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Vampire Hunter D #11
Vampire Hunter D Volume 11: Pale Fallen Angels - Parts One and Two
MP3 CD Format " A mysterious land under the control of Lord Vlad Balarge, a member of the vampire Nobility. When Lord Vlad's son, Baron Byron Balarge, needs to make a long and treacherous journey to faraway Krauhasen, he commissions the help of the infamous Vampire Hunter D, promising a princely sum and a solemn vow-no feasting on any humans for the duration of their journey! Still, D finds his work cut out for him as the duo encounters an ongoing parade of thugs, rogues, and runaways, all with riot and revenge in mind. The pair are joined by the teenage tumbling act, May and Hugh, and the haughty Noblewoman Miska, recently spared death by the stake. But when D discovers the Baron's plans to murder Lord Vlad, he quickly finds his own life in danger. Pale Fallen Angels - Parts One and Two, the first two stories of Hideyuki Kikuchi's groundbreaking epic four-part Vampire Hunter D tale, are presented here in one omnibus production! Adapted from the novel and produced with a full cast of actors, immersive sound effects and cinematic music! Performed by Scott McCormick, David Cui Cui, Mike Carnes, Emily Beresford, Amanda Forstrom, Drew Kopas, Khaya Fraites, Terence Aselford, Henry Kramer, James Lewis, John Kielty, Richard Rohan, Daniel Llaca, Matthew Bassett, Patrick Boylan, Ken Jackson, Elias Khalil, Michael John Casey, Robb Moreira, Gabriel Michael, Bradley Smith, Matthew Pauli, Ryan Haugen, Samantha Cooper, Yasmin Tuazon, and Karen Novack."
480 pages, Paperback
Published October 15, 2008
29 people are currently reading
660 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews
August 25, 2023
The plot is very similar to Demon Deathchase the 3rd but with more character development. If you take the series for what it is, a pulpy Sci-fantasy adventure then there is plenty to enjoy.
August 25, 2023
all reviews in one place:
night mode reading ;
skaitom nakties rezimu
About the Book: D’s been hired by various people and beings that weren’t wholly human. But never before a Noble, a vampire, tried their luck. Baron Byron wants his father killed. But to do so, he has to first reach him, alive. For, you see, his father also wants him dead, and maybe not just him, as various, demonic assassins start flooding in to test D’s mettle.
My Opinion: Solid tale of hunters hunting each other. With variety of foes and good mysteries to thicken the plot, like a little reminder that this world is that broken due to unholy experiments previously conducted by the Nobility. Some new lore was sprinkled across, my favorite bit in all VHD books so far. Other than that, really easy to read and follow, a unique tale even if not a ground-breaking one.
night mode reading ;
skaitom nakties rezimu
About the Book: D’s been hired by various people and beings that weren’t wholly human. But never before a Noble, a vampire, tried their luck. Baron Byron wants his father killed. But to do so, he has to first reach him, alive. For, you see, his father also wants him dead, and maybe not just him, as various, demonic assassins start flooding in to test D’s mettle.
My Opinion: Solid tale of hunters hunting each other. With variety of foes and good mysteries to thicken the plot, like a little reminder that this world is that broken due to unholy experiments previously conducted by the Nobility. Some new lore was sprinkled across, my favorite bit in all VHD books so far. Other than that, really easy to read and follow, a unique tale even if not a ground-breaking one.
December 10, 2016
Just as a heads up, at the time of writing this review I've already started Parts 3 and 4.
My thoughts:
+Byron is a sympathetic Noble, and that's not something we see every volume. Although I'm not crazy about the hints that he's D's half-brother...
+Miska appears to be the typical arrogant Noble, but there are hints of hidden depths to her as well. Case in point; the scene with the music box/hologram thing. It also gives us more insight into the world of the Nobles.
+I like May, even though she fits into the dame of the hour role in every book. It certainly is interesting that she's a child fulfilling the role, if a little weird...
-Hugh disappears in the middle of the novel and the circumstances aren't very well-explained.
-The villains-who-have-cool-abilities-but-not-much-else trope is finally starting to wear down on me. I can't tell the difference between them all.
-The Destroyer could be a cool concept, but it isn't clear what exactly it is. May clear up in the next volume?
-As usual, the translation is clunky. Granted, it's nowhere near as bad as it was in some of the earlier books.
All in all, this was a good introduction to the characters in the "longest Vampire Hunter D novel to date". It's not perfect, but are any of these books? (Vampire Hunter D Volume 06: Pilgrimage of the Sacred and the ProfanePilgrimage of the Sacred and the Profane notwithstanding... I really think that was the best of the series.)
My thoughts:
+Byron is a sympathetic Noble, and that's not something we see every volume. Although I'm not crazy about the hints that he's D's half-brother...
+Miska appears to be the typical arrogant Noble, but there are hints of hidden depths to her as well. Case in point; the scene with the music box/hologram thing. It also gives us more insight into the world of the Nobles.
+I like May, even though she fits into the dame of the hour role in every book. It certainly is interesting that she's a child fulfilling the role, if a little weird...
-Hugh disappears in the middle of the novel and the circumstances aren't very well-explained.
-The villains-who-have-cool-abilities-but-not-much-else trope is finally starting to wear down on me. I can't tell the difference between them all.
