Customer Reviews

Choice of the Cat (Vampire Earth Series)

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Way of the Wolf was a bold, exciting beginning to what is definitely shaping up to be an innovative, compelling dark fantasy series from the pen of E.E. Knight. Choice of the Cat takes the heroic journey of protagonist David Valentine in an entirely new direction, one conducive to even more suspenseful action than before. Many a young writer finds it difficult to recreate the magic of a successful first novel, but E.E. Knight has come through with an impressive follow-up sure to delight all fans of dark fantasy and hair-raising heroic adventure.

The setting for The Vampire Earth series is a post-apocalyptic earth of the mid- to late-twenty-first century. Back in 2022, up to 90% of the human population perished as a result of the terrible Ravies plague, but this was just the beginning of Earth's struggle. The Kur, an alien civilization made up of vampiric creatures who feed on the life aura of others, quickly subjugated large portions of the earth. The Kur's most deadly weapons are the Reapers, terrifying, alien beasts through whom the Kur absorb the auras of their victims. Three types of human beings emerged from the apocalypse: those who betray their species and assist the Kur, those who are outwardly ambivalent to the Kur and just try to stay out of trouble, and those willing to fight and die for humanity. David Valentine is one of the latter. After the massacre of his family, the young boy went on to follow in his father's footsteps by becoming a Wolf, a member of the military first line of defense of the Ozark Free Zone. As this novel opens, Valentine is assigned to a new unit of soldiers and forced to hold off an enemy attack on orders of his superior officer; when that officer is injured, command falls to Valentine, who oversees a retreat by his outnumbered men based on his own informed decision and the intelligence he receives from a Cat (a warrior spy). Much to Valentine's (and my own) surprise, he soon finds himself facing a court-martial for disobeying orders. A tough choice between leaving the Wolves and staying to fight the military justice system is made a good bit easier when the Cat he met in battle offers him a chance to become a Cat himself.

Soon, Valentine is off to partake of some incredibly demanding training with his mentor Alessa Duvalier (code name: Smoke) as well as an intense initiation into the order; this induction into the Cats increases his senses and abilities many times over. For some time, Valentine has been deeply interested in a mysterious group of enemies identified by a Twisted Cross, but his reports and inquiries have not seemed to generate much attention in Southern Command. His first mission as a Cat, working alongside his new mentor and friend, involves going into the Kurian zone and gathering intelligence on this seemingly specialized group of enemies. Before he's done, he gets an up-close and personal look at the whole nefarious organization.

There is a great deal of action in this novel. Whereas Wolves act in concert with one another, Cats basically work alone (unless they are training a new recruit such as Valentine). Valentine has always been a fighter, and there is still a good bit of Wolf left in this young Cat; even though his mission is to listen and learn, he cannot abandon innocents when he thinks he can save them. There are lots of skirmishes and one humdinger of a fight before the novel draws to a close, and the addition of the most unlikely of allies further energizes this gripping story about two-thirds of the way through. This novel does end, but I feel as if the writer has just taken a moment to catch his breath, and I eagerly await the chance to sink my teeth into Book 3 of The Vampire Earth series when it is published.

Don't let the word Vampire in the book series name throw you; this is in no way a "vampire novel," for the Kur are unlike any vampires you have ever encountered. Knight is adept at creating living, breathing characters that will captivate your spirit and engulf you in their dangerous and heroic feats. This is a unique and wonderfully entertaining novel that truly delivers while promising even greater things to come.

In 2022, the world as we know it comes to an end. With the introduction of the Kurians and their deadly Reapers, mankind reverts to its roots. It's a dog-eat-dog world out there and no one is safe from the Reapers. Each Kurian lord controls a group of Reapers, a vampire-like being that kills by absorbing a person's life force or aura. The Kurians use the auras that the Reapers steal as a means to achieve immortality. Humankind is now a farm animal for the Kurians. Hope is not lost. Lifewavers, enemies of the Kurians, have come to Earth to recruit humanity to fight their war with the Kurians. The Lifeweavers have a process of enhancement for humans referred to as "turning up the volume." These enhancements give humanity the ability to fight back and reclaim Earth.

