Customer Reviews

The Priest of Blood (Vampyricon)

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Fans of Douglas Clegg's novels of contemporary horror should take note: THE PRIEST OF BLOOD is neither contemporary nor is it strictly horror. I would classify it as fantasy/alternative history with a large dollop of terror thrown in.

THE PRIEST OF BLOOD follows Aleric, a peasant boy in medieval France, who lives at the edge of a great forest filled with practitioners of an ancient religion, among other mysteries.

Aleric's existence is a harsh one-he lives in the most abject poverty with his siblings, his father has disappeared and his mother is the village whore. The only positive influence in Aleric's life is the presence of his grandfather, an old soldier who teaches the boy how to train birds and who shares with him tales of the Old Ways.

Aleric's talent with birds-particularly falcons-leads him to a position within the castle of the local Baron. There, Aleric becomes known as Falconer and falls in love with the Baron's daughter. That relationship-forbidden on many levels-leads to Falconer's conscription into military service as a soldier in a Crusade to the Holy Land, where his life will end and his afterlife will begin.

THE PRIEST OF BLOOD is the first volume in a series called THE VAMPYRICON, so it's no surprise what sort of creature Aleric becomes. What is noteworthy is how Clegg melds historical detail with the very human story of Aleric. In fact, the first half of THE PRIEST OF BLOOD is nearly devoid of supernatural elements, yet may be the most gripping writing Clegg has ever produced.

Cleggs opens the door to a number of interesting concepts here, including the nature of Vampyrism, which is different enough from the variations that have come before to keep it interesting. The inexorable march of Christianity across Europe is another theme Clegg explores, as we watch the old religions and their followers trampled under the onslaught of the one God.

THE PRIEST OF BLOOD ends on something of a cliffhanger, one which will make most readers anxious for the sequel. Grab itif you can, and join Clegg on the ground floor of what looks to be his most remarkable work yet.

Wow!!! This is my first Doug Clegg novel, however it will not be the last. The guy really knows how to weave a story together. I loved every bit of it. Clegg is as good a storyteller as any one that I have read. Check this book out, I guarantee that you will not be disappointed. This is the kind of tale that can be read over and over again. I just ordered The Necromancer also, and I will be posting my review of it soon. Enjoy.

If anyone was going to get me to read a sword-and-sorcery tale about a vampire -- two subgenres that I feel have just about been beaten to death -- it would be Douglas Clegg. Ever since reading his short story collection, The Nightmare Chronicles (must-reading for any horror fan, especially any horror writer), each successive book of his has solidified his place on my list of favorite writers, even through a couple of mild disappointments (more detailed opinions can be found in those specific reviews).

Like most people, I am much more willing to be experimental with an author who has already proven himself to me, than one with whom I am mostly unfamiliar. I have previously been vocal about my dislike of medieval fantasy, so I was ready for reading The Priest of Blood to be a real test of my will, but I determined to give it the old college try. (Clegg's juggernaut marketing campaign -- involving contest prizes like cups and pens, including one shaped like a syringe filled with "blood" -- had certainly succeeded in guaranteeing that his book was at the front of my mind for several months.)

I need not have worried. Clegg's skill at entertaining with words is such that, before I reached the bottom of page four, I was fully swept up in his tale ("kept secret for more than eight hundred years"), and his terrific use of foreshadowing kept me turning the pages. By the time I got to the puzzle, my favorite part, I was turning pages at top speed.

The Priest of Blood is the story of young Aleric Atheffeld, a falconer of humble birth (Aleric's mother sells her body for food and money to support her children, none of whom share the same father) who -- through a combination of skill, innate talent, and luck (if you can call it that) -- perseveres through a series of trials involving family, love, and revenge to become the chosen one ("Maz-Sherah") of an age-old tribe of nosferatu.

Born a bastard, destined to serve not be served, Aleric is sent from the woman he loves (after a hot love scene beneath statue of Virgin Mary) to fight in the Crusades only to end up imprisoned in an ancient tower, where he has his blood drained ecstatically by the beautiful blonde Pythia. Three nights later, he awakens full of moral questions, sharper vision, and a barely satiable bloodthirst. And that is only the first half of the book.

The Priest of Blood was simply a joy to read. Though full-time childcare responsibilities kept me from ripping through it in a day, I made time for it whenever possible during every spare moment. Clegg takes the "blood-drinker" legend and adds his own surprising twists (like a limited life span) in essence creating a new mythology -- and this is only the beginning! There are at least two more books in the series planned, and I've already made space on my bookshelf next to this one for its successors. (In the meantime, Clegg is also working on an Arthurian trilogy of novels centering around Mordred, another legendary illegitimate, beginning with Mordred, Bastard Son.) Clegg's new foray into dark fantasy is better than I ever expected. Although I've read a good selection of his works prior to this one, I've never come across such lyrical description from him. It's as if The Priest of Blood has allowed his inner poet to shine through unabated.

I take one star away for not giving The Priest of Blood a more "stand alone" conclusion. It ended on such an open ended cliffhanger that I need to read the second part now!!!!!!
The book was great. Loved reading about the Falconer's backstory and all the twists and turns throughout. I want to learn more about his dad. And what becomes of his half-brother?It was brilliant of Mr. Clegg to come full circle with the Falconer's true love (i can't say more without spoiling it). And those fishy women were creepy. You'll know what I mean when you get to that part :) Basically, Mr. Clegg has written a very imaginative, creative dark fantasy series based around a vampire you want to root for.
Good stuff!!!

