Review: Family, Blood and Vampire
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 10 5, 2012
The Blood Countess, or one Elizabeth Bathory, is known to be a woman who bathed in the blood of young women to maintain a youthful appearance. Vampire lore even goes as far as to say she was one of the inspirations for Bram Stoker's book Dracula. She is still even discussed in today's world for her well known blood lust.Author SB Knight takes part of her story, her heritage, and uses it masterfully in his book Born of Blood. The story centers on a young Jocelyn "Jesse" Banks who becomes the center piece for a mysterious man's attention. She meets this man, Drake, through an online dating service and after the first date he knows she is special. She actually may be the one that Drake has been searching for the bulk of his life. The main issue with Drake is he is a Vampire and he has lived many lives.What is great about Born of Blood is that SB Knight takes the social aspect of dating, work and life and entwines it perfectly with glimpses of the past. Jesse has some odd dreams where she actually pictures herself as a servant to the Bathory and witnesses the woman's insane treatment of young women. This treatment did not just verge on the insane cruel but passed well into acts of extreme torture. Just a brief example is how a maid is severely burned when Bathory takes a hot iron to her hand. This is mild compared to a few other tortures revealed. This is needed to help explain what happens as you turn the pages of the book to discover more about Drake and Jesse.The book is not just about torture and pain, but there is a rather major human factor. We get to read about how Jesse's mysterious background as she is an adopted woman. She's raised by caring parents that only want the best for her and have settled with the fact she works in a machine shop.  Jesse's circle of influence upon the world around her may seem small as you read the book but after Drake enters her life things really change.Born of Blood is a great read for those who miss the days of vampires doing what they wish to have what they want. The vampire in the story is by far not some love sick romantic, but cold and calculating. His methods, and those he inspires, are just evil and fit well with the glimpses into the world of Bathory.