In the sequel to Twelve, the reach of the story goes beyond Danilov to encompass the future of Russia as a whole. Amidst the Decemberist movement of 1825, a powerful vampire is scheming to control the czar. Thirteen years ago, Russian secret agent Aleksei Danilov discovered vampires fighting alongside his comrades during Napoleon's 1812 invasion, hiding their true nature inside the carnage of war. Now Danilov is a colonel and his past is coming back to haunt him. As he tries to infiltrate a revolutionary group threatening the life of czar Aleksandr, a man claiming to be the brother of his long dead friend stalks him marking the emergence of familiarly bloody murders.

Where Twelve is solely Danilov's story, Thirteen Years Later also shows czar Aleksandr's link to the vampires. Unlike the first book, this one combines multiple point of views and weaves a more complex plot. We get to see Danilov through the eyes of others, foremost through his son Dmitry who is now a young man about to enter the military.

My Recommendation
Thirteen Years Later by Jasper Kent is an epic blending of folklore, history and personal narrative. Although the first part of the book moves slowly and there is notably less action, my overall impression is good. As someone who enjoys historical fantasy, I would recommend Thirteen Years Later as an engrossing read and I look forward to reading future titles in the series.

Thirteen Years Later by Jasper Kent
Published by Pyr
511 pages

Thirteen Years Later by Jasper Kent is available at Amazon.com