Title:  The Great Right Hope  Book 1 of the Sid Tillsley Chronicles
Author:  Mark Jackman
Publisher:  LL-Publications
Publisher’s Address: www.ll-publications.com
ISBN:  978-1-905091-30-0
Genre: Paranormal, Supernatural, Suspense, E-Book
Pages:  341
Reviewed By: Amy J Ramsey/Ramsey’s Reviews/www.trinagon.blogspot.com
Rating: 5 Stars

For the past two hundred eighty four years, the Vampire and Human Coalition has existed due to Michael Vitrago’s ruling with an iron fist, to assure the survival of his kind, the Lamia Vampire race, among humans. Both the coalitions work together making sure that all vampires follow certain procedures like having sanctioned killings and feedings.  Of course, what are having rules without those who wish to break them?

Gunnar is tired of suppressing his true nature and having to obey what he believes to be stupid meaningless rules of the Lamia Consilium. His desire to have some fun by massacring humans is overwhelming, so he teams up with his long time comrade, Gabriel, whose barbaric deeds even surpass Gunnar’s thirst for blood, and they set out to begin their rebellious spree of terror.

Sid Tillsley is an extremely obese, naive and often slow-minded individual. His normal day consists of consuming an ungodly amount of alcohol at the Miners’ Arm’s Pub with his motley crew, chain smoking foreign cigars obtained by illegally  working odd side jobs and fearing that his benefits will be taken away. However, the world as he knows it is about to change. When Sid encounters the malicious vampire duo, who he believes to be “ them-lot,” Sid’s homophobic reaction is either to shut down mentally or fight, in this case, when he swung his well-known and legendary right hook, something extraordinary happened.

Sid and his friends enter the Vampire world by his unique ability to kill the undead and a prophecy meant for him to fulfill. Will Sid be able to come to terms with his destiny as a slayer? On the other hand, will his fears of losing his benefits, the woman he claims to love and a revengeful vampire send him over the edge, literally?

The Great Right Hope is one of the best vampire stories I have read since Buffy the Vampire Slayer. This amazing tale captures the contrasting qualities of what it would be like as the total opposite, mentally and physically, of an ideal vampire slayer.  The Great Right Hope was keenly devised with wittiness and excitement in a way that the reader can appreciatively observe the pleasure that Mark Jackman has displayed while creating his awe-inspiring world.  Kudos to Mark Jackman for inventing an out-of-the-ordinary vampire tale and offering diversity within the realm of familiarity.  I have already recommended The Great Right Hope to several of my friends, and now I want to recommend this book to all those who are stuck in the rut of the same old vamp groove and want to expand their boundaries.