Ancient Blood: A Novel of the Hegemony

The Order Saga, Volume 1

By: Brian Patrick McKinley

Narrated by: Brian Rollins

Avery Doyle loves vampires; he's read every novel, seen all the movies, and researched the folklore. When his first one-night-stand, Caroline, turns out to be a true vampire on the run, he jumps at the chance to leave his ordinary life and join her as a "child of the night". The honeymoon ends, however, when Caroline's brutal Creator Sebastian enslaves them on his island estate and Avery must confront the dehumanizing reality behind his dreams. In order to survive, Caroline and Avery take their place as servants in Sebastian's household during a gathering of the most powerful vampires on Earth, the Hegemony, and soon find themselves involved in the myriad intrigues and deceptions that form the night-to-night existence of The Order. A society of wealth, power, and inhuman decadence whose existence is protected by human complicity and disbelief, The Order is the immortal aristocracy hidden behind the giant corporations and political leaders of the world. Sebastian, however, has a plan that will change The Order forever and shatter human civilization. To avoid this terrible fate, Avery and Caroline will not only have to defy the most powerful creatures on Earth, but also confront the darkest aspects of themselves. For in the world of the Hegemony, even victory may cost them their souls... A fast-paced thriller that both re-imagines and pays tribute to the traditional vampire, Ancient Blood is a story of love, ambition, sacrifice, and betrayal that is frighteningly human.

©2012, 2013 Brian Patrick McKinley (P)2014 Brian Patrick McKinley

A Welcome Respite From The Usual Vampire Tale

What did you love best about Ancient Blood: A Novel of the Hegemony?

The politics and machinations of the vampires was a great change from the brooding, moody vamps of years past.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Sebastian. He was powerful and yet I could understand his motivations. That's great in a villain. Too often the bad guy is a mustache twirler that is evil just for the sake of being evil.

What does Brian Rollins bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Such delightful accents and characters (of which there are over a dozen)! He captures Avery's voice wonderfully, but then switches to cool and confident for others, then powerful and angry for others. Wonderfully done.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

I laughed at a few parts, but the rest just kept me quietly riveted to the story.

Any additional comments?

I'm interested in seeing what happens after the fallout of the climax. More Caroline too!

Never liked vampires - up until now

As the title states, I am not from the vampire generation. Born in 90's, I wasn't really exposed to the vampire culture in its authenticity (Twilight didn't help either). This book, on the either hand, opened a new genre for me.

As for the story, everything is happening in modern age (with guns, helicopters, security cameras, etc.). Vampires, however, seem to still work their old ways from 100s of years ago. Loved the clash of morals in the book, different kinds of vampires, and scary (and graphic) scenes.

The development of the main character is interesting. I wouldn't say if was very unpredictable, but it was interesting to see how he changes throughout the story. Supporting characters and their stories before they've met are also on point.

Overall, a neat book that left me with quite a few things to debate about.

Slow in places but an enjoyable listen

What was the most interesting aspect of this story? The least interesting?

I thought it was an interesting take on the vampire theme. Much more intelligent than your general bloodsucking undead.
I did find the political side of things quite difficult to get my head round. It did make listening a bit of a chore on a few occasions.

Vampires

Any additional comments?

All the characters are very easy to imagine Every stereotypical vampire seems to be present, all the way down to personality differences. The hierarchy of the Order and the system they're all working in show fascinating sides to each character, bringing a true sense of realism to the story .

A new twist on the vampire world

If you could sum up Ancient Blood: A Novel of the Hegemony in three words, what would they be?

Political, Dark, Mysterious.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Ancient Blood: A Novel of the Hegemony?

I enjoyed the world that the author built, and the way the narrator allowed the story to come through.

Have you listened to any of Brian Rollins’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

Yes, great voice.

Any additional comments?

I will be looking for the next book in this series. This story caught my attention enough that I would like to see how the story and characters develop and grow.