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Fred, the Vampire Accountant #5
Deadly Assessments
After several years as a vampire, starting a business, founding his own clan, and proposing to his girlfriend, Fred is finally beginning to settle into life as an undead accountant. Unfortunately, not everyone is happy about his continued survival, or the dangerous friends he’s made along the way.
The Blood Council has dispatched a representative to determine if Fred is fit for the position he currently fills as head of a clan, and the stakes for failure are deathly serious. Worse, Fred will have to muddle through without the help of Krystal, who is off on a mysterious task of her own.
Saddled with a new bodyguard, Fred will have to prove he’s got what it takes to be a respectable vampire, control his abilities, and lead a clan. Because if he can’t, the House of Fred will be no more.
The Blood Council has dispatched a representative to determine if Fred is fit for the position he currently fills as head of a clan, and the stakes for failure are deathly serious. Worse, Fred will have to muddle through without the help of Krystal, who is off on a mysterious task of her own.
Saddled with a new bodyguard, Fred will have to prove he’s got what it takes to be a respectable vampire, control his abilities, and lead a clan. Because if he can’t, the House of Fred will be no more.
382 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 31, 2018
280 people are currently reading
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 293 reviews
March 17, 2019
This is the final, as of this writing, available installment of the FRED series, but I'm hopeful it's not the last. For one thing this is one of the absolute best audios series I've listened, and I can say that despite liking Fred, his friends, and his adventures very much, it's Kirby Heyborne who has kept me coming back almost slavishly. Bravo.
In this installment Fred has to come to terms with what it really means not only to be a Vampire but also a clan leader. The inevitable loss of his humanity is not something that sits well with our Fred, nor should it. In any case Fred's life isn't in his control at the moment. Due to the events of the last 2 books, or really everything Fred's competency and really his whole existence is being judged by The Blood Council, which is the highest Vampire authority, in the form of Deborah, one of their representatives. As usual the book is divided into "adventures" but in this case they're all about Fred's abilities as a leader. He learns where he's been shortsighted and where his strengths are and his friends, as expected truly come through for him.
Deborah is a super interesting character, but being a Fred fan, I couldn't completely warm up to her. Though I see the logic of the things she tells Fred and the lessons she means to impart, I couldn't help but feel that she's a representative of the Old School guard, telling the younger vampires how they don't understand about the enormity of the passage of time, because essentially they are babies. This may all be true and she does put Fred in touch with the vampire instincts he's been trying to ignore or suppress, but ultimately it also had that feel of "you young ones don't know anything" which is really a way of keeping the status quo going. Change can be good. Scary. But good. All Hail Fred.
In this installment Fred has to come to terms with what it really means not only to be a Vampire but also a clan leader. The inevitable loss of his humanity is not something that sits well with our Fred, nor should it. In any case Fred's life isn't in his control at the moment. Due to the events of the last 2 books, or really everything Fred's competency and really his whole existence is being judged by The Blood Council, which is the highest Vampire authority, in the form of Deborah, one of their representatives. As usual the book is divided into "adventures" but in this case they're all about Fred's abilities as a leader. He learns where he's been shortsighted and where his strengths are and his friends, as expected truly come through for him.
Deborah is a super interesting character, but being a Fred fan, I couldn't completely warm up to her. Though I see the logic of the things she tells Fred and the lessons she means to impart, I couldn't help but feel that she's a representative of the Old School guard, telling the younger vampires how they don't understand about the enormity of the passage of time, because essentially they are babies. This may all be true and she does put Fred in touch with the vampire instincts he's been trying to ignore or suppress, but ultimately it also had that feel of "you young ones don't know anything" which is really a way of keeping the status quo going. Change can be good. Scary. But good. All Hail Fred.
March 25, 2019
3.5 Stars
Review:
This series has been a really enjoyable one so far, and this book was no exception. The story was good, and the audio was great. These books are just absolutely perfect for audio, and Kirby Hayborne does an amazing job at bringing the characters to life. I was a little disappointed that Fred's friends weren't in this one as much though, since the friendships and found family are one of the best things about this series. Still, we did get to see Fred grow more as a vampire and learn more about using the powers he usually shuns, and that was interesting. And of course there were lots of supernaturals, a bit of humor, and some sweet moments to round it all out.
