A review by library_bookwyrm
Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter by Seth Grahame-Smith

5.0

Grahame-Smith, Seth. Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter. New York : Grand Central Pub., 2010.

Seth Grahame-Smith, author of the best-selling novel Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, follows up with the wholly original Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter.¹ When the fictionalized version of the author receives a mysterious package containing the secret journals of the former president, his world is turned upside down. His purpose in life becomes the creation of a new biography of Lincoln, detailing the president's war against vicious vampires with their own plans for the still-young America.

The story employs the structure of a biography - alternating straightforward observations of the "facts" with personal and emotional "excerpts" from journals and correspondence - which pulls the reader through an engrossing tale that moves from detailing the lush scenery to vivid descriptions of violent battles. People we recognize from history classes come brilliantly to life, managing to be both familiar and disturbingly “other” than we had imagined. Rich with historical details, the story is nevertheless action-oriented. Grahame-Smith gives us a story interweaving fact and fantasy that is completely believable while remaining frankly impossible. Framed by the issue of slavery, the spreading young nation, and the bloodiness of the Civil War, this gritty horror is sure to please those looking for dark fantasy in a historical setting.

¹Author information taken from his website: http://sethgrahamesmith.com/