Gifts Of Blood

by Susan Petrey | Science Fiction & Fantasy |
ISBN: 0671721070 Global Overview for this book
Registered by wingGoryDetailswing of Nashua, New Hampshire USA on 11/1/2010
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10 journalers for this copy...
Journal Entry 1 by wingGoryDetailswing from Nashua, New Hampshire USA on Monday, November 1, 2010
I found this somewhat-battered paperback at a local Annie's Book Stop, and was intrigued by the concept: a special breed of beings dwelling on the Russian steppes, beings who need human blood to live, but who are not the typical undead vampires... I'd read one of the stories in the collection Tomorrow Sucks, and was glad to find more of Petrey's work.

Later: Very enjoyable collection of stories here! And the premise is certainly intriguing. The main characters are two brothers with very different temperaments, but who have both inherited their clan's ability to heal humans and horses, as well as the need to drink a little human blood now and then. In their own lands, they've become accepted and are readily (more or less) offered their small blood-fee in exchange for their help, but times change, and other cultures are not as accepting. Will the reckless Spareen avoid getting himself accused of being a bloodthirsty demon? Will Vaylance, his gentle-natured brother, find a way to continue his healing practices in the face of new, close-minded cultures?

Some charming touches: being from a steppe clan, the characters are expert horsemen, and can even converse with the beasts, a great advantage when trying to diagnose illnesses (and a source of humor now and then, as in the short-short story "Fleas"). And as the tribe can only reproduce with women of their own kind - and female children are very rare - the tribe is dwindling, much to the discomfiture of the randier characters.

The story "Leechcraft" takes an interesting turn, introducing a modern-day character who somehow manages to reach across time to our hero's mid-1800s era. "Small Changes" has Spareen falling captive to Christians (who, unsurprisingly, do not look kindly on blood-drinking heathen). The details of the healing songs and rituals, of the diagnostic techniques, and of life on the steppes are all charming - a very enjoyable collection.

There are two additional stories not about the blood-drinkers of the steppes: "The Neisserian Invasion", a futuristic alien-invasion story with an amusing (and/or scary) premise for the method of transmission, and "Spidersong", a sweetly sad love story about a lonely lyre spider who lives inside a lute.

Journal Entry 2 by wingGoryDetailswing at Nashua, New Hampshire USA on Friday, August 26, 2011

Released 12 yrs ago (8/26/2011 UTC) at Nashua, New Hampshire USA

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This book's going into the re-started Medicine Chest bookbox (see the forum thread here); next stop, azuki in Florida. Enjoy!

Journal Entry 3 by winghyphen8wing at Honolulu, Hawaii USA on Thursday, January 5, 2012
Oops - I listed this as one of the books I took out of JudySlump612's Medicine Chest Bookbox II, but I forgot to actually journal it.

Now that the box has already(!) arrived at its next destination I've figured it out and am belatedly getting these books onto my bookshelf.

Thanks for including this in the box - sounds like an interesting twist on vampires.

Journal Entry 4 by winghyphen8wing at Honolulu, Hawaii USA on Monday, January 7, 2013
I enjoyed these stories a lot, and I was sorry to read that the author died at a young age. This book was published in her memory, which is quite a nice tribute.

Journal Entry 5 by winghyphen8wing at Honolulu, Hawaii USA on Friday, January 18, 2013

Released 11 yrs ago (1/18/2013 UTC) at Honolulu, Hawaii USA

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Headed out in the Medicine Chest Bookbox III - happy reading!

Journal Entry 6 by wingGoryDetailswing at Nashua, New Hampshire USA on Sunday, March 3, 2013
Since this book has wandered back into my hands, I'm going to claim it from the box. As it's unusual, lightweight, and very good, I plan to offer it for a bookray. [See the forum thread here to sign up.]

The book is a paperback weighing about 4 ounces. [US participants can get postage estimates at the USPS site here.]

Bookray instructions:

When you receive the book, please journal it, and PM the next person in line for their address so you'll have it ready when you've finished the book.

Note: even if you've sent books to that person before, please PM them before mailing this one, to confirm that the address is correct and that they're able to take on a bookray book at this time.
Try and read the book promptly - ideally, within one month of receiving it. (If you expect to take longer, you can request to be put at the end of the list. If you find you're swamped with other books when the person before you contacts you about the book, you can ask to be skipped, and then let me know whether you'd like to be moved down the list or dropped entirely. If you receive the book and find it's taking longer than you'd planned to get through it, I'd appreciate an update in its journal entries or on your profile, just to let me and the other participants know you haven't forgotten it.)

When you're ready to pass the book along, please add your comments about the book and indicate where you're sending it, either through a journal entry or through the controlled-release-note option using your country/state/city as the location. If you find that you're having problems contacting the next person in line, or don't think you can manage to mail the book as originally agreed, please let me know; I'll be glad to try to work something out.

Participants so far (in tentative mailing order):

goldenwattle [Australia]
Andrasthe [Austria]
LilyKlip [Germany]
Ossiefry [Portugal]
carelaisa [Canada]
JudySlump612 [MN]
ravencat [NY] [asked to be skipped]
Llednyl [OH]
NMReader [VA]
Erishkigal [UT]
Billbooks [Australia]
.
.
.

