What do you think?
Rate this book
Slayer #1
Slayer
Alek Knight is a dhampir (the offspring of a vampire and human) he was abandoned, along with his twin sister Debra, as a baby and raised in an orphanage. Alek and Debra were strange friendless children who scared the other orphaned children and adults alike. Unable to understand their strange cravings for blood they eventually runaway from the orphanage.
Coven master Amadeus then finds the children and Alek is inducted into the Coven of vampire slayers. The coven is made up of dhampir priests, trained in the art of vampire slaying. The coven polices the vampire community for the Vatican church.
Alek is a master swordsman and slays vampires with his Double Serpent Katana Ninja sword forged by the legendary Hattori Hanzo. He has brought many vampire heads back to the coven to be added to the coven’s altar made of vampire skulls. All his life Alek has been favoured by Amadeus the coven master and he has been groomed to take Amadeus’s place as leader of the coven.
Haunted by the past and his sorrow for his dead twin sister Debra, Alek is driven to betray the coven and Amadeus. As his fellow slayers are sent to kill him, Alek turns rogue and finds himself fighting for his life as he tries to discover the true purpose for his existence.
Afraid that Alek knows a secret that will undermine the church and expose its secret plans for the vampire race, Amadeus will stop at nothing to silence him.
Coven master Amadeus then finds the children and Alek is inducted into the Coven of vampire slayers. The coven is made up of dhampir priests, trained in the art of vampire slaying. The coven polices the vampire community for the Vatican church.
Alek is a master swordsman and slays vampires with his Double Serpent Katana Ninja sword forged by the legendary Hattori Hanzo. He has brought many vampire heads back to the coven to be added to the coven’s altar made of vampire skulls. All his life Alek has been favoured by Amadeus the coven master and he has been groomed to take Amadeus’s place as leader of the coven.
Haunted by the past and his sorrow for his dead twin sister Debra, Alek is driven to betray the coven and Amadeus. As his fellow slayers are sent to kill him, Alek turns rogue and finds himself fighting for his life as he tries to discover the true purpose for his existence.
Afraid that Alek knows a secret that will undermine the church and expose its secret plans for the vampire race, Amadeus will stop at nothing to silence him.
308 pages, Paperback
First published December 1, 2000
3 people are currently reading
167 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
August 19, 2016
Φανταστείτε την ταινία Underworld με κουλτούρες ευαισθησίες και προσπάθεια να σχολιάσει την υποκρισία της θρησκείας και έχετε μία εικόνα τι θα διαβασετε: Σε ένα συγκεκριμένο παρόν (όπου δεν είναι σαφές αν οι άνθρωποι ξέρουν για την ύπαρξη των βρικολάκων) υπάρχει μία ομάδα Νταμπιρ που εξοντώνουν βρικόλακες για λογαριασμό του Βατικανου.
Ένας από αυτούς, ο Αλεξ, παθαίνει μία κρίση μέσης ηλικίας και γίνεται ο κακός χαμός επειδή... δεν κατάλαβα.
Παντελώς αδιάφορο βιβλίο που προσπαθεί (αποτυχημενα) να είναι κάτι περισσότερο.
Ένας από αυτούς, ο Αλεξ, παθαίνει μία κρίση μέσης ηλικίας και γίνεται ο κακός χαμός επειδή... δεν κατάλαβα.
Παντελώς αδιάφορο βιβλίο που προσπαθεί (αποτυχημενα) να είναι κάτι περισσότερο.
June 10, 2008
At its heart, Slayer is about the denial of one’s inner nature, and the devastating effects that denial can have in a person’s life. The main character, Alek Knight, is a person who has denied his inner nature for close to four decades. He is described as an artist, yet as the story opens, he has denied himself even this passion, and instead spends his days and nights subsisting on alcohol and aspirin.
He works as a museum curator, but he also has a secret life as a dhampir, a genetic cousin to the vampire. The dhampir are gathered together in covens much like vampires, but they’ve made a deal with the church to act as police to the vampire population. And they don’t bother making arrests.
And apparently, the dhampir are the stronger of the two species, because vampires are treated with little to no respect in fight scenes. Buffy the vampire slayer had longer fights with bit characters than any of the slayers in this book do. Even fledgling members of the coven seem to be able to kill ancient vampires with relative ease.
During the course of the main story, Alek is informed he is the heir apparent to the role of covenmaster, and his doubts about his abilities cause him to drift away from the coven. This allows for a very powerful vampire to manipulate Alek. Her presence causes him to recall the story of his twin sister, Debra. And here, the story runs into problems.
