The Coming of the King

Watchers #1

by William Meikle

It is 1745, and the long awaited night has come.The BloodKing calls his army to battle and will bring them South to claim his birthright; the throne of Britain.Only the young Watchers on the old wall stand in his way.It is time for them to face their destinies - to whatever end that might lead them.

"...horrifying Highland vampires from the bloodline of the diabolical Stuarts. This first novel...offers excitement that never slackens." -- Margaret L. Carter, author of the Eppie Award-winning vampire novel DARK CHANGELING

"...superb story. Thoroughly enjoyable from the first word to the last. William Meikle has a wonderfully unique style..." -- The Eternal Night Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror

"Breathtaking, Scary and Original. A must read. An impressive blend of horror, history and imagination." -- Dave Dreher, Horror News Network

"I was captivated from the very first scene...Very well written." -- Patricia Altner, author of Vampire Readings: An Annotated Bibliography

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Horror, Historical Fiction, Vampires, Historical, Alternate History

202 pages, Paperback

First published January 28, 2003

About the author

I'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

Reviews

[Paula Berinstein · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent writing and a very interesting concept.

[Edmund Conroy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I can not say this is a "modern classic"; but it is enjoyable. I read thinking this was historical fiction, but it's actually an "alternative" historical novel. There are clever little turns of phrases, such as "men and only men" to distinguish from "the Others" (which are clearly a Vampiric trope).
There are some enjoyable Characters, my interest was pipped by the woodsmen, and I would like to know more about them, they're adventures and history possibly have a few books in them themselves!
There a number of minor grammatical and phrasing issues - e.g. there is the use of a singular 'bear' when the plural 'bears' is meant. There is also a sentence end without a beginning "doctor in Sheffield." However, these issues aside, this short novel reads well, quick and engagingly, with great characters, a fun story and I look forward to reading the rest of the series.

[Rokkan · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you're staunchly Christian then this book probably isn't for you. Some of the lore in it is very firmly not the sort of thing a strict Christian would be happy with, given that it turns Christ, the disciples and John the Baptist into vampires, but I'm not particularly religious, and found that aspect of the lore to be pretty interesting, to be honest. The story was also quite well told, switching between view points at the right times to keep the reader interested, and although the climax was somewhat obvious, it's set up well for the next book in the series.

[William · Rating 3 out of 5]

Entertaining historical listening 🏙😃

This kindle e-book novel is free from Amazon

I am a fan of William Meikle but this was not my style of action novel.

Give it a try it may be something you like. 2024

[Kenny Brown · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm finished with The Coming of the King: Not a bad yarn...although as a highlander myself ...historical and geographical inaccuracies are a wee bit annoying...looking forward to book 2 though

[Jackie Alford · Rating 5 out of 5]

Damn, I'm wrecked!

What a story! I'm shocked and intrigued. I have to continue this journey. This is so well written, I couldn't put it down. I'm emotionally exhausted.

[Chris Longmuir · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's a long time since I read a vampire novel, although I remember being hooked on Bram Stoker's Dracula many moons ago. This vampire novel, though, is nothing like the Stoker one. This is a gripping story with a historical base. Martin and Sean are the two main characters and the reader first meets them when they are keeping watch from Hadrian's wall in case the black hordes invade. The black hordes, of course, are a vampire army led by the boy king, who is part of the Royal Stuart dynasty. This is a strange mix of history, myth and vampire lore, but it is gripping and keeps the reader reading right until the end. I must admit I was a bit disppointed at the end, not because the story wasn't good, but because it ended on a cliff hanger and I felt there should have been more. Somehow or other the story didn't seem to be finished. But this is a trilogy, so I suppose, if I want to know what happens next I'll have to keep following.

[Sandra Hould · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely couldn't not put this book down. It is so well written that I could not stop myself from reading it. And when I had to stop, I kept thinking about it. It's really a great piece of literature that I strongly recommend to all who are passionate about real vampires, not the sparkly kind, but the mean and nasty kind. I can't wait to read the second installement of the Watchers series. Great work Mr. Meikle!!!

[Gayle · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great read, and a different take on the vampire story. Being Scottish myself, I find stories concerning historical events in Scotland very interesting and this was no exception.

I'm now going to add the second and third book to my TBR-list, as I can't wait to find out if Sean and Martin manage to defeat the BoyKing.

[Annie · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a great read! A new voice in the vampire genre.

[Amy Sjoquist]

Fast read. Enjoyed it.