IMMORTAL GIFTS

The first installment of Villyard’s Immortal Vampires saga features a centuries-old vampiric virtuoso violinist and animal lover married to a bisexual Wiccan veterinarian from New Jersey.

Abraham Levy is a young violinist in 1841 Prussia. Finding opportunities to further his training is extremely difficult for the Jewish Abraham, as the famed Berlin Academy of Music won’t accept Jewish students. When a rich (and eccentric) patron named Ludwig becomes enamored with Abraham and his playing, the sickly violinist thinks his luck may be changing—but when Ludwig turns him into a vampire without his consent (thus saving him from consumption), Abraham realizes his problems are just beginning. The vampire who turned Ludwig—a sadist named Thomas who may have been a torturer during the Spanish Inquisition—believes Jews aren’t worthy of becoming vampires and vows to kill Abraham (“I noted he wore what resembled red Inquisitor robes”). Ludwig and Abraham barely escape Thomas and his cronies, thus begins a deadly game of hide-and-seek in which Abraham attempts to live a “normal” life while staying hidden from his psychotic pursuer. Living in 2018 New Jersey with his wife, Destiny, and their many animals, he contemplates Destiny’s desire to have children, but their lives become further complicated when Thomas finally finds Abraham after decades of searching. The novel presents a nonlinear narrative told from multiple points of view. The initial hook is the quirky storyline; Abraham and Destiny are the antithesis of stereotypes, as are the supporting characters, particularly Ludwig and Destiny’s lesbian Wiccan mothers. Deep readers will also appreciate the subtle political commentary regarding the ignorance and intolerance spreading throughout the world. The novel’s only real flaw is a minor one: Some scenes are revisited from different perspectives, resulting in a repetitiveness that negatively impacts momentum.

Vampire fans hungering for something original will love this blend of historical fantasy and paranormal thriller.