeed, kick ass. The author did a very nice job weaving some history in with his action, and the wild west/vampire combo is lots of fun. If you’re tired of the same stories that seem to be dragging down the vampire genre, no worries, you won’t find that with Blood Riders. Neat gadgetry, a twist on vampire myth, Wild West showdowns, and a very strong female lead round out this exciting adventure novel!
1880: “Some other time…for Caroline”, the creature with the fangs and long white hair hissed to Jonas Hollister as he lay amongst the dead soldiers in his command. The sun was rising, and Jonas was sure he was about to die, but those are the words the creature uttered to him just before he left the scene of the massacre. Earlier that evening, Captain Hollister and his soldiers came across a scene of devastation that looked like an Indian attack, but supplies such as food and other materials were left intact. That in and of itself put Hollister on alert, but the fact that some of the settler’s bodies didn’t seem to have fatal wounds, but were dead nonetheless, definitely sent off warning bells. When the supposed dead began rising and attacking his men, Hollister couldn’t believe his eyes. What he knows is that he should be dead, and by all accounts, he might as well be.
It’s now 4 years after the attacks that killed his men, and he’s been in Leavenworth since he was court martialed for dereliction of duty, conduct unbecoming an officer, and a few other trumped up charges. He was in Leavenworth so fast his head spun. No one believed his story of blood drinking creatures, and frankly, he didn’t blame them. Now he’s come to the attention of one of the most famous detectives in the world, Allen Pinkerton, who brings with him an offer he can’t refuse. A similar attack has occurred, and the lone survivor is a relative of a powerful political figure. Pinkerton wants Hollister’s help, and in return, he’ll be free from Leavenworth and paid a handsome sum. But will it be enough to risk his life? He’ll find out soon enough.
There’s a war waging among the Archaics, and a beautiful woman named Shaniah, and a madman called Malachi are at the center. Malachi is bitter and enraged after Shaniah was named leader of the Archaics, and Malachi has defied centuries of Archaic law by feeding on humans. Shaniah is sure that the fate of her people relies on staying hidden, yet Malachi insists on indulging his animal nature, endangering his entire race. Shaniah is not about to let him run wild, and is very intrigued by the brave Hollister, who may be her key to stopping Malachi.
After consulting with Dr.Van Helsing (yep, the very one), Hollister, Chee (who has some interesting abilities of his own), and Monkey Pete (conductor, weapons ace, and field medic) hop on a tricked out train bound for the west where they are to confront these monsters, and kill them. They eventually arrive in a town that seems to be full of life interrupted, but eerily devoid of people. Then the bodies start turning up. The gang eventually finds a group of women and children holed up in the jail and they know they must get them to safety, but how? Night is falling, and the creatures have them surrounded. Remind you of anything? It very much reminded me of 30 Days of Night, with the Old West replacing Barrow, Alaska, and for me, that’s a good thing! The not-quite-vamps are just as scary, and I like how the author twisted the vampire mythos just a bit in order to keep things interesting. Archaics are not vampires, but they do share a few characteristics, and fighting them involves similar techniques and weaponry. Especially fun is the gun designed for them by Oliver Winchester nicknamed the Ass-Kicker, and it does, indeed, kick ass. The author did a very nice job weaving some history in with his action, and the wild west/vampire combo is lots of fun. If you’re tired of the same stories that seem to be dragging down the vampire genre, no worries, you won’t find that with Blood Riders. Neat gadgetry, a twist on vampire myth, Wild West showdowns, and a very strong female lead round out this exciting adventure novel!
September 13, 2012
Get all the urban fantasy news and reviews at urbanfantasyland.wordpress.com
When I heard BLOOD RIDERS was a western with vampires, I had to check it out.
At first BLOOD RIDERS reminded me of Firefly. The main character Jonas Hollister is a man with morals and similar in ways to Malcolm Reynolds. And like Mal, Jonas is having to fight otherworldly flesh-eating creatures.
