4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Vampire Love - MWHAAHAA!!!!, August 31, 2007
This review is from: In the Blood (Paperback)
So Halloween is right around the corner, and if you are looking for a horror story to rise to the occasion, check out "In The Blood" by Rick R. Reed. It's a story of vampire love, a love that you definitely don't want to be the object of. It was love at first bite for me, from the first chapter to the last, I was under the spell of Reed's terrible trio of living dead characters and the poor souls they set their sights on. The suspense was heart pounding, nail biting, and seemed never ending. The storyline kept me turning the pages till late into the night and I found myself becoming involved with the characters and wanting to warn them of the impending horrific danger to come.
Elise's life has gone in a very different direction then she ever thought. A good girl from a good family has landed in a seedy apartment in the worst part of Chicago. To keep a roof over her head and food on her plate, she turns tricks all night long while turning her emotions off to her deeper feelings about her profession and her clients. But by day, Elise is a brilliant artist, drawing dark emotional pictures that come from deep inside her. Nobody knows how brilliant her work is though, as her self esteem is at it's lowest and doesn't feel ready to show her work to anyone. In fact she goes to extremes to hide it from others. Her life is about to change though, when she breaks her cardinal rule and brings a client back to her apartment, he sees her work and tells his friends about it.
This client, Terence was no art dealer though. He is a vampire. His friends, also vampires. And..they happen to be art aficionados who's daily meals includes the flesh and blood of human beings. Elise knew deep down there was something a bit strange about this trick, but his mesmerizing charisma has her completely under his spell and agrees to meet his friends. Temporarily spared due to their interest in her art, Elise become enamored by Maria, the beautiful but deadly vampire(I see Sonia Braga here). Maria's feelings(yes, Vampires have feelings too!) are the strongest she has felt for a human in 200 years! But as Elise becomes aware of the grotesque lives(deaths?) these creatures lead, the suspense builds as to what will become of her. Will she give in to Maria and change over to become one of them and live eternally with her love, or will the blood loving Terence, suck her life's fluid till she's dead?
Reed is one of the best new horror writers around.I don't know how he keeps coming up with this stuff but keep em coming please.His descriptions of the places put you right there in the story. His tales of the Vampire lust and the victim's fate at their hand will make you cringe with the goriness of it all. He puts Elise in situations that will have your heart in your throat. The book is very well written and the story of the third vampire, Edward, paralells that of Elise's with every other chapter going back 60 years to his fateful meeting with Terrance. I also liked that these vampires were like no others, the story is a fresh take and surprises you at every turn. For more scare the bejuzzus out of you fare from Reed, try
IM, a serial murder mystery involving gay men hooking up on line.
It's a real treat and highly recommended for goth and horror buffs.Even the cover art is scary. I had to keep it turned over on my nightstand, it kept looking at me! Not for wimps though. Some pretty graphic material of the vampire feasts and sexually as well(including quite errotic gay and lesbian themes).
Hauntingly captivating....MWAHAAHAA.......Laurie
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Think You Understand Vampires? Think Again!, August 23, 2007
This review is from: In the Blood (Paperback)
Maria, Terence, and Edward are more-much more-than ordinary vampires could ever be. Simultaneously, they exceed the admirable vampire image, and fall far short of it. Their feeding habits are much more grueling and they are much longer-"lived" than the usual mode of vampires. In addition, in order to achieve their odd version of immortality, they must sacrifice far more than watching mortal loved ones age and die as they themselves "live" on.
In the Blood is much more than just a vampire novel that will hold the reader's interest. It becomes a philosophical and metaphysical exploration of the adventures of history, art, and sensuality, in the eyes and minds of three vampires who laugh at the Anne Rice vampire milieu. In the Blood plumbs depths not expected in the "ordinary" vampire novel, and by the final outstanding denouement in a story full of convolutions and unexpected surprises, I knew the book would linger long in memory. Rife with sensuality, both romantic and gory, In the Blood sizzles and steams, the fog of lust only temporarily obscuring the mystery and truths underlying the story.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Not your average sexy story with sexy vamps., May 19, 2008
This review is from: In the Blood (Paperback)
Not your run-of-the-mill story of a lonely vamp. living in solitude who meets a human and falls in love.
This is a vampire story that gives the reader a new and refreshing look at this genre. Here we have three vamps...all sexy or course and each with their own story of how they came to be. Excellent backstory of Edward and loved the sexy Terrence with the body of David; and the glue that holds 'their little family unit' together Maria.
Well developed characters took the reader into the heart and soul of each vampire in a way that enriched the story.
Of course, we must have a human factor incorporated in the mix in order to have our conflicts, heartache and personal angst.
Enjoyed the writing of Rick Reed and have order another book of his. IM
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