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Eldren: The Book of the Dark
Two boys in the West of Scotland awaken an ancient vampire. And the only way to stop it is in the power of a book--a bible detailing the dark religion of the Eldren. But time is running out, and the sun is getting low. Are you afraid of the dark? You will be.
261 pages, Paperback
First published September 20, 2004
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112 people want to read
About the author
William Meikle
409 books1,849 followersI'm a Scottish writer, now living in Canada, with more than thirty novels published in the genre press and over 300 short story credits in thirteen countries.
My work has appeared in a number of professional anthologies and I have recent short story sales to NATURE Futures and Galaxy's Edge. When I'm not writing I play guitar, drink beer and dream of fortune and glory.
For an intro to me, my writing and my accent see my Youtube channel
My work has appeared in a number of professional anthologies and I have recent short story sales to NATURE Futures and Galaxy's Edge. When I'm not writing I play guitar, drink beer and dream of fortune and glory.
For an intro to me, my writing and my accent see my Youtube channel
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
August 3, 2018
I am a big fan of William Meikle and the narrator Chris Barnes as well. I am unfortunately not a very big fan of vampire stories.
There’s plenty of action here but the whole vampire backstory didn’t work for me and I didn’t gel with any of the characters. I pretty much was wanting them all to die horribly.
There are plenty of other very good Meikles out there, this one just wasn’t for me.
*I received a complimentary copy of this audiobook from the publisher and have voluntarily provided this honest review.
There’s plenty of action here but the whole vampire backstory didn’t work for me and I didn’t gel with any of the characters. I pretty much was wanting them all to die horribly.
There are plenty of other very good Meikles out there, this one just wasn’t for me.
*I received a complimentary copy of this audiobook from the publisher and have voluntarily provided this honest review.
August 5, 2018
This audiobook was received gratis from the publisher for reviewing purposes. Naturally one would wish for a more favorable review, then again naturally one would wish for a more interesting book too. So here it is, a disappointment. And I actually selected this one because I’ve read the author before, on numerous occasions. Mostly short fiction to be fair and maybe that’s something to do with why this one, a properly long novel didn’t work for me. Maybe it’s because it’s about vampires, the most trite and beaten to death cliché of genre fiction. Maybe it just wasn’t that great of a book. Looks like my scary story reading friends on GR didn’t care for it much either. The weird thing is that it’s difficult to precisely narrow down what’s the matter with this book, it consists of very competently done individual scenes that just never quite add up to a cohesive total somehow. Despite perfectly decent writing too. I’ve listened to it over 3 long walks, just forcefeeding it to my ears like the proper completist just to finish it, but at any given time I wasn’t quite sure what was going on and that includes the ending. It was just like wtf the entire way. The characters blended together, nothing seemed quite distinct enough. And I didn’t care, at all, about them or their adventures with the undead. Not sure if it was too rambly or just leaned to meandering or possibly the narrator’s Scottish brogue was too overpowering (it literally sounded like someone deliberately overdoing the accent), but it just really didn’t work for me and I’m not even exactly sure how it all turned out in the end and I don’t give a…so yeah, a disappointing vampire tale from an otherwise really reliable author. Pass.
January 16, 2011
In the beginning, God created Adam and Eve, right? That's what we've been raised to believe, but in William Meikle's Eldren: The Book of the Dark, we will learn otherwise.
When Jim Kerr and his wife win a week-long vacation anywhere within Britain, Jim is hesitant to accept the prize. It needs to be claimed and used within the month and his wife is expecting their first child. Surprisingly, it's his wife who urges him to accept, because once the baby is born, there won't be any time for themselves. Where they eventually find themselves is in an isolated cottage on the shores of Scotland. Located near the cottage is a burial mound, at the top of which is a large iron cross. The inhabitants of a neighboring village claim it is a war memorial and it's nothing to worry about. Beyond that, they refused to talk about it. A windstorm that night blows their laundry all over the place, and Jim, in his attempt to retrieve an article of clothing from the T of the cross ends up dislodging it, awakening the inhabitant within. His wife is bitten and loses quite a bit of blood before Jim dispatches the creature. He rushes his wife to the doctor, but she cannot be saved. Worse for Jim, neither can his son. And so begin Jim's nightmare.
