Copyright © 2007 by Sabrina E. Tyes.
Given all the media about vampires, I think there are three qualities that make these undead so attractive and popular: terror, romance, and danger. Vampires are horrific when they stalk and capture their human prey; they allure us with their eerie looks and immortal’s charm; and they usually prove to be stronger, faster, and deadlier than any man born of woman.
By those standards, Haido by Sabrina E. Tyes counts as a good vampire story.
The Story: No One’s Playing Fair In Love Or War These Days
The conflict centers on Haido, a Japanese youth-turned-vampire who is locked in a perpetual struggle against San, the man who turned him into a vampire and kept him as a “lover” (as in, kept him imprisoned and abused) for many years. In trying to fend off San’s advances and thwart his latest plot to raise an army of vampire minions, Haido assembles his own crew, including his ex-girlfriend Sabrina, who has her own dark heritage to contend with. Throw in an ancient sword passed down through Haido’s family and some demons, and what you’re left with is a pretty awesome conflict.
Of course, the entire story isn’t just fight scenes and dramatic tension. There’s also some slapstick and comic asides, and quite a bit of time spent chilling at Haido’s place, at least in Part Two. It does provide something of a breather for the climatic showdown at the end, but once that comes, it feels just a bit like an anticlimax. The story just kinda… ends.
The Cast: Japanese Vampire Demon Rock Stars!
Haido is one of the two protagonists in this story, having started out as San’s captive slave and become a vampire hiding in plain sight as a rock star in Japan. His conflict with San is both physical and emotional, as Haido tries to deal with the scars from his captivity and try to find a lasting romance in spite of San’s attempts to ruin any relationship that doesn’t involve him. San is also an interesting figure, a possessive ex-lover and egomaniac who might stroke Haido’s hair one moment and beat him senselessly the next. I couldn’t help but think of Lestat as portrayed in Interview with the Vampire: a giggling romantic of exceptional cruelty and jealousy.
Sabrina is the other protagonist of the story, another ex-lover of Haido and a woman struggling with her own past. Despite her human image, Sabrina has a demonic ancestry and must undergo a ritual to embrace her full nature as one of the Demon World. Yet her ties to that otherworld are as sharp and painful as Haido’s ties to San. Her side of the story doesn’t become prominent until Part Two, which does serve to balance the overall tale between her and Haido nicely.
There are other characters in this story like Taka the thief, Yuki the hulking comic relief, Kyo the lieutenant, and Eiji the enigma, but honestly, I could barely tell them apart. We never really saw much from their perspective and they only seemed to be there for the sake of being Haido’s rock band and fulfilling certain stock roles (like Yuki constantly making jokes that seemed to earn him an endless amount of scorn and irritation from the others, making it unbearable halfway through Part Two). Their roles were probably necessary, but outside the main trio of Haido, San, and Sabrina, they really didn’t impact me very much.
Also, just to nitpick, San is eventually revealed to have gotten a human slave after losing Haido. This slave–who later becomes a vampire–is also named Haido, so it can get confusing reading about two different Haidos and having to study the context of the scene and dialogue to figure out which is which.
Final Verdict: Not Terrible, But Needs Work On Pacing
Overall, I liked the premise of this story and some of the scenes and dialogue were rather satisfying. I do have some issues with the pacing, since it seemed at times like there were stretches of nothing going on, followed by punctuated episodes of fighting and killing, ultimately resulting in a rushed and not-that-satisfying conclusion. But I’d recommend a look at this story for the way it looks at vampires, giving us the good, bad, and ugly sides of their existence.
—
I received a complimentary copy of Haido as a member of the Dorrance Publishing Book Review Team. Visit dorrancebookstore.com to learn how you can become a member of the Book Review Team.
—
Bibliography: Tyes, Sabrina E. Haido. Pittsburgh: Dorrance Publishing, 2007.