Gotta love Fred. 😂
Original Review @ Metaphors and Moonlight
Review:
This series has been a really enjoyable one so far, and this book was no exception. The story was good, and the audio was great. These books are just absolutely perfect for audio, and Kirby Hayborne does an amazing job at bringing the characters to life. I was a little disappointed that Fred's friends weren't in this one as much though, since the friendships and found family are one of the best things about this series. Still, we did get to see Fred grow more as a vampire and learn more about using the powers he usually shuns, and that was interesting. And of course there were lots of supernaturals, a bit of humor, and some sweet moments to round it all out.
"Hell, a strong enough mage could've cloaked themselves and hidden in this room with us."
Asha's breathing picked up again, and I glanced around wildly, as though that would help.
Gotta love Fred. 😂
Original Review @ Metaphors and Moonlight
September 15, 2018
This review was originally posted on Books of My Heart
Review copy was received from Publisher. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
4.5 hearts
I started by getting audios from the Fred, The Vampire Accountant series at the library. Once I was current, I requested them for audio review. It's a slow burn with Fred's tales. They start so straightforward and then everything goes to hell.
Deadly Assessments was quite suspenseful. The story was very focused on Fred, his vampire training, or lack of training, and his leadership of the clan. Thankfully, Fred continues to control his emotions, show his superior willingness to use his brain, and collect the odd band of completely devoted friends.
I will always want more of Fred's stories. As they continue, in both the world-building, and the development and growth of our beloved characters, I am happy to listen. The Blood Council is a serious and rather frightening development but I have faith; they will love Fred as much as everyone else.
Narration:
Kirby Heyborne is the perfect choice on the audio narration. He performs the logical, rational Fred and yet the explosive Krystal as well. There are differing voices for the other characters, also. My usual 1.25x speed works well.
Listen to a clip:
https://soundcloud.com/user-149056452...
Review copy was received from Publisher. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
4.5 hearts
I started by getting audios from the Fred, The Vampire Accountant series at the library. Once I was current, I requested them for audio review. It's a slow burn with Fred's tales. They start so straightforward and then everything goes to hell.
Deadly Assessments was quite suspenseful. The story was very focused on Fred, his vampire training, or lack of training, and his leadership of the clan. Thankfully, Fred continues to control his emotions, show his superior willingness to use his brain, and collect the odd band of completely devoted friends.
I will always want more of Fred's stories. As they continue, in both the world-building, and the development and growth of our beloved characters, I am happy to listen. The Blood Council is a serious and rather frightening development but I have faith; they will love Fred as much as everyone else.
Narration:
Kirby Heyborne is the perfect choice on the audio narration. He performs the logical, rational Fred and yet the explosive Krystal as well. There are differing voices for the other characters, also. My usual 1.25x speed works well.
Listen to a clip:
https://soundcloud.com/user-149056452...
August 4, 2018
Deadly Assessments (Fred, the Vampire Accountant Book #5)
by Drew Hayes
Fred and his unconventional clan, The House of Fred, are back! In this episode, Fred is getting ready to go to a Trade Fair. Krystal was to go along, but just before leaving, Krystal is called to the Fey lands to do her penance for breaking her engagement to September (Tem). So, when Deborah arrives, Krystal is unaware that the clan and Fred are under investigation. Lilian, Fred and, in Krystal's place, Richard Alderson go to the Trade Fair. Chaos ensues with Richard being unable to contain his legendary temper. After Richard leaves, being replaced by the clan's mage, Amy. Fred notices a woman, unknown to him, who has seemed to be watching how things played out with interest. When yet another disruption occurs when it seems everyone is enchanted by Amy, to the point of storming the booth to get at her, Fred begins to suspect the woman is behind it all. When Amy leaves, it is only Fred and Lilian left to deal with the clean up. The woman approaches Fred and explains that House of Turva has made a complaint against Fred to The Blood Council, the ruling vampire council, made up of only the oldest vampires. The complaint is that Fred is not fit to head a clan, and, of course, that the clan is unconventional. The Council sends one of its own to investigate, the unknown woman, Deborah. If Deborah finds Fred wanting, he will be destroyed, and perhaps the entire clan will be destroyed, as well.