-The Destroyer could be a cool concept, but it isn't clear what exactly it is. May clear up in the next volume?
-As usual, the translation is clunky. Granted, it's nowhere near as bad as it was in some of the earlier books.
All in all, this was a good introduction to the characters in the "longest Vampire Hunter D novel to date". It's not perfect, but are any of these books? (Vampire Hunter D Volume 06: Pilgrimage of the Sacred and the ProfanePilgrimage of the Sacred and the Profane notwithstanding... I really think that was the best of the series.)
May 6, 2022
This is the longest novel in the series so far, and is so long the author (I assume) decided to split it into two volumes. I wondered if I'd like a Vampire Hunter D novel of this length, but so far it's been good. D is hired to escort a noble on a mission to kill another noble, and along the way picks up a bunch of stragglers like 2 acrobat siblings, an additional noble, and a magician's assistant.
The creatures and tech the author comes up with never cease to amaze me, and there's plenty on display here.
Vampire Hunter D seems to work best in longer form, and it's evident here, at least to this point. I suppose I'll need to read the conclusion before making a final judgment.
The creatures and tech the author comes up with never cease to amaze me, and there's plenty on display here.
Vampire Hunter D seems to work best in longer form, and it's evident here, at least to this point. I suppose I'll need to read the conclusion before making a final judgment.
June 18, 2025
Ah yes, a book starring the vampire hunter D. A book where D is hired to by a mysterious party, you say? Add in that he's traveling with a teenage girl, and that a band of misfits with idiosyncratic powers oppose him? You mean to tell me that D handily wins every single fight he's in without breaking a sweat, often by leaping into the air as his cloak spreads out behind him like the wings of a black bird and a white flash as he throws a wooden needle? I see you have also read another Vampire Hunter D book.
That said, Pale Fallen Angel (Parts I and II!) does start with an intriguing hook in that the mysterious party that hired D is themselves a vampire. Baron Byron Balazs (which I unfortunately kept reading as "balls") wants to travel to the village of Krauhausen to kill his father. His father is also trying to kill him. At least in this book, the reasons for this aren't explained, though it becomes increasingly obvious that it's because of the Sacred Ancestor's experiments, because the Nobility are completely incapable of anything but fighting amongst themselves and terrorizing humans. The Sacred Ancestor is the only one who actually produces anything of value, and even that is only by accident. Anyway, while the book says that most of the Nobility are slaves to their hungers and even the most gentlehearted, kind Noble will start drinking infants' blood the moment they get a bit peckish, the Baron is capable of restaining his hunger even in trying circumstances. For some reason this makes other Nobles contempuous of him. You know, I'm starting to see why humans don't like vampires very much.
The Baron hires D to protect him from the aforementioned band of misfits on the road to Krauhausen, and D's response is basically "What the hell is wrong with you?" except much more stoic and dreamy. The Baron says that he'll obey all of D's requests and that he absolutely will not drink any human blood and, if he does, D can instantly kill him, and this mollifies D enough that he takes the job. And with that setup, it...becomes a typical Vampire Hunter D story.
It's a fun read, don't get me wrong, but the thing having an actual Noble as a traveling companion finally made me realize is that the weird power scaling of the D books works against the narrative conceit that the Nobility are far above humans in some ways and far below them in others. The Nobility can move faster than thought, punch through solid steel walls, endure attacks that destroy the majority of their total body mass and regenerate completely back to full health, but they also burn to ash in sunlight, are totally incapable of resisting the urge to drink blood, are repelled by crosses, and cannot endure running water. I appreciate the lengths that these books go to justify standard vampire tropes--for example, the book states that the reason female Nobles always wear transparent flimsy nightdresses while slumbering in their coffins is to distract potential hunters long enough to be able to wake up and murder them--but the existance of X-men style superhero vampire hunters like Tunnel (able to use soundwaves to liquify the ground and pass through solid earth), Crimson Stitchwort (covered in symbiotic flowers whos pollen is a deadly weapon), or Vince (he's literally unkillable) who are capable of fighting and killing Nobles--theoretically, anyway--make me wonder what humanity was doing for ten thousand years of their oppression. Did humanity just not have any Marios the Puppeteer or Lords Johann, The Trail Magician?
Fortunately this revelation came at the end, because the insane worldbuilding is once again the strength of the Vampire Hunter D books. I don't want to spoil everything but a chunk of the way through one of the characters casually drops mention of the "OSBs" (外宇宙生命体, gaiuchū seimeitai), or "Outer Space Beings," which is a weirdly dispassionate way to talk about alien invaders that the Nobility fought a thousand-year-war against across the length and breadth of the Solar System! Vampires vs aliens is an amazing bit of history to suddenly reveal eleven books into this series and I really hope there are at least a trilogy of books that go into that war.
It ends on a cliffhanger and the next book is on my shelf. I know the next one is going to have another band of misfits with idiosyncratic powers who oppose D...but you know, I'm here for it.
Previous Review: Dark Nocturne.
