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Vampire Hunter D #1-3
Vampire Hunter D Omnibus: Book One
A new omnibus collecting the first three volumes of the Vampire Hunter D horror novel series!
It is 12,090 A.D., thousands of years since the human race nearly destroyed itself in a nuclear war--a folly foreseen by those who waited to emerge out of the underground...not from shelters, but from crypts!
The aristocratic vampire lords known as the Nobles inherited our world, and with dark science and immortal patience made real the things that mortals had merely dreamed, whether voyaging to the distant stars, or conjuring monsters to roam the Earth.
Yet the grand civilization of the Nobles has grown decadent, and as the terrorized remnants of humanity at last found the strength to rebel, their undying lords have been pushed back to the Frontier--the violent borderlands where humans still remain the prey of vampires, who for all their knowledge and power have never lost their obsession with our living flesh, blood...and souls!
In this bizarre and deadly far future the most dangerous thing of all is not a vampire, but the one who hunts them--the one who is half them--a dhampir, the unearthly beautiful wanderer known as D. The Vampire Hunter D Omnibus collects the first three novels in author Hideyuki Kikuchi's adventure horror Vampire Hunter D , Raiser of Gales , and Demon Deathchase . Illustrated by Final Fantasy artist Yoshitaka Amano, this book is only the beginning of a legend!
It is 12,090 A.D., thousands of years since the human race nearly destroyed itself in a nuclear war--a folly foreseen by those who waited to emerge out of the underground...not from shelters, but from crypts!
The aristocratic vampire lords known as the Nobles inherited our world, and with dark science and immortal patience made real the things that mortals had merely dreamed, whether voyaging to the distant stars, or conjuring monsters to roam the Earth.
Yet the grand civilization of the Nobles has grown decadent, and as the terrorized remnants of humanity at last found the strength to rebel, their undying lords have been pushed back to the Frontier--the violent borderlands where humans still remain the prey of vampires, who for all their knowledge and power have never lost their obsession with our living flesh, blood...and souls!
In this bizarre and deadly far future the most dangerous thing of all is not a vampire, but the one who hunts them--the one who is half them--a dhampir, the unearthly beautiful wanderer known as D. The Vampire Hunter D Omnibus collects the first three novels in author Hideyuki Kikuchi's adventure horror Vampire Hunter D , Raiser of Gales , and Demon Deathchase . Illustrated by Final Fantasy artist Yoshitaka Amano, this book is only the beginning of a legend!
632 pages, Paperback
First published October 27, 2021
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April 22, 2022
The first three Vampire Hunter D books in one.
***
Book 1
After humanity nearly wiped itself out during a brutal nuclear war that ravaged the world, vampires rose up from their shadowy tombs to enslave the last of mankind. In the year 12,090 A.D, humanity has led many uprisings against their vampire masters and are close to being on equal footing once more. In an apocalyptic wasteland where scientifically manufactured monsters, demons, aliens and all manner of horrifying creatures roam, neither human nor vampire is safe. A lone half-human vampire hunter named D journeys across the world, taking on deadly tasks for money while searching for the creator of his kind: Dracula.
This book is absolutely bonkers. It combines almost every genre of fiction that’s ever existed. It's pulpy vampire action with a badass, unstoppable protagonist against evil monsters. The descriptions of the setting are amazing if a bit excessive, the descriptions of characters are some of the most vivid I've ever seen. The battle scenes are phenomenal, written in the style of action-packed, over the top light novels. The dialogue can be very awkward and stilted at times, but as someone that grew up reading pulp, graphic novels and cheesy classic fantasy, I honestly tend to enjoy things like that.
Over-the-top violence and flashy action scenes, a blend of every monster in the history of fiction and folklore pulled from every culture imaginable, an insane mashup of dark fantasy, science fiction, dystopian horror, sword & sorcery, spaghetti western, detective mystery and gothic drama. Vampire Hunter D is pulp fiction in its purest form, an orgy of every hammer film production and cheesy 70’s fantasy and horror novel you can think of.
Each book chronicles D traveling to a new location to solve a mystery and take down a tyrant vampire lord terrorizing the locals. It’s very formulaic and that’s not such a bad thing. If you’ve read anything by Robert E. Howard, Michael Moorcock or Arthur Conan Doyle, you’ll have some idea of what to expect. Travel to a new place, hunt some monsters, uncover long forgotten lore, solve mysteries, save pretty girls, big climactic battles between powerful warriors and bloodthirsty beasts. Rinse and repeat. Each monster vanquished brings D closer to facing his arch nemesis.
***
Book 2
After his climactic battle with Count Magnus Lee, D travels to the snow-shrouded village of Tepes where vampires that can walk in broad daylight have begun to prowl the perimeters. Turns out a certain lord of vampires has been performing some incredibly dark experiments in a mountain-based secret laboratory, fusing human genes with the vampire nobles in an attempt to eradicate the genetic flaws and weaknesses of his species. Is this because he wishes to enslave humanity once more, or does he wish to bridge the gap between humans and vampires to end all conflict once and for all? Accompanied by the feisty honor student Lina, D seeks to solve the twisted mystery that links the experiments with a group of missing orphans that returned to Tepes exhibiting odd behaviors.
Dark, cold, brutal and mysterious. The action continues to be absurdly over-the-top but highly entertaining. The protagonist and the vampires are much more emotionally fleshed out here than they were in the first book. Lina, the new female protagonist was brave in the face of constant tragedy. I wasn't expecting the ending of this book to be a tearjerker given the overall pulpy tone the series has displayed so far.
The sci-fi elements were dialed up quite a few notches as well. In spite of its simplistic narration style, this series has some of the most vivid, creative and fascinating world-building of any series I've ever read.