Having read everything Clegg has written, I waited nearly 3 years to start this series as I wanted to read all three back to back to back.

THE PRIEST OF BLOOD is a brilliant work by a great author. he gives you a rich background to put upon it characters that you believe in, a story that makes you gasp at certain points and dialogue that rings true.

The first 190 pages (before he gets "dead") are some of the best, most lyrical prose I have ever read.

A great start to what I expect to be a landmark trilogy.

I love everything Clegg touches. His book are either bashedly frightening or incredibly suspenseful while also remaining quiet. The Priest of Blood is something new for Clegg. A vampire horror novel that takes place in medieval times. With lots of action, lots of blood, lots of violence. But in the end, the final result left me feeling a bit indifferent is somewhat also curious.

Aleric is a low-born working class boy who has a talent for talking to birds and training them. This talent brings him to live with a rich family where he will work as a bird trainer. He is ashamed of his prostitute mother and has never really known his father. He mourns his grandfather, the only man who has every loved him, the one man who kept reminding him how special he was.

When Aleric falls in love with the wrong woman, and when his mother is accused and killed for witchcraft, his life takes a downward spiral. He is sent off to fight a war he has no interest in. And in this war, he will come face to face with creatures of the night. He meets a beautiful, lustful woman who soon enough turns him into a vampire. Little does she know that Aleric will be given more powers than he should, more insight than any other new vampire.

I loved the first half of the book. The story was quite interesting and very suspenseful. But the moment Aleric becomes a vampire, the fantastic part of the story takes over and puts a halt to the emotional story Clegg had been building since. This maybe a rare case of too many ideas with too few pages to tell them all. Soon enough, Aleric is being called the chosen one, the one vampire who will liberate the rest from the stronghold the dark Queen has on them.

There are quite a few great moments in this novel, as when Aleric and his troup are trapped in a boat with creatures floating all over them. But for the most part, the last half of the novel seems rushed. Some scenes felt a bit too quick for me. Clegg usually takes his time to tell a story. His stories rarely feel rushed. But this one is an exception. I wanted more details, more information. I needed more descriptions. More scenes that talked about Aleric's first years as a vampire. He takes so much time talking about Aleric's upbringing that his vampiric rebirth seems to be rushed.

Maybe this will get solved in the next installment (since this will be a trilogy). Maybe not. All I know is that, although I had mixed feelings about this one, I'm still curious about the next installment and will surely read it the moment it becomes a paperback.

This is the story of how Aleric began: his life before he became a vampire and what happens to him after he finds the destiny that fate has chosen for him. Aleric must make a journey that he wasn't expecting, but doesn't shy from. Events leave him no choice but to act. Original and entertaining, The Priest of Blood will make you glad you picked up this book. What better way to spend Halloween than to treat yourself to a new adventure? Dark, gothic, and filled with surprises, I'm so glad I read this one. I can hardly wait to see what comes next!

Douglas Clegg has built an incredible world with a rich mythology that will leave you wanting more. This is not your run of the mill vampire tale or epic fantasy. It takes the best of both genres and trancends them creating an utterly fascinating story. If you're a fan of epic fantasy, dark fantasy, vampires, or just good stories you will be coming back for more.

To say that it is typical Clegg wouldn't be accurate, because nothing that he has written is typical....every book is entirely different from any other that he has written. Expect the unexpected in Clegg's first fantasy novel.
Aleric Atheffelde was born to a village whore who is accused of witchcraft and summarily executed. Aleric doesn't know who his father but learned about old ways and training falcons from his grandfather. He gains employment at the royal court as a predator trainer and earns the name Falconer. He rises quickly in the court hierarchy. When his forbidden love for the Baron's daughter is discovered, he is punished by a severe beating and is sent to the Holy Land, as a conscripted soldier, to war against the Saracens. That part of the novel is a great historical read, without supernatural elements.

Then he meets arch-vampyress, Pythia, who inducts him into the vampyre clan. The other vampyres become convinced that Aleric is the one to restore their former powers, and end the decline of their kind, but he must confront the legendary Priest of Blood. Aleric and members of his new vampyre tribe travel to the legendary vampyre necropolis of Alkemara, where the Priest of Blood is king. Their hair-raising adventures with strange creatures enroute to Alkemara keep the tension high. These demon-god vampyres are a far cry from Dracula, and Clegg's unique blend of myth and history makes an intense reading experience.

I loved this novel from Bram Stoker Award winner, Douglas Clegg. You can always count on him for a story that will keep you reading all night, but with all the lights on and the doors firmly locked. The characters that Clegg creates, and the world he sets them in is vivid and feels realistic. He sets the stage well for the next volume in the Vampyricon series, with enough of a cliffhanger to make you eager to get your hands on volume two.

With The Priest of Blood, Douglas Clegg has created a whole new world. Fantasy and horror, blood and vampires, dark and light, all in one place. I don't want to give away too much, but this is very different from Clegg's horror novels. I don't mean that in a bad way. Clegg has reached a whole new level with this book. I hope it's the first of many in this amazing new world Clegg has created!