The book is creepy, both in pace and tone. Three interludes meant to explain the back story instead slow the narration down and spend a lot of extra time exploring Alek’s disturbing relationship with his sister. Mostly the intimate scenes become disturbing because Alek is rarely performing the acts voluntarily. The initial scenes have merit to explain why Alek is so deeply repressed within himself, but the interludes dwell on the topic. These incestuous flashbacks are frequently buffered with Alek being fondled and/or bloodily kissed by his covenmaster Amadeus, both in the past, and the present.
But ultimately, these scenes also help explain why Alek is so ineffectual at protecting any of the women in his life. Feeling alone and isolated in the world, Alek is so desperate for purpose that he is a willing tool in anyone’s hands. He frequently gets angry and seemingly finds purpose, only to lose it again a few sentences later in the face of any adversary. Even when the book moves to its climax, Alek remains ineffectual at keeping anyone safe. It is only after a vampire sacrifices themselves for Alek that he finds a will of his own. Until then, he is not so much driving the story as constantly reacting to the people who push and pull him around. He is a puppet, and only in the final act is he able to cut the strings.
The book is well written, though the prose tends to be purple, blue, and uncomfortably red simultaneously. Dialogue is sometimes heavy and feels circular, and the book has an odd format with POV breaks sometimes occurring at the top of the next page, which sometimes ends up being confusing. And finally, someone needs to file a missing periods report with the editor, because there were a lot of them gone from where they should have been. Aside from that one punctuation problem, the grammar is good. The text flows easily enough, though it often relies upon the same crutch phrases. Noise is almost always white, while blood tastes of metal and red frequently. And everyone glitters with diamonds of sweat at least twice.
Slayer is an interesting, though not always enjoyable reading experience which should appeal to most hardcore vampire fans, provided they don’t take offense at how the vampires are portrayed as neutered prisoners in a collection of prisons disguised ingeniously as nightclubs.
He works as a museum curator, but he also has a secret life as a dhampir, a genetic cousin to the vampire. The dhampir are gathered together in covens much like vampires, but they’ve made a deal with the church to act as police to the vampire population. And they don’t bother making arrests.
And apparently, the dhampir are the stronger of the two species, because vampires are treated with little to no respect in fight scenes. Buffy the vampire slayer had longer fights with bit characters than any of the slayers in this book do. Even fledgling members of the coven seem to be able to kill ancient vampires with relative ease.
During the course of the main story, Alek is informed he is the heir apparent to the role of covenmaster, and his doubts about his abilities cause him to drift away from the coven. This allows for a very powerful vampire to manipulate Alek. Her presence causes him to recall the story of his twin sister, Debra. And here, the story runs into problems.
The book is creepy, both in pace and tone. Three interludes meant to explain the back story instead slow the narration down and spend a lot of extra time exploring Alek’s disturbing relationship with his sister. Mostly the intimate scenes become disturbing because Alek is rarely performing the acts voluntarily. The initial scenes have merit to explain why Alek is so deeply repressed within himself, but the interludes dwell on the topic. These incestuous flashbacks are frequently buffered with Alek being fondled and/or bloodily kissed by his covenmaster Amadeus, both in the past, and the present.
But ultimately, these scenes also help explain why Alek is so ineffectual at protecting any of the women in his life. Feeling alone and isolated in the world, Alek is so desperate for purpose that he is a willing tool in anyone’s hands. He frequently gets angry and seemingly finds purpose, only to lose it again a few sentences later in the face of any adversary. Even when the book moves to its climax, Alek remains ineffectual at keeping anyone safe. It is only after a vampire sacrifices themselves for Alek that he finds a will of his own. Until then, he is not so much driving the story as constantly reacting to the people who push and pull him around. He is a puppet, and only in the final act is he able to cut the strings.
The book is well written, though the prose tends to be purple, blue, and uncomfortably red simultaneously. Dialogue is sometimes heavy and feels circular, and the book has an odd format with POV breaks sometimes occurring at the top of the next page, which sometimes ends up being confusing. And finally, someone needs to file a missing periods report with the editor, because there were a lot of them gone from where they should have been. Aside from that one punctuation problem, the grammar is good. The text flows easily enough, though it often relies upon the same crutch phrases. Noise is almost always white, while blood tastes of metal and red frequently. And everyone glitters with diamonds of sweat at least twice.
Slayer is an interesting, though not always enjoyable reading experience which should appeal to most hardcore vampire fans, provided they don’t take offense at how the vampires are portrayed as neutered prisoners in a collection of prisons disguised ingeniously as nightclubs.
January 14, 2008
My wife enjoyed the hell out of this book. It's not your typical cliche' vampire novel. And the series is gaining...
