Sarah Jane Stratford: The Midnight Guardian

Review by Vicky London

The Midnight Guardian is the first book in Sarah Jane Stratford’s Millennial Vampire series.

Here’s the cover blurb:

It’s 1938, and the tentacles of Hitler’s terrifying Third Reich have commenced their stranglehold on Europe. The Nazi empire will soon be clean of all bloodlines deemed tainted or undesirable…including vampires.

London’s ancient tribunal of vampires is aghast at the destruction taking place on the Continent. Though vampires try not to interfere with human politics, Hitler’s terrible plans force them into action. They resolve to send five of their most formidable vampires to Berlin— millennials that have lived over 1000 years and whose age and wisdom make them close to invulnerable— to infiltrate, disrupt, and destroy the growing Nazi war machine.

The brilliant and beautiful millennial Brigit is loath to go, but her powers are needed if the mission is to have any chance of success. She must summon all her strength to endure the separation from her lover Eamon, whom she made almost eight centuries ago, but whose lack of millennial status makes him an unacceptable choice for this operation. Though he longs to join her, his duty to Brigit is best served from afar, by nurturing their deep psychic connection and reinforcing her spirit with his fierce devotion and memories of his tender embrace.

But as the millennials attempt to penetrate and sabotage Hitler’s armies, they discover that the Nazis are more capable than any human force they’ve yet encountered and more monstrous than they’d ever imagined. Forced to take bolder, more dangerous steps, they soon attract the attention of specially trained vampire hunters loyal to Hitler and his vision of a vampire-free Europe. Exposed, deep inside enemy territory, with vicious Nazi officers and hunters at her heels, Brigit must attempt a daring escape from the Continent, guarding precious cargo that marks the only hope of salvaging their mission.

The vampires are physically strong, clever and resourceful but they are not all powerful. They aren’t the wildly rich type of vampire who can have anything at the snap of their fingers. They also can’t glamour their intended victims to do exactly as they wish. They have some very human limitations that put them on more equal footing with the Third Reich’s war machine. Their reasons for becoming involved in a human war are logical and believable. The Nazi portions of the story felt chillingly real and more frightening for the fact that the vampires could not easily vanquish them.

The story centers on Brigit’s final mission which is to smuggle two children out of Nazi Germany without being caught. The Nazis and vampire hunters are waiting for her to slip up making for a very suspense filled story. I really enjoyed the love story between Brigit and Eamon, told in flashbacks. Their connection was especially deep and it was pretty cool how he was able to help her long distance when she was in grave danger. Jumping back and forth in time however, was confusing and halted the momentum of the story. The theme of oppression and persecution acted as a thread tying together seemingly disparate people: Jews and vampires. Overall, I thought this book was exciting, interesting and a fascinating look at World War II through the eyes of a vampire.

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