Book #37: The President's Vampire

The President's Vampire, by Christopher Farnsworth. Unabridged audio.

Nathaniel Cade’s job is to protect the President, and carry out his orders in the interest of the United States. But he is not a Secret Service agent, a CIA man, or a military officer. He is a vampire. And he has been doing this job for well over a hundred years. You’ve probably never wondered why every assassination since Lincoln has taken place during the day. Now you know.

This novel is the second book to feature Cade and his current handler, Zach Barrows. This is the follow-up to Blood Oath, which I reviewed here. Cade is this country’s most secret secret, battling the mystical and the monstrous. In this novel, there are snake-headed monsters trying to take down the United States, working through agents both outside and inside the US government. Are these beings our alien overlords? Are they genetically-altered humans? Or are they the next step in human evolution? Whatever these are, how can Cade stop them?

There is character growth in many of the characters in this second novel, especially for Zach. He had just met Cade in the first novel, and is still getting his “sea legs” under him while trying to work out the details of this particular threat. He begins to fall for a colleague, and (no spoilers, but no surprise), this does not work out well. Being Cade’s liaison is a job that does not mix with a social life.

Because his battle has been long and Cade is immortal, we get to jump around history, although the majority of the action takes place in the present. We visit 1928, 1963, and 2001, revealing the role that Cade has played in important points in American history. These scenes served as reminders of Cade’s nature, as well as revealing that this plot may stretch back longer into the past than first assumed.

The story is exciting, the plot interesting, and the conclusion thrilling. The last scene itself is chilling, and a reminder that this is not just another military thriller. No, the main character in this novel is most assuredly a vampire.

Actor Bronson Pinchot does another fine job narrating this book. He has to perform a range of voices in this book, and brings a sense of dread to Cade’s intense voice.

Source: public library.