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Vampire Formula #1
The Birth of Vengeance
You've been beaten, bullied and betrayed but vengeance is at hand. One swift stab of a needle and a vampire formula will coarse through your blood giving you the immortal powers of the vampire for the night. Your fangs will bite and claws will rip at their flesh. No human will stand in your way. You will taste blood and feel the thrill of the hunt, but tomorrow you will be human again and able to enjoy the sunlight.
But can Jonathan Harper resist such temptation?
This isn’t a paranormal romance of girl meets boy vampire, but the relationship of boy meets ultimate bad girl vampire, Thorn. What happens when the roles are reversed?
This dark urban fantasy series embarks on an action packed adventure, as Jonathan must face the consequences of his decisions. Is Thorn his dark heroine or his eventual death?
“The Birth of Vengeance (Vampire Formula #1)” is the first novel in a series of new vampire books.
But can Jonathan Harper resist such temptation?
This isn’t a paranormal romance of girl meets boy vampire, but the relationship of boy meets ultimate bad girl vampire, Thorn. What happens when the roles are reversed?
This dark urban fantasy series embarks on an action packed adventure, as Jonathan must face the consequences of his decisions. Is Thorn his dark heroine or his eventual death?
“The Birth of Vengeance (Vampire Formula #1)” is the first novel in a series of new vampire books.
186 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 28, 2012
66 people are currently reading
710 people want to read
About the author
P.A. Ross
12 books47 followersIf you wish to know more or get FREE content, I can be contacted at my website.
www.thornsneedles.com
Or can be emailed at paross@thornsneedles.com.
I live in England with my family. I have a Degree in Astrophysics in which I studied subjects like Chaos Theory and Quantum Mechanics from which I learnt to imagine the strange and abstract. I have always been described as a day dreamer, so I decided to put my imagination to good use by writing stories.
I have written a two series:-
Vampire Formula books 0 & 1
"I Want Vengeance #0" and "The Birth of Vengeance #1"
Book 3 "The Truth of Vengeance" is to be released in 2015.
The other set of books are a superhero series "Wrong Place, Wrong Time"
The books follow the story of a superhero "Subject Zero" with each story revealing more about him.
His introduction begins in the free book "Hero's Break"
Then the story continues in
"Halloween Party"
"Wedding Anniversary"
"Invaders"
Can be read all together in "The Chronicles of Subject Zero" for the same price as each individual story.
If you wish to know more I can be contacted at my website www.thornsneedles.com
Or can be emailed at paul.v.ross@gmail.com.
www.thornsneedles.com
Or can be emailed at paross@thornsneedles.com.
I live in England with my family. I have a Degree in Astrophysics in which I studied subjects like Chaos Theory and Quantum Mechanics from which I learnt to imagine the strange and abstract. I have always been described as a day dreamer, so I decided to put my imagination to good use by writing stories.
I have written a two series:-
Vampire Formula books 0 & 1
"I Want Vengeance #0" and "The Birth of Vengeance #1"
Book 3 "The Truth of Vengeance" is to be released in 2015.
The other set of books are a superhero series "Wrong Place, Wrong Time"
The books follow the story of a superhero "Subject Zero" with each story revealing more about him.
His introduction begins in the free book "Hero's Break"
Then the story continues in
"Halloween Party"
"Wedding Anniversary"
"Invaders"
Can be read all together in "The Chronicles of Subject Zero" for the same price as each individual story.
If you wish to know more I can be contacted at my website www.thornsneedles.com
Or can be emailed at paul.v.ross@gmail.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews
May 13, 2014
* I was given this book by the author for an honest review*
This was a book about finding ones self. To truly know who you are deep down past all of the things you think you are. The main character< Johnathan< is a tormented teenager. He's bullied and tortured through school. He turns to his father, who is a scientist, for help. His father seems understanding and protective of Johnathan. Upon finding an imprisoned vampire, he learns about an injection that can allow him to become a vampire for one night to exact his revenge on those gangs.
After all is said and doe, Johnathan must decide if he wants to stay in the vampire world or return to the regular world. So many secrets, so many betrayals. One constant, Thorn,the female vampire. What would you choose?
I recommend this book. It's well written and it flows with great continuity. I hope there are more being written and it will become a series.
This was a book about finding ones self. To truly know who you are deep down past all of the things you think you are. The main character< Johnathan< is a tormented teenager. He's bullied and tortured through school. He turns to his father, who is a scientist, for help. His father seems understanding and protective of Johnathan. Upon finding an imprisoned vampire, he learns about an injection that can allow him to become a vampire for one night to exact his revenge on those gangs.
After all is said and doe, Johnathan must decide if he wants to stay in the vampire world or return to the regular world. So many secrets, so many betrayals. One constant, Thorn,the female vampire. What would you choose?
I recommend this book. It's well written and it flows with great continuity. I hope there are more being written and it will become a series.
May 13, 2014
I got this book for free in an epub version thanks to the Read It & Reap Program, a program which aims to help out struggling writers. Of course, I saw a cool synopsis and a free book to enjoy. Sadly, the latter part turned out to be untrue...
The good: the premise
The premise actually sounds pretty good. It's about a guy, Jonathan, who's a bit of a geek and gets bullied a lot. Obviously that's rough and it's an important storyline. Especially nowadays, when bullying can continue after the fact through cyber bullying. There's even an example where Jonathan gets beat up, it's filmed, placed on Youtube and sent to everyone in his class. So it's clear that the bullying storyline is very present.
Another good aspect about the premise is that there's no "virginal" girl who gets to turn him all cool and saves him. Nuh-uh. It's a kickass, sexy bad girl named Thorn, who also, kind of, happens to be a vampire. She's like the ultimate seductress coming to his aid, which, incidentally, feels like a total role-reversal and very atypical for the vampire genre. Definitely worth a star.
The bad: the execution
Sadly, while the premise sounded promising, the book isn't good at all. I'm sad to say I almost fell asleep at one point (and it was the middle of the day even). The writing style just isn't captivating. I felt completely detached from the story when reading this book. Almost as if it was happened somewhere else and I had a vague dream about it once. I just couldn't relate to Jonathan. And it's got nothing to do with the bullying storyline - I actually was bullied in high school - or with him being a guy and I'm... Not. It's just his character: it's got no depth whatsoever. He's gone through some horrible stuff and instead of dealing with it, all he can think of is revenge. Getting even. An eye for an eye, a story as old as Kain & Abel...
I was bullied. So I get it. It's horrible. It leaves scars for years to come. And yeah, you definitely think about getting even. But you don't think about that nearly as much as how alone you feel. How exhausted and defenseless. You feel like you don't have any friends. You're afraid. You're going through the motions, but not really on a conscious level. You wish you could get even at times, but that feeling of revenge is nothing compared to how humiliated and alone you feel. And that... That was missing here. Sure, Jonathan - btw, just a side note, but I HATE that his name is Jonathan Harper, as in "Jonathan Harker" in Dracula??? Urgh, such a cheap shot and you know it! - mentions not having friends and stuff like that, but the revenge is so all-encompassing... It's crazy. And it doesn't feel real. It doesn't feel like it's realistic.
And then Thorn's characterization. I mean... Is there any? Is there ANY depth at all to that girl? Sure, it sounds cool to have her be some kind of "bad girl", but who is she? On what grounds does she base her decisions on? Some people she feels okay killing. Others she don't. I get that it's cool to have a vampire-character who's not really bad, nor good, but WHY? Why is she like that? What motivates her? What drives her? What's that little something that makes her tick? Sometimes I feel like we get flashes of it, like when she sees Jonathan's lingering feelings for Scarlett and she seemingly gets jealous. But it's not nearly enough. Her entire character, so cool initially, falls flat in the execution.
In addition, the relationship between himself and Thorn... I can't describe it, but the words "soo sooooo rushed" come to mind. Where is the love? Where is the getting-to-know-each-other part? Where is the tentative trust building? Where is, basically, the relationship? Because all we see, is Thorn sexin' him up and teaching him how to fight. That's it. Wow. Such an amazing relationship. Such depth... TRULY. /sarcasm off.
Conclusion
All in all, this could have been a really good book. The premise really is a more original way of going into the vampire territory. But the story is so "non-captivating", so "without depth" and feels so unrealistic in every way... I can barely give it a star. More even, I wish I could take away that last star, simply because of all the typos that made me want to retch. Yes, I admit, I am a grammar nazi extraordinaire. Which basically means that I take typos as a personal offense towards my well-being. But in a book? That someone's trying to get sold? Woah, who didn't do their editing right? Because there's nothing more annoying to an already boring story than adding some typos on top. Meow.
