The Hunter's Gambit is a standalone dark fantasy novel written by Ciel Pierlot, and published by Angry Robot Books. A highly atmospheric locked room escape adventure that explores how far our main character Kazan will have to go to survive among the hedonistic vampires of the citadel, and that gifts us excellent and brutal action scenes and a more classic focus into these creatures.

Kazan Korvic's past is marked by vampires; orphaned after a vampire raid, she became a blacksmith with a special attention on creating weapons that can kill them. However, all that skill won't be enough when she's attacked and captured by a group of vampires; without her new weapon, she's forced to assist to their Citadel and their feast, being revered as their Queen. Doted and revered, the Queen of vampires is killed at the end of the celebrations to renew the Citadel strength, the main course of the feast.
Alone on her own, Kazan plans to find her weapon and get out; no allies, but soon she will find that not everybody is dancing to the music, and desperate situations make strange friends. She's ready to do anything in order to survive, and establishing dubious relationships is just the tip of the iceberg.

With Kazan, Pierlot gives us a morally grey character, ready to lie and with more than enough reasons to hate vampires; being trapped in the Citadel is just the situation that pushes her towards her limit, and even further. She's been hardened by life, and it's a prime example of somebody that has nothing to lose.
In comparison, I would say that ironically Adrius and Reya are more human in that sense that Kazan. Their target is to change vampire's hierarch; their unlikely bond with Kazan ends gifting us some steamy scenes that fitted perfectly with the whole setting. Ambitious, but also caring for others.

I absolutely loved the setting, and the "return" to a more classical vampire archetype, bloodthirsty but also hedonistic; pleasure and enjoyment are a substantial part of what makes the feast at the Citadel special. Humans are no more than disposable animals for them, a fun thing to hunt; and the Queen is just the piece needed to keep the Citadel for another year.

With Kazan's situation, Pierlot takes the opportunity to write an action-packed story, full of violent scenes, a great example of the motto "you are trapped with me". Not only that, but we see how to survive, Kazan will renounce to what makes her human; the time running out perspective only reinforces the desperation she's suffering. The pacing is absolutely amazing, with a great prose that fits perfectly with our story.

I absolutely loved The Hunter's Gambit, as it was all I was expecting from this kind of book; a dark fantasy that returns to classical vampires with a main character that is far from being a heroine, with blood and some steam. Fans of EotV, you want to pick this excellent novel by Ciel Pierlot.