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Bite Marks: A Vampire Testament
A teenage runaway is killed by a sadistic vampire with the pathology of a serial killer, who has stalked her family for over a decade. Brought back to life to feed on her child, she's killed again -- but not before reviving her first victim, her firstborn. The undead infant escapes, triggering a citywide search for a vampire baby whose existence threatens to expose the entire vampire society. And they will stop at nothing to make sure that doesn't happen.In the downtown art world/club scene of New York City, Steven and Lori, an artist and a writer, are in the middle of a bad break up. Instead of being able to simply move on, they are stuck with each other, bound by a contract to do a book on vampires. When they stumble across the real thing, will their feelings for each other intensify as they're reunited to battle monsters they scarcely believe exist?
401 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 15, 2009
8 people are currently reading
226 people want to read
About the author
Terence Taylor
25 books29 followersTERENCE TAYLOR is an award-winning children's television writer, whose work has appeared on PBS, Nickelodeon, and Disney, among many others. After a career of comforting young kids, he's now equally dedicated to scaring their parents. His short horror stories have been published in all three "Dark Dreams" horror/suspense anthologies. "BITE MARKS: A Vampire Testament" is his first novel. "BLOOD PRESSURE", second in the opening trilogy of the Vampire Testaments, is due out in April 2010. He lives "
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews
April 24, 2023
I went into this book not knowing what to expect and while It wasn't the best it was pretty good. The story line was interesting and kept me reading. Would recommend
June 6, 2010
As many people have said, Bite Marks is an interesting take on the vampire story. Unfortunately, it is told from so many points of view and has such short chapters that it simply didn't work for me. I'm not a huge fan of multiple POV stories anyway and Bite Marks doesn't even have a clear protagonist. The main story tellers seem to be:
Perenelle a centuries old vampire
Adam a vampire made by Perenelle
Jim a boy who's entire family has been stalked & killed by Adam
Baby Jim's infant nephew, turned into a vampire by Adam
'Manda a hooker who becomes Baby's surrogate mother
Lori is writing a vampire book in collaboration with her ex-boyfriend
Steven Lori's ex/book collaborator
That's what, seven?? Whew! We don't just hear the main story from these people; we also get a lot of information about relevant events in their pasts ~ so I often felt as if I was reading a novel within a novel. Or should I say, many novels within a novel.
In addition to the seven people I mentioned, this story is occasionally told from the point of view of Rahman (Perenelle's maker) Marlowe (Adam's servant) Nina (Jim's sister) Kirk ('Manda's pimp) and countless other people who I simply cannot remember here. Some of whom even die in the same chapter in which they are introduced.
As mentioned, the chapters are ridiculously short ~ rarely more than two or three pages. The total effect was not confusing... but not really conducive to getting myself lost in a story.
I think Bite Marks would make an excellent tv show. It might have even made a good series of books. But for a single novel ~ there is simply too much information from too many people. On page 130 (out of 391 pages and chapter 30 out of 104 chapters) I am done. Sorry, Mr. Taylor...
Perenelle a centuries old vampire
Adam a vampire made by Perenelle
Jim a boy who's entire family has been stalked & killed by Adam
Baby Jim's infant nephew, turned into a vampire by Adam
'Manda a hooker who becomes Baby's surrogate mother
Lori is writing a vampire book in collaboration with her ex-boyfriend
Steven Lori's ex/book collaborator
That's what, seven?? Whew! We don't just hear the main story from these people; we also get a lot of information about relevant events in their pasts ~ so I often felt as if I was reading a novel within a novel. Or should I say, many novels within a novel.
In addition to the seven people I mentioned, this story is occasionally told from the point of view of Rahman (Perenelle's maker) Marlowe (Adam's servant) Nina (Jim's sister) Kirk ('Manda's pimp) and countless other people who I simply cannot remember here. Some of whom even die in the same chapter in which they are introduced.
As mentioned, the chapters are ridiculously short ~ rarely more than two or three pages. The total effect was not confusing... but not really conducive to getting myself lost in a story.
I think Bite Marks would make an excellent tv show. It might have even made a good series of books. But for a single novel ~ there is simply too much information from too many people. On page 130 (out of 391 pages and chapter 30 out of 104 chapters) I am done. Sorry, Mr. Taylor...
