Valentine's Resolve (Vampire Earth, Book 6)

Reviewed by Vicky Burkholder on 07/10/2008 Knight's post-apocalyptic science fiction series continues with this newest installment. David Valentine has left the Southern Command, one of the main sources of resistance against the Kur--the aliens who have invaded Earth. Knight's strength lies in his detailed and believable idea of how society could evolve after we've been taken over by intelligent but malevolent beings. The opening chapter - and much of the book - is violently graphic, but that is the setting for the story. It is not gratuitous, but necessary to the plot and the development of the story. The character of Valentine undertakes a difficult mission to infiltrate the resistance in the Pacific Northwest, which he does. The story is about Valentine's struggles, but it is also about ourselves and how we would cope with invaders--and at what cost. Knight does this with a deft hand and amazing skill. His world building abilities are beyond scope. I have to admit to not having read the other books in this series, but that is not an issue. This is an excellent stand-alone book. I read it and enjoyed it, and understood what was going on without feeling lost, like I often do with other series. I'm probably going to pick up the others to read just to find out what happened earlier. If I had any problems, it was possibly with the darkness of Valentine. He seemed almost too morose at times, though granted, with the story as it is, I'd be morose too. I also found I could not read the book in the evening as I became susceptible to frightening dreams, a weakness of mine that proves good story telling on the part of the author. The story stuck with me. This is a terrifying, thrilling, at times graphically disgusting, but always interesting book that will not disappoint fans of the Vampire Earth series. 4.5 Books

I got randomly pulled into this series when I needed something to do on my flight to Belize almost 2 years back, so I picked up book 4 'Valentines Rising' and I have not looked back since. After finishing that book I looked EE Knight up online to find out book 5 was coming out soon. So I went out and picked up the first 3 books and have been completely hooked ever since. I even reread book 4 before diving into number 5. This book definetely does not dissapoint! I was left hanging and longing for more at the end of 'Valentines Exile' (vol 5). We definetely get a lot of questions answered in this follow up and we also get to see Valentine travel through the great Pacific Northwest!! I am not going to spoil anything about the plot more than I have, but I am going to say that EE Knight is beggining to hone this character and Knight's new post-apocalyptic world down to a perfectly chistled masterpiece and I will keep looking forward to David Valentines next adventure and misshap.

Knight's superb post-apocalyptic science fiction series continues with this newest installment. For those readers who are wary of "horror" stories, keep in mind that the term Vampire Earth is somewhat misleading, as the story concerns humankind's attempts to fight back against an overwhelming alien invasion that has taken over our planet. The aliens exhibit certain vampire-like traits, but virtually all of the action takes place in a devastated America of the near future, and the tale stands firmly in the tradition of science fiction adventure, not Salem's Lot. This incidentally allows Knight to indulge in one of his many strengths, the detailed and quite plausible extrapolation of how society might evolve in the aftermath of intelligent but malevolent beings controlling us. Valentine's Resolve continues protagonist David Valentine in exile from Southern Command, one of the main military resistance forces still functioning. The opening chapter, with Valentine completing a bloody vendetta for personal reasons, is some of Knight's most harrowing and graphic writing to date. He pulls no punches in this novel. Despite Valentine's position as a military fugitive, he is tasked by some of his former comrades to undertake a very difficult mission to determine the strengths and intentions of another resistance movement in the Pacific Northwest. This forms the bulk of the plot, and to avoid spoilers, I won't elaborate. Instead, I'll just point out two additional strengths of Knight's writing that keep impressing me book after book. First, despite this being the sixth entry in this series, the book never feels formulaic. Indeed, none of them do. Knight manages again and again to inject fresh concepts into his plotline, and develop Valentine in surprisingly clever and unexpected ways, without sacrificing the underlying story, which is how can humanity wrest its home back from the invaders, and at what cost will this struggle ultimately occur? Second, Knight is an absolute master of that old adage, "show, don't tell." Every new culture, from the alien-supported Pyp's Flying Circus to the stunted political organization in Mt. Omega, to the twisted, savage resistance force around Seattle, is rendered brilliantly through the plausible actions and dialogue of the characters, not in stiff exposition like so many other writers of this sort of sci-fi fall prey to. In other words, you live Valentine's discoveries, right along with him. It makes for a very immediate and exciting novel. Knight is crafting perhaps the best example of this sort of science fiction ever written. It ranks right up there with David Gerrold's unfinished War Against the Chtorr, but Knight has the advantage of publishing on a regular basis, with a clear long-range plan. You won't be waiting ten years or more between books. I can't recommend Vampire Earth highly enough, and Valentine's Resolve does not disappoint.

Valentine's Resolve is the best Vampire Earth book yet. The story has become even more unpredictable and this is book SIX! You'd better find a comfortable place to sit when you pick this one up, because you won't be able to lay it down until the very last page. Even if you haven't read the others before it, you will have no trouble losing yourself in the story. I love this world and the characters in it. Even the evil Kurians!

Valentine is the coolest "slayer" ever. This paramilitary, post-apocalyptic, shoot-em-up fantasy land takes me away every time. Knight is a machine, kicking out books left and right, and Valentine follows suit, eliminating the undead wherever they walk.