Vampire Hunter D Volume 1

The Crowgrrl (www.crowgrrl.com) is very thankful that D.H. Press is finally bringing English translations of Hideyuki Kikuchi's Vampire Hunter D series to American audiences! I've loved the two anime movies, but the books add dimensions that films can't capture. The first in the series, aptly just titled Vampire Hunter D, lays the groundwork of the conditions in the year 12,090 A.D., a post-apocalyptic world peopled by not only surviving humans, but supernatural beasts such as lycanthropes, 3-headed Medusas, behemoths, etc. The ruling class over all, until recently, was the Vampires. After a human uprising, the Vampires now keep to themselves, with plenty of safeguards in place. They're still known as Nobles, however, and given healthy respect - unless they attack outpost human villages. Doris Lang, a 17-year-old orphan, struggles to survive with her younger brother Dan on their family farm at the outskirts of one of those outposts. She also is fighting off the unwanted advances of the village mayor's son. But after being bitten by the Vampire lord, Count Magnus Lee, her world becomes so much more complicated. The Count is determined to take Doris as his bride - his daughter Larmica doesn't want the Lee line tainted by a human in their midst. If other villagers knew that she had been bitten, Doris would be hunted and either killed or imprisoned in an "asylum" - with no safety net in place for Dan's survival. Desperate to kill Count Lee and have effects of his bite die with him, Doris searches for a savior; which comes to her in the form of the greatest Vampire Hunter of all - simply known as D. D is a dhampir, or half-Vampire, more than human, and without weaknesses of Vampires; he is as visually stunning as he is potentially deadly. But are his skills enough to protect Doris and her younger brother against both the townspeople AND Count Lee? Not to mention a vicious outlaw gang with supernatural powers led by Rei-Ginsei, who is after the demise of all of the other factions, hoping Count Lee will make him one of the Undead himself. Excellent book! I can't wait to read the rest in the series.

The book is different from the anime, and seems more raw. It fills in a lot that the anime missed, such as the background of the world and the vampires' roles in it. I could be hard to read sometimes, being a rather dry and old-fashioned style. Someone compared it to earlier European books; I would have to agree. All in all I was very pleased and finished it in a night. I recommend it for many readers, save the pained Goth kids whi think vampires are a suffering lot that look like tortured, pretty French boys. Have fun reading!

After reading the review by Zdenko Juskuv, I feel a few issues about this book should be addressed. First off, criticizing a work of fiction for its lack of use of meter is like criticizing a poem for not having a plot. Since when does prose concern itself with meter? Second, the book's premise is presented upfront: it's a story of a vampire hunter in the far future. To pick up the book after knowing that, read it, and then complain about what you got is nonsensical. If the concept of this book peeks your interest, you will enjoy the plot. Kikuchi does a fantastic job of setting up tension, delivering what was promised, and posing a new crisis for the characters to respond to. Also, Kikuchi does not use Deus Ex Machina in every chapter, and I honestly have no idea where that remark even came from. The characters are always in control of their own destinies. Never does a divine force save them from an undesirable situation. There are times when the narrator does ask a question to the reader. I don't see how this is a negative, though. There is more than one way to tell a story, and more than one type of narrator an author can implore. Kikuchi uses the type of narrator known as "the storyteller." It has a fairytale feeling to it. If you've read any Neil Gaiman, you know the type of narrator I'm talking about. I was very impressed with this book, and I graduated with an English degree. Anytime you criticize a book, you have to do so on its own ground. Vampire Hunter D is presented as a sci-fi/fantasy/horror book that is meant to be a fun read. And that's exactly what it is--it's a page turner. If you're thinking of buying this book because you're intrigued by the concept, characters, setting, and plot, you will not be disappointed. And unless you are looking for Bradbury-esque prose, you should enjoy the style the book is written in. If you're looking for an allagory of the Cold War padded with dense symbolism and metaphorical tirades prodding you to embrace a new vision of your life, you might want to skip this one. Personally, I got exactly what I wanted out of this book and I hope DH Press decides to translate and publish all 17 of the Vampire Hunter D novels because I'm hooked.

This book is totally wicked... case being if you're a die hard VHD fan like myself. I was seven when I watched the animated Vampire Hunter D. Over ten years later I'm still a huge fan. If you're nitpicking about whatever that other guy (zdenko) said about the book, then don't read it. However, this is a MUST read for every fan of the animated movies. I was so surprised by how much they changed the story for the anime. Characters, scenes, and even main themes were different. I loved it. It puts a new, fresh spin on things. ^_^ I'm only sorry that I read it all in one night. Without a doubt I'm going to buy the rest of the series as it comes out.

The book is fast-paced and riveting, but it is not without its flaws, but this might be because the book was translated from Japanese. Either way though, I thourghly enjoyed it and I eagerly await the next book.