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22 of 23 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Both book and the tale within are beautifully done, October 21, 2007
This review is from: Baltimore,: Or, The Steadfast Tin Soldier and the Vampire (Hardcover)
"Baltimore's" size caught my attention before I ever heard a word about the novel. On most library shelves, it'd be tucked in the oversize volumes.
The book itself is brilliant--good quality paper with illustrations rendered in black and white almost every page. More than anything, "Baltimore" reminds me of an illustrated library bound series I had growing up. If you love books and their construction, "Baltimore" is a joy to hold in your hands.
Reading the story is like picking up a Poe. Elements in the narrative are so very familiar with just the subtle twists that will make the hair on the back of your neck stand up.
"Baltimore" opens with Captain Henry Baltimore musing on the difference between toy soldiers and the real ones as he is set to cross No Man's Land with his men (World War I) to fight the Hessians. He is wounded and comes in and out of consciousness literally buried in a trench of his dead men. While fighting what he believes to be a carrion bird, he inadvertently injures the Red King, a vampire who was only at that time feasting on the dead. This act unleashes a plague--which we know of as the influenza epidemic of 1919.
The book continues with similar tales told by Baltimore's three friends who have each had their own encounters with supernatural beings in various guises. Then Baltimore's diary arrives with the former soldier's recollections.
"Baltimore" is a bleak read, but a fascinating one. The allegory of war at the beginning brought tears to my eyes. I definitely recommend you set aside whatever time you'd need to consume a 284 page novel when you start this book. If you're like me, you won't want to stop.
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15 of 18 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Fantastic, September 18, 2007
This review is from: Baltimore,: Or, The Steadfast Tin Soldier and the Vampire (Hardcover)
Things haven't looked too good lately in the vampire genre. Thankfully Lord Baltimore came along. It's the best piece of fiction I've read this year. Lord Baltimore isn't half in love with vampires. He's sworn to wipe the menance off the face of the earth. His friends aren't loveable goof balls or denizens of the night themselves; they're men: strong, loyal to the death and pretty quickwitted in their own right. The vampires in this novel are not sexy. They are vicious, foul, unmistakeably dangerous and and possessed of ratlike cunning. When Lady Elowen becomes one it's a horrible, unforgettable scene.
There is nothing pretty in this novel. It's an old fashioned tribute to Dracula and in some ways to Salem's Lot. Baltimore is a steadfast man. He's suffered beyong most human endurance and is set to kill the vampire or die trying. And the in the end, when you find out what happened to his beloved wife's wedding ring I dare you not to wink back tears. Bravo. This makes up for the whole revolting pile of chick lit vamps that have been foisted on the bookbuying public.
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12 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Amidst the sounds of metallic rain, November 15, 2007
This review is from: Baltimore,: Or, The Steadfast Tin Soldier and the Vampire (Hardcover)
Before reviewing this book, I have to say that many of the editorial comments I've read under "plot synopsis" are understimations - and then some. They try to capture something and put it in a little box when it has a much more intoxicating allure than that, and it underestimates the read. It does have the vampire portion, the Hans C. Anderson appeal, WWI, the fiends, and so on. Still, one comes to expect more from an idea from Mike Mignola and, in Baltimore, the reader gets it.
As far as the book goes, it is an utterly grand rad. While there have been a lot of Hellboy tales done by Mignola/Golden, I've never really seen anything the two created that I was overly impressed with (and I am writing about novelizations coupling the efforts of the two just for clarity's sake because Golden does god work and Mignola does fabulous work). I had heard a lot about Baltimore when it was in its initial phases, however, and reading a few introductory paragraphs made me think that it might be good.
It was sooo much better than that.
For one thing, the plotline being followed is complex and gives the reader something to enjoy. It moves back and forth in a syllabic dance as it introduces various themes, and the way this is done is really rewarding. The metaphors utilized in the book, the ideas given life; everything kept me pressing on toward the end. You could see the influence of both Mignola and Golden in the story, too, an the pictures that Mignola includes here and there bring that much more depth to the read.
It was one of the best things I've read in quite some time.
If you accustomed to what Mignola can do and you like the almost fairytale allure he presents in so much of his work, then you will enjoy this. It isn't really like the oddities he does or his more mainstream work, instead standing alone and making it that much better for doing so. Even people who do not like Mignola, dark tales, or most of the keywords that come up when looking for this book would probably find it a great read.
I recommend it highly.
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