Vampire Transgression [Hardcover]

Michael Schiefelbein (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 16, 2006

Michael Schiefelbein's two previous novels -- Vampire Vow and Vampire Thrall -- have garnered him a wide following. Now, with Vampire Transgression, he brings the story begun in Vampire Vow to new heights, revealing hitherto unseen complexities in the twilight world of the undead.
Victor Decimus is a two thousand year old vampire, having last seen the sun when he was a Roman soldier posted to Nazareth at the time of Christ. There are few rules that govern a vampire's existence but those rules are absolute: 1) Vampires are not allowed to associate with other vampires and 2) Once a vampire convinces a human to take his place as a vampire, he must leave the earthly realm for the Dark Kingdom.
Now Victor has broken both rules -- he's sired his human lover Paul as a vampire and stayed behind with him on earth as his lover. The two enjoy an intense life as vampire lovers, living in Georgetown and mingling at their private nightclub where little is forbidden. But their transgression is not taken lightly and agents for the Dark Realm are now on the prowl, looking to enforce the rules and, if necessary, punish Paul and Victor by threatening all that remains precious to them.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

After centuries of feeding on holy monks (in Vampire Vow and Vampire Thrall), Roman aristocrat-turned-bloodsucker Victor Decimus has moved to Washington, D.C.'s Georgetown neighborhood, where he presides over an S&M club in what was once a Catholic church. Now known as Victor Boudreaux, the protagonist of this graphic gay-themed novel remains haunted by Jesus's romantic rejection 2000 years earlier. But Victor has found love with Paul, an artist from Kansas whom he transformed into a vampire, and the two live together in violation of the rules of the "Dark Kingdom," which forbid vampires to associate. The two defy agents of the Dark Kingdom and a devout Jesuit priest, whose lustful young assistant, Kyle, they ruthlessly seduce. Though Schiefelbein occasionally ignores the novel's internal morality and logic for the sake of quick plot turns, this spiritually-tinged potboiler's nonstop progression of lurid gay sex and bloodsucking scenes will titillate fans of the genre.
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About the Author

Michael Schiefelbein is the author of two previous books featuring the vampire Victor Decimus, most recently Vampire Thrall. He is a professor of writing and literature and lives in Memphis, Tennessee.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 272 pages
• Publisher: St. Martin's Press; 1st edition (May 16, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312330219
• ISBN-13: 978-0312330217
• Product Dimensions: 8.7 x 5.9 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,958,830 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fabulous vampire mythos, May 20, 2006

By 

Harriet Klausner - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Vampire Transgression (Hardcover)

Over two thousand years ago, Victor Decimus, son of patrician parents, was a Roman soldier stationed in Judea. He knew and loved Jesus who rejected his love; with his new knowledge that he could love and be hurt, he went to a vampire and asked her to transform him. Once she did, she went on to the DARK KINGDOM, a heavenly realm for vampires. Victor lived on hating Jesus and killing many members churchmen through the ages.

Now in the present he has found love with Paul who loved him enough to want to spend eternity with him. When Victor transforms Paul, he breaks two sacred rules of the vampire world, not passing on to the Dark Kingdom and staying with Paul in a consolidation of power that goes against the natural laws of the universe. The powers that be in the Dark Kingdom are getting ready to strike at Victor, but he believes, perhaps foolishly, that he can outwit them.

Fans of Brandon Massey and Poppy Z Brite will thoroughly enjoy this new take on the vampire mythos. Paul is an infant compared to Victor and doesn't want to be separated from his lover for the two centuries it will take for him to be eligible to enter the Dark Kingdom. Victor, who never loved like this before, makes many sacrifices for his lover and in the process becomes an endearing anti-hero. Michael Schiefelbein makes his audience believe vampires actually exist.

Harriet Klausner

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars comparatively disappointing, September 21, 2010

By 

Furio (Genova - Italy) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Vampire Transgression (Paperback)

Compared with the meaningless trash published in the field of vampire fiction this third instalment of the serial shines brightly as a star but compared with the first two episodes it is disappointing, so much evident is the lack of real inspiration and polish that permeated the other two.

First and foremost the writing is good but non as refined, subtle and tense as it used to be.
I have loved Mr Schiefelbein's use of language too much not to feel that here it is professionally anonymous.
Second, the plot is rather poor: the story of Victor and Paul hardly moves on and all we are left with is Paul's dislike for killing and the need for them to be apart.

While reading I got the unpleasant feeling the author might have grown a little complacent depriving this third volume of the razor sharp edge of the first.

I do hope the fourth volume will erase this feeling and am looking forward to reading it.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Took me a while to figure out it's a love story, December 17, 2009

By 

Leonardo "SRNA" (Naples, FL, United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Vampire Transgression (Paperback)

Victor is the epitome of an antihero. As a matter of fact, the author does a great job making Victor a villain as the book progresses. As Victor's motives become clear towards the end of the book, the reader realizes that Victor acted out of love and self-sacrifice. It's scary how much I can empathize with Victor. I'm glad I finished this book only a month before the next installment is released. I can't wait!