potion, using ancient alchemy and rudimentary chemistry, which controls the "red thirst" of all vampires. This has led many of his kind to consider him the "Pale King", a kind of vampire messiah destined to free them from their dependence on hunting humans. Joshua is on a personal crusade to free his people of their need to feed on human blood, and his traveling companions have all submitted to his control as their lord (or "bloodmaster"). The ancient and evil Damon Julian, a rival bloodmaster, formerly of New Orleans, soon learns of Joshua's efforts. He boards the Fevre Dream with his own vampire followers and manages to overpower and depose Joshua, becoming the new bloodmaster of all vampires aboard the Fevre Dream, including Joshua. Abner escapes and sets out to hunt the Fevre Dream, which Julian now uses for his own nefarious purposes. Marsh spends his remaining money searching up and down the Mississippi and its tributaries to retake his lost, now demonic ship. After a failed attempt to retake the ship, Joshua convinces him to give up as he has already lost. Marsh later serves as an agent of the Underground Railroad and a U.S. Navy officer during the American Civil War, all the while being haunted by the memory of his lost riverboat, which he retells as a ghost story to people. Years later, in 1870, he receives a surprising letter from Joshua. A retired Abner travels to New Orleans where he learns that Joshua's mate Cynthia is pregnant with his child which has given him hope for his people and the will to finally depose of the evil bloodmaster who has ruined both of their dreams. Aboard the decaying Fevre Dream, the two vampires eventually square off, with the aid of Abner and the betrayal of Julian's thrall Sour-Billy, Joshua finally overpowers Julian and becomes the bloodmaster once again, before Abner kills Julian for good. The novel closes many decades later by suggesting that all vampires, though still effectively immortal, were eventually freed from their blood addiction by Joshua's potion and Abner's brave efforts on their behalf. They make nighttime pilgrimages to Abner's grave overlooking the Mississippi, continuing to honor his heroic contribution to their cause of freedom, Joshua most often of all. Adaptations Comics In 2010, Avatar Press published a 10-issue graphic novel adaptation by writer Daniel Abraham and artist Rafa Lopez. Mike Wolfer illustrated each