Queen Victoria: Demon Hunter by A.E. Moorat – review

There are a couple of superficial reasons why Queen Victoria: Demon Hunter appealed to me:  I’ve always been a fan of her Maj, and zombies are a great way to get to my heart.  The cover artist of my copy, Robert Parada, blended the fantastical zombie decapitations seamlessly with the original portrait done by Franz Xaver Winterhalter in 1859.  The cover also encapsulates my feelings about the book itself perfectly.  I can gratefully say that Moorat doesn’t treat this like a satire or parody of Victoria’s life–which isn’t to say it’s not an amusing book full of one-liners and zingers, either.

The book follows several different threads of narrative that weave together and draw apart as the story progresses.  Because of this splintering, several chapters will often be running con-currently time-wise, and each chapter will dedicate itself to examining the characters’ actions during that time.  Victoria’s adventures from moments before learning she is now the new Queen to after the birth of her children are chronicled faithfully, but with the addition of demons, zombies, and succubi.  At times the shifting narrative focus annoyed me, since it always seemed to crop up just as something big was going to happen, but by the end of the book I appreciated it for the added layer.

Some of the twists and bumps are shocking–learning who was and wasn’t a demon certainly gave me pause while I considered the ramifications.  Knowing historical data on Victoria’s real life, readers will know how some events play out just because they are historical fact, but watching the paranormal twist unfold alongside it was entertaining.  Victoria is shown as a strong young woman, certain that she wants something better for all her people–not just the rich and titled–and understanding that actions have consequences.  She came into the title at only 18 years old, but her quick wit, strong educational background, and sharp questions are what helped her the most.  She’s not perfect; she feels the weight of the mistakes she made and the tainted legacy of her forebears (she admits at one point that she has several distinct advantages over the previous monarchs in recent history–she’s neither mad, nor a womanizer, nor prone to excessive displays of wealth).

A note for the squeamish:  Moorat displays a knack for the gruesome, particularly in Chapter 8 during a zombie fight.  Apparently reading about intestines and gnawed off pieces of flesh is an entirely different affair from watching it on screen for me, because I found myself fighting the urge to skip the chapter altogether, when normally I’m morbidly fascinated by that sort of thing in a movie.  Quimby provides an odd sort of humor; he takes a lot of things in a stride and still manages to be offended in a way that only the born-to-title can be.  For example, he’s more annoyed that Perkins won’t clean the library without getting a quick snack then he is over what Perkins’ quick snack becomes.

In the end, Queen Victoria: Demon Hunter was a rollicking good read.  A companion novel is in the works about King Henry VIII, a book I’m eagerly awaiting!