Warm Thought provoking, The Vampire Priest

The Vampire Priest by Jonathan Gleich
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I didn't know I would actually enjoy a book about a High Anglican vampire priest who drinks bovine tea Romney Marsh, where even the sheep have something to say, I didn't know what to expect and at first it was difficult to understand. On paper, the premise sounds utterly ludicrous and far-fetched. But as Jurassic Park proved, if a writer is skilled enough, they can make the impossible feel entirely normal.
That is exactly what happens here. The author has taken a very strange piece of cloth and managed to tailor a garment that fits perfectly. Once you accept the bizarre internal logic of the world, it transforms into a unique dark comedy and humanitarian story.
What truly anchors the story is the amazing amount of authentic science woven through the plot. The author clearly knows his biology and hematology, grounding the vampire lore in realistic medical detail that respects the reader's intelligence.
Moving away from traditional horror, these vampires are creatures to be understood, admired, rather than feared. The plot touches on some surprisingly heavy and sad themes, which I will leave for you to find out.
It is an odd, distinct read—you've met vegan vampires before in Twilight, but its nothing like that epic, its different, I wonder if there will be a sequel, because something happened at the end, that left hope, and very much hope there might be, but what else could the author write about, a speculation of each characters lives before the infection? If you are willing to suspend your disbelief, it offers plenty of chuckles, a few logic leaps, and a surprising amount of heart.

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