The rest of the adventures in this novel base around regular happenings in Fred's life (which are, of course, very unordinary) as Deborah does her assessment of Fred and his ability to lead the clan. Those include going with Fred to meet a new client through Fred's attorney friend, Asha, and, of course, the meeting goes epically badly. Then there is the third part, the "lesson in the woods," where Deborah takes Fred into the woods and tasks him with surviving, finding his own food, learning to feed without killing, and Fred discovers that Deborah has an unexpected bit of sympathy in her, as well literally eons of vampire existence. Following that there is an adventure acting as a courier for The King of the West, and a trip to the Fey Lands that does not go exactly as one might hope
Great characters, visible character development, interesting back story into vampire lore as seen through Fred's (and Hayes') eyes. Lots of action, plenty of danger, with the door left wide open for more adventures to come while still bringing the immediate problem of Fred's fitness to lead to a close. Great proofing and editing. Stellar plotting and pacing.
This book had less of the humor I always associate with Hayes' work, but it was still there, just in a lesser amount. Certainly, the theme of Fred and his clan being under threat of death the entire novel put a damper on humor, yet Hayes still managed to keep things somewhat light.
Enjoyable summer read. I'm happily, if impatiently, awaiting publication of #6 in the series.
by Drew Hayes
Fred and his unconventional clan, The House of Fred, are back! In this episode, Fred is getting ready to go to a Trade Fair. Krystal was to go along, but just before leaving, Krystal is called to the Fey lands to do her penance for breaking her engagement to September (Tem). So, when Deborah arrives, Krystal is unaware that the clan and Fred are under investigation. Lilian, Fred and, in Krystal's place, Richard Alderson go to the Trade Fair. Chaos ensues with Richard being unable to contain his legendary temper. After Richard leaves, being replaced by the clan's mage, Amy. Fred notices a woman, unknown to him, who has seemed to be watching how things played out with interest. When yet another disruption occurs when it seems everyone is enchanted by Amy, to the point of storming the booth to get at her, Fred begins to suspect the woman is behind it all. When Amy leaves, it is only Fred and Lilian left to deal with the clean up. The woman approaches Fred and explains that House of Turva has made a complaint against Fred to The Blood Council, the ruling vampire council, made up of only the oldest vampires. The complaint is that Fred is not fit to head a clan, and, of course, that the clan is unconventional. The Council sends one of its own to investigate, the unknown woman, Deborah. If Deborah finds Fred wanting, he will be destroyed, and perhaps the entire clan will be destroyed, as well.
The rest of the adventures in this novel base around regular happenings in Fred's life (which are, of course, very unordinary) as Deborah does her assessment of Fred and his ability to lead the clan. Those include going with Fred to meet a new client through Fred's attorney friend, Asha, and, of course, the meeting goes epically badly. Then there is the third part, the "lesson in the woods," where Deborah takes Fred into the woods and tasks him with surviving, finding his own food, learning to feed without killing, and Fred discovers that Deborah has an unexpected bit of sympathy in her, as well literally eons of vampire existence. Following that there is an adventure acting as a courier for The King of the West, and a trip to the Fey Lands that does not go exactly as one might hope
Great characters, visible character development, interesting back story into vampire lore as seen through Fred's (and Hayes') eyes. Lots of action, plenty of danger, with the door left wide open for more adventures to come while still bringing the immediate problem of Fred's fitness to lead to a close. Great proofing and editing. Stellar plotting and pacing.
This book had less of the humor I always associate with Hayes' work, but it was still there, just in a lesser amount. Certainly, the theme of Fred and his clan being under threat of death the entire novel put a damper on humor, yet Hayes still managed to keep things somewhat light.
Enjoyable summer read. I'm happily, if impatiently, awaiting publication of #6 in the series.
September 8, 2018
Fred is back and it's just awesome! 4.5 stars
Fred and his unusual vampire clan is back. Like usual they just want to get on and live their lives, but not everyone is happy with the existence of this strange clan. A grievance has been made against Fred, and now his competence as clan-leader is in question. And thus the feared Blood Council has send a representative to asses Fred's fitness to lead a vampire clan.