***
Book 3
Somewhere in a quiet village surrounded by trees, a young woman is abducted by the vampire Noble Mayerling in the middle of the night. The desperate village elder turns to the mysterious Vampire Hunter D to save his missing daughter. If this were not enough, he has also regretfully hired the help of the ruthless Marcus clan who are infamous for not only killing their prey, but killing their competition and anyone that stands in their way as well. The relationship between Mayerling and the elder's daughter isn't what it seems at first glance, and the rivalry between D and the Marcus clan hunting down the same target turns an already dire situation into a bloody disaster.
More of the same and that's not such a bad thing. Over-the-top violence, an insane blend of dark fantasy, dystopian science fiction and gothic horror and nonstop supernatural action. I liked the more humanistic emotions explored in the nobles this time around, showing us that they're not always the heartless tyrants they're often made out to be. It adds a bit of depth and complexity to the moral decisions made by the main character and the way he goes about confronting his enemies.
Though not quite as interesting in terms of world building and lore this time around, it delivers some crazy action sequences and a touching Shakespearian ending.
***
Book 1
After humanity nearly wiped itself out during a brutal nuclear war that ravaged the world, vampires rose up from their shadowy tombs to enslave the last of mankind. In the year 12,090 A.D, humanity has led many uprisings against their vampire masters and are close to being on equal footing once more. In an apocalyptic wasteland where scientifically manufactured monsters, demons, aliens and all manner of horrifying creatures roam, neither human nor vampire is safe. A lone half-human vampire hunter named D journeys across the world, taking on deadly tasks for money while searching for the creator of his kind: Dracula.
This book is absolutely bonkers. It combines almost every genre of fiction that’s ever existed. It's pulpy vampire action with a badass, unstoppable protagonist against evil monsters. The descriptions of the setting are amazing if a bit excessive, the descriptions of characters are some of the most vivid I've ever seen. The battle scenes are phenomenal, written in the style of action-packed, over the top light novels. The dialogue can be very awkward and stilted at times, but as someone that grew up reading pulp, graphic novels and cheesy classic fantasy, I honestly tend to enjoy things like that.
Over-the-top violence and flashy action scenes, a blend of every monster in the history of fiction and folklore pulled from every culture imaginable, an insane mashup of dark fantasy, science fiction, dystopian horror, sword & sorcery, spaghetti western, detective mystery and gothic drama. Vampire Hunter D is pulp fiction in its purest form, an orgy of every hammer film production and cheesy 70’s fantasy and horror novel you can think of.
Each book chronicles D traveling to a new location to solve a mystery and take down a tyrant vampire lord terrorizing the locals. It’s very formulaic and that’s not such a bad thing. If you’ve read anything by Robert E. Howard, Michael Moorcock or Arthur Conan Doyle, you’ll have some idea of what to expect. Travel to a new place, hunt some monsters, uncover long forgotten lore, solve mysteries, save pretty girls, big climactic battles between powerful warriors and bloodthirsty beasts. Rinse and repeat. Each monster vanquished brings D closer to facing his arch nemesis.
***
Book 2
After his climactic battle with Count Magnus Lee, D travels to the snow-shrouded village of Tepes where vampires that can walk in broad daylight have begun to prowl the perimeters. Turns out a certain lord of vampires has been performing some incredibly dark experiments in a mountain-based secret laboratory, fusing human genes with the vampire nobles in an attempt to eradicate the genetic flaws and weaknesses of his species. Is this because he wishes to enslave humanity once more, or does he wish to bridge the gap between humans and vampires to end all conflict once and for all? Accompanied by the feisty honor student Lina, D seeks to solve the twisted mystery that links the experiments with a group of missing orphans that returned to Tepes exhibiting odd behaviors.
Dark, cold, brutal and mysterious. The action continues to be absurdly over-the-top but highly entertaining. The protagonist and the vampires are much more emotionally fleshed out here than they were in the first book. Lina, the new female protagonist was brave in the face of constant tragedy. I wasn't expecting the ending of this book to be a tearjerker given the overall pulpy tone the series has displayed so far.
The sci-fi elements were dialed up quite a few notches as well. In spite of its simplistic narration style, this series has some of the most vivid, creative and fascinating world-building of any series I've ever read.
***
Book 3
Somewhere in a quiet village surrounded by trees, a young woman is abducted by the vampire Noble Mayerling in the middle of the night. The desperate village elder turns to the mysterious Vampire Hunter D to save his missing daughter. If this were not enough, he has also regretfully hired the help of the ruthless Marcus clan who are infamous for not only killing their prey, but killing their competition and anyone that stands in their way as well. The relationship between Mayerling and the elder's daughter isn't what it seems at first glance, and the rivalry between D and the Marcus clan hunting down the same target turns an already dire situation into a bloody disaster.
More of the same and that's not such a bad thing. Over-the-top violence, an insane blend of dark fantasy, dystopian science fiction and gothic horror and nonstop supernatural action. I liked the more humanistic emotions explored in the nobles this time around, showing us that they're not always the heartless tyrants they're often made out to be. It adds a bit of depth and complexity to the moral decisions made by the main character and the way he goes about confronting his enemies.
Though not quite as interesting in terms of world building and lore this time around, it delivers some crazy action sequences and a touching Shakespearian ending.
November 9, 2022
As entertaining as the stories are, I think it's important for people to be aware of the trigger warnings all 3 books have.
Kikuchi REALLY has a thing with virgins and rape. In fact, women in his stories only serve the following purposes: to fall in love with D, to be repeatedly and violently raped, or, in case they are still virgins, for all men except for D to want to rape them. I'm not even joking, on the 3rd book there's a scene of a man convincing a girl of 17 to leave the carriage she's at, so he'll finally be able to rape her. They are interrupted by another man who appears entirely out of nowhere and gets in a fight with the 1st man... because he also wants to rape the girl. It's the only thing the male characters (except for D) apparently think about.
Kikuchi even goes as far as to justify in his world-building why rape and incest are ok (he goes LENGTHS to justify incest, and you can bet he goes to town with it once it's "justified").
