Not Dead Enough

by Watson Davis

Alternate cover edition for B00NRHHFGU

Free at last.
Gartan is a vampire, assassin and pet of the Empress. Since She has been defeated and Her soul trapped in a book, he is now free, free to take his vengeance on the nobles who spat on him, the priests who laughed at him, and the army that ravaged his homeland. All he has to do is to destroy the book.

But the Empress didn't break out of hell without being cunning and powerful, and that book is now pure evil.

This is a collection of dark swords and sorcery tales that read like a novella and introduce Gartan's world, the world of Windhaven.

98 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 1, 2017

About the author

I am a Texan living in Spain. I'm a computer programmer specializing in medical computing, but my degree is in Applied Mathematics. I've been a professional musician (guitarist, songwriter) from time to time in Texas and California, and graduated with honors from the Musician's Institute. I'm a 3D artist.

I discovered Isaac Asimov, Robert E. Howard, Edgar Rice Burroughs, Fritz Leiber, and Roger Zelazny at a young age and I knew I would write novels one day.

It just took me a few decades to actually get around to doing it.

Reviews

[Hock Tjoa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Here are eleven stories - they might be intended to be chapters but they do not lead from one to the other in a plot. They tell the same story in a witty, humorous voice. The Empress is dead but she lives in this Book. And the Book, it appears, cannot be destroyed.

The voice is that of Gartan, the Empress' own chosen assassin. She exterminated (totally?) his people, the Onei. One might wonder if they had anything remotely like his ability to fight. But he is not only of the Onei but a vampire and fears the light of day. Was he different from the rest of his people? We are not told.

We learn that the "rules of magic [have] changed, cut off from the Gods, only elemental and psionic magic work." Not a clue about what this announcement means.

Gartan shows mercy - or is it weakness? He rescues a slave girl to set her up in a distant city. This takes place someplace and has no bearing on his wanderings. What was that about - no clue.

Apart from the gods and the priests, we hear of mage light, of the Nayen, and of Maegrith. But how each relates to the plot - what plot? - we don't know. We do learn that an honest-to-their-Gods magician "draws on the energy of his dimension and his own soul to alter reality." But that's it.

The author can turn a phrase - "sarcasm is the refuge of the mentally weak and morally corrupt."

Was all this energy and intelligence intended for something? Your guess is as good as anyone's.

[Robbie Cheadle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not Dead Enough is an interesting fantasy novel about a vampire who has managed to break the control of the Empress who has controlled him for years. He has trapped her wicked soul in a book and is now free from her control but is still encumbered with the book which he can’t get rid of.

I thought the character of Gartan, the vampire, was very cleverly built up and interesting insights into this murderous creature’s mind took place throughout the book. At first a very dark picture of Gartan is painted as he sets about seeking, and taking, revenge on those members of the Empress’ former leadership whom he feels have been a party to his torturous previous existence.

As the book progresses it becomes more and more clear that Gartan’s intentions in ridding his world of the Empress were not entirely self-serving and that he feels that she was a terribly evil ruler who sacrificed her own people to maintain her control over her empire. Gartan feels that he has done the right thing in destroying her and seeks desperately to destroy the book.

Initially Gartan tries to destroy the book on his own but when his attempts fail, he resorts to seeking out other powerful beings in his world whom he hopes can help him with this task. Will he succeed? That is something you will need to discover for yourself by reading this book.

[C.A. Pack · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Not Dead Enough,” by Watson Davis is a dark take about a vampire, and assorted vile beings, who cannot quite kill a demon empress who rules the world with her evil magic. This was a tough book for me to get into, because I didn’t find it relatable. It’s part of a series (which I didn’t know at the time), and it starts in the middle of the action and continues to build in conflict, without taking a breath to re-develop the characters to a point where I wanted to learn more about them. As far as series go, I imagine this is just what fans wants at this point in time. But readers who pick this up without having read the earlier volumes, may have a harder time getting into it.

[Chris Keaton · Rating 4 out of 5]

A vampire freed from a witches control goes on an action film speed path of revenge in a desire to once and for all kill the Empress who imprisoned him.
This really is a thrill ride starting immediately after the magic the ruling powers used to control the people are turned off. We follow our anti-hero as he mets out revenge while trying to destroy a magic book that contains his former owner. This is a rich universe. Normally I dislike first person, but this is done really well. The only thing keeping from giving 5 stars is that it ends right when I was getting totally sucked in.
A great read for anyone wanting a fast paced high fantasy.

[Juneta Key · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is one of the best anthologies I have read. It is a collection of short stories but altogether reads like a little miniseries. A very fun read.

Step into a world of magic, wicked sovereigns, assassins, and surprising twists. It intrigued me, even as it teased my curiosity. It left me wanting to read more. It is an ongoing tale of dark secrets, struggles of freedom and oppression, the desire for vengeance and about an evil that clings forcing decisions and responsibilities you don’t want to face. Destiny is not always fair, and survival can make you a monster.

I can’t wait to read more by this author. The story possibilities are very promising. Great voice and style. If you love dark fantasy, you will enjoy this one. I loved the ending. It was surprising, unique and a very compelling read.