'Baltic Gambit,' E.E. Knight's latest in the Vampire Earth series

I was excited when I saw Baltic Gambit by E.E. Knight is available! This is the eleventh in his Vampire Earth series. These quick, engrossing reads about post alien invasion and enslavement Earth continue to entertain me. This is a very strong installment!

The series is about an Earth taken over by lazy aliens who drain sentient beings of their 'life force' allowing them to live forever. They bring a shock force of other enslaved races and genetic constructs to control the planet. Luckily, they are pretty lazy and also terrible at coordination. Humanity may have a chance!

Early in the series there was some play with good aliens who give some of humanity increased strength and more acute senses. Later novels get into the politics and problems with rebuilding society in a ravaged America filled with liberated alien slaves and their livestock. Baltic Gambit opens up the globe.

Knight does a fantastic job of growing this many installment sci-fi/fantasy series. I can not believe I am still this engaged and enthusiastic about the continuing story. In Baltic Gambit he switches voice from the long running hero, David Valentine, to Alessa Duvalier, Valentine's on again/off again partner in stealthy field ops. It is fun getting inside her head. She is a complex person and does well as a stand alone character!


This is the second time Knight has shifted the story away from Valentine, the first being a novel told by Ahn-Kha, the leader of a tribe of non-human slaves transplanted to Earth. I think I enjoy this novel, with Duvalier more. I also enjoy having this group of characters back together.

I've been a fan since Way of the Wolf, the first novel in the series and the best place for new fans to start.

Baltic Gambit: A Novel of the Vampire Earth by E.E. Knight