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Rose Blood: The Phantasmagoriad Book One
Peter Guy Blacklock’s Rose Blood is the first book in a trilogy of breakneck, erotically charged, Gothic fairytales set in an alternate world full of gruesome horrors, dark fantasies, twisted trysts and hard-boiled heroics; peopled with unique characters, many of whom subvert genre norms, and steeped in authentic occult lore. The gripping story, which hooks from the start, unfolds in and around the eldritch environs of an archaic primeval forest that lingers across a huge swathe of the Britannik Isles – a dark parallel of Britain in the early 1700s.
A chance accident on the road home from finishing-school thrusts a sheltered Rebekah into a violent, desperate and rapidly escalating struggle involving disturbingly prescient dreams, sensual vampiric bloodletting, the brutal kidnap of her sister, the wanton murder-by-troll of her father and the wicked sorceries of an arcane Machiavellian evil from the distant land of Kanaan. With the unlikely aid of a rogue vampire named Mikael, his ghostly lover, Lilith, an old wizard traveller - and agent of the state - called Arkturon and an occult specialist Ranger, the dark-elf Corporal Villovürt; she must set out to rescue Luwsiy, her young sister, from the diabolical machinations of an ancient and powerful sorcerer named Bäliyl Samiyl and his three deadly daughters, Aggareth, Maqlath and Igymeth.
The wizard-led band of assorted and unlikely heroes travel a wayward path that traverses strange otherworldly realms – while a troop of hardened Rangers, led by the stalwart Sergeant D’Geai Rinawn from the deserts of Namib, pursue the same goal on more temporal ground through the ancient, goblin and troll infested Old Forest beset with magical traps and dangers. The two groups follow their respective paths, one beaten by wizardry and wisdom, the other by sword, blunderbuss and brawn.
As well as being part of a trilogy, this novel is the first in a whole series of tales set within the same alternate world that parallels our own. These Anti-Verse Tales will take place in different times and technological periods past, present and future, but are still firmly within the same mirror universe, the convincing magical reality of which is a benighted and bewitching reflection of the histories, myths, legends and folklore of our own world.
A chance accident on the road home from finishing-school thrusts a sheltered Rebekah into a violent, desperate and rapidly escalating struggle involving disturbingly prescient dreams, sensual vampiric bloodletting, the brutal kidnap of her sister, the wanton murder-by-troll of her father and the wicked sorceries of an arcane Machiavellian evil from the distant land of Kanaan. With the unlikely aid of a rogue vampire named Mikael, his ghostly lover, Lilith, an old wizard traveller - and agent of the state - called Arkturon and an occult specialist Ranger, the dark-elf Corporal Villovürt; she must set out to rescue Luwsiy, her young sister, from the diabolical machinations of an ancient and powerful sorcerer named Bäliyl Samiyl and his three deadly daughters, Aggareth, Maqlath and Igymeth.
The wizard-led band of assorted and unlikely heroes travel a wayward path that traverses strange otherworldly realms – while a troop of hardened Rangers, led by the stalwart Sergeant D’Geai Rinawn from the deserts of Namib, pursue the same goal on more temporal ground through the ancient, goblin and troll infested Old Forest beset with magical traps and dangers. The two groups follow their respective paths, one beaten by wizardry and wisdom, the other by sword, blunderbuss and brawn.
As well as being part of a trilogy, this novel is the first in a whole series of tales set within the same alternate world that parallels our own. These Anti-Verse Tales will take place in different times and technological periods past, present and future, but are still firmly within the same mirror universe, the convincing magical reality of which is a benighted and bewitching reflection of the histories, myths, legends and folklore of our own world.
354 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 1, 2017
1 person is currently reading
11 people want to read
About the author
Peter Guy Blacklock
2 books29 followersPeter Guy Blacklock was born and raised in an unremarkable town in the north-east of England by a remarkably supportive and well adjusted working-class family. After 14 years of ineffective education he found himself in Art College, which led to twenty years employment as an Archaeological Illustrator in which he produced a wide variety of technical illustrations for publication as well as more general illustration, design and copy work on educational and display materials intended for schools and the general public. Eventually the hunt for a half decent salary within that occupation led him to the Museum of London and a move to the capitol where he still lives today in happily married bliss.
He is passionate about genre fiction, film and games, has a fervent interest in history, mythology and folklore and is fascinated by the deeper meanings behind ritual practice, ceremonial magic and occult lore. He is a keen Ripperologist, a devout Lovecraftian and a determined new writer of dark-genre fiction and non-fiction books. A good deal of his spare time is spent online where, under his user-name of choice ‘Harbinger451’, he is creating a website and writing a blog that explore the alternative worlds that encompass his passions.
