The Vampyre - Tom Holland

[Scarlette]

The Vampyre: The Secret History of Lord Byron

 

Infamous poet Lord Byron comes to life with incendiary brilliance in this spellbinding blend of gothic imagination and documented fact. Wandering in the mountains of Greece, the supreme sensualist is drawn to the beauty of a mysterious fugitive slave; soon he is utterly entranced, and his fate is sealed. He embarks on a life of adventure even his genius could not have foreseen; chosen to enjoy powers beyond those any vampire has ever known, Byron traverses the centuries and enters a dark, intoxicating world of long-lost secrets, ancient arts and scorching excesses of evil. But Byron's gift is also his torment: an all-consuming thirst that withers life at the root, damning all those he loves. With its impeccable scholarship and breathtaking storytelling, THE VAMPYRE is a wonderful combination of fact and fantasy.

 

(synopsis from loot.co.za)

 

This is the perfect novel for anyone who loves history as well as grisly old-fashioned vampire tales (no sparkly vamps, here ).

 

I have been interested in Lord Byron's history in the past, but never cared much to research any details until after I read this novel - and I would suggest to anyone intending to read it, to do a bit of research on its main character, either before or after reading The Vampyre. The fact that all the (non-vampiric) events taking place and all the characters are based on actual events and people, makes this novel all the more fascinating. I have to give Tom Holland full marks for research.

 

What disappointed me most, though, was the novel's beginning and end - I felt they were hastily written and had the potential to ruin an otherwise perfectly well written novel. They're worth suffering through, though, since once the vampire's story gets on its way you'll feel entertained and horrified all at once. This book is grisly, as I've mentioned above, and I found myself feeling terribly disgusted at times... and yet compelled to continue reading. I found the novel's depiction of the classic vampire we all know and love, very interesting, too... but I will not give anything away regarding that.

 

If it wasn't for the lack of a good start and finish, I'd give it a 10, but Tom Holland's almost masterpiece will have to make do with a 7.

 

I absolutely encourage all vampire fiction lovers to give this one a try - you won't be disappointed.