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13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Jefferson avoids the sophomore slump, July 29, 2002
If Voice of the Blood was Jemiah Jefferson's Interview with the Vampire, then Wounds is most assuredly her Queen of the Dead. But where Voice of the Blood showed weaknesses typical of any first novel, Wounds showcases a writer who has matured, a writer confident in her talent and skills, unafraid to offend or shock. Wounds picks up a few months after the conclusion of Voice, focusing on Daniel Blum, a supporting character from that novel. Nearly a century old, the vampire has never matured mentally or physically beyond his early twenties. Jaded, bored and depressed, Daniel spends most of his time seeking new distractions, a pastime which is becoming more futile by the day. Such is his state of mind then when he encounters Sybil, an erotic dancer unique in that the vampire can neither penetrate her thoughts nor influence her actions. Entranced, Daniel begins a relentless and eventually successful romantic pursuit of the woman, who, although human, is far more vicious and perverse than he, exhorting Daniel to levels of violence excessive even by his standards. Such is Daniel's infatuation, however, that he consistently does her bidding, even when it endangers his life. It was something of a surprise to pick up Wounds and discover that Jefferson had chosen to focus on Daniel, rather than Ariane, the heroine of Voice of the Blood. Arguably, Ariane's complex personality and personal conflicts would have provided more fictional fodder for the sequel. For instance, Jefferson could have leveraged Ariane's strained relationship with her vampire husband or her efforts to understand vampirism through scientific research to fashion her follow-up. But Jefferson forsakes the easy path--Ariane remains in the background here, together with Ricari, the vampire who also played a prominent role in Voice of the Blood. Their individual cameos, however, are quite effective. Jefferson's focus on the relationship of these mismatched misfits allows her to explore some interesting terrain, such as the very human craving to be loved, and the ways in which love can be perverted. Daniel, an immortal monster, has become so desperate for intimacy that he literally bears his throat to the depraved megalomaniac Sybil. Jefferson so effectively chronicles Daniel's surrender of self that readers may grow angry with the character, wondering what could possibly make him so desperate. But it's this desperation that powers the novel, compelling readers to turn the next page and see just how bad it's going to get. This desperation is likely to polarize readers, dividing them into two groups, those that find the relationship ridiculous, and those that can't help watching in sick fascination as the book lumbers towards its stunning, but in hindsight inevitable, climax. Shocking, intense, and sexually charged, Jefferson's sophomore effort is as commendable as it is twisted, a worthy effort that should win her an even larger readership. Although it could have been pared down a little, it's a first rate piece of writing, one which most devotees of vampire fiction should enjoy.
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by Jemiah Jefferson
by Jemiah Jefferson
by Jemiah Jefferson
by Jemiah Jefferson
by Patricia Briggs
