Blood Oath (Nathaniel Cade Series #1)

Readers will relish Christopher Farnsworth's satirical tale of vampires dining in the White House.

Twenty-five years old Zach Barrows is already a veteran of senate and presidential campaigns; having delivered three states in the last race. The Washingtonian calls him the next Rove as he is now the youngest ever deputy director for White House affairs.

Caught with the POTUS' nineteen years old daughter, Zach is being escorted by Secret Service Agent Griffin who takes him to the oldest part of the Smithsonian; a hidden room buried inside the Castle that the Griff calls the Reliquary trophy room where some of the oddities of history are "buried". Zach has joined a very exclusive club as the White House liaison to Nathaniel Cade vampire; pardoned and pledged by President Andrew Johnson in 1867; he leads the global war on horror. Their first assignment as a team is to uncover a conspiracy from within to use biological weapons against the United States.

The two key elements that make Blood Oath an entertaining espionage paranormal thriller are the clever intermingling of history with the supernatural mostly through Zach but also with artifacts and the plot never takes itself seriously. The wild story line lampoons American mythos like president-journalist relationships via Nixon and the Washington Post, Frankenstein, Roswell, and the GWOH. Fans who relish an over the top of the Washington Monument and under the Smithsonian will relish Christopher Farnsworth's satirical tale of vampires dining in the White House.

Harriet Klausner

7 out of 7 people found this review helpful.

A Fun Read!

I had a lot of fun with "Blood Oath". The author, Christopher Farnsworth is a scriptwriter and I think it shows in his book. The book reads like you are at a movie. In this book, Zach, the whiny overprivileged staffer reassigned after a indiscretion with the president's daughter meets the mother of all predators, the vampire, Cade. However, instead of being annoyed by Zach, he quickly proves his worth and become likable. We also get to find out how Cade becomes a vampire and how he earns his blood oath. This makes it a great rounded out book with no annoying blanks of critical information. There is also no information overload with this book, so it becomes quite entertaining.

There is more than one bad guy in this book and the stories meld into an exciting end with zombies on the attack! The book is a stand alone but the ending does leave room for the sequel. I, for one, would love to continue the adventures of Cade, the president's vampire. I gave this book 5 entertaining stars. Don't forget the popcorn when reading this book.

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Possibly the Worst Book I've ever read

There are two primary flaws in this novel. First, many highly trained professionals act like not very bright bumpkins. Completely unrealistic. Second, as I've noticed in other mainstream writers with no technical or scientific background, Farnsworth can not keep the strength of the varoius characters' abilities consistent in relation to each other and in relation to the real world.

The insidious element in the novel, and what makes it the worst book I've ever read, is that it's not too bad in these aspects at the begining of the story. But the deeper one gets into the story, the more severe these problems become. Since there is a natural interest in seeing how any story ends, and a delusional hope that the inconsistencies will clear up, one is suckered into continuing to read instead of cutting one's losses by throwing it out mid-way. I kept reading. By the last chapter I was (mentally) shouting at the author: "No one would be that stupid andincompetent!!!" or "If he was that strong and fast, he wouldn't have any trouble before!!!" etc.

It was a frustrating waste of time.

1 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

O Positive

Did you know the President had his own private vampire, sworn by a blood oath, to follow the presidents lawful orders and to protect him against all threats? Well, Nathaniel Cade, the President's vampire, has been doing just that for 140 years. You thought Washington couldn't keep any secrets! Cade, given the choice of death or eternal service to the President, accepts and with the spell of a blood oath, administered by a mysterious Creole woman, he turns his newly acquired powers over to the government. We learn snippets of his history as he takes on both a new case and a new handler in present day Washington D.C. In this first of a series, Cade takes on an old enemy who is literally piecing together an unstoppable army to take out Cade and the President. This is a very interesting take on the vampire legend, with new twists and plenty of action. The characters are well developed and varied. Once you've taken a bite of this one, you won't be able to put it down until you have drained it dry.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Could not put it down!

I loved everything about this book. The author hooked me in the first chapter and sent me right back to the shop for another round. I have not been this enamored with a writer or the characters since W. E. B. Griffin. Loved it, loved it, loved it. Gotta stop writing this review now so that I can start reading The Presidents Vampire!

Great Read

Fast paced book. Looking forward to the third book in this series.

I enjoyed this but it could of been better.

