Order of the Blood
The Unofficial Chronicles of John Grissom Book 1
Quanta Publishing
ISBN 9781505925463
eISBN 9781311622525
ASIN B01516SYCS
I have read a few anthologies that Page has contributed to. It was time to branch off into her novels. I picked up the first novel in each of her series and literally flipped a coin to determine which to read. This one came second, I read it after reading Privateer Hinterspace Book 1. This is a very different read, the story begins in London in 1809.
The description of this volume states:
“A Dark, Secret Society
A World At War
A Mad King
Bacteriologist John Grissom is determined to find a cure to the vampirism he suffers, but then his world goes sideways when he foolishly decides to pull a thread. Suddenly, he's left with the choice of ignoring a conspiracy that might destroy the land he loves or going up against one of the most powerful vampire lords in England.
Along the way, he comes to a precarious accord with the vampire hunter, Gerhard Van Helsing, and his life of solitude is enlightened with his enigmatic down-on-her-luck assistant, Henrietta Isherwood. The trio find themselves traveling from London to Brighton and back again, from a vampire-proof dungeon to a glittering masked assembly, risking life and limb to stay one step ahead of the vampire earl.”
About the author we are informed:
“Page Zaplendam is a Catholic Austen lover who believes in keeping the wonder in life. She pursues writing paranormal and dystopian fiction while juggling home, crafts, and a large family. Fans can keep up with her writing exploits at pagezaplendam.com or on her facebook page.”
This was another excellent story. It left me desperate for the second volume and a third that is already published. The characters are well written. The world building is excellent. I really appreciate how Zaplendam handles the vampire lore, and a vampire who wants to remain good. From reading this it is clear where some of the story might be going, but it should be a wild ride along the way. I cannot wait to read more stories in this universe!
I greatly appreciate that the story is clean fiction. That it has some Christian and Catholic undertones. The morality of our protagonist and his struggles to keep his humanity is refreshing. Gerhardt Van Helsing really intrigues me and I am looking forward to find out more of his story.
It reminds me of some of the fiction I read and watched 30 years ago. And even some more recently. It has some echoes of Declan’s Finn Love at First Bite series, particularly some of the short stories. And it also reminds me of The Order of Sanguines series by James Rollins and Rebecca Cantrell.
That all being said, this is an excellent read and one I can easily recommend. I have now added everything Zaplendam has written to my ‘to be read’ list. If you love great historical fiction or great fiction or even just great stories pick this up and give it a try!
Note: This book is part of a series of reviews: 2026 Catholic Reading Plan!
Books by Page Zaplendam:
A Kingdom of Ash and Steam: The Ogress Son
Escape of the Calalloon
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Hinterspace Series:
The Quick and the Dead
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The Unofficial Chronicles of John Grissom:
The Egyptian Elixir
The Hellhound of Derbyshire
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A Treatise on the Curious Nature of Vampirism
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Contributed to:
Hall of Heroes
Primus 2025: A Quanta Publishing 1st Chapter Compendium
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Lemurverse Anthologies:
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Quanta Publishing Anthologies:
Stranded (2024)
Amazing Robots! (2025)
Noblesse Oblige Stellaris (2026)
Captured (2026)
…
