Story Insights: Vampires

It's not much of a spoiler to mention that Rise of the Dark Ones is a vampire series. But what kind of vampire? That’s what I had a lot of fun exploring as I wrote the series. My research took me down all sorts of poorly lit avenues to discover that vampire mythology has a place in every single culture the world has seen. That every human culture on the planet has invented a monster who feeds on the blood and life-force of humans was fascinating to learn. And so many similarities across cultures! But what was going to be my mythology? If I was going to write a vampire story, I had to develop my own rules and conventions.  

The oldest vampire we meet in the trilogy is the elusive Gypsy woman. And being my first vampire in the series I imbued her with those elements I wanted to borrow from folklore, like her fear of the sun, her mystery and charisma and ability to draw in her prey. But her motivations for what she does remain an enigma; one that some characters want to get to the bottom of. Hopefully these are spelled out clearly by the trilogy’s end. 

The vampire mythology is a fascinating one. To be simultaneously powerful and vulnerable creates quite a point of tension which was so interesting to explore. The vampire's sense of morality was another point I enjoyed delving into. They are driven by raw desires and hunger, but their humanity still lingers to some degree. The vampires in Rise of the Dark Ones are based more on traditional mythologies than their modern, sparkly counterparts. They are, in their most basic form, monsters. And, while they are indeed immortal, they have weaknesses that tie in to the traditional mythology, and so I include the effects of holy water and silver, as well as their powers of vast strength, charm and even the ability to turn to mist. And what of other elements? Can a wooden stake kill a vampire? Do vampires read minds? And what happens to Emma? All of these questions and more are answered at some point in the story.

The Viscount's Son is the first book in Aderyn Wood's vampire mystery trilogy. Or you can get the entire boxset for a lower price: