The Geomancer: Vampire Empire - A Gareth and Adele Novel by Clay and Susan Griffith
The Geomancer:
Vampire Empire: A Gareth and Adele Novel by Clay and Susan Griffith
On Sale Date: November 3, 2015
Adult \ Fantasy \ Steampunk \ Romance
Publisher: Pyr
Trade Paperback, 321 pages
Source: Publisher
My Rating: 4 stars
Amazon | Goodreads
The uneasy stalemate between vampires and humans is over. Adele and Gareth are bringing order to a free Britain, but bloody murders in London raise the specter that Adele's geomancy is failing and the vampires might return. A new power could tilt the balance back to the vampire clans. A deranged human called the Witchfinder has surfaced on the Continent, serving new vampire lords. This geomancer has found a way to make vampires immune to geomancy and intends to give his masters the ability to kill humans on a massive scale.
The apocalyptic event in Edinburgh weakened Adele's geomantic abilities. If the Witchfinder can use geomancy against humanity, she may not have the power to stop him. If she can't, there is nowhere beyond his reach and no one he cannot kill.
From a Britain struggling to rebuild to the vampire capital of Paris, from the heart of the Equatorian Empire to a vampire monastery in far-away Tibet, old friends and past enemies return. Unexpected allies and terrible new villains arise. Adele and Gareth fight side-by-side as always, but they can never be the same if they hope to survive.
The Geomancer, the first book in the Gareth and Adele Novels, introduces new readers to the fantastic world that began with Vampire Empire trilogy.
Set in the same exciting alternate-history world as Vampire Empire, writing team Clay and Susan Griffith give readers a world filled with dangerous vampiric creatures, action-packed swordplay & magic, and a kick-ass couple. Fans will not want to miss out on the further adventures of Gareth & Adele.
I first discovered authors Clay and Susan Griffith with their series Crown & Key and basically went crazy over their writing. When the opportunity to read Geomancer came up, I could not resist saying yes. I was a bit hesitant about jumping into the new series, having not read the previous VAMPIRE EMPIRE books. I can honestly say I had no issues following along the storyline, and soon found myself cheering for Adele and Gareth like an old favorite book couple.
The story opens up with the knowledge that a brutal war has transpired between the humans and vampire clans in Britain, one that began and ended with Adele's power of Geomancy. Now the north is picking up the pieces with Adele and Gareth leading the way. A new danger arises as news spreads of a dangerous man know as the Witchfinder who threatens to undo all that Adele has achieved by turning her very gift she tries to protect the humans with against them.
The setting for The Geomancer is this wonderful mashup of a post-apocalyptic, alternate history filled with paranormal and steampunk goodness. There're airships and cameras, pubs and dens, clans and vampire monarchies, that make it feel unique. I loved not knowing what oddities Clay & Susan Griffith would insert into the story, surprising me.
As a fan of action and adventure, there's plenty of globe trotting and sword brandishing to keep the pace exciting. Adele and Gareth basically end up on a quest that takes them from Edinburgh, London, and the Equatorian Empire (Alexandria, I believe) to the icy mountains of Tibet. Of course, along the way there's plenty of fighting against vampiric creatures, plus new & old enemies.
Gareth and Adele are a fantastic couple! I have to say, that after reading The Geomancer and getting to know Gareth and Adele, I'm completely inspire by this kick-ass couple, the kind that makes me want to go and read all their back history in Vampire Empire, not so much because I was lost, but because I want to know all those little facets about them before they became a couple.
Adele is so fascinating, she has this power of Geomancy - think ley/dragon lines of power that run along Earth's surface that she can tap into. She also carries a bad-ass khukuri (think Nepalese knife similar to a machete) that she uses more than once. Then there's Gareth who is Adele's consort, her partner in every way, both in battle and romantically. I loved how both Gareth and Adele felt so ordinary, yet each has a power that makes them something more. They struggle to find their place with each other and the world surrounding them. Though I missed out on their burgeoning romance, it is evident that this is a couple fans continue to love.
In the end, The Geomancer was all that I hoped it to be. A great introduction to Gareth & Adele's characters and the creative world that began with Vampire Empire. It has whetted my appetite for both the future adventures of Gareth & Adele and wanting to immerse myself into the original series as well.
