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Come Forth in Blood
COME FORTH IN BLOOD is a modern vampire novel that draws on classic Gothic horror but with an eye toward stark and gritty realism.
Belgium, 1944. A young German soldier is gunned down in a mass execution by American riflemen. Left for dead among the frozen corpses of his comrades, Matthias Bartsch is attacked by a pair of sinister creatures and undergoes a horrid transformation. As a fledgling vampire, he crosses the Atlantic to hunt down each of his executioners. Over the course of seventy years, he methodically dispatches his victims. Yet when revenge fails to pacify him, Matthias is tormented by the memories of his past and carelessly attempts to recreate the life and love he lost.
Virginia, 2014. Edison Raymer is an anthropology professor at a small college in the riverside town of Williamsport. His arrogant demeanor and unorthodox lectures on the occult have ostracized him from students and faculty alike. Yet Raymer is willing to risk his career and the lives of those closest to him in order to prove the existence of vampires once and for all.
Two hunters - one human, one undead - are nearly driven mad by their obsessions. As the lines between man and monster become increasingly blurred, only one can survive their inevitable and violent showdown.
With their first collaborative effort, RYAN HENRY and MATTHEW HEILMAN offer a morally ambiguous alternative to the sentimental and romanticized vampire trends of the twenty-first century. COME FORTH IN BLOOD does not seek to dilute or reinvent the vampire myth. Instead, its authors have attempted to honor tradition with a tale of genuine horror and character-driven psychological drama.
Includes an appendix and three character portraits.
Belgium, 1944. A young German soldier is gunned down in a mass execution by American riflemen. Left for dead among the frozen corpses of his comrades, Matthias Bartsch is attacked by a pair of sinister creatures and undergoes a horrid transformation. As a fledgling vampire, he crosses the Atlantic to hunt down each of his executioners. Over the course of seventy years, he methodically dispatches his victims. Yet when revenge fails to pacify him, Matthias is tormented by the memories of his past and carelessly attempts to recreate the life and love he lost.
Virginia, 2014. Edison Raymer is an anthropology professor at a small college in the riverside town of Williamsport. His arrogant demeanor and unorthodox lectures on the occult have ostracized him from students and faculty alike. Yet Raymer is willing to risk his career and the lives of those closest to him in order to prove the existence of vampires once and for all.
Two hunters - one human, one undead - are nearly driven mad by their obsessions. As the lines between man and monster become increasingly blurred, only one can survive their inevitable and violent showdown.
With their first collaborative effort, RYAN HENRY and MATTHEW HEILMAN offer a morally ambiguous alternative to the sentimental and romanticized vampire trends of the twenty-first century. COME FORTH IN BLOOD does not seek to dilute or reinvent the vampire myth. Instead, its authors have attempted to honor tradition with a tale of genuine horror and character-driven psychological drama.
Includes an appendix and three character portraits.
334 pages, Hardcover
First published August 10, 2014
6 people are currently reading
80 people want to read
About the author
Matthew Heilman
2 books5 followersMatthew earned a PhD in English Literature with a focus on British Romanticism, Gothic, Victorian, and supernatural fiction. He is the co-author of "Come Forth in Blood" and "Lie Still the Dead" with Ryan Henry and lives in Pittsburgh.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
August 31, 2014
A friend recommended Come Forth in Blood - so I purchased it - hesitantly. I'll be the first to admit it - usually when I purchase a vampire book - I do so because there is the promise of some really hot vampire sexual tension promised between the pages. I always liked the vampire romance/erotica and I was explicitly told that this is not a romance (although there is romantic elements! Woo hoo!). So, please take my review from the POV of a Twinkling-Vampire-Loving, Why-Isn't-There-More-Making-Out type of reader. :)
Here are some things you need to know, before reading this book:
- This is not Twilight. Don't expect it to be Twilight. In fact, you'll be better off if you expect it to be The Scarlett Letter or the great gothic Rebecca, because Come Forth in Blood shares more bloodlust, revenge plots, twists, deep character motivation with those stories than it does with sparkly vampires.
- Don't expect to know who the bad guy is and who the good guy is (if there are any), because the authors have done a pretty darn good job of making the characters realistic. These are not two dimensional archetypes - these characters are alive (well... not all of them) on the page. Without giving away too much of the book - I found myself both repulsed by and obsessed with the main characters - neither of which were necessarily "good guys" but both were characters that I connected with right away.