May 8, 2014
This novel mainly set in 1986 begins with Nina a drug addicted , prostitute with a baby just about to service her latest John on Christmas Eve.When in stalks Adam her sadistic,vampire pimp who kills her and her John , but brings her back as his vampiric slave and forces her to kill and feed on her baby, (gory stuff) but her baby escapes and risks exposing the entire vampire race as well,as the story unfolds other characters are brought to the forefront Perenelle, Adams aristocratic sire,and servant to the Triumvirate Of The Veil,a triad of Vampire Overlords who act as judge, jury and often executioners of Vampire Laws, and whose main purpose is to prevent a vampire apocalypse by keeping their society secret.Two authors who who are brought together to complete a novel on vampires and are also ex-lovers who had a messy break-up.Rahman Perenelle's sire and an ancient vampire , who resides in a secret New York Subway station Keeper of the Vampire Elder God and a bloodthirsty race of ancient Mayan vampires called the Autochotones, who worship the said elder god. The good is that the characters were well developed with rich and interesting back stories that made even the most inhuman characters very real and three dimnensional, the writing was lush and showed grit and depth.This story tackled family,race, sex , nature vs nuture and very complex issues. New York took center stage in this tale whether as a setting or a tale of two cities observation, New York was a character as much as any other.
The Bad, was too many characters, and no centrality to the story, some minor characters at times seemed tossed in for no damn reason, but I enjoyed the cameos Andy Warhol? anyone.The end was kinda confusing to me tho, bu overall a good , refreshing take on vampire origins,lore and contagion.
The Bad, was too many characters, and no centrality to the story, some minor characters at times seemed tossed in for no damn reason, but I enjoyed the cameos Andy Warhol? anyone.The end was kinda confusing to me tho, bu overall a good , refreshing take on vampire origins,lore and contagion.
October 31, 2009
I enjoyed this book even though it's got a different style then many I tend to gravitate towards. There's no real one main character; it's more an ensemble cast that all play off each other in different ways to tell the complete tale. And it's set in 1986 which adds to the different "feel" of the storytelling.
There's definitely a bit of a statement made about AIDS and blood and promiscuity as a metaphor for vampirism. Sometimes it's not even a metaphor but flat-out a part of the plot. And in that respect, it can feel a little bit "Judgment" for sins sort of condemnation.
Still though, the book was enjoyable. It felt a little long in places mainly because of the large cast which required the focus shift very frequently to the different plots and actions, but it's a different take on the same-old, same-old vampire story that fills the shelves these days.
There's definitely a bit of a statement made about AIDS and blood and promiscuity as a metaphor for vampirism. Sometimes it's not even a metaphor but flat-out a part of the plot. And in that respect, it can feel a little bit "Judgment" for sins sort of condemnation.
Still though, the book was enjoyable. It felt a little long in places mainly because of the large cast which required the focus shift very frequently to the different plots and actions, but it's a different take on the same-old, same-old vampire story that fills the shelves these days.
June 26, 2011
A teenage runaway is killed by a sadistic vampire serial killer who has stalked her family for more than a decade, After being brought back to life to feed on her child, but before she is killed again she revives her first born. The undead infant escapes triggering a citywide search for a vampire baby. Who by its existence threatens the whole vampire community. Steven and Lori work in the downtown art world scene, he,s an artist she,s a writer they are stuck in the middle of a bad break up. They can,t simply move on they are bound by a contract to do a book on vampires. But when they stumble upon the real thing will their feelings intensify as they reunite to battle what they scarcely believe exists.
April 30, 2010
If you like vampire books, read this one. This was great. It was a fresh storyline, different from other vampire books, yet didn't change any what we know vampires for. The characters were fresh and interesting. I can't wait for another book from this author.
October 29, 2023
This novel seems to have the possibility of being the first in a series. It takes a look at New York City and the secret underlying life of vampires. It seems that there are two sorts of vampires haunting the city one humans that have been more recently turned, and then an older bred that has lives for centuries. The older group serves as a sort of control to some extent.
Now, we have a group of people coming onto the scene. One if a young girl who has been pushed into prostitution whose baby is quickly taken up by the vampires. Her brother is looking for her and along the way gets a friend and that friends girlfriend involved.
The book slowly moves to a climate of a war against powers that surpass anything seen in a vampire story normally. The baby is a force to be dealt with as is a vampire that has presented herself as a guru in her game to control how vampires are regulated.
Part political intrigue, part horror, it is a new take on the vampire myth and I recommend it to anybody who likes to explore the vampire myth and the challenges and insights into morality that might be revealed within it.
Now, we have a group of people coming onto the scene. One if a young girl who has been pushed into prostitution whose baby is quickly taken up by the vampires. Her brother is looking for her and along the way gets a friend and that friends girlfriend involved.
The book slowly moves to a climate of a war against powers that surpass anything seen in a vampire story normally. The baby is a force to be dealt with as is a vampire that has presented herself as a guru in her game to control how vampires are regulated.
Part political intrigue, part horror, it is a new take on the vampire myth and I recommend it to anybody who likes to explore the vampire myth and the challenges and insights into morality that might be revealed within it.
January 8, 2025
It took shine time for me to be able to follow and understand the date changes every chapter. I understand why it was done, but I think it could have been done better. Even if I'm reading a large chunk in one sitting, I'm not going to remember the date and time from chapter to chapter.
I also felt like new characters would be thrown in often, and I would struggle to then connect them to the rest of the story for some time. They did all eventually connect, but it was sometimes difficult to keep track of who was who.
Otherwise, the story did keep me curious as to exactly what was going to happen, and I did enjoy it overall.
I also felt like new characters would be thrown in often, and I would struggle to then connect them to the rest of the story for some time. They did all eventually connect, but it was sometimes difficult to keep track of who was who.
Otherwise, the story did keep me curious as to exactly what was going to happen, and I did enjoy it overall.
October 2, 2022
A bit too much too handle.
December 15, 2014
Adam, a sadistic vampire, gets his kicks by being cruel and relentless. After killing a woman he stalked and accidentally turning her baby into a vampire, a city wide hunt is undertaken to find the bloodthirsty infant. Along the way, an underground world of gods and monsters is unveiled to the reader who gets a bird's eye view of what dwells in the tunnels beneath New York City. Simultaneously, a couple that is falling apart is barely held together by their project of writing a book on vampire lore until they find evidence that the vampire stories may be more than fantastical folk tales. The brother of the vampire infant's estranged and now dead mother is searching desperately for his lost sister, unaware of the evil that awaits him if he continues on his search. This is not a run of the mill vampire novel. With elements of horror and gore, soft core romance, historical fiction-esque elements, and some strange creatures thrown in- this novel was a roller coaster of strange. More of a horror mystery than anything else, what stuck out the most to me was the in- depth look at the characters' backgrounds seen through peeks into the past to explain relationships, motives,etc.
The world building consisted of a 1980's New York and the underground system beneath the city. The author presents the reader with enough description to assist the imagination without being overbearing. Strange but entertaining, this reminded me of a comedic horror drama or B movie a la Death Becomes Her or Boxing Helena.
If you are looking for something different to read, especially with a tinge of horror, blood,and sinister plot twists-than this may be your fix. If you are easily grossed out, this may be too over the top.
The world building consisted of a 1980's New York and the underground system beneath the city. The author presents the reader with enough description to assist the imagination without being overbearing. Strange but entertaining, this reminded me of a comedic horror drama or B movie a la Death Becomes Her or Boxing Helena.
If you are looking for something different to read, especially with a tinge of horror, blood,and sinister plot twists-than this may be your fix. If you are easily grossed out, this may be too over the top.
December 15, 2014
Adam, a sadistic vampire, gets his kicks by being cruel and relentless. After killing a woman he stalked and accidentally turning her baby into a vampire, a city wide hunt is undertaken to find the bloodthirsty infant. Along the way, an underground world of gods and monsters is unveiled to the reader who gets a bird's eye view of what dwells in the tunnels beneath New York City. Simultaneously, a couple that is falling apart is barely held together by their project of writing a book on vampire lore until they find evidence that the vampire stories may be more than fantastical folk tales. The brother of the vampire infant's estranged and now dead mother is searching desperately for his lost sister, unaware of the evil that awaits him if he continues on his search. This is not a run of the mill vampire novel. With elements of horror and gore, soft core romance, historical fiction-esque elements, and some strange creatures thrown in- this novel was a roller coaster of strange. More of a horror mystery than anything else, what stuck out the most to me was the in- depth look at the characters' backgrounds seen through peeks into the past to explain relationships, motives,etc.
The world building consisted of a 1980's New York and the underground system beneath the city. The author presents the reader with enough description to assist the imagination without being overbearing. Strange but entertaining, this reminded me of a comedic horror drama or B movie a la Death Becomes Her or Boxing Helena.
If you are looking for something different to read, especially with a tinge of horror, blood,and sinister plot twists-than this may be your fix. If you are easily grossed out, this may be too over the top.
Review by Jasmine, Technology and media Librarian
The world building consisted of a 1980's New York and the underground system beneath the city. The author presents the reader with enough description to assist the imagination without being overbearing. Strange but entertaining, this reminded me of a comedic horror drama or B movie a la Death Becomes Her or Boxing Helena.
If you are looking for something different to read, especially with a tinge of horror, blood,and sinister plot twists-than this may be your fix. If you are easily grossed out, this may be too over the top.
Review by Jasmine, Technology and media Librarian
July 30, 2010
With every genre literary fad (the singularity, zombies, armaggeddon or, in this case, vampires) it’s easy for veteran (read: jaded) readers to disregard all but established writers when looking for novels regarding that particular subject. There’s heaps of “me, too” junk and empty hype out there, making it tough to pick a gem out of a garbage pile without help (hello there!).
As of Oct. 12, a quick, dirty and totally unscientific search for “vampire” in Amazon’s books section reveals 102 titles released in the last 30 days, 319 released in the last 90 days, and 67 coming soon. So just in time for Halloween, amid a frenzy of awful cash-ins and TWILIGHT rip-offs, is BITE MARKS: A VAMPIRE TESTAMENT by Terence Taylor, and it’s surprisingly pretty great.
More: http://www.bookgasm.com/reviews/horro...
As of Oct. 12, a quick, dirty and totally unscientific search for “vampire” in Amazon’s books section reveals 102 titles released in the last 30 days, 319 released in the last 90 days, and 67 coming soon. So just in time for Halloween, amid a frenzy of awful cash-ins and TWILIGHT rip-offs, is BITE MARKS: A VAMPIRE TESTAMENT by Terence Taylor, and it’s surprisingly pretty great.
More: http://www.bookgasm.com/reviews/horro...
February 14, 2013
I definitely like this book. It kept me on edge always wanting to know what would happen next! I hated and loved characters and was very mad that 1 of them is still alive in the end but that makes me want to read the sequel even more. The only problem I had with this book was kind of with the baby I guess it seems a little silly and ridiculous at some points... and the ending was a little I don't know silly but I still very much enjoyed this book. The take on Vampires was very neat and I can't wait to read the next book. The Arthur did a very good job at making me want to keep reading! The story is very entertaining.
April 19, 2010
Okay I'm not sure what to say about this book. It was wonderfully bloody and disgusting. The ONLY problem I really had with it is the oddness of it. If it had stuck with the vampires and zombies I would have marked this much higher. But it got very weird toward the end. If there is a second one I'm not sure I'll read it (it ended like it will definitely have at least a 2nd book). At least, I won't be jumping to grab it as soon as its out.
May 2, 2010
This book was sooooo good! If you are a fan of vampires that kill, vampires that cause mayhem, and vampires that are blood thirsty and not love thirsty, then this is the book for you! I enjoyed every moment of Bite Marks. The thought process that went into creating this parallel universe with Vampires in New York was amazing. I can't wait to ready part two (already in stores) Great job Mr. Taylor!
September 8, 2010
A great vampire story - fast-paced, creepy, and deliciously gruesome!! Definitely one of the best new vampire books out there. I would have loved to give this book 4 stars, but I dislike the cover so much I could not give it more than 3. I know the old saying, but I would have never picked this book up had I seen it in a store.
Thank you to the literary representative for my copy of this book.
Thank you to the literary representative for my copy of this book.
May 7, 2014
If you love LA Banks, you should check out this debut from Terence Taylor Bite Marks.
Unlike Twilight or anything afterwards similar to it, Bite Marks is a dark, sadistic vampire horror tale that takes place in the mid-1980s of NYC. I truly liked the character development and twists & turns within the story that set the book up perfectly for the follow up Blood Pressure which is book 2.
Worthy read, even for those who are not really into vampire fiction.
Unlike Twilight or anything afterwards similar to it, Bite Marks is a dark, sadistic vampire horror tale that takes place in the mid-1980s of NYC. I truly liked the character development and twists & turns within the story that set the book up perfectly for the follow up Blood Pressure which is book 2.
Worthy read, even for those who are not really into vampire fiction.
March 11, 2010
VERY GRAPHIC NOVEL! very good story of family love and compassion. parts of the book make your skin crawl then other parts make you appriciate what you have in family. The book is a little more confusing because your following 5 or 6 different story lines at a time. Book is geared for a adult audience and will keep you guessing.
January 13, 2010
This was one of the best books i read all year. What a find! Just when u thought the genre was getting boring and Bam! here comes Terence Taylor. i cant wait to read the next installment.
Good work my brother :-)
Good work my brother :-)
June 17, 2012
This book was interesting, intricately plotted, wide variety of characters, had action, a bit of romance. It wasn't scintillating, and it took me a while to finish, which is why I gave it only 3 stars.
September 30, 2009
Terence Taylor is a terrific writer, and his premise of a vampire baby on the loose is new and exciting. A rich setting and realistic characters. Take a bite!
October 20, 2009
Depressing, really depressing, as a good vampire novel should be, right?
November 25, 2009
Sick and twisted fun read....all from a man who wrote kids stories first???
July 7, 2010
this was a good book...a somewhat dark, seedy vampire novel, yet a good read...the characters sucked me in...-puns intended :)
June 19, 2011
There were too many character sand it made it confusing.
July 28, 2011
Not bad, but the whole underground bug cult at the end kind of lost me. I was with him until then, and the writing is decent.
May 25, 2012
This one did not pull me in. It had some points of interest, but i did not enjoy the choppy style. I think it is a matter of preference.
November 9, 2012
Wowsers! This book was shocking to me!!!
February 16, 2013
Very good storyline and the plot is awesome. i refuse to have spoilers so you'll just have to read it. i will say it IS a must read.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews