Vampire Maker

Vampires #4

by Michael Schiefelbein

After turning his human lover into a vampire in Washington, D.C., upsetting the Dark Kingdom’s delicate balance and exponentially increasing his own powers, Victor fled to post-Katrina New Orleans in order to escape the Dark Kingdom’s justice, leaving his lover behind. Mere geography, however, cannot protect Victor from the Dark Kingdom’s agents, who are hellbent on resetting the balance and stopping Victor’s plans to become a vampire maker -- at any cost.Father Charles Boisvert believes he has overcome his homosexual desires -- that is, until troubled, young Kyle enters his confessional. Kyle is Victor’s latest thrall, trapped to do Victor’s bidding, desperate to escape yet loving his subservience. Charles is determined to save Kyle from Victor’s control, even if it means giving in to temptation.While Charles and Victor battle for Kyle’s soul, the Dark Kingdom’s agents draw ever closer. The very thing that will give Victor the power to defeat them -- transforming Kyle from thrall to vampire -- will simultaneously free Kyle from Victor’s control, yet doom his soul forever.

Genres: Vampires, Horror, Gay, Fiction, LGBT, Paranormal, M M Romance

240 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 18, 2010

About the author

Michael Schiefelbein, after spending ten years studying for the priesthood, graduated from the University of Maryland with a doctorate in English. He is a professor of writing and literature in Memphis, TN.

Reviews

[Abigail SMith · Rating 2 out of 5]

So this book was not what I thought and I read it purely because of the title. I likely would not have read the entire novel had I another novel with me at the time. Not that it was terrible - just not my thing.

[Jimmy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This new book in The Vampire Series was great to come back to after what happened in Vampire Transgression. It was more fun, (kinda like Anne Rice, which is mentioned); with its setting in New Orleans. I deeply enjoyed every moment of it, but it is not one of my favorites of the series. Anyone who has read and is a fan of the author Greg Herren, Anne Rice, or even David Thomas Lord, will enjoy this fast-paced, thrilling rollercoaster ride in the life of the Roman vampire Victor.
After leaving Paul in Georgetown, escaping the agents of the Dark Kingdom, Victor and his new thrall Kyle go to New Orleans, where Victor easily finds another priest to exact his retribution on, against Joshu’s god.
Father Charles believes that he has experienced a true miracle from God. He believes that God cured him of his homosexuality, and that is when he entered into the life of a priest. However, when he meets Kyle, he learns that his caring and love are more than Christian brotherly affections. Charles is seeing a doctor, who claims to suppress the gay sexual urges that are strongly discouraged in the Catholic Church.
Victor discovers that his power as a vampire grows stronger and stronger with each new vampire that he makes. He is challenging the sun for the first time in 2,000 years. He wonders what the world will be like with him as ruler of a world of vampires that he created. Will this newfound power give him the confidence to overcome the agents of the Dark Kingdom?
With the love between Kyle and Charles, and the relationship between Victor and Kyle, an old acquaintance of Victor’s devises its plan to right the rules that Victor has broken, and to free them from their frozen state in the Dark Kingdom. On the other hand, is the offer of a high ruling seat in the Dark Kingdom’s government to much of a temptation to not accept?
Will Charles be able to face and deal with his gay relationship with Kyle? In addition, is Kyle savable from his present limbo state? Will Victor finally escape the agents of the Dark Kingdom, to become The vampire maker?

[Jane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Did I read the same books as everyone else?! I loved it! I love Schefelbein's intelligent and theological approach to his Vampires...specifically Victor.
Victor....spurned by Jesus himself..or Joshu as he was known at the time. He never got over it...plans to revenge..avenge...forget...renounce...his Jesus..his Joshu.

His eternal life is governed by his well-spring of emotions which he can't get past.
Now in New Orleans he meets a priest who is questioning his sexual orientation. Just what Victor loves! He loves his thrall too.

The descriptive narrative of New Orleans is excellent as it is just after the flood.

The new characters are well-fleshed out. Besides Victor, we have the priest and Victor's thrall whom Victor wants to make his vampire.

Victor life(excuse the pun) is hanging...he won't ascent...and therein lies the problem.

As usual Schefelbien makes the Catholic Church, the priest and Joshu...Victor's nemisis.

I recommend all the Schefelbien Vampire books for those who value an intelligent theological argument and excellent settings from around the world.

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this much better than the third book in the series; the New Orleans setting was much more interesting than DC and at least there was none of the BDSM club-stuff I found so boring in "Vampire Transgression".

However, I just didn't feel like this was a satisfactory conclusion to the series. Way too much is left hanging and unanswered by the end (will there ever be a fifth book, or did the author run out of steam or not want to tackle the topic of Victor's final fate?)

Primarily, I find it a let down we never get a real full on battle between Victor and the Dark Kingdom. Will he achieve his goal of becoming a full Vampire Maker, so powerful he can walk in full daylight? Will he create his own kingdom on Earth, or will the Dark Kingdom and/or Joshu stop him somehow? And what of Paul, will he ever find out that Victor is still on Earth? These are all the questions I'm left wondering at the end of this series, which is a bit disappointing considering how much I loved the books.

[Lee · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Vampire Maker, the fourth in the series, is far better that the third book, Vampire Transgression. The storyline continues with its familiar themes. The book is well written and while I enjoyed the book, and the series, I was happy to have finished it/them. As I've said in my review of Vampire Transgression the amount of religious content was too much for me. I understand that it is important to the storyline, but is it really important that I know the names of the parts of the alter in a church? I think that the reason that Mr. Schiefelbein goes into such detail on Catholicism is only because he likes this stuff, regardless of its value to the story.

I give The Vampire Maker three stars.

[Michael · Rating 2 out of 5]

I should have know better that to expect anything original from this hackneyed subject. I thought just maybe the gay angle would bring something original. It makes me wonder what happened to the Truman Capotes, the Oscar Wildes, the Walt Whitmans, the Tennessee Williamses, the Gertrude Steins, the William Bouroughses that once were the great gay writers. Sure there is Chabon, Ryman, Rechy, Bram, Hollingshurst Kramer and a few others but The Vampire Maker does not even come remotely close to even the worst book of these authors.

[Tom Ratliff · Rating 5 out of 5]

OK, so I'm a vampire addict. In this one, Victor makes a new vampire, upsetting the cosmic forces. He seduces yet another gay priest (such a fantasy...we know there are no gay priests out there!!!!!...the Bible tells me so...). It's an easy read, but it's fun.

[Traci]

I really did not like this book. I finished it but I don't think I will ever read one of his books again.

[Andrea · Rating 1 out of 5]

Over kill . . .

[Robbie Flaherty · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ready for book #5 now

[Jeff Pedersen · Rating 1 out of 5]

Gay vampire in love with Jesus? I have read some pretty interesting things, but this was on the strange list.