Nightblood

by T. Chris Martindale

Possessed by an evil spirit he had encountered in the jungles of Vietnam, veteran Chris Stiles serves as a medium of its vengeance

Genres: Horror, Vampires, Fiction, Audiobook, Paranormal, Action, Pulp

322 pages, Paperback

First published December 1, 1989

About the author

T. Chris Martindale wrote a few horror novels back in the day—four to be exact. The first two were fairly well received, one even nominated for Best First Novel by the Horror Writers of America as they were known at the time. But the last two were barely noticed, possibly due to crappy distribution and some truly embarrassing covers. That and the general drying up of the horror market in the ’90s suggested to Martindale that maybe writing wasn't his bag after all. So he stopped.

Flash forward to 2017. His vampire novel Nightblood gets a mention in Grady Hendrix's book, Paperbacks from Hell, and that leads to it being reprinted for the first time in almost thirty years. Now Crossroad Press has offered to reprint his other three titles as well—Where the Chill Waits, Demon Dance, and The Voice in the Basement. Martindale says he's excited to see these works available for a new audience after all this time.

Questions for the author (aside from “What the hell you been doing for the last thirty years!”) can be sent to tchrismartindale@outlook.com.

Reviews

[megs_bookrack · Rating 5 out of 5]

I freaking loved this. It may not be a perfect book, I could critique some things, but I'm not going to waste time with that. Nightblood was such an overwhelmingly fun experience for me, I have to give it 5-stars.

This is how vampire stories used to be. It gave me all the nostalgia, toe-curling body horror, horrifying monsters and hair-raising scenes of pure fright that I could possibly want.

I walk away a happy girl!



Original:

Santa gifted me this gorgeous edition of Nightblood for Christmas because he knows me well and is a fun bastard.

It's part of Valancourt Books Paperbacks from Hell series with a Foreword by Grady Hendrix. I was sold on this one upon hearing it's like Salem's Lot, but with uzis.

That has me intrigued...

[Jack Tripper · Rating 4 out of 5]

(Full review 8/7/18)

Here's the cover of the 1991 Orbit Books mass-market I have (322 pages). Not really a big fan of the overly-gaudy artwork here, but the premise of an armed-to-the-teeth 'Nam vet on a search-and-destroy mission against vicious vampires in America's heartland is fine by me.
-------------------------------------
Take Salem's Lot, add some John Rambo, and what you get is this. In other words, pure heaven. If there's such a genre as action-horror, than this is the novel against which all others should be judged, as it's pretty much non-stop vampire mayhem once it gets going. Only this time the potential victims aren't easy dinner, cuz badass trenchcoat-wearing Vietnam vet Chris Stiles has come to the small town of Isherwood, Indiana with the sole purpose of kicking vampire ass. See, his brother was killed by some undead beast (possibly a vampire, possibly not) back in the day, and now his ghost haunts Stiles, constantly badgering him to find and destroy whatever it was that killed him so that he may finally rest in peace and not be stuck in purgatory or wherever. So he directs Chris to various towns where he senses unnatural evil, and this time he's sent him to Isherwood, population 800-something. Chris hopes this will be the final time he has to do this.

Turns out some kids in town, while investigating the creepy local "haunted" house on a dare, have unwittingly set loose an old vampire that had been buried in the wall for decades. And it's not very long at all before the residents of Isherwood start getting murdered and/or join the quickly growing vampire horde. Good thing Stiles brought the heavy artillery for this job, and with the help of some local kids, their hot mom (Stiles' potential love interest), and the local sheriff, he sets out to contain the threat, then blast it to hell.

This was definitely a fun read, though it did run a bit long for my tastes. But just a bit. There's only so much machine-gunning, katana-wielding, pipe bomb-throwing, decapitation, and cars running over vampires' faces I can handle before it starts to wear a little thin. I mostly read horror for the atmosphere, the mystery, and the fear of the unknown. There's a little of that stuff here, but what kept me reading was the pure carnage, which I'm usually down for as well. The characters are relatively well-drawn for a novel of this ilk, well enough for me to stay invested in whether they lived or died/got vampirized.