July 17, 2018
“Ο Eκτελεστής” αποτελεί εξαιρετική επιλογή για όλους τους λάτρεις βαμπιρικής λογοτεχνίας και κυρίως για το ανδρικό αναγνωστικό κοινό, μιας και περιέχει ατελείωτη δράση τύπου “ΒLADE” (των παγκόσμιων πετυχημένων ταινιών) από τις πρώτες κιόλας σελίδες. Και αυτό διότι ο ρομαντισμός είναι σκοτεινός, δεν υπερχειλίζει το κείμενο αλλά και στοχευμένος σαν εβένινο μετάξι στα παγιωμένα πρότυπα και τις παραδόσεις των βρικολάκων ως αρχέτυπα.
Περισσότερα στο http://www.aisthisis.gr/vivlioaisthis...
Περισσότερα στο http://www.aisthisis.gr/vivlioaisthis...
October 1, 2008
I know what you’re all thinking…does my heart still go on? Do I still love Ms. Koehler’s vampires? Am I still wearing that red halter top that says, “I Heart Suckers”? Okay, maybe not the latter, but I am definitely still digging the former. Once again Ms. Koehler has managed to sustain my interest in vampires and captivate me with her wicked storytelling.
Now I have to say, while Koehler’s characters are complex and at times harsh, they are easy to associate with. Now that I’ve read a few of her books, I think it’s safe to say her female characters are always broken women who carry their scars with both pride and shame; shame that they survived, but proud that they can still put one foot in front of the other. Shying away from the trend of gross exaggeration, her female leads are audacious, blunt, and kick ass, but always within the realm of possibility. Nor are they all beautiful, sex kittens. These women are just like the rest of us…wonderful in our own little way. Her male leads are just as diverse and distinguished, but it’s her females that shine.
Casually paced, the speed of the book is where my issues lie. Were it not for the interesting characters, my attention would’ve slowly dwindled after reading a third of the book. While there is a lot of action, it’s a little over-described and draws out longer than necessary. The same can be said for the atmosphere. Don’t get me wrong, Koehler can set up a Goth scene like no other, but far too often she revels in it a little too much for my taste. I’m all about it was a dark and stormy night, but have to draw the line when said night is described in four paragraphs when it could’ve been established in one. The issues working against the other, neither helps the book nor does it set the mood the way she intended it.
With all that said, Koehler’s style of writing is tight and concise, just not when she’s having a good time. The dialog is modern without being clichéd and her descriptions are strong, without smacking you across the face. Written in the third person, the narration is sharp and intense. You will feel what the characters feel, see what they see, and understand what’s going on throughout the story. Now that’s what I’m talking about!!
Original in the genre, but patterned within the world Ms. Koehler’s created, the story is fascinating. Now, maybe I’ve just been spoiled, but this tale is more serious than The Blackburn & Scarletti Mysteries. I expected the same kind of humor I found in the last one, but it was not to be. I’m not saying that’s a bad thing, just that this tale is more severe and a lot less breezy. Maybe it’s because the character, Alek, is more introspective and melancholic. Or maybe it’s because the trials he must go through aren’t a laughing matter. Either way, prepare yourselves for a dive into deep waters.
My rating? I give it a 4. Although the story was excellent and the characters divine, the pace and atmosphere were too interfering to ignore. Still well worth the read, but no reason to kill anyone who gets in your way when a maiming will do the job.
-As reviewed for Horror-Web.com
Now I have to say, while Koehler’s characters are complex and at times harsh, they are easy to associate with. Now that I’ve read a few of her books, I think it’s safe to say her female characters are always broken women who carry their scars with both pride and shame; shame that they survived, but proud that they can still put one foot in front of the other. Shying away from the trend of gross exaggeration, her female leads are audacious, blunt, and kick ass, but always within the realm of possibility. Nor are they all beautiful, sex kittens. These women are just like the rest of us…wonderful in our own little way. Her male leads are just as diverse and distinguished, but it’s her females that shine.
Casually paced, the speed of the book is where my issues lie. Were it not for the interesting characters, my attention would’ve slowly dwindled after reading a third of the book. While there is a lot of action, it’s a little over-described and draws out longer than necessary. The same can be said for the atmosphere. Don’t get me wrong, Koehler can set up a Goth scene like no other, but far too often she revels in it a little too much for my taste. I’m all about it was a dark and stormy night, but have to draw the line when said night is described in four paragraphs when it could’ve been established in one. The issues working against the other, neither helps the book nor does it set the mood the way she intended it.
