Vampire Vow by Michael Schiefelbein
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Book Reviews of Vampire Vow
Book Review: so disturbing that it's fun!
Summary: 4 Stars
First of all, I have read my shares of vampire books and I have never seen any author so fearlessly portraits the protagonist with so little humanity. And I have to say I enjoy this different take on vampirism very much (a great shocking surprise to me as well). This whole book is basically Victor's personal rage and revenge for the rejection he suffered thousands years ago. His only goal of existence is to satisfy his lust, desire, and rage at any mean regardless the cost to him or to the others, and he achieves this by posting as a monk from seminary to seminary corrupting/killing young would-be priests. To him, this is the ultimate revenge to Jesus who chose God over him. The story really is nothing but Victor's killing rampage. It is said in the back cover that the author had spent decade studying priesthood and the whole time I was reading this book, I kept thinking he must have a field day with the Catholic churches and Jesus writing this book. I had so much fun just thinking how much fun he must have had. In the end, the story really is not that memorable but I still like the book purely for the author's daring imagination and creativity. Book Review: Enticing & Intiguing
Summary: 5 Stars
This was a well written book into the life of a gay vampire. You follow the life of Viktor, a former Roman Officer who tries to find that special someone to share his life with and allow him to move on to a greater world. This book has love, rage, vengence. You cheer at Viktor while at the same time are horrified by some of the atrocities that he commits as his declares war with the Christian church.Book Review: Blaspemous, Circumlocutory and Just Plain Boring
Summary: 1 Stars
As a reasonably devout gay Catholic (and a Ph.D. in English and American Literature), I found this novel an appalling combination of blasphemy, bad taste (not everyone is Christian, I realize) and oh-so-confused writing. The author doesn't seem to know where he's going -- or if he does -- he keeps it a big secret from the average reader. Without seeming immodest, I'm far from the average reader. I'm a university English professor and a published writer myself -- and I found this book confusing and it's story line uneven. It also is replete with unncessary details. My partner is a Calvin Klein model. If I want a description of the sexual activity of attractive gay men, I only have to think back a night or two. Adults are familiar with the mechanics of gay sex -- and this author makes gay sex seem solely lust-driven. He obviously has unresolved issues with the Chruch that he's taking out on his poor readers. I made the mistake of buying one of his books. That won't happen again. Incidentally, Alyson publications isn't exactly known for publishing great works of literature.Book Review: A Guilty Pleasure!
Summary: 3 Stars
Okay, the writing is so mediocre it's practically journalism, but the story is something of a page-turner.
That officially stated, let me make a few historical notes nobody else has gotten around to. First, Jesus of Nazareth would almost certainly not have known Latin. Greek was the lingua franca of the empire, and most scholars doubt Jesus would have been functional even in that. If Victor and Jesus would ever have spoken directly, it would have been in either Greek or Aramaic (assuming Victor would have bothered to learn some Aramaic for his new job, which is questionable). Second, there was no gymnasium in Jerusalem during Jesus' time--that was briefly during the Maccabees. If by "gymnasium" Schiefelbein has in mind a private training ground for the soldiers, that would be fine, but it should have been called such. Third, while the Greeks exercised nude in the gymnasium, the Romans did not. Fourth, I object to the use of the term Essenes, though most scholars seem all too willing to apply Josephus' term to the people who wrote the Dead Sea Scrolls. I would claim Josephus uses the term broadly and generally, like "zealot," rather than in any specific sense. That is, I don't think people went around calling themselves "essenes." And I would be shocked to find Victor well-read in Josephus! Well, you get the idea. Fortunately, the ancient part of the story was mercifully brief for this history buff.
Book Review: the vampire genre, reinvented
Summary: 4 Stars
Just finished reading this book, in one sitting. It is amazing, and only gets 4,5 stars, because I read Blood Brothers earlier this week, and I liked that story better, but only by a little.
The main character, Victor, is horrifying. He is a vampire, who draws blood in ways I have never seen described (then again I do not read pure horror vampire stories). But then he has this... can I call it vulnerability?
It is why I kept reading, the fact that, even in his darkness, he did love. Love ultimately drove him to darkness. By the end of the book I wanted him to succeed in his mission of finding someone to take his place. Then again, I am a hopeless romantic sometimes :)
I am glad I already ordered Vampire Thrall, and know the sequel, Vampire Transgression, is just out. I have the feeling that even after that moment, I will not be sick of Victor yet, because he is _that_ good a character.