What do you think?
Rate this book
Branded #1
Sanctified
The city of London is infested with vampires.Only one person can stop them from rising up and wreaking havoc.Too bad she’s a twenty-something goth working a desk job in a lost property office.
When Abbey Beckett received a briefcase containing a mysterious dagger, she should have left well alone. But no, she had to fiddle, and now she’s got a brand seared into her palm and an angel telling her she’s the only thing standing in the way of a vampire apocalypse.Abbey soon finds herself pitted against the evil Judas Clan, a coterie of bloodsuckers that refuse to play by the vampire rulebook. With a unique agenda and a surprisingly heinous way of achieving their ends, the Clan is on track to bring the city to its knees, and after that, civilisation itself.Does Abbey have what it takes to wield the hallowed dagger, become the city’s protector and defeat a vampire army, or are the streets of London about to run red with blood?
Adventure, scares, and fast-paced action collide in this thrilling urban fantasy series. Read Sanctified now for a pulse-pounding vampire slayer story you cannot put down. Take a bit of Buffy, add a dash of British snark, and you have Sanctified.
Praise for “Fabulous, heart-stopping, amazing.” ★★★★★
“If you enjoy vampire hunters, thrilling plot twists, and the inescapable urge to laugh, this book’s for you.” ★★★★★
“I guarantee that once you've read one, you'll have to read them all.” ★★★★★
When Abbey Beckett received a briefcase containing a mysterious dagger, she should have left well alone. But no, she had to fiddle, and now she’s got a brand seared into her palm and an angel telling her she’s the only thing standing in the way of a vampire apocalypse.Abbey soon finds herself pitted against the evil Judas Clan, a coterie of bloodsuckers that refuse to play by the vampire rulebook. With a unique agenda and a surprisingly heinous way of achieving their ends, the Clan is on track to bring the city to its knees, and after that, civilisation itself.Does Abbey have what it takes to wield the hallowed dagger, become the city’s protector and defeat a vampire army, or are the streets of London about to run red with blood?
Adventure, scares, and fast-paced action collide in this thrilling urban fantasy series. Read Sanctified now for a pulse-pounding vampire slayer story you cannot put down. Take a bit of Buffy, add a dash of British snark, and you have Sanctified.
Praise for “Fabulous, heart-stopping, amazing.” ★★★★★
“If you enjoy vampire hunters, thrilling plot twists, and the inescapable urge to laugh, this book’s for you.” ★★★★★
“I guarantee that once you've read one, you'll have to read them all.” ★★★★★
234 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 25, 2018
129 people are currently reading
88 people want to read
About the author
David Bussell
37 books180 followersDavid Bussell is a best-selling British author renowned for his contributions to the urban fantasy genre. He is the co-creator of the Uncanny Kingdom, a series that explores a secret Britain teeming with paranormal suspense stories. His notable works include the "Spectral Detective" series. David's writing prowess has been recognized with the P.G. Wodehouse New Comic Writer Award. Beyond his literary achievements, he is an avid fencer, a lover of synthwave music, and a committed comic book fan.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews
January 7, 2021
I stumbled across the Uncanny Kingdom a few weeks ago and I have to say never has my home country been so full of Angels, demons, vampires and every flavour of weirdo in between and I live in Brighton so that record takes some beating!!!
This is the third book with ‘Stabby Abbey’ the Nightstalker in, frankly how she manages to remember which hand to hold her dagger in is beyon... oh yeah she’s got a massive ‘N’ branded in it (hints in the ‘N’ really) so far she’s managed to insult her boss, lose her job, kill a murderous one night stand, slaughter a whole bunch of vamps ‘a la Buffy’ and somehow she still finds time for cheese (talking cheddar though it could be Wensleydale who knows) and a really bad black manicure is beyond me. All I know is that I keep on getting funny looks on the commute to and from work because I’m sitting in a corner chuckling for no good reason (obvs I’m reading a book but they don’t know that).
If you want to know more just download the series it’s well worth the read!
This is the third book with ‘Stabby Abbey’ the Nightstalker in, frankly how she manages to remember which hand to hold her dagger in is beyon... oh yeah she’s got a massive ‘N’ branded in it (hints in the ‘N’ really) so far she’s managed to insult her boss, lose her job, kill a murderous one night stand, slaughter a whole bunch of vamps ‘a la Buffy’ and somehow she still finds time for cheese (talking cheddar though it could be Wensleydale who knows) and a really bad black manicure is beyond me. All I know is that I keep on getting funny looks on the commute to and from work because I’m sitting in a corner chuckling for no good reason (obvs I’m reading a book but they don’t know that).
