Vampire Empire — (2010-2011) Publisher: In the year 1870, a horrible plague of vampires swept over the northern regions of the world. Millions of humans were killed outright. Millions more died of disease and famine due to the havoc that followed. Within two years, once great cities were shrouded by the grey empire of the vampire clans. Human refugees fled south to the tropics because vampires could not tolerate the constant heat there. They brought technology and a feverish drive to reestablish their shattered societies of steam and iron amid the mosques of Alexandria, the torrid quietude of Panama, or the green temples of Malaya. It is now 2020 and a bloody reckoning is coming. Princess Adele is heir to the Empire of Equatoria, a remnant of the old tropical British Empire. She is quick with her wit as well as with a sword or gun. She is eager for an adventure before she settles into a life of duty and political marriage to man she does not know. But her quest turns black when she becomes the target of a merciless vampire clan. Her only protector is The Greyfriar, a mysterious hero who fights the vampires from deep within their territory. Their dangerous relationship plays out against an approaching war to the death between humankind and the vampire clans. The Greyfriar: Vampire Empire is the first book in a trilogy of high adventure and alternate history. Combining rousing pulp action with steampunk style, The Greyfriar brings epic political themes to life within a story of heartbreaking romance, sacrifice, and heroism.
Forthcoming:
book 3
 The Greyfriar
The Greyfriar, an interesting blend of steampunk, alternate history and paranormal fantasy, introduces us to a British Empire that has relocated to North Africa after a hugely successful assault by organized armies of vampires. Humankind now lives in areas of the globe that offer the greatest chance for survival and resistance to the vampire threat. (This felt very much like the setting of S.M. Stirling's The Peshawar Lancers in which Britain relocates to India after England was destroyed by a comet.)
The Vampires in The Greyfriar are similar to humans; scientists use the term Homo nosferatii to differentiate between the species. One of the biggest differences between them is that humans consider vampires to be loathsome wild animals — not the cultured, physically perfect sex objects that are so popular in urban fantasy today — and vampires consider humans to be merely food.
The Greyfriar follows the adventures of Princess Adele, the heir to the Equatorian Empire, as she comes into conflict and eventual war with a large clan of vampires. Adele is rather cliché: a physically gifted noblewoman who is free-spirited, strong-willed… we have read about her many times before. She becomes involved with a legendary warrior, the Greyfriar, whose exploits in combating vampires and campaigning on their home turf makes him a hero.
Other characters include Prince Gareth, a vampire prince who is not your typical bloodthirsty killer; Senator Clark, Princess Adele’s fiancé and a heroic vampire fighter from the Western Hemisphere; Mamoru, Princess Adele’s spiritual advisor; and Prince Cesare, the leader of the clan of vampires that is hunting Princess Adele. These are interesting characters, but at times I wished that the Griffiths would not allow us omniscient interaction with all of them. Sometimes I knew too much of the thoughts and motivations of everyone, and the story might have been more compelling if fewer characters were completely revealed.
An important theme in The Greyfrier is the conflict between science and religion. Mankind, for the most part, has turned its back on the religious convictions that it had previously held and that may not have been wise. In essence, faith and religion are somehow tied into a magical world that has been previously unknown by all but a few. I am guessing that this storyline is going to be increasingly important in future books.
On the whole I really enjoyed The Greyfriar. It was a lot of fun to read — interesting characters and plenty of adventure. I really look forward to the continued technology versus magic theme. As a first installment in a series, The Greyfriar is wonderful. —John Hulet
 The Rift Walker
The Rift Walker is Clay and Susan Griffith's anxiously awaited sequel to The Greyfriar. The Greyfriar was a wonderful start to the Vampire Empire trilogy and left me wondering if it was going to be a flash in the pan or if the authors were able to sustain the quality of the first book. The answer is an emphatic thumbs-up.
Princess Adele's adventures continue as she is forced to deal with the conflict between the requirement of her royal rank to marry Senator Clark from the American Republic and the feelings she has for Gareth the vampire, also known as the heroic Greyfriar. In order to save her life, Adele is swept straight from her nuptial ceremony into Gareth’s arms. Unknown to Adele, elements of her own nation are willing to commit murder in order to maintain the status quo.
In the company of Gareth, Adele races across Africa, seeking allies to support her as she attempts to find her own path forward. Instead of simply agreeing to a scorched earth war against the Vampires, Adele wants to find a way to save those people who are presently enslaved. Add to the mix Adele's growing talents for Geomancy, the ability to harness the energies of the Earth itself, and you have a compelling plot.
Clay and Susan Griffith’s broad range of supporting characters make The Rift Walker come to life. From Adele's tutor and mentor, Memoru, to the noble Gurkha, Colonel Anhalt, there are a number of different personalities whose motivations are not always completely in line with Adele’s. Thus, she has to deal with more than just the bad guys.
The Rift Walker is a wonderful mix of alternate history, steampunk, and romance. The accurate historical fixtures with the inclusion of intricate paranormal details, such as the way the vampires monitor and react to the weather, make this world feel real.
The Rift Walker is a worthy addition to the Vampire Empire trilogy. Clay and Susan Griffith continue to write interesting characters and to keep the story full of action, adventure and excitement — the hallmarks of good fantasy. Add to this already quality mix a strong dose of political intrigue and good old-fashioned betrayal and treachery, and you have something wonderful. I can't wait for the final Vampire Empire book. —John Hulet
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Clay & Susan Griffith specialize in blending fantasy and historical adventure in prose and graphic novels. Clay and Susan met, probably not surprisingly, in a bookstore. Clay is a professor of history and Susan has a background in journalism, technical writing, and graphic design. They were married in Scotland, the country that provides much of the setting of Vampire Empire. Here's their blog.
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