So... Who is this book for?
Ever since I started reading, I have been racking my brain for an answer to this question. I am seriously wondering who would like a story such as this?
It doesn't really fit in with Young Adult, as some of the imagery is just too graphic: Sure, I guess it's fantasy, but then again... There's no world building to speak of. You basically know nothing about the vampire world and how it works in this supposed universe. So, what's fantasy without a decent fantastic world? And are girls/women going to like a story about a guy who rips people's heads off for revenge? I'm not the most kind-hearted, to be honest, but the scenes just left me cold. And are boys/men ever coming near a book that's got "vampire" written all over it? After the sparkle of Twilight, I'm not sure.
So, yeah, no, I have no idea who this book is supposed to be for.
I think, perhaps, if the relationship between Thorn and Jonathan could be explored further into more depth, then this story could certainly appeal to more audiences.
Because guess what...?
People don't like books just for the "vengeance" of it all. There's gotta be some hope. There's gotta be some light at the end of the tunnel. Something worth fighting for. Something that keeps people at the edge of their seat, crazy excited about turning a new page. And this book just doesn't have it.
The good: the premise
The premise actually sounds pretty good. It's about a guy, Jonathan, who's a bit of a geek and gets bullied a lot. Obviously that's rough and it's an important storyline. Especially nowadays, when bullying can continue after the fact through cyber bullying. There's even an example where Jonathan gets beat up, it's filmed, placed on Youtube and sent to everyone in his class. So it's clear that the bullying storyline is very present.
Another good aspect about the premise is that there's no "virginal" girl who gets to turn him all cool and saves him. Nuh-uh. It's a kickass, sexy bad girl named Thorn, who also, kind of, happens to be a vampire. She's like the ultimate seductress coming to his aid, which, incidentally, feels like a total role-reversal and very atypical for the vampire genre. Definitely worth a star.
The bad: the execution
Sadly, while the premise sounded promising, the book isn't good at all. I'm sad to say I almost fell asleep at one point (and it was the middle of the day even). The writing style just isn't captivating. I felt completely detached from the story when reading this book. Almost as if it was happened somewhere else and I had a vague dream about it once. I just couldn't relate to Jonathan. And it's got nothing to do with the bullying storyline - I actually was bullied in high school - or with him being a guy and I'm... Not. It's just his character: it's got no depth whatsoever. He's gone through some horrible stuff and instead of dealing with it, all he can think of is revenge. Getting even. An eye for an eye, a story as old as Kain & Abel...
I was bullied. So I get it. It's horrible. It leaves scars for years to come. And yeah, you definitely think about getting even. But you don't think about that nearly as much as how alone you feel. How exhausted and defenseless. You feel like you don't have any friends. You're afraid. You're going through the motions, but not really on a conscious level. You wish you could get even at times, but that feeling of revenge is nothing compared to how humiliated and alone you feel. And that... That was missing here. Sure, Jonathan - btw, just a side note, but I HATE that his name is Jonathan Harper, as in "Jonathan Harker" in Dracula??? Urgh, such a cheap shot and you know it! - mentions not having friends and stuff like that, but the revenge is so all-encompassing... It's crazy. And it doesn't feel real. It doesn't feel like it's realistic.
And then Thorn's characterization. I mean... Is there any? Is there ANY depth at all to that girl? Sure, it sounds cool to have her be some kind of "bad girl", but who is she? On what grounds does she base her decisions on? Some people she feels okay killing. Others she don't. I get that it's cool to have a vampire-character who's not really bad, nor good, but WHY? Why is she like that? What motivates her? What drives her? What's that little something that makes her tick? Sometimes I feel like we get flashes of it, like when she sees Jonathan's lingering feelings for Scarlett and she seemingly gets jealous. But it's not nearly enough. Her entire character, so cool initially, falls flat in the execution.
In addition, the relationship between himself and Thorn... I can't describe it, but the words "soo sooooo rushed" come to mind. Where is the love? Where is the getting-to-know-each-other part? Where is the tentative trust building? Where is, basically, the relationship? Because all we see, is Thorn sexin' him up and teaching him how to fight. That's it. Wow. Such an amazing relationship. Such depth... TRULY. /sarcasm off.
Conclusion
All in all, this could have been a really good book. The premise really is a more original way of going into the vampire territory. But the story is so "non-captivating", so "without depth" and feels so unrealistic in every way... I can barely give it a star. More even, I wish I could take away that last star, simply because of all the typos that made me want to retch. Yes, I admit, I am a grammar nazi extraordinaire. Which basically means that I take typos as a personal offense towards my well-being. But in a book? That someone's trying to get sold? Woah, who didn't do their editing right? Because there's nothing more annoying to an already boring story than adding some typos on top. Meow.
So... Who is this book for?
Ever since I started reading, I have been racking my brain for an answer to this question. I am seriously wondering who would like a story such as this?
It doesn't really fit in with Young Adult, as some of the imagery is just too graphic: Sure, I guess it's fantasy, but then again... There's no world building to speak of. You basically know nothing about the vampire world and how it works in this supposed universe. So, what's fantasy without a decent fantastic world? And are girls/women going to like a story about a guy who rips people's heads off for revenge? I'm not the most kind-hearted, to be honest, but the scenes just left me cold. And are boys/men ever coming near a book that's got "vampire" written all over it? After the sparkle of Twilight, I'm not sure.
So, yeah, no, I have no idea who this book is supposed to be for.
I think, perhaps, if the relationship between Thorn and Jonathan could be explored further into more depth, then this story could certainly appeal to more audiences.
Because guess what...?
People don't like books just for the "vengeance" of it all. There's gotta be some hope. There's gotta be some light at the end of the tunnel. Something worth fighting for. Something that keeps people at the edge of their seat, crazy excited about turning a new page. And this book just doesn't have it.
January 20, 2014
When I began reading The Birth of Vengeance, I quietly wondered what the story was about. To begin with, you meet Jonathon Harper, a rather unremarkable young man, nearing the end of his school career, and looking forward to beginning college. His is a life which takes a turn for the worse when he’s becomes the target of a local gang of bullies and thugs, causing him to lose his one and only friend, and making him and his father flee his hometown for his safety.
It isn’t until several chapters on that he meets Thorn, a beautiful and dangerous woman, held captive and forced to be the subject of government experiments, and oh yeah, she’s a vampire. Once he is able to free Throne, the real story begins. Vengeance, then, is another entry into the burgeoning, and I would say over-crowded genre of Vampire literature.
So what makes Vengeance unique? We’ve seen vampires as heroes and we’ve seen vampires as villains. Thorn, at least in this novel, is neither. She’s content to be, to exist and co-exist, to feed and let live, only killing when she senses her victims mean to do her, and others harm. Not quite virtuous, but not entirely evil in a classical sense. Which is not to say she has a strong moral code.
She begins to mentor the weak and pathetic Jon, teaching him, molding him to become a man, to fight and to stand up for himself. Aided with a serum developed by Thorns captors, which when injected, gives the injectees vampire-like strength and aggression, Jon learns to fight, and begins a campaign to seek revenge on those who tormented him. In the end, this becomes a test. Jon has to prove his devotion to Thorn, and his worthiness of becoming a vampire.
The Birth of Vengeance is an easy read. Nothing remarkable about it, which is not to say it’s not worth checking out. It may not have the broad commercial appeal of a Twilight Saga, or the upcoming Vampire Academy, which in my book makes it even more appealing. This is not some lame, tween vampire romance novel.
What it is, however, is a coming-of-age story, where the protagonist must learn to face his fears, to grow up and take charge of his own destiny. He is forced to make life-altering decisions and accept the consequences of said decisions, and I’ll admit that I felt a grim sense of satisfaction whenever he meets his former tormentors.
Vengeance is a good, solid story, that should appeal to those who would like to enjoy a casual read. It’s entertaining, with some dark moments which are resolved in a satisfying manner. I wholly recommend you read it.
http://joehinojosa.com/book-review/
It isn’t until several chapters on that he meets Thorn, a beautiful and dangerous woman, held captive and forced to be the subject of government experiments, and oh yeah, she’s a vampire. Once he is able to free Throne, the real story begins. Vengeance, then, is another entry into the burgeoning, and I would say over-crowded genre of Vampire literature.
