 
|
|
Paperback
Publisher: Kensington
| Customer Reviews: |
|
| |
| Lone Wolf |
| Customer Rating: 2 out of 5 |
 |
|
In this novel, which I bought based upon customer reviews here, I found myself disappointed in the pacing, as well as finding too many similaries to other authors' works, even the death of a famed horror writer in this book seems reminiscent of an episode of FOREVER KNIGHT.
The unnaturally tall - for his time - blond, French vampire has already been done to death, pardon the expression, by the famed creation of Lestat, whose mother and the family of wealth and nobility already figure prominently in the Anne Rice novels. But here we have Noel and her son, and frankly the horrific character of the mother is the only reason one has any sympathy at all for her son. And the son is not nearly as compelling nor as charismatic as Lestat, even though there are some glimpses of a sense of humor, there seems something oddly disassociative about a character the reader is supposed to empathize with.
There are supernatural elements to these vampires that take them into the realm of cartoon: mind-influencing; the ability to inhabit another's body; to start fires with a simple command.... It seems too childish. Isn't it enough to be immortal and a vampire? Why must someone possess parlor tricks at one's disposal as well?
The entire novel becomes steadily more ludicrious in its plot until a final nonsensical finish, and I haven't read the second book in the series, but one wouldn't expect the developments from book two from what is concluded in book one.
The eroticism others are finding here, I didn't, and yet m/m eroticism isn't something I shirk from: Instead, I was bored, and merely turned the pages.
Basically a well-written book, however. One problem is the amount of backstory, flashbacks being a staple of vampire novels, it seems, but also a terrible use of characters' supplying verbal exposition, such as when Laura is telling the cops' about her birthday party and Claude is talking about Noel: Writers WRITE that type of exposition, but it is unnatural for people to talk in such a specific and detailed a manner.
|
| Starts Out Great...ends on a Whimper |
| Customer Rating: 3 out of 5 |
 |
|
The story line of this book is adequate, however the plot development leaves a great deal to be desired. Lord has taken a short story and expanded it, through TOTALLY UNNECESSARY AND FLOWERY LANGUAGE, into a barely passable novel. This really isn't as good a book as it could have been.
|
| Bound in Blood |
| Customer Rating: 5 out of 5 |
 |
|
With BOUND IN BLOOD (the first part of a proposed quintet) author David Thomas Lord manages to show us both the best and worst faces of erotic horror.
Through the eyes of ancient vampire, Jean-Luc "Jack" Courbet, we see the bleak underbelly of modern day New York City as he slinks from one seedy underground club to the next, in search of gay male victims to suck dry- both figuratively and literally. It's during these episodic killings that the vampire's lack of empathy for his victims leaves one feeling cold, and gives a good sense of the anxious nightly search for food. After extensive (in some cases, too much) background of these desperate souls, Jack destroys them in bloody and imaginative fashions, in an effort to make his slayings seem the work of a serial killer. And this is the crux of what makes for the worst weakness in BOUND IN BLOOD. The violence becomes increasingly more distracting, rather than plot spikes, and as the story begins to move forward, we all come to a halt for the vampire to seduce and then kill another horny victim. These, coupled with the sexual episodes, while admittedly titillating, do very little for the book's story. In fact, in some cases, the scenes detract from Lord's fine eye for detail and rich use of language. Although his distinctive voice is loud and clear during the sexual scenes as he straddles the line between sensuality and debauchery, there's a bit too much emphasis placed on the kills.
With deft touches, Lord illustrates Jack as a walking anomaly in the modern world: Pessimistic, caustic, seductive, bitter, and acerbic. A true predator, he shows no remorse for his victims, and there are moments of bloodiness that will make every man squirm uncomfortably, as Jack goes for the soft flesh.
Lord has some wonderful flashback scenes that recall the startlingly detailed visions wrought by Anne Rice in her original vampire novel, AN INTERVIEW WITH THE VAMPIRE. From France, to England, to America, Lord paints the historical picture of Jack, allowing us to begin to see his lost humanity. His recognition of personal shallowness is deftly culled from how badly he's handled his own past, and how selfishly he's handling his intended lovers' presents.
A little too far into the book, Lord sets up for Claude to become Jack's eternal companion of choice. And then, almost without warning, Jack seems to prefer a woman as his eternal companion instead, a sort of replacement for the mother he can no longer have as a friend and fellow vampire. Lord draws the character of Laura more realistically than any other, and lends her a sense of humanity and humor that the others seem to lack.
At times, especially at the beginning, the book falls into needless self-indulgence, and could have used the work of a sharp eyed editor to either condense or cut extraneous scenes that bog down the narrative. It takes a bit too long to get to the main story between Jack and his vampire mother, Noel, but once we get there, Lord does a great job of adding surprising plot twists and elements to keep the story moving. Including his mother's ability to slip into the minds and bodies of his friends and make threats against him. This is where the story becomes enticingly more complex- sexually and emotionally- and rewards the diligent reader with some beautiful scenes of pathos. The interchanges between he and his mother are by far the most effective the book has to offer. Although there is a bit of a stretched explanation for Jack the Ripper- Mom's bad job at framing Jack in dreary old London years ago.
Another strange turn in BOUND IN BLOOD is the inexplicable death of vampire authoress Edna Oates (Anne Rice?), but it does tend to keep the story moving, as the media descends on the scene to heat up his secret life.
There is a boiling current of sensuality in BOUND IN BLOOD, but too many instances of unattached sexual play that may not be for everyone, scenes that play like sex without foreplay. Erotic literature is about voyeurism, and there were times this lost that stylish edge and descended into borderline Penthouse forum letters.
Again, a good editorial distance could have helped make this a stronger book all around, as en editor could have attacked this issue, and the several instances of clunky dialogue, the overuse of names during interchanges (no one really talks like that), and the silly moments of Jack talking aloud to dead people while giving much needed exposition. But despite all of this, by the book's end, we are left in suspense as to the fates of the three main characters, Jack, Noel, and Claude. The next volume in this series is to be titled BOUND IN FLESH, and should cement David Thomas Lord as the king of vampires.
Nickolas Cook
|
| Very Original |
| Customer Rating: 5 out of 5 |
|
|
I enjoyed this book. It was so completely different than anything else I've read. It's about a vampire who preys on gay men. It's really a very clever and devious notion. Men generally are not as cauteous as women, and thus Jack (Lord's vampire) uses that lack of fear to seduce and kill his victims.
But different isn't what made me really enjoy BIB.
Lord's use of description is excellent. He's done his research and places his reader into his vampire's haunts. You "feel" like you've wandered the streets of both Paris and New York. Also, the book is very hot. IOW, lots of great sex.
The piece that I most admired, though, was Lord's ability to make you root for Jack. Let me back up. Jack is a monster. No doubt about it. He's not "Angel" or any of the other good blood suckers out there. You will wince as he seduces and kills his victims. Then, something happens, very slowly and subtly, and you'll begin to worry about him. When I realized this was happening, I couldn't believe it. As I said, it's subtle and it's incidious, and very skillfully done.
So, will I read Lord's next book, BOUND IF FLESH? Definately.
|
| not good |
| Customer Rating: 2 out of 5 |
|
|
At first I thought the sex was taking away from the story line... then I thought wait there is no story line.. so I started reading it for the sex (I am adaptable) but then I figure the sex is not that great either... NOT my kind of vampire story... maybe I am just to much of a romantic... and there is not romance in this story... but I give it two stars for effort.
|
|
