Sanguinary Longings

by Claude frazier

In wartime France in 1918, Dr. Cole Sterling of the American Expeditionary Force is mortally wounded by a renegade German officer. Cole miraculously recovers from his wounds after receiving a small blood transfusion from a mysterious French woman, Aurora. Cole learns that his career as a surgeon is finished because he can no longer tolerate sunlight exposure or the bright lights of the operating theater. His anger at the destruction of his prior life is not diminished by the recognition of newly acquired physical strength and enhanced senses. When he learns that he must drink blood to survive, he is morally anguished and struggles to find the will to live. Aurora assists Cole in realizing that he can still help people as a physician and starts him on the path to becoming a psychiatrist. On a trip to the Olympic Games in Antwerp in 1920, Cole and Aurora encounter unsavory fellow blood drinkers, including Aurora's ex-husband and his manipulative associate, Baron Werner Gerbold, with life changing impact. Gerbold becomes a recurring, malicious challenge for Cole, who is shocked when he must join forces with Gerbold to help Gerbold escape Nazi Germany with samples of a deadly virus. Please enjoy this exciting tale of adventure, romance, and fantasy!

308 pages, Paperback

Published January 5, 2022

Reviews

[Christopher Galvez · Rating 4 out of 5]

Historical twist

I enjoyed the historical fiction woven into the story. This novel is slow-paced but well thought out. I was a bit distracted by the lack of chapters—making for a long read. I enjoyed the interesting twist. It was a breath of fresh air apart from “typical” vampire books.

[Lee Anderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is, without question, the best vampire book I’ve ever read, though admittedly I haven’t read a lot of them. I was just impressed with the unique take this novel had on what a “vampire” actually is. Like most vampire tales, their powers and limitations are adjusted to what’s needed in the story. For instance, these vampires are not undead and can be killed by ordinary weapons. They cannot change into bats or any other animal for that matter. They are closer to human than probably any other vampire novel out there, which is what makes the characters and their predicaments all the more engaging. Here they’re almost de-mystified. Their condition is treated clinically. Appropriate considering the main character is a doctor turned bloodsucker. (The author is a doctor as well apparently.)

Overall, this novel is very well-written, though typos appear in greater numbers towards the end. The story is so compelling, however, that these errors are easy to overlook and forgive. The author also did a great job of researching into the time period this novel takes place in (between the first and second world wars.) It makes for a more than interesting backdrop. Educational even.

If you’re a fan of vampire novels, please, give this one a try. I guarantee it’s far different than the rest.

[Shirley Holder · Rating 5 out of 5]

Different take on vampirism

Cole is mortally wounded in the first world war and saved with an infusion of blood from a woman he doesn't know. When he survives, he has traits of a vampire without the incisors. He hates his new reality. The rest of the book is about his adjustment, troubles with others like him, and his attempts to live as normal a life as possible. The story moves quickly and has a mostly satisfying end. There was one detail I would have liked to have seen wrapped up. In the whole, I recommend this to anyone who enjoys the genre.

[Kathy Stibal · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a strange book for me. It was full of suspense but it was a bit too graphic for me in places. Some parts went from disgusting to horrifying. But the story itself was very good. Overall, just a little weird for me.