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Written by Sian Rafferty
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Monday, 02 November 2009 13:27 |
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I am ashamed to admit that I have grown quite use to the idea of vampires being nothing more than seductive ice statues; the main danger to the average human being falling desperately in love.
So when Gary Cross’ ‘PLAGUE OF THE UNDEAD' came out and the vampires weren’t chiseled gods with Southern accents, I must admit... it took a little time to break back into the idea of the conventional vampire, garlic and crosses and all.
Yet if Bill or Edward ever had to come up against one of the frenzied and ultimately merciless creatures of Cross’ book... I won’t even hesitate to say who the winner would be. |
Set roughly around the year 1666 (your 7th Form history alarm bells should be ringing here), a devastating plague has hit Europe. And it isn’t of the black, ratty variety. Lucius, a tragic case of vampire orphaning, is a member of the elite vampire hunting squad dedicated to combating the multiplying vampire plague. Think Buffy, but male, and in a monk’s cassock. The vampires we are dealing with are organised by the Master Vampire, who strikes at Europe’s capitals, aiming to purge the world with his hordes of blackness.
The idea of setting the vampire plague in the year 1666 is actually an interestingly original one. This was one year in history where people actually believed that God hated them, and was punishing them for past atrocities. So mingling vampires into the mix of other catastrophes hitting Europe is an interesting re-interpretation of the past. Unfortunately, I did feel that apart from Mary (a sassy redhead Londoner); none of the characters were that likable. And I hate myself for saying this but I found the bog-standard... and smelly and unattractive vampires, not that intriguing. Even the protagonists either had fleas or grizzly faces and I just didn’t really warm to any of them.
But then, maybe this novel just isn’t made for Generation T. Maybe this is an actual genuine horror-historical vampire novel for people, other than love-sick teenagers. And to be honest once you get past it all, the book paints a pretty vivid, and accurate, interpretation of what life in the sewer-filled streets of London would have been. Enough to make me itch imaginary flea bites and dream the walls were oozing rats. The story’s sharp... and definitely has a lot of bite; and it doesn’t take a lot to get into. It spans multiple different stories, over hundreds of years, and ties them all together quite neatly making for a fairly satisfying and original read.
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