With all that said, Koehler’s style of writing is tight and concise, just not when she’s having a good time. The dialog is modern without being clichéd and her descriptions are strong, without smacking you across the face. Written in the third person, the narration is sharp and intense. You will feel what the characters feel, see what they see, and understand what’s going on throughout the story. Now that’s what I’m talking about!!
Original in the genre, but patterned within the world Ms. Koehler’s created, the story is fascinating. Now, maybe I’ve just been spoiled, but this tale is more serious than The Blackburn & Scarletti Mysteries. I expected the same kind of humor I found in the last one, but it was not to be. I’m not saying that’s a bad thing, just that this tale is more severe and a lot less breezy. Maybe it’s because the character, Alek, is more introspective and melancholic. Or maybe it’s because the trials he must go through aren’t a laughing matter. Either way, prepare yourselves for a dive into deep waters.
My rating? I give it a 4. Although the story was excellent and the characters divine, the pace and atmosphere were too interfering to ignore. Still well worth the read, but no reason to kill anyone who gets in your way when a maiming will do the job.
-As reviewed for Horror-Web.com
September 2, 2008
Just started this (as in read one page and had to put it on hiatus for all things work), but I was so impressed with Koehler's prose, I called my husband in to read him a particular passage. He agreed. "That woman can write." Exact words. Hope to get back to it soon, but here's a point I'd like to make, from an editor's point of view.
One thing that particularly impressed me is the absence of passive prose. For the record, I detest passive prose. I like it as much as I like black licorice. Karen uses a sparse amount of "had", "that", "was", "had been". She expertly finds ways to weave action words with flawless, quite beautiful description, and opening setting, without smacking us senseless with unnecessary words. This gives her a bonus point with me to start. I'll give a proper star rating once I get a chance to finish the full book.
(Writing this when I should be sleeping. Apologies for typos and length.
One thing that particularly impressed me is the absence of passive prose. For the record, I detest passive prose. I like it as much as I like black licorice. Karen uses a sparse amount of "had", "that", "was", "had been". She expertly finds ways to weave action words with flawless, quite beautiful description, and opening setting, without smacking us senseless with unnecessary words. This gives her a bonus point with me to start. I'll give a proper star rating once I get a chance to finish the full book.
(Writing this when I should be sleeping. Apologies for typos and length.
December 2, 2008
This book was a bit of a mixed bag. It's another modern day vampire tale (currently very in vogue), but with a fairly different feel from the others I've read, giving it a uniqueness within the genre. The most similar of the others I've read would probably be Christopher Golden's Shadow Saga ("Of Saints and Shadows", etc.), although they are not so similar one would confuse them in any way.
It has a very interesting story buried under a bit too much imagery. There were times I wanted to stop feeling the moon, Feeling the Pressure, FEELING the AGONY AGONY AGONY!!!! and instead just see the plot move a bit more forward (and straightforward at that). Overall, I think it has tremendous potential, and as a first novel, I see a lot of possibility for the author and am curious to see how the books she's written since this one have turned out.
It has a very interesting story buried under a bit too much imagery. There were times I wanted to stop feeling the moon, Feeling the Pressure, FEELING the AGONY AGONY AGONY!!!! and instead just see the plot move a bit more forward (and straightforward at that). Overall, I think it has tremendous potential, and as a first novel, I see a lot of possibility for the author and am curious to see how the books she's written since this one have turned out.
April 25, 2011
Hmm, I don't know how to feel about this book. I was excited to get started and was very quickly uncomfortable w/the 'relation' Alek has w/his coven master, awkward! And w/o a real definitive explanation it's left to speculation. Add to it his past w/his sister and whoa nelly! No wonder he can't protect anything female. Dude has issues, which I usually love but somehow I just couldn't grab onto this guy. For a new twist on vamps I liked it, the different levels and the church involvment were a hoot to read. A few grammatical errors were not enough to mess w/it being written well.
July 31, 2010
Enjoying the hell out of this book, written with a style and vigor I haven't seen in a long time. It has the same martial arts, trench-coat wearing cyberpunk feel of the first Matrix movie, but without the slickness. Instead, there is a gritty, dirty undertone in everything the characters do, whether hero, antihero, or villain, almost a Frank Miller Sin City gritty feel that leaves you glad that this is only a novel. I'm very much looking forward to see what else this author can do.
Read
August 3, 2011Oh my. Aside from the odd grammar and format issues, I love this book. Or, more specifically, the characters. There's been a bit of talk comparing Koehler to Caitlin Kiernan and Poppy Z. Brite, and although all three styles are very different I can see why some people are mentioning them in the same sentance.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews