Off the Bookshelf: BLOOD FOR BLOOD, by Ben Wolf

Okay, here's the deal -- I don't do vampires. Or zombies. They both have too much of the "ick" factor, you know? Yes, I enjoyed "Buffy" when it was first on the air, and I don't mind catching reruns when I'm feeling nostalgic and too brain-dead to write. And yes, "Van Helsing" is always fun to giggle through. But get the picture? Vampires are the BAD guys. They need staking and dusting.

So for me to read a book where a vampire is the hero? That's really out of my comfort zone. Like, double ick. So why did I read this vampire book? Well, Ben Wolf is a fellow Realmie, as well as the mastermind behind Splickety Magazine (there are three "flavors," so if you want to try flash fiction, there should be something for your taste). Reason enough to trust him.

Interesting take on the whole conundrum of what exactly a vampire is, if there is a soul left, or if the vampire has to regain his soul, and just how do you develop a 12-Step program to get off the addiction to blood? (Besides the abstinence program advocated by the vampires in Terry Pratchett's Discworld series?)

Then there's the long-lasting effects of seeking revenge, learning to forgive, doing what is right no matter how much it hurts, and ultimately trusting in and obeying God. Then there's the concept of Jesus' blood being enough to overcome a vampire's bloodlust. Quite enough twists and turns and "hmmmm" moments to make up for the ick factor. Even if you're not into vampires, you might just want to investigate this story that steps back a century or so, and investigates what happens when a lonely, desperate, hungry vampire runs into an old-school Italian evangelist and his family.