VAMPIRE EMPIRE: RED TIDE.

Written by  Curtis Jobling

             

© Image copyright

              

                                                        

An Adventure Book Review by Erin the Literary Cat©, International Book Reviewer.

Hello, and welcome to my latest Book Review featuring this week an amazing first part to a Viking, Pictish and Vampire YA duology. 

Without further ado, and with my trusty housekeeper, Mrs H, brandishing a silver blade, lets get this boat in the water.....

© Image Copyright

AUTHOR:  Curtis Jobling

 

Cover Illustrations by:  Gavin Reece

 

Published by:  Fox & Ink Books

 

Publication date Paperback: 7 May 2026

 

Paperback 13 digit ISBN:  978 191 789 4050

UK Cover price for Paperback:  £8.99

Amazon KINDLE price:  £3.99

 

Pages: 319 in paperback (excludes glossary etc.)

 

Age range:  YA and above

Content warning: As this is a YA adventure, it has some scenes that show vampire actions, as well as vampire and Viking violence, threat, and the results there of. Given the nature of such things, we would not recommend this for younger readers, or those that dislike such themed books.

 

 

SPOILER ALERT

Some as to plot direction and characters.

 

 

Thank you to... 

We are exceedingly grateful to the Publishers FOX & INK BOOKS and Graeme Williams Publicity for offering us a chance to Read & Review this AMAZING story. 

As ever, our views are our own, and we only share reviews of books we have bought, received as gifts, or received in exchange for an impartial review.

First and foremost, the books we review are those we select to read, like, and feel our global readers deserve to know about and that we hope they, their family, friends and students will enjoy.

 

The plot

The place is the island of Unst, part of the Shetland Isles. The year is 900 AD. 

On Unst, the once fierce Viking warrior 'shieldmaiden', Frida Blackheart, is now the Jarl (a status like an earl, and a king's representative) of the island. The Vikings and Picts now live in harmony and relative peace together as farmers. Frida's daughter, Hilde, who has just become a woman after fifteen winters, is much like her mother: proud, strong for her age and sex, and not above a fight if provoked. And she often is, by the butcher's son, Aidan, the biggest boy in the village. It is after one such fight, goaded by Aidan, that Hilde lets rip and, in a red mist of rage, nearly kills the lad. At a village gathering for a feast in the Jarl's lodge later that day, in front of her mother, Hilde is forced to apologise. 

But Hilde has a friend in Cormac, the blacksmith's son. He is of her age, and whilst a pict like Aidan, he does not hold Aiden or Aidan's father's dislike for Vikings. 

It is at that very same feast that a man appears and seeks to reintroduce himself to Frida. His name is Hydyr; later, we'll see him revealed as Hydyr the Hungry. It is an appearance and conversation that leaves Frida cold and unusually scared in her own house. And rightly so, as he is a former Viking crew member when she, as the crew's captain, sailed the oceans, fighting and pillaging as they went. It was a time she turned her back on, and for a very good reason. They had raided a sacred treasure trove and killed all the guardians thereof. And before he was slain, the priest there cursed them to a non-life; never dying or able to be killed. They quickly discover that eating normal humans was the best way to get the sustenance they need to quell the thirst. They all, including Frida, became the Harrowed Men. 

But wanting a better life for her yet unborn child, she abandoned them and arrived at Unst. And that she thought was the end of it. Until now.

Hydyr wasn't just passing by and there peacefully just to say hello as he claims. He has come for something very special that was taken from him, and to reclaim his partner and one-time captain. He now captains the Harrowed Men, but he has ceased to be like them. He has been bitten by Hastur, King of the Vampires, and in turn has become one. To survive, he just needs blood and to stay out of the light.

Soon after his arrival, the village is sacked and the inhabitants slain, or worse, taken captive to be treated as livestock – food for the men on the journey home.

Cormac, who was not at the feast, was spared the worst of the fight, as were Aidan and Hilde, but for different reasons and circumstances. In the aftermath, Cormac finds himself on board the Harrowed Men's ship, a captive, but not yet food as Hydyr says he has skills and worth to him. Just so long as he behaves....

With Frida held captive on the boat also, weakened by injuries but not taking the flesh or blood she prefers to food to help herself heal, her fate is one she hopes will be of her own making. Going back to the blood lust of the old days is not now an option for her. 