If you want to know more just download the series it’s well worth the read!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 30, 2017
A great early Christmas present for me (it's Christmas Eve as I write this, I know, I should have something better to do on Christmas Eve but there is nothing better to do on Christmas Eve than wax lyrical about another supercalifragilisticexpialeidocious new series set in the Uncanny Kingdom!) and I loved it. Boom, straight out of the gate and straight into my heart. Abbey is such an unusual heroine and I felt for her all the way through the book. She is drawn into a the world of the Uncanny quite by accident (or is it an accident?) and she reluctantly embraces her destiny but not before making me laugh along the way. I loved her new "friends" Viz and Gen but her boyfriend Neil was a marvellous and also unusual character and he stole my heart. I can't wait to see what fate has in store for him as well as for Abbey.
The writing is smart, sarky, and humorous with well defined characters, great imagination, and set in a London with hidden depths that seem completely plausible to me. I love how David Bussell and Matthew Stott take the very ordinary and turn it completely on it's head.
The earlier books set in the Uncanny Kingdom have all been must-reads for me and this one is no exception. Treat yourself and dive in. The previous three series (London Coven, Ghosted and Dark Lakes) all crossover slightly but all stand on their own as well. I guarantee that once you've read one, you'll have to read them all.
The writing is smart, sarky, and humorous with well defined characters, great imagination, and set in a London with hidden depths that seem completely plausible to me. I love how David Bussell and Matthew Stott take the very ordinary and turn it completely on it's head.
The earlier books set in the Uncanny Kingdom have all been must-reads for me and this one is no exception. Treat yourself and dive in. The previous three series (London Coven, Ghosted and Dark Lakes) all crossover slightly but all stand on their own as well. I guarantee that once you've read one, you'll have to read them all.
January 29, 2018
I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review. I loved this pulse-pounding book so much I am waiting for the ebook version to go live so I can buy it, too.
This newest journey into the Uncanny Kingdom brought us a whole host of new and entertaining characters and focused more, okay, completely, on vampires and the ones who fight them (yay!). It was, hands down, THE vampire slaying book of the year, and next year as well. The plot moved fast, the humour killed me, and the action, oh, the action!, was amazing. The aforementioned characters were sassy, endearing, kickass, and some of my favourite yet! The book does end on a bit of a hook, not a cliffhanger as the main story is sorted and settled and ready for book two, but with a scene that whets our appetites and leaves us begging for more.
If you enjoy vampire hunters, ancient beings and dealings, thrilling plot twists, and the inescapable urge to laugh, this books for you.
This newest journey into the Uncanny Kingdom brought us a whole host of new and entertaining characters and focused more, okay, completely, on vampires and the ones who fight them (yay!). It was, hands down, THE vampire slaying book of the year, and next year as well. The plot moved fast, the humour killed me, and the action, oh, the action!, was amazing. The aforementioned characters were sassy, endearing, kickass, and some of my favourite yet! The book does end on a bit of a hook, not a cliffhanger as the main story is sorted and settled and ready for book two, but with a scene that whets our appetites and leaves us begging for more.
If you enjoy vampire hunters, ancient beings and dealings, thrilling plot twists, and the inescapable urge to laugh, this books for you.
March 11, 2019
Abbey Beckett is a bit of a Goth but it's the fault of her dead-end job in the Lost Property office on Baker St in London more than anything. Her boyfriend Neil writes sword and sorcery fantasies which she dutifully reads but that is the extent of her interest in anything weird. It all changes when an angel leaves a supernatural fated weapon on the underground train and it comes to her when she's working late, alone, and stumbles into saving the world from honest to God vampires.
It's a snarky thrill to discover the Uncanny Kingdom beneath London as we know it through Abbey's eyes as she comes to grips with being a Legendary Nightstalker, struggling to thwart millennia of schemes by the arch-enemy Judas himself, cursed never to die. I have previously read other series set in this universe and this heroine has an attitude to die for. That's a fine combination.
It's a snarky thrill to discover the Uncanny Kingdom beneath London as we know it through Abbey's eyes as she comes to grips with being a Legendary Nightstalker, struggling to thwart millennia of schemes by the arch-enemy Judas himself, cursed never to die. I have previously read other series set in this universe and this heroine has an attitude to die for. That's a fine combination.
