Queen Victoria: Demon Hunter by AE Moorat

AEMoorat-Queen Victoria: Demon HunterI couldn’t finish Queen Victoria: Demon Hunter. Actually I barely got into the story, but by the third fight scene I realized that I did not possess the constitution to finish this book.

There were many staff at Kensington Palace, fulfilling many roles; a man who was employed to catch rats, another whose job it was to sweep the chimneys. That there was someone expected to hunt demons did not shock the new Queen; that it was to be her was something of a surprise.

London, 1838. Queen Victoria is crowned; she receives the orb, the scepter, and an arsenal of bloodstained weaponry. If Britain is about to become the greatest power of the age, there’s the small matter of the undead to take care of first. Demons stalk the crown, and political ambitions have unleashed ravening hordes of zombies even within the nobility itself.

But rather than dreams of demon hunting, Queen Victoria’s thoughts are occupied by Prince Albert. Can she dedicate her life to saving her country when her heart belongs elsewhere? With lashings of glistening entrails, decapitations, zombies, and foul demons, this masterly new portrait will give a fresh understanding of a remarkable woman, a legendary monarch, and quite possibly the best demon hunter the world has ever seen.

In another incarnation as a more serious (though still satirical) author, A. E. Moorat has won critical acclaim and been shortlisted for awards. Here, however, he was chained in the dungeon, fed tea and ghost stories, and kept busy writing the adventures of Queen Victoria, Demon Hunter.

Queen Victoria: Demon Hunter is really well written, and everything is very detailed…including the gory fight with the Zombies and Prostitutes (that’s what really did it). The descriptions, even  the recollection of the descriptions as I write this are making my stomach clench and my face blanch. I would read works by Moorat if they didn’t include such stomach turning violence. The sword scenes were excellently written as were character descriptions. The brief view of the history I got was very well researched as well. It seems like it will be a good book for someone with a much stronger constitution than myself.

So if you want a lot of gory details with some nice research, Queen Victoria: Demon Hunter is the book for you. If you get sick at anything, you might want to pass.

Other reviews: Tom Ruffles, The Word Fiend, Boomtron

About Trish 11 Articles
Wife & Mom, part-time Chiropractic Assistant, Costumer, and avid table top Role-player/GM. Strong interest in history and historic fiction. Is totally loving the Steampunk movement.

1 Comment

  1. LOL I love horror, blood and gore – which is lucky as I have this book on my shelf. When I saw it was a DNF I thought uh-oh, but if it’s just violence then I can deal with that. Sorry it wasn’t for you though, but I’m sure you have plenty of other books to read ;D

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