I was once the consort of queens, advisor to kings, and a prince among men. I sat to the right of each throne from the earliest, Scorpion King, to cleopatra VII, and the Ptolemaic Dynasty. After the fall of the Egyptian Empire, I remained undisturbed, feeding off the countless dead buried beneath the shifting sands, until now. I have been awakened by a half-born vampyre, Morderd Soulis. He is not pure, but a mixed breed of both mortal and immortal. I am told he is to be the savior of all mankind. He will champion the cause of humans in the centuries ahead. For now, he is no more than a young pup, and one sorely in need of much education on the way of the undead. He tries my patience, refuses to listen to my words, and asks more questions than there are stars in the sky, but he also amuses me. And so, I will reveal to him that whcih he longs to know. But you should always take care in what you wish for. the knowledge I bestow upon this impure creature could help him, or harm him. Only the endless march of time will tell!
Book Description
Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
Set in 1127 A.D., Burbank’s intriguing horror debut, the first of a series, injects new blood into the anemic vampire genre. Mordred Soulis, a former Crusader turned fledgling vamp, learns that he’s not quite immortal and may become the savior of all mankind. Soulis is "made" in the desert by Vlad, a demonic "vampyre," after a terrible battle, then rescued by the Knights Templar, a renegade order of holy warriors. The sexy Soulis (he later seduces 12 virgins in one night) learns that he has become a "soul stealer" and "the Chosen One" who must destroy the evil Vlad, even if the task takes centuries. Despite flat prose that struggles between sounding historically authentic and oddly contemporary, the text generates a madcap energy that’s impressive even when it becomes a little overheated. Though the author fails to suggest the mystery of Bram Stoker or the stylish eroticism of Anne Rice, this wacky mix of Egyptian legend with Templar and Celtic lore will delight fans who don’t take the whole subject too seriously. Pen-and-ink illustrations by Adam Mock enliven the narrative.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
About the Author
Leslie Burbank has been writing for over eight years. She currently resides in a suburb of Chicago.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
10 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
An Amazing Vampire Read!,
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This review is from: Lords of Darkness: The Soulless (Mass Market Paperback)
I'm real funny about the type of vampire book I'll read. To be honest I'm a bit of a snob when it comes to this genre. Why do you ask? Well, because although this is a popular genre at times the fare is less then appealing. Ms. Burbank's story is the exception to the rule, and if you like me are picky about the author that you choose to read then fear not Ms. Burbank's story is amazing and well worth picking up.
This is the first in a vampire series and it opens with the "birth" of Mordred Soulis. This story is about his education and the beginning of his long and arduous journey to his destiny. Along the way he meets several who will help him on his journey, and one that he must at all cost fight off in order not to fall to the darkness. Vlad is out to cause Mordred his fall but Mordred still has his soul and he is stronger then he actually thinks he is but he has much to learn if he is to finally be a champion of the human race. Mordred Soulis is a half-born vampire that is both immortal and mortal at the same time. He is "the chosen one" and he has a long road to walk before he will learn all that he needs to know in order to save the world. His beginning is hard and the mystery of his existence is one that he must work out on his journey. Eventually with the company of a shape-shifting companion Mordred sets off through many different and exotic places learning what he needs to know in his "infancy" in order fulfill his destiny. This was an incredible read, and Mordred is a multi-dimensional character that was highly entertaining. Ms. Burbank is a very descriptive storyteller and her words will draw you into her world, and you will feel, see, and yes smell everything that Mordred does. One of the added benefits of this tale is the fact that the author took great care in her research, and as a result has crafted a vampire tale unlike any I've ever read. I can hardly wait for the continuation of this story and I highly recommend that if you are a fan of Vampire fiction you not miss out on this page turning read.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
A chore to read,
By Karen Duvall "Karen Duvall" (Bend, OR) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Lords of Darkness: The Soulless (Mass Market Paperback)
Though this was an interesting twist to what's become fluid vampire mythology in today's vamp fiction trend, I struggled through this well-written yet slow-paced tome by L.G. Burbank. The story goal was too vague to hold my interest, I skimmed over many passages of superfluous exposition, and the character of Mordrid wasn't developed enough for me to care what happened to him. He was a puppet without a past, and his motivation for becoming a mercenary soldier was never made clear. If it was just for the money, why? Was he building himself a fortune for... what? Every time I picked the book back up I considered it a chore to read rather than a pleasure. By the time I got halfway through, I knew I couldn't finish it. I didn't care whether or not Mordrid being a vampire would somehow save the world. The lack of suspenseful storytelling made it too boring to finish.
The cover art is fabulous, but because of the story inside, I would not recommend it to friends. I will not read anything else by L.G. Burbank. I'm an avid reader of horror and dark fantasy, but this was definitely not the book for me.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
A worthy try.,
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: Lords of Darkness: The Soulless (Mass Market Paperback)
While this book was a great first effort by Burbank, it fell flat in many areas, thus keeping it from Hendee or Hamilton status.
Mordred was a pretty cool main character but to me he accepted his new fate quite too easily. He chose his new role, as the Chosen One, quite too quickly. It was also very convenient for him to be this new savior since he was the typical scruffy loner. How original... And this Vlad guy... who is he? He was never really built upon except that we know that he is trying to conquer the world in darkness. Another typical 'Lord of Darkness' as the main title proclaims him. Yawn. This book also seemed like it was poorly written. There were tons of short, teen level, dialogue that just did not scream 'quality.' And those drawings in the book also made the story seem like it was a bit more for younger people also. Sure the drawings were wonderful, but how many serious books actually have pictures in them? While my review might seem a bit harsh, i still enjoyed the book and read it in quite a short time. My favorite part of the story was Mordered's night with the twelve virgins. All i have to say is Mordred was the man that night. heh So unless book two is a complete standout and smash hit, i dont think i will be buying further books in this series. As of now, it is just too 'run of the mill.'
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