The Bitten

In England, in the year 1847, two young boys by the name of Mark and Jack, escape from a dreadful workhouse where they are mistreated and abused. Alone in the night, the horrified children find themselves facing the terrifying unknown, Vampires. On this fateful night, both boys are bitten, but survive due to the actions of Mark, Jack's protector.

The boys are taken to Ash Tree House and raised by a Pure Blood Vampire known as Ravenscroft. Ravenscroft becomes a father to Mark and Jack, and the boys become loyal brothers. As Mark grows up, he becomes disgusted with what he has become and the desire to be human overpowers him. This intense desire entices Mark to leave Ravenscroft and the vampire family. Jack, loyal to his brother, flees with him.

After five years moving from town to town, with Mark feeding only when his body can no longer withstand the lack of sustenance needed to survive, they settle in the town of Thirnbridge. In Thirnbridge, Mark and Jack face the nightmarish experience of the events that unfold when their old vampire world catastrophically collides with their new world, having integrated themselves within human society.

The Bitten is more than just a novel about vampires. Mark's journey to find his humanity becomes entangled with the lives of others, both human and vampire. The challenges of what it means to be human are revealed. Such human traits as revenge as justice, killing for survival, and killing to avenge those that caused harm are raised. We see these traits in such characters as Ted Hawkins, obsessed with killing the vampire that murdered his daughter, and Daniel Stewart, who wishes to wreak havoc on a society he blames for the abuse and torment he suffered as a child.

In a modern day setting, The Bitten relinquishes many of the Gothic interpretations of vampires to develop a realistic account fitting of a vampire living in today's world. Human morality, the basic human instincts of survival, and the human desire to love and be loved are revealed. Through a meticulous and powerful account of life on the streets of Thirnbridge, the reader is taken into the lives of the characters, feeling the raw emotions of each character that is reflected in their surroundings. The intense description of violent killings, Mark's desire to love Lisa Jennings, and the guilt he carries, makes the novel a genuine page turner.

The Bitten is a unique and captivating approach to vampire novels. It delivers an engaging look at the human consciousness, the human spirit, and challenges how we look at ourselves.

Write Field Services Reviewer

Paperback: 408 pages
Publisher: iUniverse, Inc. (June 16, 2006)
ISBN: 0595399134