He is passionate about genre fiction, film and games, has a fervent interest in history, mythology and folklore and is fascinated by the deeper meanings behind ritual practice, ceremonial magic and occult lore. He is a keen Ripperologist, a devout Lovecraftian and a determined new writer of dark-genre fiction and non-fiction books. A good deal of his spare time is spent online where, under his user-name of choice ‘Harbinger451’, he is creating a website and writing a blog that explore the alternative worlds that encompass his passions.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
March 22, 2018
The first book in a new series, Peter Guy Blacklock's Rose Blood: An Anti-Verse Tale is a novel take on vampire legendry and the classic demon lover motif. The prose is highly stylistic, being both sexually charged and rather full of explicit erotic imagery, with many couplings between the various characters; it immediately brought to mind Anne Rice's Roquelaure / Sleeping Beauty novels. There is an overarching Dracula / Carmilla / Frankenstein influence, some very subtle tones from the Grimm's Fairy Tales, as well as shades from more contemporary works, such as those of Charlaine Harris and even the Universal Pictures monster films, with many creatures of the night such as ghosts, trolls, fairies and spriggans all making their appearances at certain points in the narrative. The plot is complex and refined, involving main character Mikael's being seduced by the spirit Lilith, then the woman Rebekah, followed the abduction of her sister Luwisy by an evil vampire sorcerer and the quest to reclaim her; tying everything together is the story’s meticulous treatment of magic and place, with various towns and castles to create a suitable backdrop for the fantastic tale. I would recommend it to those who enjoy both classic horror literature and contemporary erotica.
April 5, 2018
Fair warning, The Phantasmagoriad Series is not for the prudish or faint-hearted. I was becoming concerned with the number of uniquely described physical encounters, but I came to understand the higher purpose. Our favorite evil Sorcerer eloquently explained himself. And no, I’m not going to quote him for you.
It is amazing how quickly a person can mature when faced with untold evils. A doe-eyed young woman thinks of nothing more than falling in love. Why shouldn’t she? It’s not like a potential apocalypse is an everyday occurrence. In the blink of an eye, her world becomes complicated. She becomes aware of various sapien-like beings. When the safety of her sister comes into question, she throws herself into a world beyond her own armed with nothing more than a short sword and unfamiliar companions.
This was an interesting and entertaining read. The power-hungry tend to be blinded by their desires, but not all can be vanquished. I love how this story ended and I cannot wait to see who rises in the next.
It is amazing how quickly a person can mature when faced with untold evils. A doe-eyed young woman thinks of nothing more than falling in love. Why shouldn’t she? It’s not like a potential apocalypse is an everyday occurrence. In the blink of an eye, her world becomes complicated. She becomes aware of various sapien-like beings. When the safety of her sister comes into question, she throws herself into a world beyond her own armed with nothing more than a short sword and unfamiliar companions.
This was an interesting and entertaining read. The power-hungry tend to be blinded by their desires, but not all can be vanquished. I love how this story ended and I cannot wait to see who rises in the next.
October 16, 2017
This book crosses a myriad of genres including gothic, fantasy, horror, romance.
Strictly for adults.
Story moves at break-neck pace. Really looking forward to the next installment of this trilogy.
Highly recommended.
Strictly for adults.
Story moves at break-neck pace. Really looking forward to the next installment of this trilogy.
Highly recommended.
January 9, 2023
Roseblood is an epic fantasy fiction set in a alternative 1700 Britain. The narrative starts out with an awkwardly out of place sex scene, and this sets the tone for the story to come. For all of the things this book is lacking in, sex is certainly not one of them. If you can overlook the fact that Blacklock cannot get past what feels like 3 pages without having to describe graphic sex, the book itself, at least as far as I got with it, isn’t actually bad. Unfortunately, I could not, and only made it half way before I couldn’t take any more, which is a shame as the book actually has a lot going for it.
The main characters are an interesting bunch. The vampiric Mikael, strong and assured. His ghostly lover Lilith, once a vampire herself but now something more. The old wizard Arkturon whom seems to be a lot more powerful and knowledgeable than he’s letting on. And the protagonist Rebecca, a young and naïve girl who is thrown into a world of intrigue and death. All interesting in their own way and Blacklock does a good job fleshing the characters out; slowly and steadily feeding the reader information.
The overarching “good vs evil” theme is well played, with the fairly typical “rescue of a damsel in distress” plot being well used. The world building is slipped in very well and didn’t feel farced, with the reader learning about the world through the eyes of the protagonist Rebecca.
Blackthorns writing style awkward in places, although I suspect this is because he is writing in a more verbose and archaic style. The elephant in the wrong, the big problem with the narrative, is flow. As said before, wanton and gratuitous sex is thrown in so often that it distracts from anything else. The book starts with sex, Rebecca cannot even bath without having to be turned on by the cold water touching her nethers, and we won’t even get started on the implied incest between Rebecca and her sister. Luwsiy.
As I think you can guess, I did not enjoy this book. It is said there is a market for every book; I am not in the target audience for this.
The main characters are an interesting bunch. The vampiric Mikael, strong and assured. His ghostly lover Lilith, once a vampire herself but now something more. The old wizard Arkturon whom seems to be a lot more powerful and knowledgeable than he’s letting on. And the protagonist Rebecca, a young and naïve girl who is thrown into a world of intrigue and death. All interesting in their own way and Blacklock does a good job fleshing the characters out; slowly and steadily feeding the reader information.
The overarching “good vs evil” theme is well played, with the fairly typical “rescue of a damsel in distress” plot being well used. The world building is slipped in very well and didn’t feel farced, with the reader learning about the world through the eyes of the protagonist Rebecca.
Blackthorns writing style awkward in places, although I suspect this is because he is writing in a more verbose and archaic style. The elephant in the wrong, the big problem with the narrative, is flow. As said before, wanton and gratuitous sex is thrown in so often that it distracts from anything else. The book starts with sex, Rebecca cannot even bath without having to be turned on by the cold water touching her nethers, and we won’t even get started on the implied incest between Rebecca and her sister. Luwsiy.
As I think you can guess, I did not enjoy this book. It is said there is a market for every book; I am not in the target audience for this.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews