Chronicles of the Undead

By A. F. Stewart

Family Secrets.
Three generations of one family share their intimacies with the world of the vampire.

Inside the personal journals of the Harrington family, a dark and dangerous odyssey unfolds.
Three members of this tormented family, Samuel, his son Edmund, and Edmund’s daughter Charlotte, struggle during the 18th and 19th century in London, England, as the lives of this family intersects with supernatural forces. Two intriguing vampires befriend, manipulate and play with all three souls, altering their lives forever.
Their fears, private confidences and weaknesses are revealed as one selfish act ends in horrific tragedy, with far-reaching consequences.

Who succumbs to the seduction and danger of the vampire? Who grapples to combat the evil influence that permeates their lives?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lulu.com
• Release date: Jan 24, 2013
• ISBN: 9780557716296

A. F. Stewart

A steadfast and proud sci-fi and fantasy geek, A. F. Stewart was born and raised in Nova Scotia, Canada and still calls it home. The youngest in a family of seven children, she always had an overly creative mind and an active imagination. She favours the dark and deadly when writing—her genres of choice being dark fantasy and horror—but she has been known to venture into the light on occasion. As an indie author she’s published novellas and story collections, with a few side trips into poetry and non-fiction.

Reviews for Chronicles of the Undead

[ptdilloway-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

These days when people think of vampire books they think of emo teenage angst-ridden romance yarns like "Twilight" instead of classics such as "Interview With the Vampire" or the granddaddy of them all--"Dracula." With "Chronicles of the Undead", AF Stewart goes back to those traditional favorites to spin a short, breezy, but satisfying yarn about a family cursed by vampires.

It all begins near the end of the 18th Century in England when Samuel Harrington meets his new neighbors: Henri and Eleanor. At first he befriends them and while thinking them a little odd, finds them pleasant company. Then Samuel stumbles on their dark secret: they're vampires! Slowly Samuel is seduced by the dark side, becoming increasingly fascinated with the vampire world. In the end he makes a terrible decision that haunts his family for another 30 years.

The story is told in the form of a diary, starting with Samuel, then picking up with his son and granddaughter as their lives are interwoven with those of Henry and Eleanor until the inevitable final clash.

My only major complaint is this book wasn't long enough. At 168 pages I breezed through the story in about two hours. Like a vampire after sucking a victim dry I was hankering for more. Still, as I said at the beginning, this is a great old-school vampire story with a little bit of a new sensibility and told in an engaging way. Don't miss it!

That is all.

[smichaelwilson · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Author A.F. Stewart has managed to accomplish a none-to-easy task in the realm of the vampire novels. She has managed to create a unique and captivating voice in a realm populated mainly by Anne Rice and Laura K. Hamilton clones substituting melodramatic whining and gratuitous sex for depth and substance.Chronicles of the Undead offers the reader a closer look at the lives of two Victorian era vampires residing in London, and the people whose lives intersect with theirs, through a series of diary entries. The diaries cover the span of thirty-three years, during which the various authors reveal their own fears and desires through the recording of their thoughts and the descriptions of daily events told through the filter of their own perceptions.The author's adherence to the diary format seems a little light at first, but after awhile the lack of overly descriptive narrative and meandering dialog becomes a welcome absence, as the characters distill themselves and make the gradual discovery of who and what they are even more interesting. Also, the book's division into entries from different diaries lends a contrast to the writing and perspective that prevents the format from stagnating. If there is to be a complaint about Chronicle of the Undead, it is that the diary format unavoidably makes for a quick read that leaves the reader somewhat unsatisfied. But then again, good books always leave the reader hungry for more.

[sheiladeeth_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Some books are printed in just the right format, and Chronicles of the Undead, by AF Stewart, is one such book. The slender, over-sized paper-back feels just right doubling as a diary in the reader’s hands. And the large type-face fits the sparse journalistic writing perfectly.I’d read the first chapter online before receiving my own copy of the book. Any doubts I had about how the writing style would work in a complete novel were soon laid to rest (together with various hapless women of the night). But once I had the book in my hands, I couldn’t stop reading. Three diaries are included—Samuel Harrington from 1793-95; Edmund Harrington from 1795-97; and Charlotte Harrington from 1825-26. I was surprised how quickly the characters became real. Samuel’s banal unkindness inexorably morphs into true evil, Edmund’s good intentions turn sour under the weight of revenge, and even Charlotte leaves me wondering how the proximity to evil will harm her.The author presents the slow dissolution of good intentions against a well-researched historical background. The surrounding world of London society reels and recovers from war; money is invested in wise and foolish things; and stocks rise and fall. Secret societies, intrigue and morbid curiosity add fuel to the fire. And vampires live and die.A story well-told in a format well-suited to the telling, Chronicles of the Undead is a quick, intriguing read that leaves you wondering… what next? A fine vampire tale.

[reverends_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Author A.F. Stewart has managed to accomplish a none-to-easy task in the realm of the vampire novels. She has managed to create a unique and captivating voice in a realm populated mainly by Anne Rice and Laura K. Hamilton clones substituting melodramatic whining and gratuitous sex for depth and substance.Chronicles of the Undead offers the reader a closer look at the lives of two Victorian era vampires residing in London, and the people whose lives intersect with theirs, through a series of diary entries. The diaries cover the span of thirty-three years, during which the various authors reveal their own fears and desires through the recording of their thoughts and the descriptions of daily events told through the filter of their own perceptions.The author's adherence to the diary format seems a little light at first, but after awhile the lack of overly descriptive narrative and meandering dialog becomes a welcome absence, as the characters distill themselves and make the gradual discovery of who and what they are even more interesting. Also, the book's division into entries from different diaries lends a contrast to the writing and perspective that prevents the format from stagnating. If there is to be a complaint about Chronicle of the Undead, it is that the diary format unavoidably makes for a quick read that leaves the reader somewhat unsatisfied. But then again, good books always leave the reader hungry for more.