Jump 15 years, and two boys venture into the local haunted house. In the basement is some sort of military shelter, and beneath that, another two levels of secret rooms. While exploring, the stumble upon a coffin containing skeletal remains impaled on a gleaming sword. One of the boys, thinking the sword might be worth something, removes it, allowing the coffin's inhabitant to awaken. One of the boys is killed, the other runs like hell, but not before snagging an old leather-bound book that he found within the coffin.
Tony keeps quiet about the death of his friend. After all, who would believe him if he said the other boy was killed by a vampire. Even with the book as evidence, he probably still wouldn't be believed. The book, it seems, is some sort of bible, but unlike any bible Tony has ever seen. It reveals the first creations, Yoriah and Eriah. They were the first, and God told them not to eat of the flesh of the Garden. The serpent tempted them, however, saying that while they could not eat of the flesh, God never said anything about the drinking of their blood. And so the first vampires were born. And one of them was now loose on the town.
Joining forces with Brian Baillie, Margaret Brodie, both teachers from the local school, and an escaped psychotic killer, the band of strange allies attempt to bring down the vampire, but they don't realize until it is too late just how wide spread the problem has become. Who will be the victor in this battle between good and evil? Can the small band of humans defeat the growing vampire horde, or will the vampires triumph in their attempts to slowly wipe the Sons of Adam from the face of the earth?
After reading ad nauseam about sparkly, angst-ridden teen vampires looking for love and romanticized Fabio inspired blood suckers, it was a pleasure to read something that gave the bite back to the vampire. What I enjoyed most about Eldren: The Book of the Dark is Meikle's attempt to create his own origin of the vampire. Their origin isn't questionable, and they aren't corpses possessed by demons. They are God's children who have fallen out of favor because of acts that were performed that went against what the Creator had set forth.
I have read a few other works by William Meikle (although not as many as I would like to, but I am slowly remedying that -- so many books, so little time), and this book stands out when compared to the others I have read in that he takes the time to develop the characters, fleshing them out so you can sympathize with and root for them as they go up against overwhelming odds. I went into this expecting a light read that concentrated more on story than on character, and was pleasantly surprised to see that careful attention was paid to both.
The story itself is similar to most tales of vampires prior to this recent move to romanticize the undead, that of man versus vampire. But more than good versus evil, there's an underlying theme of redemption that runs throughout the book. Because of that, there are some unlikely allies that emerge as the story progresses.
I enjoyed Eldren: The Book of the Dark, and if you are looking for a return to a more traditional type of vampire tale, but one that still has a unique ring to it, then I would highly recommend .
When Jim Kerr and his wife win a week-long vacation anywhere within Britain, Jim is hesitant to accept the prize. It needs to be claimed and used within the month and his wife is expecting their first child. Surprisingly, it's his wife who urges him to accept, because once the baby is born, there won't be any time for themselves. Where they eventually find themselves is in an isolated cottage on the shores of Scotland. Located near the cottage is a burial mound, at the top of which is a large iron cross. The inhabitants of a neighboring village claim it is a war memorial and it's nothing to worry about. Beyond that, they refused to talk about it. A windstorm that night blows their laundry all over the place, and Jim, in his attempt to retrieve an article of clothing from the T of the cross ends up dislodging it, awakening the inhabitant within. His wife is bitten and loses quite a bit of blood before Jim dispatches the creature. He rushes his wife to the doctor, but she cannot be saved. Worse for Jim, neither can his son. And so begin Jim's nightmare.
Jump 15 years, and two boys venture into the local haunted house. In the basement is some sort of military shelter, and beneath that, another two levels of secret rooms. While exploring, the stumble upon a coffin containing skeletal remains impaled on a gleaming sword. One of the boys, thinking the sword might be worth something, removes it, allowing the coffin's inhabitant to awaken. One of the boys is killed, the other runs like hell, but not before snagging an old leather-bound book that he found within the coffin.
Tony keeps quiet about the death of his friend. After all, who would believe him if he said the other boy was killed by a vampire. Even with the book as evidence, he probably still wouldn't be believed. The book, it seems, is some sort of bible, but unlike any bible Tony has ever seen. It reveals the first creations, Yoriah and Eriah. They were the first, and God told them not to eat of the flesh of the Garden. The serpent tempted them, however, saying that while they could not eat of the flesh, God never said anything about the drinking of their blood. And so the first vampires were born. And one of them was now loose on the town.
Joining forces with Brian Baillie, Margaret Brodie, both teachers from the local school, and an escaped psychotic killer, the band of strange allies attempt to bring down the vampire, but they don't realize until it is too late just how wide spread the problem has become. Who will be the victor in this battle between good and evil? Can the small band of humans defeat the growing vampire horde, or will the vampires triumph in their attempts to slowly wipe the Sons of Adam from the face of the earth?
After reading ad nauseam about sparkly, angst-ridden teen vampires looking for love and romanticized Fabio inspired blood suckers, it was a pleasure to read something that gave the bite back to the vampire. What I enjoyed most about Eldren: The Book of the Dark is Meikle's attempt to create his own origin of the vampire. Their origin isn't questionable, and they aren't corpses possessed by demons. They are God's children who have fallen out of favor because of acts that were performed that went against what the Creator had set forth.
I have read a few other works by William Meikle (although not as many as I would like to, but I am slowly remedying that -- so many books, so little time), and this book stands out when compared to the others I have read in that he takes the time to develop the characters, fleshing them out so you can sympathize with and root for them as they go up against overwhelming odds. I went into this expecting a light read that concentrated more on story than on character, and was pleasantly surprised to see that careful attention was paid to both.
The story itself is similar to most tales of vampires prior to this recent move to romanticize the undead, that of man versus vampire. But more than good versus evil, there's an underlying theme of redemption that runs throughout the book. Because of that, there are some unlikely allies that emerge as the story progresses.
I enjoyed Eldren: The Book of the Dark, and if you are looking for a return to a more traditional type of vampire tale, but one that still has a unique ring to it, then I would highly recommend .
March 20, 2013
This started off with a bang! Unfortunately, it ended with a whisper. There were just too many characters that the pov kept whiplashing back and forth between. It got very difficult to follow and more than once I had to ask myself, "Who the heck is...?" Only to have him or her die five minutes later. Great idea but very poor execution.
June 21, 2017
Relies upon a partial rewriting of Genesis., June 12, 2017
This review is from: Eldren: The Book of the Dark (Kindle Edition)
A well written vampire tale which relies upon a rewriting of the first part of Genesis for a background to explain the origin of vampires. I do not see the need for this.
I was given a copy of this book.
This review is from: Eldren: The Book of the Dark (Kindle Edition)
A well written vampire tale which relies upon a rewriting of the first part of Genesis for a background to explain the origin of vampires. I do not see the need for this.
I was given a copy of this book.
August 3, 2018
I got a free copy of the audiobook from the author, with the option of leaving a review.
I kind of liked this. There were some great ideas, like vampires had their own version of the bible where they were the chosen ones, as long as they eschewed drinking blood. There were of course the troublesome element who fell in with Old Nick and became eeevvviiilll>.
The story is set in a small Scottish town, and the characters fit the setting, if a wee bit stereotyped (it is a small town after all). It begins with a married couple discovering the burial place of the bloodsuckers, then later two kids looking for kicks accidentally wake up the vamps, who set about taking over the town. All the tropes are here - garlic, stakes and so forth - but in a nice touch, crosses don't work.There's some silly bits that are touched upon too, like the army coming to suppress the vamp uprising, having known about them all along, covering up other outbreaks.
