Blood Prophecy by Stefan Petrucha

Publisher:  Hachette Book Group/Grand Central Publishing
Pages:  368

(Released:  October 26, 2010)

From the Cover:

Man and Monster are in his blood....

His name is Jeremiah Fall. A soldier of fortune, he has been fighting his own war for 150 years—ever since the beast in him was born.

Desperate to restore his lost humanity, Fall crosses the sands of Egypt, discovers a lost city off the coast of France, and finally arrives at the birthplace of all mankind. Shunning daylight and feeding only when he must, he battles the monster who transformed him forever. He can share his deepest secret with no one . . . not even the beautiful woman he starts to love, the only human who grasps the mysteries of an ebony stone as old as creation itself.

Across the world, across time, Fall seeks the stone's secret. But has he found a cure for himself or unleashed a final curse on all mankind?


Jeremiah Fall first started this journey into the new land in 1644, America was supposed to bring them religious freedoms, but instead the Puritans were almost as condemning as the persecutors in England.  When Atticus is thought to be "touched", the leader of the sect would like nothing better than to drive them from their community.

When Nathan Fall (Jeremiah's father) accidentally releases Skog from his ancient burial mound, the beast kills Nathan, and Nathan returns to kill Jeremiah.  It is only through the madness of Atticus that Jeremiah survives to be reborn, and he learns to hang on to a piece of his old life with Atticus's help.

Now the year 1799, 150 years later since his rebirth, Jeremiah has been searching for the cure relayed to him by the Algonian natives.  It has taken him to England, Paris, and finally, Egypt.  There he finds what he thinks he has been searching for, but by releasing the ancient obelisk from the desert sand, has he bought his cure or brought a curse to the rest of mankind?

Blood Prophecy by Stefan Petrucha is a paranormal historical vampire tale.  It's a different take on the story of the vampire, with some old mythos as well as some new, blended together to create a page turning urban fantasy.  It all starts with the Puritans crossing and the release of Skog, and the loss of Jeremiah's humanity.  Where Jeremiah once found hope, he finds himself lost.  His roots in the Puritan religion tell him he's a monster, but he vows to never feed from humans, to try to fight on the side of right.  In his search for the truth, he has had to choose sides and hope for the best.  Now, as he finds himself a prisoner of the French revolutionary soldiers, he has discovered what he has for so long sought.  It speaks to him, praises him, reassures him.  But, it is all a lie?  The Bandias, the believers in the Lord's story of the unfinished man, see in him as part of the one they hope to follow, the one who will bring an end to the lies.  Jeremiah Fall realizes his folly, "arrogance is folly", only after the obelisk is released and the darkness comes.

Blood Prophecy is not the story of nice vegetarian vampires, hero vampires, sexually powerful vampires who attract those they come in contact with.  This vampire, though he does not prey on people, wants nothing more than to lose the part of himself that has become vampire.  He wants to be free of his difference.  The Bandias want to set free the creator of the ones like Skog and Jeremiah, the unfinished man who wants to be reborn in the flesh of a woman to bring an end to those unlike himself.  It is only through Jeremiah's Puritan upbringing that he survives his life as a vampire.  It lets him hold onto a piece of his humanity that would otherwise be lost, as well as battle the unfinished man when the time comes.  (For those who don't understand, the unfinished man was the first man God created in his attempt to create the likeness of Himself in Adam, the unfinished man has been jealous of Adam, and all of his offspring since the time of creation)

Blood Prophecy is not wrapped up in Bible verse and doesn't feel like there is a religious tenor to the story.  It's simply another take on vampirism and the creation of the vampire species.  It's a story all urban fantasy lovers will want to take a peek at, fantasy lovers may want to take a peek as well.  I'm happy to see the vampire genre receive so many new forays, all different origins of the vampire species, all have a fresh feel to them, keeping the genre fresh as well.  There is room left open at the end of this book for a continuation of Jeremiah Fall's story, so I hope to see him again.  If you're looking for romance, other than the use of words and an almost unrequited longing, look elsewhere.


I received this book for review from the author.  All opinions expressed are my own.