Review: Dark Roots by Lucius Valiant
Blurb:
Harlan Thorne is a professional Hunter.
When a solicitor approaches him on behalf of a client facing an unspecified vampire problem, he cannot turn away. But from the moment he steps into the imposing Thornhill Mansion, perched above the hallowed grounds of Highgate Cemetery West, reality itself begins to warp.
Harlan soon finds himself swept up in a cyclone of long-held secrets, ancient vendettas, ghostly whispers, and a looming resurrection that demands blood - in abundance.
As Harlan unravels the mysteries of Thornhill Mansion and its inhabitants, he unearths buried truths about his own lineage. The deeper he digs, the more he realizes: his fate is hopelessly entangled with the Thornhills’.
“Dark Roots" is the debut novel from Danish-British author Lucius Valiant. Sumptuously dark with a wry twist of humor, it’s the first spine-tingling installment in the Thornhill Vampire Chronicles.
Review:
For vampire hunter Harlan Thorne, the Van Helsing society has always been like a second home. He has known no life other than his work, has no friends or family outside the organization that aims to keep the nefarious side of the supernatural community in check–through guns, stakes, grimoires–any means necessary. But suddenly, he finds himself unwelcome in the very society to which he has devoted the better part of the last twenty-seven years. While a wicked treachery to push him away unfolds, a strange patron invites him to a quest leading him towards a trail of his own forgotten past.
‘You will serve as the catalyst for her resurrection’
If that intriguing premise alone is somehow not enough to pull into the dark, haunting world of Lucius Valiant’s debut novel Dark Roots, there is a lot more coming. The Thornhill Vampire Chronicles beautifully blends in elements of Victorian gothic with brisk-paced contemporary urban fantasy. It is sent in the modern world, but the story revolves around immortal vampires whose history dates back hundreds of years. And in the shadows of the dilapidated Thornhill Mansion, the past and present come together in a saga where the participants include not just humans and vampires, but also werewolves, vengeful spirits and strange merpeople.
‘But it wasn't just her porcelain skin or the fact that she seemed frozen in eternal youth that gave it away. It was her undeniable aura, a primal sort of magnetism that humans just don't possess.’
While Lucius’s writing captures the dark, gothic ambiance beautifully, unlike a lot of classic Victorian gothic fantasy, it moves at a fast pace, and goes above and beyond just the ominous atmosphere. The plot is nuanced and well-thought-out with multiple tangents, not all of which unravel in the first book. The presentation also weaves in some subtle humor time to time, which complements the foreboding environment beautifully.
‘I hope I am not being insensitive when I say that death never goes out of style.’
As we follow Harlan Thorne’s strange quest to uncover the tragic past of the Thornhill family, we also embark upon a discovery of his own past, which just happens to be deeply intertwined with the community of the creatures of the night he has been hunting all his life.
‘My life experience has taught me, time and time again, that the only vampire you can trust is one you’ve just nailed to the floor with a stake.’
If you have enjoyed shows like Penny Dreadful, Buffy, Dark Shadows or The Originals, this series will certainly appeal to you. The author draws deep inspirations from Van Helsing’s classic saga and combines with it with some innovative world building and interesting characters. Heavy on action and mystery and low on romance - Lucius delivers on the premise set by the blurb beautifully.
I am eager to follow Harlan Thorne’s journey over the next books of the series.
‘I wasn’t really afraid of dying. I was afraid of standing still.’
