Reviewed by Beth Katherine for Readers' Favorite

The Nosferatu Chronicles: Origins by Susan Hamilton is a science fiction novel unlike any other. Having left their home planet of Vambiri in search of another planet capable of sustaining life, the Vambir find themselves on Earth in the 15th century. They accidentally stumble upon the discovery that humans, or Primitives as they are referred to by the Vambir, produce a food source comparable to the hemo-nectar of their home planet—their blood. Led by the overzealous Commander Mazja, who is hellbent on survival, the Vambir find themselves on a journey that will see them cross paths with the Son of the Dragon, Vlad Dracula, leading to the creation of something new entirely. Not Vambir, not Primitive—Vampire.

An exciting space western in the vein of Joss Whedon’s Firefly, mashed up with an intriguing and creative Dracula origin story, The Nosferatu Chronicles: Origins kept me on the edge of my seat. The story is written in the third person, allowing Hamilton to share with readers the machinations of more than one character. Of the entire cast of characters, I was most interested in Princess Elzbieta and Chaluxi, but for different reasons. Princess Elzbieta would fall under the lawful good category, a pure character through and through, while Chaluxi, who was forced to partake of Primitive blood by Commander Mazja, would be categorized as chaotic good. Opposite ends of the same spectrum. I felt myself perk up whenever these characters had a scene. However, all the characters that exist in Hamilton’s space western were fleshed out well, making it easy for the reader to decide whether they were for or against them. As I read, I couldn’t help but feel impressed by the amount of research Hamilton must have done while writing this book, particularly as it applied to the mythology of Dracula and life in the 15th century. This book was enjoyable and I would recommend it to readers who enjoy science fiction, Firefly, and vampire mythology.