That said, Pale Fallen Angel (Parts I and II!) does start with an intriguing hook in that the mysterious party that hired D is themselves a vampire. Baron Byron Balazs (which I unfortunately kept reading as "balls") wants to travel to the village of Krauhausen to kill his father. His father is also trying to kill him. At least in this book, the reasons for this aren't explained, though it becomes increasingly obvious that it's because of the Sacred Ancestor's experiments, because the Nobility are completely incapable of anything but fighting amongst themselves and terrorizing humans. The Sacred Ancestor is the only one who actually produces anything of value, and even that is only by accident. Anyway, while the book says that most of the Nobility are slaves to their hungers and even the most gentlehearted, kind Noble will start drinking infants' blood the moment they get a bit peckish, the Baron is capable of restaining his hunger even in trying circumstances. For some reason this makes other Nobles contempuous of him. You know, I'm starting to see why humans don't like vampires very much.
The Baron hires D to protect him from the aforementioned band of misfits on the road to Krauhausen, and D's response is basically "What the hell is wrong with you?" except much more stoic and dreamy. The Baron says that he'll obey all of D's requests and that he absolutely will not drink any human blood and, if he does, D can instantly kill him, and this mollifies D enough that he takes the job. And with that setup, it...becomes a typical Vampire Hunter D story.
It's a fun read, don't get me wrong, but the thing having an actual Noble as a traveling companion finally made me realize is that the weird power scaling of the D books works against the narrative conceit that the Nobility are far above humans in some ways and far below them in others. The Nobility can move faster than thought, punch through solid steel walls, endure attacks that destroy the majority of their total body mass and regenerate completely back to full health, but they also burn to ash in sunlight, are totally incapable of resisting the urge to drink blood, are repelled by crosses, and cannot endure running water. I appreciate the lengths that these books go to justify standard vampire tropes--for example, the book states that the reason female Nobles always wear transparent flimsy nightdresses while slumbering in their coffins is to distract potential hunters long enough to be able to wake up and murder them--but the existance of X-men style superhero vampire hunters like Tunnel (able to use soundwaves to liquify the ground and pass through solid earth), Crimson Stitchwort (covered in symbiotic flowers whos pollen is a deadly weapon), or Vince (he's literally unkillable) who are capable of fighting and killing Nobles--theoretically, anyway--make me wonder what humanity was doing for ten thousand years of their oppression. Did humanity just not have any Marios the Puppeteer or Lords Johann, The Trail Magician?
Fortunately this revelation came at the end, because the insane worldbuilding is once again the strength of the Vampire Hunter D books. I don't want to spoil everything but a chunk of the way through one of the characters casually drops mention of the "OSBs" (外宇宙生命体, gaiuchū seimeitai), or "Outer Space Beings," which is a weirdly dispassionate way to talk about alien invaders that the Nobility fought a thousand-year-war against across the length and breadth of the Solar System! Vampires vs aliens is an amazing bit of history to suddenly reveal eleven books into this series and I really hope there are at least a trilogy of books that go into that war.
It ends on a cliffhanger and the next book is on my shelf. I know the next one is going to have another band of misfits with idiosyncratic powers who oppose D...but you know, I'm here for it.
Previous Review: Dark Nocturne.
February 24, 2015
D is given an unusual task in this epic novel: he must protect and escort a member of the Nobility. This is against his usual code but he’s saving the Noble from something worse—isn’t he? This tale is a truly convoluted one; sometimes I had to read the fight scenes to understand just what had taken place. The villains chatter on in a way that’s truly inane—why tell your enemy what your strengths are? What idiot gives himself away like that? But without such exposition the reader might be hard-put to understand what goes on during some of the action. While the action remains as powerful as ever, the human drama also piques interest. Both D and his Noble fellow travelers seem to be developing empathy for their human passengers, deepening the emotional involvement.
November 13, 2008
this book was good because it was like one on the only of the books because it talked about what D is. D is the main character in this serise and thought out the 11 books we barly found out anything all we knew about his is that he had some sorte of parasite on his hand. but in this book we find that he might be a descendant of the "sacried ansestor" who is the most power full vampire. in this book D is hiered by a vampire to kill the vampire's father. this book decribes the jorny to where the vampire's dad is.
Read
June 17, 2024Mmh.
Awful as ever.
The prose was just as uncomfortable as every time, with the recurring awkward insertions regarding the "gorgeous countenance" shit etc etc...
The flaws seem to be unavoidable and they stick to the whole series, I suppose.
Notwithstanding... I frankly believe that this one, so far, has had the best plot, at the very least. Sure, "best" in this case doesn't necessarily imply reaching decent, by any means. But that's up to anyone's judgement, I guess.
The Baron is, for once, a likable character(?!?!?!!!!). I'm very curious about him.
And incredibly enough, the lusty ass wenches (only inserted for the not-as-stealthy-as-probably-meditated-in-prior fan service/author's questionable priorities) aren't as strong of an element as they are in the other books, where they're basically a main (despicable) characteristic of them.
It'll remain unsaid what else I've been referring to in this lazily-written review; merely due to the fact that, as hinted, the undersigned is lazy to remarkable levels and got tired of endlessly listing and reheating them for each and every book.
Because they just... don't end. They go unidentified.
Let me throw my two cents in: this series should be read almost sarcastically, as far as I'm concerned. It's impossible for me to consider it a good work, or a fully good one, after giving it countless chances now.
In spite of this, I keep being attached to it. Maybe exactly because of its flaws. It's like the unbelievably lowly scumbag of a person in your life that is so impossibly nasty that you begin to patronizingly grow fond of. Partially.