Problems with the book:
If I had the option, I probably would've given this book a 4.5 star rating - because I was not a fan of the first three chapters and here is why - we see way too much into the point of views of characters that are only around for a brief time. So, at the very beginning of the story we are getting invested in characters that don't even matter. That annoyed me a little. Also, all the German! (The main character... one of the main characters is German - so it was very authentic - but I found it a little distracting).
Stuff I loved:
Two main characters (both guys, one a vampire - one a vampire hunter). We watch the vampire start as a human, become a horrific monster, then slowly become more vulnerable and more human as he seeks to replace his lost love. It's a strange journey, because of his situation (being a vampire) he does it in a horrific way - but we at once get to see his battle with himself, his need for love and for control, the great loss of losing his humanity and the need for connection that he still has despite his transformation. You want him to find love. You want him to find a partner. You root for this guy even though he uses his bare hands to pull people's hearts out of their rib cages.
Why I'm giving it five stars:
The writing is incredibly strong. There is a good amount of detail but it is handled extremely well for the most part. There are a few archetypical characters - but the two main characters feel like a fresh take on a known quantity. I read the entire book straight through and wanted more.
Here are some things you need to know, before reading this book:
- This is not Twilight. Don't expect it to be Twilight. In fact, you'll be better off if you expect it to be The Scarlett Letter or the great gothic Rebecca, because Come Forth in Blood shares more bloodlust, revenge plots, twists, deep character motivation with those stories than it does with sparkly vampires.
- Don't expect to know who the bad guy is and who the good guy is (if there are any), because the authors have done a pretty darn good job of making the characters realistic. These are not two dimensional archetypes - these characters are alive (well... not all of them) on the page. Without giving away too much of the book - I found myself both repulsed by and obsessed with the main characters - neither of which were necessarily "good guys" but both were characters that I connected with right away.
Problems with the book:
If I had the option, I probably would've given this book a 4.5 star rating - because I was not a fan of the first three chapters and here is why - we see way too much into the point of views of characters that are only around for a brief time. So, at the very beginning of the story we are getting invested in characters that don't even matter. That annoyed me a little. Also, all the German! (The main character... one of the main characters is German - so it was very authentic - but I found it a little distracting).
Stuff I loved:
Two main characters (both guys, one a vampire - one a vampire hunter). We watch the vampire start as a human, become a horrific monster, then slowly become more vulnerable and more human as he seeks to replace his lost love. It's a strange journey, because of his situation (being a vampire) he does it in a horrific way - but we at once get to see his battle with himself, his need for love and for control, the great loss of losing his humanity and the need for connection that he still has despite his transformation. You want him to find love. You want him to find a partner. You root for this guy even though he uses his bare hands to pull people's hearts out of their rib cages.
Why I'm giving it five stars:
The writing is incredibly strong. There is a good amount of detail but it is handled extremely well for the most part. There are a few archetypical characters - but the two main characters feel like a fresh take on a known quantity. I read the entire book straight through and wanted more.
September 3, 2014
This is a particularly well done example of vampire horror fiction, and I enjoyed it. The descriptions are vivid, and you feel you're right there in every scene. German medic Matthias Bartsch has the unfortunate luck to be turned into a vampire during the Battle of the Bulge in WWII, and he has spent the next 70 years preying on victims, first in Germany and then in America. He has a steel trap mind, heightened senses, and inhuman strength and power. He has a troubled soul, however, and that leads him to make some tactical errors that expose him to danger. Matthias is being stalked by Edison Raymer, a professor whose obsession with vampires threatens to destroy his life and the lives of everyone close to him. This book is filled with tension and suspense from the very first chapter, and the intensity ratchets up with each sentence. The characters are compelling, the action is gripping, and the scenes are vivid. I didn't want to turn my Kindle off till I finished this one!
