The Darkest Thirst: A Vampire Anthology

Rating:
Summary: Overall, a pleasing experience for a newcomer to the genre.
Review: As a newcomer to the vampire genre, I was pleased with most of the 16 tales in this book as they gave me a quick understanding of "vampirism" and provided some well-thought-out writing to boot. There were only two stories that I detested, and there were five I found outstanding: Trotter's The Bleeding Of Hauptmann Gehlen; Parks' The Convent of Il Vigneto; Strauch's The Alberscine Vigil; Marcus's For The Love Of Vampires; and Marffin's Waiting for the 400. Parks' work especially had a Gothic horror Poe-like quality. I recommend the work highly.

Rating:
Summary: Overall, a pleasing experience for a newcomer to the genre.
Review: As a newcomer to the vampire genre, I was pleased with most of the 16 tales in this book as they gave me a quick understanding of "vampirism" and provided some well-thought-out writing to boot. There were only two stories that I detested, and there were five I found outstanding: Trotter's The Bleeding Of Hauptmann Gehlen; Parks' The Convent of Il Vigneto; Strauch's The Alberscine Vigil; Marcus's For The Love Of Vampires; and Marffin's Waiting for the 400. Parks' work especially had a Gothic horror Poe-like quality. I recommend the work highly.

Rating:
Summary: A new angle on an old monster
Review: Finally something new! Instead of the increasingly formulaic contributions of Anne Rice & Co, a new (and occasionally skewed) perspective. Let's face it, one doesn't expect to fight vampires in a trailer park, but in this book, someone does. The variations on the themes are invigorating, both to the reader and to a mythic archetype in need of fresh blood, both literally and figuratively.

Rating:
Summary: This was a great compilation!
Review: i am a stephen king fan so i especially enjoyed these vampire tales...i came across it because my cousin is published in here! Paul McMahon, the writer of "How Brando Was Made" (I think thats the title...).

Rating:
Summary: A great mix of vampire stories from the past and present
Review: I enjoyed reading this one very much. By far, one of the best stories in this volume is Trotter's "The Bleeding of Hauptmann Gehlen." Vivid and chillingly realistic, it recounts the story of German troops and their encounter with a mysterious enemy during WWII. The ending still gives me the shivers, but you'll have to read it to know what I mean. Other good stories are Marffin's "Waiting for the 400," reads exactly like a mystery noir; and Strauch's "Alberscine Vigil," a short but poignant story that I've read over and over. Overall, an enjoyable read well worth your time and money.

Rating:
Summary: Wonderful stories!
Review: I loved this anthology! The writing was just wonderful, and the variety of angles very refereshing. There were several stories that I would love to see made into full length novels. Highly recommended!

Rating:
Summary: Wonderful stories!
Review: I loved this anthology! The writing was just wonderful, and the variety of angles very refereshing. There were several stories that I would love to see made into full length novels. Highly recommended!

Rating:
Summary: A Fascinating Entry Into the World of Vampires
Review: I received THE DARKEST THIRST as a birthday gift and was less than thrilled. I read very little horror and an anthology of vampire stories was not exactly what I was hoping for. But I was wrong! The stories in this book were, for the most part, great. I particularly liked the stories by Robert Devereaux and Kyle Marffin. But the story I enjoyed most was "On Line" by Rick R. Reed. This cyberspace tale of lesbian love was one of the most darkly humorous stories I've ever read. The "instant message" type exchanges between the sexy vampire siren and the dowdy banker had me alternately laughing out loud and feeling my own chill as I feared what would happen to the main character. I hadn't heard of this book before, but I'm glad someone else had the good sense to give it to me.

Rating:
Summary: We finally have some fresh takes on vampires!
Review: I think Anne Rice better watch out. She's got competition in this collection, stories that look at vampires through fresh eyes and with the creative energy absent in Ms. Rice's recent work. "The Alberscine Vigil" is elegant and alive, "Waiting for the 400" is a beautifully described story of obsession and the powerful images in "The Covenant of Il Vigneto" linger in your mind long after the book is closed. "How Brando Was Made" and "The Bleeding of Hauptmann Gehlen" are action packed with lots of plot twists while "The Boy Next Door" and "For The Love of Vampires" remind us we don't know our friends and neighbors as good as we think. "Mercy" pulls at our heart strings. I hope to see more from several of these authors.

Rating:
Summary: We finally have some fresh takes on vampires!
Review: I think Anne Rice better watch out. She's got competition in this collection, stories that look at vampires through fresh eyes and with the creative energy absent in Ms. Rice's recent work. "The Alberscine Vigil" is elegant and alive, "Waiting for the 400" is a beautifully described story of obsession and the powerful images in "The Covenant of Il Vigneto" linger in your mind long after the book is closed. "How Brando Was Made" and "The Bleeding of Hauptmann Gehlen" are action packed with lots of plot twists while "The Boy Next Door" and "For The Love of Vampires" remind us we don't know our friends and neighbors as good as we think. "Mercy" pulls at our heart strings. I hope to see more from several of these authors.