T. Chris Martindale wrote three other novels in the early 90s, all of which I've read already, but only Demon Dance had the same balls-out craziness vibe that this one did, just in the old west with lots of Shaman magic and undead buffaloes, while the other two are more of your typical slow-building horror. All are surprisingly well-written for early 90s midlist horror titles, but Where the Chill Waits is the must-read out of those (top-notch Wendigo in the woods horror).

As for this one, any fan of the trashier side of horror would do well to check it out, though it's not nearly as trashy as the Orbit cover would have you believe. You might even learn a thing or two about the different ways of ridding your town of vampires, which could come in handy one day.

4.0 Stars

*As a side note, I was very happy to have run into a pristine copy of the Warner mass-market over the weekend, as the cover is slightly less embarrassing to be seen with in public. Too bad I was already done with the novel, so I wasn't saved from all the queer looks I got while at the eye doctor's last Monday.

[Grady Hendrix · Rating 4 out of 5]

For everyone who thought 'SALEM'S LOT needed more uzis. Genius level X-treme 90's mayhem. Absolutely chock full of dudes in leather trenchcoasts waving katanas.

[Char · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5/5 stars!

This was total 80's, cheesy, horror fun. Uzis and vampires in a small town. There's so many horror tropes involved I don't know where to begin, so I think I'll just leave it at that.

My complaints mostly focus on the fact that the book is a bit too long.

If you don't take things too seriously, and you enjoy that fun, silly Rambo-like type of horror, then this is for you!

Recommended!

*Thanks to Valancourt Books for the e-ARC in exchange for my honest feedback. *

[Lizz · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don’t write reviews.

Now this book was a lovely surprise. Imagine tough guy with a heart of gold who never gives up fighting a town of vampires. Because that’s what it is. Characters you can enjoy and bad guys you can boo. The equivalent of a “popcorn movie.” I recommend it.

Peace and love to you.
Lizz

[Graeme Rodaughan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Master Vampire Mayhem! Cooped Up Vamp Drains Mid-West Town! "Well, my brother walled me up deep in a cellar! After 75 years of captivity I'd developed a raging thirst! What's a self-respecting Master Vampire gonna do?!" - Danner - The Fanged Gazette

Sometimes we have the great pleasure to find a book that hits the sweet spot of what we love to read. Nightblood's combination of action and horror was right on the money. Imagine Rambo vs Dracula set in a small town and you'll have the picture.

I was stunned by the sequence of escalations in the back half of the book. It was just one thing after another as running battles and last stands exploded onto the page like a home-made Molotov cocktail laced with silver cutlery.

Just as I thought, 'What else could possibly happen?' something would to dial the threat up to 11.

I also loved how the main protagonist had a host of helpers whose own heroism stood equal to the tasks before them. It wasn't a one man show, and a much stronger story for it.

Brilliant. Read it. Enjoy it.

Strongly Recommended, 5 'Heroes all round,' stars.

[Latasha · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nightblood was a fun listen. Originally published in 1990 then re-released in 2019 by Valancourt Books. I would have guessed this book to have came from the 80's. It was good and sometimes so ridiculous and cheesy. I don't think this story adds anything new to the vampire mythology and it's nothing ground breaking. But you will have fun and a few chuckles as you read or listen. Matt Godfrey narrates this one. If you haven't had the pleasure of hearing him read before, oh man! You are in for a treat. He is awesome! I could listen to him read my grocery list!

[Nate · Rating 5 out of 5]

I rate each book not against all the others I’ve read but on weather it meets my expectations of it and my corresponding enjoyment of the experience.

This book delivered on my expectations 100%, it’s pure 80s flaming cheese opa that deserved a straight to video adaptation.

Do you like ruggedly handsome, world weary, Vietnam veteran drifters with an arsenal of machine guns that would make Rambo blush and sad eyes that are irresistible to small town, single moms?

Do you like small towns with kids who explore spooky old houses and meet creeping, undead horror?

Do you like the idea of a small, close knit town being cut off and under siege by an army of the undead made up of their former friends and neighbors?

Do you like gay vampires that repeatedly smash the hero’s balls and try to make him suck blood from their undead dick?