September 8, 2014
It's no secret that the Vampire genre has been beaten into the ground with silly pulp like Twilight and all of the Sookie Stackhouse books. While many authors still hop on the bloodsucking bandwagon in hopes of turning a quick buck by churning out "supernatural romance" novels, authors like Ryan Henry and Matthew Heilman seek to turn the genre on its head by writing real horror stories mixed with an almost noir-like grimness. "Come Forth In Blood" is very well written. The narrative moves along without stalling and the characters are well defined and the dialogue never feels forced or unrealistic. Cheers to the authors for producing one of the most original works of vampire fiction in a long time.
September 8, 2014
This book truly was an epic story that could easily be made into a movie! I love Vampire themed stories, and this one doesn’t disappoint at all! The story line is absolutely brilliant and extremely well thought out. The author has an amazing imagination and I can’t believe his ability to conceptualize such a detailed saga as this is. I don’t like giving out details of storylines, as I would hate to ruin a story for another reader, but trust me… you will absolutely love this book! 5 huge stars!!!!
October 21, 2014
hapter one had my interest. Chapter two gained my full attention. And on chapter three, I said, “Well, hell, there goes my night.”
I had plans that did not include a blood thirsty vampire out for revenge, but then, my plans were rather boring by comparison.
And what I thought was going to be a night with a vampire turned into an evening with a vampire hunter as well.
Now this is where the book deserves its praise because it’s truly inspired.
You think the vampire has your undying loyalty, I mean, you feel really connected to him, you understand him and his motives, and he is in the right,
isn’t he? But then these authors twist you around and now you’re full of doubt and on the side of the vampire hunter because … well, he saw some shit.
He has every right to hunt vampires. He’s the one in the right, isn’t he? Well he has to be because…uh, well, maybe… uh… then there’s that vampire
again. He’s also got some reasons to be pissed, and we all want to be immortal, don’t we? So we’re on the side of the vampire, aren’t we? Well, hell, I
don’t know; it’s a damn moral quandary.
The strength of the book is not just in the way these authors play havoc with your allegiance, the book has style, and pace. The pace is furious, as is
the dialogue and also the fights, of which there are many, and they never lose their excitement or originality.
And the ending…
Well played gentlemen. Bloody well played.
I had plans that did not include a blood thirsty vampire out for revenge, but then, my plans were rather boring by comparison.
And what I thought was going to be a night with a vampire turned into an evening with a vampire hunter as well.
Now this is where the book deserves its praise because it’s truly inspired.
You think the vampire has your undying loyalty, I mean, you feel really connected to him, you understand him and his motives, and he is in the right,
isn’t he? But then these authors twist you around and now you’re full of doubt and on the side of the vampire hunter because … well, he saw some shit.
He has every right to hunt vampires. He’s the one in the right, isn’t he? Well he has to be because…uh, well, maybe… uh… then there’s that vampire
again. He’s also got some reasons to be pissed, and we all want to be immortal, don’t we? So we’re on the side of the vampire, aren’t we? Well, hell, I
don’t know; it’s a damn moral quandary.
The strength of the book is not just in the way these authors play havoc with your allegiance, the book has style, and pace. The pace is furious, as is
the dialogue and also the fights, of which there are many, and they never lose their excitement or originality.
And the ending…
Well played gentlemen. Bloody well played.
May 18, 2016
If I could, I would hug the authors of this. I literally have cried over how good it is! I have been searching, in vein, for nearly two years and have yet to find a paranormal book, let alone a vampire novel, that enthralls me as well as this one has.
It was three years in the making, and I am just utterly thankful that the two authors kept at it, because it shows. Those three long years of hard word, dedication, patience, and effort show heavily! This is not a story that ever should be rushed out. There was extensive thought put into the planning of this story, and there are moments I am certain the authors were just waiting to get to! But they drag it out, they make the reader wait, and I love them for it!