The narrator was good, nice to hear a real "Scottish" accent on an audiobook, but I found at times I drifted when listening, as the material didn't always grab hold like audio needs to.
If you like vampy horror, you should probably check this out. Maybe I need to read it instead.
I kind of liked this. There were some great ideas, like vampires had their own version of the bible where they were the chosen ones, as long as they eschewed drinking blood. There were of course the troublesome element who fell in with Old Nick and became eeevvviiilll>.
The story is set in a small Scottish town, and the characters fit the setting, if a wee bit stereotyped (it is a small town after all). It begins with a married couple discovering the burial place of the bloodsuckers, then later two kids looking for kicks accidentally wake up the vamps, who set about taking over the town. All the tropes are here - garlic, stakes and so forth - but in a nice touch, crosses don't work.There's some silly bits that are touched upon too, like the army coming to suppress the vamp uprising, having known about them all along, covering up other outbreaks.
The narrator was good, nice to hear a real "Scottish" accent on an audiobook, but I found at times I drifted when listening, as the material didn't always grab hold like audio needs to.
If you like vampy horror, you should probably check this out. Maybe I need to read it instead.
August 17, 2018
Disclaimer.
I had requested and received audible version of this book for free from the narrator / author / publisher, in exchange for an unbiased review.
What I liked about the book -
It had me at "Vampire Bible." That's such an original concept that I couldn't not read this book. Sure, it has the usual tropes of "ancient evil reawakened" and "garlic, stakes" etc.. but there's so much more than that. William Meikle brings his own new flavor to the genre. The story is tightly packed and told in such a way that it keeps you riveted throughout. There's plenty of action and twist n turns. And the ending is great too.
What I disliked about the book -
Nothing specific that I can think of.
Narration -
Loved the narration by Chris Barnes. His voice performance and accents make this book a pleasurable listen.
I had requested and received audible version of this book for free from the narrator / author / publisher, in exchange for an unbiased review.
What I liked about the book -
It had me at "Vampire Bible." That's such an original concept that I couldn't not read this book. Sure, it has the usual tropes of "ancient evil reawakened" and "garlic, stakes" etc.. but there's so much more than that. William Meikle brings his own new flavor to the genre. The story is tightly packed and told in such a way that it keeps you riveted throughout. There's plenty of action and twist n turns. And the ending is great too.
What I disliked about the book -
Nothing specific that I can think of.
Narration -
Loved the narration by Chris Barnes. His voice performance and accents make this book a pleasurable listen.
July 29, 2018
I liked this book. It kept me interested in what was happening and when I received this as an audible book and it was a little hard to follow along with at first as between the characters but after awhile I was able to keep up. Now if you read this as a physical book or ebook it might be easier to follow along with. But I'm not sure. But either way it was a good book! I personally liked it and I liked how that the vampires can be good and evil and that they have their own Bible and laws directly from God. And how the hunter came about and how he can feel the vampires. Anyways I liked the book. You be the judge. I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.
August 16, 2018
Eldren was the best parts of my 80's vampire features. A lot of Fright Night, a dash of Lost Boys, some Salem's Lot... whatever, put it in there. Heck, I even felt a little Interview with a Vampire for some reason. The point is that I loved this story. And it was none of those movies/books. It was it's own journey and more. The ending tied it up enough for me to get hopeful for a return. This was the kind of story that started slow and I really thought that I would be writing a bad review at the end but it proved me wrong. Chris Barnes did a great job narrating this book and that played into it as well. Great job.
This book was given to me for free at my request for my voluntary and unbiased review.
This book was given to me for free at my request for my voluntary and unbiased review.
April 25, 2020
Meikle shows even more range!
I have to say, in the interest of fairness, I am a huge fan of his work. That said, Eldren just goes to show the exceptional range of his work! From mysteries (Midnight Eye, Sherlock Holmes), to fantasy (Carnacki, Sigils & Totems), to Lovecraftian horror, to folk tales, to high adventure (Professor Challenger), there doesn’t seem to be anything he can’t turn his hand to a provide a great story. This is his take on vampires and it is compelling! Begging for an encore but eminently satisfying on its own. Would make a great movie! Do yourself a favor and grab this one!
I have to say, in the interest of fairness, I am a huge fan of his work. That said, Eldren just goes to show the exceptional range of his work! From mysteries (Midnight Eye, Sherlock Holmes), to fantasy (Carnacki, Sigils & Totems), to Lovecraftian horror, to folk tales, to high adventure (Professor Challenger), there doesn’t seem to be anything he can’t turn his hand to a provide a great story. This is his take on vampires and it is compelling! Begging for an encore but eminently satisfying on its own. Would make a great movie! Do yourself a favor and grab this one!
September 2, 2018
Very cool old-style vampire tale, really enjoyed it! The narration was awesome, really lent well to the story and gave it a great feel. Interesting religious tones, an original twist I liked (not that I'm the expert by far, mostly "original" to me :) ). For those of us who grew up in the 70's/80's, this book had a cool retro feel. That really made me love it, and I'd definitely listen to more from this author... and narrator! :)
I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.
I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.
August 31, 2018
Audible:This was a fantastic book to listen t!It s full of Vampiric 'history' nd a good story to boot.Chris Barnes does a fantastic job narrating,although I did have to back up a few times to understand the accent. I was voluntarily provided this free review copy audiobook by the author, narrator, or publisher.
September 12, 2018
I actually had the audiobook version, and it was absolutely cracking. A superb supernatural, vampire set in Scotland, read perfectly by one of the finest narrators i've listened to, Chris Barnes.
Wonderful characters captured superbly. What an excellent story it was as well.
Wonderful characters captured superbly. What an excellent story it was as well.
April 26, 2023
Very good book as usual from William, this time he takes on vampires and gives them a history going back before man walked the earth.
September 5, 2018
I'm not too sure what to say about this as I'm still not too sure what I really thought of it!!! At times it felt all over the place, but I put that down to the multiple POVs we get, at others it was really good.
The overall plot was unique and I loved finding out about the vampires and seeing that they have both good and evil ones. I loved that they had their own Bible of sorts too and reading about Yoriah and Eriah! I also liked how the vampires were awoken in this century and how the virus spread. All of that was well written and developed and made for a great read and they were my favourite parts!
I didn't particularly connect with the characters though. Don't get me wrong, they were all well written and developed, but I just didn't care for any of them. I don't know if it was the fact that there were too many or what but I didn't really care what happened any of them.
Saying that though, I will definitely check out more from this author because I liked his world building and he has some really good sounding books out!! If there is a follow up to this I will also check it out as while I didn't love this, I still really enjoyed it.
Chris Barnes read this really well!! I loved that the author picked a Scottish narrator to read it seeing as it's set in Scotland, it just added that little extra to the story. Chris Barnes was clear and easy to understand and he had plenty of tones and voices for the characters. I thoroughly enjoyed his performance and look forward to him narrating more!!
The overall plot was unique and I loved finding out about the vampires and seeing that they have both good and evil ones. I loved that they had their own Bible of sorts too and reading about Yoriah and Eriah! I also liked how the vampires were awoken in this century and how the virus spread. All of that was well written and developed and made for a great read and they were my favourite parts!
I didn't particularly connect with the characters though. Don't get me wrong, they were all well written and developed, but I just didn't care for any of them. I don't know if it was the fact that there were too many or what but I didn't really care what happened any of them.
Saying that though, I will definitely check out more from this author because I liked his world building and he has some really good sounding books out!! If there is a follow up to this I will also check it out as while I didn't love this, I still really enjoyed it.
Chris Barnes read this really well!! I loved that the author picked a Scottish narrator to read it seeing as it's set in Scotland, it just added that little extra to the story. Chris Barnes was clear and easy to understand and he had plenty of tones and voices for the characters. I thoroughly enjoyed his performance and look forward to him narrating more!!
