Review: Path of Night

[klward]

By Dirk Flinthart, Fablecroft, 2013

Reviewed by Kyla Lee Ward

Ten

This is a by-the-numbers thriller, so you can expect certain things. An easy-going Everyman who stumbles into something he shouldn't – in this case, illegal biological research. A spunky lady cop, following the fallout and determined to get to the bottom of things. An ice-cold assassin who's already there. Sparks of sexual tension, and rapidly escalating violence. And it's not too much of a spoiler to suggest that, at the end, there's going to be one hell of a –

Nine

But it's also got vampires in it. Night beasts. Now, you could call these monsters old school – the path leads back to ancient Mesopotamia – except that old school vampires aren't generally this well-equipped. Flinthart takes the sensible approach that, even if the Night Beast virus creates bloodthirsty, super-powered psychopaths, they aren't going to survive the millennia without getting properly organised. There's even a treaty in place, to prevent all-out war between them and an ancient order of vampire hunters. Of course, the unprecedented changes occurring to our hero could defenestrate everything.

Eight

What you look for in a romp like this is deft handling of the tropes. Flinthart delivers a thoughtful and entertaining take on his material. Mike's condition brings on moral quandaries, that lend the emotional action the same kind of crunch that the convincing details of hardware and procedure grant the more militaristic sequences. The operations of the Hunter, Hellyer, are pleasingly plausible, as are the machinations of the villainous, yet intelligent, Lutterell, "the Seigneur's Seneschal".

Seven...

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Comments

[murasaki-1966.livejournal.com]

Interesting, Wirrun was the hero of a triology by Patricia Wrightson. He was a Clever Man. First book is The Ice is Coming

[murasaki-1966.livejournal.com]

Good review, BTW> should have said that fist.

Sorry.

[kylaw.livejournal.com]

No, I actually think Patricia Wrightson comes first : )

[murasaki-1966.livejournal.com]

Agreed. I think Dirk might be paying homage.