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Title | Vampire Vow
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Author | Michael Schiefelbein
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Cover Art | R.B. Wood & Sessha Batto
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Publisher | Alyson Publications - 2001
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First Printing | Alyson Publications - 2001
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Title | Vampire Thrall
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Author | Michael Schiefelbein
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Cover Art | ---
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Title | Vampire Transgression
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Author | Michael Schiefelbein
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Cover Art | ---
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Publisher | ---
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First Printing | ---
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Title | Vampire Maker
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Author | Michael Schiefelbein
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Cover Art | ---
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Category | Horror
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Warnings | None
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Main Characters | Victor Decimus, Michael
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Main Elements | Vampires
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Website | ---
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 Vampire Vow
A savage and sensuous chronicle of a contemporary vampire seeking vengeance against God.
For centuries Victor Decimus, former Roman officer under Pontius Pilate, has fed his rage with blood. Desperately in love with but ultimately rejected by the young Jesus, Victor turns on the citizens of Jerusalem in a frenzy of rape and violence, leaving him no escape but through entry into the chaotic world of darkness he finds as a vampire.
Two thousand years later, in the guise of a monk, Victor takes up residence in the monastery of St. Thomas, nestled in the Appalachian Mountains. In Brother Michael he finds a hint of the love he has sought throughout his dark existence. But his rage, his desires, and his vow of vengeance against the God of the Christians drive him to insane levels of violence against his prey, leading to an investigation of "Brother Victor" and the monastery.
As investigators close in, Victor launches his most daring effort: the transformation of Brother Michael. And with everything at stake, the consequences of interference are horrifying beyond mortal imagination.
The summary starts "A savage and sensuous"...savage, definitely check. This guy runs around killing wantonly and brutally mostly because he gets a rush out of being cruel and not just because he has to feed. Sensuous...not so much. This wasn't sexy, this was abusive. And when he finally found a lover whose mind he didn't want to mess with, someone he wanted to win over for real, he flips out when he's refused because he isn't going to get to go to vampire heaven (or whatever that place is) because his lover is too selfish to give up his humanity for an eternity of bloodlust. So, you weren't actually in love with the dude after all, he was just a means to a goal. Not even remotely romantic.
I remember in high school having to write a paper about whether Iago from Othello had any redeeming features. You know, I think you could probably find something deep down in there. But there wasn't any, not one thing, that made Victor a sympathetic character. From page one he's raping women and children (which is cool to his superiors as long as he doesn't pick on certain groups), and basically he doesn't change in 2000 years. I mean yes, he's a vampire and shouldn't be judged my human standards, but he's the protagonist and we're inside his head...its one thing to have a two-dimensional villain that our hero needs to conquer...but there's no hero here, just villain. And he doesn't even have a good backstory.
Well, ok one thing. He was in love with Jesus. No, not that he was religious, he was a Roman centurion, he actually knew the real Jesus. That's kind of an interesting twist, he definitely has a very different view of Christianity given he actually knew the man and not the myth. But it wasn't a good love, it was a stalkery possessive dominant kind, no he didn't rape Jesus, I suppose he really did love him so wanted to have Jesus come to him willingly and not by force. And when God takes Jesus from him, he spends the next couple millenium trying to strike back...by living in monasteries, seducing the monks and burning them down when he's found out. Not sure he's particularly effective in his revenge.
The sex is explicity but also very brief, somehow the goal isn't actually the erotica aspect, like the scene needs to be described and then moved on from. Maybe that's just Victor, its all lust and no love or tenderness.
Will I read the rest of the series...probably, since I have two other of the books, but at least this first one is from the library. Maybe the series will improve? Well, if not I need fodder to put into those book exchange boxes...
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