Ultimate Urban Fantasy Fighter

DEADLY CURIOSITIESby Gail Z. Martin

Today’s urban fantasy teems with just about every ghoulie, ghostie and long-leggedy beastie that ever crawled out of the shadows.  But for my money, I’ll back a vampire for being the ultimate urban fighter every time.

Vampires have both speed and stealth.  Werewolves tend to need to make a trade-off between the two.  It’s hard to be furry and stealthy at the same time, but if you’re looking human, you probably can’t muster wolf speed.

Unlike some ghosts, vampires are not tethered to a particular place, and they have no problem interacting with physical objects, which is a problem for most ghosts unless they have poltergeist tendencies.

Vampires also have strength and a long existence in which to perfect their fighting techniques.  Werewolves are certainly strong, but not as long-lived.  Demons are a bit of a wild card since their capabilities vary so widely, but they are often limited in some way because they are from a realm other than our own.  Vampires, being former mortals, are solidly of this world.

A vampire’s ability to pass among mortals unnoticed is one of his greatest strengths as an urban fantasy fighter.  So long as a vampire can adapt to changing social mores, fashions and speech patterns, he’s got a definite advantage in his ability to move through a crowded city without anyone being the wiser.  The limitation of requiring shelter at night is much less of a problem in a large city where the streets are crowded at all hours and many people are nocturnal.

The vampire ability to heal quickly certainly helps, although it’s something that both werewolves and demons tend to have in common.  But vampires benefit from not losing themselves to bloodlust during their time of the month, or having the awkward need to change shape.  A vampire’s “true form” isn’t at risk of being exposed, only his true nature.

For my money, vampires are the ultimate stealth fighter, easily camouflaged in urban settings, able to use that setting to their advantage.

Reign of Ash, book two in the Ascendant Kingdoms Saga launches in April, 2014 from Orbit Books.

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