Jasper Kent

[Brian G Turner]

Has anyone any feedback on Jasper Kent?

Simply that his Danilov series, by all accounts, has done very well, with Twelve reprinting four times in as many months:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/0553819585/?tag=brite-21

A fantastical thriller, set during Napoleon’s invasion of Russia in 1812. Four Russian soldiers and spies are ordered to disrupt the French army as it approaches Moscow after the battle of Borodino. They call on a group of mercenaries from Wallachia, known to one of them, for help… but these mercenaries love the taste of blood.

Napoleonic fiction meets vampires? Okay, I can be sold on that.

Unfortunately, only the prologue appears on the Amazon "Look inside" feature, but that hooked me straight away.

I was just curious what anyone thought of the series so far, especially the opening book?

 

[The Judge]

I heard him talking at a Con and was very impressed with him -- intelligent, witty, self-deprecating and fanatical about detail (he knew the state of the moon -- ie full, new, quarter etc -- for every single day of the novel). Even though I'm not fond of vampire stories, I picked up the second book in the series a little while ago on the strength of what I heard then, but I've not read it as I'm leaving it until I get book one, which I haven't got around to ordering yet.

 

[svalbard]

I read Twelve a couple of years ago. It was an enjoyable read, fairly atmospheric, with the main character a likeable chap. Mind you with the type of discussions going on around here at the moment I am not too sure how his writing would go down in certain quarters, but if you want well, written fantasy/horror this is quite good.

Oddly enough though I wasn't pushed on getting the sequel, however now that his name has cropped up gain I might just go and get it.

 

[Judderman]

I have read all 5 books from the Danilov Quintet. Excellent series. I thought book 3 was a little weaker than the others but it picked up again. The plot varies a lot from book to book with the first one being closer to a standard hunt down the Vampires than the others. There are great characters and ideas in there. The background of the stories spanning from the Napoleonic War to the Russian Revolution is very interesting too.

 

[tinkerdan]

If you read the sample for the kindle book it goes to part of chapter two.

I just finished the sample and I think I'd like to continue but I would agree with some that it is slow to start.
Have you read The Good Soldier Schweik by Jaroslav Hasek--if so, and you liked it, you should like this. The main difference might be that Jaroslav took the horror of war and turned a dark comedy out of it; where Jasper might be making a horror out of a horror, though it is too soon to tell at one and a bit of chapter and the prologue. It meanders so away from the action. It's still interesting possibly from the historic aspect and anticipation of something perhaps dark and sinister.

For some reason the US e-book edition cost less than the UK e-book so I should act quickly before they figure that out.

 

[Judderman]

Other than the odd line it is definitely not a dark comedy series.