Choice of the Cat is E.E. Knight's second book in the Vampire Earth series. The book opens with Lt. David Valentine commanding a group of Wolves, a military designation for his unit, on a reconnaissance mission. Valentine has gained a great deal of maturity since Way of the Wolf. The young man, part Sioux, with a chip on his shoulder struggles to make a difference. Valentine has become a true officer who puts his men first. No one, not even the commanding officer, is going to use Valentine's men as cannon fodder. Of course, this attitude is not conducive to advancement with Southern Command or with his commanding officer.

With the help of Alessa Duvalier, a Cat or spy, Valentine embarks on a new journey. From the Ozarks to Denver with a final showdown in Omaha, a city devastated by nuclear war, Valentine and Duvalier set out to find the Twisted Cross. Valentine will need all his skills as a warrior and his innate ability to sense Reapers to survive.

Choice of the Cat is not burdened with the creation of the Vampire Earth world introduced in Way of the Wolf. Action starts immediately and does not stop until the last line of the book. In Way of the Wolf, Valentine started on a journey originated by his father. The young man comes into his own in Choice of the Cat. Valentine is a killing machine with a conscience and a moral identity. He will not leave anyone behind, no matter what the cost to himself. Through all the betrayals of his fellow man, David Valentine is able to be a true hero. I found myself rooting for him on page one.

The episodic nature of this series reminds me of anime. Each twist in the plot deepens our understanding of Valentine and his world. This world created by E.E. Knight will be the source for many more adventures to come and many hours of enjoyable reading.

Choice of the Cat, the second book by EE Knight in the Vampire Earth series continues the development of David Valentine as he continues his crusade against the ruling Kurians and the Twisted Cross.

I enjoyed the book as the writing and dialogue moved well and the battle scenes are descriptive and flowing. Certain plot points resolve too quickly and neat, but on the whole the story does well in keeping the reader involved and interested.

I was really intrigued by the change and gain of almost superhero powers that Valentine undergoes to become a "Cat".

Knight does not pull any punches and his world is grim and savage where strength and brutality rule the day. Characters bleed, die, and are beset by doubts.

It's been an interesting series so far and I would recommend this book. The best compliment I can give is that I wish it had been 100 pages longer.

It's going to be interesting how and when Knight makes Valentine into a Bear. I hope not soon as I can see more books in this series.

I love books and films that break or meld genres and that element is the strong point of this series. It's mix of horror, a post-apocalyptic "Mad Max" world, Old West frontier towns, and a touch of Japanese samurai & ninja elements that make for a captivating milieux that, despite a lack of psychological depth that I expect out of my favorite authors, somehow manages to hook you in with the heady combination of action and moments of great dialogue. E.E. Knight has a knack for Old West expressions and this dialogue gives the series a levity that counterbalances nicely with the gritty and sometimes gory action set in the apocalyptic dystopia of future America.

I enjoyed this second book more than the first. I found some of the characters in the first book, while entertaining, to be somewhat cliche. In this second book however, Alessa Duvalier, the Cat hunter that Valentine encounters, is a brave and sassy but maybe slightly crazy girl with a hidden past. Her unpredictability, combined with some genuinely funny dialogue with Valentine, make her one of my favorite characters in the series. I can't pigeon hole her in a standard archetype, like I could with many of Knight's other characterizations. This makes her intriguing and infuses the book with a sense of wild abandonment, that anything can truly happen both in the storyline and in her interactions with the main protagonist, Valentine, that I believe, gives an added element of suspense to the reader.

While I wouldn't rate this series up there with some of my favorite series of all-time, atleast not yet, I will still however gladly buy the next installments as they come out.

