Neferata by Josh Reynolds.


I'll start out by saying straight away that I loved this book. Really loved it, one of my favourite Black Library books yet. The pacing is excellent, each chapter begins with a flashback showing Neferata's adventures in the centuries prior to the book's main narrative. I usually find this sort of thing a bit irritating but it is excellently done and helps highlight how Neferata has learned and grown over time and it adds a real depth to her portrayal in the main story. Neferata is, as you should know if you are reading a WFB boko review, the Queen of Lahmia, the first vampire and the founder of the Lahmian line of vampires. This charts her life from some centuries after Lahmias destruction to her acquisition of her new home, the former Dwarf hold of Silver Pinnacle.
One reason why I've avoided the Time of Legends books 'til now is that I have trouble reading a book where you start off knowing the outcome in general times. But Neferata is so well paced and written (Mr Reynolds has a very engaging prose) that I was completely engrossed and never felt that the ending was hovering over everything (the way I did with Valkia the Bloody, still a good book). If you have a passing interest in WFB Vampires I would recommend reading this, even if you don't it would probably be worth reading anyway. A lot of other prominent characters from the Vampire Counts/Tomb Kings make an appearance as well, Alcadizzar, W'Soran, Abhorash, Ushoran, Arkhan the Black and Khalida and, of course, Nagash makes a sort-of cameo appearance which is rather epic and reminscent of Sauron.
There is a suitable amount of violence for a book about vampires but much of the book deals with the plots and counterplots of the exiled Master Vampires, the violence is not gratuitous and the plotting is not tedious. I really, really loved this book.

Five out of Five Stabby Vampire Women.





Spoilers (highlight):
-Nagash sort of hovers in the background throughout the novel and it is exceedingly effective at creating a real sense of evil malevolence. Even the Ritual of Waking, the great ritual that Nagash used to re-animate the Tomb Kings is depicted in a suitably understated style, with Neferata feeling it well outside the borders of Nehekhara and hearing Nagashs' voice booming inside her skull. One of my favourite scenes.
-Neferata can bear the sun much better than the vampires sired by her and the other master vampires, which was interesting. She is also immune to the effects of running water and without seeming over the top really does give the impression of being suitably epic for the queen of Vampires, especially in contrast to Ulrika and the Lahmians in her books.
-W'Soran, the head of he Necrarch vampires is suitably creepy and Ushoran, head of the Strigoi is suitably bestial. Their characters are developed to the extent the story requires but I wouldn't say you get a great insight into their respective characters. But then it isn't their novel. You do see a common trait in all the master vampires, a half-ashamed desire to turn back time and restore ancient Lahmia, which is nice touch.
-Tomb Queen Khalida makes a suitably impressive cameo in one of the flashbacks
-I may be reading too much into it, but I think there was a sly reference to 'Allo, 'Allo at one point.
-The reason for Neferatas' loathing of men is shown quite convincingly, again and again she is betrayed by male vampires of her siring while her handmaidens are loyal unto death, even when at leas one is aware they are just pawns. She still loves Neferata which is sort of sweet...
-You really see the evolution of Neferata as she grows and adapts to changing circumstances, in contrast to the other master vampires who seem trapped in the past and intent on repeating its mistakes. You see the development of the Lahmian philosophy of subversion and infiltration and control, rather than brute force or magical power.
-Can you tell I really, really loved this book?
Spoilers end.