Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter

I thought this would be a mindless & fun read, but it's a lot more than that. I was seriously surprised by how much better this book is than the title might lead you to think. The author clearly put a lot of energy into figuring out how best to meld history with horror/fantasy, and really did a terrific job. He (seemingly) effortlessly captured the deep melancholy of Lincoln's life. And the vampires are awesome...they are not the vampires of other current trends. His vampires are brutal and violent. The backstories he creates (the colonies, Lincoln's grandfather, etc) are terrific.

I very highly recommend it. It was shockingly good, actually--well written, engaging, tight, no filler. A great read.

When Pride and Prejudice and Zombies came out I was skeptical, but I read and thoroughly enjoyed the book, I particularly liked the retelling and the concept in general appealed to me. I purchased Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter for my kindle and liked it so much that I also got a hardcover edition. As with other reviewers, I agree that this book is a good read. It is an interesting concept that is flawlessly executed (pun intended).
The author clearly went the distance to create a plausible melding of vampire mayhem and history. It was well researched and the history was on target. I was pleasantly surprised at just how good this book was. In this case the title is accurate, this isn't a textbook account of President Lincoln's life, so take it for what it is: a fun read. As a an avid history and horror reader, I really enjoyed this work and I look forward to see what the next project that Seth Grahame-Smith is going to come up with.

After defiling Jane Austen's "Pride and Prejudice" with flesh eating zombies, what was Seth Grahame-Smith to do next? Why, of course, he tackles an unexposed and super secret chapter in American history. Yes--"Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter" exposes the little known truth about our sixteenth President. From his humble beginnings through to the bitter end, it seems that Lincoln's clandestine and very personal mission was to preserve the American way from the most unrelenting of enemies--the bloodsucker. Charted from Lincoln's own diaries, "Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter" is a surprising and revelatory memoir that just might change how the history books chronicle the Civil War.

All right, none of that is true. Grahame-Smith does tackle the noble Lincoln in this horror mash-up--and while the result is undeniably readable, it lacks the cleverness of his previous hit "Pride and Prejudice and Zombies." Part of "Zombies" allure was the strict adherence to Jane Austen's text in revamping (no pun intended--oh, who am I kidding?) an unlikely classic for horror aficionados. The problem with "Zombies," however, is that many modern horror readers lacked the patience for Austen's prose. What I thought made the novel inspired is the same aspect that alienated much of its intended audience. No such problems with the straightforward text of "Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter" which is a fast and engaging read. And bonus points for the photographic evidence that document the inconvenient truth.

But as the conceit is that the story is derived form Lincoln's own journals, the tone may strike as too matter of fact for those looking for a quick thrill. I, personally, enjoyed that this subject matter was presented in a serious manner. It was a tad unexpected given the silliness of the plot--but it was unconventional. Grahame-Smith's greatest achievement is making a surprisingly strong link between vampirism and slavery. I don't know that he wasn't on to something there! Ultimately, though, I question whether "Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter" strikes the right balance for its audience. Neither comical nor particularly horrifying, its quiet pleasures may be a bit too subtle to make it a smash hit of "Zombies" stature.

Seth Grahame-Smith's second innovative alternative history horror novel is simply going to bowl you over and knock your socks off!! Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter is an adventure into the faux biographical journals of our 16th United States President, Abe Lincoln. Seth's unswaying and unnerving talent to create a totally believable world of blood thirsty vampires in the mid 19th century, will have the reader's head spinning with wonder and fright as Abe swings his axe to slay the devils of the South reaping revenge for the death of his dear mother.

Presented in such an awe inspiring literary land of macabre, in addition to the cool photo edited sepia toned photographs that enhance the story's credibility, this book is a dynamite work of art. Not to be taken seriously in any shape or form other than Seth's talent to capture horror lovers and hold them spellbound from page one to the finish line, Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter is a winner.

Told through Abe's journals that began as a child the night he saw his mother die from the heinous acts of monsters he only dreamed of, he vowed that evening to devote his life to the killing of every vampire on American soil. Becoming a trained and skillful hunter, taught surprisingly from an ancient vampire that becomes Abe's lifelong friend, mentor and champion, Abraham will now rid the United States of vampires who deserve to be put to death for their unnecessary taking of the lives of innocent children. Lincoln becomes obsessed with keeping his chopping axe sharp and spends many years on his own private murderous manhunt.

