THE MIDNIGHT GUARDIAN is the first novel by Sarah Jane Stratford. Sarah is quite a history buff, she has an M.A. in medieval history from the University of York in England. It comes through in her writing as this is not a romance as much as a detailing of the early years of Hitler and the Nazi. I was taken by the unique premise that identifies vampires as one of the races Hitler wished to banish from the world; that he knew and saw them as less than desirable, less than pure, as evil. Hitler had special hunters to rid Europe of vampires and they were very effective in doing so. This dark story takes place from 1938 to 1940.

The heroine of the story is something unique and different. Brigita is a millennial, a vampire that has lived over a thousand years and is thus very hard to destroy. They are very fast and efficient in killing when needed. Brigit is part of an ancient London tribunal of vampires that are horrified by what Hitler and the Nazis are doing. She doesn't want to leave her lover, Eamon, to join the fight but they need her. The powers they possess are different than what you have read about most vampires, but the need to feed is still present.

Separated from Eamon, Brigit feels her demon inside more and less of the humanity she is learning from him. Brigit is cold and calculating, and has no problem with killing. She detests the Nazi's and what they are trying to do to her kind and in the end, all humans. The millennial soon realize Hitler is more savage and brutal than anyone they have ever encountered. Brigit goes through a lot, learns more about herself, and is more likable by the end of this story.

If you enjoy history and vampires then this is the book for you. The cover catches your eye with a female brandishing a sword in each hand, full moon in the background, and the Nazi flag hanging in the background. The back captures you with line, "When the world faces its darkest hour, hope lies in the hands of the darkest creatures". Sarah Jane Stratford has received promising reviews and I wish her the best.