January 17, 2018
The several linked but separate Uncanny Kingdom series by David Bussell and his partner-in/crime Matt (MV) Stott (each authoring their own separate series) have all been truly wonderful and now there’s a new one inhabiting their wimferois world that looks to be just as good as the others. Sanctified, the first nook of that series, was quite frankly superb. It’s lead, Abbey Beckett, is at times hilarious at others brave and always “real”. She’s not at all there yet, but she’s well on the learning path to become the kind of supreme kick-a** heroine I adore. Sanctified worked beautifully with a great plot and a fantastic cast of supporting characters. It’s easy to recommend this nook and I most heartily do so.
June 28, 2019
It was really good and original
I really enjoy it, I haven't read any other uncanny kingdom book and I did realise some times that I was missing some details on the world's backstory, even so, I didn't had any trouble understanding the overall world's setting. If you like rebellious, foul mouthed, strong but sweet female characters you will really like this one. This book, does have an end and an introduction to the next one on the series, which I will buy. Some times is a little predictable but it does have some good twists from time to time. In summary, it is a good book with a good story, good and believable characters and quite fun to read.
I really enjoy it, I haven't read any other uncanny kingdom book and I did realise some times that I was missing some details on the world's backstory, even so, I didn't had any trouble understanding the overall world's setting. If you like rebellious, foul mouthed, strong but sweet female characters you will really like this one. This book, does have an end and an introduction to the next one on the series, which I will buy. Some times is a little predictable but it does have some good twists from time to time. In summary, it is a good book with a good story, good and believable characters and quite fun to read.
August 2, 2019
A bit different
This is a first person story of Abbey, a normal young desk clerk, randomly chosen to fight evil. I think the most irritating part was her lack of training. Even Buffy was trained before she went against the big bad guy. I felt bad for Abbey. Especially since her lack of training made her insecure in her abilities. The angels weren't what I expected either. They were more human than angel in personality and in the ability to age. Gen was especially unangel-like. The cliffhanger at the end was horribly cruel, so of course I have to read what happens next.
This is a first person story of Abbey, a normal young desk clerk, randomly chosen to fight evil. I think the most irritating part was her lack of training. Even Buffy was trained before she went against the big bad guy. I felt bad for Abbey. Especially since her lack of training made her insecure in her abilities. The angels weren't what I expected either. They were more human than angel in personality and in the ability to age. Gen was especially unangel-like. The cliffhanger at the end was horribly cruel, so of course I have to read what happens next.
January 7, 2019
Abbey Beckett becomes the vampire-killing machine who strikes fear into the hearts of the undead. Her new job: to avert a vampire apocalypse. She has been Sanctified. She is the one who will destroy the vampires before they bring about the End of Times. There is evil in this world, real evil, and she is going to put a stop to it. The dagger has chosen her to kill the vampires, and kill the vampires she will. She's been trained by angels, found out God is real, has donated blood to a vampire, and chowed down on a vicious fairy. Now she's ready to kick some vampire arse.
December 31, 2017
A great addition to the Uncanny Kingdom!!
I thoroughly enjoyed this exciting and new series that is a part of the Uncanny Kingdom universe. Yet again a different view of all things Uncanny, this story is well written and packed with mis-adventure and amazing characters. Can’t wait for the next one! That ending though...
*I received an ARC of this book and I’ve voluntarily given my honest opinion.
I thoroughly enjoyed this exciting and new series that is a part of the Uncanny Kingdom universe. Yet again a different view of all things Uncanny, this story is well written and packed with mis-adventure and amazing characters. Can’t wait for the next one! That ending though...
*I received an ARC of this book and I’ve voluntarily given my honest opinion.
January 11, 2018
I really enjoyed reading this book. This is the first book I've read so far from An Uncanny Kingdom, and I was pleased to find I liked this book as much as I liked the cover. The characters are well developed, and I really felt a connection for Abbey throughout the novel. This book is filled with action and twisted relationships with the supernatural. I would recommend this book to any readers that are fans of urban fantasy and kick-butt heroines.