If you answered yes to any of the above questions you’re in luck!

[Jamie Stewart · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is exactly as Grady Hendrix describes in the introduction, it’s Salem’s Lot with Uzi’s. What more could you want?

[Phil · Rating 4 out of 5]

Definitely a fun read-- think King's Salem's Lot but with lots of Uzis! Our lead is a hunter of evil, guided by his murdered brother's ghost, and he is guided to a small town in Indiana to seek out the evil there. Turns out to be a nasty vampire, but Stiles (our lead) is loaded for bear. Lots of action and cheese, along with gore. Nothing too deep here, but what a ride!

Reread (9/21). It is a shame Martindale did not write more books. Nightblood from what I have read of his work is probably the best. As mentioned above, Chris Stiles is a Vietnam vet being lead to fight evil by his dead brother Alex. Alex died while Stiles was in Vietnam and came to him in ghost form (and saved his ass from an ambush). Since then, Stiles has been eking out an existence until his brother comes calling regarding another mission.

Surprisingly, for all the action, Nightblood moved slowly at times as Martindale worked on character development. The vampire that brought him here (via his brother) is a fun character; he had been bricked in the basement of the family homestead for 75 years or so until he made his escape. Danner is a 'real' vampire, complete with regenerative abilities, unlike his victims, who are basically walking corpses looking for their next meal. Martindale pits Stiles against Danner in a great denouement! Recommended for those who need a 80s horror fix, even though this was first published in 1990. 4 toothy stars!!

[Wayne · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was pretty much what a lot of people say about it. Salems Lot meets Rambo. I'm not into vampire fiction. It mostly leaves me cold. This, with the action angle thrown in really got me. I didn't think it would live up to all the good buzz, but it did. Just wish they would write more books like this today.

[Summer · Rating 1 out of 5]

I have never been sucker punched harder by a book.

I picked up this novel because someone recommended its worldbuilding - the vampires are gross and corpsey instead of sexy and have the eerie ability to mimic voices, the protagonist uses strategic shots to disable vampires that are hard to kill, the power of religious items depends on the faith of the user, the word "y'all" is used when issuing invitations to a house, etc.

And the book really delivered on those details! The writing was pretty solid, too, and I spent the first half of the book wondering why such a great urban fantasy novel was so obscure.

And then, in the course of sixteen pages, I figured out why.

The vampires showed up, and instantly became a metaphor for what the author thinks True Evil is: queer people, women who don't know their place, people who don't obey strict gender roles, people who have unmarried sex, and people who have kinky sex.

For instance, here is a female vampire preparing to devour her human boyfriend:

" Her mouth found his again for a long, probing, soulful kiss, but there was no soul to it. It was a cold, violent act, offensive in the extreme, not like love or passion or kissing a woman at all.
It was like kissing a man, Rusty thought.
A dead man.
Rusty Sanders knew [that she was a vampire] then, and he began to cry. "

And here is a male vampire threatening to stuff his evil dick blood into our male protagonist's face:

" The vampire's smirk vanished. "Enough talk," he snapped. "It's time." He stood and stretched like a cat before its meal. "You know, traditionally, the apostle would drink from a wound in the Master's neck or breast. But for you... I've another vessel in mind." He unbuttoned his pants and reached inside. The thing he took in hand was pale and bulbous, like a slug born to darkness. When he ran a fingernail across his penis's sallow head, it left a ragged scar as if in wax, and, slowly, stolen blood began to seep through the laceration. "

(I'm not even going to discuss the sexy ten-year-old vampire girl in any detail, but let's just say I suspect the author has never met a child, and I never want him to.)

And in case you are wondering, the vampires are defeated with a mixture of guns, explosives, and televangelism, in true conservative fashion. The book ends with a happily ever after for all the good straight white gender-conforming gun-carrying Christians in the town, and everyone else gets burned in a mass grave.

[Elke · Rating 5 out of 5]

Whoa, this battered old second (third? fourth? judging from its condition...) hand copy really was a surprise reading! Judging from the cover and the summary, I expected some nice old school horror/gore mixture starring some not so nice vampires and your usual bunch of good uns fighting them to bloody hell. What I got was exactly that - and a gigantic sh...load of fun reading it!