That being said, I'll echo another Goodreads comment and say Vampire Hunter D is the pulpiest of pulps. Not only D has no flaws, but each story also gives him new, unnecessary, and unbelievable qualities. It gets boring with time, and that is really sad because the general plot had a lot of potential. The stories have no complexity, there are no rules to world-building, technology, magic, anything - things just are as they need to be for the sake of the plot and to show how amazing D is. I managed to put up with this for the 3 first books, but there is no way in hell I can handle 26 more of it.
Definitely watch the Bloodlust animated movie though (based on the 3rd book of this volume), it's WAY better than the book.
Kikuchi REALLY has a thing with virgins and rape. In fact, women in his stories only serve the following purposes: to fall in love with D, to be repeatedly and violently raped, or, in case they are still virgins, for all men except for D to want to rape them. I'm not even joking, on the 3rd book there's a scene of a man convincing a girl of 17 to leave the carriage she's at, so he'll finally be able to rape her. They are interrupted by another man who appears entirely out of nowhere and gets in a fight with the 1st man... because he also wants to rape the girl. It's the only thing the male characters (except for D) apparently think about.
Kikuchi even goes as far as to justify in his world-building why rape and incest are ok (he goes LENGTHS to justify incest, and you can bet he goes to town with it once it's "justified").
That being said, I'll echo another Goodreads comment and say Vampire Hunter D is the pulpiest of pulps. Not only D has no flaws, but each story also gives him new, unnecessary, and unbelievable qualities. It gets boring with time, and that is really sad because the general plot had a lot of potential. The stories have no complexity, there are no rules to world-building, technology, magic, anything - things just are as they need to be for the sake of the plot and to show how amazing D is. I managed to put up with this for the 3 first books, but there is no way in hell I can handle 26 more of it.
Definitely watch the Bloodlust animated movie though (based on the 3rd book of this volume), it's WAY better than the book.
June 7, 2022
Nie wierzę że to już po, a kolejna część dopiero we wrześniu 😭😭😭
March 25, 2022
I wrote separate reviews on all three books and I'm gonna post the links to these reviews for your reading consideration. My reason for buying this omnibus was I wanted a companion piece to accompany the dramatized audiobooks that were recently released by GraphicAudio: A Movie In Your Mind, if you haven't listened to those yet, you are missing out.
Volume 1: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Volume 2: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Volume 3: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
And here is a link to the audiobooks: https://www.graphicaudio.net/our-prod...
Volume 1: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Volume 2: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Volume 3: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
And here is a link to the audiobooks: https://www.graphicaudio.net/our-prod...
February 9, 2024
I didn’t expect this to be well written by any means. The translation is just excellent.
I know this is pretty niche and I can’t imagine anyone without a deep love for gothic imagery to enjoy this. But oh my god. This world is just so interesting.
In 12090 A.D. the rule of vampires – or ‘nobles’ is nearing its end. Most of them have been exterminated or fled to space... Which is pretty cool. I would also leave this swine infested dump behind in a gothic spaceship, all things considered.
All of the beasts and mutants that wander the earth have been bio-engineered by vampires – their genetic material manipulated in sometimes horrific ways.
As a vampire hunter and halfbreed-vampire himself, D is hated and marked an outcast by both nobles and humans. He suffers an incredibly lonely existence – he's a tragic hero in every sense and comes off as emotionless, at first.
He’s also unbelievably skilled and beautiful. I’m not sure if I mentioned that already. Everyone is gushing over how goddamn attractive he is. Personally I don’t mind it, since it’s mostly made out to be poetic and lends itself well to the entire aesthetic of the story.
Regrettably he is also the only man who isn’t terribly sexist. Which is a huge deal, because in this world, most men don’t know how to behave or sorely lack morals. They’re almost all brainless, sexist r*pists. I get it though, anarchy and all. They’re no better than monsters because humanity regressed under vampiric rule. They basically have free rein to do just about anything they desire, which is sickening and horrific to read about. It’s never too pornographic though and clearly written to be considered vile and horrendous. Still made me want to k/i/l/l someone.
D - though cold, stoic and shaped by a world that hates him - still shows great care through his actions; exclusively to those who have been kind to him. Sometimes he even SMILES, even after everything has gone to shits. Which is always a highlight.
Now a short summary of what I learned:
Fierce women = good. Talking to your hand doesn’t always mean you’re crazy. Some men can astralproject but quickly wither and die from it. Things like chivalry and kind acts being reciprocated are awakening unrealistically high standards in me, while these ideals are embodied by a half-vampire man that doesn't exist. Which is why I'll keep on reading these novels.
I know this is pretty niche and I can’t imagine anyone without a deep love for gothic imagery to enjoy this. But oh my god. This world is just so interesting.
In 12090 A.D. the rule of vampires – or ‘nobles’ is nearing its end. Most of them have been exterminated or fled to space... Which is pretty cool. I would also leave this swine infested dump behind in a gothic spaceship, all things considered.
All of the beasts and mutants that wander the earth have been bio-engineered by vampires – their genetic material manipulated in sometimes horrific ways.
As a vampire hunter and halfbreed-vampire himself, D is hated and marked an outcast by both nobles and humans. He suffers an incredibly lonely existence – he's a tragic hero in every sense and comes off as emotionless, at first.
He’s also unbelievably skilled and beautiful. I’m not sure if I mentioned that already. Everyone is gushing over how goddamn attractive he is. Personally I don’t mind it, since it’s mostly made out to be poetic and lends itself well to the entire aesthetic of the story.
Regrettably he is also the only man who isn’t terribly sexist. Which is a huge deal, because in this world, most men don’t know how to behave or sorely lack morals. They’re almost all brainless, sexist r*pists. I get it though, anarchy and all. They’re no better than monsters because humanity regressed under vampiric rule. They basically have free rein to do just about anything they desire, which is sickening and horrific to read about. It’s never too pornographic though and clearly written to be considered vile and horrendous. Still made me want to k/i/l/l someone.
