by Ray Wallace

Slayer
by Karen Koehler
Black Death Books     


OVERVIEW: A modern vampire novel set in New York City featuring Alek Night, a dhampir—a type of evolved vampire that is capable of interacting with both worlds of darkness and light.

DETAILS: Okay, the first thing that goes through my mind when I open and turn to the first page of a vampire novel is "what does this author have to say that's new or different than the countless other writers who've already tackled this particular subject?" Because, as we all know, there has been no other monster (a term used very loosely in this instance as one would be hard pressed to think of Anne Rice's Louis, for example, as a monster) nearly so exploited by this little genre commonly referred to as "horror" as that infamous bloodsucking creature of darkness, the vampire. Yes, it would seem that the reading public simply can't get enough of these night-dwelling immortals who find sustenance in the blood of us mere humans. And there would also seem to be no shortage of authors—a list much too long to include here—who are willing to give the public what they want. Now, with her book Slayer, Karen Koehler attempts to include herself in this group of writers. Does she succeed? Does she, in fact, give the reader of vampire fiction what he/she wants? And does she do something new, something different with this well documented sub-genre in the process?

The story revolves around Alek Knight who is an evolved type of vampire known as a dhampir and is able to walk around as easily during the day as he would at night. He is a member of a Coven of Slayers located in New York City, a group of trained enforcers, endorsed by the Church to make sure the vampire population does not get out of control with its taking of human life. This is a situation that has been in effect for centuries, agreed upon by both sides—human and vampire—so that a Purging (i.e., total annihilation of the vampires) does not take place. The Coven is pretty much all Alek knows as he was orphaned at an early age then taken in to be trained as a Slayer while still very young. The other Slayers are of similar background and are like siblings to him; the Covenmaster, Amadeus, is like a father who has picked Alek to one day rule the Coven in his stead. By day Alek is an artist, a painter somewhat disillusioned by the lack of passion in modern art. By night he dons his role as a Slayer and goes about his business of enforcing the Coven's decree.

But things are not all wine and roses in Slayer land as Alek soon discovers to his dismay. First, a new recruit named Stone Man has been brought in who is nothing less than a full blown sociopath. Then Alek comes to realize that there is more to the agreement between the Church and the Coven than he had previously been led to believe. After which Alek ends up accidentally—or was it an accident?—killing one of his own, a fellow Coven member, an act that marks him as an outcast, a rogue hunted by the other Slayers. So Alek is then forced to go on a quest for a book filled with long forgotten secrets that will tear down the Coven and possibly the Church along with it. All the while he is accompanied by Teresa—an ancient, beautiful vampiress—and is plagued by the memories of his twin sister, Debra, killed years ago when he was first being taught the art of the Slayer.

This book is filled with atmosphere thick enough to cut with a knife. The nighttime world the vampires inhabit is beautifully imagined, portrayed in language that at times borders on the poetic. And the characters are well-defined and memorable: the insatiable dhampir child Debra; the treacherous father figure Amadeus; the surprisingly noble Teresa; Stone Man, the raving lunatic; and of course Alek, the tormented hero. The action sequences are well written too, especially one involving a showdown between Alek and a couple of Slayers in a subway station. All in all, Karen Koehler has penned a most entertaining yarn here.

As far as the question raised earlier: does this book offer anything different than the many other vampire stories that have come before it? There are many familiar elements here—is it possible for there not to be?—but most of the time they are used or combined in new and sometimes surprising ways. Fans of the Anne Rice or Laurel K. Hamilton books, or even the Blade movies, may find themselves on familiar terrain within the pages of Slayer, but they will also come away satisfied once the last page is turned and looking forward to a sequel.

BOTTOM LINE: A well written and imagined vampire tale filled with interesting characters, plenty of atmosphere, and its fair share of rousing action sequences. Recommended.