Customer Reviews

Blood Pressure: A Vampire Testament

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A marvelous sequel to Bite Marks, with a bit more action and suspense. Most of the characters from Bite Marks return, now twenty years older, and their backgrounds and personas are now fleshed out. A quicker read than the first book, perhaps because the characters are more familiar. Never having an interest in the genre before, I am now hooked on Taylor's work, and look forward to his next book.

Terence Taylor, I am scared of you! Excellent! I have read BITE MARKS and BLOOD PRESSURE: A Vampire Testament. Mr. Taylor has created a world that makes you wonder-Do vampires really exist in New York? "BLOOD PRESSURE" picks up where "BITE MARKS" ends. Now, that Chrisopher has grown up and moved back to New York, his life has unraveled in BLOOD! No PRESSURE Mr. Taylor but "hurry" with that third installment. I'm getting THIRSTY.

Wow! Terence Taylor has done it again! I loved-Loved-LOVED this book!!!! After downloading the Kindle version of BLOOD PRESSURE I couldn't stop tapping to the next page. It was so cool to see what all the old characters are up to, I especially am rooting for Steven and Lori. For now, I anxiously await the next installment to see how this excellent trilogy ends!

Christopher Jude Miller returns to New York City after 20 years of growing up with an adoptive family. Back in 1987, something happened that destroyed his family, and now he's determined to find out just what that was. The only people standing in his way: Perenelle de Marivaux, a vampire whose attempts to maintain the peace between humans and vampires shattered on that fateful night; Stephen Johnson and Lori Martin - the two who found Christopher and know much more than they are willing to tell him; their daughter Joie, who seems to have a strange connection to Christopher that neither can explain.

On the opposite side, thanks to those same events, a new government agency, known as Clean Slate Global, arises from the aftermath of those events in 1987 with one goal: eradicate all vampires. In order to infiltrate the vampire hub, they make a deal with Claire St. Claire, a vampire who had been imprisoned for 50 years. She, however, has plans of her own, using Clean Slate to wreak vengeance of the Vampire who imprisoned her, Perenelle de Marivaux.

In "Blood Pressure", author Terence Taylor creates a sequel that can stand on its own. He strikes a balance between giving too much information and not giving enough, whetting the appetite with just enough information to keep the story moving along while making the reader want to find a copy of Bite Marks (the first novel) and read it just to see what happened. But it isn't necessary in order to enjoy the second story.

Having read the first book, I enjoyed seeing how the characters familiar to me deal with the changing times: Stephen and Lori's relationship issues, Perenelle having to once again go through the process of making her older self die so her human neighbors don't become suspicious, and Adam Caine - Perenelle's vampiric "offspring" - re-inventing himself as a doctor to gain access to fresh victims. But more focus is paid on the new characters, including Christopher and Joie, whose mysterious connection plays a major role in the storyline; the back story of Claire St. Claire and her "father" Tom O'Bedlam; Richmond and Lopez from clean Slate Global; and my favorite, the inclusion of Zora Neale Hurston into the mix.

Her back story involving the fictitious Turner Creed, as love interest and inspiration for Their Eyes Were Watching God added a nice touch and tied the novel to history. Taylor used this story to introduce the Harlem Renaissance and it's influence on many of the characters within Blood Pressure. And for me, it reminded me of her story collection Mules and Men, when she traveled the Southern States, recording the folk tales and stories of African-Americans and dabbling in their mysticism and mythologies.

Of course, what would any horror story be without monster -- this time in the form of Tom O'Bedlam, a vampire not quite right in the head, but with a devious plan to use Christopher to take over the world. Talk about evil incarnate....

From beginning to end, "Blood Pressure" does a fine job of building tension, leaving you on the edge of your seat, your mouth watering in anticipation of what happens next. So hurry with that next book, Mr. Taylor!!!

Terence Taylor once again sets out into (bloody?) waters that lesser writers would and should steer clear of. Has any supernatural creature gotten more pub in the last century than the vampire? I think not. With a rash of new TV shows, movies, comics, etc, the Vampire is seeing a revival that only comes along every other year. If I've set this up properly then you should understand that I'm kind of sick of Vampires. Which is what makes this new installment in Taylor's Vampire Testament series such a triumph.

Picking up 20 years after the first installment, BITE MARKS, Taylor wastes no time getting into swift narrative that combines the supernatural with anti-terrorism, horror with tech. And, though it's two decades later, it feels like almost no time has passed (in a good way) as we continue this tale of Lori, Steven, Christopher, and the ever looming Vampire Society cohabitating with the humans of New York. There have been major life changes for all involved, and bigger changes to come. And this writer's talent is big enough to take us there and leave us breathless.

Bottom line: If you don't like your vampires sparkling in the sunlight and brimming with teenage angst. This one's for you.

Loved the first book, and loved this one! Terry can really create believable, well-rounded characters, and the plot barrels along--in fact, when he would drop one thread to pick up another, I would be momentarily disappointed and go "aww," only to be caught up in the new thread.

Lots of great vampire action, too, of course, some of it rather shocking in an offhanded way. But I mostly loved this as a well-written and well-plotted novbl, and anxiously await the third volume!

In 2007 Christopher moves to New York seeking to find and meet his biological parents so he can finally understand why he is so different than the Ross family who raised him. In Manhattan, he meets performing art film documentary maker Joie. .They share a strange bond as each realizes the impact on their respective soul by otherworldly forces. However, they will soon learn that the whole is greater than the sum of the parts as together they possess incredible power that others want to use for their nefarious schemes.

The Federal funded covert ops Clean Slate Global learns of their joint skill and plans to use it as a super weapon to eradicate all vampires except for those who work for them. Christopher and Joie team up with her parents Lori and Steven, psychotherapist Dr Lazarus, and Prenelle the vampire top prevent the government from being the only group to possess vampires.

Two decades since Bite Marks occurred, the action picks up without missing a heartbeat due to a strong cast especially the heroes and the lead villain. Fast-paced throughout even with super looks back in time to late 1920s Cabaret Berlin and the Harlem Renaissance, fans will relish this motley crew of Davids and Davidettes fighting against Goliath as well as some rogue vampires. Blood Pressure is a one sitting thriller as the streets of Manhattan is draped in blood.

Harriet Klausner