D - though cold, stoic and shaped by a world that hates him - still shows great care through his actions; exclusively to those who have been kind to him. Sometimes he even SMILES, even after everything has gone to shits. Which is always a highlight.
Now a short summary of what I learned:
Fierce women = good. Talking to your hand doesn’t always mean you’re crazy. Some men can astralproject but quickly wither and die from it. Things like chivalry and kind acts being reciprocated are awakening unrealistically high standards in me, while these ideals are embodied by a half-vampire man that doesn't exist. Which is why I'll keep on reading these novels.
November 24, 2021
This is the pulpiest of pulps and it does it so very well. Shout out to Dark Horse for their excellent translation, which is several cuts above the average LN translation - "ineffable eldritch aura" is just one of many great lines. There's also something to be said for the symbolism of the vampires being called "Nobility" and how they prey on the regular people...
April 28, 2023
Vampire Hunter D - 3 Stars
A good start to this series. I know there are MANY, MANY novels, and the author needed to spend time building the world (and what a world it is) but because of this, it moved a little slowly for me at times. The overall story was interesting and entertaining though.
Vampire Hunter D, Raiser of Gales - 4 stars
The author really found his footing in this book! Everything just seemed more solid this go-around; the characters, the story, the world, all of it. A very interesting story with a helluva opening!
Vampire Hunter D, Demon Deathchase - 4 stars
Another great story. I liked the pacing; it seemed faster than the first two books. A good addition to the VHD world while also adding new info to it.
A good start to this series. I know there are MANY, MANY novels, and the author needed to spend time building the world (and what a world it is) but because of this, it moved a little slowly for me at times. The overall story was interesting and entertaining though.
Vampire Hunter D, Raiser of Gales - 4 stars
The author really found his footing in this book! Everything just seemed more solid this go-around; the characters, the story, the world, all of it. A very interesting story with a helluva opening!
Vampire Hunter D, Demon Deathchase - 4 stars
Another great story. I liked the pacing; it seemed faster than the first two books. A good addition to the VHD world while also adding new info to it.
June 23, 2023
Estoy deseoso de leer el segundo compilatorio.
April 22, 2025
One of the most iconic books of the vampire genre; highly recommend this prose filled starter with Handel's Messiah - especially No. 11!
March 14, 2025
While I will try my hardest not to delve deeply into any sensitive topics in my review, I will have to mention some heavy shit in my review, so beware.
tw: mentions of sexual abuse, sexaul assault, general sexual violence, rape, incest, and pedophilia
I came to this omnibus (containing the three novels of the Vampire Hunter D series) from the two movies that came out in 1985 and 2000 respectively. While the first one, simply titled Vampire Hunter D, was pretty alright, the second one, Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust, is a goddamn masterpiece that has since my first viewing of it become my absolute favorite movie in general. Beautiful animation, wonderful subtle world building, lovable and morally complicated characters with a story and pacing that were just perfect.
Now, why is this so fundamental to my opinion and review of the three novels here? A bit of context: I had sought them out after Bloodlust had left me with a want for lore and background information on the greater universe it took place in. In my search, I then turned to the first movie, but honestly, that movie did even less to really explain much in any explicit detail - which is honestly not a bad thing, it’s just that I wanted to learn more. With just a bit more research then, I had found the novels and learned that the first movie was based on the first novel (makes sense, since they also share a title), while Bloodlust was loosely based on the third novel Demon Deathchase which interestingly enough had come out the same year as the first movie (1985). Eagerly I got my hands on the omnibus (swatting two flies in one fell swoop, ‘cause I’d be getting both source materials for the movies) and started reading ASAP. Now, while I don’t regret this move, and I am happy to have gained such a deep insight into the world, the lore, the machinations, so on and so forth, I would never recommend the books to anyone ever. No. Save the time and read something better, and most definitely just watch the movies, especially Bloodlust. Why? Oh boy, what a wonderful question.
I don’t plan on divulging too much on the actual content of the stories or give away any spoilers, because it’d be a bit tedious to go through each plot line, especially since those are actually pretty great and one of the positive aspects of these novels.
Starting off with Vampire Hunter D (1983), this is honestly the best one of the bunch. It introduces the reader to the world quite competently, even if it reads a bit like a wanna-be Tolkiens if instead of for high fantasy, the world was futuristic vampire western gothic or whatever you want to call it. D is presented as a disciplined, but also very empathetic character who goes beyond the codex of his profession to help those in need and who looks out for the weak. There are some minor scenes of sexual assault that I can recount, but compared to the two stories that follow, it’s barely anything. If I were to rate it on its own, I’d probably given a score of 4.5.
The worst of the trio was quick to follow. Raiser of Gales (1984) presents a story with a much less obvious and immediate threat and instead goes much more a route of intrigue and detective work. Mysterious ruins that had belonged to the Noble Vampires once upon a time, teenagers that been gone after visiting those same ruins, but returned under just as mysterious circumstances, deaths that nobody could explain, and a panic about the potentiality that there might be a Noble out there who could walk in the daylight. Simply following that premise, I had hoped that this novel would be even better than the first, but the story quickly becomes convoluted, the mystery doesn’t really hold up over the +200 pages, and most of all the sexual violence against women is cranked up to 11 almost right from the get-go. The scenes involving a 17-year-old girl and her adoptive father sexually abusing her are at times described in harrowing detail to a point, where you realize that this isn’t here to in any way enhance the story (how would it even), but it’s most likely just to satisfy the barely disguised fetish of the author. There are also threats of gang rape of the same girl by another group of men (who have already engaged in sexually and violently torturing her) toward the end of the novel to add to that. As a score for it on its own, I’d probably give Raiser of Gales a score of 2.
