Customer Reviews

Vampire of God

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

When Vampire of God by Javan Shepard begins, we meet Simone Tarry. Over the last few weeks, she has dealt with hell but she maintains her faith as best she can. In Africa, Simone is searching for a lead on information of the woman, Shadia, who made her a vampire. Simone met Shadia after she was robbed by homeless men. Shadia called the police, thus, appearing as Simone's rescuer. Once Simone recovered from injuries, inflicted during the robbery, Shadia phones her and the two go to dinner. After dinner at Simone's house, Shadia attacks her. Now in Africa, where Shadia lived before her death, Simone is literally on the warpath because she intends to kill Shadia's creator, in hopes that she will free herself from being a vampire. The problem is that she knows almost nothing about Shadia. The only thing Simone has is a key that Shadia always wore.

As the story continues, Simone travels from Africa to the city of Lisbon in Portugal to Aegina, Greece and so on. What keeps her moving from city to city, are leads obtained from those who want to assassinate her. In each of the locations she stops in, Simone learns something new about herself, Shadia and all vampires. But what she learns confuses her; the things she moderately knows about vampires seem completely different from her newfound reality. With so many determined to kill her, will Simone be able to stay alive long enough to learn the full truth about all vampires and Shadia, her maker?

Usually, when a reader picks up a vampire novel, certain aspects and characteristics are expected. Well, new author, Javan Shepard, completely throws all those old tried and possibly tired views out the window with Vampire of God. This book offers readers a different perspective on how vampires were created and a slightly different concept of vampires, as a whole. Hopefully, the views of the author will not be misconstrued in any way, shape, or form, given this is a very enjoyable fictional story. As a fan of vampire novels, I truly respect the vision that Mr. Shepard offers based on his personal views. He presents readers with something new and appealing. I recommend this novel to paranormal fans looking for something less traditional but vastly engaging to read.

Reviewed by Chantay,
APOOO BookClub

Simone Tarry is knocked unconscious and mugged in a dark park one evening; when she comes to, she finds the muggers have fled and only the woman who ran them off is there. Her savior, Shadia Tepes, has an agenda of her own. She has been stalking Simone for a while just waiting for the right opportunity - the opportunity presents itself when Simone invites her to dinner to repay her for saving her life. Shadia's true intent is revealed when she attacks Simone and changes her life in the most deceitful way.

A few days after Shadia attacks her, Simone learns the truth about what she has become. Subtle changes in her eye color, her sensitivity to light and her elongated canine teeth is all the proof she needs to know. According to legend, she must find who made Shadia a vampire in order to break the curse on her life. Her journey across continents and different time periods proves to her that all she knows about vampires is just myths and old wives tales. And she has to learn their true nature in order to survive.

VAMPIRE OF GODS is a quick tale that encompasses the natural and spiritual realms. Shepard is a masterful storyteller, painting vivid pictures and an intriguing plot. The protagonist struggles with her new existence, yet she is eager to learn and is excited about her newfound powers. He also handles various time periods well. Lovers of vampire lore will embrace this new twist on an old tale.

Reviewed by Paula Henderson
of The RAWSISTAZ(tm) Reviewers

I think this book is excellent. I have never been a big fan of vampire stories, they are pretty much all the same. However, this author put a totally new spin on the old myths and legends. I actually came away liking the vampires in the story and not thinking of them as evil night stalkers. The story is so well developed that you aren't left thinking the author didn't know their own story.

This was a rather strange book, a story about an accidental vampire coming to understand her condition and travelling across Africa and Europe to try to find a way to reverse the change. Simone Tarry is turned unexpectedly into a vampire by another vampire, a woman Shadia. All that Simone knows about Shadia is that she had recently visited Lagos in Nigeria so Simone travels there to try to find out more about her unexpected assailant. But as Simone's travels move from Lagos to Portugal, Greece and further, she learns more about her new situation and discovers that there are an awful lot of other vampires out to get her.

The writing style of this book was rather odd, it felt as if it were made up of a succession of events. The characterisation felt fairly sparse, it was very hard to get into Simone's head and understand much of her behaviour, and the odd strand of Christian belief running through a novel with murder, swearing and sex felt an odd fit. There are a couple of brief romances to provide some light relief from the otherwise occasionally dreary events of the story with flashbacks occurring at random-seeming intervals as we learn more about Simone. Certain plot elements seemed incomplete and underutilised, such as the police investigation into Simone's tussle with Shadia in Washington, and many of Simone's powers were never adequately explained. The underlying concept of the book, the origin of the vampires, was well-thought out and interesting but the writing of the book wasn't polished enough to make it an interesting read and it was ultimately rather a disappointing book.

Originally published for Curled Up With A Good Book, curledup.com. © Helen Hancox 2008

I loved this book! I couldn't put it down. I loved the angle the author took on the vampire story. It was very original and interesting. I love all vampire literature and movies and found this most entertaining. It feels like the beginning of a series to me! I would love to hear more about Simone's journey as a young vampire maturing to the powerful being the author eludes to while grappling with her faith.

J Green