But yeah. The VHD style stays unchanged.
PS: I'll be 100% brutally honest, whereas I've been almost skimming through a good 60% of the book, I'm still amazed by the fact that I've 'read' this whole brick in less than 12h.
Will this make my opinions less legitimate? Probably; that'd be fair. This is why I'm not even giving this a star rating, at least for now.
But never again will I put any real effort into reading this series' books. If I'll even read more, that is. (...which, if truth to be told, isn't completely unlikely. Could this be considered some sort of self-harm practice? Or is masochism the most fitting term?)
Awful as ever.
The prose was just as uncomfortable as every time, with the recurring awkward insertions regarding the "gorgeous countenance" shit etc etc...
The flaws seem to be unavoidable and they stick to the whole series, I suppose.
Notwithstanding... I frankly believe that this one, so far, has had the best plot, at the very least. Sure, "best" in this case doesn't necessarily imply reaching decent, by any means. But that's up to anyone's judgement, I guess.
The Baron is, for once, a likable character(?!?!?!!!!). I'm very curious about him.
And incredibly enough, the lusty ass wenches (only inserted for the not-as-stealthy-as-probably-meditated-in-prior fan service/author's questionable priorities) aren't as strong of an element as they are in the other books, where they're basically a main (despicable) characteristic of them.
It'll remain unsaid what else I've been referring to in this lazily-written review; merely due to the fact that, as hinted, the undersigned is lazy to remarkable levels and got tired of endlessly listing and reheating them for each and every book.
Because they just... don't end. They go unidentified.
Let me throw my two cents in: this series should be read almost sarcastically, as far as I'm concerned. It's impossible for me to consider it a good work, or a fully good one, after giving it countless chances now.
In spite of this, I keep being attached to it. Maybe exactly because of its flaws. It's like the unbelievably lowly scumbag of a person in your life that is so impossibly nasty that you begin to patronizingly grow fond of. Partially.
But yeah. The VHD style stays unchanged.
PS: I'll be 100% brutally honest, whereas I've been almost skimming through a good 60% of the book, I'm still amazed by the fact that I've 'read' this whole brick in less than 12h.
Will this make my opinions less legitimate? Probably; that'd be fair. This is why I'm not even giving this a star rating, at least for now.
But never again will I put any real effort into reading this series' books. If I'll even read more, that is. (...which, if truth to be told, isn't completely unlikely. Could this be considered some sort of self-harm practice? Or is masochism the most fitting term?)
March 22, 2024
Conflicted.
First, the good:
This felt like a stronger, more fleshed out Sacred Pilgrimage (book #6), with great locations and a lot of depth given to the world. Exploring the extra-terrestrial vs noble war was very intriguing. The addition of not one but two Nobles along for the ride added some much needed Vampire POV that hasn't been explored this in-depth since Demon Deathchase (book #3). Every page of dialogue between the Baron, D, and even Miska kept me hooked. I don't need D to be any kind of flawed hero with a grand arc, but I do need the development to be picked up by someone else and here it is done that exactly. Ultimately, this volume fleshed out the world as expected, but with a little more "oomph" than usual.
Now, the bad:
Another volume bloated by too many characters. Ditch Taki, keep the kids. Even having Miska brought in this early watered down the impact of having a Noble along for the ride. I can't keep up with any of the assassins beyond the old guy, Mario I guess and Galil but only because his name was used every line towards the end.
This should've absolutely finished without the final chapter. That cliffhanger with Baron supposedly feeding on the two other characters was such a perfectly developed cliffhanger that genuinely got me excited... only for it to be resolved completely within no longer than one page, and then reverted back to travelling-until-they-run-into-danger for the 15th time in a row.
It really feels like he writes without knowing where it's going. Why do you have to have sudden back-to-back-to-back action sequences with a different threat every time? Build up to one, let us sit with the consequences, and have a time away from action for us to care about it happening again. It just waters down the thrilling nature of the story. Less is more.
I wanted to really love this but the final chapter was a real let down. I'll still give this four stars for it's good parts, because I was sold essentially until the final chapter... but he's not the best writer - I think after 11 volumes I can admit this clearly. Thank god the good parts are good and the world is incredible. It balances it out, I will say that.
First, the good:
This felt like a stronger, more fleshed out Sacred Pilgrimage (book #6), with great locations and a lot of depth given to the world. Exploring the extra-terrestrial vs noble war was very intriguing. The addition of not one but two Nobles along for the ride added some much needed Vampire POV that hasn't been explored this in-depth since Demon Deathchase (book #3). Every page of dialogue between the Baron, D, and even Miska kept me hooked. I don't need D to be any kind of flawed hero with a grand arc, but I do need the development to be picked up by someone else and here it is done that exactly. Ultimately, this volume fleshed out the world as expected, but with a little more "oomph" than usual.
Now, the bad:
Another volume bloated by too many characters. Ditch Taki, keep the kids. Even having Miska brought in this early watered down the impact of having a Noble along for the ride. I can't keep up with any of the assassins beyond the old guy, Mario I guess and Galil but only because his name was used every line towards the end.
