The Priest of Blood

Having read everything Clegg has written, I waited nearly 3 years to start this series as I wanted to read all three back to back to back. THE PRIEST OF BLOOD is a brilliant work by a great author. he gives you a rich background to put upon it characters that you believe in, a story that makes you gasp at certain points and dialogue that rings true. The first 190 pages (before he gets "dead") are some of the best, most lyrical prose I have ever read. A great start to what I expect to be a landmark trilogy.

Douglas Clegg has built an incredible world with a rich mythology that will leave you wanting more. This is not your run of the mill vampire tale or epic fantasy. It takes the best of both genres and trancends them creating an utterly fascinating story. If you're a fan of epic fantasy, dark fantasy, vampires, or just good stories you will be coming back for more.

This is the story of how Aleric began: his life before he became a vampire and what happens to him after he finds the destiny that fate has chosen for him. Aleric must make a journey that he wasn't expecting, but doesn't shy from. Events leave him no choice but to act. Original and entertaining, The Priest of Blood will make you glad you picked up this book. What better way to spend Halloween than to treat yourself to a new adventure? Dark, gothic, and filled with surprises, I'm so glad I read this one. I can hardly wait to see what comes next!

Wow!!! This is my first Doug Clegg novel, however it will not be the last. The guy really knows how to weave a story together. I loved every bit of it. Clegg is as good a storyteller as any one that I have read. Check this book out, I guarantee that you will not be disappointed. This is the kind of tale that can be read over and over again. I just ordered The Necromancer also, and I will be posting my review of it soon. Enjoy.

Fans of Douglas Clegg's novels of contemporary horror should take note: THE PRIEST OF BLOOD is neither contemporary nor is it strictly horror. I would classify it as fantasy/alternative history with a large dollop of terror thrown in. THE PRIEST OF BLOOD follows Aleric, a peasant boy in medieval France, who lives at the edge of a great forest filled with practitioners of an ancient religion, among other mysteries. Aleric's existence is a harsh one-he lives in the most abject poverty with his siblings, his father has disappeared and his mother is the village whore. The only positive influence in Aleric's life is the presence of his grandfather, an old soldier who teaches the boy how to train birds and who shares with him tales of the Old Ways. Aleric's talent with birds-particularly falcons-leads him to a position within the castle of the local Baron. There, Aleric becomes known as Falconer and falls in love with the Baron's daughter. That relationship-forbidden on many levels-leads to Falconer's conscription into military service as a soldier in a Crusade to the Holy Land, where his life will end and his afterlife will begin. THE PRIEST OF BLOOD is the first volume in a series called THE VAMPYRICON, so it's no surprise what sort of creature Aleric becomes. What is noteworthy is how Clegg melds historical detail with the very human story of Aleric. In fact, the first half of THE PRIEST OF BLOOD is nearly devoid of supernatural elements, yet may be the most gripping writing Clegg has ever produced. Cleggs opens the door to a number of interesting concepts here, including the nature of Vampyrism, which is different enough from the variations that have come before to keep it interesting. The inexorable march of Christianity across Europe is another theme Clegg explores, as we watch the old religions and their followers trampled under the onslaught of the one God. THE PRIEST OF BLOOD ends on something of a cliffhanger, one which will make most readers anxious for the sequel. Grab itif you can, and join Clegg on the ground floor of what looks to be his most remarkable work yet.