This book sounded interesting and a friend recommended it so I gave it a try. I enjoyed the book but the direction the book went had me a little thrown. It wasn't what I thought this book was going to be about. This book was in the Sci- Fi Fantasy adult section. While reading it I felt it should of been in the young adult, pre teen section. I felt I was reading under my age group. The writing style was very plain and simple. I will read the second one when I get the time. It was a good fun read but no up their with Game of Thrones or Lord of The Rings.

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Awesome

No text was provided for this review.

something fresh

Loved the book! I'm a big fan of Vampire books/series, in fact, I've exhausted almost all of the good ones? So glad a stumbled onto this. A FRESH take on old lore, loved the use of historical events, clever way to introduce the Vampires past, great plot.....great read in general. I've already bought and read the second book and I look forward to more!

Loved it, loved it! This would be a great film

I thought the fact that Christopher Farmsworth is a screen writer made the way the book was written very visual and entertaining. I would love to see it on screen

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!+!!!!!!!

read the sample havent bought full version but to me it sounds really great

Great Read

This is not your daughters sparkly vampire. The story is part political thriller and part horror. Though the main character is a stone cold killer you care about what happens to him and the other main charactrs. This is an original story from a genre you may believe has been tapped out. This story will renew your faith in great vampire stories. I cannot wait until March for the follow up The Presidents Vampire. I hope Mr. Farnsworth keeps us in follow ups for a long long time.

Entertaining Read

It's not the next War & Peace, but its certainly an entertaining read that on occasion touches on some more complex issues. Pick it up and enjoy a solid read.

Great book!

This book was great. Combination of a vampire book and a suspenseful mystery. Can't wait until the author writes another book.

Definitely worth the time.

This one developed very quickly and just kept gaining speed. Much like Zach, you just get tossed into the fray and are expected to keep up. Despite this, the characters grab you make you more than willing to go along for the ride. The anecdotes at the beginning of most of the chapters added that historical layer to the characters and the story. Even if that history was a mix of actual events jumbled with horrific folklore and stories to make the things that go bump in the night real, I often found myself smiling at the references. I have to say with the way this one ended, it feels very much like the beginning of a series. So, we may very well see more of Zach and Cade...

If Stephanie Meyer and Jonathan Maberry co-wrote a vampire book, this would be the result!

This fast-paced novel introduces a vampire-hero and his government side-kick in an Indiana Jones meets Frankenstein adventure-thriller. It's interesting with just enough reality thrown in to make the reader wonder for a millisecond about the veracity of some of the "government conspiracies" that abound. If you like movies like National Treasure, or books that are Jules Vernean, this story is for you! I liked it so much, I hope the author brings this dynamic duo back for another round!

Truly enjoyable fun

Great characters and story. I can't wait for more of Nathaniel Cade. What a complex, serious and fascinating vampire!

Leaves You Wanting More

It isn't often when a book leaves me at a loss for words and far less often that a debut novel leaves me physically longing for the next installment. As bewitching as early Anne Rice, Christopher Farnsworth has done just that with the introduction of "Blood Oath" and the President's Vampire, Nathanial Cade.

Only a select few over more than a century have been privy to the true secret of success behind the oval office. The weapon that stalks the night-compelled to follow presidential order-effectively keeps us safe from the nightmare beings that slither in the shadows.

Nathaniel Cade, the President's Vampire, is a thinly leashed monster and has been for so long that only a sliver of his previous humanity still lingers. Some would argue-even Cade himself-that all traces of humankind left his body the day he became a monster.

Tasked with solving or stopping a number of atrocities over the years, Cade's newest assignment is no different. However, he doesn't realize-until much too late-that not all the monsters are working to prevent his success are on the outside.

Racing against the clock, Farnsworth blends the perfect amount of humor and horror with awe-inspiring timing to keep fans on the edge of their seats.

Reviewed by Suspense Magazine
www.suspensemagazine.com

Fun

Now this was a wonderful book. It kept me entertained from the first chapter all the way till the end. The author does an excellent job of giving each character a life of their own and exactly why they do what they do. This holds true from the main characters to the poor guy killed in a matter of minutes. I am itching to read more into the world of the evil creature who has taken a blood oath to protect our country...too much fun!!!!

Brilliant!

I wish I could give this book 6 stars. It was that good.

Blood Oath is not your typical, light vampire novel. Farnsworth's writing could easily stand beside all of today's best thriller and suspense authors. Cade is a vampire who has sworn a blood oath to protect the president and his team. But not just one president - every president for the rest of Cade's existence. His job is to seek and destroy those things that live in the shadows and that the average person never knows about.

Each character is unique, the dialogue is perfection, and the plot keeps you turning pages. A truly brilliant creation.