This should've absolutely finished without the final chapter. That cliffhanger with Baron supposedly feeding on the two other characters was such a perfectly developed cliffhanger that genuinely got me excited... only for it to be resolved completely within no longer than one page, and then reverted back to travelling-until-they-run-into-danger for the 15th time in a row.
It really feels like he writes without knowing where it's going. Why do you have to have sudden back-to-back-to-back action sequences with a different threat every time? Build up to one, let us sit with the consequences, and have a time away from action for us to care about it happening again. It just waters down the thrilling nature of the story. Less is more.
I wanted to really love this but the final chapter was a real let down. I'll still give this four stars for it's good parts, because I was sold essentially until the final chapter... but he's not the best writer - I think after 11 volumes I can admit this clearly. Thank god the good parts are good and the world is incredible. It balances it out, I will say that.
November 26, 2018
This time, we see the great Vampire Hunter D escort a Vampire?!? One that might actually be stronger than D?!?
Finally, at volume 11, we have the inclusion of another strong male protagonist. The Baron is quite likable and a member of the high nobility. We also get a bit more detail about D's past and also some events that happened during the rule of the Nobility for about 6K years. There's also a brief explanation on why the Nobility created such vicious weapons of war (never made much sense if their rule was supreme right?) and a bit of world building about their offworld colonies.
Yes, we do go through the traditional "A->B whilst killing all the assassins along the way which will always attack individually because of profit". But in this book, the writer decided to make that secondary, and every clash is a way to introduce some tidbits of the past and do some world building!
Probably one (or two, as this volume includes parts 1 and 2) of the best Vampire Hunter D books so far.
Finally, at volume 11, we have the inclusion of another strong male protagonist. The Baron is quite likable and a member of the high nobility. We also get a bit more detail about D's past and also some events that happened during the rule of the Nobility for about 6K years. There's also a brief explanation on why the Nobility created such vicious weapons of war (never made much sense if their rule was supreme right?) and a bit of world building about their offworld colonies.
Yes, we do go through the traditional "A->B whilst killing all the assassins along the way which will always attack individually because of profit". But in this book, the writer decided to make that secondary, and every clash is a way to introduce some tidbits of the past and do some world building!
Probably one (or two, as this volume includes parts 1 and 2) of the best Vampire Hunter D books so far.
December 30, 2024
D is hired by A Noble Baron to escort him to a meeting with his father Lord Vlad.
Given Vampire Lord father and Baron son are trying to kill each other, it may not be an easy job.
Also the Hunter does not usually bodyguard his hunting targets, so the Baron promises not to eat anyone on the trip.
snorts…
But it isn’t easy as he keeps acquiring extra ‘guests’: a Noble woman, a couple of child acrobats, a vengeful ancient spirit (maybe?) and another woman…
the problem with this series is you never think D is in any danger. He survives frankly insane events; at one stage he is liquified? ANd look it is just cheating, to cut off your demon hand and let it bugger off on its own.
One character asks him how he climbed the thousand metre waterfall, and D says’I took the elevator’ - bwahaha.
And by the end, we ae still only on the edge of the city. Two more parts to go.
[maybe I need to give these a rest for a while]
3 stars
Given Vampire Lord father and Baron son are trying to kill each other, it may not be an easy job.
Also the Hunter does not usually bodyguard his hunting targets, so the Baron promises not to eat anyone on the trip.
snorts…
But it isn’t easy as he keeps acquiring extra ‘guests’: a Noble woman, a couple of child acrobats, a vengeful ancient spirit (maybe?) and another woman…
the problem with this series is you never think D is in any danger. He survives frankly insane events; at one stage he is liquified? ANd look it is just cheating, to cut off your demon hand and let it bugger off on its own.
One character asks him how he climbed the thousand metre waterfall, and D says’I took the elevator’ - bwahaha.
And by the end, we ae still only on the edge of the city. Two more parts to go.
[maybe I need to give these a rest for a while]
3 stars
August 20, 2022
The hyperbole around D continues, and this volume (half of a longer work) is no different. There are hints (broad, broad, just-short-of-telling-you hints) to D's ancestry, but that hasn't changed since the first novel, either.
I've found that I enjoy these, but only when taken few and far between. Each novel is an exercise in describing how fucked-up and dangerous the future is, but D is always ready for everything, more or less, no matter how over the top the descriptions of his latest foe.
The best thing introduced in this book is the OSB idea, or aliens who attacked earth while we were under the Nobility rule. I'd like to read more about the aliens, please. I think we might get more, but I don't know when, as there are several books after this one.
I've found that I enjoy these, but only when taken few and far between. Each novel is an exercise in describing how fucked-up and dangerous the future is, but D is always ready for everything, more or less, no matter how over the top the descriptions of his latest foe.
The best thing introduced in this book is the OSB idea, or aliens who attacked earth while we were under the Nobility rule. I'd like to read more about the aliens, please. I think we might get more, but I don't know when, as there are several books after this one.
May 9, 2025
Debo decir que la dinámica de los personajes en este libro en particular me pareció fascinante y especial, me gusto el grupito con el Byron, Miska y los niños. En especial Byron y sus charlas con D fueron muy entretenidas, muy afines ambos de alguna manera que me hubiera gustado fueran amigos, pero eso es pedir mucho en la Frontera y sobre todo entre un vampiro y un cazavampiros.