February 11, 2011
I don't know about you, but there seems to be more than enough vampire stories out there. Don't get me wrong, they are good tales, but after a couple years of vampire books on the best seller lists, I thought I'd had my fill. That was until I read William Meikle's "Eldren The Book of the Dark". My interest has, once again, been piqued.
This dark tale is a deliciously descriptive read. Set in the rolling moors of Scotland, we are introduced to a very unromantic town filled with a most ordinary people. Ordinary that is, until a boy named Tony is goaded into entering the daunting abandoned house the townsfolk steer clear of. With his best friend, they discover a coffin in the labyrinth beneath the house and upon opening it, find a corpse. When his best friend removes a beautiful sword that is wedged in the corpse's chest, they in essence, open Pandora's Box, and this is where it gets really interesting.
With the town slowly beginning to lose its residents, the story takes off at vampire pace, introducing its readers to several heroes ranging from a priest to a drunken has been, the plot so inter-weaved you cannot put the book down. Will the town survive the ravaging of a sadistic vampire, or will it be plunged into a darkness the likes of which only vampire history has seen?
The most unique part in this tale is its giant shift from its counterparts; Eldren delves into the history of the vampires, beginning with their creation in which God creates vampires before humans. Their bible is eerily similar to our own. Indeed, the wording is so precise, one actually believes they are reading a holy book. If I didn't know this book was fiction, I'd say Meikle did his homework.
I enjoy a well-written book that whisks me deep within its pages and doesn't let me go until the end when I'm left wanting more. Eldren is a combination of horror, comedy, drama, romance and action - a must read for any reader who wants it all.
- Ashley L. Knight author of FINS
This dark tale is a deliciously descriptive read. Set in the rolling moors of Scotland, we are introduced to a very unromantic town filled with a most ordinary people. Ordinary that is, until a boy named Tony is goaded into entering the daunting abandoned house the townsfolk steer clear of. With his best friend, they discover a coffin in the labyrinth beneath the house and upon opening it, find a corpse. When his best friend removes a beautiful sword that is wedged in the corpse's chest, they in essence, open Pandora's Box, and this is where it gets really interesting.
With the town slowly beginning to lose its residents, the story takes off at vampire pace, introducing its readers to several heroes ranging from a priest to a drunken has been, the plot so inter-weaved you cannot put the book down. Will the town survive the ravaging of a sadistic vampire, or will it be plunged into a darkness the likes of which only vampire history has seen?
The most unique part in this tale is its giant shift from its counterparts; Eldren delves into the history of the vampires, beginning with their creation in which God creates vampires before humans. Their bible is eerily similar to our own. Indeed, the wording is so precise, one actually believes they are reading a holy book. If I didn't know this book was fiction, I'd say Meikle did his homework.
I enjoy a well-written book that whisks me deep within its pages and doesn't let me go until the end when I'm left wanting more. Eldren is a combination of horror, comedy, drama, romance and action - a must read for any reader who wants it all.
- Ashley L. Knight author of FINS
February 8, 2011
When I was a kid, I loved the horror comics. I didn't want Archie and Jughead or any of that - I wanted Tales From The Crypt and things like that. Of course my tastes graduated to more horror fiction and film as I grew older but my early readings gave me a taste for the old school horror genre. Call it pulp, horror, whatever.
This book gives me that taste from start to finish.
I enjoyed this book very much even while it scared the hell out of me. I normally do a lot of my reading in the wee hours while the family is asleep but this one, I couldn't read like that. Too many dark shadows lurked in corners and left me wondering what might come out of the darkness for comfort.
I read it slow to make it last but now that I have finished it, I will never forget it....the writing is tight, the characters are memorable, and the Book of the Dark passages are an eerie echo of what most of us consider Holy.
Eldren: The Book of the Dark is a frightening, fascinating, hell of a read. I think it is without doubt the scariest vampire novel I have ever read, hands down. I thought King's Salem's Lot was creepy but this beats it, no contest.