Hilde, Aidan, and an elderly hermit boat maker have survived the sacking of the village, but only just. And as all good heroes-in-the-making must, they start a journey to rescue Frida as well as Cormac. As well as seek justice along the way.

With the initially unwilling talking head of one of the Harrowed Men as a guide – his body having been left in the sacking of the village, they set off on the first half of an adventure that has seen the best, most dramatic and pacy, heart-racing set of scenes we can recall for a long time. 

What and who they come across, the delightful twists and nuances along the way, we have deliberately left out, as that is essentially what drives their half of the story. 

Which means it is time to say that is where I must leave the review. Rest assured, I have not given too much away. 

So, what did we think? Spoilers here!

This is the second book by Curtis Jobling that Mrs H and I have read together for review, and neither has let us down. The author has written many more books, all to good reviews, so we are encouraged to read on through upcoming new releases without fear of being let down.

It is fair to say that Mr Jobling has very much his own voice and an undoubted talent for world-building like the very best and well-known storytellers. And he can do it across genres and for different audiences. Please see our review HERE of WYRDWOOD by Curtis Jobling, or use the link below to find out more about his other literary works, and background in writing, movies and television.

Vampire stories have, since watching the movie Salem's Lot (by Stephen King and featuring David Soul), given me a gross dislike for horror movies in general, and the vampire genre specifically, be it in the movies, on television, or in book form.

Comparing movies to books is, some would say, foolhardy or impossible, as the film usually bears scant resemblance to the book. So, taking the book as the true form and intent of the writer, we rely on dipping our toes in to check things out. 

This tale works for us because of the different backgrounds and imperatives for the three protagonists, four if you include Frida. Then there is the partly factual historical background, and the true setting. Of course, these are crucial to any good read, but especially if it is for a younger, more demanding audience. 

Without going overboard, this has a sensually stunning yet subtle backdrop that feels as redolent of the period as any period drama, without burdening the reader with facts, figures and fashions. For instance, the sacrifice at the very beginning is bold, yet completed with a reverence relevant to the act and what it meant. A stark contrast to what will come, and undoubtedly a way to provide a reference point for time and place. For info on names and meanings, there is an appendix, and very handy it is too for those who want a little more depth.

Splitting our protagonists up from early on and assigning/titling each chapter to a character was a stroke of genius. I thought this might spoil the flow, segment it up too much, but it actually added to the tension as the multiple threads to the first half draw closer together in one way or another, come the closing chapters. 

The reader isn't short of action or adventure to enjoy along the way, and twists and turns come regularly as the timelines develop. 

This is not a teen-only based adventure, far from it. The three main protagonists may be teens, but from the start, we inhabit a world of adults. Indeed, we must remember that the line between child and adult at this time was so blurred, and childhood and innocence a luxury. All adds to making the story even more compelling. 

Finally, there are undercurrents in this book about friendships and acceptance, about loyalty to old ways and new, gods and demons– both within and without. 

All interesting things if you care to dig deeper yourself, and or have the conversation with readers old and young. But that is pleasingly left below the surface and not the overriding reason for this adventure. 

To say we are keen to read the sequel and the concluding part is an understatement. 2028 is slated for the release, and it really will take too long to arrive, but we both feel it will be satisfying when it does.

And to slake our own literary hunger in the meantime, and for those of you who enjoyed 'Wyrdwood', the sequel entitled 'Greenteeth' will be released in 2027! That is one we are very keen to Read and Review!

So . . . .

Crunch time. 

The author has created an enthralling story that immerses the reader in the everyday and sometimes bloody world of Vikings and Pictish Britain from the off. It is penned with passion, creating drama and adventure that is sure to enthral the upper YA reader and adult alike. 

AUTHOR:  Curtis Jobling. Click here for their web page.

Illustrations by:  Gavin Reece.  Click here for their Instagram page. 

Published by:  Fox & Ink Books. Click here for their web page.

SUNDAY SELFIE TIME

Sunday needs a selfie, so here is ours. Certainly, if you have finished your Sunday breakfast and lunch, may well be in need of a nap, just like me!

We are joining the Sunday Selfies, hosted by the wonderful Kitties Blue and their mum, Janet Blue, from the Cat on My Head blog in America. Click this sentence to visit Janet Blue's site. Or copy and paste this link: https://thecatonmyhead.com/

 

Till Laters!

