cover image Krymsin Nocturnes

Krymsin Nocturnes

Joseph Armstead, . . By Light Unseen, $29 (268pp) ISBN 978-1-935303-06-0

Armstead (Darkness Fears ) combines elements from Vampire: The Masquerade , hard-boiled detective novels, and techno-thrillers to create a fast-paced, entertaining tale. The Moon-Chosen are vampires, products of parallel evolution that have contested dominion of this world for thousands of years. Government agencies monitor and enforce secret treaties guaranteeing a fragile peace while protecting human civilians from knowledge of the horrors around them. When a powerful Blood Mage learns of a powerful relic hidden somewhere along California's Borrego Bay, human mobsters, vengeful spirits, government spooks (in every sense of the word), and immortal mercenaries battle to keep the sorcerer from achieving godhood. A fascination with the (often incorrect) details of high-tech firearms may turn off knowledgeable readers, but the magic and mayhem will satisfy even the most jaded fan of vampire fiction. (Apr.)