As by now familiar with the Fred series, the book consist of a number of interconnected short stories. Where the focus however in the previous novel lay with Fred's friend and their development as a group of fiends, this novel firmly focuses on Fred himself. He is confronted with shortcomings and flaws in his view of the world, and he now has to complete these obstacles on his own.
Overall I thought this was a very good book and I enjoyed myself quite a bit. Fred and his clan remain sympathetic and added their flavor even I they were not the focus of this novel. The only big downside of this novel was the noticeable absence of my favorite character: Crystal for most of the novel. She came back, but I had to miss her most of the book.
In the end this combined to a wel earned 4.5 stars.
Fred and his unusual vampire clan is back. Like usual they just want to get on and live their lives, but not everyone is happy with the existence of this strange clan. A grievance has been made against Fred, and now his competence as clan-leader is in question. And thus the feared Blood Council has send a representative to asses Fred's fitness to lead a vampire clan.
As by now familiar with the Fred series, the book consist of a number of interconnected short stories. Where the focus however in the previous novel lay with Fred's friend and their development as a group of fiends, this novel firmly focuses on Fred himself. He is confronted with shortcomings and flaws in his view of the world, and he now has to complete these obstacles on his own.
Overall I thought this was a very good book and I enjoyed myself quite a bit. Fred and his clan remain sympathetic and added their flavor even I they were not the focus of this novel. The only big downside of this novel was the noticeable absence of my favorite character: Crystal for most of the novel. She came back, but I had to miss her most of the book.
In the end this combined to a wel earned 4.5 stars.
July 27, 2025
4.5 stars!
This was, again, so much fun, but also a bit more suspenseful than previous installments! I loved how it focused on Fred‘s vampiric side and expanded the lore more. Fred had to face the reality of what it truly means to be a vampire and the importance of familiarizing himself with everything that entails. Which was a vital step in his growth as a clan leader.
The Blood Council added an interesting element to the story and the world overall. I wasn't sure about Deborah at first, but quickly grew to like her. She put Fred in seemingly impossible situations, but was always fair and clear with her instructions, and ultimately helped him realize his own strengths (not intentionally but still ^^). I really enjoyed watching Fred find creative solutions to everything that was thrown at him.
The only thing missing here was Krystal who was absent for most of the story. I'm glad she showed up again towards the end - I just love the two of them together - and hope to see more from her in Fred's next adventures.
This was, again, so much fun, but also a bit more suspenseful than previous installments! I loved how it focused on Fred‘s vampiric side and expanded the lore more. Fred had to face the reality of what it truly means to be a vampire and the importance of familiarizing himself with everything that entails. Which was a vital step in his growth as a clan leader.
The Blood Council added an interesting element to the story and the world overall. I wasn't sure about Deborah at first, but quickly grew to like her. She put Fred in seemingly impossible situations, but was always fair and clear with her instructions, and ultimately helped him realize his own strengths (not intentionally but still ^^). I really enjoyed watching Fred find creative solutions to everything that was thrown at him.
The only thing missing here was Krystal who was absent for most of the story. I'm glad she showed up again towards the end - I just love the two of them together - and hope to see more from her in Fred's next adventures.
October 29, 2018
Very nice series that takes an unusual look at vampires and the supernatural. Good read with a lot of humor. Recommneded
September 20, 2025
Probably the best of the series so far!
A well-needed slow down book that looks at the consequences of everything that’s happened so far, and gives Fred himself a chance to “level up” so to speak. It felt like a side quest to the main series, but a necessary one that added to the lore and world building as well as development of the main characters.
I really liked the introduction of Deborah. We have had characters similar to her before, who are ancient and powerful, but she really stands alone in her mindset and depiction.
Overall, the series goes from strength to strength, as does the House of Fred, and I’m excited to see where it goes.
The graphic audio was once again excellent, and the main narrator and remaining cast all bring this world to life in a brilliant way. A few of the sound effects (especially during gunfights) were a bit too loud - almost drowning the narration - but it was very high quality and made me fly through the book.