This book gives me that taste from start to finish.
I enjoyed this book very much even while it scared the hell out of me. I normally do a lot of my reading in the wee hours while the family is asleep but this one, I couldn't read like that. Too many dark shadows lurked in corners and left me wondering what might come out of the darkness for comfort.
I read it slow to make it last but now that I have finished it, I will never forget it....the writing is tight, the characters are memorable, and the Book of the Dark passages are an eerie echo of what most of us consider Holy.
Eldren: The Book of the Dark is a frightening, fascinating, hell of a read. I think it is without doubt the scariest vampire novel I have ever read, hands down. I thought King's Salem's Lot was creepy but this beats it, no contest.
October 24, 2016
This vampire novel gets off to a shocking start and doesn't let up the pace for a moment. It's a very gory read, definitely not one for the squeamish.
Its vampire have a carefully crafted history. They have their own scriptures are presented as the first born race of God, expelled from Eden after the Serpent tempted them to feast on blood, much to the creator's revulsion. They were then usurped by the new race of humanity. The vampires are split into two factions: those who chose to remain with the Serpent and embrace its power, and those seeking redemption and forgiveness from God.
There are a large number of characters, so you know straight away that a lot of them (oh yes, a VERY lot) are doomed to a hideous end.
A great vampire novel of the old school (which is definitely a good thing, in case you missed the inference), but with some new ideas all its own. It also benefits hugely from its Scottish location, avoiding the tired old samey cities.
Its vampire have a carefully crafted history. They have their own scriptures are presented as the first born race of God, expelled from Eden after the Serpent tempted them to feast on blood, much to the creator's revulsion. They were then usurped by the new race of humanity. The vampires are split into two factions: those who chose to remain with the Serpent and embrace its power, and those seeking redemption and forgiveness from God.
There are a large number of characters, so you know straight away that a lot of them (oh yes, a VERY lot) are doomed to a hideous end.
A great vampire novel of the old school (which is definitely a good thing, in case you missed the inference), but with some new ideas all its own. It also benefits hugely from its Scottish location, avoiding the tired old samey cities.
November 23, 2019
I had already read this book, but just finished listening to the audiobook. What a wonderful experience it was to hear it read in such a beautiful accent!
This is an excellent addition to the vampire folklore, especially the creation story for the species. This story had some badass vampires, and it was interesting to see the hierarchy between them all. There was also an excellent slayer, complete with a crossbow, as well as the strong humans involved. This was a dark story that kept me reading to the conclusion.
This is an excellent addition to the vampire folklore, especially the creation story for the species. This story had some badass vampires, and it was interesting to see the hierarchy between them all. There was also an excellent slayer, complete with a crossbow, as well as the strong humans involved. This was a dark story that kept me reading to the conclusion.
June 27, 2012
After their village is attacked by an ancient (pure evil) vampire, an unlikely group of survivor’s team up to find and destroy the vampire.
The characters have a nice subtle depth that I could relate with, and the suspense builds up into an excellent climax. A very good book marred by a few poor chapters. - Authors pad out stories by switching to the antagonist point of view, but for me the back story just didn't work -1 star.
The characters have a nice subtle depth that I could relate with, and the suspense builds up into an excellent climax. A very good book marred by a few poor chapters. - Authors pad out stories by switching to the antagonist point of view, but for me the back story just didn't work -1 star.
August 14, 2015
A fast paced paranormal thriller, Eldren is "old-school" vampire with a twist. I can easily imagine a movie, and there's plenty of room for a sequel. Passages from the vampire "bible" are interspersed with multiple characters' POVs, all culminating in a magnificent battle between good and evil! A satisfyingly creepy story, which I couldn't put down.
May 31, 2012
Really good vampire book where the vampires are just bad and not beautiful creatures.
November 15, 2012
Excellent read! Shades of Salem's Lot. Definitely recommended!
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews