Vampires and Pirates - what more do you need?

Vampirates: Empire of Night by Justin Somper

Synopsis: Sidorio, fuelled by grief and revenge, is intent on becoming King of the Vampirates and building a new empire to bring terror to the oceans. He faces growing opposition from both the Pirate Federation, including Vampirate Assassin Cheng Li, and the Nocturnals - the more benign vampirate realm - led by Mosh Zu and Lorcan Furey. Both the pirates and the Nocturnals are forced to raise their game in response to the new and urgent threat from Sidorio and the renegade Vampirates.

Twins Grace and Connor Tempest, still ricocheting from the recent discovery of their true parenthood and its explosive implications, are thrust deep into the heart of the conflict. Old foes and allies are thrown together in unexpected ways and, as the stakes rise higher than ever before, Grace and Connor find their alliances shifting in ways no-one could ever have possibly foreseen…

Review: this book begins with a significant development! Do not read further if you are worried about being spoiled! Short review: The book is fun and worth a read. (I pinched this sentence from Bookgeeks as I couldn’t have worded it better myself.)

The fifth book in the infamous Vampirates series is a fast-paced story moving swiftly on from Lady Lola’s beheading by her step-son, Connor, to see her up and about again, ready to cause more aggravation for the twins. Grace and Connor, still trying to come to terms with the fact that they are half-vampire, take on a dangerous mission and are forced to decide where their true loyalties lie. Stuckley and Johnny have more of a leading role in this novel and there’s at least one surprise death.

Somper’s talent for horror writing is ever more apparent in this part of the series, with one particularly gruesome scene. This is not unexpected, as vampires are blood-eaters after all, a fact that was not made obvious at first.

If you haven’t read the other books in the series then do so, immediately, then read book 5 and quickly! I don’t feel this can be read as a stand-alone due to the need to know the character’s history. A fantastic part in a brilliant series.