VAMPIRE BROTHER

A dark elf vampire leader and his minions prepare for battle in this sword-and-sorcery novel.

In this tale, Wood Elves are attacked by strange white orcs of the west. But this isn’t the only threat the elves of the surface world must fear. Underground, the Illanni, the dark elves, have a new leader: Tibersu, a dark elf vampire. And while dark elves have been run by a ruling class of dark elf vampires for many years, Tibersu’s reign is a turning point. This is the first time the dark elves are united enough to attempt to retake the surface world. Tibersu is guided by the goddess Adois, who gives him a map to uncover a powerful treasure that will aid in her goal to not only conquer the surface world, but spread vampirism as well. To accomplish Adois’ wishes, Tibersu sends Martish, a dark elven military commander who secretly hates vampires, after this treasure. Meanwhile, the appearance of the odd white orcs is no fluke; in the shadows, the black witch has her own sinister scheme. The concept for this ambitious novel is a captivating blend of sword-and-sorcery fantasy and vampiric horror. On a basic level, the connection makes sense: Dark elves live underground, and vampires can’t tolerate the sun. But Stephenson doesn’t fully exploit the possibilities of this hybrid genre. Rather, the story is a fairly traditional fantasy in which the plot supersedes the characters. The tale opens with Wood Elves Tarquin and Ress being attacked by the white orcs. That scene ends with the two elves victorious, traveling home. There’s no time to get to know the characters or feel for them when Ress gets wounded. Since more and more players are constantly introduced, it will be difficult for readers to figure out whom to focus on. The betrothed Tarquin and Ress? The betrothed Eldahir, one of the Wood Elves’ greatest generals, and Morganna, a former Illanni magically transformed into a Wood Elf? Morganna’s vampire brother, Boltrein? Martish? Tibersu? The black witch? The narration treats all of these distinctive characters as if they are equally important. It’s not clear whose story this is or whom readers should pay attention to or root for.

An intriguing fantasy that ultimately becomes scattered and plot heavy.