This book had me scratching my head, I've read the eight previous books and I loved every single one of them and there are moments in this book that I loved but it also seemed repetitive.
Valentine is still this amazing leader and is finally working with a superior that supports him, unfortunately they both have to deal with Martinez. I have yet to understand why he hasn't been removed from power. There is the long march to bring the Golden Ones to Fort Seng, which of course does not go as planned and ends up with David having more refugees than he originally planned as well as Martinez fucking with him.

We get returning characters and the addition of the Ratbits but where some details were onerous other events skipped so much of the detail I had to go back and re-read believing I had missed a few pages. There are also some surprises ahead which will certainly make future books interesting.

All in all, I liked returning to this world but not as much as the previous books. This booked felt more like a prep for events to come as Valentine pulls in humans and non-humans to join the fight against the Kurians.

More of my reviews can be found at https://wyldheartreads.wordpress.com/

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There's a fascination about this wrecked world that Knight has created that keeps me coming back for more, although it isn't exciting me the way it used to. The world is under a shadow, not just from the invading forces, but from our selves, much like the current politics in the US where personal & party ambitions trump common sense constantly. There is a lot of that in this world, but it is not completely without hope.

The characters are wonderful & the writing style unique. Every chapter is started with a page or two of italicized script that fills in some background, then we get to see the actual events from Valentine's perspective which is a limited, gritty view indeed. Along with that, Knight has the habit of tossing a paragraph occasionally that is kind of off-the-wall, really out of the flow from the rest of the text. It always adds an extra bit of depth & realism to the world.

There were a few too many magical fixes & loose threads in this story for me to give it more stars. They're somewhat camouflaged among all the tough breaks, but they hurt the story. Also, there is a section in the beginning that isn't from Valentine's POV & that jarred with the rest, not to mention was over the top. I re-read parts of it a couple of times & it was just off on timing & logic, although kind of fun.

While I don't think I'm going to be in a hurry to get the next book, I probably will get it. At some point, I really need to re-read the series from the first book, though. I began this series a decade ago, so details are blurring.

I'm surprised to see that not one of my friends here on GR has read this series. ( )

Another good addition to Vampire Earth. I liked it a bit better than the last. Valentine seems more in character in a situation the Bear thing in a fight which I mentioned bugged me 2 books back. He's also getting more flexible in his expectations & solutions - hard as that may be to believe. He's definitely keeping his eye on the big picture while taking care of the details.

The world has also grown & expands in an important way that's been hinted at. Knight is doing a good job of keeping this complex world rolling along with plenty of excitement, yet keeping it believable. A vow is made that promises to make the next book (or perhaps the one after that) quite interesting. That big picture thing again. I'll be really interested to see what he does.

The next book is [b:Appalachian Overthrow|15808281|Appalachian Overthrow (Vampire Earth, #10)|E.E. Knight|http://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1355490799s/15808281.jpg|21532915] & it is out now in hardcover & audio, but my library doesn't have the latter yet. I see a Kindle edition, but no paperback. That's a shame. I had the rest in paperback (gave them to my son) & would buy this in that format. I hope it will come out soon. ( )

Book 9 in the series. And nothing horrible happens to our characters for a change! It was a nice turn of pace in the post-apocalyptic Vampire Earth series. For several books it seems, Valentine and his comrades have been separated and/or faced with overwhelming odds against them with disasters plaguing their plans and efforts.

Sure, there's some hardships in this book, but nothing compared to some of the recent situations. David Valentine and most of his close companions are back together and do a fine job establishing the Kentucky Freehold.

Read it!

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This is another enjoyable entry into the Vampire earth series.
I keep expecting there to be a dud, but so far so good.
There are many returning characters, and the return of some grogs and even the ratbits.
I did not like something early on that was going on with a certain Cat, but the rest of the tale continues on nicely.

What if a dictator was strong enough to create a settlement that is far enough away from Kurians, and also far enough away from Southern Command, or allied groups. What if he was able to create a small, but effective army, mixture of grogs and humans? Who would this group align with, or would they stay neutral?

We all know you can't really be neutral in the vampire earth.

And we have more and more problems beginning to brew from Martinez being in charge of Southern Command.

It's good, if you've been with the Vampire Earth so far, I recommend this book. ( )