Customer Reviews

Those of My Blood

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Vampires on the moon? This premise provides a unique backdrop for Jacqueline Lichtenberg's Those of My Blood.

Dr. Titus Shiddehara is a human/vampire hybrid alien from the planet Luren. Titus, an astronomer has been sent to Project Station on the moon the stop his nemesis and vamphyric father, Dr. Abbot Nandoha from contacting the home world of Luren.

Titus is a resident - a Luren who does not drink blood from the human source. Instead, he drinks a cloned, dried blood mixed with heated water. Abbot, on the other hand, is a Tourist. He feels justified in not only drinking blood from humans, but also in their domination. To Abbot, humans are just like cattle - or orl. If Abbot succeeds in sending his message to Luren, humanity will be doomed.

Abbot and Titus, as vampires have incredible telepathic powers. They are able to bend others to their will and create believable illusions. Using these skills, Abbot does everything he can to try contact Luren. Titus is forced to struggle to thwart Abbot and stay alive. This power struggle, set against a conflicted Earth, creates a refreshing and fascinating world with unexpected twists and turns. Those of My Blood will keep you guessing until the end.

Jacqueline Lichtenberg is the author of the Sime Gen series and many other sci-fi novels. Lichtenberg's Dreamspy is also set on the same world as Those of My Blood. Currently Meisha Merlin Publishing and BenBella Books are reprinting many of Lichtenberg's books. More information can be found on the author's website http://www.simegen.com/

When an alien ship crashed on the moon, Project Hail formed. Astronomer Dr. Titus Shiddehara leads the moon investigation, in which many believe that they can contact the home planet. However, alien life form has existed on planet earth for centuries as the Luren, better known as vampires, reside among the humans. The Luren are split between the Residents who believe that humans are equals, deserving respect and dignity, and the Tourists who feel the species should be hunted as food and game. Both Luren factions deem the moon crash were members of their race.

Titus, a Resident, wants to insure no contact occurs with the native planet of the crashed victims for fear of what an arrival will do to the humans. The Tourists want to invite their "relatives" to a gala feast. On the project Titus meets the human he loved, Inea Cellura when he was Darrell Raaj. He explains to her that Darrell died in the car crash, but due to his vampiric sire, Darrell was reborn as Titus. Also on the moon side is Abbott the Tourist who sired Titus. The question remains who to trust in what could prove to be a pivotal moment for the sentient beings of planet earth.

THOSE OF MY BLOOD is an exhilarating tale that focuses on two competing parties (not the democrats and the republicans) struggling for supremacy since outlawing human kill in 1850. The story line and the cast provide a plausible supposition that vampires live among us. The moon crash accelerates the conflict giving the strong story line a critical moment (pivotal point) that will impact the future. Fans of supernatural science fiction will immensely treasure Jacqueline Lichtenberg's fabulous tale.

Harriet Klausner

I am so happy to find that this classic has been reprinted. It is a wonderful combination of vampire story and science fiction. The vampires call themselves Luren, and hail from another part of the galaxy. Hundreds of years before they were stranded on Earth, but all that may be about to change. Contact with their home world may soon be possible after all.

Long out of print, Those of My Blood is soon to be re-released.

Titus Shiddehara once died before the eyes of the woman he loved. Now he must conceal his true nature -- vampire -- from her, according to the Law of the Blood all vampires must live by. Yet how can he lie to this woman who is open, direct, and courageous?

To complicate matters, how can he hide his relation to an alien spacecraft crashed on the moon?

The book deals with how to handle an intimate relationship without resorting to manipulation or falsehood. It's a can't-put-down read. If you don't get some ideas on how to carry on your own intimate relationships from Those of My Blood, I'll be very surprised. The best novels relate to our own challenges. Those of My Blood does so in a riveting and thoughtful way.

I first read this book at least ten years ago, and I've read it a number of times since then and enjoyed it every time. This is not a steamy, more sex and violence than story vampire romance. It's science fiction, with well-thought out aliens who happen to be similar to fantasy vampires, and a very nicely done love story. I can definitely see how it might not be Anita Blake fans' cup of tea, but, honestly, comparing this to that is like comparing Anne McCaffrey to Sandra Brown -- so mismatched that any conclusions are meaningless. If you like science fiction, and enjoy a compelling love story, adventure, vampires (the author very neatly weaves vampires and aliens together with all the best parts of vampire tradition included), and characters who have more pressing concerns than falling into bed together, try this book. You won't be disappointed.

I just finished reading this book, and I REALLY enjoyed it. Lichtenberg always provides a good read.
Vampires on the moon was, I thought, a different kind of premise, and that they were science fiction based, rather than occult or supernatural, I enjoyed.

I liked the relationship and interplay between Titus, the main character, and Abbott, his vampire "father." It had an intimate aspect of people who care about each other, but they were also adversaries in conflict, and I thought that Lichtenberg brought this through well.

One thing that I would like to have seen more of was the background of Earth's Luren, and their biological processes. The earth vampires are actually hybrids between humans and alien vampires who landed on earth 300 years ago. Titus's genetic father wasn't his mother's husband, but it wasn't Abbott, either. What happened? Where is Titus' genetic father? Does Titus know anything about him at all? Did I miss something? Am I getting it wrong?

When a luren awakens after being killed or dieing, but in reality just coming out of a very deep hibernation, and is taken out of their grave, are they the exact age that they were when they died? Or, if they are old when they die, are they young when they are resurrected? How does this work?

Titus mentions that he has more human ancestors than Abbott; Titus is more fully human. Why? Can't the human-luren hybrids breed with each other? Can they only breed with humans? I would have thought that in the first few generations the hybrid vampires would crossbreed with humans because the hybrids were very rare, but then I would think that they would mate with one another to try to preserve the luren characteristics. And, given the Tourists attitudes towards humans, I would think that they wouldn't want to breed with a human if they had any choice at all. Maybe the female hybrids are sterile, and the male hybrids have to crossbreed with humans?

At some point, I wanted to see Connie, Titus's supplier and the mastermind for the Residents. She seemed like such an interesting character from what Titus thinks about her. But she is totally offstage through everything.

I have been told that writers should hit the ground running, and not do too much flashback, let the backstory fill in by what the characters are doing now. Lichtenberg does this, and it makes for a suspenseful novel, but I just wanted a few more pages about the earth luren, themselves, just a little bit of history.

I have ordered Lichtenberg's novel "Dreamspy," so maybe that will answer my questions.

In some ways, this book reminded me of Fevre Dream, by George R. R. Martin. Both books have a very different take on vampires.

I recommend "Those of My Blood," and anything else by Lichtenberg.

Vampires on the moon? This premise provides a unique backdrop for Jacqueline Lichtenberg's Those of My Blood.

Dr. Titus Shiddehara is a human/vampire hybrid alien from the planet Luren. Titus, an astronomer has been sent to Project Station on the moon the stop his nemesis and vamphyric father, Dr. Abbot Nandoha from contacting the home world of Luren.

Titus is a resident - a Luren who does not drink blood from the human source. Instead, he drinks a cloned, dried blood mixed with heated water. Abbot, on the other hand, is a Tourist. He feels justified in not only drinking blood from humans, but also in their domination. To Abbot, humans are just like cattle - or orl. If Abbot succeeds in sending his message to Luren, humanity will be doomed.

Abbot and Titus, as vampires have incredible telepathic powers. They are able to bend others to their will and create believable illusions. Using these skills, Abbot does everything he can to try contact Luren. Titus is forced to struggle to thwart Abbot and stay alive. This power struggle, set against a conflicted Earth, creates a refreshing and fascinating world with unexpected twists and turns. Those of My Blood will keep you guessing until the end.

Jacqueline Lichtenberg is the author of the Sime Gen series and many other sci-fi novels. Lichtenberg's Dreamspy is also set on the same world as Those of My Blood. Currently Meisha Merlin Publishing and BenBella Books are reprinting many of Lichtenberg's books. More information can be found on the author's website http://www.simegen.com/

... I read this book. I could have been exploring the different ecology, the different culture, and instead I was exploring the world behind my eyelids.

It hooked me.

You know how some books create characters and a world you love so much, you try to read slower because you don't want the book to end? This is not one of those books. I'm a fairly fast reader so I always finish any book I start. I have never regretted this policy more than now. I am three quarters of the way through this book and the end can't some soon enough for me. The best part of the book was the lengthy "Acknowledgement". The author seems to be a nice person and I feel bad panning her book but if I can save anyone the misery I'm in, I have to do it. If you want vampire/romance, read the Anita Blake series by Laurell K. Hamilton.

I read this book and loved it. It appealed to me both as a vampire fan and a sci-fi fan. If you can find a copy READ it.