January 29, 2018
What a cool new series in the uncanny universe. Abbey is a wild pick to become a Nightstalker. Her inner musings and funniness was very amusing. I loved that even though she is chosen, she does not become a great hunter and fighter overnight. Made for a more realistic story. I loved the fast pace and the ending was a hoot. I loved the writing, pace and the amusing scenes. The few one-liners and Abbey's horrible boss made the story even better. Cannot wait to see what happens next.
February 6, 2018
I received an ARC of this book, and am happy to review it. I love all of the Uncanny Kingdom books, and this is no exception. I enjoyed meeting Abbey as she comes to terms with her destiny. I truly enjoyed this book.
February 9, 2018
Fabulous, heart stopping, amazing
Loved this story. Real, interesting, well written characters, lots of twists and turns in the plot and a cliff hanging ending. Looking forward to reading the next installment.
Loved this story. Real, interesting, well written characters, lots of twists and turns in the plot and a cliff hanging ending. Looking forward to reading the next installment.
December 13, 2018
Meh and blah
Sanctified fails on so many level. Lack of a true plot, boring characters that you care nothing about, and lots of stupidity. There was absolutely nothing that caught my attention and I will not read anything more in this series.
Sanctified fails on so many level. Lack of a true plot, boring characters that you care nothing about, and lots of stupidity. There was absolutely nothing that caught my attention and I will not read anything more in this series.
January 1, 2018
Well. That was just. AWESOME! I’d give it 10 stars if I could!
January 29, 2018
i got an arc copy and i want review
life is going to change for her when she receives a dagger. she is the only one in london that can stop vampires rising up and causing trouble. a great read
life is going to change for her when she receives a dagger. she is the only one in london that can stop vampires rising up and causing trouble. a great read
February 1, 2018
Great new series!
This was a fun read! The heroine was funny and feisty and the plot was interesting. I look forward to reading the next book in this series.
This was a fun read! The heroine was funny and feisty and the plot was interesting. I look forward to reading the next book in this series.
April 1, 2018
A very good read!
I've had the pleasure to read both Sanctified and Hexed Detective. Both of which I thoroughly enjoyed. The action was constant and well written.
I've had the pleasure to read both Sanctified and Hexed Detective. Both of which I thoroughly enjoyed. The action was constant and well written.
March 11, 2019
Another cracking series by a talented author. Different than Uncanny Ink but just as good nonetheless. Just what I like angels, vampires, demons and magic. Roll on book two. Highly recommended.
March 19, 2019
Review coming soon.
September 10, 2019
I hope to read the whole series. Totally enjoyed the story and theme. Read it....
June 10, 2020
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Not my favorite of the Uncanny so far but good enough to make me read the next one to see what's doing in it.
Not my favorite of the Uncanny so far but good enough to make me read the next one to see what's doing in it.
July 22, 2020
A good read about a night watcher killing vampires lost me in a few spots but then grabs tour attention again
January 6, 2022
An entertaining, and occasionally self mocking, piece of urban fantasy.
August 8, 2023
See overall review with the Branded trilogy (the 3 book omnibus).
April 12, 2018
A new vampire killer
This is an entertaining read, with a reluctant vampire hunter who really needs some training and different takes on angels and vampires with a surprise ending.
This is an entertaining read, with a reluctant vampire hunter who really needs some training and different takes on angels and vampires with a surprise ending.
January 28, 2018
📚📚📚📚📚
A desk babysitter at the London Lost Property Office isn't the first person you would think of to be a vampire hunter, though Abbey certainly makes sure she is up to the challenge!
Fantastic fantasy, yet again. It's fun, thrilling, chock a block full of action and characters so easy to identify with.
A desk babysitter at the London Lost Property Office isn't the first person you would think of to be a vampire hunter, though Abbey certainly makes sure she is up to the challenge!
Fantastic fantasy, yet again. It's fun, thrilling, chock a block full of action and characters so easy to identify with.
August 26, 2018
Why me?
I was not sure I would enjoy this but could not put it down just kept reading caught up in the story already on the second book.
I was not sure I would enjoy this but could not put it down just kept reading caught up in the story already on the second book.
August 10, 2019
The vampire genre has been done to death, excuse the pun, but this story was really unique and refreshing. The main character, Abbey, is a cynical, gloomy goth. She is a bit of an anti-hero, but she is realistic, and I loved her character. The story was hilarious and I giggled out loud at a lot of parts. I look forward to reading the rest of the books in this series.
January 29, 2018
This is a fantastic book just loved it I loved the way Abby was I loved the personality she has I highly recommend
Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews