I'm Tara Lee. I'm a good Christian girl, serving the Lord with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength, but that becomes difficult when an actual vampire attacks me in church.
Though I survive the attack thanks to help from a mysterious yet handsome vampire spy, my life will never be the same. Now I'm a half-vampire, which means I have super strength and a strong craving for human blood. It also puts the ultimate fate of my soul into question, because I'm pretty sure the Bible doesn't say if half-vampires go to heaven or not.
Even all of that would be manageable, though, if the most powerful Vampire Lord alive wasn't hunting me down. Now I need to master my new vampire powers while avoiding his minions, but that's easier said than done when I barely understand my abilities.
But I must master my powers, otherwise I'll lose my freedom—and my soul—forever.
THE VAMPIRE SWORD by T.L. Cerepaka is the first book in the Vampire Sorceress urban fantasy series. However, this is not an ordinary urban fantasy. Tara Lee is a Christian and daughter of a Baptist minister. One day she is attacked by a vampire in church and is saved by a vampire spy. However, her life will never be the same. It turns out her father is a sorcerer and former vampire hunter and she is now a half-vampire due to being partly a sorceress. Needless to say, Tara did not know about magic, vampires, or her father’s previous life.
The plot was unique and different and managed to keep me engaged. However. The prose is somewhat simplistic, but the intrigue built and kept me reading. In the version that I read, there are several errors that a good proofread would catch and correct. The world-building is done well to incorporate the Shadow World and portals next to the human world. The reader is thrown into the chaos just as Tara is so there is empathy for her, but her character does not yet have a lot of depth. Her belief in God is a constant theme throughout the book. The action scenes are energetic and built towards a dramatic conclusion. While the main mystery is solved, there are several threads left open for the next book in the series.
Overall, the pacing built to a crescendo. It is a fun, quick and entertaining read.
Do you like vampires? If the answer is yes than this book may definitely be your cup of tea.
Let’s start off with the premise of the book. Simply said, Tara is a Christian girl who gets bitten in church and gets turned into a half-vampire. Not an ordinary vampire as her father turns out to be more than she could ever have imagined. Tara gets sucked into a world she never knew existed and has to face off more than she can chew as a vampire lord is coming after her and her powers are a dull blade more than a sharpened sword as she hasn’t got a clue what they are and how to use them.
What I like about the story is its simplicity, the story evolves naturally. The story builds on a simple premise and simply unfolds further and further, blossoming like a beautiful flower at the touch of the sun. We are thrown into it in the same way as the protagonist is catapulted into the story which gives us readers a greater sense of connection to the story and gets us sucked right in there. The story flows naturally from one scene to the next without feeling forced and at every turn we learn more and more about this incredible world the writer has created.
The writer has done a really good job in building a whole new world that exists within an inch of our own realm without making it too abstract or too much to follow. The explanations about vampires and other-worldly things and beings never feel forced as it all flows naturally. As with the story itself, the explanations are kept simple and slowly build up over time which makes them more believable and keep us hooked until the end and still leaves some questions open for answer at a later time as there is still a lot left to be explored.
The vampires in this story are a lot more similar to those of the vampires of recent times rather than the cool scary vampires of old, which is a sign of the times I suppose. Luckily the writer doesn’t just mindlessly copy/paste everything we know about vampires but rather tries to add something more to their legend. Plus he tries to give this world a little touch of his own, which I do applaud.
The action scenes I feel are crucial in a book such as this where the action mostly dictates the story and they sure are aplenty and quite entertaining at times.
The plot itself is rather simple though it is quite nicely executed which makes for an entertaining light read. A quest is presented at the start and the story builds toward it without feeling rushed. The conclusion was exactly what it needed to be: a conclusion for the story at hand, while also setting up another story yet to come.
A tribute to the writer here I would say, is definitely warranted as the writer has done a great job in pacing the story. At the start we go from breathtaking moment to breathtaking moment with just enough room in between to let us catch our breath. We are gasping for air from the get go and get just enough time to take a little breath before the writer takes our breath away again with another kick-ass action scene. The action slows down a bit towards the end and just as we’re about to think the conclusion will be a failure, it sucks you right back in again.
One critical note should however definitely not be left unspoken and that is that the writing itself could at times be a bit crude due to the phrasing. More often than not though this was not the case which kept the story flowing.
