Valentine's Rising: Book Four of the Vampire Earth

...which isn't a real word, but how I described the book to friends. It's the best entry in the series yet. Following on the heels of the cliffhanger ending to number 3, number 4 starts out with a bang and never really lets up. Val's on the run, but he's got his loyal friends and a small force allied with him. The tension builds as he leads all of them into enemy terrirtory... then explodes as Val launches his uprising. Expect to read most of the book at a gallop, hunched forward in your chair, hanging on every line of description. Yes, it's that good. And I, like so many other readers, can't wait to see what happens next.

. . . But it is one, which is great news for readers. This is the fourth novel in the VampireEarth series, and the consistently high quality continues. Earch is occupied by seemingly invincible invaders, and protagonist David Valentine, an officer in the resistance movement, is caught behind enemy lines with a few hopelessly outnumbered troops and civilians, with orders to "raise a ruckus." This he does, with the help of some great supporting characters, and plenty of surprises for the readers of previous books in this suspenseful series. Knight's series isn't just non-stop military battles and nothing else, which mars a lot of this type of post-holocaust fiction. There is indeed action, well described and often riveting, but Valentine is a hero with a conscience, and the difficult decisions he makes in pursuit of a higher goal, Mankind's liberation, are outlined very clearly. He makes some very hard choices in this novel, and the reader feels his pain and moral dilemmas. Once again, Knight's attention to military organizational detail is superb, and his evocation of the setting, in particular the Ozarks area of southern Missouri and northern Arkansas, puts the reader right there with Valentine's band of beleaguered but undaunted men and women. I can think of no higher praise for a speculative story, than for it to feel so real that it can capture a reader's emotions. Several times in this story I was moved to either cheers or tears, most notably with scenes involving new characters General XRay Tango and Hank Smalls. Tango is a man forced to help the alien Kurians, with torn allegiances and no easy answers. Smalls is a young boy forced to grow up too fast in an alien controlled future America, where no human and no ideal is safe. If you're already a fan of VampireEarth, what are you waiting for? These excellent books don't come out often enough. If you're a newbie to this series, what are you waiting for? To echo author Fred Saberhagen, if you only plan to read one more apocalyptic novel, make it this one.

I did not like "Tale of the Thunderbolt" I withdraw my objection. This book will ansewer all your questions from the last book 1. What the heck the Quickwood actually does 2. Who those guys were that attacked Valentine's column 3. Just what in the name of sweet suffering Jesus happened to the Ozark Free Territory This book was fantastic. It had me on the end of my seat the entire time. Never was there a point where I said to myself, "Now that would never freaking work" (I said this many times over the course of "Tale of the Thunderbolt" Overall-All the fears I had that E. E. Knight's writting style was going to crap were groundless. This book more then makes but for the uneven bloated thrid installment.

This is the 4th book in the series of 5 ? 6 ? 20 ? The first was my favorite, this is the next best. This book picks up right where the 3rd book left off. A little slow moving at first then it really steamrolls to the end. Very very, very good read. Valentine once again becomes one of the enemy but this time he brings 700 "friends" with him. The only real bad thing is that the resistance effort is getting worse and worse. Not good for the future of mankind.

E.E. Knight has outdone himself. Valentine's Rising is a fast-paced, yet thorough adventure taking off right where Tale of the Thunderbolt left off. I have read a number of "reviews" here and elsewhere in which the readers felt Tale of the Thunderbolt (TotT) ended too abruptly and glossed over seemingly major points. What these people didn't understand at the time (they will now, if they pick up Valentine's Rising (VR)), is that TotT was the prelude to VR. The two books work hand in hand. It's unfortunate that the publisher broke the story into two books nor did they mention it on the cover (eg. Book I, Book II, or something similar), but hindsight is 20/20. VR picks up right where TotT leaves off. It is a hopeful and yet, at the same time, a very dark story taking Valentine and company straight into Quisling territory. The character interaction is wonderful and the scenery is vibrant (for a bleak future, that is). The battles are as exciting and detailed as anything I've ever read - historical or fictional. Above all else, the characters are believable with each one having his/her own sub-plot which doesn't interfere with the telling of the story. As much as I loved Way of the Wolf, I feel Valentine's Rising is Mr. Knight's best work to date. It far exceeds much of what I've read over the last several years by any author.