In the opening scene, Jonas Hollister leads a team of eleven men to check out a camp that was reportedly attacked by blood devils. What they find makes Hollister's skin crawl. Very little blood. Bodies lying face down in the dirt. Goods and valuables still in place. This was not the work of the usual suspects. Then Hollister and his men are attacked by the bodies that aren't so dead after all. Fortunately, the sun is on the rise, forcing the vamps to retreat, but the only one to survive is Hollister. He tells his tale, but is deemed a liar and thrown into jail at Leavenworth.
At first Hollister tries to get his story heard and he sends out letters. But no one is listening. Until four years later when Alan Pinkerton shows up because the same attack has happened again. They want Hollister to track and kill this band of vampires. And Hollister, although not fully vindicated, is willing to do it.
Meanwhile a mysterious woman, Shaniah, is tracking this band of vampires, but she's also a vampire herself. Through her we learn a rogue group of her kind traveled to North America and are intent on wiping out the human race. She's tracking them intending to stop them. She crosses paths with Hollister and realizes he's also tracking them, so she decides to follow Hollister. Then she learns Hollister's side-kick Chee can sense her presence and poses a threat to her plans.
Up until this point Shaniah is an excellent character: strong woman, on a path of justice, supposedly a great ruler of her people. But then she does some stupid things-- leaves bodies where they can be found and decides Chee is a threat and must be eliminated. Why do strong female characters have to do stupid things?
This book had me hooked-- really had me-- right up until Van Helsing and Winchester showed up and the steampunk toys came out. While there was a certain coolness factor in all this, I thought the story of Hollister, his side-kick Chee and the mystery woman could have stood on its own. The distraction of famous names and steampunk toys wasn't enough to keep me from reading, though. They don't stick around for the full novel.
The steampunk toys include a modified steam engine and steam-powered weapons specifically designed for dealing with the vampires. They fire water and wood-filled bullets. The BFG in BLOOD RIDERS is a steam-powered, 4-barreled shotgun, nicknamed Ass Kicker. Cool toys. Good defenses against vampires.
BLOOD RIDERS is unusual in it's collision of elements, making it perfect for anyone looking to try something different but not too weird. The characters are heroes you will root for as they fight some villains you will hate.
BLOOD RIDERS is a well-written romp through the Old West with some new twists that will keep you turning the pages to see what happens next.
I think it makes for some good methadone for Firefly addicts, too.
When I heard BLOOD RIDERS was a western with vampires, I had to check it out.
At first BLOOD RIDERS reminded me of Firefly. The main character Jonas Hollister is a man with morals and similar in ways to Malcolm Reynolds. And like Mal, Jonas is having to fight otherworldly flesh-eating creatures.
In the opening scene, Jonas Hollister leads a team of eleven men to check out a camp that was reportedly attacked by blood devils. What they find makes Hollister's skin crawl. Very little blood. Bodies lying face down in the dirt. Goods and valuables still in place. This was not the work of the usual suspects. Then Hollister and his men are attacked by the bodies that aren't so dead after all. Fortunately, the sun is on the rise, forcing the vamps to retreat, but the only one to survive is Hollister. He tells his tale, but is deemed a liar and thrown into jail at Leavenworth.
At first Hollister tries to get his story heard and he sends out letters. But no one is listening. Until four years later when Alan Pinkerton shows up because the same attack has happened again. They want Hollister to track and kill this band of vampires. And Hollister, although not fully vindicated, is willing to do it.
Meanwhile a mysterious woman, Shaniah, is tracking this band of vampires, but she's also a vampire herself. Through her we learn a rogue group of her kind traveled to North America and are intent on wiping out the human race. She's tracking them intending to stop them. She crosses paths with Hollister and realizes he's also tracking them, so she decides to follow Hollister. Then she learns Hollister's side-kick Chee can sense her presence and poses a threat to her plans.
Up until this point Shaniah is an excellent character: strong woman, on a path of justice, supposedly a great ruler of her people. But then she does some stupid things-- leaves bodies where they can be found and decides Chee is a threat and must be eliminated. Why do strong female characters have to do stupid things?