The characters I would say are a bit of a different matter. The protagonist for one is the key focus of the story and it shows as all the other characters take a backseat for most of the time. Which is not bad per se but at times it was a little flustering to see that physical attraction was basically it for her probable future love interest. The protagonist however grows throughout the story and it’s fun to see her evolving towards the end, with still a lot left to learn on the journey she is bound to undertake.
Another note of criticism is the religious nature of the protagonist. It’s fine to be religious and be proud of it but the religious nature of the protagonist comes out quite a lot in a very short time span. Considering the length of the book, it can feel a bit too much at times but thankfully not too much to take you away from the story.
Would I recommend this book to anyone? I’m leaning towards a yes here. It’s not a masterpiece but it doesn’t set out to be one. It knows its market and caters to it. It does have its flaws but it is quite a fun and quick read. So if you would be interested in reading a nice little action-packed vampire story than I’m sure you can enjoy reading this.
This series opener got a favorable review from one of the ladies in a Goodreads group I belong to. Since I'm interested in the vampire mythos, and especially intrigued by fiction that approaches it from a Christian standpoint, her review got my attention, though I hadn't previously heard of either the author or the series. So, when I discovered that I could download the e-book for free, I opted to give it a try.
The Goodreads description, delivered in first person by protagonist Tara Lee, is accurate (and I'd guess was written by Cerepaka himself --the T. in his initials apparently stands for Timothy). But for those who haven't read that, this is basically urban fantasy, and is clearly influenced both by the Twilight Saga and the Harry Potter series (though Meyer and Rowling are each significantly more accomplished writers than Cerepaka is). What makes it somewhat distinctive in that 24-year-old Tara is a Baptist pastor's daughter and a Christian believer herself (she made a Christian commitment at the age of 13), who takes her faith seriously, has taught Sunday school, and is singing for her dad's congregation in a church service when the book opens. But this Sunday proves to be atypical, when an actual vampire crashes through a sanctuary window (on the second frame of the e-book) and bites her in the neck. As in the Twilight books, those who survive a vampire bite normally become vampires themselves. But as the previously clueless Tara learns, she and her dad are Sorcerers, genetically gifted with magic powers most humans (the Powerless --think, "Muggles") don't have. Vampires generally don't bite their Sorcerer enemies; they just try to kill them. But a rare bitten Sorcerer becomes a half-vampire, with some vampire traits (including a blood thirst --though vampires don't have to indulge that with human blood, despite the strong temptation) combined with ability to use magic, though just as in the Potter books, that takes training. Unfortunately for Tara, that not only poses theological conundrums for a good Baptist young lady; half-vampires are considered by both the Vampire Council and the Sorcerer's Parliament as unnatural abominations that need to be killed on sight. And then there's the added wrinkle that, as Council agent Lucius soon reveals, Tara's assailant was working for a rogue Vampire Lord who has his own agenda --and it's an agenda the rest of the world won't like.
If that sounds like an interesting premise with good possibilities, it is (provided you like that sort of thing --which I do!). The execution, though, isn't nearly good enough to fully realize the potential of the idea. (Throughout my reading of the book, I found myself thinking of ways in which the literary craftsmanship could be improved; obviously, that's never a good sign!) Cerepaka's prose is minimalist (and often awkward), telling the story straightforwardly enough, but with little description or texture to enflesh the characters and situations. Since Tara is the first-person narrator, we get inside her head; but even so, neither she or the other major characters are very well-developed; we're never even told, for instance, what she does for a living, though she has a job. (As that would imply, the novel is much more plot-driven than character-driven, and the characters tend to be mostly two-dimensional.) No sense of place is evoked; our setting is Texas (where the author lives), but we only learn that in Chapter 20 of a 29-chapter book. (Until then, the references to Greensboro and South Side had me picturing a setting in North Carolina and south-central Virginia!) In a couple of places, facts are stated in the narration and then contradicted a couple of pages later. Although romance actually isn't a significant element here (it probably is in subsequent books) what there is of it is an unconvincing, one-sided insta-love.
