Sam reviews ‘Vamipire Rising’ by Larry Benjamin. Published by Beaten Track published on July 19th, 2015 and is 48 pages long.
This book was provided free of charge by the author for an honest review.
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Synopsis:
“To be a Vampire is to know your pale skin and red lips offend others.”
-Malcolm V
It’s the mid twenty-first century. Anti-Semitism, racism, sexism and homophobia have been consigned to the dustbin of history. The world is run by “the state,” and Christian zealots, whose chief governing tools are fear and oppression. It’s a wonderful time to be alive—unless you’re a Vampire. Vampires are despised, and feared, and subjected to discrimination and unspeakable violence.
Considered undead, unholy, without basic human rights, Gatsby Calloway lives on the fringes of society, avoiding humanity. Until he meets Barnabas, a young encaustic painter. When Barnabas is mortally wounded during an anti-Vampire attack, Gatsby must forget everything he has known, and learn to trust.
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Gatsby is a vampire who lives secluded in an area that most humans are to scared to visit. Gatsby and Barnabas have known each other from a few years back. They have been attracted to each other but do to circumstances they were not able to act on their attraction. When Barnabas comes to visit Gatsby seven years later their pull is still strong. Knowing first hand the extent of discrimination and violence that vampires endure from humans and that humans are mortal Gatsby doesn’t want to act on the draw they have towards one another. He tries to let Barnabas know his reasonings so he will understand why they can never be together. But when Barnabas ends up in the middle of an attack on Vampires, he gets mortally wounded. Gatsby now has to make a decision he has never wanted to make again.
This was a short story about vampires and humans. You get to see the political aspect of the vampires lives and how they endure discrimination as well as a sweet love story. The writing flows well and is very descriptive. The author leaves you needing to know what happens next.
If you like a unique short vampire story then I recommend reading Vampire Rising.
8/10 Pots of Gold
Amazon, Beaten Track Publishing, B&N
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Writer. Wordsmith. Author.
Words, You See, are the Thing
Bronx-born wordsmith Larry Benjamin is the author of the allegorical novella Vampire Rising, and Unbroken, a gay novel, which is a 2014 Lambda Literary finalist and a 2014 IPPY Gold Medalist. His second book, Damaged Angels, a collection of short stories was a 2013 Rainbow Award Runner-Up in the Best Gay Contemporary General Fiction category. His debut novel, What Binds Us, was published by Carina Press in March 2012.
Larry considers himself less a writer than a wordsmith—an artist whose chosen medium is the written word rather than clay or paint or bronze.
He is a writer of stories whose characters are determined to find their place in the world; if they cannot find a place, they make a place. Even when their lives aren’t perfect, it’s never because they’re gay but because they’re human. And like all humans they often suffer the consequences of ego and bad judgment.
He lives in Philadelphia with his husband and their two rescued dogs.
CONTACT THE AUTHOR:
Website, Email, Facebook, Twitter,
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