This book had me hooked-- really had me-- right up until Van Helsing and Winchester showed up and the steampunk toys came out. While there was a certain coolness factor in all this, I thought the story of Hollister, his side-kick Chee and the mystery woman could have stood on its own. The distraction of famous names and steampunk toys wasn't enough to keep me from reading, though. They don't stick around for the full novel.
The steampunk toys include a modified steam engine and steam-powered weapons specifically designed for dealing with the vampires. They fire water and wood-filled bullets. The BFG in BLOOD RIDERS is a steam-powered, 4-barreled shotgun, nicknamed Ass Kicker. Cool toys. Good defenses against vampires.
BLOOD RIDERS is unusual in it's collision of elements, making it perfect for anyone looking to try something different but not too weird. The characters are heroes you will root for as they fight some villains you will hate.
BLOOD RIDERS is a well-written romp through the Old West with some new twists that will keep you turning the pages to see what happens next.
I think it makes for some good methadone for Firefly addicts, too.
December 31, 2018
DNF. I gave up about two thirds of the way through. It started off promisingly but soon deteriorated into a 'shooty bang bang' affair. I imagine the writer was thinking it would make a great movie, but sadly what may look good on screen doesn't necessarily translate well onto the printed page.
The idea is attractive enough: a former soldier from the American civil war and his mixed-race sidekick are recruited from prison by Allan Pinkerton (yes, that one) to join a group he's putting together to destroy vampires that have wiped out a mining company run by a senator's son. Also along for the ride are Oliver Winchester (yes, that one) and Abraham Van Helsing (yes, that one) - actually the last is a bit of a cheat as he leaves after a short way through. Oh, and a vampire lady called Shaniah who's playing the 'mysterious and powerful' card and seems to be in the story purely because the author wanted a love interest for his hero (who of course is instantly struck by how attractive she is, even though he doesn't normally notice women. Why bother with plot when insta-love will do?)
Sadly the characters don't have a great deal of depth to them (the main character's defining characteristic is that he says "Huh" a lot) and they make some cretinously stupid decisions that would've killed them all if not for the deus ex machina weaponry they're carrying around. I could've pushed on and finished the book in a few hours, but I really couldn't force myself to spend any longer on it.
The idea is attractive enough: a former soldier from the American civil war and his mixed-race sidekick are recruited from prison by Allan Pinkerton (yes, that one) to join a group he's putting together to destroy vampires that have wiped out a mining company run by a senator's son. Also along for the ride are Oliver Winchester (yes, that one) and Abraham Van Helsing (yes, that one) - actually the last is a bit of a cheat as he leaves after a short way through. Oh, and a vampire lady called Shaniah who's playing the 'mysterious and powerful' card and seems to be in the story purely because the author wanted a love interest for his hero (who of course is instantly struck by how attractive she is, even though he doesn't normally notice women. Why bother with plot when insta-love will do?)
Sadly the characters don't have a great deal of depth to them (the main character's defining characteristic is that he says "Huh" a lot) and they make some cretinously stupid decisions that would've killed them all if not for the deus ex machina weaponry they're carrying around. I could've pushed on and finished the book in a few hours, but I really couldn't force myself to spend any longer on it.
September 6, 2012
If I could give the book 3.5 stars I would.
Blood Riders is an Old West/Steampunk/Vampire story. The world is fantastic and rich in detail. We follow the hero Jonas Hollister as he discovers and hunts down vampires as they began to arrive in the American West in the late 1800s. Along the way, Jonas teams up with Chee, a 1/4 Chinese, Creek, Creole, and Caucasian man with a dog named Dog. Together, they work for the US Government directly under Allan Pinkerton's supervision with the aid of several other literary and historic figures like Van Helsing and Oliver Winchester.
The story is a quick and enjoyable read, and I especially liked Chee. The few minor flaws I had with the story is that Jonas is supposedly a very intelligent strategist and yet he does and says some very stupid things. Oliver Winchester creates and modifies weapons for Jonas and Chee, which I don't have a problem with, but the Author then has Mr. Winchester invent a gun and name it the "Ass Kicker," which just threw me out of the story. I think an intelligent man like Winchester could have come up with a better name for a gun.
