Vampire Thrall: A Novel by Michael Schiefelbein
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Book Reviews of Vampire Thrall: A Novel
Book Review: gorgeous
Summary: 5 Stars
Just after reading Vampire Vow, the first book in the series, I could not help myself, I had to pick up Vampire Thrall. I read it as feverishly as the first book, enthralled (pun intended) by the two main characters, Victor the Vampire (from the first book), and Paul, a painter. They alternate chapters in POV, and that is so enlightening, not because of Victor's chapters, but because of Paul's. You can see him descend into his own darkness.
I know a lot of people do not like to see gay characters in a novel, but if you do like that, and love vampire novels, go pick up this one. You won't regret it.
And now I have to go sit and wait until book 3 arrives at my doorstep :)
Book Review: a hint short of perfect
Summary: 5 Stars
Much of what I said in my review of Vampire Vow can be repeated for this second volume of Victor's story.
Mr Schiefelbein is a distinguished writer, and his plotting cannot fail to raise his reader's attention, but this time unfortunately his work shines a little less brightly.
The first part of the novel, the first 80 pages or so, are permeated with a lazy tourist guide attitude, every paragraph scattered with redundant descriptive details about Rome, probably aiming at depicting an exotic setting instead of creating a gothic atmosphere.
This problem is probably magnified by my being Italian and by my knowing Rome and its true atmosphere. The author's clumsy attempts at Italian, put in the mouth of Victor, who after all is supposed to have spoken the language for centuries and should know it quite well, may sound appealing to an English speaking reader but did not help me in the least.
Luckily enough Mr Schiefelbein finally gets to business and the temperature rises steeply, revealing the author I cherished in the first book. The reader meets here an older Victor (not so much in years, but in spirit): a vampire who no longer seems to kill out of rage but out of necessity. Once again I was a little disappointed: the great novelty of the first book was the blodshedding raw rage of a heart/pride broken man who, not being able to get the object of his desire, the object being no less than "the" Jesus, exacts his revenge by massacring his followers and defiling all that is sacred to him. Here Victor seems tired, more heart broken than vicious. The change is legitimate but disappointing.
Anyway the plot develops nicely: the shift of p.o.v. between Victor and his new love, Paul, allows the author to explore new depths in characterization. It is also interesting to face the change of Paul who, starting from a harmless boy next door kind of guy, slowly and consistently changes into something dark and frightening, not because Victor changes him, but as a "natural" development of self.
I do not know whether Mr Schiefelbein plans a third volume. The end of this one, which I will not spoil because it is totally unexpected, is entirely satisfying.
In case he does, I wish he would reconsider his style critically and stick to the breathtaking perfection of the first volume; his second volume his worthy and surely 5 stars worth but compared with the previous one it is lacking.
As for the first volume, I recommend conservative/religious/touchy readers avoid this book; yougsters should be kept at large too: this story is not suited for them.
Book Review: Entrhalled in the Thrall
Summary: 5 Stars
My reading of "Vampire Thrall" occured during Holy Week and the death of the Pope. So reading this story took on an even greater affect. The story was enthralling. I wish circumstances would have allowed me to read it in one sitting. However, now we see the character of Victor grow. Will he give in to the redemption Joshu offers him or his thrall, seek his assistance in aid to Paul, Victor's Thrall, or will he continue on in his journey towards the Kingdom of Darkness. I must admit that at first I thought this book would follow the same formula as its predecessor. Thank goodness I was wrong. Some degree of redemption was found for the characters here. The author however, provided yet another wonderful story and is not in need of redemption for this story. I eagerly await the next chapter in this story.Book Review: Bad, Bad, Baaad Porn
Summary: 1 Stars
This book failed in all ways. I picked it up, flipped it open, and was bored, five pages in. The ideas intrigued me -- Gay Vampires! Non-Anne-Rice Gay Vampires! -- so I read on. And on. And on.
By the mid-point, I was treating the book more as a marathon than an enjoyable read.
I'll give the author this: it is a quick read.
What I will not give him: any sense of realism to the sex. Not only is it tersely written and utterly unsexy, but sex like that leads to hospital visits, not mutual orgasm. Spit? It is not lube. Lotion? I'd almost give him that one, but I'm not feeling charitable. The sex was just bad.
One other reviewer mentioned that this book was gory. I find the news to be gorier. Much like the sex, the violence was painted with the lightest of cursory touches. Blood-letting and death are to be expected with a vampire novel. If you want a gory book? Skip it. If you are worried it is a gory book? Don't worry -- there's all sorts of other badness to turn you away.
The characters were actually not that bad. The way they were described? Well. People were either beautiful or they were ugly and Paul and Victor were the prettiest of them all. I think if there had been one more reference in those pages to how Manly Victor looked, I'd have given up and not bothered to finish it.
Another reviewers calls the writing fluid; the writing was about as fluid as a rock. There was nothing sensual about the prose. It was short and terse and concise. These aspects leant themselves to the one virtue, mentioned above, that the book did possess: it was a quick read.
That Victor wants Jesus? It really almost doesn't matter in the face of all the rest of the cheap porniness. This isn't erotica; it isn't erotic.
Book Review: Better then the first book! More sex, blood, and Victor!
Summary: 5 Stars
I was not as impressed by Vampire Vow as I have been by the second in the series, Vampire Thrall. In this book there is more of everything. There is more of a relationship that Victor so longed for in the first book. This book has intimacy and longing in it that the first book lacked. There is still the ever-present Taboo of Jesus being a homosexual and Victor being in love with him; however in this book Victor is able to over ride his longing for Joshu, and find a love in Paul that can finally last the tests and trials that is the Vampire Victor. Although, this is a better book then Vampire Vow, I would definitely read it, as all of the same characters in the first book are also present in Vampire Thrall. If you like to read books that has violence, vampires, ghosts, and gay erotica; then this is the book for you.
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