In comparison to that, Demon Deathchase (1985) luckily tones it down by several notches and only includes one explicit scene of sexual abuse (this time perpetrated by a man towards his younger sister), some “minor” sexual assault, and implied gang rape by the aforementioned man and three of his brothers of the same younger sister. The story, just as an aside, is pretty alright, but does not in the slightest compare to how it pans out in the movie - which has changed so many elements of the original story of Demon Deathchase that you can only loosely tell that one is based on the other. That didn’t much matter to me in all honesty, because at that point, I had already grown quite weary of all the sexual violence described, mentioned and normalized as a story element.
As an additional “Fuck you” to me, and anyone who enjoyed the movie, the Marcus brothers in this novel (yes, they are the brothers from before) are the absolute worst and no, this doesn’t “only” come from their heinous acts against a sibling of theirs, but also just their general attitude and behavior. I would continue to list all the elements that the movie did better, but honestly, I’d just be here listing literally everything, but by comparison the book sucks ass. I’d probably give Demon Deathchase a 2.5.
Overall, the only good character is D, his left hand is a nice comic relief (and they could never make me hate Bengé), but most other men are the mindlessly violent and rapey type, while women are weak and fragile, and the few times a woman is actually strong and badass, D makes it very obvious that at a time where a woman “enjoys the hunt” she is no longer a woman. That’s an underlying theme through all of these, but I’ve already said enough and all the blatant and explicit depictions of sexual violence against women show plenty evidence of what the author thinks about women.
tw: mentions of sexual abuse, sexaul assault, general sexual violence, rape, incest, and pedophilia
I came to this omnibus (containing the three novels of the Vampire Hunter D series) from the two movies that came out in 1985 and 2000 respectively. While the first one, simply titled Vampire Hunter D, was pretty alright, the second one, Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust, is a goddamn masterpiece that has since my first viewing of it become my absolute favorite movie in general. Beautiful animation, wonderful subtle world building, lovable and morally complicated characters with a story and pacing that were just perfect.
Now, why is this so fundamental to my opinion and review of the three novels here? A bit of context: I had sought them out after Bloodlust had left me with a want for lore and background information on the greater universe it took place in. In my search, I then turned to the first movie, but honestly, that movie did even less to really explain much in any explicit detail - which is honestly not a bad thing, it’s just that I wanted to learn more. With just a bit more research then, I had found the novels and learned that the first movie was based on the first novel (makes sense, since they also share a title), while Bloodlust was loosely based on the third novel Demon Deathchase which interestingly enough had come out the same year as the first movie (1985). Eagerly I got my hands on the omnibus (swatting two flies in one fell swoop, ‘cause I’d be getting both source materials for the movies) and started reading ASAP. Now, while I don’t regret this move, and I am happy to have gained such a deep insight into the world, the lore, the machinations, so on and so forth, I would never recommend the books to anyone ever. No. Save the time and read something better, and most definitely just watch the movies, especially Bloodlust. Why? Oh boy, what a wonderful question.
I don’t plan on divulging too much on the actual content of the stories or give away any spoilers, because it’d be a bit tedious to go through each plot line, especially since those are actually pretty great and one of the positive aspects of these novels.
Starting off with Vampire Hunter D (1983), this is honestly the best one of the bunch. It introduces the reader to the world quite competently, even if it reads a bit like a wanna-be Tolkiens if instead of for high fantasy, the world was futuristic vampire western gothic or whatever you want to call it. D is presented as a disciplined, but also very empathetic character who goes beyond the codex of his profession to help those in need and who looks out for the weak. There are some minor scenes of sexual assault that I can recount, but compared to the two stories that follow, it’s barely anything. If I were to rate it on its own, I’d probably given a score of 4.5.
The worst of the trio was quick to follow. Raiser of Gales (1984) presents a story with a much less obvious and immediate threat and instead goes much more a route of intrigue and detective work. Mysterious ruins that had belonged to the Noble Vampires once upon a time, teenagers that been gone after visiting those same ruins, but returned under just as mysterious circumstances, deaths that nobody could explain, and a panic about the potentiality that there might be a Noble out there who could walk in the daylight. Simply following that premise, I had hoped that this novel would be even better than the first, but the story quickly becomes convoluted, the mystery doesn’t really hold up over the +200 pages, and most of all the sexual violence against women is cranked up to 11 almost right from the get-go. The scenes involving a 17-year-old girl and her adoptive father sexually abusing her are at times described in harrowing detail to a point, where you realize that this isn’t here to in any way enhance the story (how would it even), but it’s most likely just to satisfy the barely disguised fetish of the author. There are also threats of gang rape of the same girl by another group of men (who have already engaged in sexually and violently torturing her) toward the end of the novel to add to that. As a score for it on its own, I’d probably give Raiser of Gales a score of 2.
In comparison to that, Demon Deathchase (1985) luckily tones it down by several notches and only includes one explicit scene of sexual abuse (this time perpetrated by a man towards his younger sister), some “minor” sexual assault, and implied gang rape by the aforementioned man and three of his brothers of the same younger sister. The story, just as an aside, is pretty alright, but does not in the slightest compare to how it pans out in the movie - which has changed so many elements of the original story of Demon Deathchase that you can only loosely tell that one is based on the other. That didn’t much matter to me in all honesty, because at that point, I had already grown quite weary of all the sexual violence described, mentioned and normalized as a story element.
As an additional “Fuck you” to me, and anyone who enjoyed the movie, the Marcus brothers in this novel (yes, they are the brothers from before) are the absolute worst and no, this doesn’t “only” come from their heinous acts against a sibling of theirs, but also just their general attitude and behavior. I would continue to list all the elements that the movie did better, but honestly, I’d just be here listing literally everything, but by comparison the book sucks ass. I’d probably give Demon Deathchase a 2.5.
Overall, the only good character is D, his left hand is a nice comic relief (and they could never make me hate Bengé), but most other men are the mindlessly violent and rapey type, while women are weak and fragile, and the few times a woman is actually strong and badass, D makes it very obvious that at a time where a woman “enjoys the hunt” she is no longer a woman. That’s an underlying theme through all of these, but I’ve already said enough and all the blatant and explicit depictions of sexual violence against women show plenty evidence of what the author thinks about women.
