Book Review: Butchers by Todd Sullivan
Butchers drops you into a fully developed vampiric society in South Korea. For me, it felt like there is a grander world here, but I was only getting the opportunity to experience a very small part of it. This novella represents a single story from this vast world. This was my first experience with Todd, I enjoyed his style and flare for story-telling.
Yes, I am on record stating that I am not a big fan of vampire fiction. That being said, the novella format, the quick chapters, Todd's talent, and the freshness of a story in South Korea kept me enthralled.
This is a tale that blurs the lines between villain and hero. You have two sides to this story. One, the natural police is a force within the Gwanlyo ( vampire society ) that wants to enforce the laws that keep vampires quiet and hidden. The other side wants to free the vampire from these constraints which produces a real feeling of chain-breaking emancipation but of course would be ultimately bad for the human race. Yeah, so you get that line crossing, back and forth feeling "Voldemort was right" type of shit going on.
Ultimately this book is about Sey-Mi. Kidnapped, turned into a vampire and submitted to some vicious acts of cruelty, she is left in between. In between these two warring factions, these two ideologies of the future of the vampire species. The pieces about her torture are absolutely insanely graphic and I assume that is where the "extreme horror" categorizing of this book comes from. The bits about her trying to learn how to behave and move like a human were seriously cool. A newly turned vampire does not ease into their powers. They are flat out smacked in the face, overwhelmed with them and are left to try to tone that back down. Slow down. Appear more human.
The fight scenes in this book are extremely well done. There is definitely an aerialization ( I know that's not a word ) to all of it. It read like film; there was a gorgeous filmography(?) aspect to the way these scenes were written. Darkness, neon lit ( like the cover ) highly technical fight scenes. I don't know. Does that make sense?
The theme of butchers is a reference to these "Natural Police", the tools they carry, and what they set out to do to those that do not live within the Gwanylo's guidelines. I wanted MORE of that aspect, more about the Butchers. They are ultimately unsuccessful in the opening scene in butchering their target which sets up our big conflict. I just wanted more.
The novella is a snapshot of a dark and brutal, unfamiliar and highly interesting world. I want more. I need more.
Review by Well Read Beard
Twitter: @WellReadBeard
I was sent this book for review by the author.
