Eternal Vigilance Book One: From Deep Within The Earth by Gabrielle S. Faust

Immanion Press, 2008


It had been a bad day. I'd recently endured two rather painful surgeries in under three weeks. Now, after enduring a bunch of additional medical tests and having my post-surgery conference with my doctor, I'd been informed that I would need to undergo yet a third (and even possibly a fourth) surgery in a few weeks. By the time I arrived home, exhausted and hurting in the late afternoon it had been a very bad day, indeed.

By Seven O'clock p.m., I finally remembered to collect the day's mail. In my mailbox, amongst the mass of junk mail and bills, I found a package from Gabrielle Faust, who, as it turned out, had graciously shipped me a copy of her new novel Eternal Vigilance Book One: From Deep Within The Earth ("Eternal Vigilance"), as per our Fearless Leader (and he has the scar & trench coat to prove it!) Greg Lamberson's suggestion. Now, I WAS exhausted. I SHOULD have finished eating a quick little meal, medicating myself sufficiently to hopefully stop, or at least substantially lessen, the screaming and hair-pulling, and tried to get some sleep. BUT - I just HAD to open Gabrielle's book and start reading the first page ...

The next thing I knew, it was 3:58 a.m. and I'd finished 10 of the book's 14 chapters, and was upset that I found myself too exhausted and sleepy to read further and finish the novel. I remedied that situation later in the morning, once I'd managed to nab a few precious hours of needed slumber. My apologies for the somewhat self-indulgent opening of this column and review, but I did want to make clear just how utterly captivating Eternal Vigilance is.

The novel combines a post-apocalyptic tale with some of the most interesting and well-developed vampires in contemporary Horror literature, which, considering the sheer volume of the sub-genre, is a deserved compliment of the highest order. Eternal Vigilance, the first volume of a projected series, introduces us to Tynan Llywellyn, the novel's protagonist. Tynan is a vampire of some few hundred years of age, a philosophical and gifted young man who had risen to a position of near reverence among his "Dark Brothers," but who had, in the opinion of many of his brethren, betrayed and abandoned them in a time of need.

Tynan is presented as a complicated being, with his share of mental and emotional problems, a decidedly imperfect hero, and one with a major dark side, who can self-justify his killing of mere Humans to gain the precious and all-consuming blood that all vampires require to survive. Tynan is possessed of at least one unique talent, the ability to absorb and retain the sum total memories, and thus knowledge and abilities, of all beings from whose blood he drinks.

In the aftermath of a terrible battle against Adian, a powerful eight hundred year old vampire warrior who had attempted to murder (or possibly assassinate) him, Tynan barely prevails and kills his attacker, draining him of his blood. Adian's strong mental essence drives Tynan temporarily insane and causes him to act a bit irrationally and become very depressed. In this weakened and confused state, Tynan breaks into the castle of his maker, the powerful thousand year old Counsel Of Elders' de facto leader, Phelan Daray, and steals a spell which Tynan believes will cause him to sleep forever. Tynan goes deep into the Earth, into an ancient buried crypt where he knows he will not be found, recites the spell and promptly becomes unconscious for what he fervently hopes and believes will be for eternity.

Tynan suddenly awakens and struggles out of his buried crypt to find that over one hundred years have elapsed, and that it is now the year 2111. Tynan finds himself a stranger in a strange land, much has changed since he went to sleep. Here, author Faust has created a most interesting and well thought out mythic world in which all of the Human societies and nations that we know have been plausibly subverted and destroyed shortly after Tynan's disappearance. The Earth is now ruled and largely controlled by a type of Fascist Elite known as The Tyst, who have taken absolute and exclusive control of all science and technologies, and who have utilized amazing technological advancements to rule the remnants of Humanity with an iron fist. Opposing this seemingly unbeatable force are a relatively small band of human tribes called The Phuree, who have banded together in an organized rebellion, reminiscent of Star Wars, to fight the Tyst's awesome science and technology with their Magic, psychic and supernatural abilities which they have developed and nurtured, and which have thus far allowed them to survive against the Tyst.

There are three major reasons that Eternal Vigilance rises to lofty heights above the norm for stories of this type. The first is author Faust's ability to create a cohesive and compelling Mythic World, like Tolkein's Middle Earth and Stephen King's deliciously complex Dark Tower Universe. Ms. Faust's post-apocalyptic, yet recognizable and logically possible, Earth, and the looming battle between science and technology versus magic and monsters is the kind of "swimming pool" readers will readily seek to dive into and immerse themselves, as opposed to merely testing with a timid toe. The second reason that this book is so great is that Ms. Faust has been able to likewise create very complex, compelling, and fascinating characters along with a fast moving and constantly twisting and surprising plot. Finally, Ms. Faust's mastery of the English language is superb, and she has a unique and persuasive voice. The author is a master of lush, luxurious, and poetic prose that mesmerizes the reader. I could quote from virtually any page of the novel to demonstrate this, but as a small example, check this out:

"When mortality encounters its opposite the reaction is often as sudden and violent as a flash of lightning. The souls sense the intense Chasm separating them and long to jump towards each other. It is whole and animalistic and irresistible; a drug to experience, to be the other. Immortality desires the oblivion that death can bring; mortality craves eternity. We always want what we can't have." (Page 60).

Eternal Vigilance packs a wallop in the same way that a hydrogen bomb makes a big noise. This novel is a fantastic and utterly enjoyable read - and the best part is that with this first book, Tynan's journey has just begun. Readers will be privileged to re-visit these fascinating characters and author Gabrielle S. Faust's imaginative and brilliant new world/universe creation in the planned sequel novels to come. I, for one, can hardly wait for the next one to arrive. Eternal Vigilance receives my highest recommendation.