So, why three stars? There are a few pluses here. This is a very fast-paced book, beginning with a bang and moving along quickly through a short time-frame (just about two days for the main story), and though the prose is undistinguished, it flows relatively easily, even despite Tara's tendency to repeat things in places or over-explain. That makes it a quick read, and I was engaged enough with the story throughout to be anxious to keep clicking to the next frame (once I started reading it, I finished it in four days, and for me that's pretty good time for reading an e-book!). Cerepaka does display some originality in the treatment of his vampires, and in creating story elements like the Shadow Way and the Strangers, and of course the Vampire Sword itself (though historically it couldn't have been forged "ten thousand years ago" --metallurgy didn't exist then, unless we imagine Robert E. Howard's lost Hyborean Age!). I appreciated the fact that Lucius is a "Pure" (a vampire who eschews human blood, and is disposed to help rather than hurt humans); and Tara's sincere spiritual struggle with the question of whether, as a half-vampire, she still has a soul and a relationship with God, or is beyond His grace, gave the tale a certain degree of depth.
A word about Tara's character is worthwhile, since it's the most developed one here, and obviously the most central. Despite the deficiencies in the portrayal, she does come across as basically likable. Yes, she's overly concerned with the fact that Lucius is handsome, sometimes to the point of making my eyes roll. But she's a single woman in her 20s, not a plaster statue on a pedestal. The same can be said of the fact that her Christian faith doesn't mean she never says a swear word, nor that she's a paragon of devotional practice. She is who she is; but the person she is has a kind heart, a caring disposition towards others, and a core of guts and resolve when the chips are down. While she's definitely in a distress situation here, she's far from helpless; and though she's not into violence, she's game to do what has to be done --a fact we learn when she takes out the vampire who bit her with a head shot from a pistol her dad dropped (the bullets were silver). Another thing that helps credibility here (and also adds some depth) is that her greatest challenges in combat situations don't hinge on her physical fighting ability (which is largely untrained at this point!) but rather on the strength and purity of her moral will.
All in all, I liked this well enough as an entertaining read. But I wouldn't spend money to buy it, or the two later books. (At least, not much money --I might pick up a used copy of the sequel if I found one at a flea market or a yard sale. :-) )
I found there to be a lot of interesting ideas in this book. The story was decent. I thought the writing could have been a little better. Overall, it was a good read. It had potential to be much more. I am not sure if i will read further, i might.
The story itself was quite fun, though I wouldn't go for the audiobook. It was free so I thought I'd give it a try but it was very monotone which made some of the sentences sound weird. And, obviously, the vampire guy was hot but the mc repeated that fact every chanceshe got and that just got annoying. But, like I said, the story was fun and very quick to go through.
I'm Tara Lee. I'm a good Christian girl, serving the Lord with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength, but that becomes difficult when an actual vampire attacks me in church. Though I survive the attack thanks to help from a mysterious yet handsome vampire spy, my life will never be the same. Now I'm a half-vampire, which means I have super strength and a strong craving for human blood. It also puts the ultimate fate of my soul into question, because I'm pretty sure the Bible doesn't say if half-vampires go to heaven or not. Even all of that would be manageable, though, if the most powerful Vampire Lord alive wasn't hunting me down. Now I need to master my new vampire powers while avoiding his minions, but that's easier said than done when I barely understand my abilities. But I must master my powers, otherwise I'll lose my freedom—and my soul—forever.
Heather's Notes I am sorry to say, I didn't really care for this story. It didn't really feel realistic and the is saying something considering your talking about vampires. Tara was ridiculous. She acted like she was 12 not 24. I am pretty sure she had ADD. She could not stay on point. She would believe what any one told her. The ending was a cliffhanger of the worse kind. There was SO much that was not explained or just hobbled together. I do not see me continuing even with the awful cliffhanger ending.
It is a quick read and is well written. A lot of references to God and Christianity in general if you don't mind that then it is worth a read. I don't mind it so that is why I recommend it.
This book rocked. Poor Tara was enjoying Sunday mass like always when she is viciously attacked. What her attacker does is unmistakable. You gotta read it to know what all happens
*Source* Kindle Freebie *Genre* Urban Fantasy *Rating* 3.5
*Thoughts*
The Vampire Sword, by Timothy Cerepaka, is the first installment in the authors Vampire Sorceress series. 24-year-old Tara Lee knows nothing about the paranormal world. She doesn't know that her father Richard Lee, now a Baptist pastor, was once a powerful Hunter and sorcerer who left the business after Tara was born. Now, Tara, who immersed herself into the Christian faith as a teenager, is about to get a rude awakening after she is attacked by a vampire during her father's sermon.
Great Book I love it it was great and powerful and I think that this book is one of the book we all need to read Thank You For Letting Me Read This Book I love it