Highly recommended if you want a new urban fantasy to get into that’s fast-paced, written in a modern way, with an incredible rich world and diverse cast of characters. Looking forward to the next one :D
A well-needed slow down book that looks at the consequences of everything that’s happened so far, and gives Fred himself a chance to “level up” so to speak. It felt like a side quest to the main series, but a necessary one that added to the lore and world building as well as development of the main characters.
I really liked the introduction of Deborah. We have had characters similar to her before, who are ancient and powerful, but she really stands alone in her mindset and depiction.
Overall, the series goes from strength to strength, as does the House of Fred, and I’m excited to see where it goes.
The graphic audio was once again excellent, and the main narrator and remaining cast all bring this world to life in a brilliant way. A few of the sound effects (especially during gunfights) were a bit too loud - almost drowning the narration - but it was very high quality and made me fly through the book.
Highly recommended if you want a new urban fantasy to get into that’s fast-paced, written in a modern way, with an incredible rich world and diverse cast of characters. Looking forward to the next one :D
January 3, 2025
Another brilliant instalment
Fred and his friends are the perfect companions to listen to when working, cleaning, walking the door, etc etc
The stories are told with underlying humour, but also there is an amazing set of characters with emotional intelligence in their stories.
This one was mainly Fred focused and walked us through his training (lack of) and it made for a compelling story
Fred and his friends are the perfect companions to listen to when working, cleaning, walking the door, etc etc
The stories are told with underlying humour, but also there is an amazing set of characters with emotional intelligence in their stories.
This one was mainly Fred focused and walked us through his training (lack of) and it made for a compelling story
December 4, 2022
Well done, glad to be picking back up in the series.
August 15, 2020
I am unsurprised but pleased to say that the new addition to the Fred series is equally as good as the rest of the series. I always recommend the Fred series for someone who has never read Drew Hayes, as it’s such an easy series to fall into, devour quickly, then left delighted and wanting more.
Recommended to anyone who enjoys comedy fantasy.
Recommended to anyone who enjoys comedy fantasy.
May 17, 2025
The Fred the Vampire Accountant series is a sweet distraction from my daily concerns and they are terrific beach reads. They’d be labeled cozies except, well, Fred is a vampire and sometimes he must eat, as do his frenemies and enemies and friends. Since he has become undead, his world seems to be about protecting himself from the politics and power plays of vampire clans, dragons, zombies, wizards and other strange people like shapeshifters.
I am listening to the audiobooks, narrated by Kirby Heyborne. He has the perfect tone for a somewhat innocent Fred. Since Fred, the narrator, was abandoned by his maker, he doesn’t know much about how to be a vampire. After his first disastrous attempts at feeding from a living person, he now depends on blood bank blood. However, the other vampires are disturbed by Fred’s refusal to act like a vampire, or to join a clan. So. This is what the current installment, ‘Deadly Assessments’, number 5 in the series, is about.
I have copied the book blurb.
After several years as a vampire, starting a business, founding his own clan, and proposing to his girlfriend, Fred is finally beginning to settle into life as an undead accountant.
Unfortunately, not everyone is happy about his continued survival, or the dangerous friends he’s made along the way.
The Blood Council has dispatched a representative to determine if Fred is fit for the position he currently fills as head of a clan, and the stakes for failure are deathly serious. Worse, Fred will have to muddle through without the help of Krystal, who is off on a mysterious task of her own.
Saddled with a new bodyguard, Fred will have to prove he’s got what it takes to be a respectable vampire, control his abilities, and lead a clan. Because if he can’t, the House of Fred will be no more.”
The above blurb leaves out the most pertinent issue. If the Blood Council does not approve of Fred’s ability to lead a clan, they will kill the entire clan, not just himself. What a catastrophe! He barely knew how to be a regular person before he was changed since he was a shy nerd who kept to himself! The so-called bodyguard is a thousands of years old vampire who is assessing Fred’s conduct as he deals with a variety of issues, all of which are kinda cool despite being murderous or silly ones. She decides to teach him a little bit. Hmmmm. The series is a dramady, after all, so the situations Fred is dealing with are funny despite the deadly danger of each one. But dead is dead, and even the undead can be really dead!
