Review: The Blood of Cowards by Matt Cole
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 06 7, 2012
The Blood of Cowards is an unconventional vampire short story set in the outskirts of Atlanta, Georgia during the American Civil War. Fleeing before the advancing Union Army in order to save his fortune from Sherman's advance, Lazarus must fight the blood lust he feels when the injured and maimed are scented. Not having fed for days he is beginning to experience weakness. As his blood lust is about to cost him dearly he catches scent of three Confederate deserters, a veritable feast. But nothing comes without a cost, even for vampires, as Lazarus is about to discover.Beautifully written, well developed with an interesting story and a strong protagonist, The Blood of Cowards is one of the best short stories of this genre' I have read. The scenic descriptions are so well done I could almost feel the humidity in the air around me. The limited dialogue was realistic allowing the reader to hear the words. The protagonist's backstory was just enough to set the stage for the events to follow.A very well done short story with a literary feel to it, I will be reading more of Mr. Cole's work.Karen Bryant DoeringParents' Little Black Book