Traitor to the Blood (The Noble Dead)

Traitor to the Blood is the fourth book in the Noble Dead series by Barb and J.C. Hendee. The first book is Dhamphir, the second is Thief of Lives and the third if Sister of the Dead. If you are considering reading this book, I strongly urge you read the other three first. While you may get the general idea of this story, by reading the other three the story will be much more satisfying and enjoyable for you. The plot in this book seems to be much more involved that the first three books. In the first three, the plot seemed rather linear and there weren't many subplots. They were still very good books, don't get me wrong. In this book however, it seems the Hendee's made a conscience effort to really have a solid foundation in which to throw their characters. There are several subplots in this book that only add to the mystery of the situation and even within the last one-hundred pages yet another subplot is thrown in for good measure. With all this talk of multiple subplots, you might be thinking this book is confusing. It's really not. The plot, and subplots, are laid out in such a way (and explained) that there is really no confusion. They are merely added elements to the overall story and help explain different characters motivation and feelings. For the most part the characters in this book as carryovers from the previous three books. Of course, being that the heroes are in a different place now, there are some new additions, but the main cast largely remains the same. This is a good thing though, because it allows the Hendee's to delve deeper into who the characters really are instead of having to explain about new characters all the time. There is a lot of character development in this book for a number of characters. However, there is no secret, this book largely focuses on Leesil and his mission to find his parents. These characters, from the heroes to the villains are very well written and this only adds to the fantastic story of the book, and series. These are not your two dimensional, cliché ridden characters from some other fantasy books that are being published now. I do have one minor criticism about this book. In the previous books there has always been some levity and humor sprinkled in. That's fine, in fact I enjoy that. However, there was one scene in this book that seemed to be written strictly for the humorous aspect, and it just didn't seem to fit with the part of the story it was placed in. It kind of threw me off a little bit. Again, not a huge deal, but one worth mentioning. Overall, I really enjoyed this book, and this series. The Noble Dead series is one of the most underrated fantasy series going on today. There is not much, if any, publicity surrounding the series. In fact, I heard about Dhamphir from another author when I asked about good vampire fantasy books. Sometimes, word of mouth is the best advertising one can get. So, I will close with this. If you like vampire novels and you like fantasy novels don't hesi

This is one of the more interesting series to appear on the fantasy horizon. It is the story of Magiere, who is a Dhampir - human child of a vampire, and her companion Leesil - a half elf. When we first met them in Dhampir they are running a bogus vampire scam, pretending to do away with vampires in order to extort cash. When the game suddenly becomes real our petty villains become heroes and the story gradually shifts gears to the quest of each character to discover the truth about themselves. Over the rest of the volumes the tone has changed from happy-go-lucky adventure to a serious study of two individuals with dark secrets, whose best friend is Chap, a dog that is something more than a cute pet. Leesil and Magiere cross a medieval Rumanian world that is full of otherworld folk, wierd creatures, and the wars of men. It is a brutal place, and the opportunities for adventure are endless. They are joined by Wynn, a scholar, who becomes the group's historian, gathering information about the world less traveled and the behavior of Dhampirs. Wynn has a very peculiar sense of right and wrong - more often than not Leesil and Magiere finds themselves catapulted into a crisis by her manipulations. Just as Sister of the Dead was the story of Magiere's discoveries about herself, Traitor to the Blood is about Leesil's return to his birthplace in the lands of Lord Darmouth. It is from there that Leesil originally fled, putting his parents at risk to their vengeful master, and it is there he must return to find out what happened when he left, and if either parent survived. But Leesil's curiosity becomes a compulsion, and between his principles and Wynn's, Magiere has her hands full trying to keep everyone alive. The story has everything a fantasy should - vampires, elves, magic, and a fair amount of politics as Magiere, Chap, Leesil, and Wynn are drawn deep into the undercurrents of a tyrannical the realm. Darmouth and his minions play a deadly game with the Dhampir and her friends, and plot follows counterplot in a genuinely complex piece of fantasy work. The Hendee's get top marks for the latest adventure in the Noble Dead series, and there is still more to come.

The Hendee's have hit their stride with this book. It follows their usual pattern of building the story up in the first 4 or 5 chapters, and then it really gets rolling. It is difficult to put down. This story is a bit different than the previous books in the series, there are fewer battles with vampires, but it is a bit darker from a psychological perspective, and full of political intrigue. The characters continue to be developed, and more about of each of them is revealed, as well as the introduction of a couple of interesting new ones. I am really looking forward to see where the story goes from here.

It's true that this book does not advance the main plot established in the last three, but if you read Sister of the Blood you'd know that this was coming. Leesil, Magiere, Wynn, and Chap go to Leesil's homeland to find out what happened to his parents. Throughout the entire book, the vampires become a much, much less major role the in the story. The two aspects that I love about Barb and JC Hendee's writing is wonderfully shown throughout this book - The story is told from multiple perspectives, and the action scenes are written with very vivid detail. Lastly, the last few chapters of the book are very exciting and I found myself unable to put it down. So the book is different, but I don't think it would be any less enjoyable to fans of the series.

Step into the magical world of the Noble Dead. Traitor to the Blood is the forth novel in the series by Barb and J.C. Hendee which follows the adventures of Magiere (a dhampir, half-human/half-vampire), Leesil (a half-human/half-elf), and their equally unique companions. In this story, former-assassin Leesil tries to track down his parents that he left behind years ago. Meanwhile, he and Magiere are trailed by her half-brother, Welstiel, who is trying to use Magiere for his own gain. They also face many foes: a ruthless overlord, a woman that Leesil orphaned set on revenge, a group of elven assassins, and a mysterious shape-shifting couple forced into servitude, just to name a few. This installment delves deeper into each character, but especially Leesil since this book focuses on his tortured past and what has shaped him into the man he is. And each book in the series gets better with more character development, more complex storylines, more mythological lore, and more action. Any fan of vampire stories or the fantasy genre in general will love this series.