ERin & Mrs H.

WYRDWOOD BY CURTIS JOBLING

Written by  Curtis Jobling

                            

An Adventure Book Review by Erin the Literary Cat©, International Book Reviewer.

Hello, and welcome to my latest Book Review featuring this week a Adventure in Middle Grade Fiction.

Without further ado, and with my trusty housekeeper, Mrs H, nailing some horseshoes and garlic around the house, lets get on with this fantastic and eerie tale.

AUTHOR:  Curtis Jobling. Click here for their web page.

Illustrations by:  Alice Cao.  Click here for their web page. 

Published by:  Fox & Ink Books. Click here for their web page.

 

Publication date Paperback: 2/10/2025

 

Paperback 13 digit ISBN:  978-1916747692

UK Cover price for Paperback:  £8.99

Amazon KINDLE price:  £4.99

 

Pages: 371

 

Age range:  11-14 and upwards

Any dogs or cats? two dogs and something nasty in the woods

 

 

SPOILER ALERT

Some as to plot direction and characters.

 

 

Thank you to... 

We are exceedingly grateful to Graeme Williams and Fox & Ink Publishers for offering us a chance to Read & Review an advance copy of this story. 

As ever, our views are our own, and we only share reviews of books we have bought or received in exchange for an impartial review.

First and foremost, the books we review are those we select to read, like, and feel our global readers deserve to know about and will enjoy.

 

The plot

The dramatic prologue sees Sam Harper, father to Kiki, our protagonist, rescue a woman from an oncoming logging lorry. In the dark, stark naked in the snow and confused, there is no way the woman we get to know as Fay, can save herself. Sam pulls her to safety, and so creates an underlying plot for the story.

Some months later, Kiki Harper, sixteen, awakens from a nightmare just as her train pulls into the sleepy and remote seaside town of Merryweather-by-the-sea. She was at school for three months on the UK mainland, and is now returning home for Christmas. She has returned early to catch the big switch-on of the Christmas lights and to surprise her family. After certain events the previous summer, all eyes are on the supposed destructive and troubled child. Troubled, but not without cause, as the recurring nightmare is of the night not that long ago when her mother was killed in a car crash that saw Kiki and her younger siblings pulled from the car submerged in the river. 

Her best friend, Stefan Pimblott – a young poacher, and son of a local scrap metal merchant – doesn’t materialise to take her home, so she heads off in the snow. Along the way we readers get introduced to certain key characters, including Stefan’s elder sister, Ruby, her loutish bigot of a boyfriend Leo Pitts, aka Pitbull, and police officer Maggie O’Malley.

On arriving home, she discovers a woman, Fay, in the house. She is wearing her mother’s clothes and working away in the kitchen. Kiki is pulled up short, not knowing what to make of the situation as her father has not told her of a mother replacement in his life. Her father and younger siblings are besotted with this lady, who is nothing but polite and well intentioned. Even the townsfolk have taken to her, and it seems memories of her mother have been swept aside by some magical spell.

We get a feeling of something strange going on in the village when the schoolmistress notices how quiet and tired her class is, and also when more and more of the young children aren’t attending due to some mysterious malaise. Whatever it is, it’s putting a dampener on the entire village and Christmas; all save the Harper family and recent incomers. The children have been drawing a stick man, the Stick Man of fable, more of a tree than a man, and singing a very spooky and about him in the playground. Of course, the old schoolmistress has seen it all before, many years past. At that time, the same drawings were made and songs sung. Then something came from the woods and took one of their number away. That was the orice demanded then, and it seems now also. The past is being replayed.

When Wem Campbell, from the lighthouse, (thought to be suffering the ravages of dementia) rips the priest’s festive lights off an ancient stone cross, swearing that it‘s all wrong and they will awaken ‘HIM’, we get a real sense of the pervading menace, mystery, history, and malice that lurks in the towns past. Of course, it’s already too late. Only the surviving senior townsfolk know what really happened, and they are, for the time being at least, not telling. 

Woven through this tale like a vein of rot in a potato, we have onetime criminal, poacher turned gamekeeper for the logging Blackwood family’s estate, Mick Cleaver, who lives in the Wyrdwood. He lives near the now-dilapidated old Blackwood family mansion. What he is up to isn’t known, but he doesn’t like trespassers and has made it clear he wants Stephan’s family out of his hair once and for all. This spills out along the plot in various confrontations. He isn’t afraid to kill or maim to get what he wants or to keep his secrets safe.

