Fiction Addict

Genre: Historical Fiction, Horror, Audio Book

Publisher:  Grand Central Publishing

Publication Date:  March 2010

Reviewed by Jennifer S. Roman

Reading as a biography, Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter follows the late President’s journey from a young boy on the frontier to his success as a politician and attorney.  Inspired by his dying mother’s last wish, Abraham studies, works hard, and hunts vampires.  At times he wants to just leave the vampire issue in the past, but he knows he has to rid the world of these evil creatures.  Aided by a vampire friend, Henry, he learns to identify and destroy his new enemies.

While the story follows closely with the actual history of Lincoln’s life, Grahame-Smith takes liberties with prominent events that happened in Lincoln’s history.  For example, instead of his mother dying of “milk fever,” as is recorded in the journals of history, Grahame-Smith indicates that she has actually become the victim of a vampire’s razor-sharp fangs.  A large gang war in New York is credited to the vampires, and even John Wilkes Booth is identified as a vampire.  These changes provide some entertainment in an already colorful life.

While the story of Abraham Lincoln is very interesting in itself, somehow something gets lost with the addition of vampires.  Not one to disregard a good vampire story, I found that it just didn’t work here. In fact, I read Grahame-Smith’s Pride and Prejudice and Zombies with happy results.

The narrator has a nice voice for this story, but does not read in much of a dramatic fashion.  There were times when it was difficult to tell if the narrator was speaking or if Abraham was speaking.  The idea to introduce vampires into Abraham Lincoln’s life is interesting, but something in it just falls short.

Written true to the vernacular of the times, the speech is sometimes stilted.  Still, there is nothing offensive in the writing; any “swearing” done in the times is seen as mild, acceptable usage today.  There is no sexual activity, and even when Abe is courting his wife, it only mentions his desire to “be near” the woman.  Again, for today’s readers, it is refreshingly charming and clean.  Abe’s favorite weapon to kill vampires, though, is an axe, so there are some scenes in which people are beheaded or struck in the back by said axe.  It is not overly bloody or gruesome so most readers should have no problem stomaching the “violence.”

Overall, the attempt to write vampires into Abraham Lincoln’s life is interesting, but it doesn’t quite work.

Review copy provided by Grand Central Publishing.