Vampire Thrall (#2)
Paul Lewis, a talented young artist, is haunted by visions of a vampire.
Paul is commissioned to illustrate a manuscript of the gospels at San Benedetto monastery, where he meets Brother Victor. He falls hard for the bold and arrogant brother, unaware that Victor is the vampire of his visions, a ruthless killer and Jesus’s former lover.
Victor initially resists his own attraction to Paul, but he is forced to make a choice when Paul witnesses Victor murder a monk: destroy Paul, or turn him into a thrall—a half-human, half-vampire creature completely dependent upon his creator. Unable to destroy him, Victor chooses the only other option.
Now it’s Paul’s turn to choose: remain Victor’s thrall or become a full vampire, knowing to become a vampire will release Victor from the realm of the living forever. But Paul’s visions are back, and they’re urging him to turn against the vampire he loves. Can Victor crush this power and conquer Paul before it’s too late?
Reviews
“Any compilation of this year’s best cannot overlook VAMPIRE THRALL, the latest incarnation of Michael Schiefelbein’s sexy gay vampire.”New York Blade
“Schiefelbein pulls the reader once again into his thrall […] carefully continues his provocative examinations of Catholocism, spirituality, and good and evil while vibrantly giving readers all of the tempestuous melodrama of a great and thrilling vampire novel filled with deep sexual passions. Bring on the next installment! Fast!”Lambda Book Report
“A wicked guilty pleasure rich with a high camp quotient and a killer story […] Joyfully mixes gay romance, vampire thrillers, Vatican travelogues, and Catholic dogma into a giddy sensation […] grand and highly entertaining.”Gay City News
“As well-written and powerful a story as one will find. Its depths are as thought-provoking as they are spine-tingling. Its resolution is both shocking and profound […] remarkably poignant Whatever it was that inspired Schiefelbein, VAMPIRE THRALL is likely to make readers fall to their knees and give thanks.”X-Factor
“Swiftly plotted and sufficiently sexy, the book races toward a climactic ending that begs for the next installment.”Out Magazine
“A must-read. Clearly Schiefelbein has arrived.”The Hour
“Great pulp queer fiction with a remarkable depth of reflection to match.”Bent
“Once again draws the reader into a spell. Enough suspense and sex to keep one reading with rapt attention until the last page.”Virginia Gazette
“A fast paced and well-written delight.”eFresh
“Just like his first novel, I devoured VAMPIRE THRALL in two evenings. Who could ask for anything more!”Liberty Press
“A great book for a sunny day on the beach.”PopMatters
Awards & Accolades
Lambda Literary Award Finalist
Insight Out & SF Book Club selections