The author found the exact right mixture of horror, action, gore, romance (yep, only a pinch of it for good measure) and even a bit of humor to lighten the mood now and then. It all begins with a test of courage: spend a night in a creepy old mansion. But what Bart and his young brother find in the basement is not only creepy, but downright lethal. Entry Chris Stiles, former Vietnam veteran, now soldier on a supernatural mission, who knows how to fight things that go bump in the night and rescues the two boys.

But, due to a slight carelessness in handling the attacking vampire, the sleepy little town of Isherwood, Indiana, soon turns into a nightmare town full of undead creatures, and former friendly neighbors turn into bloodthirsty monsters.

At last, a small group of survivors gathers around Chris Stiles to stand up against this undead army, who this time has to face an enemy much more resistant than usual.

It's a mystery why this author is not more famous, for his writing can easily compete with the best in the genre. Unfortunately, his novels are out of print, but if you are lucky to find a copy of Nightblood, do not hesitate to snatch at the offer - you certainly won't regret it.

[Thomas · Rating 2 out of 5]

There seem to be two types of books in the "Paperbacks from Hell" category: lost classics, with lyrical prose and thoughtful plots; and balls-out crazy horror novels that are almost too ridiculous to be believed. I prefer the former to the latter, but sometimes the latter books can be entertaining. Nightblood is one of those latter books, but somehow it just didn't click with me.

For one thing, the book is wordy. Martindale will take a paragraph or two to describe actions that could be done in the same number of sentences, and he has a habit of repeating himself a lot. There's even one section of the book where a character is asked to tell another character basically everything that's happened up to that point in the story. Instead of just writing something like, "So he did", Martindale proceeds to retell us everything that's happened up to that point in the story. Granted, it only took a page, but why? Why repeat what we already know?

For another, the characters are pretty flat. Deaths that should be wrenching are just part of the background, and other characters' reactions to certain deaths are much, much less emotional than one would expect, given the relationships Martindale is trying to create in the story. They're all rather two-dimensional, their priority being to carry the plot, rather than vice-versa.

The plot is decent, but this book is such a masculine adventure story that it gets overshadowed by the testosterone. Our hero carries a katana and nunchucks and a butterfly knife and an uzi (because '80s), and he's deadly enough to take out vampires with as little as a single kick. It's like John Rambo went out monster hunting, but that's a disservice to First Blood, because at least the book had theme.

I know what to expect when going in to reading a Paperback from Hell book, but man, sometimes they're a bit of a chore. This one isn't flat-out offensive like some of the '80s horror I've read (though our main character does constantly refer to an elderly character as "Grandma", even when he knows her name, and there are a couple of passages that come across as homophobic), but I wish this one had been a bit more "lost classic" than "constrained insanity".

[Angus McKeogh · Rating 3 out of 5]

Definitely worth a read. Martindale had some great ideas in this potboiler. A few of those ideas never took off and his “ghost” brother seemed a little unnecessary, but entertaining nonetheless. I’m definitely going through more of these “Paperbacks from Hell”.

[Jordan Anderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Grady Hendrix said that this book is basically Rambo vs. the vampires from ’Salem’s Lot and he’s actually spot on.

I haven’t really been a huge fan of other Hendrix recommendations (though Paperbacks from Hell reinvigorated my love of horror...and got me hooked on the vintage horror book train), but here, I can wholeheartedly say that Nightblood is awesome.

That quick sentence at the beginning of this review really tells you all you need to know about the plot of this one. It’s a simple premise with the typical tropes you’d come to expect from vampires and the cliches of late 80’s action films but Martindale makes it feel original, with a crazy mashup of genres that works incredibly well. Once the vampires show up, the book is a straight thrill ride of both horror and thriller. And as a debut novel, it’s well written, feeling like vintage King and Koontz.

I can’t really say much more other than to go out and read it.

[Nate · Rating 5 out of 5]

This just might be the funnest PBFH release. Flawless eighties joy, and incredibly spooktacular. Would have red this in 1-2 days if like had only fucked off for one second. How is this not a movie!?

