Thursday, May 19, 2011

The President's Vampire by Christopher Farnsworth

The President's VampireFrom Goodreads:
The ultimate secret. The ultimate agent. Nathaniel Cade returns. 
For 140 years, Nathaniel Cade has been the President's Vampire, sworn to protect and serve his country. Cade's existence is the most closely guarded of White House secrets: a superhuman covert agent who is the last line of defense against nightmare scenarios that ordinary citizens only dream of. 
When a new outbreak of an ancient evil-one that he has seen before- comes to light, Cade and his human handler, Zach Barrows, must track down its source. To "protect and serve" often means settling old scores and confronting new betrayals . . . as only a centuries-old predator can.
Blood OathThis is the second installment of Nathaniel Cade, the vampire in the service of the white house. The first was Blood Oath and I did review it HERE. Within this story Cade is again fighting the otherworldly forces of evil but I felt it was much more politically based than the first and a lot more involved in conspiracy theories. In this way the author deals with area 51 and even, ironically, to Bin Laden which is the opening sequence. Now before you think that the last part could already make this book outdated, think again... it actually keeps it eerily up to date.

In this book a covert agency is experimenting with an unusual virus which transforms people into a mindless eating and killing creature. The agency is so covert, even those who have high clearance do not know who is involved with this agency. It is no secret that parts of Blackwater were incorporated as well as the images we have of the men in black. These arrogant and self-righteous people become a bigger threat than the one's we know of; or are they? Perhaps they have been involved in those other operations all along. I also find it interesting that the president is based on our current president (if you don't believe me... check the book trailer and listen to the president's voice at the end...).

Part history, part political, and part imagination (yep, that's a lot of parts!) all come together to make a world that you could actually believe might just happen. *checks under the bed for lizard-like monsters* It is a fun and thrilling ride. I suppose my only criticism is that we actually get less Cade in this book than the first. I really want to get to know him and you don't know any more about him in this book than from what you learned in the first. I did get to know Zach a bit better and, in fact, liked him a whole lot more. I also enjoyed the character of Bell (one of the baddies) and some of the secondary characters even if we only knew them for a chapter.

It is a fun political vampire/monster book and I give it 4 stars. I believe you can read this as a stand alone, but I think you should start with the first to really get to know Cade.

I received this ARC from Putnam and Goodreads First Reads Program and no compensation for my review was given.



16 comments:

  1. I don't think I have ever read a fun political vampire/monster book before! Great review :)

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  2. A political vampire protecting the president? Mr Bush would die of outrage if he read this one...mind you nobody has proved that he can read so...;) I might read this one if I find it!

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  3. I like the idea of the president having a vampire to protect them - sounds like a good read.

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  4. I have been hearing good things about the book. The premise is compelling. I have not had very good experiences with vampire books, so I am want to try this book - I think I might like it.

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  5. I have to read this book! I am all for vampires! Plus I need a little adult reading!

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  6. I really want to read this series, I like that vampires are darker in these books and Cade seems to be quite an interesting character. Awesome review Melissa!

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  7. There is something in it that makes me think cool! But then there is the whole genre that I just never seem to get into

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  8. I really liked this book too :) I love Cade but "probie" (and I am sorry but that is what I think of Zach) is really what made me love this one!

    Great Review!

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  9. It really does sound like a fun book. OMG that book trailer was skurry!

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  10. @anachronist... LOL!! Well, perhaps he would welcome a zombie (he would be safe then... *snicker*)

    @...Petty... Oh read the first one before this one!

    @Misha... I think it might be different enough for you

    @Savannah... Oh yes! I think you'll like this series.

    @Jenny... Not much of the character of Cade in the second so read the first one FIRST (can you believe I'm suggesting that??? LOL).

    @Blodeuedd... Aw... perhaps if it was a dystopian vampire??? ;)

    @Felicia... OMG! Probie! Perfect for Zach! I agree... he wasn't much in the first but in this one was very good!

    @Samita... BOO! ;D

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  11. I don't know if I'd like these or not... I THINK I have Blood Oath on my Nook already, but I've never read it!

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  12. Yup, those are a lot of parts. I could do with out the political part, but then again, I guess that would take out a lot of the story.

    And no, I wouldn't dare read out of order, esp if this book had less Cade. :P

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  13. I love all those parts! I really enjoyed the first one, which was a fun read. A covert government agency involved with ancient evil...you mean that's supposed to be fiction???

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  14. @Bookish... I think you might get into it. Cade is really in the first!

    @Missie... well, it's not political in the way things are political IRL that we hear about a lot. It's mostly about how the power flows. Not the in-fighting. :)

    @Stephanie... LOL True.

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  15. I ordered the first one from the library after your other review. Can't wait to get my hands on these!

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  16. Hmmm, I don't know. Sounds interesting. Both books actually. But are they for me... I'm just not sure. :) Thank you!

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