The Cries Of Vampira: (The Horror Of Gaad Grey, The Evil Alpha Werewolf [The Cries Of Vampira #1])

The Horror of Gaad Grey, The Evil Alpha Werewolf  - Sean H. Robertson Before I start this review, I would like to give a wholehearted thanks to Sean Robertson for sending me a free promotional copy of his work "The Cries of Vampira, and for donating to such a wonderful cause.I've read the whole of "The Cries of Vampira" multiple times, but haven't been able to write a review of it until now because I've wanted to give it a thorough, constructively critical review. I'll admit that while I wasn't necessarily taken in by the story because of some fundamental issues with how it was told, the story itself I think could have potential as a novel if expanded in context and given greater character focus.To give a bit of background -"The Cries of Vampira" revolves around a clan of vampires (Clan Robertson) that reside in Vampira, Scotland and seek to keep their native land and people safe from their mortal enemies The Grey Wolves, a group of werewolves that antagonize and ultimately swear on the demise of the vampire clan. The head of the Grey Wolves, Gaad Grey, swears vengeance (for a reason that doesn't come across other than for sheer terror and pilfering for their own measures). The Royal Family in Vampira blissfully celebrates the coming of age of their children (and potential King), while Gaad Grey's forces plan a full scale attack. The Council scrambles to thwart the upcoming attack, but tragedy isn't far ahead for the Royal family as events come to pass, and ultimately, it's a story the has quite measurable costs in what turns out to be a merciless tragedy.The unfortunate thing I'd say about the novella, however, is that the tragedy lacks elements to have it hit home in the heart of the reader.I think "The Cries of Vampira" has a potentially good premise, and certainly enough in plotting to be carried into a memorable Historical Fiction/Paranormal story for fans of the genre, but the execution left much to be desired. The writing comes across in present tense for the unfolding action. That would be fine in terms of the writing style that Robertson possesses, but it doesn't quite work for the format of a novella. The dialogue seems a bit stilted even for its attempt to capture a historical tone, and unfortunately that bites into some of the more tragic events that come to pass in the 72 page work, and made it hard to flow in terms of the conversations that take place. No doubt I saw the events for what they were as I read it, but I think if it were expanded, the characters given more qualities to be shown in expanse, rather than being told, it would have had much more impact. We don't truly have an eye into the heart of any of the characters long enough to connect with them, so when several of the tragic events unfold, they don't nearly have as much punch as they could have.The villain, Gaad Grey, is clearly the antagonist of the work, but when examining the conflict that unravels through the work - it feels like you don't see the underlying dimensions of what makes these two sides either good or evil. I think if it were expanded and delved into with more depth of background, this could've been less one-sided in terms of a good versus evil battle. I would've even liked to see what made Gaad Grey tick and get a bit of his background that would bring his mercilessness that much more sinister. I definitely felt the story suffered on this end because you knew too easily who the parties were that were victimized, and the evil beings - without there being a multidimensional level of conflict to take from. It was hard for me to really connect with it for that reason.I can only give it as much as one and a half stars for what it was trying to do, but unfortunately it wasn't my cup of tea. I do, however, support Sean's work and look forward to seeing more from him in the future.Overall score: 1.5/5