Las peleas contra los bandidos que contrato el padre de Byron para matarlos resultaron muy entretenidas y creativas como siempre, bastante sangrientas tambien xD fue un deleite visual en mi cabeza.
Me sigue dando risa el narrador como enaltece todo lo que hace D como un intenso fanboy.
Las peleas contra los bandidos que contrato el padre de Byron para matarlos resultaron muy entretenidas y creativas como siempre, bastante sangrientas tambien xD fue un deleite visual en mi cabeza.
Me sigue dando risa el narrador como enaltece todo lo que hace D como un intenso fanboy.
August 27, 2025
This took me a while to get through, I just don't like most of the characters beside our main group, nor can I keep up with their abilities and appearances but that's a given with this series unfortunately. All the villains have sorta blended together in my head. The intense cliffhanger leads into what I'd argue was the most entertaining series of events in this story, but otherwise this volume was decent as set-up for the story to come. World-building was masterclass in this one, setting up much more lore within the VHD universe that makes us realize the true scale of historical conflicts, so no complaints in that department!
June 5, 2020
This was a book that I picked up because I loved the anime movies so much. so, I wanted to dive into the books. Incredibly meticulous and well-thought-out and so very in tune with the realm I once knew. (I really need to rewatch the movies. I miss them.)
I guess I just couldn't get into this. It wasn't wretched by any means. I was just finding it difficult to get into it. Sometimes that happens.
Full Review:
https://thescarletreaderreviews.wordp...
I guess I just couldn't get into this. It wasn't wretched by any means. I was just finding it difficult to get into it. Sometimes that happens.
Full Review:
https://thescarletreaderreviews.wordp...
June 5, 2019
Definitely one of the better in the series. Kikuchi writes much better stories when he gives himself more pages to work with.
April 25, 2025
More of the same
October 18, 2025
This book had more depth then the others. and a lot of action
December 30, 2010
This is Volume 11 in the Vampire Hunter D series. This is also the first two parts of this four part epic story called "Pale Fallen Angel"; parts three and four are in Volume 12. This was a very good Vampire Hunter D book!
In this book D is hired by Baron Byron Balarge to serve as his guard. D doesn't usually work for Nobles but given that the Baron is on his way to kill his Noble father; D consents to join him. As with most of D's adventures; they are beset on by natural disasters and assassins at every turn.
This book was right up there as one of my favorite Vampire Hunter D stories. The action is non-stop; in fact the characters rarely get to catch their breath between things attacking them and "natural" disasters running into them. The assassins are all very interesting and have interesting powers. The characters that end up accompanying D and the Baron are also fascinating. D's interactions, especially with the acrobatic brother and sister, give additional incite into his character.
This book was exceptional in that you get to learn a lot more about how the Nobility were wiped out, more about D's history, and more about the history of the world in general. The Baron himself has a complicated history and character and harbors many secrets that I am eager to find out. Kikuchi really excels at coming up with creative dangers in his world and with creative characters.
This book could be read as a stand alone (assuming you read the next volume, parts 3 and 4 after this one) you don't need to read all of the books before this one to enjoy the story. This book does end with a lot of things unresolved; but it doesn't leave you totally hanging like his last 2-book story did. You could read this book and then read parts 3 and 4 later; but I would recommend getting both volumes 11 and 12 so that you can finish up the story.
Kikuchi's writing style comes across as a bit choppy at times. Occasionally I also have trouble telling who is saying what; and the constant descriptions of D's beauty get to be a little much sometimes. But, those who like this series are used to all those drawbacks.
Overall, this was one of the best Vampire Hunter D books yet and I look forward to finishing the story in Volume 12.
In this book D is hired by Baron Byron Balarge to serve as his guard. D doesn't usually work for Nobles but given that the Baron is on his way to kill his Noble father; D consents to join him. As with most of D's adventures; they are beset on by natural disasters and assassins at every turn.
This book was right up there as one of my favorite Vampire Hunter D stories. The action is non-stop; in fact the characters rarely get to catch their breath between things attacking them and "natural" disasters running into them. The assassins are all very interesting and have interesting powers. The characters that end up accompanying D and the Baron are also fascinating. D's interactions, especially with the acrobatic brother and sister, give additional incite into his character.
This book was exceptional in that you get to learn a lot more about how the Nobility were wiped out, more about D's history, and more about the history of the world in general. The Baron himself has a complicated history and character and harbors many secrets that I am eager to find out. Kikuchi really excels at coming up with creative dangers in his world and with creative characters.
This book could be read as a stand alone (assuming you read the next volume, parts 3 and 4 after this one) you don't need to read all of the books before this one to enjoy the story. This book does end with a lot of things unresolved; but it doesn't leave you totally hanging like his last 2-book story did. You could read this book and then read parts 3 and 4 later; but I would recommend getting both volumes 11 and 12 so that you can finish up the story.
Kikuchi's writing style comes across as a bit choppy at times. Occasionally I also have trouble telling who is saying what; and the constant descriptions of D's beauty get to be a little much sometimes. But, those who like this series are used to all those drawbacks.
Overall, this was one of the best Vampire Hunter D books yet and I look forward to finishing the story in Volume 12.
March 30, 2014
An epic fantasy horror story and I rarely say the word Epic as this is the first book in the Pale Fallen Angel saga that consists of part one and two. The mysterious Vampire hunter known as “D” is hired by... wait for it... a vampire! With a noble vampire named Baron Byron Balatz who wants a body guard to aid and escort him on his brutal and sinister mission to kill his father, D is left with no choice but to take the job seeing as it is his job to kill vampires. The unlikely couple make a deal, no feasting on humans as they go on their long journey and this itself creates tension.
Things get interesting when a female vampire tags along with them as well as a couple of orphaned kids who D ends up babysitting with them, with so many bounty hunters after them and an army of frog like water assassins, there is plenty of action to be read and even though it can be a strain and somewhat difficult to read the heart thumping battles one after the other, there are peaceful moments as the characters talk and interact with one another.
The author uses his skills to trick and play with the narrative and toys with your thoughts on the situation, this leads you to being surprised yet amazed at D’s astonishing strength and intelligence. For a story with so much action, this helps a lot. As this is the eleventh book in the series the mysterious vampire hunter’s past is carefully yet secretly revealed in little chopped bits as there are many clues to his true identity.
Like many books in the Vampire hunter D series this one also has Lots of purple prose from the pages that will provoke artistic, Gothic and beautiful scenes from your imagination if you can handle it. A couple of blood curdling and horrific moments that’ll send shivers down your spine with intonations to sex and vampirism. The ultra cool and calm D is so supernaturally perfect and handsome yet it makes him impossible to relate to thus he is somewhat bleak, even a computer program gets the hots for him however if you read this series you’ll notice the characters surrounding him are the driving force, it is their story that we are interested in and Baron Byron’s story is very much intriguing.
Things get interesting when a female vampire tags along with them as well as a couple of orphaned kids who D ends up babysitting with them, with so many bounty hunters after them and an army of frog like water assassins, there is plenty of action to be read and even though it can be a strain and somewhat difficult to read the heart thumping battles one after the other, there are peaceful moments as the characters talk and interact with one another.
The author uses his skills to trick and play with the narrative and toys with your thoughts on the situation, this leads you to being surprised yet amazed at D’s astonishing strength and intelligence. For a story with so much action, this helps a lot. As this is the eleventh book in the series the mysterious vampire hunter’s past is carefully yet secretly revealed in little chopped bits as there are many clues to his true identity.
Like many books in the Vampire hunter D series this one also has Lots of purple prose from the pages that will provoke artistic, Gothic and beautiful scenes from your imagination if you can handle it. A couple of blood curdling and horrific moments that’ll send shivers down your spine with intonations to sex and vampirism. The ultra cool and calm D is so supernaturally perfect and handsome yet it makes him impossible to relate to thus he is somewhat bleak, even a computer program gets the hots for him however if you read this series you’ll notice the characters surrounding him are the driving force, it is their story that we are interested in and Baron Byron’s story is very much intriguing.
April 12, 2023
The first four-volume Vampire Hunter D Tale is here
When you need the best you get the best and D is the best there is at what he does and his hired by a Nobility of all the people that of Baron Byron Balazs the regulator of the western frontier in order to assure him safe passage to the village of Krauhausten in exchange for the exorbitant sums demanded by a Vampire Hunter D let alone of D's level and the promise to stave off sucking the blood of humans
he will protect the Baron
along the way they encounter various stragglers of various backgrounds on their journey
personally, I feel the character of D is most fascinating and engaging to read when within the set of a band of characters it allows close interactivity between the cold and Kurt D and the more human/inhuman personalities that attempt to ply D similarly to Vol.6
it feels rather refreshing to get to spend quite a length D and these newer characters and I found it easy to be endeared to most of them at different lengths of the journey
it often feels a bit limited how much A VHD light novel can work with fleshing characters given its page count, especially with the rather abrupt fast-moving narratives and heavily stylized action these stories tend to be there are sometimes a lack of moments with some characters
it's why I'm rather delighted with the introduction of two to four-part tales which allows more time for the author to meld the contrasting parts of the story whether it be flavorful action or contemplative character moments
as for the mythology of Vampire Hunter D I was especially engrossed in this novel there's a monumental amount of revealing information about the history of the Nobility the worldbuilding in D is as expansive as ever
When you need the best you get the best and D is the best there is at what he does and his hired by a Nobility of all the people that of Baron Byron Balazs the regulator of the western frontier in order to assure him safe passage to the village of Krauhausten in exchange for the exorbitant sums demanded by a Vampire Hunter D let alone of D's level and the promise to stave off sucking the blood of humans
he will protect the Baron
along the way they encounter various stragglers of various backgrounds on their journey
personally, I feel the character of D is most fascinating and engaging to read when within the set of a band of characters it allows close interactivity between the cold and Kurt D and the more human/inhuman personalities that attempt to ply D similarly to Vol.6
it feels rather refreshing to get to spend quite a length D and these newer characters and I found it easy to be endeared to most of them at different lengths of the journey
it often feels a bit limited how much A VHD light novel can work with fleshing characters given its page count, especially with the rather abrupt fast-moving narratives and heavily stylized action these stories tend to be there are sometimes a lack of moments with some characters
it's why I'm rather delighted with the introduction of two to four-part tales which allows more time for the author to meld the contrasting parts of the story whether it be flavorful action or contemplative character moments
as for the mythology of Vampire Hunter D I was especially engrossed in this novel there's a monumental amount of revealing information about the history of the Nobility the worldbuilding in D is as expansive as ever
November 11, 2020
Pale Fallen Angel (Vampire Hunter D Vol. 11, Parts One and Two). By Hideo Kikuchi, English translation by Kevin Leahy, Illustrator: Yoshitaka Amano. 2008. Dark Horse Press/Digital Manga Publishing. ISBN 1595821309 (paperback).