So what makes Vengeance unique? We’ve seen vampires as heroes and we’ve seen vampires as villains. Thorn, at least in this novel, is neither. She’s content to be, to exist and co-exist, to feed and let live, only killing when she senses her victims mean to do her, and others harm. Not quite virtuous, but not entirely evil in a classical sense. Which is not to say she has a strong moral code.
She begins to mentor the weak and pathetic Jon, teaching him, molding him to become a man, to fight and to stand up for himself. Aided with a serum developed by Thorns captors, which when injected, gives the injectees vampire-like strength and aggression, Jon learns to fight, and begins a campaign to seek revenge on those who tormented him. In the end, this becomes a test. Jon has to prove his devotion to Thorn, and his worthiness of becoming a vampire.
The Birth of Vengeance is an easy read. Nothing remarkable about it, which is not to say it’s not worth checking out. It may not have the broad commercial appeal of a Twilight Saga, or the upcoming Vampire Academy, which in my book makes it even more appealing. This is not some lame, tween vampire romance novel.
What it is, however, is a coming-of-age story, where the protagonist must learn to face his fears, to grow up and take charge of his own destiny. He is forced to make life-altering decisions and accept the consequences of said decisions, and I’ll admit that I felt a grim sense of satisfaction whenever he meets his former tormentors.
Vengeance is a good, solid story, that should appeal to those who would like to enjoy a casual read. It’s entertaining, with some dark moments which are resolved in a satisfying manner. I wholly recommend you read it.
http://joehinojosa.com/book-review/
November 24, 2015
Just the kind of story I have been looking for.
October 30, 2023
*** There may be minor "spoilers" below ***
This came up in my recommendations, and I thought the description sounded pretty cool. In fact, I've been kicking over story ideas in my head for years on a similar theme. Tormented teen gets help from supernatural female, and things go all to hell after, basically. So I had to give it a try.
And let's be real, in the state that the world is in right now, who hasn't found the idea of having the power to take out the trash an appealing one?
I read half the book in one sitting last night, but I don't think I'm going to finish it.
I was going to do a pros and cons thing, but when I started thinking about it, I feel like the concept and theme were the only pros honestly. And mostly because, like I said, I've been wanting to try something similar myself with writing.
It starts off reasonably well, minus the cringe factor of the main character's name being a direct "homage" to Harker from Dracula. Jon's a pretty normal kid at first, likes to play games with his buddy and watch movies. Cool, I'm down with that. Relatable. And then things start to go a bit downhill.
I found the whole bullying thing to be unrealistically over the top. Maybe I was extremely lucky that at the 7 different schools I attended in my life, I was never bullied, or witnessed bullying to the extent that an otherwise mentally stable kid would want to kill themselves or others over it. For me this was the kind of bullying that only seems to exist in movies or books. I suppose it had to be over the top, because being teased or the butt of jokes and insults wouldn't be enough to trigger a normal person into a lust for murderous revenge. And the fact that the bullying happens in two different schools, in different parts of the country, with cookie cutter bully gangs, is just a bit silly. I remember when the 2nd gang was introduced, I thought "I bet one of these bullies is going to be blonde haired and blue eyed." And the author didn't disappoint. And this is an interesting thing, because in the few events of kids being horribly bullied, and having videos of it posted online, that I have seen in the media, the bullies have been... Well let's just say that their hair has been several shades darker than blonde... Now if the bullies in this story had been like those bullies in real life, then it would have made a lot more sense why the teachers at the school would just ignore the bullying.
Then we have Scarlett, the original love interest. She's introduced as this super hot, way out of your league girl that every guy in school wants to bone. Then we're supposed to believe that she in reality is a geek, who used to be fat, and now basically wears a "hot girl" costume. Riiight. Sorry, but you're not a geek if every guy in school wants to be your lover. Geeks and nerds are social outsiders, not Playmate of the Month.
She starts off nice, friendly, kind, a person you'd like to know. I guess the first clue that something was off about her, was when Jon notices the "Tramp Stamp" (or "Skidmark" as a I like to call them, as it looks like you smeared your backside when you wiped your ass) tattoo as she was walking upstairs.
Eventually they start dating and life is good for Jon.
Until he gets his ass kicked in front of his girlfriend by the blonde bully and his gang. Scarlett then reveals herself to be a piece of shit person by getting drunk and sleeping with the bully that just bashed her boyfriend and posted the video on Youtube for all his schoolmates to see.
Jon steals some experimental vampire formula from his dad's workplace, and meets a vampire who is basically a teen wet dream. He uses the formula, kills a few of the bullies, frees the vampire, and I quit reading as they were running from and kicking the asses of the military guys chasing them. I'd just completely lost interest at that point.
I'm very critical, but look, it's not that it's really awful or anything like that, it just didn't click with me in the end. Even if I don't like a book, I still respect the authors for finishing them and publishing, because I've dabbled in it myself for years, with nothing to show for it. If you like the premise of the book, give it a try. The things that bothered me, might not bother you.
This came up in my recommendations, and I thought the description sounded pretty cool. In fact, I've been kicking over story ideas in my head for years on a similar theme. Tormented teen gets help from supernatural female, and things go all to hell after, basically. So I had to give it a try.
And let's be real, in the state that the world is in right now, who hasn't found the idea of having the power to take out the trash an appealing one?
I read half the book in one sitting last night, but I don't think I'm going to finish it.
I was going to do a pros and cons thing, but when I started thinking about it, I feel like the concept and theme were the only pros honestly. And mostly because, like I said, I've been wanting to try something similar myself with writing.
It starts off reasonably well, minus the cringe factor of the main character's name being a direct "homage" to Harker from Dracula. Jon's a pretty normal kid at first, likes to play games with his buddy and watch movies. Cool, I'm down with that. Relatable. And then things start to go a bit downhill.
I found the whole bullying thing to be unrealistically over the top. Maybe I was extremely lucky that at the 7 different schools I attended in my life, I was never bullied, or witnessed bullying to the extent that an otherwise mentally stable kid would want to kill themselves or others over it. For me this was the kind of bullying that only seems to exist in movies or books. I suppose it had to be over the top, because being teased or the butt of jokes and insults wouldn't be enough to trigger a normal person into a lust for murderous revenge. And the fact that the bullying happens in two different schools, in different parts of the country, with cookie cutter bully gangs, is just a bit silly. I remember when the 2nd gang was introduced, I thought "I bet one of these bullies is going to be blonde haired and blue eyed." And the author didn't disappoint. And this is an interesting thing, because in the few events of kids being horribly bullied, and having videos of it posted online, that I have seen in the media, the bullies have been... Well let's just say that their hair has been several shades darker than blonde... Now if the bullies in this story had been like those bullies in real life, then it would have made a lot more sense why the teachers at the school would just ignore the bullying.
Then we have Scarlett, the original love interest. She's introduced as this super hot, way out of your league girl that every guy in school wants to bone. Then we're supposed to believe that she in reality is a geek, who used to be fat, and now basically wears a "hot girl" costume. Riiight. Sorry, but you're not a geek if every guy in school wants to be your lover. Geeks and nerds are social outsiders, not Playmate of the Month.
She starts off nice, friendly, kind, a person you'd like to know. I guess the first clue that something was off about her, was when Jon notices the "Tramp Stamp" (or "Skidmark" as a I like to call them, as it looks like you smeared your backside when you wiped your ass) tattoo as she was walking upstairs.
Eventually they start dating and life is good for Jon.
Until he gets his ass kicked in front of his girlfriend by the blonde bully and his gang. Scarlett then reveals herself to be a piece of shit person by getting drunk and sleeping with the bully that just bashed her boyfriend and posted the video on Youtube for all his schoolmates to see.
Jon steals some experimental vampire formula from his dad's workplace, and meets a vampire who is basically a teen wet dream. He uses the formula, kills a few of the bullies, frees the vampire, and I quit reading as they were running from and kicking the asses of the military guys chasing them. I'd just completely lost interest at that point.
I'm very critical, but look, it's not that it's really awful or anything like that, it just didn't click with me in the end. Even if I don't like a book, I still respect the authors for finishing them and publishing, because I've dabbled in it myself for years, with nothing to show for it. If you like the premise of the book, give it a try. The things that bothered me, might not bother you.
