Review: A recap of of Book 1 and a bridge to Book 2 ... other than that don't expect much from this slim volume
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 09 12, 2011
I greatly enjoyed David McAfee's first novel, 33 A.D. It's a strong writer that can place a vampire tale squarely in the middle of the Christ's last week on earth and make it work. That's the kind of quirky writer McAfee is. His quirks made a vampire tale that could have easily slipped into offensive parody shine instead.Now along comes After, a novella that follows the activities of two of 33 A.D.'s main characters, the former centurion Taras who was made a vampire (or Bachiyr, as they call themselves) and Theron, the one-time assassin from the vampiric Council of Thirteen, who is now on the run for his life with the council's new assassins on his heels.Obviously, this short work is meant to be a bridge, of sorts, from 33 A.D. or 61 A.D., the next book in the Backiyr series. As such it's a good way to catch readers up on two of the main characters and provide a recap of some of the action in the first book. But beyond that, there's not a whole lot to recommend After. Of the two stories, I preferred that of Theron and his return to his native Athens after a 900-year absence. Taras' story didn't seem to add much to the saga. Yeah, he's a vampire. Yeah, he's reluctant to kill to satisfy his vampire hunger. So how does he square his need to feed on blood with his desire not to kill? He decides to kill only bad guys. It's not like he was the first literary vampire to come to that solution. In the end it seems a bit anti-climatic to have Taras opt for this solution.Don't get me wrong. After is not a bad read. In fact, I rather enjoyed the two stories that make up this volume. It's just that they don't seem to add a lot to the Bachiyr mythos and aren't really necessary to the series except as a transition to the next book (which I am looking forward to reading).