Rating: 
Summary: Vampire Wow!
Review: A delicious, engrossing and fast read...I finished it in one day! The erotica was mostly of the male homosexual type, but not all of it. In all cases, it was titillating (although less so when a killing was involved). The protagonist's actual relationship with and physical longing for Jesus gave the storyline an interesting twist. The author should do well by his new book.
Rating:
Summary: HOLY BLOODSUCKERS !
Review: An avid fan of A.R.'s chronicles (4 and 5 being far too reaching for me), I was thoroughly pleased with Schiefelbein's characters. The barbaric, lascivious and tormented lead - haunting and inviting - seeped into every appropriate grey canal with ease and understanding. Schiefelbein's ability to maintain a constant undercurrent of malice and seduction, oblivious to judgement, held me close - hanging on every word. I am especially impressed with the lead's fallacious struggle (self-justification, maybe?) prior to mounting his gift.Exceptional and plausible one-sitting reading!
Rating:
Summary: HOLY BLOODSUCKERS !
Review: An avid fan of A.R.'s chronicles (4 and 5 being far too reaching for me), I was thoroughly pleased with Schiefelbein's characters. The barbaric, lascivious and tormented lead - haunting and inviting - seeped into every appropriate grey canal with ease and understanding. Schiefelbein's ability to maintain a constant undercurrent of malice and seduction, oblivious to judgement, held me close - hanging on every word. I am especially impressed with the lead's fallacious struggle (self-justification, maybe?) prior to mounting his gift. Exceptional and plausible one-sitting reading!
Rating: 
Summary: If you're serious about vampire literature, DON'T READ THIS!
Review: Before becoming a vampire, the vampire character in this book knows Jesus in the flesh. He is madly in love with Jesus but Jesus is too dedicated to God to give in to his sexual advances. After becoming a vampire, the main character decides he is going to get revenge on God by becoming a monk and wiping out monasteries throughout the world. The entire story is ridiculous. This 2,000 year old vampire, being so old and having experienced everything, is bored with every situation he encounters...making this very boring reading!
Rating: 
Summary: A literate, compelling, and original contribution
Review: For centuries, Victor Decimus (once a Roman officer under Pontius Pilate) had fed his rage against the God of the Christians with the blood of his followers. Desperately in love with, but ultimately rejected by, the young Jesus of Nazareth, Victor turns on the citizens of Jerusalem in a frenzy of rape and violence, leaving him no escape but through entry into the chaotic world of darkness as a vampire. Two thousand years later and now in the guise of a monk, Victor takes up residence in the Appalachian mountain-based monastery of St. Thomas. There he encounters Brother Michael and finds a trace of the love he has been seeking for the past two millennia, but his rage, his desires, and his eternal vow of vengeance against the Christian God drives him to sadistically insane levels of violence, which in turn results in an investigation of the monastery. It's then that Victor launches an attempt at the transformation of Brother Michael. With everything at stake, what happens next could be more horrifying than any mortal can imagine. Vampire Vow is a literate, compelling, and original contribution to the horror fantasy genre, and strongly recommended, especially compelling reading for vampire buffs.
Rating:
Summary: A Modern Gay Fiction Book With Bite
Review: Having had the chance to be the first to interview Michael in person while reviewing his book for a local Memphis newspaper, I remember being anxious to see how other readers would react to Vampire Vow. The book was not yet available in bookstores when I was thumbing through the galley proofs and following the dark adventure of Victor. I commented to Michael that Victor is a dark, sexy, brutal being that not all readers might like. However, you quickly find yourself being overcome by his power and maybe even attracted to him. That was exactly what Michael intended. And that is exactly what makes this book a modern masterpiece of gay fiction. I look forward to reading (and reviewing) more of Michael's work in the near future.
Rating:
Summary: Vampires Rule
Review: I have always been a lover of things vampirific, and was interested when I first saw this new take on vampire lore, and was induced to buy it, and am I really happy that I did. At first, I was skeptical about a vampire that had a lust after Jesus....but, early in my teens I had the same attraction....soooo, was drawn to this novel. OUTSTANDING! That's the best word that I can use to describe this novel. I read the first few pages, put it down, and went on to other things, but then when I picked it up again, I was hooked--I just couldn't stop reading until I was finished. Really, I hoped that Victor would have found his love--Michael--a principled, determined monk--given to much passion, and independence. They made the perfect couple, but Micahel's resolve to not give up on the Joshua that he knew couldn't overcome the dark side....blessedly. Sadly, Victor had to continue to the search....thus the typical ending. I almost would have been disappointed had not Victor gone on--do I smell a sequel? I certainly do hope so. This is a MUST read for anyone that is serious about the Vampire genre. Excellent!
Rating:
Summary: Truly disappointing
Review: I know that this book has received rave reviews, but I just don't understand why. True, the model on the cover is gorgeous. The premise of the book is interesting enough: a vampire in love with Jesus and hiding in a monastery. Also interesting are the early chapters in which Victor first becomes a vampire. After that however, it just becomes a hundred or so pages of redundant violence and a poorly written romance.
One problem is that the author perhaps tries to introduce too many genres in this one book. Is it a supernatural thriller? Is it a romance? Is it suspense? Maybe if he had a clearer idea of what sort of book he was writing it could have been developed in a stronger fashion.
None of the characters are especially likable or sympathetic, not the main character, his mortal inamoratus, or any one else. Perhaps the author was trying to write the protagonist as a sort of anti-hero, but without an effective cast to interact with, he only seems like a blood-drinking jerk.
The violence, which comes frequently, is somewhat graphic, but not particularly interesting. The problem with the violence is that it appears written to shock the reader, but there is no suspense to set it up. And with so many scenes or the same sort of blood-and-guts, it loses it's effectiveness quickly.
Many have praised the ease with which one can read the book. I personally found the writing so simplistic that I felt like it belonged in the "Young Readers" section. True you can read it in one sitting, but why bother?
I am a fan of the vampire novel, but I'm a fan of good writing even more. That's why I really do not recommend this book, except to put on the coffee table and admire the cover.
Rating: 
Summary: Nice cover, nice idea--bad book
Review: I thought this was going to be a really great story, I mean the idea sounds great. But this book is too short and simplistic. Add to that, the story is exactly what you read above--it doesn't delve any deeper into plots (subplots) or even the characters themselves. I can say that I didn't find anyone interesting. The sex scenes were sorely lacking, the murder scenes weren't graphic enough (nor was there any build up to them), and what small bit of character development there was only showed a lack of character. I'd recommend you skip this one.
Rating:
Summary: This Vampire's no Wow
Review: I tried to finish this book but the cliches and the poor writing simply made the task too difficult. A lot of the other reviews mentions faith, but I simply had none for the author in his choice of plot and characters. I don't understand hy this book is so popular, but then so is Christianity so maybe people have always been able to swallow tripe.
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