July 24, 2023
P.A. Ross's novel, The Birth of Vengeance, is a riveting tour de force that unfolds amidst the urban sprawl of Leeds, England. In this enthralling narrative, the protagonist, known as V, is a young man who is involuntarily converted into a vampire due to a harsh betrayal. The novel grapples with profound themes of retribution, disloyalty, and redemption, plunging the reader into a captivating journey that brims with unexpected turns.
As V grapples with his new existence, he forms a multifaceted relationship with Thorn, a fellow vampire who becomes both his mentor and love interest. The striking amalgamation of the supernatural world against a contemporary urban backdrop results in a gripping universe teeming with dynamic characters and adrenaline-fueled conflict scenes.
Ross's vivid, immersive world-building is strikingly evident in his depiction of the labyrinthine streets of Leeds, vividly animating the cityscape through detailed descriptions. His narrative style is kinetic and compelling, driving the reader to turn pages in a spellbinding trance. Character development is masterfully executed, particularly in the case of V, who emerges as a multi-dimensional and relatable hero. HIs journey of self-discovery and redemption is deeply engrossing, holding the reader captive in his saga.
The novel brims with intriguing themes of betrayal, salvation, and individuality, treating these concepts with insightful exploration that stimulates thoughtful engagement. The action sequences are expertly crafted, merging excitement and complexity without resorting to gratuitous violence.
The Birth of Vengeance stands as a solid addition to vampire literature. Its unique blend of urban atmosphere, well-realized characters, and pulsating suspense makes for an enjoyable read. Not only does the novel encapsulate the essence of an intriguing supernatural narrative, but it also lays the groundwork for future novels. This thrilling urban fantasy novel demonstrates P.A. Ross's talent for interweaving the supernatural with the gritty reality of urban life, creating a truly unique, engaging experience for the reader.
As V grapples with his new existence, he forms a multifaceted relationship with Thorn, a fellow vampire who becomes both his mentor and love interest. The striking amalgamation of the supernatural world against a contemporary urban backdrop results in a gripping universe teeming with dynamic characters and adrenaline-fueled conflict scenes.
Ross's vivid, immersive world-building is strikingly evident in his depiction of the labyrinthine streets of Leeds, vividly animating the cityscape through detailed descriptions. His narrative style is kinetic and compelling, driving the reader to turn pages in a spellbinding trance. Character development is masterfully executed, particularly in the case of V, who emerges as a multi-dimensional and relatable hero. HIs journey of self-discovery and redemption is deeply engrossing, holding the reader captive in his saga.
The novel brims with intriguing themes of betrayal, salvation, and individuality, treating these concepts with insightful exploration that stimulates thoughtful engagement. The action sequences are expertly crafted, merging excitement and complexity without resorting to gratuitous violence.
The Birth of Vengeance stands as a solid addition to vampire literature. Its unique blend of urban atmosphere, well-realized characters, and pulsating suspense makes for an enjoyable read. Not only does the novel encapsulate the essence of an intriguing supernatural narrative, but it also lays the groundwork for future novels. This thrilling urban fantasy novel demonstrates P.A. Ross's talent for interweaving the supernatural with the gritty reality of urban life, creating a truly unique, engaging experience for the reader.
February 8, 2025
Very interesting premise, but feels underdeveloped
“The Birth of Vengeance” offers a fresh take on the vampire genre, blending supernatural elements with themes of revenge and inner conflict. The novel follows Jonathan, a young protagonist grappling with his newfound vampire-like abilities, his overwhelming urge for vengeance against his bullies, and the moral dilemmas they present. Ross's unique approach to the vampire mythos, coupled with the intriguing concept of "Day Jonathan" and "Night Jonathan," provides an engaging exploration of the character's internal struggles. While the book presents some interesting plot twists and a compelling premise, it falls short in character development and sometimes relies too heavily on telling rather than showing. The rushed romantic subplots and simplistic writing style left me wanting more depth from this book.
“The Birth of Vengeance” offers a fresh take on the vampire genre, blending supernatural elements with themes of revenge and inner conflict. The novel follows Jonathan, a young protagonist grappling with his newfound vampire-like abilities, his overwhelming urge for vengeance against his bullies, and the moral dilemmas they present. Ross's unique approach to the vampire mythos, coupled with the intriguing concept of "Day Jonathan" and "Night Jonathan," provides an engaging exploration of the character's internal struggles. While the book presents some interesting plot twists and a compelling premise, it falls short in character development and sometimes relies too heavily on telling rather than showing. The rushed romantic subplots and simplistic writing style left me wanting more depth from this book.
November 6, 2020
This is almost the definition of a 'cookie cutter' novel, everything, the father, the girlfriend, the bullying and the chance for revenge is almost a write by numbers. That is not to say it is not a good read, it is - just formulaic.
The British English takes a bit of figuring but to anyone with a bit of intelligence it is easy - I take GCSE to be a Junior High diploma nd Sixth form College is Senior High but what I loved most was that his school had a CLOAKROOM, I want one of those. If I ever buy another house I will get me one, imagine, the only house in Georgia with a cloakroom, "Hey, leave your shoes in the cloakroom, y'all".
Good, like an episode of the 'A-team', you just know what is going to happen.
The British English takes a bit of figuring but to anyone with a bit of intelligence it is easy - I take GCSE to be a Junior High diploma nd Sixth form College is Senior High but what I loved most was that his school had a CLOAKROOM, I want one of those. If I ever buy another house I will get me one, imagine, the only house in Georgia with a cloakroom, "Hey, leave your shoes in the cloakroom, y'all".
Good, like an episode of the 'A-team', you just know what is going to happen.
December 23, 2023
Great story with plenty of plot twists!
This story was great. Each character was developed well. Truly can identify with the emotional and moral conflicts with the main character. Truly enjoyed the plot twists that made read fast to understand them. Am looking forward to the next book.
This story was great. Each character was developed well. Truly can identify with the emotional and moral conflicts with the main character. Truly enjoyed the plot twists that made read fast to understand them. Am looking forward to the next book.
September 10, 2021
Honestly a good story with a fantastic twist.
I thought the exposition was a little slow and rough, but the book really got interesting after. I wish it was 100-200 pages longer honestly.
I ordered the next two books.
I thought the exposition was a little slow and rough, but the book really got interesting after. I wish it was 100-200 pages longer honestly.
I ordered the next two books.
May 31, 2024
Surprise at the brutal honesty of getting bullied.
If you have or known anyone who has been bullied, this book will strike home. Unfortunately they haven't gotten this means for revenge.
If you have or known anyone who has been bullied, this book will strike home. Unfortunately they haven't gotten this means for revenge.
February 7, 2023
love vampire tales
This was a quick read but kept my interest. Looking forward to the other books in the series. Liked the twist at the end.
This was a quick read but kept my interest. Looking forward to the other books in the series. Liked the twist at the end.
November 28, 2024
New Vamp
This is a 4/5 for me. I enjoyed this new version of vampire. It is a good change. Take a teen age boy and introduce him to an older vampire. It works for this book.
This is a 4/5 for me. I enjoyed this new version of vampire. It is a good change. Take a teen age boy and introduce him to an older vampire. It works for this book.
April 14, 2025
Dnf'd @ 25% unable to engage with the characters and the story.
March 23, 2017
Takes “getting even” to a different level.
DISCLAIMER: I was given a copy of this book by the author (via Goodreads/Shut Up and Read/Read It And Reap) in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.
ADVISORY: This book contains sensuality, violence and abusive/bullying situations
Synopsis:
Jonathan Harper and his best friend, Giles, have been bullied all of their lives, most of it at the hands of the O’Keefe gang. The other students, as well as the teachers, turn a blind eye to their shenanigans, for fear of retribution. On the last day before a break, Giles is again the victim of a vicious attack, and Jonathan enlists the aid of the caretaker, Mr. Johnson, as well as Giles’s mother, Linda, to try and rescue him from their clutches, with disastrous results. People wind up in the hospital, and the police get involved, with an imminent court date.
In the meantime, the O’Keefe’s terrorize Giles’s family and vandalize their property, and once they discover Jonathan’s involvement, they threaten to do the same. However, Jonathan’s father does special research for the government, and they offer to relocate the family from Leeds to London. Jonathan wants to start a new life, leaving the past behind, and for a while, things go really well. But in time, he attracts unwanted attention from a new set of bullies, and things take a bad turn.
