Slave of My Thirst

Rating:
Summary: Adventure--and transformation
Review: *Slave of My Thirst* is an engaging trip through a number of narrative styles, from an hilariously oafish British colonial officer, to Bram Stoker's journal, to the diary of the Sherlock Holmes-like hero, Jack Eliot, and beyond. Each voice is distinctive, advancing the plot from its own point of view, making for an interesting journey from the remote mountain passes of India to the slums of London, from the vampiric worshippers of the goddess Kali, to the prostitutes and opium addicts of Whitechapel. Although overall I would say this is a "ripping good yarn," it transforms itself over the course of its varied narratives from a 19th century adventure story into something else, quite rich and strange. Jack Eliot, accompanied by Bram Stoker, tries to rescue one of Jack's old friends, and also to protect a young actress of Stoker's acquaintance from a web of intrigue which boggles the rational, Victorian minds of the two men. Holland has written passages of almost hypnotic sensuality (which were also interesting in his other vampire novel, *Lord of the Dead*), interspersed with a claustrophobic sense of being trapped in a life not of one's choosing, and with deliciously amorale characters. *Slave of My Thirst* seduces with a plot which masquerades as a linear adventure story, then broadens out into nearly hallucinogenic fantasy, and ultimately returns to being a thriller. Dr. Jack Eliot and friends may start off as fearless vampire killers, but they end up being transformed by their experiences--sometimes quite literally.

Rating:
Summary: Wanting more...
Review: Having recently read Holland's first Byron novel, _Lord of the Dead_, i couldn't wait to read this one, and I was not disappointed at all. I've read all of the reviews saying how contrived the historial characters are, and i strongly disagree. Bram Stoker is exactly how i imagined him, a sweet yet doddering man with a simple life with a simple inspired idea for a novel. Jack is even more interesting in the novel, drawing the reader into his carnal lust for death and resentment towards the filth of the world. Polidori is great and annoying at the same time as usual, and of course, Byron is terrific and beautifully portrayed as well.

The book had no slow parts whatsoever, every page was filled with mystery and deceit and wonderful descriptions of its characters. The climax was tremendous and it made my heart beat faster as i turned the pages, afraid and expectant.

I don't want to give away too much, but as a suggestion to readers, pay close attention to the beggining of the story with Moorefield and the army guys, you won't regret it even though it is a little bit tedious compared to the meat of the book itself.

I seriously want more Byron, especially after the end comment from Jack (if anyone knows what i am saying!).

Rating:
Summary: Wanting more...
Review: Having recently read Holland's first Byron novel, _Lord of the Dead_, i couldn't wait to read this one, and I was not disappointed at all. I've read all of the reviews saying how contrived the historial characters are, and i strongly disagree. Bram Stoker is exactly how i imagined him, a sweet yet doddering man with a simple life with a simple inspired idea for a novel. Jack is even more interesting in the novel, drawing the reader into his carnal lust for death and resentment towards the filth of the world. Polidori is great and annoying at the same time as usual, and of course, Byron is terrific and beautifully portrayed as well.

The book had no slow parts whatsoever, every page was filled with mystery and deceit and wonderful descriptions of its characters. The climax was tremendous and it made my heart beat faster as i turned the pages, afraid and expectant.

I don't want to give away too much, but as a suggestion to readers, pay close attention to the beggining of the story with Moorefield and the army guys, you won't regret it even though it is a little bit tedious compared to the meat of the book itself.

I seriously want more Byron, especially after the end comment from Jack (if anyone knows what i am saying!).

Rating:
Summary: A Wonderful, Page-Turner of a Gothic Novel
Review: I read this book in the British version, with alternate title _Supping With Panthers_. It isn't exactly the most inspired of plots and the characters are pretty derivative (as others have noted)--John Eliot, the protagonist, is a pretty-thinly disguised version of Sherlock Holmes, for example. But there is something undeniably gripping about this story. I can't quite put my finger on what it is exactly that Holland has brought to the table, only that I found myself unable to stop reading. Maybe it's the epistolary structure (the novel is told through letters, diaries, and journal entries), each fragment given a suitably unique voice as it pushes the story forward. Perhaps the strongest part of the book are the early scenes in India, as a group of "stiff upper lip" British soldiers are sent to a mysterious region on the frontier and find themselves face to face with Russian zombie/vampires. Holland's attempt to bring real-life characters (Oscar Wilde, Bram Stoker) into the story to mingle with his fictional creations has been done better elsewhere (notably, Tim Powers' _The Stress of Her Regard_), but the whole package, ultimately, shapes up as something pretty memorable. Recommended!

Rating:
Summary: A Wonderful, Page-Turner of a Gothic Novel
Review: I read this book in the British version, with alternate title _Supping With Panthers_. It isn't exactly the most inspired of plots and the characters are pretty derivative (as others have noted)--John Eliot, the protagonist, is a pretty-thinly disguised version of Sherlock Holmes, for example. But there is something undeniably gripping about this story. I can't quite put my finger on what it is exactly that Holland has brought to the table, only that I found myself unable to stop reading. Maybe it's the epistolary structure (the novel is told through letters, diaries, and journal entries), each fragment given a suitably unique voice as it pushes the story forward. Perhaps the strongest part of the book are the early scenes in India, as a group of "stiff upper lip" British soldiers are sent to a mysterious region on the frontier and find themselves face to face with Russian zombie/vampires. Holland's attempt to bring real-life characters (Oscar Wilde, Bram Stoker) into the story to mingle with his fictional creations has been done better elsewhere (notably, Tim Powers' _The Stress of Her Regard_), but the whole package, ultimately, shapes up as something pretty memorable. Recommended!

Rating:
Summary: A step above the rest, please read!
Review: The book might be worth reading if only for the first section set in India. It has all the elements of adventure and horrors to be found on some late night black and white movie. But sadly, the remainder of this book, while interesting at times, fails to deliver the promise of what takes place in the first 75 of 421 pages. His ideas are very interesting and would provoke a lively discussion of many of them. But he cloaks them too deeply in layer after layer of words. Thus reducing the pleasure of the read (which is why we're here) while we remove words from the page like cloaks to be removed after coming inside to a warm room. All this to finally uncover his ideas! Too much work for too little. Yet I must admit that at moments my attention was absorbed. And the authors ability to bring us to India and England of 1888 could not be considered to have been a wasted effort.

Rating:
Summary: Unfinished Sycophancy
Review: The GB version of the book carries the title "Supping With Panthers" for some reason. I found the book annoying in its cod-gothic literate style and characters derivative of so many real and fictional literary heroes such as Holmes. The amount of words used in the letters to convince the reader that they are by different writers. The amount of exposition and frankly clunky name drops of Victorian socialites with Stoker running a theatre where Henry Irving and Ellen Terry are playing watched by, on the same night, Oscar Wilde etc becomes frankly, boring. As for Stoker's announcement that he may write a play "or, who knows, a novel, perhaps?" about the vampire "illness" that the plot centres around; this serves only to place the book at odds with the time it is set, rather than subtley intertwined as was, presumably Holland's desire.