Barbara Hambly is a prolific author of fantasy, horror, historical and mystery fiction. Although I'm not generally a fan of horror fiction, her James Asher series caught my interest from the first book, Those Who Hunt the Night, and continues to enthrall with this, the seventh book in the series.
The series began at the turn of the previous century, featuring James Asher, an Oxford philologist who has a second, top secret career as an agent provocateur for the British Secret Service; and his wife Lydia, an early feminist who horrifies her wealthy, aristocratic family by pursuing a medical degree and an interest in researching glandular and blood disorders.
Pale Guardian picks up where the last book, Darkness on His Bones left off. World War I has begun. James is convalescing in England from the pneumonia that nearly killed him, and Lydia is a volunteer working at a medical station on the front lines in France. The vampire Don Simon Ysidro, disguised as a British colonel on special assignment, is fulfilling his promise to watch over Lydia's safety.
Every vampire in Europe is haunting the battlefields and casualty tents; but Lydia soon discovers that even worse creatures called revenants have appeared, a contagion that infects anyone who is exposed to their blood. Revenants attack and devour both the living and the Undead. They have a kind of hive mind and hunt in packs. And there are those on both sides of the battle who think they can control the creatures and use them as weapons to destroy their enemies.
Asher and Lydia must make a devil's bargain with the vampires to prevent this madness. Don Simon as always is their ally. The World War I setting creates a chilling tale of the evil that men do in pursuit of victory at any cost.
Click HERE to read the review from Publishers Weekly.
Click HERE to read the review from Kirkus Reviews.
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