When he goes to his father’s place of employment for help, he discovers that there is more to this world than meets the eye when he discovers a vampire, Subject X, who was captured and is being studied and experimented upon. Subject X senses Jonathan’s anger (“blood and rage, how sweet”), and seizes the opportunity, planting thoughts and ideas in his mind. Though Jonathan is quickly removed from the facility, he continues to obsess over the things that Subject X has shown him, especially those needles that he took, which contain something very powerful.
Things come to a head, and Jonathan needs to make a choice. Will he continue to be the victim, or will he need to take matters into his own hands? And can Subject X help, or will she be the death of him?
Comments:
An interesting take on the vampire mythos, and a reversal of the norm – this is one where the guy (Jonathan) starts out as the helpless one, and the vampire gal (Subject X/Thorn) is the powerful one.
I find bullying to be appalling, especially when others witness it and turn a blind eye. However, I also cheer for those who stand up for themselves (or others). Plus it’s always fun to see someone get payback (though perhaps not quite at this level)!
Anyway, this story took some interesting turns, with Jonathan feeling conflicted about the decisions and choices he has made (represented by Day Jonathan and Night Jonathan). And Thorn is not always as she appears to be. At times, they are both seeking vengeance, but at other times it is about making things right for other victims.
There’s a lot more going on there, especially with the Hunters. And what about Jonathan’s dad and the secret government research (as well as the underhanded things they did)? There is plenty more vengeance to be had. I look forward to the sequel.
Overall, I felt that this book was fairly well-written, with good character development. The only complaint I have is about misspellings (there were quite a few), and some occasional grammatical errors. Spell check does not replace a good editor, especially when the misspelling is also a valid word.
BTW, I read the short prequel, “I Want Vengeance”, after reading this book. It helped fill in some of the back story, and is currently FREE on both Amazon and Barnes and Noble.
DISCLAIMER: I was given a copy of this book by the author (via Goodreads/Shut Up and Read/Read It And Reap) in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.
ADVISORY: This book contains sensuality, violence and abusive/bullying situations
Synopsis:
Jonathan Harper and his best friend, Giles, have been bullied all of their lives, most of it at the hands of the O’Keefe gang. The other students, as well as the teachers, turn a blind eye to their shenanigans, for fear of retribution. On the last day before a break, Giles is again the victim of a vicious attack, and Jonathan enlists the aid of the caretaker, Mr. Johnson, as well as Giles’s mother, Linda, to try and rescue him from their clutches, with disastrous results. People wind up in the hospital, and the police get involved, with an imminent court date.
In the meantime, the O’Keefe’s terrorize Giles’s family and vandalize their property, and once they discover Jonathan’s involvement, they threaten to do the same. However, Jonathan’s father does special research for the government, and they offer to relocate the family from Leeds to London. Jonathan wants to start a new life, leaving the past behind, and for a while, things go really well. But in time, he attracts unwanted attention from a new set of bullies, and things take a bad turn.
When he goes to his father’s place of employment for help, he discovers that there is more to this world than meets the eye when he discovers a vampire, Subject X, who was captured and is being studied and experimented upon. Subject X senses Jonathan’s anger (“blood and rage, how sweet”), and seizes the opportunity, planting thoughts and ideas in his mind. Though Jonathan is quickly removed from the facility, he continues to obsess over the things that Subject X has shown him, especially those needles that he took, which contain something very powerful.
Things come to a head, and Jonathan needs to make a choice. Will he continue to be the victim, or will he need to take matters into his own hands? And can Subject X help, or will she be the death of him?
Comments:
An interesting take on the vampire mythos, and a reversal of the norm – this is one where the guy (Jonathan) starts out as the helpless one, and the vampire gal (Subject X/Thorn) is the powerful one.
I find bullying to be appalling, especially when others witness it and turn a blind eye. However, I also cheer for those who stand up for themselves (or others). Plus it’s always fun to see someone get payback (though perhaps not quite at this level)!
Anyway, this story took some interesting turns, with Jonathan feeling conflicted about the decisions and choices he has made (represented by Day Jonathan and Night Jonathan). And Thorn is not always as she appears to be. At times, they are both seeking vengeance, but at other times it is about making things right for other victims.
There’s a lot more going on there, especially with the Hunters. And what about Jonathan’s dad and the secret government research (as well as the underhanded things they did)? There is plenty more vengeance to be had. I look forward to the sequel.
Overall, I felt that this book was fairly well-written, with good character development. The only complaint I have is about misspellings (there were quite a few), and some occasional grammatical errors. Spell check does not replace a good editor, especially when the misspelling is also a valid word.
BTW, I read the short prequel, “I Want Vengeance”, after reading this book. It helped fill in some of the back story, and is currently FREE on both Amazon and Barnes and Noble.
October 31, 2013
This is your typical revenge story but with a blood sucking twist. Paul Andrew Ross goes to great lengths to show how the vampire world can run alongside the normalcy of human life. This is not your average Hamlet-wants-to-avenge-the-death-of-his-father-by-killing-his-uncle scenario but is something of a more feral nature and when the act of revenge is imminent, there is no hesitation.
You immediately get the sense of what country this is set and it puts us in our place. Ross “shows” rather than “tells” us this and gives us the freedom and the time to work it out for ourselves.
Jonathan is yet another example of a boy that doesn't want to be too involved with reality. In some ways his limiting himself to just one friend makes him an easy target to be manipulated into what he becomes much later on in the book. These critical clues to his characteristics make way for something supernatural occurrences.
There is a lot of general hatred towards people which can sometimes be a little overwhelming. However the powerful underlying notion is that Jonathan hates himself more than the bullies for his inactions. He is haunted by the fact that he is a coward and that he can’t change the past. There is a foreboding that this self-hatred cannot stay contained for very long and will at some point resurface with devastating effects.
I like the schizophrenic tendencies running throughout the latter stages of the book. Day Jonathan and night Jonathan battle it out over one body and clash in many ways. In some ways this is very similar to Confessions of a justified sinner by James Hogg, a classic that must be read. Taking the main character from Hogg's book, he talks to us almost in the form of a diary entry and we hear of the torment he faces from a being he thinks is the devil. However it soon comes to fruition that it is his own mind he is battling with. He persuades himself to do terrible crimes. Jonathan's conflicting inner self is similar to this however; his decisions are more influenced by thorn.
It seems inevitable but when you get vampires in a novel there is almost always a sex scene or two. In this instance this book can hardly be compared to Fifty Shades but the content could have been more specific without being cringingly embarrassing to read. However, I have to praise Ross or any author for that matter to include anything along this subject matter as it has to be written in such a way that it doesn’t come across as farfetched or silly.
Overall brilliantly written however I would like to see the beautiful side of the vampire rather than seeing their dangerous capabilities. Assuming there will be a next instalment, I would like see where this thirst of revenge will lead to.
The Private Memoirs and Confessions of a Justified Sinner
You immediately get the sense of what country this is set and it puts us in our place. Ross “shows” rather than “tells” us this and gives us the freedom and the time to work it out for ourselves.
Jonathan is yet another example of a boy that doesn't want to be too involved with reality. In some ways his limiting himself to just one friend makes him an easy target to be manipulated into what he becomes much later on in the book. These critical clues to his characteristics make way for something supernatural occurrences.
There is a lot of general hatred towards people which can sometimes be a little overwhelming. However the powerful underlying notion is that Jonathan hates himself more than the bullies for his inactions. He is haunted by the fact that he is a coward and that he can’t change the past. There is a foreboding that this self-hatred cannot stay contained for very long and will at some point resurface with devastating effects.
I like the schizophrenic tendencies running throughout the latter stages of the book. Day Jonathan and night Jonathan battle it out over one body and clash in many ways. In some ways this is very similar to Confessions of a justified sinner by James Hogg, a classic that must be read. Taking the main character from Hogg's book, he talks to us almost in the form of a diary entry and we hear of the torment he faces from a being he thinks is the devil. However it soon comes to fruition that it is his own mind he is battling with. He persuades himself to do terrible crimes. Jonathan's conflicting inner self is similar to this however; his decisions are more influenced by thorn.
It seems inevitable but when you get vampires in a novel there is almost always a sex scene or two. In this instance this book can hardly be compared to Fifty Shades but the content could have been more specific without being cringingly embarrassing to read. However, I have to praise Ross or any author for that matter to include anything along this subject matter as it has to be written in such a way that it doesn’t come across as farfetched or silly.
Overall brilliantly written however I would like to see the beautiful side of the vampire rather than seeing their dangerous capabilities. Assuming there will be a next instalment, I would like see where this thirst of revenge will lead to.
The Private Memoirs and Confessions of a Justified Sinner
January 25, 2023
I received this book for an opportunity to read for free in exchange for an honest review.
The premise of the Birth of Vengeance is that the main character Jonathan Harper is a teenager that has been bullied and beaten up all through school. An attack by bullies against his friend leaves him in a compromising situation and in fear for his safety. His father immediately relocates the family from Leeds to London…. Before long, Jonathan finds himself as a victim between a new gang of bullies, which leads him to events that allow him to be a vampire for one night, and he uses his power to extract his vengeance.
As a vampire lover, I was intrigued by this book's description. The Birth of Vengeance wasted no time in immediately throwing the issue of bullying to the forefront. I don’t think I have ever read a book that did that before. I felt like there could have been a lot more expounded upon in the bullying situation, especially on the attack that changes Jonathan’s life forever. It took about 30% of the book to set up the story before it really started to get interesting and flow at a more exciting pace.
The story itself was quite interesting. The author P. A. Ross faced bullying head-on in many different forms. I also commend him for taking a completely new and interesting look at a different facet of vampires. The last part of the book made the whole story worth reading. However, with that being said, it was really hard to get to that point and read this story. I have edited books that were more polished than this version. There were constant typos, grammatical errors, and just plain missing or extra words that would cause me to pause and try to determine what the author was trying to say. This felt like reading a rough draft.
P. A. Ross obviously has a story worth telling and some compelling characters, but the constant errors dulled the shine of his creative mind. I also feel that at some point, the bullied became the bullier, which may have tarnished the book's lessons. He needs to polish up this copy and add some more detail in the scene setting of the beginning, and he would have a very great book on his hands. At this point, it took me so long to read such a short story by the constant stopping and frustration in reading.
For that reason, I give this book 3.5/5 stars. I hope to see this cleaned up and re-released to obtain the reception that it deserves.
The premise of the Birth of Vengeance is that the main character Jonathan Harper is a teenager that has been bullied and beaten up all through school. An attack by bullies against his friend leaves him in a compromising situation and in fear for his safety. His father immediately relocates the family from Leeds to London…. Before long, Jonathan finds himself as a victim between a new gang of bullies, which leads him to events that allow him to be a vampire for one night, and he uses his power to extract his vengeance.
As a vampire lover, I was intrigued by this book's description. The Birth of Vengeance wasted no time in immediately throwing the issue of bullying to the forefront. I don’t think I have ever read a book that did that before. I felt like there could have been a lot more expounded upon in the bullying situation, especially on the attack that changes Jonathan’s life forever. It took about 30% of the book to set up the story before it really started to get interesting and flow at a more exciting pace.
The story itself was quite interesting. The author P. A. Ross faced bullying head-on in many different forms. I also commend him for taking a completely new and interesting look at a different facet of vampires. The last part of the book made the whole story worth reading. However, with that being said, it was really hard to get to that point and read this story. I have edited books that were more polished than this version. There were constant typos, grammatical errors, and just plain missing or extra words that would cause me to pause and try to determine what the author was trying to say. This felt like reading a rough draft.
P. A. Ross obviously has a story worth telling and some compelling characters, but the constant errors dulled the shine of his creative mind. I also feel that at some point, the bullied became the bullier, which may have tarnished the book's lessons. He needs to polish up this copy and add some more detail in the scene setting of the beginning, and he would have a very great book on his hands. At this point, it took me so long to read such a short story by the constant stopping and frustration in reading.
For that reason, I give this book 3.5/5 stars. I hope to see this cleaned up and re-released to obtain the reception that it deserves.
September 14, 2012
For more of my reviews visit http://losttobooks.blogspot.co.uk
I rated this book 3.5
I didn't think it was possible to come at the vampire genre from a new angle any more, what with the numerous books already out there. However Paul Ross has managed to do this and has created an interesting and intriguing story.
I liked the idea of the woman being the vampire lead for once and loved Thorn's strong characteristics. I also enjoyed the fact that the book approached the vampire theme from a new angle by using a science/experiment theme to link and introduce Jonathan and Thorn. As well as this, the action in this book was great! I love books that go into a lot of detail during fights and I could picture the scenes really easily.
For me the start was a bit slow and it took a while to get into the main storyline but I understand that it is necessary for explaining the reasons for Jonathan actions later on in the book. I would also have liked more insight and development of Jonathan's thoughts about his revenge, for example during build up to it, as it sometimes seemed to happen too quickly and the emotions didn't always seem right, or a bit toned down sometimes. That might just be me though as I like the darker side of stories. Also throughout the book there are a few typos but they a minor and do not detract from the story in anyway.
Overall I enjoyed reading this book. Although it was obviously going to be about revenge and some parts were quite predictable, I was not able to predict the ending, which was great. I liked the new take on the vampire theme and liked Thorn's personality. Like I said before though, I would have liked a bit more character development and insight into Jonathan thoughts about revenge as I believe it would just make engaging with the character slightly easier and interesting.
I rated this book 3.5
I didn't think it was possible to come at the vampire genre from a new angle any more, what with the numerous books already out there. However Paul Ross has managed to do this and has created an interesting and intriguing story.
I liked the idea of the woman being the vampire lead for once and loved Thorn's strong characteristics. I also enjoyed the fact that the book approached the vampire theme from a new angle by using a science/experiment theme to link and introduce Jonathan and Thorn. As well as this, the action in this book was great! I love books that go into a lot of detail during fights and I could picture the scenes really easily.
For me the start was a bit slow and it took a while to get into the main storyline but I understand that it is necessary for explaining the reasons for Jonathan actions later on in the book. I would also have liked more insight and development of Jonathan's thoughts about his revenge, for example during build up to it, as it sometimes seemed to happen too quickly and the emotions didn't always seem right, or a bit toned down sometimes. That might just be me though as I like the darker side of stories. Also throughout the book there are a few typos but they a minor and do not detract from the story in anyway.
Overall I enjoyed reading this book. Although it was obviously going to be about revenge and some parts were quite predictable, I was not able to predict the ending, which was great. I liked the new take on the vampire theme and liked Thorn's personality. Like I said before though, I would have liked a bit more character development and insight into Jonathan thoughts about revenge as I believe it would just make engaging with the character slightly easier and interesting.
October 24, 2012
Review by Dia Pelaez from http://book-junkie-joint.blogspot.com/
Definitely a fresh twist for a vampire story.
The premise of the whole story is very interesting. It isn't like your usual vampire novel which is mostly heroine-centric and romance-driven. We already have Twilight and Vampire Diaries for that.
In The Birth of Vengeance, P.A. Ross gives a different take on the overrated vampire story by combining a very damaged protagonist with a flamboyant vampire for a common goal, which is revenge. Added with a twist of some machinations by the shady Hunters and their interest with Jon and Thorn.
The plus-side of this novel is that it has a fresh plot - something that is uncharted. For one, the novel doesn't start out with a mediocre protagonist. Instead, it flatly starts out and presents the less-than-average Jonathan Harper whose life couldn't seem any more tragic for a teenager.
The down-side is that despite having a fresh plot, the technical aspects of the novel is lacking. When I say technical aspects, I mean the text of the novel itself and the writing style.
I understand that Jonathan Harper is being presented as a teenager, and the story is being told from his perspective. The problem lies in the fact that he doesn't sound like a teenager at all. His narrations, dialogues and speech patterns are too stiff and formal for a teenager.
Secondly, several sentence constructions are either flawed, awkward-sounding or out-of-place. It was as if they were forced, and they don't flow smoothly together, which gives me the idea that the author's native tongue isn't English.
To sum up, while I like the whole idea, plot and premise of the story, I do believe that it could have been written better.
Definitely a fresh twist for a vampire story.
The premise of the whole story is very interesting. It isn't like your usual vampire novel which is mostly heroine-centric and romance-driven. We already have Twilight and Vampire Diaries for that.
In The Birth of Vengeance, P.A. Ross gives a different take on the overrated vampire story by combining a very damaged protagonist with a flamboyant vampire for a common goal, which is revenge. Added with a twist of some machinations by the shady Hunters and their interest with Jon and Thorn.
The plus-side of this novel is that it has a fresh plot - something that is uncharted. For one, the novel doesn't start out with a mediocre protagonist. Instead, it flatly starts out and presents the less-than-average Jonathan Harper whose life couldn't seem any more tragic for a teenager.
The down-side is that despite having a fresh plot, the technical aspects of the novel is lacking. When I say technical aspects, I mean the text of the novel itself and the writing style.
I understand that Jonathan Harper is being presented as a teenager, and the story is being told from his perspective. The problem lies in the fact that he doesn't sound like a teenager at all. His narrations, dialogues and speech patterns are too stiff and formal for a teenager.
Secondly, several sentence constructions are either flawed, awkward-sounding or out-of-place. It was as if they were forced, and they don't flow smoothly together, which gives me the idea that the author's native tongue isn't English.
To sum up, while I like the whole idea, plot and premise of the story, I do believe that it could have been written better.
June 2, 2014
I was given a copy of this book for an honest review, and wish to thank the author for sharing it.
"Got to Hell" and other editing syntax plagued this story, repetition of "the door flying in" 3 times in one paragraph (When Thorn kicked in the warehouse door) and just simple proof reading would have benefited this book, maybe because it was a epub? Beside that distraction, I really enjoyed the story and thought it would be good for both young males and females (16 and over). The concept of Jonathan taking a syringe with vampire blood and semi becoming a vampire, to take "Vengeance" on the bullies who had attacked him, was extremely interesting. The author sets the stage right from the beginning of the book, how Jonathan and his friend Giles are bullied and how no one seems to care or come to their help. The whole idea of leaving and starting anew only to be plagued once again by a new group of bullies. He falls for a girl "too good for him" and is surprised when Scarlet falls for him also. After all he is a coward, he didn't try to help his friend Giles, his only friend. Then his father comes for him after he is attacked by Barry and his gang, and brings him to his lab, where he is inadvertently introduced to Thorn a vampire that his Dad is using for an experiment. From there on the stage is set for Jonathan to take his life back and punish the people who have done him wrong.
I was taken in by the struggle that Jonathan goes through, Day and Night, Scarlet or Thorn. Though I hoped that he would see Thorn as the one to win out. She was always true to him. We are left at the end with a twist to the plot, and I am left wondering is there a book 2? The ending seems to imply that there is still more to come...
"Got to Hell" and other editing syntax plagued this story, repetition of "the door flying in" 3 times in one paragraph (When Thorn kicked in the warehouse door) and just simple proof reading would have benefited this book, maybe because it was a epub? Beside that distraction, I really enjoyed the story and thought it would be good for both young males and females (16 and over). The concept of Jonathan taking a syringe with vampire blood and semi becoming a vampire, to take "Vengeance" on the bullies who had attacked him, was extremely interesting. The author sets the stage right from the beginning of the book, how Jonathan and his friend Giles are bullied and how no one seems to care or come to their help. The whole idea of leaving and starting anew only to be plagued once again by a new group of bullies. He falls for a girl "too good for him" and is surprised when Scarlet falls for him also. After all he is a coward, he didn't try to help his friend Giles, his only friend. Then his father comes for him after he is attacked by Barry and his gang, and brings him to his lab, where he is inadvertently introduced to Thorn a vampire that his Dad is using for an experiment. From there on the stage is set for Jonathan to take his life back and punish the people who have done him wrong.
I was taken in by the struggle that Jonathan goes through, Day and Night, Scarlet or Thorn. Though I hoped that he would see Thorn as the one to win out. She was always true to him. We are left at the end with a twist to the plot, and I am left wondering is there a book 2? The ending seems to imply that there is still more to come...
December 29, 2012
The Birth of Vengeance was a fresh take on vampire, something few authors are capable of doing.
Jonathan wants nothing more to escape his past and put it behind him when he and his father move from Leeds (I actually squealed that part of this book was set in Yorkshire he hopes it will be start of a new life. things begin well when he meets Scarlett. he is instantly drawn to her but believes she is far out of his league he is surprised when she seems to want to hang out with him and more so that she could be interested him. things really couldn't be going better until he runs into a new set of bullies.
Jonathan first meets Thorn at his father facility, he had know idea that he had a vampire caged and even less idea that he as a serum that will temporarily give the user vampire powers.
Jonathan embarks on a journey of revenge. Revenge against the bullies in his present and the ones back in leeds. But Jonathan struggles with his decision and he is torn between day Jonathan who wants to go back to his old life and Scarlett and night Jonathan who wants to stay with Thorn and carry on his revenge. both believe there way is the correct way. but which will win.
I enjoyed the new take of the vampire story, I liked how Jonathan was able to get pay back for all the times he had been bullied and the revelations at the end was shocking
Jonathan wants nothing more to escape his past and put it behind him when he and his father move from Leeds (I actually squealed that part of this book was set in Yorkshire he hopes it will be start of a new life. things begin well when he meets Scarlett. he is instantly drawn to her but believes she is far out of his league he is surprised when she seems to want to hang out with him and more so that she could be interested him. things really couldn't be going better until he runs into a new set of bullies.
Jonathan first meets Thorn at his father facility, he had know idea that he had a vampire caged and even less idea that he as a serum that will temporarily give the user vampire powers.
Jonathan embarks on a journey of revenge. Revenge against the bullies in his present and the ones back in leeds. But Jonathan struggles with his decision and he is torn between day Jonathan who wants to go back to his old life and Scarlett and night Jonathan who wants to stay with Thorn and carry on his revenge. both believe there way is the correct way. but which will win.
I enjoyed the new take of the vampire story, I liked how Jonathan was able to get pay back for all the times he had been bullied and the revelations at the end was shocking
June 14, 2014
I am ambivalent about this book. On one hand I liked the fact that it was a very relevant topic for today, dealing with bullying and the consequences for both the aggressors and the victims. I wanted very much to like the main character Jonathan and at first I did. I could understand his feelings, the anger, pain and depression that comes from constantly being bullied and ostracized by his peers but weaving in the story about temporary vampire powers was a stretch. It is in that direction that this book lost me. The character of Thorn did not have a lot of redeeming qualities. She basically became another bully in Jonathan's life but just did it in a more subtle way. I really thought that there would be more interaction with the other characters in his life, his father, Scarlett and maybe even his friend Giles. Basically, the book took a wrong turn somewhere and became only about vengeance and yes, I get that it is the name of the book. What I couldn't abide was that there was so much anger and violence and not a lot of hope. I guess I just like a story that leaves you with something to aspire to but I didn't find that in any of the characters in this book. Unfortunately I don't think I want to invest anymore time so would probably not read the sequel.
I received this eBook through Goodreads, in exchange for an honest review.
I received this eBook through Goodreads, in exchange for an honest review.
November 15, 2013
I was given this book in exchange for an honest review via GR RI&R group.
I enjoyed this story, a typical teen who feels everything is against him, bullied, a non present father and then the cowardly decisions that results is fatal consequences. The pace of the novel was perfect for the storyline, a natural progression as college goes.
Without revealing any spoilers, I was surprised by the vulnerability of the female lead, as well as the main male characters inner struggles with good and evil. I liked the fact that this was not a typical, mundane, story as with all the mass flooding of vampire stories.
The only thing I found was quite a few instances of repetition, it was almost as though as the female lead was raising a child instead of teaching a young adult, which does tend to fit as a parent, but not a lover. Other than that, my favorite thing was how Mr. Ross showed us the different facets of inner struggle against good & evil.I also adored the little twist at the end, when all the story falls into place, different from what we readers thought would be the ending.
Yes, I liked this book very much, and the new spin to a story that has been told many a time. Good job Mr. ross!
I enjoyed this story, a typical teen who feels everything is against him, bullied, a non present father and then the cowardly decisions that results is fatal consequences. The pace of the novel was perfect for the storyline, a natural progression as college goes.
Without revealing any spoilers, I was surprised by the vulnerability of the female lead, as well as the main male characters inner struggles with good and evil. I liked the fact that this was not a typical, mundane, story as with all the mass flooding of vampire stories.
The only thing I found was quite a few instances of repetition, it was almost as though as the female lead was raising a child instead of teaching a young adult, which does tend to fit as a parent, but not a lover. Other than that, my favorite thing was how Mr. Ross showed us the different facets of inner struggle against good & evil.I also adored the little twist at the end, when all the story falls into place, different from what we readers thought would be the ending.
Yes, I liked this book very much, and the new spin to a story that has been told many a time. Good job Mr. ross!
December 18, 2013
Source: Free copy from Author
Review
This is probably one of my worst of 2013.
I give the author 2 stars for effort and for writing about vampires from a new/different angle and talking about a very important issue; bullying.
The story, the characters and the writing was all disappointing.
There was a lot of repitition, unnecessary details and inconsistencies (with the characters).
Jonathan was always going on and on and on about being bullied and wanting vengeance and feeling guilty for abandoning his friend.
Jonathan is a moody, uncertain character who is always whining. Even after all the training and everything. It got a bit tedious after a while.
The story in general just wasn't working for me and at the end, there was a failed attempt at throwing a curveball.
My reaction was: "oh please"
This story could have done a lot better.
Recommendation
This book wasn't my cuppa but you might enjoy it if you can get over the constant whining.
It's supposed to be horror but it doesn't cut it for me.
Read more reviews at We Blog About Books
Review
This is probably one of my worst of 2013.
I give the author 2 stars for effort and for writing about vampires from a new/different angle and talking about a very important issue; bullying.
The story, the characters and the writing was all disappointing.
There was a lot of repitition, unnecessary details and inconsistencies (with the characters).
Jonathan was always going on and on and on about being bullied and wanting vengeance and feeling guilty for abandoning his friend.
Jonathan is a moody, uncertain character who is always whining. Even after all the training and everything. It got a bit tedious after a while.
The story in general just wasn't working for me and at the end, there was a failed attempt at throwing a curveball.
My reaction was: "oh please"
This story could have done a lot better.
Recommendation
This book wasn't my cuppa but you might enjoy it if you can get over the constant whining.
It's supposed to be horror but it doesn't cut it for me.
Read more reviews at We Blog About Books
November 21, 2012
It is an extraordinary concept,linking vampires with bullying.
The main character is a witness to bullying and later becomes a victim himself. The author shows the frame of mind of the person who looks away and does nothing. The guilt, self loathing and anger. At the same time he is feeling almost gleeful about not being targeted.
The second storyline features the creation of vampires. The obvious connection in this case is receiving the strength and power to not only subdue, but also being able to act upon those strong thoughts of revenge.
I think the chapters leading up to going into the facility could do with some editing. It is drawn out and the event of doing nothing and being a victim are quite similar in structure and contain superfluous details.
This is quite on par with a YA book, which is good and I think young people will relate to the story, especially the bullying angle in schools.
I received a free copy of this book for my review.
The main character is a witness to bullying and later becomes a victim himself. The author shows the frame of mind of the person who looks away and does nothing. The guilt, self loathing and anger. At the same time he is feeling almost gleeful about not being targeted.
The second storyline features the creation of vampires. The obvious connection in this case is receiving the strength and power to not only subdue, but also being able to act upon those strong thoughts of revenge.
I think the chapters leading up to going into the facility could do with some editing. It is drawn out and the event of doing nothing and being a victim are quite similar in structure and contain superfluous details.
This is quite on par with a YA book, which is good and I think young people will relate to the story, especially the bullying angle in schools.
I received a free copy of this book for my review.
November 12, 2013
I was given this book in exchange for a review.
Jon is a bullied teenager. After seeing his best friend beaten and witnessing his friend's mother hit one of the bullies with her car, Jon and his father move to London. Jon hopes to make a fresh start. He meets his dream girl at school. Unfortunately, Jon is attacked by a gang. He goes to see his father at work. That's where he comes into contact with the vampire. He steals a couple of syringes from his father's lab. Will what's in these syringes make him a vampire? He wants to try but he's afraid.
Jon goes to a park where the gang hangs out. He is caught. Barry gives him the injection. He gains strength and takes his revenge on the gang. Jon goes back and frees Thorn, the vampire. He escapes with her. Thorn begins to train Jon. Will he become a vampire?
I enjoyed this book and it could easily have a sequel. It does need some editing though.
Jon is a bullied teenager. After seeing his best friend beaten and witnessing his friend's mother hit one of the bullies with her car, Jon and his father move to London. Jon hopes to make a fresh start. He meets his dream girl at school. Unfortunately, Jon is attacked by a gang. He goes to see his father at work. That's where he comes into contact with the vampire. He steals a couple of syringes from his father's lab. Will what's in these syringes make him a vampire? He wants to try but he's afraid.
Jon goes to a park where the gang hangs out. He is caught. Barry gives him the injection. He gains strength and takes his revenge on the gang. Jon goes back and frees Thorn, the vampire. He escapes with her. Thorn begins to train Jon. Will he become a vampire?
I enjoyed this book and it could easily have a sequel. It does need some editing though.
May 23, 2014
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Having grown up and raised children in Wales(one still living and raising his children on a housing estate), the storyline of this book intrigued me. Yes, there is, like everywhere else quite a bit of bullying and violence that takes place in these areas.
The helplessness and betrayal that Jonathan felt in his young life in Leeds and London, was very well portrayed by Paul Andrew Ross.
I agree this is not your typical YA vampire/love story, but it is a well told tale that grabbed me from the beginning and had me right till the end. With the violence and blood that is present in this book I would say it was more suitable for older teenagers.
I would highly recommend this book to anyone that is interested in this genre.
Thank you for the chance to read this book Mr. Ross. I look forward to the second installment!
Having grown up and raised children in Wales(one still living and raising his children on a housing estate), the storyline of this book intrigued me. Yes, there is, like everywhere else quite a bit of bullying and violence that takes place in these areas.
The helplessness and betrayal that Jonathan felt in his young life in Leeds and London, was very well portrayed by Paul Andrew Ross.
I agree this is not your typical YA vampire/love story, but it is a well told tale that grabbed me from the beginning and had me right till the end. With the violence and blood that is present in this book I would say it was more suitable for older teenagers.
I would highly recommend this book to anyone that is interested in this genre.
Thank you for the chance to read this book Mr. Ross. I look forward to the second installment!
June 10, 2014
I loved the book. The entire plot and essence the story was based on was unique. There were parts which were filled with action and others with misery. The blend of most of the genres were amazing. The book really gripped me and prevented me from doing anything else ,really. I especially liked the way bulling fit in. It made the main character - Jonathan more real , more lifelike.
The book was brilliant but there were some drawbacks which kept in from achieving what it could. For instance the cover could have been better because the current one is too kiddish which makes it look like "Goosebumps"( not that there's anything wrong with goosebumps ).
Though when it come to the main point I really enjoyed the book.
I rate it as a **** ( 4 star book) !!
*Received this book for an honest review*
The book was brilliant but there were some drawbacks which kept in from achieving what it could. For instance the cover could have been better because the current one is too kiddish which makes it look like "Goosebumps"( not that there's anything wrong with goosebumps ).
Though when it come to the main point I really enjoyed the book.
I rate it as a **** ( 4 star book) !!
*Received this book for an honest review*
May 23, 2014
I would like to praise Mr. Ross for his effort and diligence in writing this book, as I would anyone pursuing their dream and committing their vision to type. I know how hard it is. The teen bracket that will be his primary audience will undoubtedly enjoy the genre, the revenge theme, the sexuality, the action and the gory fight scenes. But, that's as positive as I'm able to be. Unfortunately, the story lost me very quickly on several counts. First, because I couln't see past the execution, grammatical errors, sentence fragments and choppy disjointed feel to the writing. I felt as though I was reviewing a draft copy several rewrites away from completion. Secondly, I experienced a disconnect to the characters; wanting to care, wanting to be drawn in, but inexplicably left empty. Bottom line: Decent story with potential, but lacking polish and attention to fundamentals.
May 15, 2014
It is a dark fantasy novel with characters who are shown to have a complicated psyche shown in a most articulate manner, at certain times you will find them to be incredibly conflicted.
The author portrays a very violent world, we got gangs and fighting everywhere and our protagonist, who is stuck in the middle most of the time.
The story is quite captivating but some things did not sit well with me hence the four stars, I will definitely be looking forwards to the next book in the series as this one seemed more like an introduction into that grim world, that i love.
Readers who don't like the vampires who sparkle and are friendly to everyone will like this book since the ones in this book are completely bloodthirsty, well most of the time.
The author portrays a very violent world, we got gangs and fighting everywhere and our protagonist, who is stuck in the middle most of the time.
The story is quite captivating but some things did not sit well with me hence the four stars, I will definitely be looking forwards to the next book in the series as this one seemed more like an introduction into that grim world, that i love.
Readers who don't like the vampires who sparkle and are friendly to everyone will like this book since the ones in this book are completely bloodthirsty, well most of the time.
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