In a world where vampire hunters are the only ones the Nobles fear, it is singularly remarkable that a Nobleman possesses enough mettle to request the services of a hunter as a bodyguard. Baron Byron Balarge seeks to end Lord Vlad’s life and must make a treacherous journey to do so. Vowing to D that he will not drink blood from the living while the hunter is in the Baron’s services, the duo set off on the mission, thwarting assassins and accumulating traveling partners along the way.
The merry band of travelers are fresh and entertaining, the powers of the villains unique, and a very interesting reveal regarding D’s suspected parentage. Pale Fallen Angel, Parts One and Two promises a satisfying conclusion to this four-part tale. Initially published in Japan in 1994, this translated work contains the original illustrations by Amano, a 2008 postscript by the author.
In a world where vampire hunters are the only ones the Nobles fear, it is singularly remarkable that a Nobleman possesses enough mettle to request the services of a hunter as a bodyguard. Baron Byron Balarge seeks to end Lord Vlad’s life and must make a treacherous journey to do so. Vowing to D that he will not drink blood from the living while the hunter is in the Baron’s services, the duo set off on the mission, thwarting assassins and accumulating traveling partners along the way.
The merry band of travelers are fresh and entertaining, the powers of the villains unique, and a very interesting reveal regarding D’s suspected parentage. Pale Fallen Angel, Parts One and Two promises a satisfying conclusion to this four-part tale. Initially published in Japan in 1994, this translated work contains the original illustrations by Amano, a 2008 postscript by the author.
July 14, 2013
I really loved this book and couldn't wait to read more. In many of the series books, "D" is fighting one or more vampires and their minions. But this book if the first where he is hired by a Noble( aka vampire) and he accepts. Exciting, and really exceptional. This is one of the better books in the series, with the characters being well fleshed out and the fantastical imagination of the author runs rampant, with all manner of monsters and men coming up against D and his client. I will definately read again!
Excerpt: [D] took 5 steps forward. From the third he was out in red grass that came up to his knees.
"The villagers rushed in headlong," the woman on the mount said in the lowest of tones. "There was nothing else they could do. But half of them were cut down instantly. And--."
A number of flashes leapt up from the grass. they were aimed at D's knees. Evading them with a graceful leap, D drew in midair to cut them down. A semicircle of light flashed though the grass, while at the same time, cries of pain from nothing human and blue blood exploded into the air.
Excerpt: [D] took 5 steps forward. From the third he was out in red grass that came up to his knees.
"The villagers rushed in headlong," the woman on the mount said in the lowest of tones. "There was nothing else they could do. But half of them were cut down instantly. And--."
A number of flashes leapt up from the grass. they were aimed at D's knees. Evading them with a graceful leap, D drew in midair to cut them down. A semicircle of light flashed though the grass, while at the same time, cries of pain from nothing human and blue blood exploded into the air.
September 9, 2012
Another chapter in the ongoing saga of D, vampire hunter. D is dead set on ridding the world of vampire kind, which makes it kind of strange when he accepts a job guarding not one, but two of them. Along the way, they face many dangers and pick up a few hitchhikers.
D is taciturn as ever, unfortunately it seems that the sparsely populated Gothic landscape that the author has created is waxing formulaic. D rides into situation X, D fights bad guys Y, D faces big challenge Z, D grunts once W as big bad gives him a grievous wound Q = D saves the day and rides into the sunset.
Entertaining for fans, a bit lurid, but all in all a bit flat.
February 12, 2009
The Vampire Hunter D series is consistantly a good read. I'm always excited to see what new exploits D gets into and the crazy creatures that Hideyuki comes up with. Wonderful escapism, and it's always amusing to hear comments from people about my reading habits.
November 22, 2008
this novel contains the first two novels in a four part series called the pale fallen angel. in this story arc we get to see some more of the history of "d" and some of the reasons he behaves the way that he does. it is another great story the furthers the legacy of one of my personal favorite novel characters.
December 27, 2008
This installment reveals a little more of the world and quite a bit more about D, which sets it apart from the previous books. This is a good thing. The villains are numerous and varied and are able to tax D beyond anything seen since the first book. Nothing groundbreaking, but enjoyable nonetheless.
November 30, 2010
This book had a really great beginning and held my attention then the middle kind of slowed down and lost me a few times. Once I got closer to the end I was able to keep up and the action picked up with some really neat and clever scenes. It's a good addition to the Vampire Hunter D books but not the best so far.
July 14, 2010
I had a hard time getting into this one. It seemed too much like previous VHD books at first, but got interesting as I got into part two. I'm now looking forward to see what parts three and four have in store.
Read
March 13, 2011Pale Fallen Angels is my favorite two-part storyline I've read so far of the Vampire Hunter D series. I find the characters and the plot delightful, as well as the way D fits in to so nicely. Well done, Kikuchi.
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