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by John Matsui (Author)
Lycanthrope Rising: The True Story Behind the Vampire-Werewolf Wars is Book II in The Toronto Vampire Chronicles. Headlines scream Toronto police have arrested Dragul Mangorian, a 'real vampire, ' and that he's the last of a race of vampires awakens a terrifying enemy. The Lycanthrope Clan's blood lust won't be satisfied until it completes the extinction of its mortal enemy, the vampire-like subspecies of humanity, the Homo Sanguinus. The Lycans are a special breed of humans whose mastery of technology, animalistic ferocity and alliance with wolves saved mankind from enslavement by the Homo Sanguinus 30,000 years ago.After learning of the Sanguinus' secret vulnerability, the Lycans used it to vanquish the Blood Eaters and believed them to be extinct.Mangorian's capture in Toronto raises him to celebrity status as the ultimate 'bad boy' in Toronto, a city that celebrates diversity.Mangorian enthusiastically agrees to work with scientists who want to unlock secrets held in his genome. He's 208 years old and is immune to cancer and blood borne pathogens. In exchange, Mangorian wants genetic and fertility support to revive his species. He's ecstatic when he discovers Skyla whose one-in-a-billion First Nations genome makes it possible for her to become the Eve to his kind. The rich and powerful Lycans recruit former playboy Tim Gracey and his stripper girlfriend to lead murderous forces that will stop at nothing to keep Mangorian and Sklya from mating.Lycanthrope Rising is part medical mystery, part horror, part action adventure, part sci-fi, and 100 per cent a fast-paced thriller.Lycanthrope Rising is a banquet of genres, leaping from dark fantasy, to police procedural, across social commentary, into reimagined history, back to the present as a medical/techno drama, Mafia crime story, special forces action adventure, political satire, and, of course, vampire horror.A dog's breakfast?Perhaps, but reviewers of Matsui's previous titles, Late Bite and Gravity Games, say the author is able to meld "all these genres flawlessly." On Late Bite: "What kind of novel is this? Late Bite is a page turner, but it is also a novel that will make you think. I'm not sure how to define this novel in terms of a genre. Thriller with mystery and horror elements? An action/ adventure packed crime novel? Or should we read it as a psychological and paranormal character study?" On Gravity Games: "You know when I mentioned that it was a mash-up? It was. From Foodie Thriller to Government Conspiracies to one hell of an awesome Con Game, all the while having all the trappings of SF, fantastic characters, and really tight plot? The novel not only shifted gears effortlessly, it even made it reasonable."