I am listening to the audiobooks, narrated by Kirby Heyborne. He has the perfect tone for a somewhat innocent Fred. Since Fred, the narrator, was abandoned by his maker, he doesn’t know much about how to be a vampire. After his first disastrous attempts at feeding from a living person, he now depends on blood bank blood. However, the other vampires are disturbed by Fred’s refusal to act like a vampire, or to join a clan. So. This is what the current installment, ‘Deadly Assessments’, number 5 in the series, is about.
I have copied the book blurb.
After several years as a vampire, starting a business, founding his own clan, and proposing to his girlfriend, Fred is finally beginning to settle into life as an undead accountant.
Unfortunately, not everyone is happy about his continued survival, or the dangerous friends he’s made along the way.
The Blood Council has dispatched a representative to determine if Fred is fit for the position he currently fills as head of a clan, and the stakes for failure are deathly serious. Worse, Fred will have to muddle through without the help of Krystal, who is off on a mysterious task of her own.
Saddled with a new bodyguard, Fred will have to prove he’s got what it takes to be a respectable vampire, control his abilities, and lead a clan. Because if he can’t, the House of Fred will be no more.”
The above blurb leaves out the most pertinent issue. If the Blood Council does not approve of Fred’s ability to lead a clan, they will kill the entire clan, not just himself. What a catastrophe! He barely knew how to be a regular person before he was changed since he was a shy nerd who kept to himself! The so-called bodyguard is a thousands of years old vampire who is assessing Fred’s conduct as he deals with a variety of issues, all of which are kinda cool despite being murderous or silly ones. She decides to teach him a little bit. Hmmmm. The series is a dramady, after all, so the situations Fred is dealing with are funny despite the deadly danger of each one. But dead is dead, and even the undead can be really dead!
November 22, 2023
Wonderful continuation while allowing the characters to grow. Superb
March 15, 2024
Okay, I say this every time now, but being so far in the series now, my reviews are short and sparse. This was another awesome entry though, and it really spends the whole book setting up things nicely for the next book. I can't wait to see how that goes down.
May 30, 2025
Each installment seems to be better than the last! This was a fantastic entry and my favorite to date. We are introduced to the ruling organization of the vampires, known as The Blood Council, and we witness Fred being forced to put his strengths to the test as he protects his clan.
October 9, 2018
I love Fred
There's other books about "regular person turned into vampire, does not become instantly beautiful and deadly." In fact, it's almost become a fantasy sub-genre. Fred isn't fabulous, or sparkly. He's an accountant who wears sweater vests and is sincerely interested in tax law, and also he's s vampire. But mostly he's an accountant because that's how Fred identifies - accountant vampire, so to speak, rather than vampire accountant.
Fred is great. He's smart, and he knows it. He plays to his strengths, he doesn't moan about not being a fabulous sparkly eternal with mystifying powers. Fred's supernatural world makes sense - there's organization and rules and governance - and the different people added as secondary characters aren't there as exposition points or opportunities for an info-dump.
The series isn't perfect, obviously. I have my issues with some of the plotlines, and I think that there's too many secondary characters. Fred is TOO sensible, at least in this book. He's entirely too calm about the whole situation. Almost Spock-like and utterly unemotional, which makes him less interesting, as a character. This is the first book of the series where Fred seemed more wooden than human (well, vampire).
On the whole, though, this is a great series. Urban fantasy suffers from an excess of authors taking a shot at various tropes, resulting in some hysterically awful and painfully terrible books, as well as ones that desperately need editing and/or proofreading. The blurb says Drew Hayes is an "aspiring author," but I would say he's currently one of my favorite writers in the genre. I eagerly anticipate more Fred stories .
There's other books about "regular person turned into vampire, does not become instantly beautiful and deadly." In fact, it's almost become a fantasy sub-genre. Fred isn't fabulous, or sparkly. He's an accountant who wears sweater vests and is sincerely interested in tax law, and also he's s vampire. But mostly he's an accountant because that's how Fred identifies - accountant vampire, so to speak, rather than vampire accountant.
