Book Review-Department 19 by Will Hill

Title: Department 19

 Author: Will Hill

Series:  Department 19 #1

Published:  31^st March 2011 by Razorbill

Length:540 pages

Warnings: moderate fantasy violence, a lot of gore, vampires, mythical creatures

Source:Library

Other info: This is Will Hill’s first book. The sequel, The Rising, will be released in April 2012.  PARAJUNKEE’S VAMPIRE CHALLENGE #15

Summary : Jamie Carpenter's life will never be the same. His father is dead, his mother is missing, and he was just rescued by an enormous man named Frankenstein. Jamie is brought to Department 19, where he is pulled into a secret organization responsible for policing the supernatural, founded more than a century ago by Abraham Van Helsing and the other survivors of Dracula. Aided by Frankenstein's monster, a beautiful vampire girl with her own agenda, and the members of the agency, Jamie must attempt to save his mother from a terrifyingly powerful vampire.

Review: Jamie carpenters mother is, one night, suddenly kidnapped. Jamie has no idea who, what or why it happened, but afterwards he is taken to Department 19, a secret part of the government. It turns out that Department 19 has the things needed to find his mother and kill the vampires that took her. So Jamie, vampire girl who turns up Larissa and Frankenstein(the monster who took his creator’s name after said creator dies) and some more soldiers go after her. Meanwhile, someone is trying to bring back Dracula.

This is definitely one for the boys(and girls like Katy and I who prefer vampires to be scary not sparkly).a little romance is hinted at, but it is in no way the focus of the story. From start to finish there is full on action.

I love the whole mix of creatures in this. Ok, there aren’t many, but big points to Will Hill for including Frankenstein’s Monster in such a prominent part. And more points to him for making Shelley and Stoker’s creations not just fiction in the world of Department 19, making me excited to see if any other classical creatures (Maybe the chuthlu, or whatever that is, that thing that Lovecraft made up) will turn up in the sequel.

I liked the vampires in this. I like the way their status in life is presented. It shows them kind of like humans-some living in luxury, some working boring jobs. The chemist vampire, the one that produces Bliss, blood mixed with other stuff sent out to stop vampires going on killing sprees, is a particular favourite of mine. Frankenstein was written very well, with his personality being like he is in Shelley’s book. Other characters taken from classics, such as Morris, were also kept well to the originals.

There were quite a few surprises along the way, such as the werewolves appearing out of nowhere, and the fate of Jamie’s mother. However the events in the second epilogue are not surprising at all, as it was easy to guess that that would be the set up to the sequel.

Overall:  Strength 5 tea to a fun action packed vampire story that I can’t wait to see more of.

Links: | Goodreads | Author website |