The Clockwork Vampire Chronicles

Today I finished reading the third instalment of The Clockwork Vampire Chronicles by Andy Remic.

The books are:
Kell's Legend
Soul Stealers
Vampire Warlords

"They came from the north, and the city fell.
It is a time for warriors, a time for heroes.
Kell’s axe howls out for blood.

Ferocious fantasy from a real-life hardman come to claim the post-Gemmell world.

The land of Falanor is invaded by an albino army, the Army of Iron. A small group set off to warn the king: Kell, ancient hero; his granddaughter, Nienna and her friend, Katrina; and the ex-Sword Champion of King Leanoric, Saark, disgraced after his affair with the Queen.

Fighting their way south, betrayal follows battle follows deviation, and they are attacked from all quarters by deadly albino soldiers, monstrous harvesters who drain blood from their victims to feed their masters, and the twisted offspring of deviant vachine, the cankers. As Falanor comes under heavy attack and crushing invasion, only then does Nienna learn the truth about grandfather Kell – that he is anything but a noble hero, anything but a Legend."

WOW is all I have to say. It's been a while since an author that was unknown to me has grabbed my attention to the point of not being able to put a book down. The Clockwork Vampire Chronicles are set in a fantasy world tainted with vampire mythology and cleverly intertwined (literally) with clockwork steampunk elements. These books are fast paced action with more blood and guts than you can shake a stick at. If Tarantino wrote fantasy it would read something like this!

The main characters are well defined and totally believable and I found myself immersed in the stark world that Remic has created as a backdrop to Kell's adventures.

If you choose to embark on this path then you would be best to order all three together as I can guarantee that you will be frustrated if you end Kell's Legend and are unable to progress straight into Soul Stealers and then into Vampire Warlords.

The final book reaches a natural conclusion for the Chronicles but is also left open enough for there to be plenty of scope for further novels, something that Mr Remic has assured me are in his head but not yet contracted so I sincerely hope that we will see more!

If you are a fan of Andy Gemmell then you will love this series.