Appalachian Overthrow

Vampire Earth, Book 10

By: E. E. Knight

Narrated by: Christian Rummel

E.E. Knight has proven “a master of his craft. His prose is controlled but interesting, and his characters are fully formed and come to life” (Science Fiction Weekly). In his latest Vampire Earth novel, the national best-selling author tells a tale about David Valentine’s fellow freedom fighter Ahn-Kha when he was imprisoned and forced into hard labor by the Kurians - and the rebellion he led against them....

Captured and sold to the Kurian-allied Maynes Conglomerate, to work as a slave in the coal mines of Appalachia, Ahn-Kha is angered and appalled by the dangerous working conditions, and the brutal treatment inflicted upon his fellow miners. When a protest against shortages is deliberately and bloodily suppressed, Ahn-Kha sets himself against the ruling Maynes family and sets out on a trail of vengeance through the Coal Country.

Finally, the people of the Coal Country are driven to the breaking point - and they now have a leader, a powerful and battle-hardened leader, determined to forge them into an army that will wage guerrilla warfare against the Maynes family and their Kurian masters - and free the Appalachians from their tyranny....

©2013 Eric Frisch (P)2013 Audible, Inc.

Ahn KAH is awesome

this book really helps you pinpoint where he was at the exact same time Valentine was doing his adventure.

Would have been Better if Not for Missing Bits

The book overall was good, as I would expect for any in the Vampire Earth series. however, sometimes I was confused when it appeared that bits of the story would be skipped over or sections were missing. The scene would switch without warning and I would find myself in the middle of a dialog that did not exist before. I would recommend somehow re-recording or re-editing this book to put those missing sections back in, otherwise it becomes very hard to follow. Disappointed, as this would have been an excellent story otherwise.

great story, bad audible, pieces missing

Not only are things missing but audible didn't choose the correct voice actor. There's also some errors in here I think from the author if you know the whole series then you'll know what I'm talking about.

This book is from the point of view of Ahn-Kha.

THIS BOOK IS FROM THE POINT OF VIEW OF AHN-KHA!

That was my reaction as I started reading Appalachian Overthrow. I've had a fondness for the golden one since he first crossed paths with Valentine and I was simply ecstatic to discover that this book was in his voice.

This is the 10th book in the Vampire Earth series and you really must read the prior books in order to appreciate it. This is also the only book so far that hasn't been from David Valentine's perspective. The narrator shift takes some getting used to. But once into the meat of the book, the story and action flow well and it's easy to forget that we are missing our normal protagonist. This book fills in a lot of the gaps surrounding what happened to Ahn-kha while he was separated from Valentine. There are many references to the storylines of the previous books where Ahn-kha timeline drops in/out.

I enjoyed this book- the story, the characters, and the mountain setting. The book is presented as sort of a field journal by Ahn-kha. Towards the end there is one particular section that reads like its missing a few paragraphs- dropped like Southern Command was tasked with printing the account & managed to lose a page. I delayed purchasing this book because of the comments about the missing parts & regret doing so now- I was able to pick up on what was going on and quickly got pulled back into the story.

The narrator, Christian Rummel, does a wonderful job and had a thankless task. He does a fantastic Ahn-kha voice in the previous novels but it would have been nearly impossible to use that voice for 9+ hours as Ahn-kha tells his story. That voice is what heard in my head as I read the ebook version and so I was a tiny bit (unfairly) disappointed when I started listening to the audio. The primary voice he uses is a deeper, richer version of the one that he uses for Valentine and he occasionally slips into a southern drawl.

Note: The audio book is missing an Appendix that the ebook had that describes the impact the Appalachian fight had on the other Kurian zones.

Nice side trip from the overall series

This was a nice side trip to fill in the details of what happened to Ahn-Kha while he was separated from David. It also did a great deal to add even more layers and flavor to the world Knight has created. Rummel does his typically excellent job narrating which really brings the characters to life. Sometimes when a series has characters involved in events that happen outside the narrative it feels like their triumphant return is contrived and too convenient a way for the author to get out of the corner they painted themselves into. Having this book as part of the series helps to demonstrate that Ahn-Kha wasn't just strolling through the hills gathering rebels that ultimately help save the day and it makes his character even deeper than in previous book because for the first time we are actually seeing events through his eyes. Knight does a great job of relating that perspective without it being difficult to follow. Looking forward to more.