January 24, 2022
Has a Bram Stoker, Gothic Romance Horror vibe.
July 20, 2023
Can we PLEASE start treating women as people?
August 29, 2022
I bought my copy in Barnes & Noble by surprise December 2021. I am familiar with the series up to a certain point (before I got caught up in school) and only via some courteous unit who had scans-turned PDF format filing for free-reading. I was hooked instantly only because I watched the two movies: First from 1985, and the more notable Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust from 2000. I highly recommend Bloodlust if you have not seen it. *Still* beautiful after 22 years. If you are looking to see any more of this series beyond novella, I recommend the manga — which is a perfect visual experience based exactly from the books. I cannot recommend this series enough.
Vampire Hunter D is a series of journeys by our broody half-vampire main character, D, and the symbiotic parasite in his Left Hand -- known simply as such.
Written by Hideyuki Kikuchi since 1983 with illustrative work by infamous artists Yoshitaka Amano (Final Fantasy) and Ayami Kojima (Castlevania), the setting is an interesting mix of sci-fi, supernatural, adventure, mystery, western, and horror.
Nobles (vampires) have ruled supreme for thousands of years, but their existence wanes as humans rise over them after a fallout. It is up to Vampire Hunters to snuff them out and maintain peace, but the job is not easy nor kind, especially when you are the son of the vampire king and a human. The best of all the rest, your name and title known far and wide in fear, envy, and awe…
This omnibus encompasses the first 3 of 29 volumes in the Vampire Hunter D series:
~ Book 1 [Vampire Hunter D] may be familiar to those who have seen the 1985 film (albeit distinctly retold differently). It gives you an idea of the type of journeys D may experience, and is titled after the main character respectively. A young daughter of a Werewolf Hunter is stalked by a Noble and D is hired by the girl to assist in slaying this vampire who intends to add her to his “family”. Along with dealing with some human interferences along the way…
~ Book 2 [Raiser of Gales] has a very small mention in the 2000 film (cool old man that makes cyborg horses pulling a shotgun scene). D is hired by the village to investigate the mystery of Nobility walking in the day after a sudden disappearance of four children one winter, with particular attention to one girl who strives to make it into the Capital.
~ Book 3 [Demon Deathchase] is more known for its romanticized 2000 film rendition. D is hired by an old nobleman in locating his missing daughter — who is being courted by a Noble — but not all is as it seems to be in this mission and the party hired by the Noble to ensure his fiancé is secured… I should note with this particular volume that if you are reading this from interest in the movie, prepare to be as shocked as I was for the twists (the novel was too graphic for the 2000 film to depict in its time, and required for a more PG take to it with new characters and story events to make it so).
Vampire Hunter D is a series of journeys by our broody half-vampire main character, D, and the symbiotic parasite in his Left Hand -- known simply as such.
Written by Hideyuki Kikuchi since 1983 with illustrative work by infamous artists Yoshitaka Amano (Final Fantasy) and Ayami Kojima (Castlevania), the setting is an interesting mix of sci-fi, supernatural, adventure, mystery, western, and horror.
Nobles (vampires) have ruled supreme for thousands of years, but their existence wanes as humans rise over them after a fallout. It is up to Vampire Hunters to snuff them out and maintain peace, but the job is not easy nor kind, especially when you are the son of the vampire king and a human. The best of all the rest, your name and title known far and wide in fear, envy, and awe…
This omnibus encompasses the first 3 of 29 volumes in the Vampire Hunter D series:
~ Book 1 [Vampire Hunter D] may be familiar to those who have seen the 1985 film (albeit distinctly retold differently). It gives you an idea of the type of journeys D may experience, and is titled after the main character respectively. A young daughter of a Werewolf Hunter is stalked by a Noble and D is hired by the girl to assist in slaying this vampire who intends to add her to his “family”. Along with dealing with some human interferences along the way…
~ Book 2 [Raiser of Gales] has a very small mention in the 2000 film (cool old man that makes cyborg horses pulling a shotgun scene). D is hired by the village to investigate the mystery of Nobility walking in the day after a sudden disappearance of four children one winter, with particular attention to one girl who strives to make it into the Capital.
~ Book 3 [Demon Deathchase] is more known for its romanticized 2000 film rendition. D is hired by an old nobleman in locating his missing daughter — who is being courted by a Noble — but not all is as it seems to be in this mission and the party hired by the Noble to ensure his fiancé is secured… I should note with this particular volume that if you are reading this from interest in the movie, prepare to be as shocked as I was for the twists (the novel was too graphic for the 2000 film to depict in its time, and required for a more PG take to it with new characters and story events to make it so).
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 28, 2022
English translation by Kevin Leahy of the original Japanese by Hideyuki Kikuchi - Omnibus edition of the first three stories.
This series also has a manga and anime ..not sure which was first.
Three main elements are holding this together.
1: Background: APOCALYPSE
Written in 1983 this is the apocalypse we all imagined would happen back then, namely nuclear war between the super powers. Vampires , having been driven into centuries of hiding, rise up to fill the void and rule an Empire that outshines our own best efforts for a period of almost 7 millennia.
The “Nobility” are almost benevolent tyrants with great advances in bio-engineering, medicine,art, space travel, and AI tech. .. but eventually are doomed to stagnation due to ennui and their own vampiric nature.
Eventually the humans rose up and bit by bit destroyed the very civilization that preserved them. The stories take place 5000 years after the beginning of the fall. Humans are left fighting over the scraps of the Empire with the vampires being “ hunted” into extinction.
2: VAMPIRES : not the sparkly kind either. The author credits his inspiration straight from the 1958 “ Horrors of Dracula” classic with Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee. Right down to the fear of the Cross and the aversion to garlic.
