By Lois H. Gresh, Elder Signs Press (ESP), 280 pages
-Good Concept, Poor Execution-
Fernando is one of four friends of an alien race, the Fridarians who live in remote Antarctica. Life is good until they come upon human explorers and discover a bloodlust they never knew they had. Eventually scattering throughout the world to explore and drink blood, Fernando and his friends return to the Antarctic to hatch a new generation of Fridarians. However, they soon learn that their thirst for blood and desire for power will twist everything they are.
Blood and Ice starts out with an interesting concept – aliens turned vampires and the origin of a new species. The author also explores interesting themes, such as the near instantaneous corruptive consequences of power. However, the characters themselves aren’t particularly interesting or complex. None of the aliens show any insight into their choices or consequences of their behavior until the very end and the humans all play as mindless drones. The dialog between the characters is unrealistic and odd. Further, the reaction of the characters to various events and conversations is odd and nonsensical. Unfortunately, this is a book to skip.
Barbara Cothern