As the festive snow starts to gather deeply all around, so we get to see more of the stick man. And with him come the nasty things, drawing in the good and the bad, the innocent, ugly and unlucky. 

To lay out more of the nuances and characters will be almost impossible, save that the threads knit together dramatically, and in their own right, to become something both grand and terrible. And I don’t mean that awful festive sweater you may have been given one year that lurks almost menacingly at the back of the wardrobe . . . 

So, what did we think?

As a rule, we don’t like and review horror books. But this hooked our attention when we were offered it, and we found we could not refuse. That says a lot in my book.

It is one of those that a review can only ever scratch the surface of what transpires between the covers. And that cover is very expressive and in keeping. All credit goes to Alice Cao for her skill in bringing the tale to life that way.

You really would have to go a long way to better this tale. Come the closing chapters, we could visualise this as a Steven Spielberg movie. And we shouldn’t be surprised by that, given the author’s pedigree.

Before coming to writing books, Curtis Jobling was the designer for ‘Bob the Builder’ and worked on ‘Wallace & Gromit‘ and ‘Mars Attacks‘. He has written horror stories for some time for older audiences. His million-selling ‘Wereworld’ series of adventures has become a major new animated production called ‘Wolf King‘ on Netflix.

This adventure has a wealth of family and small-town community charm, but also highlights family and community issues. The cast has everyone from the elderly, one-time schoolteacher next door, to the young, eager priest ignorant of past ways and rites. There’s the local police officer, born and bred on the island, who has fallen in love with the new schoolteacher. The local logging company is felling the ancient wood for profit, and the Mayor’s son is a lout and bully and ripe for putting in his place – but nobody dares. Then there’s the mysterious, youthful, quiet fisherman who lives with the aged Wem in the nearby lighthouse. They all have secrets, some unknown to them.

The villain – well, the corporeal one, if you get my drift – he reminds us of Bill Sykes, complete with his dog. He really is as evil as they come, and delightfully, every inch of his bad nature has been brought to the fore.

And best of all, possibly beyond our protagonist, is Fay. A clear instigator of things at the start, but is she a key player in this story? Is she who she seems to be, and are her motives and reasons for being there as pure as they seem? Things are never simple in this tale.

From the isolated setting, trapped between the ocean and the Wyrdwoods – which creates a locked-room mystery effect – we are forced to focus in on the story and characters hemmed within. Histories, both old and recent, of place and people intrigue and frighten beyond the page and window.

We loved the way the plot unfolded. It didn’t just throw clues at you as we wanted/expected them but held back till the optimal point for the characters and story. As a result, you were never 100% certain of anyone, well, nearly everyone. The characters evolved well in our mind’s eye, and whilst some are as painted, others had hidden depths.

As for the ending, well, that was almost cinematographic and brings us squarely back to the Spielberg fan in us, but I’ll not give it away. Oh, one more thing: the epilogue is, in a comeuppance way, oh-so-sweet . . .



So, crunch time.


The story is a clever, vivid, articulate and atmospheric blend of folklore and mild horror, set in a small town steeped in secrets. As capable a story for a teen as any of the Stephen King books for adults Mrs H has read in days gone by. Yes, there are grizzly bits, but they are in keeping, well placed and not for shock value.

In fact, it complements and introduces the author’s other fantasy books for older readers. We thoroughly recommend this adventure for teenagers and up, to those who don’t mind ‘branching’ out into a little fright and a few grizzly pieces too, none of which we thought were OTT for the story.

And now for something not spooky at all, the Sunday Selfies!

We are joining the Sunday Selfies, hosted by the wonderful Kitties Blue and their mum, Janet Blue, from the Cat on My Head blog in America. CLICK THIS LINK to visit their site and to get the code to add to your own blog . . . 

 

Here is yours truly testing out the guest room bed. It's been a while since we had a visitor, mainly because they miss the turn off for the County of East Lambtonshire!

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed that adventure review, and will dip your toes into the amazing world of middle grade and teen literature. Whilst some can be quite short others, like this one, are pretty long. 

What books have you all been reading, and would you recommend them to your blogging friends and the wider world?

 

Till laters!

ERin