"Interesting Vampire tale with romantic overtones"
The focus of this story is on the life of a Vampire,
events that occurred in the seventeenth century, and the
affect they had on his "life" in the present. There are
unquestionably elements of romance. The hero falls in love
four times. Three of these woman play a significant role in
his life. The biggest influence on his life, both past
and present, however is that of the villain, Claude. Michael: The Present - Michael is a vampire,
and also the serial vigilante known as "The Avenger". This
is a game he plays, rescuing the weak and defenseless and
teaching their attackers a lesson they won't soon forget. Michael himself doesn't have it in him to be a killer, but
his existance depends on his ability to feed. His choice of
victims is linked to his past. The rescues are his effort
to redeem himself for damning his soul. In life Michael had been the beloved third son of a French
lord and lady. He had been religious, loving, and
intelligent, definitely the most suitable of the three sons
to become his father's heir. Pierre is weak, Claude is
twisted, but as the youngest Michael is slated for the
seminary. To Claude, Michael is almost too perfect and he
has plans to speed him on his way. Sophia: A tavern girl, agrees to take Claude's money
to
show fifteen-year-old Michael the ways of the world. She
knows Michael is a gentle soul unlike his brother, and
the money will see her to a better life. It is here that Michael discovers his brother's real
nature, both from the story Sophia tells him and the fact
that they had been set up to be discovered. They are caught
and Michael is sent away, but a relationship is forged
between them that carries him through the hard times to
come. Michael is sent to the Seminary, by his angry
father, to become a priest. He knows this is not the
life he was meant for. He deeply wants a family of his own
and Sophia now carries his child. Claude: Has only ever cared for himself. He has
plans to become the next lord. He needs the wealth to
support his decadent lifestyle. With Michael out of the
way, Claude puts the rest of his plan into action. It isn't
long before Pierre meets his demise. No one suspects Claude
except Michael, who confronts him. Unfortunately the
argument causes their father's heart attack. Claude
inherits and Michael now fears for his life. Michael decides to marry Sophia and take her and his
daughter away to England before Claude can destroy them.
His loved ones are not to be spared. He arrives too late
and finds only the child alive, barely. He escapes to
France with the
child and his own mother, and spreads the word the child
had died along with her mother. They live happily and well
until the year of his daughter's coming out. By this time
Claude has since gone through the family's wealth, and has
become destitute and desperate. Angelique: At twenty-nine, Michael has loved and
raised his
daughter well. However he realizes that she will soon
belong to another man. He has yet to find that special kind
of love for himself. He had come close, but no one had been
able to love his child as much as they loved him. He is introduced to Angelique. Her beauty is unearthly and
Michael becomes obsessed with her, neglecting food and even
his beloved child. Michael feels that the time has come to
focus on himself, and Angelique is all that he had ever
wanted. He will find out far too late that the woman he
loves is anything but an angel. Thus begins Michael's
journey into the world of the undead. He soon learns
that Angelique is but a mere minion. His enemy is one that
he's always known. He vows to take the vampire with him
before ending his own torment. Elaina: Four hundred years later in America, the
forensic
pathologist makes a shocking discovery while examining
photographic evidence of the wounds inflicted by "The
Avenger". The man she had fallen in love with at first
sight is the prime suspect. Could the man of her dreams be
the Tyson Park vigilante, and if the evidence is true, a
vampire as well? As the game the game turns deadly, Michael
and Elaina suspect a new player. Can the game be at an
end, just when Michael has finally found true love? SOUL OF A VAMPIRE was an interesting study, and gave one
food for thought regarding vampires in general. I think it
might be an interesting read for those who haven't gotten
past the blood drinking aspect of vampirism to see that
each is unique and that some actually do have hero
potential. Michael was a bit sensitive for my taste, as
both man and vampire he always seemed to find something to
cry about. Also because of his highly religious nature, he
is never able to accept his fate. Whether or not the
outcome was positive or not really depends on whose
perspective you are looking at it from. Copyright © 2000
Reviewed by Leslie Tramposch
Posted February 24, 2003
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