The Undead Sorceress

International House of Vampires #1

by J.F. Garrard

Ever since Tamara became a vampire, things have gone downhill. Her grandmother runs off with her daughter’s soul and her husband thinks she is going crazy. Caught in the middle of a war between vampires, sorceresses and warlocks, she discovers an alternative history to the world she thought she knew.

Meanwhile, strange jiangshi corpse zombies and other
supernatural creatures start attacking civilians across the globe. Magic appears to be making a comeback, threatening the modern civilization which the vampires have built throughout the ages. The timeless battle between good & evil seems to be beginning once again. As Tamara gathers her courage to hunt down her grandmother, she isn’t sure if she can sacrifice one family member over another. Is it so wrong for grandmother to want to live forever?

This fantasy adventure is a bittersweet tale about dealing with devastating choices, filial responsibilities, betrayal, redemption and finding the strength to carry on when it seems like there is no future.

500 pages, Paperback

First published April 24, 2014

About the author

JF Garrard is an award winning speculative fiction writer, editor and publisher. She is the President of Dark Helix Press, serves as the Co-President for the Canadian Authors Association’s Toronto Branch, Festival Coordinator for LiterASIAN Toronto, Deputy Editor for Ricepaper Magazine, and Assistant Editor for Amazing Stories. Her portfolio of books and short fiction is listed on jfgarrard.com and you can find her on Twitter @jfgarrard.

Reviews

[Paul Reinerfelt · Rating 5 out of 5]

I bought JF Garrard's masterpiece from her Kickstarter campaign because it sounded awesome; I was not disappointed. It is rare nowadays that I read something that I can't put down, or even finish, but The Undead Sorceress captivated me so much that I not only finished it, I read it in one sitting! (Ok, small fib, I actually fell asleep for a short while in the wee hours of the morning, what can I say, I'm middle-aged…)

It is easy to say that someone "redefines" a genre, but I have not encountered such a smart blend of ancient vampires, modern technology, magic and everyday society before. Why mess around with drinking blood when you can nibble on peoples life-force from a bit of distance? (Why do I suddenly feel like someone walked over my grave?) Paranormal investigator looking into a zombie-case? Well, a DNA-swab is still the fastest way to ID the (walking) corpse! Vampires are organised into a world-wide organisation (well, the series *is* called "International House of Vampires", duh!) with a viking king! (I'm not going to say whom, but the pigs would grunt if they knew which hog it is…) Chinese queens, Canadian aboriginals, Egyptian transsexual witches, Russian sorceresses (not the titular one) also play important roles, making the cast anything but monocultured. By the way, who needs telepathy when implanted radio-transmitters work just as good?

In short, a refreshing spin on the vampires in modern society genre, highly recommended! My only problem is that I now have to wait until next year to continue reading…

P.S.
If you think vampires should sparkle, go find another book because this one is written by a *good* author!
D.S.

[Harding Young · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nice blend of myth and folklore from around the world – and a most refreshing twist on vampire legend – spiced with hints of Asian cinema and anime. Young readers looking to escape the typical vampire-meets-girl, vampire-resists-eating-girl-because-vampire-loves-girl story will take delight in this adventure.