Vampsov 1938: A Spectre Haunting Europe

by Daniel Ribot

Ludmilla Vatinashkaya already struggles to balance the challenges of marriage and family with her promising career as a captain in Stalin’s army when she is ordered to direct Vampsov, a covert unit created to fight the most implacable enemies of the Soviet Union: vampires. Astonished and initially skeptical, Ludmilla takes her unit on a thrilling and violent trail of destruction as Vampsov hunts down the blood sucking enemies of Socialism. With the help of Vassily, a dark and brooding creature who denies his very nature for his love of the fledgling Soviet state, they confront the most notorious monster of all in his Transylvanian lair.

Vampsov 1938, brings to life in luscious detail the Stalin-era Soviet Union. Daniel Ribot has beautifully navigated this turbulent page of history to create an an edge-of-your-seat thrill ride that’s hard to put down and impossible to forget.

Genres: Horror, Vampires

313 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 1, 2013

About the author

My earliest memory is of my mother buying sweets for me in a shop. It must have been a local shop, because I knew the owner. He was friendly, bald and had a stump instead of a hand. The shop had a parrot and as soon as I got my sweets, I gave them one by one to the brightly coloured bird. The parrot unwrapped them with its beak and claws and ate them, all the time staring at me with a beady eye.

The shop was in Saragossa, nowhere near where Count Jan Potocki found his manuscript.

Don't know if that memory has any significance, but if it does, it is my love of the weird, the exotic and the strange.

I have been many things in life. A traveller, living by turns in Spain, the UK,France, Mexico, New Zealand and Germany.

I have written novels, a doctoral dissertation (on Mexican Comic Books), travel guides, short stories and academic articles.

I have worked, studied, been unemployed and tried to make sense of the world. No luck as yet!

I am in love with a wonderful girl!

I speak a few languages and have taught Spanish at universities in the UK and New Zealand.

I live in Germany now, but I wrote my first novel living in Leicester where I also participated in the setting up of two writers groups: the Speculators and the Phoenix Writers. Check them out!

Reviews

[Mark Kirkbride · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascistic vampires are plotting against the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics and represent everything that needs to be eliminated by Stalin’s regime. An initially sceptical Major Ludmilla Vatinashkaya, drafted in to lead the hunt for their nests, is just one of a whole cast of compelling characters vying for one’s attention that also takes in Vassily, a cold-blood who helps fight to rid the world of his own kind. The battles between humans and vampires make for some extremely memorable set pieces, culminating in an attack on Count Drakul’s stronghold. Political allegory and blood and guts – Vampsov 1938 has it all.

[Francine · Rating 4 out of 5]

THis is an interesting take on the whole vampire genre where vampires are right up there with the Nazis in WW2. It's pretty gory (which I loved) and is quite well written. The story did lose me a few times but only because some of the names confused me (my fault, not the author's, call it old age or chemo brain). It's not for people expecting sparkly vampires who only prey on animals but for hard core vampire lovers, this is the book for you.

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great story of vampires in the Stalin Soviet Union era. No sissy vamps here, but rather scary ones. The storyline is well developed and even well researched. The characters are relatable and you find yourself cheering them on throughout the book. I enjoyed the authors writing style and look forward to many other works from him.

[Selina Lock · Rating 4 out of 5]

Apparently this book originated in an argument down the pub about whether vampires in the 1930s would side with the Nazis or the Soviet Union.

Daniel Ribot takes this idea and runs with it. He gives us the Soviet Vampsov covert unit led by Captain Ludmilla Vatinashkaya and given the mission to wipe out the vampire threat. She is assisted by a small group of loyal soldiers and Vassily; the only vampire to ally himself with the communist cause.

Ribot weaves a intriguing tale of supernatural intrigue and battles. Made all the more interesting by contrasting Ludmilla's home-life and the reality of living in the communist 'utopia'.

[April · Rating 3 out of 5]

Though I truly liked this book it was the ending that caught me off guard what happened to gansz? What caused the trial and many more this book was truly a great read but I do wish the author had went into better detail about some of the officers endings.This was truly a different type of vampiric read. the vampires VS. the USSR wow! Did they truly do what they said they did, like I said what happened to gansz did he too die again?

[W.A. Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Like your Vampire hunter adventures to come with a slice of Stalin and and a side order of sarcastic wit? This is the book for you.

[Ruth Anna Spencer · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very complex and well researched book. The characters are fascinating and through all the blood guts and gore there are some complex characters with difficult but ordinary lives.

[Angie Lisle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was asked to read this book for free in exchange for a review and was torn about accepting it until I saw a review that said no vampires fall in love. Promise fulfilled!

I like gory vampires who don't care about their victims, but I'm not a huge fan of military/spy-genres. This book is both of those things - unromantic vampires take on a communist USSR in 1938-1939. I had no idea who I was supposed to root for - the murderous fiendish vamps or the bloodsucking commies!

Mr. Ribot draws on traditional Eastern European vampire myths, throwing in the USSR for setting and mood, even using a depiction of the region's long-standing attitude toward the LGBTQ to illustrate the USSR's treatment of civil rights, while the narration verges toward splatter-punk and not the highly symbolic romantic goth that we're accustomed to reading with modern vampire stories. This merging of traditions allows Mr. Ribot to take a lot of information and throw it at the reader in his own way, which kept me on my toes about guessing the ending. I didn't know what to expect next.