Fred is great. He's smart, and he knows it. He plays to his strengths, he doesn't moan about not being a fabulous sparkly eternal with mystifying powers. Fred's supernatural world makes sense - there's organization and rules and governance - and the different people added as secondary characters aren't there as exposition points or opportunities for an info-dump.
The series isn't perfect, obviously. I have my issues with some of the plotlines, and I think that there's too many secondary characters. Fred is TOO sensible, at least in this book. He's entirely too calm about the whole situation. Almost Spock-like and utterly unemotional, which makes him less interesting, as a character. This is the first book of the series where Fred seemed more wooden than human (well, vampire).
On the whole, though, this is a great series. Urban fantasy suffers from an excess of authors taking a shot at various tropes, resulting in some hysterically awful and painfully terrible books, as well as ones that desperately need editing and/or proofreading. The blurb says Drew Hayes is an "aspiring author," but I would say he's currently one of my favorite writers in the genre. I eagerly anticipate more Fred stories .
January 6, 2022
This was the first book in the series that while it had several episodes, they flowed so well from one to the next with a unifying plot that it actually read like a novel instead of an anthology. I was so impressed! The last book started drifting that way and I was hoping this would happen. None of these books are bad, but they really are getting better with each one. Fred has really changed a lot from the first book, not so much because his nerdiness just seems like a quirk now instead of a defining feature, but where book 1 Fred would have turned a blind eye to avoid trouble, book 5 Fred is practically looking for it. At this point in his life, the influence of an older, wiser vampire like Deborah seems very necessary. I'm glad we're getting to explore vampire culture.
March 10, 2020
Fred's story continues, much like the others
This review is really more for the series as a whole than just Deadly Assessments. These books are just fun. They follow the same pattern of related vignettes that both stand alone and work as a cohesive novel. I've come to really enjoy the format. The content itself is more of the same from the series, and i mean that in the best way possible. If you liked the first four, which you probably did if you're reading this, then you should definitely pick this one up as well. The story of Fred and his clan continues. This entry is more Fred-centric than the others have been, but it's his book!
This review is really more for the series as a whole than just Deadly Assessments. These books are just fun. They follow the same pattern of related vignettes that both stand alone and work as a cohesive novel. I've come to really enjoy the format. The content itself is more of the same from the series, and i mean that in the best way possible. If you liked the first four, which you probably did if you're reading this, then you should definitely pick this one up as well. The story of Fred and his clan continues. This entry is more Fred-centric than the others have been, but it's his book!
October 29, 2022
Not quite as enthralling as previous entries, but the narration is as excellent as ever. 4 stars is still superb, though, *especially* for the 5th entry in a series. Easily one of the most entertaining series I’ve ever read, right up there with Bujold’s Vorkosigan saga.
September 29, 2018
This series just keeps getting better with such incredible character development!
October 12, 2018
This book was so good! I love how Fred is constantly evolving. I can’t wait for the next one! I love this series.
May 15, 2019
Really enjoyed this Fred one. He really grew as a person and as a vampire. Can't wait for the next Fred book to come out. Kirby Heyborne knocks it out of the park again
November 7, 2023
Undead Fred and the Blood Council
I am going to come right out and admit that I read book 5 because it was free on Kindle Unlimited and it looked interesting and book 1 wasn’t terribly cheap at full price. So I went straight to book 5 without knowing how our hero Fred the vampire accountant came up with all of his friends and got cool skills. Sometimes that works for me and sometimes it doesn’t, and this is one of those times when I could tell that I was missing things that obviously happened in other books.
All that being said, I still eventually managed to enjoy reading about Fred and his clan which was ultimately called The House of Fred. I learned that vampires have an oversight council that makes sure there are no vampires that will either infringe on other vampire territories, or take over the world and Fred had a relatively polite (for them) emissary descend on The House of Fred while his much stronger fiancé was away. The emissary was there specifically to see if Fred was worthy of leading his strange clan which consisted of vampires, mages, a house(don’t ask), a zombie, and a few close associates on the outside that may or may not include a dragon.
Anyway, Fred has some adventures while proving himself to the council, and meanwhile his fiancé is trying to get out of an engagement with a member of the fey Court of Frost?
