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Princeps Venator #3
Blood Magic
Things seem quiet in New York as the NYPD Specialist Crimes Unit takes on some new staff. The only outstanding case on their books is that of a headless vampire corpse found in the East River. It’s looking like it will be a quiet summer, until the bombs start exploding.
Societas Draconistarum, a vampire terrorist organisation, are back and this time their plots could change the future of vampire society forever.
Societas Draconistarum, a vampire terrorist organisation, are back and this time their plots could change the future of vampire society forever.
- GenresUrban FantasyFantasy
ebook
Published April 24, 2019
39 people are currently reading
8 people want to read
About the author
Niall Teasdale
73 books292 followersI was born in the vicinity of Hadrian's Wall so perhaps a bit of history rubbed off. Ancient history obviously, and border history, right on the edge of the Empire. I always preferred the Dark Ages anyway; there’s so much more room for imagination when people aren’t writing down every last detail. So my idea of a good fantasy novel involved dirt and leather, not shining plate armour and Hollywood-medieval manners. The same applies to my sci-fi, really; I prefer gritty over shiny.
Oddly, then, one of the first fantasy novels I remember reading was The Dark Is Rising, by Susan Cooper (later made into a terrible juvenile movie). These days we would call Cooper’s series Young Adult Contemporary Fantasy and looking back on it, it influenced me a lot. It has that mix of modern day life, hidden history, and magic which failed to hit popular culture until the early days of Buffy and Anne Rice. Of course, Cooper’s characters spend their time around places I could actually visit in Cornwall, and South East England, and mid-Wales. In fact, when I went to university in Aberystwyth, it was partially because some of Cooper’s books were set a few miles to the north around Tywyn.
I got into writing through roleplaying, however, so my early work was related to the kind of roleplaying game I was interested in. I wrote “high fantasy” when I was playing Dungeons & Dragons. I wrote a lot of superhero fiction when I was playing City of Heroes. I still loved the idea of a modern world with magic in it and I’ve been trying to write a novel based on this for a long time. As with any form of expression, practice is the key and I can look back on all the aborted attempts at books, and the more successful short stories, as steps along the path to the Thaumatology Series.
As of 2015, I have thrown in my lot with writing. After thirty years of being a computer programmer I am making enough money to quit the day job and write full time. Dreams, occasionally, come true. My favourite authors are Terry Pratchett, Susan Cooper, and (recently) Kim Harrison. Kim’s Hollows books were what finally spurred me to publish something, even if the trail to here came by way of Susan, back in school, several decades ago.
Oddly, then, one of the first fantasy novels I remember reading was The Dark Is Rising, by Susan Cooper (later made into a terrible juvenile movie). These days we would call Cooper’s series Young Adult Contemporary Fantasy and looking back on it, it influenced me a lot. It has that mix of modern day life, hidden history, and magic which failed to hit popular culture until the early days of Buffy and Anne Rice. Of course, Cooper’s characters spend their time around places I could actually visit in Cornwall, and South East England, and mid-Wales. In fact, when I went to university in Aberystwyth, it was partially because some of Cooper’s books were set a few miles to the north around Tywyn.
I got into writing through roleplaying, however, so my early work was related to the kind of roleplaying game I was interested in. I wrote “high fantasy” when I was playing Dungeons & Dragons. I wrote a lot of superhero fiction when I was playing City of Heroes. I still loved the idea of a modern world with magic in it and I’ve been trying to write a novel based on this for a long time. As with any form of expression, practice is the key and I can look back on all the aborted attempts at books, and the more successful short stories, as steps along the path to the Thaumatology Series.
As of 2015, I have thrown in my lot with writing. After thirty years of being a computer programmer I am making enough money to quit the day job and write full time. Dreams, occasionally, come true. My favourite authors are Terry Pratchett, Susan Cooper, and (recently) Kim Harrison. Kim’s Hollows books were what finally spurred me to publish something, even if the trail to here came by way of Susan, back in school, several decades ago.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
December 9, 2019
I know I enjoyed the last book Be My Valentine, but it has been nearly three years since I read it and I struggled to remember any of the main characters. It’s probably my fault, but I couldn’t get into this story, it was very ‘bitty’ and the main characters seemed so shallow.
I’ve read nearly fifty of this author’s books and I’ve never given one star before, but I really didn’t like this book. Maybe if I had read the whole series in one go, I would have liked this one more.
I’ve read nearly fifty of this author’s books and I’ve never given one star before, but I really didn’t like this book. Maybe if I had read the whole series in one go, I would have liked this one more.
December 28, 2020
Loved the serie, loved the book. 3.5 stars
Michal and Dione are back for their third novel. This time the vampire terrorist organisation Societas Draconistarum are back at it, and now intend to do real harm. Ohh and then there remains the open case, of the headless corpse.