3: FRONTIER : at the edge of what is left of civilization. It is obviously patterned off the lawless western frontier of the USA circa mid 1800s. While the milieu doesn’t have the ‘onward ho’ optimism of the TV Western and instead more of a hopeless Mad Max vibe , the main character “Vampire Hunter D” is clearly filling that old west archetype of the lone drifter who blows into town, saves the damsel in distress, kills the bad guy in a duel, and then rides into the sunset to the next adventure. The only difference is our gunslinger is carrying a samurai sword and is a Damphir. Clint Eastwood from the spaghetti westerns has been mashed up with Wesley Snipes character from 1998s “ Blade”.
Overall very good world building using a mash up of fantasy, fable, and Sci Fi elements that taken separately would not be remarkable but put all together in one place are very special. The only thing holding this back from a five is the repetitive nature of each story arc.
This series also has a manga and anime ..not sure which was first.
Three main elements are holding this together.
1: Background: APOCALYPSE
Written in 1983 this is the apocalypse we all imagined would happen back then, namely nuclear war between the super powers. Vampires , having been driven into centuries of hiding, rise up to fill the void and rule an Empire that outshines our own best efforts for a period of almost 7 millennia.
The “Nobility” are almost benevolent tyrants with great advances in bio-engineering, medicine,art, space travel, and AI tech. .. but eventually are doomed to stagnation due to ennui and their own vampiric nature.
Eventually the humans rose up and bit by bit destroyed the very civilization that preserved them. The stories take place 5000 years after the beginning of the fall. Humans are left fighting over the scraps of the Empire with the vampires being “ hunted” into extinction.
2: VAMPIRES : not the sparkly kind either. The author credits his inspiration straight from the 1958 “ Horrors of Dracula” classic with Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee. Right down to the fear of the Cross and the aversion to garlic.
3: FRONTIER : at the edge of what is left of civilization. It is obviously patterned off the lawless western frontier of the USA circa mid 1800s. While the milieu doesn’t have the ‘onward ho’ optimism of the TV Western and instead more of a hopeless Mad Max vibe , the main character “Vampire Hunter D” is clearly filling that old west archetype of the lone drifter who blows into town, saves the damsel in distress, kills the bad guy in a duel, and then rides into the sunset to the next adventure. The only difference is our gunslinger is carrying a samurai sword and is a Damphir. Clint Eastwood from the spaghetti westerns has been mashed up with Wesley Snipes character from 1998s “ Blade”.
Overall very good world building using a mash up of fantasy, fable, and Sci Fi elements that taken separately would not be remarkable but put all together in one place are very special. The only thing holding this back from a five is the repetitive nature of each story arc.
March 14, 2022
I would like to preface this review with a trigger warning. This review does touch on issues of sexual assault and rape. You have been warned. it Only read the first two books.Ok so book 1 starts off decent but there are issues where the writing is very basic such as describing a character as a black wall that i felt was confusing on its delivery. More of as a visual depiction vs a written one. I have issues with the weird anime exaggerated monologs that character do in moments of intense emotion. The ending felt a bit rushed (this is an issue with the second book as well). But my major gripe is in book 2. The sexual assault and rape that happens to the character Lina is abhorrent. Now it is my belief and understanding that the author is not giving the approval of said actions but there are moments in this book where I have a few questions. The scenes were unnecessary and uncomfortably graphic and should have been either left unwritten or revised heavily by the publisher. These scenes were very jarring when compared with the first book which though did have its moments of sexuality but were neither as graphic, disturbing, or frequent. The world building scene describing the necessity of a villages need of a workforce for the now and future. He goes on to describe that infidelity does happen and is sometimes overlooked by the village because it needs the next generation of workers and even sometimes condones........incest. But yet the author explains that the worry of inbreeding genetic disorders is no longer an issue thanks to the vampires genetic advancements. Overall I feel this book should have a more focused look by its publisher and revised the book heavily. I have yet seen the anime on this so my review is based solely on book 1 and 2.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 14, 2025
Book 1
3.5 stars
Its pulpy, its fun, it knows what it is and actually hits the mark. Its not great, but it is popcorn kinda fun.
Book 2
1.5 stars
Nearly a DNF. This was a chore. Kikuchi's character work is nothing special at the best of times, but here its especially lacking. I couldn't care about anything. It was just BAD.
Book 3
4.5 stars
The best of the three by far. Some actual characters, some stakes, and a sense of inevitable doom and romance. It was very tragic and touching and even nostalgic in a thousands of years into the future kinda way. Action packed too.
General notes
Kikuchi's sexual kinks are VERY noticeable. I'd prefer that a bit toned down. He has the hots for seventeen year old girls with a feisty attitude. He also wants some of D's D. And rapey situations.
Some regular humans are too much, moving faster than sound and things like that. Sometimes an apparently impossible hurdle is presented, and D just strolls by, killing stakes. D is too perfect, and everybody wants to fuck him, I get its a power fantasy, but you need to chilllll.
There are some pacing issues, except for the 3rd book, which is titled Demon Deathchase, and delivers on that name.
3.5 stars
Its pulpy, its fun, it knows what it is and actually hits the mark. Its not great, but it is popcorn kinda fun.
Book 2
1.5 stars
Nearly a DNF. This was a chore. Kikuchi's character work is nothing special at the best of times, but here its especially lacking. I couldn't care about anything. It was just BAD.
Book 3
4.5 stars
The best of the three by far. Some actual characters, some stakes, and a sense of inevitable doom and romance. It was very tragic and touching and even nostalgic in a thousands of years into the future kinda way. Action packed too.
General notes
Kikuchi's sexual kinks are VERY noticeable. I'd prefer that a bit toned down. He has the hots for seventeen year old girls with a feisty attitude. He also wants some of D's D. And rapey situations.
Some regular humans are too much, moving faster than sound and things like that. Sometimes an apparently impossible hurdle is presented, and D just strolls by, killing stakes. D is too perfect, and everybody wants to fuck him, I get its a power fantasy, but you need to chilllll.
There are some pacing issues, except for the 3rd book, which is titled Demon Deathchase, and delivers on that name.