Cleverly disguised Southern gentlemen in dark glasses and top hats, are harvesting Negro slaves to be corralled and bred for the pure purpose of quenching their thirst. Mentor vampire Henry Sturges, uses Abe's vindictive ambition to inform Abe that it is his job alone to avenge the needless deaths and to do so by fighting the battle against slavery. Thus leaves us readers with a new truth behind Lincoln's crusade of abolition and the falsehoods we were told about the true cause of the Civil War.

This book is told to us in a meticulously detailed biography format that encompasses Abraham Lincoln's tumultuous and melancholy life as he narrates his life story. His notebook writings start as a young boy who lost his mother to monsters, on to his teenage years chopping trees, building cabins, and on to his early career as a lawyer. Together Abe and Seth build Lincoln's story slowly of his advancement in societies inner social circles, leading right up to his brilliant approach to campaigning for state legislator, congress, and presidential candidacy. Detailed scenes on the battlefields of the Civil War with fanged foes and Abe's axe rolling heads, ending with a finale at Ford's Theater, the author recreates this alternative life of our Honest Abe with such amazing attention to detail you will almost find it authentic.

This book is certainly NOT for the light of heart or weak-kneed reader. Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter is horror fiction at it's very best. Gruesome, gory, bloody, and violent. However even with that alert, I will tell you that this novel is also full of wit and will have your lips from time to time turning up in a smile for this is nothing but fun! And the ending..well... I won't tell you for I hate to spoil your pleasure but I just loved how it all turned out. It's only March but I must say I foretell my own future in saying this might just be my favorite book of the year! I can also hope too that someone puts this book into Tim Burton's mailbox. STANDING OVATION FOR SETH GRAHAME-SMITH PLEASE!

I enjoyed "Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter" far more than I enjoyed Grahame-Smith's last book, "Pride and Prejudice and Zombies". I think my enjoyment here can best be summed up in only 13 words:

"Absolutely not a single solitary word written by, or based upon, Jane Austen".

I was very tempted to let that be my entire review for this book. But upon further reflection, I decided that was just a little too easy and a little too snarky - even for me. I do have to admit though; I am very tired of vampires. I have an active desire NOT to read any of the "Twilight" books. I don't dislike "Tru Blood" on HBO - nor do I watch it on a regular basis. In fact, I'm eagerly awaiting the day that zombies can have their day in the spotlight, and the vampire craze goes the way of Tickle-Me-Elmo, button-fly jeans and black light posters. That being said, here it goes - a real review.

"Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter" is promoted as being "written in the style of Doris Kearns Goodwin". I'll have to take that on faith, as I have not read Goodwin's much touted exploration of Lincoln - "Team of Rivals". I'm sure that it's a good read, but I've never been much impressed with Goodwin when I've seen her appear as a talking head on cable news. What the story did represent for me was a more original take on reworking history, versus the more technically impressive (although ultimately less satisfying) task of rewriting an existing work.

Grahame-Smith presents the "real" view of Lincoln's life and what drove him. In this telling, vampires have come to America; lured by the promise of easier and cheaper food in the form of slaves. When Lincoln's mother is killed at an early age by a vampire, he swears to kill every vampire in America. This decision, along with a fateful meeting with a "good" vampire, help put him on a course to being one of our nation's greatest presidents. The Civil War is in large part fought because the vampires in the South do not want to give up their livelihood and food source. Ultimately, Lincoln prevails, but is, in the end, killed by a vampire himself - John Wilkes Booth. That's pretty much it in a nutshell. I won't ruin the end of the book for you, but it does try to provide an interesting twist on Lincoln's legacy.

I enjoyed this book, and found myself coming back to it eagerly to see what would happen next. I'm sure that it would have held even more allure for me where I more deeply versed in the details of Lincoln's life. That's something that I am looking to correct. It was a good idea, executed pretty well. It's worth checking out - even if it's about vampires.