The Princeps Venator is both one of my favorite vampire and Niall Teasdale series. The world is wonderfully written and ever expanding. Teasdale manages to make the world feel big and complex, while still telling a compact story. Especially the more grounded tone of this series made it quite believable among the heaps of 'Secret supernatural Society' books out there.
As such the slight departure from this grounded approach felt a bit off from the rest of the series. Even so I had a marvelous time reading this latest Princeps Venator novel.
Rerecorded for readers who enjoy a more grounded approach to vampires. And of cours for fans of Mr. Teasdale!
Michal and Dione are back for their third novel. This time the vampire terrorist organisation Societas Draconistarum are back at it, and now intend to do real harm. Ohh and then there remains the open case, of the headless corpse.
The Princeps Venator is both one of my favorite vampire and Niall Teasdale series. The world is wonderfully written and ever expanding. Teasdale manages to make the world feel big and complex, while still telling a compact story. Especially the more grounded tone of this series made it quite believable among the heaps of 'Secret supernatural Society' books out there.
As such the slight departure from this grounded approach felt a bit off from the rest of the series. Even so I had a marvelous time reading this latest Princeps Venator novel.
Rerecorded for readers who enjoy a more grounded approach to vampires. And of cours for fans of Mr. Teasdale!
April 26, 2020
Another book in the Princeps Venator universe? Yes please! Over 250 pages in length? Woohoo!
So this book already addresses the biggest issue I had with book two of the series, it's length. That's an immediate plus in my book! The core of this book's plotline revolves around the plot thread left hanging at the end of book two, , as well as the overarching issue of trying to keep vampire society a secret in a world where almost everyone has a camera on them at all times and Societas Draconistarum's ongoing attempts to be Bond villains.
While this book has some pretty meaty story to it, it still feels like events are leading up to something much bigger in the future that doesn't seem to get resolved in this book (the 'shattering of the masquerade' to butcher a V:TM reference). I expected a lot more to happen with Catherine's visit to NYC, though I think the biggest long-term development that occured was Leeane being tempted by a threesome of her, Mike, and Ruth, another step down the path of Leeane breaking away from her previously reserved nature in that regard.
We see a return of one of the background characters from the previous books, but still no sight of Mark, Andy, or Mike's mother. We also never got any resolution about Mark getting introduced to the Vicarius for the area where his mother lives (a plot point from the first book iirc) or Dione wanting Mike's mother to wear something with a tracker in it (yet another plot point from the first book).
I'm hopeful about where the next book in the series will go but this book did feel like it needed a little more page-time dedicated to world-building. Well worth it if you enjoyed the previous books in the series, but I do recommend re-reading the previous two books before beginning this one.
My sincere hope is that Niall Teasdale takes some extra time with the 4th book to close up any minor trailing issues from the previous books that got missed and spends some time catching up with the forgotten cast or at least explaining why they're not getting page time.
So this book already addresses the biggest issue I had with book two of the series, it's length. That's an immediate plus in my book! The core of this book's plotline revolves around the plot thread left hanging at the end of book two, , as well as the overarching issue of trying to keep vampire society a secret in a world where almost everyone has a camera on them at all times and Societas Draconistarum's ongoing attempts to be Bond villains.
While this book has some pretty meaty story to it, it still feels like events are leading up to something much bigger in the future that doesn't seem to get resolved in this book (the 'shattering of the masquerade' to butcher a V:TM reference). I expected a lot more to happen with Catherine's visit to NYC, though I think the biggest long-term development that occured was Leeane being tempted by a threesome of her, Mike, and Ruth, another step down the path of Leeane breaking away from her previously reserved nature in that regard.
We see a return of one of the background characters from the previous books, but still no sight of Mark, Andy, or Mike's mother. We also never got any resolution about Mark getting introduced to the Vicarius for the area where his mother lives (a plot point from the first book iirc) or Dione wanting Mike's mother to wear something with a tracker in it (yet another plot point from the first book).
I'm hopeful about where the next book in the series will go but this book did feel like it needed a little more page-time dedicated to world-building. Well worth it if you enjoyed the previous books in the series, but I do recommend re-reading the previous two books before beginning this one.
My sincere hope is that Niall Teasdale takes some extra time with the 4th book to close up any minor trailing issues from the previous books that got missed and spends some time catching up with the forgotten cast or at least explaining why they're not getting page time.
December 26, 2019
Princeps Venator is a series that, for me, is just sort of... there. Nothing about the first two books really grabbed me, and this third one hasn’t changed my opinion. It’s not bad at all, but there’s nothing new enough or different enough about the series to capture my interest.
June 5, 2019
Always great!
Another great Princeps Venator book by Niall Teasdale. The characters in this series are awesome, the plot is interesting, everything is there to make a great book!
Another great Princeps Venator book by Niall Teasdale. The characters in this series are awesome, the plot is interesting, everything is there to make a great book!
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews