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Formosan Vampire

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"A standout in the realm of vampire fiction." - Reader's Favorite ★★★★★

“A riveting narrative, compelling read and gripping atmosphere.” - Literary Titan ★★★★★

In the shadowy depths of Taiwan’s infamous Lyudao Island Prison, a figure shrouded in enigma and terror awaits his fate on death row. Known to a few as Seth, the formidable leader of the Dark Order, a clandestine legion of vampires, this entity’s true identity remains a mystery.

Why would a being of such power and darkness willingly surrender to mortal chains?

It isn’t until Eunice Wang, a tenacious young paralegal, steps into the cell of this condemned soul during his last hours that Seth weaves an astonishing narrative, revealing his past as the ancient Formosan vampire king. His tale spans millennia, chronicling a reign steeped in blood and shadow over an island kingdom, a realm of awe and dread that eclipsed the horrors of history.

As the prisoner’s story unfolds, Eunice discovers a lost civilization that had flourished, only to vanish mysteriously at the dawn of the 20th century. A civilization established 6000 years ago, ruled by Seth, that waged historical wars from ancient times through to World War II with a ferocious and powerful, indigenous samurai-like vampire army, against the Spanish, Dutch, Chinese, Japanese and others who dared to invade or occupy Formosa.

A civilization, marked by unfathomable terrors and bloodshed, that holds secrets which could unravel the fabric of history and challenge the future and the very nature of humanity’s understanding of power and darkness.

548 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 23, 2023

85 people are currently reading
69 people want to read

About the author

Amadeus Rockefeller

3 books7 followers
Amadeus is an Award Winning Australian-Taiwanese writer who grew up in the 80s and has a diverse background spanning film, TV and radio, the military, electrical engineering, robotics, quantum mechanics, aviation, and elementary school teaching.

Amadeus is also an inventor of several electronic devices. These include a brainwave therapy device that stimulates neural networks of the human brain to help people with depression, anxiety, and insomnia.

Amadeus’s heroes include Sadako Sasaki (12-year-old Hiroshima Atomic Bomb Victim), Stephen Hawking (British Theoretical physicist), Christopher Reeve (American actor, director, and activist), and his mom. He is an advocate of The Sadako Legacy NPO for the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons.

Amadeus believes in never giving up and pursuing your dreams. In 2019, Amadeus fulfilled a lifelong dream and met with Sadako’s brother Masahiro Sasaki to clean and lay flowers on Sadako’s tomb in Fukuoka, Japan. Which is considered a great honor.

When not teaching elementary school English and electronics, Amadeus enjoys writing stories and watching fantasy, comedy and science fiction movies. On weekends he likes to go on adventures around Taiwan or Japan with his son Alexander.

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5 stars
46 (56%)
4 stars
21 (25%)
3 stars
11 (13%)
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4 (4%)
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
Profile Image for Kassandra.
403 reviews7 followers
January 21, 2024
Amadeus Rockefeller is a mastermind, point blank. The man did as the kids say “slaaaayy” and as he did writing this book so did his characters literally. As the title suggests this is a vampire book and it was with this premise that I realized i absolutely love me a vampire novel!! This book catapulted me into the world of vampires and it was done so well due to the authors studying of the history of Taiwan.

The author has a deep respect for Taiwan and its people. Rockefeller’s ability of storytelling and history recounting shone greatly in this book and although it’s almost 550 pages long it was absolutely worth it. I will be anxiously anticipating more work from him. I am absolutely in awe with his way of writing.

I was extremely grateful for my kindle while reading this novel because I found myself continually going into deep dives into many of the places, people, artists, and species of things as I read along. As mentioned it was a large book and features a heavy amount of history. I think the amount of history led to its length, but this enables the reader to not have to worry about taking their phone out to read into anything because the author does it for you. I found several things being mentioned over and over and while some might find this repetitive and annoying. I found it extremely helpful as it all ties into the story and the history is very necessary to the entire story.

Rockefeller thought of every little thing when planning out how this vampire world was going to be. From the 1400’s to 2022, he put so much thought into this universe and quite frankly this alone had me giving this book 5 stars. The attention to detail when describing everything was like watching a movie.

I’m surprised in this book because it had me rooting for the bad guy the entire time. I wanted so badly for the bad guy to rise up. If you want to find out if he did or not then I HIGHLY recommend this book. Don’t let its size intimidate you. It’s 100% worth it. Also the twist that I did not see coming?! It was mind blowing and almost had me screeching in public.

5/5 stars!!
Profile Image for Annarella.
14.3k reviews166 followers
February 4, 2024
Gorey, dark, and very violent but also gripping and well plotted. A story that talks about vampire but also society and history.
I assume it's inspired by Interview with the Vampire but it stands on its own feet and it's an excelent book.
Do not read if you are queasy because it can be very graphic
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine
Profile Image for _sassy_39.
2,650 reviews165 followers
January 18, 2024
Those who enjoy reading horror fiction should get their hands on Formosan Vampire penned by the author Amadeus Rockefeller. The story begins from Lyudao Prison, Taiwan and the year is 2022. The main character of the story is Seth Ardelean, a death row inmate and a vampire awaiting his execution. He doesn't want to live without his wife and daughter. He is a ‘Formosan Vampire’.

Before Seth's execution, Eunice Wang, a legal representative from Xin Tai-Yang Associates visited Green Island Prison to interview Seth. She was told that he wants to die by execution only and people wonder why. After getting a few details from the vampire, Eunice wanted to leave but due to a power cut, she had to spend more time with the vampire. He forced her to listen to him about the historical epic of his life as the Formosan vampire king. Eunice was surprised to know that Seth has spent four hundred years on Formosa.

Since the book contains violence, vampirism and cannibalism, this book is for mature readers. The author has managed to write the story in different timelines well. When Eunice was listening to Seth's story, it sent chills down my spine. If I would have been in her place, I would have ran from the prison without even looking back ever. The narration is smooth and you won't feel like putting this book down. Those who enjoy reading stories involving history, horror, etc should definitely get their hands on this book. Seth's character is interesting and I had a great time reading this book.
Profile Image for Ria.
71 reviews19 followers
April 3, 2025
When you go from talking about historical facts then switch to a scene where Seth presses a lever on his Throne of Skulls and Bones and his unsuspecting victims fall into a pit that grinds their bodies up and pulverizes them and also extracts their blood for their hidden army lying in deep slumber for the moment of insurrection.

Excellent book
Profile Image for Kate Victoria RescueandReading.
1,972 reviews117 followers
January 24, 2024
Formosan Vampire is a fictional biographical tale of a Cro-Magnon man who is altered by a cataclysmic event and is able to live for thousands of years on the blood of others.

Now imprisoned, on the eve of his death sentence, he shares his fantastical tale with a young woman who was hired as his lawyer.

The reader jumps back and forth from present day to the past many times. You can tell the author has put so much work into the world building of his tale. Not only the fictional aspects, but the history of Taiwan itself is so detailed and creates a rich narrative.

There were some repetitive sentences (like almost word for word), and some typos (ex: “katana” is spelt “kanata”), so hopefully those were all caught in the final draft.

This was quite a long story, and I did find some parts a bit dry, but if you’re looking for a unique vampiric tale, this is the one for you!

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and BooksGoSocial for a copy!
Profile Image for Janalyn, the blind reviewer.
4,714 reviews143 followers
February 6, 2024
Seth Ardelean is a monster locked up in awaiting death. The day before his execution a paralegal name Eunice goes so he can sign papers in preparation for his demise. He is locked up in the lowest level of A renovated POW camp on an island in Thailand. When Eunice first enters the chambers she is fearful and it doesn’t help when Seth decides to play mind games with her but before it’s over he will tell her his story. It is a story made up of sadness terra horror kingdoms peasants victims perpetrators and so much more he talks about how he was there through corrupt colonist to corrupt governments and although he has done horrible things he also tells about how horrible things were done to him his wife and his daughter. He is in prison for the murder of Dr. Anderson and we also get to know why that happened and OMG if this wasn’t a great story! Before it’s over Eunice we’ll go from fearing him to assisting him. This is a very very long book and it took me a few days to read but OMG it is so good anyone who has been a victim will appreciate this book especially those who have a dislike for corrupt government greediness and power-hungry people I really enjoyed this book and highly recommend it if you love vampire stories and revenge tales you will definitely like The Formosan Vampire by Amadeus Rockefeller. I want to thank the author and NetGalley for my free arc copy please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate my review.
Profile Image for Pat Hendrix.
1 review
February 28, 2024
amazing

This is amazing storytelling. Full of real places and people with a tantalizing twist. I hated for it to end. I want more!!!
It will have you rooting for the main characters. A++
Profile Image for Chris DR.
7 reviews
April 17, 2025
This story is just okay in that the individual pieces of the story were better than the sum of its parts. One example is the justification for how the formosan vampire came to be. It is a novel approach and backstory, but the logic stopped applying to the progression of the vampires throughout the book as they became much more typically powered.

The bits of Taiwanese history woven in was my favorite aspect of the story, although I am not admittedly well-versed enough to know how accurate it is outside of the broad strokes.

If you want a somewhat novel approach to what a vampire story, this is worth a shot, even if it did not fully click for me.
2 reviews
May 21, 2024
Historical Based paranormal fiction at its best!

I loved all the richness of culture and history embedded alongside a terrifying vampire tale. Truth be told, I found the evil committed by the humans far worse than what was committed by Seth and his followers. The humans were driven by greed and lust for power, while Seth was protecting his family and his people.
Profile Image for Brittney.
663 reviews3 followers
July 15, 2025
While I loved how he twisted vampire lore into real history (that part of the plot slapped) the prison part just didn’t sit well with me at all. Even from like chapter two I wasn’t seeing how they were able to hold him at all. He’s got an entire dark order but ends up having to set up a prison break.. idk. It is a great historical fiction though if you’re into gory, brutal history.
14 reviews
April 16, 2024
I want more!

I want to read everything about this tribe, the continuing story, can’t wait for the next book! Best read I have had in a very long time!
Profile Image for Jonas Maes.
119 reviews
October 3, 2024
Finished reading:
Formosan Vampire by @amadeusrockefeller
__________

⭐⭐⭐⭐,5/5
🩸🩸🩸
Pages: 606
Genres: Horror, Historical, Fantasy
__________

"Do not let this prison or my execution deceive you. I will have my revenge. We will rise again. And the blood of the occupation of the R.O.C. will flow along the streets of all the villages, towns, and cities of this island like rivers of death. Formosa and its First Nations people will reign again, free."
__________

I got this ARC before it came out and I started reading it then, but a lot happened in life back then and never finished it. After that, I forgot about it, until I saw it in my library again and really wanted to finish it, because what I had read, was amazing!

I read this book with @mylifein.books and she finished it AGES ago 😂 I am a slow reader y'all and I struggled sometimes to keep reading. Not because it wasn't interesting, but because September has been so busy, when I had time to read, it took me 5 seconds to fall asleep 😂 But, I finally finished it, so let's get to the review.

This book was an absolute gem! Seth was a super interesting character and following his journey through life was amazing! His origin story and the stories the moment he started telling about the 1900's were the most interesting to me. Although I think every story had its purpose and served something to the overall plot.

It started with a young girl called Eunice being assigned to visit Seth in prison to finalize all paperwork before his execution the following day. However due to a storm and electronics acting up, Seth and Eunice get locked up together and Seth starts to tell his entire story, while Eunice writes it down.

Some parts of his history are damn BRUTAL! Some scenes are so descriptive and detailed I could picture everything clearly in my mind and some images were disturbing to say the least. Intestines flung everywhere, heads kept rolling, torture was A-okay, and what is liter blood more or less, right?

I do recommend checking trigger warnings, because there are also very descriptive scenes of babies born with de formalities due to atomic bombs and radiation and such.

Anyway, it was an amazing read!!
3 reviews1 follower
January 1, 2024
Formosan Vampire: From the Chronicles of Seth Ardelean the Cro-Magnon Vampire by Amadeus Rockefeller will enthrall fans of supernatural and historical fiction. The immediate setting is the backdrop of Lyudao Prison, Taiwan, in 2022. Seth Ardelean is a vampire awaiting execution, and one wonders why such a powerful vampire allowed himself to be caught. As the narrative opens, he recounts his story that spans centuries and what led him to become the Formosan vampire king. Eunice Wang, a paralegal, arrives to interview the mysterious inmate before his execution and is drawn into a world filled with mystery. The author deftly melds past and present, blending supernatural elements with historical events.

Amadeus Rockefeller excels at creating phenomenal conflict, from Seth's struggles for thousands of years to his imminent execution, from his well-crafted plan for escape and the quest for revenge to mysterious circumstances surrounding the vampiric Dark Order and the explosive denouement. The setting in Lyudao Prison adds a tense atmosphere to the story, heightened by Seth's encounters in the mess hall and the underground chamber. As Eunice Wang digs deeper into Seth's story, readers are drawn into a world where vampirism, revenge, and an ancient civilization converge. The story takes readers through different historical moments, creating a compelling narrative of horror, history, and the supernatural. The characters are larger than life. Dark rituals and a vampire queen imprisoned beneath the cathedral are other elements of intrigue that augment the tension in this spellbinding story. The use of Bach's Toccata and Fugue in D minor is another plot point that intensifies the mysterious atmosphere. Readers who enjoyed Christopher Pike's Thirst will find enormous delight in this wonderfully crafted tale. It is as imaginative as it is entertaining.
Profile Image for Literary Titan.
750 reviews86 followers
February 25, 2024
Formosan Vampire, by Amadeus Rockefeller, offers a riveting narrative that interweaves the lives of two markedly different characters. Seth, a centuries-old vampire, languishes in prison, haunted by a past rich in conquests, conflicts, and losses. Known previously as the formidable leader of the Dark Order, he finds himself on death row, reflecting on a life marked by horror and regret.

In stark contrast is Eunice, a 26-year-old paralegal, whose experience with racism and derogatory treatment in her youth fuels her ambition in the legal field. Her path crosses with Seth's when she interviews him, uncovering tales of ancient vampire kingdoms and Seth's former glory. Their interaction unveils a history marred by the fall of civilizations and governmental corruption, and an unexpected bond forms between them amidst Seth's psychological ploys.

Rockefeller's novel is characterized by its sophisticated characters and a plethora of themes that add depth to the narrative. While the book's length may initially seem intimidating, it quickly draws the reader into its complex world. The narrative, while occasionally pausing in its suspense, is enriched by vivid descriptions and a deep exploration of vampire lore, which together weave a captivating and immersive world. The story is particularly appealing to those with a penchant for horror, offering just enough gore to maintain a gripping atmosphere. The fusion of historical elements with the vampire theme adds an intriguing layer to the story.

Formosan Vampire is a compelling read for anyone fascinated by the lore of vampires and complex character dynamics. Those interested in a novel that blends horror, history, and intricate character studies will find this book a noteworthy addition to their reading list.
Profile Image for Dr. Monidipa Dutta.
1,072 reviews17 followers
January 7, 2025
The views are of my own. Thanks to Net galley.

As I turned the pages of this gripping tale, I found myself drawn into the eerie corridors of Lyudao Island Prison. Seth, the enigmatic vampire king, is not just a character; he’s a force of nature, unraveling a history so dark and intricate that it felt like peeling back layers of forbidden knowledge. You’re not just reading his story—you’re living it, one blood-soaked revelation at a time.

What struck me most was the depth of the narrative. Seth’s confession to Eunice Wang wasn’t just a recounting of events; it was a mesmerizing journey through time, unveiling a civilization shrouded in mystery and terror. You can’t help but feel the weight of his words as he recounts battles against colonizers and the haunting legacy of his vampiric reign.

The story’s strength lies in its ability to merge history with myth, blurring the lines between reality and the supernatural. You’ll find yourself questioning humanity’s understanding of power and morality, and whether the monsters of the past are truly gone—or if they’ve simply taken new forms.

While the pacing dragged slightly in a few parts, and some historical details felt dense, it didn’t take away from the sheer brilliance of the world-building. By the time you close the book, you’ll feel like you’ve unearthed a forgotten secret—a chilling reminder of the shadows lurking in history.

If you’re ready to confront the darkness and immerse yourself in a tale that will leave you questioning everything, this book is an unforgettable experience. It’s not just a story; it’s an invitation to step into the abyss.
Profile Image for Hel.
3 reviews
October 9, 2024
loved it!

Great read! I really enjoyed the story line. Very original and well written. I’ve never read a vampire book like this before. Highly recommend!
Profile Image for Lawrey Goodrick.
Author 2 books7 followers
January 9, 2026
Brutal as F.
Horror enthusiasts will unite to wash their eyeballs after reading this gore fest intertwined with historical semblance.
4 reviews
February 1, 2026
Fabulous!

Entertaining and enthralling!
The history was great, as well as what felt like a fresh take on origins of vampires.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews

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