[Mike]

Drop Delta Force-era Chuck Norris into Castle rock, and you'd be pretty close to this novel. Just without the characters that make Stephen King's books worth reading( though I did burn out on King a long time ago, if I'm being honest).

This is part of Valancourt Books' Paperbacks From Hell line. And, like the others I've read, it was a fun time capsule, but nothing to write home about.

Chris Stiles is a Vietnam vet. He hunts down evil 'cause the ghost of his dead brother tells him to. The hunt takes him to Isherwood, Indiana, where a vampire has been loosed and is amassing an army.

Like any good 80s/early 90s action star, Stiles refers to the war as "the 'Nam," and he's always carrying an Uzi.

Billie, a waitress at the town diner, falls for Stiles. Because he's emotionally unavailable, and that's hot, I guess?

There are some kids in town. And old people, too. Their scenes at least cut the machismo a bit.

Then, they fight the vampire. And someone wins. But honestly, I fell asleep about five pages from the end. Not because it's a bad book. It's actually kind of fun. It's because I'm aging, and I get sleepy.

Kinda fun plot, not great character. Worth a read if you like old action movies and you don't mind lots of cliches.

I recommend the Paperbacks From Hell line for horror diehards that are looking for deep cuts. But if a horror newbie asks for a recommendation, steer clear.

[Wyrd Witch · Rating 3 out of 5]

As all good horror literature fans know, the 70s and 80s consisted of the golden age of horror paperbacks. Bookshelves and grocery store racks everywhere boasted a hearty, bloody array of horror commercial fiction, all of them featuring gorgeous illustrations depicting the most terrifying and captivating images imaginable. Among these paperback monstrosities, there rested quite a few treasures, but the vast majority delivered some of the cheesiest, pulpiest, and most ridiculous stories out there.

Out of these two broad categories, Nightblood by T. Chris Martindale definitely rests among the pulp. This old novel, resurrected from the dead by Valancourt Books for its Paperbacks From Hell line, sets out to answer one question: what if Salem’s Lot needed more kung-fu moves and uzis? The resulting product from Martindale delivers all the cheese and good trash you could possibly want.

Read the rest of the review here.

[Matt (TeamRedmon) · Rating 1 out of 5]

Salem's lot with machine guns. Incompetent Dracula with pipe bombs. The characters are 1 dimensional and unlikeable. The women are treated as objects. There was hardly any plot besides we're going go to kill all these vampires with bunches of bullet and grenades. There was a moment when I thought something interesting was going to happen but then it didn't.

If you want something that amounts to a D-list Netflix remake of Rambo with vampires as the bad guys, read this. If you want a good vampire story read something else.

[Charles · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of the good ones. I don't know why Martindale isn't as big as King or Koontz. His work is outstanding. Great action, great atmosphere, great characters.

[Mark Young · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another riotous read from the Paperbacks From Hell series.

Fun filled and fantastic! Highly recommended and enjoyable.

[Ethan’s Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25 stars

This is by far the funnest Paperback From Hell so far.

Uzis, grotesque vampires, kids that have to trust someone that hunts creatures of the night for a living and wants to date their mom. Oh yeah…

Spoiler:
A vampire that tries to get some oral sex.
(This was loads of fun) get it?

I read some other reviews and the ones that stuck out that match perfectly are the following…

“Salem’s lot with uzis”
“Ash vs Evil Dead but with Vampires and guns”

That’s probably my favorite.

I typically enjoy more serious horror but I must say, I enjoyed this more than I thought I would. (Call the crib, same number, same hood, it’s all good.) If you don’t know, now you know.

90’s horror at its best, and yes I through in some Biggie lyrics because that’s what my mind jumps to when I finish the sentence with “thought I would”.

There was only two spots in this book that I thought it should have ended there. But nothing to write about or complain on.

Well done.

[Curtis · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wish I could go back in time to fight in Vietnam. It's the one true way to unlock your inner badass. Now I'll never be a weird drifter who bounces town to town doing odd jobs and occasionally snapping and killing boatloads of vampires.

