First Kill

October 10, 2011
Launching a companion series to the Chronicles of Vladimir Tod, Brewer rewinds the clock to deliver the back-story of a supporting character. After a vampire murders his younger sister, sensitive outsider Joss McMillan is invited by his reclusive uncle Abraham to join the secretive Slayer Society, an organization dedicated to killing the undead. Three years later, Joss, now 13, is summoned to upstate New York to begin the final phase of his training, in preparation for his becoming a full-fledged Slayer. Pushed to his limits, Joss conquers every challenge that Abraham and the other Slayers present to him, surrendering himself to his unforgiving and dangerous destiny. But as Slayers are killed, evidence points toward a traitor in their midst; forced to fight for his life, Joss must overcome his biggest weaknessâempathy for his enemies. Action-packed and suspenseful, Joss's story works equally well as the start of a new series and as an expansion of the Vladimir Tod storyline, offering fans a sympathetic portrait of a slayer's rise to vengeance. Ages 12âup.

July 15, 2011

The other side of Vladimir Tod's world.

Cecile's death at the fangs of a vampire galvanized her brother, 10-year-old Joss McMillan, to join the Slayers, even though Abraham, his uncle and the most respected slayer currently active, had serious doubts about Joss' ability to kill the beasts. Now 13, Joss is heading to Rhinecliff, N.Y., to begin his slayer training with the community there and prove his abilities to his doubting uncle. As the brutal training regimen commences, Joss must focus on his desire for vengeance and his will to power through the training and begin hunting for the monsters that haunt the night. This companion novel to Brewer's Vlad Tod series (Twelfth Grade Kills, 2010, etc.) provides a simple entry point into the opposite side of the vampire world—those tasked with killing the undead. Joss' emotional journey is an odd one; the conflict between nurturing Sirus and borderline abusive Abraham sets up an uncomfortable model of emotional health. Most secondary characters are underdeveloped, providing a modicum of training and little else, but it's not about the characters, after all. Action flows seamlessly into drama, and a betrayal comes after a series of clever misdirections.

Closing with a threat from a mortal enemy, Brewer's narrative provides a compelling back story for Vlad's fans to sink their teeth into, with more to come. (Paranormal adventure. 10-14)

(COPYRIGHT (2011) KIRKUS REVIEWS/NIELSEN BUSINESS MEDIA, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.)

January 1, 2012
After a vampire kills Joss's sister, his mysterious uncle invites him to join the Slayer Society. When extenuating circumstances require Joss's training to begin years earlier than planned, he is pushed to his physical, mental, and emotional limits in preparation for a life of violence and bloodshed. Intriguing characters and an eleventh-hour twist create an entertaining origins story for the Chronicles of Vladimir Tod character.

(Copyright 2012 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

July 15, 2011

The other side of Vladimir Tod's world.

Cecile's death at the fangs of a vampire galvanized her brother, 10-year-old Joss McMillan, to join the Slayers, even though Abraham, his uncle and the most respected slayer currently active, had serious doubts about Joss' ability to kill the beasts. Now 13, Joss is heading to Rhinecliff, N.Y., to begin his slayer training with the community there and prove his abilities to his doubting uncle. As the brutal training regimen commences, Joss must focus on his desire for vengeance and his will to power through the training and begin hunting for the monsters that haunt the night. This companion novel to Brewer's Vlad Tod series (Twelfth Grade Kills, 2010, etc.) provides a simple entry point into the opposite side of the vampire world--those tasked with killing the undead. Joss' emotional journey is an odd one; the conflict between nurturing Sirus and borderline abusive Abraham sets up an uncomfortable model of emotional health. Most secondary characters are underdeveloped, providing a modicum of training and little else, but it's not about the characters, after all. Action flows seamlessly into drama, and a betrayal comes after a series of clever misdirections.

Closing with a threat from a mortal enemy, Brewer's narrative provides a compelling back story for Vlad's fans to sink their teeth into, with more to come. (Paranormal adventure. 10-14)

(COPYRIGHT (2011) KIRKUS REVIEWS/NIELSEN BUSINESS MEDIA, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.)