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There are many, many vampire stories out there and Nightlord introduces another vampire type to the mix. But, should we think of Eric as a true vampire or is he really a just a person with an unusual condition? The author explains away many of the traditional vampire issues and advantages with pseudo-science.

So if we accept the explanations is Eric closer to a genetic mutation caused by a "disease" than a vampire? Is he simply being labeled as a vampire in order to fit the book into a popular genre?

I think this depends on your personal opinion of what a vampire is. His body dies. He has to live off of the blood and life force of others as opposed to just regular food, so that fits the definition well enough for me. Also, his actions are fantastical enough to fit into a fantasy genre. However, I'm sure others have their own opinions on what makes a vampire a vampire.

This is not the first vampire series that explains the vampirism as a disease that one can get from another vampire or a genetic mutation.

Julie,

Very true. But the entire concept of vampires being anything other than evil, bloodsucking forces of demonic energy and horror is a rather recent event historically. And the justification for a lack of evil in a vampire being the result disease are even more recent. The idea of a vampire being in love has also seen quite a bit of attention. So my question is meant to provoke the real underlying question that began with the Twilight series.
To twist the Wizard of Oz just a bit...

"Are you a good vampire or a bad vampire?"
"...Or are you not a vampire at all?"

For older readers the idea of a "good" vampire is absurd. It goes against the very definition of the word as they understand it. It is an oxymoron.

David,

I understand your point. But I actually am an older reader, and I still appreciate the twist on the concept. I think the author tried to placate the both the traditional and the new concept by having two kinds of vampire s in that world. Anyone in that realm could paraphrase Glenda and ask that question.

Agreed. And as I get further into the book he becomes more and more vampire like. Which brings up another question which I think I'll toss out in a separate discussion after I have finished the book - assuming he doesn't answer it along the way. I like the good vampire / bad vampire issue though. It makes the waters a bit murkier and more realistic. That being said, I also feel kind of sad that we go to so much trouble to dilute the ideas of good and evil. I can understand the argument is being pushed back to, "Hate the sin but love the sinner." But with Eric, he is now becoming sole arbiter of who lives and dies. "You are in pain and don't want to live. Therefore, if I kill you it's ok. You are a cruel, nasty person. If I kill you it's ok."

In the end, is Eric really a "good" vampire? Or is he just the kind of vigilante killer we think is ok in a lot of our TV and movie shows?

If you think about vampires, and all the different ways they have been descried and written about, I'd say yes, he is a vampire. All vampires drink blood, and are considered "undead". Eric fits those two descriptions, so he is technically a vampire.

A lot of his abilities are typical to vampires: heightened senses, improved strength and reflexes. Some stories of vampires say they can do some magic, or walk around in the daylight for one reason or another. I'd say this story in particular takes a different turn by saying he is technically alive during the day, and dead at night. It isn't typical, but it could be believable.

All in all, the book is great, and the interpretation of what a vampire is is really fascinating. I can't wait to finish the series, and see what else Eric's life has in store!

Whether or not he is a vampire, I don't think the story is really about him as a vampire. It's more about him as a magician; his vampiracy (I know it's not really a word) just enhances his magic.

I think since Eric is dead and lives off of blood that makes him a vampire. At least to me anyway.

kandscreeley wrote:Whether or not he is a vampire, I don't think the story is really about him as a vampire. It's more about him as a magician; his vampiracy (I know it's not really a word) just enhances his magic.

I agree with this post. However, I think Eric would technically be a vampire since he does require "feeding" off other living beings.

I would put him in the vampire category. He has extra gifts so to speak but as mentioned by kandscreeley it really is more focused on his part as a magician. The vampire portion just gives him the immortality to protect and teach.

There are a lot of different vampire myths out there. Not all of them fit the typical mold we associate with them. A vampire is typically seen as something that drinks blood as food, and can only come out at night. But this does not apply to all vampires. Even one of the most famous of their kind, Dracula, could function during the day. And there are even vampires that don't drink blood, but rather the life force of their victims. So you could say that Eric is sort of an amalgamation of several different vampire legends, with a few extras thrown in for good measure. So yes, he is definitely a vampire, although a new type of one.

I think, yes, Eric is a vampire. If nothing else, he defines himself that way, and I have to respect the person living with the condition (even when he's a fictional character). In my mind, he doesn't line up with Vlad the Impaler, but as others have posted, literature has given us more ways to revisit the idea of vampires.

I don't know if the vampirism in this sense is a disease - I like the idea of it as a condition. While reading the book, I found myself thinking of it as an alien incursion. If the first vampires that visited Earth were aliens... might it just be considered another form of procreation?

I think that depends on the person's perspective. I have seen many stories where vampirism is described as a disease.

kandscreeley wrote: ↑09 Jan 2017, 14:43 Whether or not he is a vampire, I don't think the story is really about him as a vampire. It's more about him as a magician; his vampiracy (I know it's not really a word) just enhances his magic.

I agree with this.