Overall, I enjoyed the story for what it was, but I would need to see some improvement in the character development of Jonas to keep me coming back for more books.
Blood Riders is an Old West/Steampunk/Vampire story. The world is fantastic and rich in detail. We follow the hero Jonas Hollister as he discovers and hunts down vampires as they began to arrive in the American West in the late 1800s. Along the way, Jonas teams up with Chee, a 1/4 Chinese, Creek, Creole, and Caucasian man with a dog named Dog. Together, they work for the US Government directly under Allan Pinkerton's supervision with the aid of several other literary and historic figures like Van Helsing and Oliver Winchester.
The story is a quick and enjoyable read, and I especially liked Chee. The few minor flaws I had with the story is that Jonas is supposedly a very intelligent strategist and yet he does and says some very stupid things. Oliver Winchester creates and modifies weapons for Jonas and Chee, which I don't have a problem with, but the Author then has Mr. Winchester invent a gun and name it the "Ass Kicker," which just threw me out of the story. I think an intelligent man like Winchester could have come up with a better name for a gun.
Overall, I enjoyed the story for what it was, but I would need to see some improvement in the character development of Jonas to keep me coming back for more books.
dnf
July 23, 2013 When you say Hollister, what do you think of?
or 
Blood Riders was compared to Abe Lincoln, Vampire Hunter in an advertisement I saw online. This was extremely misleading because Blood Riders is nothing like Seth Grahame Smith's genius novel. Blood Riders is extremely tedious and pretty bland. Considering this book is about vampires, I wasn't too interested in it and I felt the urge to DNF several times while reading this book. It can't help that the character's name was Hollister and it was hard to take him seriously. When I read his name, I thought of a bikini-clad woman or a good-lucking guy with a six-pack, instead of a grumpy Civil War Vet. I didn't enjoy reading about the characters and I felt distaste towards the MC, Hollister. I read most of this novel (around 60%), but I didn't even feel the need to finish it or skim the ending.
or Blood Riders was compared to Abe Lincoln, Vampire Hunter in an advertisement I saw online. This was extremely misleading because Blood Riders is nothing like Seth Grahame Smith's genius novel. Blood Riders is extremely tedious and pretty bland. Considering this book is about vampires, I wasn't too interested in it and I felt the urge to DNF several times while reading this book. It can't help that the character's name was Hollister and it was hard to take him seriously. When I read his name, I thought of a bikini-clad woman or a good-lucking guy with a six-pack, instead of a grumpy Civil War Vet. I didn't enjoy reading about the characters and I felt distaste towards the MC, Hollister. I read most of this novel (around 60%), but I didn't even feel the need to finish it or skim the ending.
October 22, 2012
I've read a lot of historical fiction but this is my first venture into hysterical fiction. Or is that hystorical or histerical? Whatever you call it I loved it!! Knowing Mike Spradlin for many years, I was not surprised that he could create a captivating adult novel. I give it five stars not because he is a friend but because I love this book and want more! It somehow sneaks an exploration of human prejudice into a tale of blood eating monsters in the Post Civil War era. Add in a bunch of incredibly advanced modified weapons and a super train and let the fun begin!
Want to read
June 8, 2012
BLURB:
Civil War veteran Jonas R. Hollister is recruited by the U.S. government to hunt down and destroy an ancient tribe of vampires that is terrorizing the frontier territories of the Wild West in this action-packed new novel from New York Times bestselling author Michael P. Spradlin.
Could be cool. Yeehaw!
August 11, 2012
Read this on my Kindle with my feet buried in the sand. Loved every word of it. The characters rock and the action is intense. Great read to have fun with.
March 10, 2013
Review of ARC for openbooksociety
http://openbooksociety.com/article/bl...
http://openbooksociety.com/article/bl...
September 13, 2020
DNF - Ridiculous senseless monster western that fails as a Western and as Horror. Worse, it's unfun.