April 11, 2024
This omnibus is a collection of three stories that follow the illustrious “Vampire Hunter D”. The writing itself bothered me at times especially during fight scenes as it seemed that the actions were lost in descriptions. Not entirely sure if that is due to this being translated from Japanese to English. Another thing that I did not like is that rape is relatively prevalent in all three stories which is rather annoying. Additionally, I was also annoyed that most of the female characters that D interacted with or were central characters were all seventeen years old. Why do the central female characters have to be seventeen years old?
Something that I did like is that with the omnibus you can see that over time the author gets better and better at writing. The first story is decent, the second story is terrible, and the third story was relatively decent as well. Overall, this book was a quick read that I would recommend if you are a fan of science fiction and vampires. I am hoping that the second omnibus is better in writing and story.
Something that I did like is that with the omnibus you can see that over time the author gets better and better at writing. The first story is decent, the second story is terrible, and the third story was relatively decent as well. Overall, this book was a quick read that I would recommend if you are a fan of science fiction and vampires. I am hoping that the second omnibus is better in writing and story.
October 28, 2023
This review is for the omnibus, not for each of the three separate novels. This series is really entertaining. It essentially follows a “monster-of-the-week” format like such shows as Grimm, with the western troupe of the wandering gunslinger. What sets this series apart is the world building. The series is set in 12,000-something after Vampire’s advance civilization crumbled, leaving a post-apocalyptic husk behind. Many a monster lurk behind every corner, with the few remaining vampires-known as Nobles-striking fear into villagers along the frontier. Our titular hero is, D, a wandering damphyr, whose black cape is always billowing in the wind, sword always disconnecting his enemies’ heads from their neck, and giant black hat shielding his face from the sun. His countenance is always stern. And all the women swoon in his presence.
August 4, 2024
I really enjoyed this, I’d give it a 3.5 if GoodReads would let me, but I hesitate to give it anything higher because a) it’s the first book in a really long series, and b) it’s a really long book, and at times it was a little bit overwhelming and difficult. Immaculate futuristic gothic vibes tho.
Though I am someone who prefers to read one book at a time, I think it would’ve been better if I’d read another at the same time as this one, just to break it up a little bit and make it feel less overwhelming.
Though I am someone who prefers to read one book at a time, I think it would’ve been better if I’d read another at the same time as this one, just to break it up a little bit and make it feel less overwhelming.
August 25, 2024
3.5
Would have rated it higher if there was less SA, it happens at least once per story by an antagonist towards the female lead of that particular story. I’m hoping that doesn’t continue going forward but I’m not holding my breath.
Despite that unpleasantness I enjoyed this book, the two movies were very different to their corresponding stories but each were good in their own ways. The setting and world building is unique, and I like that the main character does receive help on occasion, an overpowered character can ruin the fun sometimes.
Would have rated it higher if there was less SA, it happens at least once per story by an antagonist towards the female lead of that particular story. I’m hoping that doesn’t continue going forward but I’m not holding my breath.
Despite that unpleasantness I enjoyed this book, the two movies were very different to their corresponding stories but each were good in their own ways. The setting and world building is unique, and I like that the main character does receive help on occasion, an overpowered character can ruin the fun sometimes.
February 24, 2022
Only read Book 1.
Good story, but very amateurish writing. Not talking literary style likeTwain or Hemingway or anything; I don't like being shown something, only to be told all about it immediately after over and over. It's not something I can chalk up to a translational thing either; it's in the text.
I'll be reading the rest, because I dig the world and the story, but I hope the writing style improves.
Good story, but very amateurish writing. Not talking literary style likeTwain or Hemingway or anything; I don't like being shown something, only to be told all about it immediately after over and over. It's not something I can chalk up to a translational thing either; it's in the text.
I'll be reading the rest, because I dig the world and the story, but I hope the writing style improves.
July 31, 2022
Universe of the Vampire Hunted D is unique and imaginative. I really love it´s history and also D as character. But this book didn´t excite me as much as I´ve expected. I´ve found stories very predictable and some characters were a little bit flat. Also there wasn´t reveiled a lot about D, his thoughts, backstory etc., as I hoped.
Better 3,5*
Better 3,5*
August 2, 2022
Good collection. The writing is clunky, not a product of translation, but the writer's 1st person style that needlessly has the narrator exclaiming open mouthed amazement. The 1st and 3rd story are sources for the 2 movies. The movies follow the stories quite closely which is a credit to the story Hideyuki crafted.
May 1, 2025
I enjoyed the storytelling and imagery of this book. I found it really interesting reading as the author’s voice and style became more unique and solid as each book progressed and even the translation felt like it strengthened from the first to third book. The stories we very, very dark but really draw in the reader and makes you want to know more about D.
May 28, 2025
this series is aura farming incarnate
book 1: Probably the best of the bunch. A good intro to the world with really fun action.
book 2: decent but could've used less rape. I thought the ending was really great though.
book 3: another good outing, but something about the illustrations and some of the action scenes seemed a little lackluster compared to the others.
book 1: Probably the best of the bunch. A good intro to the world with really fun action.
book 2: decent but could've used less rape. I thought the ending was really great though.
book 3: another good outing, but something about the illustrations and some of the action scenes seemed a little lackluster compared to the others.
December 13, 2023
This collection contains both the books that were turned into animes as well as stories that pretty much have the same overall plot as the original book. Didn't really encourage me to read further because I got the feeling I was reading variations of the same story again.
April 30, 2024
Incredibly eloquent with beautiful wording. Absolutely perverted shitshow. I prefer my books without naked 16 year olds trying to sell their bodies (with illustrations!) (not to mention all the rape. So much rape. Why? What is the purpose?)
October 29, 2022
This was good!! 3 stories in one book with some drawings and well I love Vampires!!
February 28, 2023
Detailed story and is worth the time to pass with.
April 5, 2024
Nicely paced story. Glad I have the first three in a single book!
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