Matthias Bartsch is your average man turned vampire, but that's just the very type of a rather vast iceberg. He lived in Nazi Germany and, while not a Nazi himself, was just living his life, playing his cello and falling in love, while trying to ignore the chaos and damage going on around him. Decades later, after being forced to join the war and being ruthlessly gunned down despite his position as a medic, left for dead, turned into a vampire, and hunting down his executioners, Mattias realizes he is plagued. He has a curse that we all suffer from . . . you see, Matthias isn't a monster. His actions may be, but he was born human and as such he is plagued with sentience. With it, he had a conscience, and he has the cruel and undying realization that most of the animals on this planet get to ignore, the reality that life needs a purpose in order for you to go on living. He cannot just prowl the night, feed when he is hungry, sleep when the need arises, and go on. He needs purpose. Once his executioners are all dead, Matthias has a shocking awakening about just how life is. A Holocaust survivor, an elderly woman now, ditched in a final care facility, she would have been his next meal . . . but he cannot bring himself to do it. Even though he himself was never a Nazi sympathizer, he realizes that his efforts keeping German soldiers alive helped that terrible stain on history continue as long as it had. Even though he was unfairly executed, he can't justify what he'd done. This really brings your heart to Matthias, and makes you realize just how many soldiers there were who got roped into something they had no choice but to join, and the terrible fate that befell them.
Matthias is a war hero. But he can't stand to look at the medals he's earned, because he sees them all as tarnished with the Swastika, just as many actual German soldiers must see their own medals. It was an eye opener to me that even in a book about a vampire, it opened my eyes to realizing that even to this day, people judge Germany for the actions of the Nazi's, when that was just one group. The history alone makes this book a worthy read, and in the discussions I have had with just one of the authors, it is evident the passion and research that went into it.
Then we get to the vampire hunter . . . A school teacher, considered a nerd, he has a Van Helsing vibe about him and yet his depth reaches far beyond what that iconic character ever could. He believes in vampires because he has seen one, for a fraction of a moment. He believes because a young child died. He believes because no one else will, and they are all fools for it.
I want to write pages upon pages about how amazing this book is, but I honestly fear I'll give away the whole thing, and you really just must read it! It takes around 10 hours to read, depending on your reading speed, and for the price? Absolutely amazing! If you have an entire day where you're in and can read, this book will keep your attention the whole time, every page draws you further in. Or if, like me, you only have the rare half hour here and there, this book will still capture you and you'll be thinking about it long after you had to switch your kindle off, and eagerly anticipating the next chance you get to read it.
The price is a steal. I would pay three times that amount and still feel I got my money's worth. Well done, Mr.. Henry, and excellent job Mr. Heilman.
It was three years in the making, and I am just utterly thankful that the two authors kept at it, because it shows. Those three long years of hard word, dedication, patience, and effort show heavily! This is not a story that ever should be rushed out. There was extensive thought put into the planning of this story, and there are moments I am certain the authors were just waiting to get to! But they drag it out, they make the reader wait, and I love them for it!
Matthias Bartsch is your average man turned vampire, but that's just the very type of a rather vast iceberg. He lived in Nazi Germany and, while not a Nazi himself, was just living his life, playing his cello and falling in love, while trying to ignore the chaos and damage going on around him. Decades later, after being forced to join the war and being ruthlessly gunned down despite his position as a medic, left for dead, turned into a vampire, and hunting down his executioners, Mattias realizes he is plagued. He has a curse that we all suffer from . . . you see, Matthias isn't a monster. His actions may be, but he was born human and as such he is plagued with sentience. With it, he had a conscience, and he has the cruel and undying realization that most of the animals on this planet get to ignore, the reality that life needs a purpose in order for you to go on living. He cannot just prowl the night, feed when he is hungry, sleep when the need arises, and go on. He needs purpose. Once his executioners are all dead, Matthias has a shocking awakening about just how life is. A Holocaust survivor, an elderly woman now, ditched in a final care facility, she would have been his next meal . . . but he cannot bring himself to do it. Even though he himself was never a Nazi sympathizer, he realizes that his efforts keeping German soldiers alive helped that terrible stain on history continue as long as it had. Even though he was unfairly executed, he can't justify what he'd done. This really brings your heart to Matthias, and makes you realize just how many soldiers there were who got roped into something they had no choice but to join, and the terrible fate that befell them.
Matthias is a war hero. But he can't stand to look at the medals he's earned, because he sees them all as tarnished with the Swastika, just as many actual German soldiers must see their own medals. It was an eye opener to me that even in a book about a vampire, it opened my eyes to realizing that even to this day, people judge Germany for the actions of the Nazi's, when that was just one group. The history alone makes this book a worthy read, and in the discussions I have had with just one of the authors, it is evident the passion and research that went into it.
Then we get to the vampire hunter . . . A school teacher, considered a nerd, he has a Van Helsing vibe about him and yet his depth reaches far beyond what that iconic character ever could. He believes in vampires because he has seen one, for a fraction of a moment. He believes because a young child died. He believes because no one else will, and they are all fools for it.
I want to write pages upon pages about how amazing this book is, but I honestly fear I'll give away the whole thing, and you really just must read it! It takes around 10 hours to read, depending on your reading speed, and for the price? Absolutely amazing! If you have an entire day where you're in and can read, this book will keep your attention the whole time, every page draws you further in. Or if, like me, you only have the rare half hour here and there, this book will still capture you and you'll be thinking about it long after you had to switch your kindle off, and eagerly anticipating the next chance you get to read it.
The price is a steal. I would pay three times that amount and still feel I got my money's worth. Well done, Mr.. Henry, and excellent job Mr. Heilman.
March 27, 2016
An engrossing new twist on vampire lore
It’s Belgium, 1944 and a young German solider has been murdered as part of a mass execution by an American. He’s behind, assumed dead among the rest of the bodies, but is then attacked by some strange creatures. What follows is a frightening metamorphosis and young Matthias becomes a vampire. He comes to the US and over the next seven decades, he seeks revenge. But the desire to even the score doesn’t help him feel any better and he is constantly tormented by the past and his lost love.
Meanwhile, at a Virginia university, professor Edison Raymer is bent on proving the existence of vampires—even as it drives a wedge between himself and his faulty and students. I loved both characters—they were tough, driven, a little scary, but I was more interested in Edison. While human, he seemed to be the most complex and actually the more “monstrous.” This was definitely a strongly written, unflinching vampire story. The action is non-stop, the violence is graphic, and there isn’t any Twilight-style mush. This isn’t your fifteen year-old daughter’s vampire book!
If you love gritty, realistic horror, this book is the one for you!
It’s Belgium, 1944 and a young German solider has been murdered as part of a mass execution by an American. He’s behind, assumed dead among the rest of the bodies, but is then attacked by some strange creatures. What follows is a frightening metamorphosis and young Matthias becomes a vampire. He comes to the US and over the next seven decades, he seeks revenge. But the desire to even the score doesn’t help him feel any better and he is constantly tormented by the past and his lost love.
Meanwhile, at a Virginia university, professor Edison Raymer is bent on proving the existence of vampires—even as it drives a wedge between himself and his faulty and students. I loved both characters—they were tough, driven, a little scary, but I was more interested in Edison. While human, he seemed to be the most complex and actually the more “monstrous.” This was definitely a strongly written, unflinching vampire story. The action is non-stop, the violence is graphic, and there isn’t any Twilight-style mush. This isn’t your fifteen year-old daughter’s vampire book!
If you love gritty, realistic horror, this book is the one for you!
October 26, 2014
To me this book is a top-rate reading experience. It’s deep in character and plot line development, rapid-paced, exquisitely well-written, and full of details for historical facts. This is the type of read that will keep you glued to the pages, especially if you like horror and historical novels. I devoured it and wish it had gone on another hundred pages. Forget the vampire romances, this is a dark story with complex and compelling characters. Some of them are determined, others are revengeful. None of them is flawless. This story begins with a German soldier as the main character. Is he the villain or the hero? New faces are introduced gradually, all of them important to the story. And few unexpected twists of plot lead to the explosive finale. Or it’s not all over? If I were a movie director, I would bring this book to the big screen. I have already made the characters casting in my mind!
April 6, 2022
I will be the first to admit this isn’t a book I would have typically picked up — but I am so glad I did. Loved the modern take on the vampire genre marbled with war, academia, obsession, and revenge. The WW2 scenes immediately pulled me in, but what kept me enthralled throughout the book was the depths of the characters. The characters I was “rooting for” changed throughout the book as their layers were exposed to the reader.
Also wanted to note that I loved the interspersed German throughout and thought it added to the authenticity.
I’m on the edge of my seat waiting for a follow up book — I need some more of the gritty and psychological vampire drama that Heilman and Henry expertly weaved.
Also wanted to note that I loved the interspersed German throughout and thought it added to the authenticity.
I’m on the edge of my seat waiting for a follow up book — I need some more of the gritty and psychological vampire drama that Heilman and Henry expertly weaved.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews