Smith, Evelyn. City of the Undead. CreateSpace, 2011
All told, the vampires in CITY OF THE UNDEAD are a very interesting, in their variety mainly, and therefore a quite memorable lot for different reasons: there is one who is kind of like a powerfully restrained Grim Reaper Cowboy Vampire, one is a terrifyingly creepy little girl vampire, one is a sexy psychiatrist, one is an albino vampire who resembles a Ghost Vampire, one is a drug (weed) dealer, etc.
Indeed, as Smith reveals in her vampire mythology, “Anyone at any time could be a vampire. Do not assume they are not.” So, Smith has a chapter called THE RULES which are very valuable to any human who doesn’t want to become vampire food or turned by a vampire, etc. Plus, Smith reveals in THE RULES that there are good vampires and bad ones. THE RULES are kind of like a survival list for the potentiality of a vampire attack, much like THE ZOMBIE SURVIVAL GUIDE by Max Brooks prepares one for a zombie attack. However, it’s of note that in Smith’s mythology, zombies “…are not real. Vampires are.” Plus, some of Smith’s vampires are more powerful than the others.
The lion’s share of vampire power seems to be held by a character known as the “vampire mistress.” As a big fan of strong female vampire characters, I found the storyline revolving around her particularly fascinating. Plus, it shows Smith’s skill as a writer that she can weave many of the different storylines together. Smith keeps some traditionalist vampire traits, such as vampires changing into vapor, being repelled by silver, having to be invited into houses, etc., while at the same time adding her own spin on things, such as a vampire’s maker doesn’t have to be invited in if their progeny has already been invited in and the garlic-being-repulsive-to-vampires myth is dispelled, along with, as Smith informs the reader, “The crucifix…Some vampires even collect them.”
These new twists and the way they are presented I greatly enjoyed! At 126 pages long, you might think it’s a weekend read at first glance, but for me it was a one-sit read, as once I started, I didn’t stop until the end. It’s that good!
Review by G.L. Giles