Knight has found his stride in this book. He reveals a bit more about the races struggling over the Earth. He manages to reveal the story bit by bit in true mystery book fashion. His writing style caused me to go back and re-read earlier sections of the book -- sure enough, the hints and clues were there. Valentine, the main character, undergoes a further transformation that makes him much more effective at hiding and disrupting the Kurians plans for the human herd. Knight also ties up some loose ends from the first book in a plausible way. Knight's descriptions of various locations from midwest America are nicely done and quite evocative. His supporting characters are engaging and nicely crafted.

Well done!

I did not review, Way of the Wolf, Book One of VAMPIRE EARTH... I don't know why, I loved it, but there was something about Choice of the Cat that pulled me in hard and fast. I think that thing was Smoke... A brash and talented Cat, who saves most of a Wolf Platoon, and later takes David Valentine... Ghost... to become a Cat. A cat is an elite assasin, and talented at Sabotage... David comes more out of his shell, and is more inclined to help the little person he randomly comes across... rather than just those he loves. "I am the one who comes for the authorites in the night..." A very powerful line from this novel.

This is one of the better vampire books I have read. It puts a whole new spin on them with a few old ones. You can read more about the author and the series at http://www.vampireearth.com

The hits just keep coming. The second installment of the Vampire Earth SF series has all of the elements of a fantastic book. There is ample action mixed with heart-pounding drama and a dab of humor and romance to boot. Mr. Knight continues to craft a very likeable hero, David Valentine, who is not the typical faultless and predictable champion of good, which has ruined many a good character in this genre. Along the way he meets two new allies, which adds to the rich flavor of the story. The dynamics between these characters keeps the story moving and their combined talents gives hope to the reader when it seems all is lost. The antagonist is a crafty devil and adds new twists to the already convoluted Kurian Order. Don't forget the Reapers, Grogs and Quislings to make things difficult along the way.

If you enjoyed the first book, I guarantee you will absolutely love this one. If you haven't read the first book - what are you waiting for? Buy them both, find a cozy spot, turn off your phone and set aside quite a bit of time. You won't want to put either of them down.
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It becomes obvious in this second book of the Vampire Earth series that the main character, David Valentine, isn't going to stagnate from book to book. Valentine is forced out of the Wolves and is recruited immediately to become a Cat (and if that makes no sense to you then go read book one, The Way of the Wolf, right now!). That involves another meeting with a Lifeweaver, and another change in ability for Valentine as his body's senses are amped up.

We follow Valentine on a series of about 8 adventures, all connected by his hunt for the Twisted Cross. The adventures are well-thought, and the world-building by the author is top-notch. Apart from a few too many pages of overly detailed descriptions of what enemy fortifications look like, this is an excellent book.

"Choice of the Cat" is the second volume of the Vampire Earth series; I strongly recommend reading "Way of the Wolf" before reading this one.

E. E. Knight (b. 1965) has developed a thrilling saga, the author mix different genres fluently: sci-fi, fantasy, terror, military & thriller giving way to a vibrant & gripping tale.

The story is placed in post-apocalyptic scenery where an alien race, the Kur, has subdued all Earth powers installing a reign of terror & servitude over humankind.

Some enclaves still resist and confront Kurian Order. They are backwater regions that stubbornly fight to remain free.

These free communes are aided by other ancient aliens the Lifeweavers that train humans and develop latent potentialities within them creating Wolves, Cats and Bears to fight the Reapers with some chances to succeed.

The main character is David Valentine a proud and dangerous Wolf. In a critical moment of his military career David is recruited by Alessa Duvalier to become a Cat. Cats work alone (except when they are in training) very lonesome and different way from the Wolf Pack to which Valentine was used.

After his initiation Valentine and Duvalier enter the Kurian Zone to investigate a new dangerous group conducted by a mysterious General with the Twisted Cross as their emblem. Pending this mission Alessa & David will meet new friends and foes giving way to great adventures.

The gorgeous background of this Vampire Earth makes me remember "World Enough and Time" by James Kahn a fascinating and underrated book.

This is a book that may be enjoyed by sci-fi, fantasy and action adepts as well as general public too.

Only one caution: some scenes are really truculent.

Reviewed by Max Yofre.