If you're a fan of Francis Ford Coppola's movie rendition of Bram Stoker's Dracula then An Endless Hunger will be very appealing to you. Told in first person narrative, this story paints a picture of vivid imagery coupled with heavy metaphor.
The story unfolds quite literally through the eyes, ears, and other senses of the main undead antagonist. While first person POV isn't uncommon, it is rare to find a story that delves so deep into it. Normally one feels like they're sitting right behind the main character's eyes. Here, you are this character. Nestled deep within their cerebral cortex, you are forced to experience every bit of anguish, confusion, and despair that he does. Fans of Anne Rice and other similar brooding vampires will most certainly enjoy the tour de force through the unsettled mind of this undead creature.
I will caution that the wonder of this book might also be its potential downfall for some readers. This is not a typical `beginning - primary conflict - ending' type book. Those seeking such a novel may wish to look elsewhere. Navarre doesn't paint everything with a crystal clear brush, preferring instead (at least in my opinion) to let the reader draw their own conclusions regarding many of the events. In truth, I feel this is one of those stories which you may have to read through more than once to get a sense of things. Having gone through it twice now myself, I also find this is one of those works where you'll find something new in each read through. However, this is all more than doable, because for all of its intensity, An Endless Hunger is a short read, clocking in at less than 50 pages.
The only critiques I would offer are that I would have loved to have seen a longer story here. The few flashbacks that are offered give a glimpse of the protagonist's long life, and I wouldn't have balked at seeing these fleshed out a bit more. Additionally, the action can be confusing at time. Delving into the character's depths of despair via first person entails experiencing it firsthand, which can be off-putting as events and details begin running together in a cacophony of madness.
An Endless Hunter is a fast, intense read, with strong characterizations and an interesting take on a soul that's convinced of its own damnation.
I received an advance review copy of this book.