February 24, 2017
I was rather meh about this book but am giving it 3 stars as Spradlin managed to keep me reading to the end. I'm still not sure how he accomplished that. Jam packed with tropes and never quite putting a new spin on any of them, he takes us on a vampire-hunting adventure in the Wild West. Chee and Holllister were an interesting pair but I can't say as much for the rest of the characters. The plot progression was predictable complete with the complication at the end that signaled a potential series. There was excessive and leadened exposition and endless monologuing--which I think was intended to be humorous but fell flat with me. I found no chemistry between the love interests and potential conflicts to their continued relations were dismissed as swiftly as they were brought up. The villains were primarily paper targets to show off gadgetry's slaughtering ability and one big bad was completely unnecessary to the story.
August 30, 2019
This is one of the most entertaining books I've read in a very long while.
The story starts with a cavalry captain Jonas Hollister who is the lone survivor of what appears to be a vampire attack of his detachment. After hearing his report, and his sticking to it, Hollister is sent to Leavenworth for a long haul. After several years he is approached by Alan Pinkerton (yep that guy) who gives Hollister a chance at freedom, it seems that another "Vampire" attack has occurred involving a Senator's son. A guy who has fought and survived Vampires is desperately needed.
Circumstance and Pinkerton form a troop around Hollister including Chee, a mysterious woman, a man called Monkey Pete, and Dog.
I don't wish to give away too much but this was one heck of a read and I highly suggest you give it a try. I'm looking for more from M. Spradlin.
The story starts with a cavalry captain Jonas Hollister who is the lone survivor of what appears to be a vampire attack of his detachment. After hearing his report, and his sticking to it, Hollister is sent to Leavenworth for a long haul. After several years he is approached by Alan Pinkerton (yep that guy) who gives Hollister a chance at freedom, it seems that another "Vampire" attack has occurred involving a Senator's son. A guy who has fought and survived Vampires is desperately needed.
Circumstance and Pinkerton form a troop around Hollister including Chee, a mysterious woman, a man called Monkey Pete, and Dog.
I don't wish to give away too much but this was one heck of a read and I highly suggest you give it a try. I'm looking for more from M. Spradlin.
October 29, 2019
I believe this book has something for everyone. This was a fun adventure, and the action is fast-paced. The vampires are scary and very lethal. There is more gore than there was explicit sex & language. The Archaics keep loosing their heads. Jonas's partner Chee was an easy favorite. He has an interesting history & is accompanied by a really bada$$ dog. The story is pretty typical and easy to follow. There was only 1 surprise that I did not see coming. While Monkey Pete's inventions of steam powered weapons are cool and keep the hunt interesting, the train was the best weapon! I've read R.S. Belcher, so the mix of western & supernatural are a new and exciting genre I'm liking.
August 26, 2021
I never write reviews but I had to for this one. I loved everything about this book, the characters, the weapons, the fights, the train, every single thing. If you like vampires, the old west, steampunk or even just one of those, you need to read this book. It's one of those books that had me thinking about it whenever I wasn't reading it, wanting to see what happens but dreading to be finished with it. I need a sequel. NOW!
March 13, 2024
I wanted to like this but the author is clearly a sexist who thinks that beauty is all that women have to offer. Anyone who’s read this book and specifically the repeated descriptions of the character Shaniah will know what I’m talking about. Also I hate when men joke that women are so difficult to understand. No they clearly aren’t. All we have is our looks, remember? Not reading anything else by this guy. This is why I stick to female authors anyway. Much less likely to encounter sexism.
October 3, 2020
First 65% 4.5 stars ⭐️. Wild West with vampires, steampunk weapons, interesting characters, engaging writing. Sign. Me. Up!!! Much like Jim Butcher’s short story linking Luccio and Wyatt Earp. (I would read a full series of that spin-off!)
Then... I have no idea but it’s as if it was handed off to a completely different author. 2 stars for the latter portion and negative 1 ⭐️ for the final scene.
Then... I have no idea but it’s as if it was handed off to a completely different author. 2 stars for the latter portion and negative 1 ⭐️ for the final scene.
March 11, 2017
A good story mixed with the old west, the supernatural, and steampunk. Blood Riders is well thought out and developed, even creating a new supernatural creature through the Archaics. If you are a fan of supernatural thrillers this book needs to be on your list to read.
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