“…And the start of our adventure.”

From Rich Moyer’s Ham Helsing: Vampire Hunter.

For centuries, the piggy Helsing family has been charged with hunting deadly vampires. Unfortunately, the brave but increadibly not-thought-out plans of the hunters have resulted in the untimely deaths of all the Helsings… except the differently cautious Ham. As the only Helsing left, Ham has answered the call of a small town plagued by an evil vampire. The two rats that run the hotel where Ham is staying offer to help him in exchange for the vampire’s fortune, so the trio sets off in search of the vampire. Soon Ham’s group grows with the addition of a young werewolf named Lobos and a warrior female Ronin. Unbeknownst to everyone else, Malcolm the vampire is not that into traditional vampire evilness, but his right hand hen always eagerly dives in to do evil on the vampire’s behalf… even when it’s against his wishes. Even after Malcolm fires Hen for the chicken’s quick tendencies to evil, the Chicken launches off on her own to find someone that appreciates her evil skills. When Ham and his group make it to the vampire’s castle, they meet Malcolm and must decide if he can be trusted in an effort to find the evil plaguing the village.

While this story features some typically scary creatures, Moyer’s animal-centered retelling of the iconic vampire hunter is primarily a comedic adventure. The title character is not typical hero material, but his kind and levelheaded attitude make him easy to connect with. Ham Helsing: Vampire Hunter is a hilarious and exciting story that will have young readers eagerly awaiting the next installment in the series.