noticeably as the series has progressed. Although
the author has confined her efforts to this one set-
ting and story line almost to the exclusion of every-
thing else, occasional short stories such as “My
Voice Is My Sword” (1994) and “Sunseeker”
(2002) suggest that she might yet produce a more
diverse variety of fiction.
Elrod, P. N.(1951– )
Patricia Nead Elrod’s writing career has been
dominated by vampires, although in most cases
they have not been the evil, unclean creatures of
legend. Her vampires are mostly misunderstood,
reluctant, troubled, or goodhearted as the situa-
tion and story line demand. Elrod started her ca-
reer with the first three adventures of her most
popular vampire hero, Fleming, all of which were
published in 1990. Bloodlistintroduces Fleming,
recently converted to vampirism against his will,
as he struggles to adjust to a new life confined to
darkness and to satisfy his need for blood without
killing human beings. Fleming is a moderately
well-drawn, likeable enough character who be-
comes a private detective and who, in Lifeblood,
has considerable run-ins with vampire hunters
who do not know, or care, that he is of the benev-
olent variety. He solves a murder mystery in
Bloodcirclewhile still trying to track down the fe-
male vampire who is responsible for his own con-
dition. Fleming’s 10th and most recent adventure
is Cold Streets(2003), in which he is blackmailed
by a mobster who knows his secret and forced to
participate in a gang war. The Dark Sleep(1999)
and Lady Crymsyn(2000) are the two best titles,
the latter involved a mystery that turns up when
Fleming decides to open a nightclub.
Elrod’s second vampire series consists of Red
Death(1993), Death and the Maiden(1994), Death
Masque(1995), and Dance of Death(1996). The
protagonist’s situation is the same—he was con-
verted against his will by a woman—but the set-
ting is very different. He is attacked while in
England in the days just prior to the American
Revolution and returns to find the colonies in tur-
moil. His efforts to survive and adjust without tak-
ing human life are parallel to those of Fleming and
sometimes more interesting, but the character
himself never completely comes to life, and the
historical background is sketchy.
I, Strahd(1993) is a somewhat darker story set
in the Ravenloft shared world series, a fantasy
realm that resembles historical Europe. Strahd
makes an unholy supernatural deal to defeat a rival
and discovers that the price is his conversion to
vampirism. Immortal and the ruler of a small king-
dom, Strahd returns in The War against Azalin
(1998) to fight a new batch of enemies. Quincey
Morris, Vampire(2001) is a sequel to DRACULA
(1897) by Bram STOKERin which Morris dies and
becomes a vampire, protégé to Dracula himself. It
is probably Elrod’s best single novel. One other
vampire series is a collaborative effort with the
actor Nigel Bennett. Keeper of the King(2000), His
Father’s Son(2001), and Siege Perilous(2003) tell
the story of Sir Lancelot, an immortal vampire liv-
ing in the modern world as Richard Dun and still
protecting the public from supernatural enemies.
Elrod has recently strayed from vampires for The
Adventures of Myhr(2003), a minor alternate world’s
quest adventure featuring a character who is half
human and half feline. Her occasional short fiction
is, not surprisingly, usually about vampires. She has
also edited two anthologies of vampire stories, Time
of the Vampires(1996) and Dracula in London(2001).Emerson, Ru(1944– )
Like Kate ELLIOTT, Ru Emerson began her writing
career with a comparatively minor fantasy adven-
ture that prominently featured the tarot deck. The
Princess of Flames(1986) is a standard story pitting
the protagonist against the usurper who stole the
throne but straying somewhat from the ordinary,
as the heir this time is a female. Emerson followed
up with the Nedao trilogy, starting with To the
Haunted Mountains(1987), which features a fe-
male swordswoman as the primary protagonist and
a sentient cat as the narrator. The series continued
with In the Caves of Exile(1988) and concluded in
On the Seas of Destiny (1989). The enemies of
Nedao have invaded the kingdom, and the ousted
ruler leads her people into exile, where they even-
tually organize and regain their freedom. The un-
usual choice of narrator is quite effective and gives
the trilogy a unique flavor.106 Elrod, P. N.