Review: The Fear of Moncroix by Bryan Asher

Rating: 10/10

Synopsis

All the Waywards have Fallen…

After a mission against the Royal Vampiric Court goes horribly wrong, all of the Waywards are slaughtered.

All except one.

Davion, the last surviving member, must consume potions to mask himself and hide amongst the very people who killed his brethren. After a decade of living this double-life, Davion has resigned himself to his new purgatory. But all will not remain calm for him or the Court.

An unknown swordsman arrives, and after killing several Royal Vampires, rumor spreads that he’s searching for anyone still belonging to The Wayward order.

Davion decides he must track down this mysterious swordsman. But will finding him bring freedom or his own demise.

Review

Hello and here I am again giving one last final book for my Top Reads of 2023. This one was unique and took me by surprise with how well it worked for me.

The author offered me a review copy, for which I took far too long to get to, but he was really gracious about it. And honestly, I’m pretty pissed I waited. 

This is a vampire-led dark fantasy that is scifi-linked to the author’s other works via the Intercontinents. Regardless of that, on its own, this is one of the most unique novels I’ve read in years. It has the fast paced, fang-fueled action of Underworld (sans guns), with the backdrop of a completely original fantasy world. Since the fall of the Waywards, the Midlands are said to be safe from the vampires, when really they are the focal point of secret vampiric hunting parties. Not everything—and most definitely not everyone—is as they seem. 

The main character of Davion is both accessible while still being somewhat tainted and morally gray. His hands aren’t clean, but he still fights for what’s right. A secret potion allows him to blend seamlessly with the vampires, being accepted as one of them, but it also leaves him with the same insatiable bloodlust they suffer from. This deception adds a layer that reads almost like a (vampire) spy thriller!

The novel somehow manages to be its own entity while still having this entirely gothic feeling to it. The descriptions of the vampiric court are gaudy and vibrant, while still otherworldly. The cover art perfectly captures the mix.

This is a first for me from the author, definitely won’t be the last. I need to know more about the wolven race!