This could have been a 4 star book but the whole thing felt vastly overwritten. I don't mind long books when they have the content to justify them, but this felt like it was meant as a short book but the writer decided to give every paragraph double the necessary amount of sentences.

[Jason · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent rip roaring chuck Norris horror

[Will Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was so much fun. It’s like if John Rambo was the protagonist of “Salems Lot” . It is filled with a lot of great 80s-90s cheese. I could not help but imagine that the vampires would look as they did in the movie “ Fright Night”. So far for me this may be the best in the “paperbacks from hell” collection.

[TJ · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a really good vampire novel from both an underrated and under-published author, T. Chris Martindale. I stumbled on to his terrific novel "Where the Chill Waits" a few years ago and tried relentlessly to get my hands on his other 3 books. Fortunately, I was able to snag a copy of "Nightblood" a few weeks ago and was thrilled with the recent reading experience.

For me, this book ranks just behind my two favorite vampire novels, King's "Salem's Lot" and McCammon's "They Thirst". "Nightblood" has a wonderful set of fully-fleshed out characters who find themselves in a battle for survival in a tiny Indiana town called Isherwood. The fight is let by a tormented Vietnam vet, Chris Styles, who also just happens to be somewhat haunted by the ghost of his dead brother, Alex. In the years since the Vietnam War, Alex has led Chris into situations where evil needs to be destroyed, explaining Chris's venture into Isherwood. Chris finds willing allies in the form of teenage brothers, Bart and Del Miller, who have noticed mysterious goings-on at the old Danner estate - the site of the town's worst disaster years ago. Both boys and Chris soon find that their greatest fears are correct - something is in the Danner house that can't be explained.

That "something" is the vampiric spirit of Nathan Danner which digs itself out of its entombed sanctuary and begins to slowly build an army of dead Isherwood citizens - one soul at a time. The remaining town folks band together behind the strength and leadership of Chris and fight for their lives. The book is filled with action, has few slow spots, and plenty of chills along the way. Martindale throws in a enough plot twists to keep even the most inveterate horror reader engaged.

Now my quest begins to find the other two Martindale books - "Demon Dance" and "The Voice in the Basement". Happy reading!

[Stormi (StormReads) · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's about a Vietnam vet Chris Stiles who is sort of taking up the mantle of hunting vampires because his brother was killed by something supernatural and now his brother shows up as a ghost and that is usually when Chris knows its time to look for some supernatural creatures. 

Two brothers on a dare go into this old creepy abandoned house and accidently awaken a centuries old vampire and just verily saved by the uzi toting vet Chris Stiles, who comes in and pretty much takes all sorts of chunks out of the vampire so he thinks that is that it's to weak and dead but he was wrong. 

By the time Chris realizes his mistake the town is pretty much run amuck with others who have been turned into vampires and he is sure there is no hope for the town. Chris and a small ragtag group of semi lucky people get to up against the vampires.

This was what I wished Salem's Lot would have been more like! Lot's of cheesy 80's style over the top vampire killing action! I mean who would have thought to bring an uzi to a vampire fight! No stakes for this guy! No he brings guns and katanas! 

I think my only complaint would be that the ending was a tad long as even though I loved all the shooting, blowing up, head's rolling action it did feel like a bit much.

I would recommend it to anyone who loves a good 80's style vampire slaying horror book.

[Charles Dee Mitchell · Rating 4 out of 5]

A mean-spirited Halloween prank turns into three nights of serious vampire hunting action that almost decimates the population of the small town of Isherwood, Indiana. Martindale keeps things moving at a rapid clip and doesn't hold back on the unpleasantness of having your neighbors and relatives turn into bloodsucking fiends.

This reprint of the 1990 novel is part of Valancourt Books Paperbacks from Hell series, pulled from the recommendations in Grady Hendrix's survey of 1980's horror. You can read with confidence that the material has been heavily vetted.

[Tenebrous Kate · Rating 3 out of 5]

More of a 3.5 than a 3, you just can’t hate this over-the-top 80s vampire action pastiche any more than you can hate a big dumb dog that just wants pets. Not as transcendentally weird as some pulp horror, but has enough uniquely wacky moments to satisfy. You want mindless escapist fun? Here’s your next read!