Review by Patrick R McDonough
The Sanguinarian Id is a whirlwind that will suck you in, blur time, and leave you begging for more. Labat proves she has an eye for historical accuracy while keeping the story exciting. Historical fiction is one of my favorite genres, and like so many others, globally, World War II is a favorite topic of mine. That being said, it’s really easy to focus on the major players in the war that don’t add a whole lot to the story itself. Labat knows this. She knows that even though the majority of the book takes place in Germany, she doesn’t have to tell you a damn thing about Hitler. Why? Because none of that has a direct affect on our protagonist, Hael.
This is a story that happens adjacent to the main stage of World War II, but it isn’t entirely focused on the war, but rather, the effects the war has on the people we normally don’t hear about. Labat’s awareness and understanding of the direction she wants to take the story offers every kind of sign of hope that The Sanguinarian Id is not only worth your time, but Labat is someone to keep an eye on as her bibliography grows.
Id is complex, it’s layered with the anatomical understanding of da Vinci, and it offers promise that her debut will blossom into something not only reflective of our past, but eerily similar to our present. There are too many bad guys to count in this one, and if that doesn’t scream truth, nothing does. The future only holds wonderful paths for Labat’s vampiric epic, as well as the historical horrors, or any other story she chooses to tell.
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