Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter

I first learned about this book from a You Tube video. Usually You Tube videos have the effect of me writing something off, this one was so insane that it piqued my interest. It shows Abe Lincoln sitting in the Oval Office as a vampire attack him. He ensuing fight scene is like something out of The Buffyverse I wasn't going to spend money reading the book, but I would take it out of the library when the opportunity arose.
Two weeks ago I got the e-mail signaling that my turn to check Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Slayer out of the library. After my last experiment with pop culture horror writing, I was wary. Sex pot zombies, bodice ripping, or shiny emo vampire danced in my imagination. Fortunately, I had nothing to worry about.
The frame of the novel is that it is based on the secret journals of Lincoln himself. They are delivered to the author by one of Lincoln's vampire allies. The frame makes the book more interesting for a couple of reasons. The first is the mystery of why a vampire would want the truth about Lincoln's vampire slaying known. The other is the sense that the reader will get deeper insights into one of the most complex U.S. Presidents.
The writing would fit well into most books about history. The tone is balanced and slightly detached. There is plenty of "primary source" material woven into the main text. There is also a surprising fidelity to the actual events of Lincoln's life.
The vampires in the novel are of the sort I most like: slightly superior hunters, many are ruthless killers, others just want to go about their business with as little trouble as possible. They are not devoid of human emotions, but they are not as weighed down by them as humans. They are complex and believable.
The development of the alternate Lincoln is rich and still hews close to the historical Lincoln. It is not a stretch to imagine the historical Lincoln reacting to the events of the novel as the alternate Lincoln does. The Lincoln in the novel faces the same tragedies as the real Lincoln. In the book's timeline, the tragedies are perpetrated by vampires instead of more random natural causes. This gives the novel's Lincoln a target for his grief.
I also like how Lincoln's struggle against vampires is woven into the nation's history. Lincoln didn't just save the Union and free the slaves, he saved the U.S. from a far worse fate.
As a bit of light reading, Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter is excellent.