So yes, this is definitely a series worth reading, so just for the heck of it I ordered book 1 from a thrift store. Call me cheap, but we do what we must for adventure. Just ask Fred, my accountant.
I am going to come right out and admit that I read book 5 because it was free on Kindle Unlimited and it looked interesting and book 1 wasn’t terribly cheap at full price. So I went straight to book 5 without knowing how our hero Fred the vampire accountant came up with all of his friends and got cool skills. Sometimes that works for me and sometimes it doesn’t, and this is one of those times when I could tell that I was missing things that obviously happened in other books.
All that being said, I still eventually managed to enjoy reading about Fred and his clan which was ultimately called The House of Fred. I learned that vampires have an oversight council that makes sure there are no vampires that will either infringe on other vampire territories, or take over the world and Fred had a relatively polite (for them) emissary descend on The House of Fred while his much stronger fiancé was away. The emissary was there specifically to see if Fred was worthy of leading his strange clan which consisted of vampires, mages, a house(don’t ask), a zombie, and a few close associates on the outside that may or may not include a dragon.
Anyway, Fred has some adventures while proving himself to the council, and meanwhile his fiancé is trying to get out of an engagement with a member of the fey Court of Frost?
So yes, this is definitely a series worth reading, so just for the heck of it I ordered book 1 from a thrift store. Call me cheap, but we do what we must for adventure. Just ask Fred, my accountant.
August 3, 2023
This series continues to be so incredibly enjoyable. I love everything about this book. It was really fun, fast-paced, and we got to learn so much vampire and parahuman lore. I loved the introduction of Deborah and the Blood Council, and the glimpses of Fae culture we got were really intriguing. The topics of immortality and what it really means to live for thousands of years was actually addressed and, while it certainly didn't present anything new, it done well and was actually more thoughtful than I expected from the series.
Krystal was missing for most of this book and, while I like her, she is definitely my least favorite character. There's nothing wrong with her, but she's a lot less interesting that basically every single other character. Deborah more than made up for Krystal's absence. I'm not sure if she'll ever show up again, but I would really like it if she did, even if only for a chapter or two.
Usually my favorite parts of these books are the humorous ones, but this time the stand-out scene was an action scene. Krystal's final trial was so much fun to read and I love how we got to see almost all the major characters play a part of the final plan.
I say this in every review, but I'm super excited for the next volume. It sounds like it might include Krystal and Fred's wedding, so I'm hoping we meet some new types of parahumans.
Krystal was missing for most of this book and, while I like her, she is definitely my least favorite character. There's nothing wrong with her, but she's a lot less interesting that basically every single other character. Deborah more than made up for Krystal's absence. I'm not sure if she'll ever show up again, but I would really like it if she did, even if only for a chapter or two.
Usually my favorite parts of these books are the humorous ones, but this time the stand-out scene was an action scene. Krystal's final trial was so much fun to read and I love how we got to see almost all the major characters play a part of the final plan.
I say this in every review, but I'm super excited for the next volume. It sounds like it might include Krystal and Fred's wedding, so I'm hoping we meet some new types of parahumans.
January 4, 2022
Het vijfde boek ziet het House of Fred in aanvaring komen met het Blood Council. Het hele boek volgt eigenlijk hoe Fred zich moet bewijzen, niet als persoon, maar als vampier. Eerlijk gezegd, dit is met voorsprong het beste boek in de gehele serie tot nu toe, alle eerdere elementen komen terug in betere vorm, al is Krystal voor zowat het hele boek afwezig, maar gezien de titel van het volgende boek is dat niet erg. Ik kijk uit naar de rest van de serie!
November 2, 2018
Although it was nice to be back with Fred and the gang, I didn't feel drawn into the stories as with the books before. Despite the adventures being good and we did learn a lot more about the vampire society.
March 7, 2019
More popcorn reading. Not incredible, but still enjoyable. A guilty pleasure.
July 26, 2021
As far as I'm concerned, this author and this narrator can do no wrong. They make a fantastic team!
September 10, 2021
Fred never fails to entertain. 🖤🦇🧛
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