Wow! This is an enthralling tale with much for nearly every sort of reader. Relatively short, here is a book I found impossible to put aside. Having picked it up again in preparation for this review I was unable to quickly summarize notes. I was instantaneously sucked into reading long sections over.
The tale’s premise operates on at least four levels, entertainment… a good old-fashioned vampire horror tale with plenty of blood and guts; theological…clear references to scripture in several sections many more of which I’m sure I missed; philosophical… the nature of good and evil and the interdependence of these opposites in the nature of mankind: and finally gay literature… enough erotically described oral and anal sex (albeit vampire-like) to spark a Tom-of-Finland fantasy in the most staid of the gay community.
The basis of the story is presented in the first 34 pages, which establish the characters vividly. The protagonist, Victor Decimus is a Roman Centurion stationed “overseas” to Jerusalem assigned to Pontius Pilate. Victor, innately violent, handsome, and well muscled meets Jesus (whom he calls Joshu throughout the narrative). After a night of carousing Victor falls totally enamored of the 20 year-old Joshu. Truly lust at first sight…maybe even love at first sight or is it love/hate. They remain close friends over a three-year period during which time Joshu’s physical, sexual responses are noted by Victor with growing pleasure. Nevertheless intimate contact never occurs. (This part of the story will undoubtedly cause devout Christians varying levels of distress.) Unable to seduce or enter into a sexual relationship with Joshu, Victor drifts inevitably into Joshu’s antithesis. Interestingly, Victor never truly takes responsibility for his feelings of passion, of rage, or for his drift to the dark side. Ultimately he blames Joshu for his plight…now there’s some specious thinking!!
Victor becomes a vampire embracing the dark side and for 2000 years wreaks murder and mayhem through Europe and the Christian communities ending finally in a small Appalachian monastery where the story unfolds to its gory but ambivalent conclusion.
At the rural cloister, Victor first befriends, then seduces Luke, a young monk who, puppy dog-like fawns unashamedly… no emotional challenge for the wise old vampire in search of a companion with whom to share the night. He is killed.
Victor moves on to Michael, also young but more intelligent, mature, and disquietingly Joshu-like. In that reflection of his beloved Christ, Michael takes center stage in Victor’s search for companionship and love.
The balance of the story details excitingly, erotically, the pursuit, seduction and ultimately the resolution of the Michael-Victor relationship. Or maybe it is a Joshu-Victor relationship that has no resolution remaining forever in stasis.
Without doubt this is one of the best three books I’ve reviewed over the last sixteen months. It is the only one that I plan on re-reading. It is provocative, thoughtful, philosophical and a wonderfully good homoerotic story. Wow!