The hosszu eletek have been shrinking in numbers since the pogrom suffered at the hands of the Hungarian Empire. Slow to breed, fewer and fewer are born and their number wither like grapes left on a vine. Hanna thinks she has the answer in her own genes, a half breed, an impossibility and yet she was born. In her birth she sees the salvation for her race, but not everyone agrees. As the tanacs grow restless, Hanna’s daughter, Leah, does the unthinkable and goes in search of the female outcasts...

Written in Blood (2014, 485 pages) is the second in a series of books by Stephen Lloyd Jones and the sequel to The String Diaries.

The first book was enjoyable and introduced us to a race, the hosszu eletek, who live amongst human beings. They are not supernatural as such, but do possess the advantage of a very long life span as well as the ability to change their physical appearance. The first novel was more of a chase, whereas this one is a little more travelogue, plus some interesting historical back story.

Although the main heroine of the story is Hanna’s daughter, Leah Wild, she is not the most interesting character, that has to go to Etienne. Abused as a child, she is named outcast, kirekesztett, from her society, not for anything she did, but because of what had been done to her and Izsak, who was condemned for the actions of his brother and the inaction of his father. These two, due to their pasts, bare witness not only to the innate elitism and even racism to which their society proscribes, but also have much more motivation for their action than Leah, who basically is a girl trying to do the right thing.

The story is told in differing time and geographical locations, jumping back and forth through time. In this way Jones is able to explain why the hosszu eletek are so few in numbers, having suffered their own version of Kristallnacht, where in one night most of their population was culled by the jealous and short lived humans for their perceived superiority and power. This is not the only incidence of the book making references to the effects of prejudice, both on a population and the personal impact on individuals.

The book is sometimes referred to as a supernatural thriller and in only one respect is this true as the book expands its world building with the introduction of the tolvajok, a race of non-corporeal creatures who prey on the hosszu eletek, who they need as hosts. They are able to use humans, but due to their short lives they burn through them too quickly, only the longevity of the hosszu eletek allows them to be inhabited. Much like Hanna’s desire to bring procreation back to her people following the culling, the tolvajok also suffered when their hosts were killed and the two races are on the edge of extinction.

Jones has created an intricate and involving story, the elements of which are expertly balanced. I would suggest that anyone wanting to pick the book up start with The String Diaries, you will get more of the nuances of the plot. That said, it works pretty well as a standalone novel.

9

Charles Packer