Journal Entry 7 by wingGoryDetailswing at Nashua, New Hampshire USA on Tuesday, March 12, 2013

Released 11 yrs ago (3/12/2013 UTC) at Nashua, New Hampshire USA

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

This book's on its way to BCer goldenwattle in Australia, to kick off the bookray. Hope everyone enjoys it!

Journal Entry 8 by winggoldenwattlewing at Canberra, Australian Capital Territory Australia on Wednesday, March 20, 2013
For the first time ever when I opened my letter box what did I find? Not one, but two bookrays. Decisions, decisions, decisions...
Which to read first?
Thank you GoryDetails for sending this book. I look forward to reading it.
Perhaps I should go toss a coin!

Journal Entry 9 by winggoldenwattlewing at Canberra, Australian Capital Territory Australia on Sunday, March 24, 2013
I read this book first, because this will be going overseas and it will probably still be travelling when I have finished reading the other bookray that arrived with it, which only has to travel to another Australian address next.
What did I think of this book? I enjoyed it and it was another take on the vampire legend, but not completely new to me. Years ago I watched a story on television set in a remote village in Russia. There the humans and vampires lived together. The vampires protected the villagers from the wolves in the dark cold winters, and I guess (it was some years ago since I saw this) the humans protected the vampires while they slept. A Soviet officer came to the village and at first thought the vampires were bad, but came to believe otherwise. In fact, at the end we saw him return to Moscow(?) and when his teeth showed that he had become one.
The major defect with these stories was that there was no logic for these vampires' existence. They are a variation of human, but a flawed version. They need blood from others as it seems they can't make their own, but what benefit have they got in compensation? None as far as I could see. No extended life, no extra speed, no strength, no extra anything I could see. There are medical conditions where people need blood transfusions to survive. This was not that much different. The Varkela as a group are dying out and the Varkela characters in this story don't want this to happen. This attitude is believable, despite their handicaps. I have heard of deaf people upset when their deaf child is helped by medical intervention to hear. They see that their child is being forcibly taken from their (deaf) culture to another. Some want their child to be deaf like them. They don't consider it a defect, despite the hardships it presents in life. Rather like how the Varkela in this story felt. I like to score stories, but in this case I am finding it difficult, so I will leave the stars blank. Perhaps when I have thought more of this story I will score it then.

Journal Entry 10 by winggoldenwattlewing at Canberra, Australian Capital Territory Australia on Monday, March 25, 2013

Released 11 yrs ago (3/25/2013 UTC) at Canberra, Australian Capital Territory Australia

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I posted this book to Andrasthe in Austria today (half an hour ago). It's going seamail. The last one I sent seamail sneaked into the airmail bag and arrived a week later, but most books don't manage this. Seamail takes two to four months. Travel well little book and don't get seasick.

ADDED 14 April 2013: Lucky book. Airmail for the price of seamail.

Journal Entry 11 by Andrasthe at Klagenfurt, Kärnten Austria on Saturday, April 13, 2013
Good little ship - only took two weeks :)

arrived safely!

Journal Entry 12 by Andrasthe at Klagenfurt, Kärnten Austria on Thursday, April 25, 2013
An interesting approach to an idea that might not be entirely new, but still fresher than many things that present themselves regarding vampire mythology today. The book consists of different stories told by the two brothers. Most of them I found to be very entertaining, even if some bits were a bit bland. Thank you very much for the opportunity to read along ;)

I will pass it on to LilyKip ASAP!

Journal Entry 13 by Andrasthe at Klagenfurt, Kärnten Austria on Monday, April 29, 2013

Released 10 yrs ago (4/29/2013 UTC) at Klagenfurt, Kärnten Austria

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und ab die Post!

Journal Entry 14 by LilyKlip at Leipzig, Sachsen Germany on Thursday, May 2, 2013
This is not my cup of tea. I guess I'm too much a fan of Dracula ;-)

Thanks for sharing anyway.

Journal Entry 15 by LilyKlip at Leipzig, Sachsen Germany on Saturday, May 18, 2013

Released 10 yrs ago (5/18/2013 UTC) at Leipzig, Sachsen Germany

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And off it goes again. Safe travels!

Journal Entry 16 by Ossiefry at Aljezur, Faro Portugal on Friday, June 7, 2013
Arrived safely thanks! will read it and send it on as soon as possible. :)

Journal Entry 17 by Ossiefry at Aljezur, Faro Portugal on Thursday, June 20, 2013
I enjoyed the book and found it interesting whilst I was reading it, but when I finished I was a bit disappointed, it feels like I read the first few chapters of a good book and then lost the rest!
The alien story was funny and spidersong was cute, they make nice short stories.

Sending the next reader a pm.

Journal Entry 18 by Ossiefry at Aljezur, Faro Portugal on Friday, June 21, 2013
Will be traveling to carelaisa with Monday's post!

Journal Entry 19 by carelaisa at Québec, Québec Canada on Thursday, July 18, 2013
Finally received the book yesterday.

Will read it in the coming days :)

Thanks for sharing this book with us!

Journal Entry 20 by carelaisa at Québec, Québec Canada on Tuesday, July 30, 2013
I’m not sure what to think about this book. What brought me to read it was the fact it had vampires in it and they were different from what we usually see. Yet, it didn’t do the trick for me. I admire the fact that the author went outside the path in creating vampires that earn blood by trading their healing skills. But it stops here. I felt all the stories in the book were getting nowhere, even if the writing is okay. I’ll stick to the vampires I’m used to read about, modern vampires! Still, it might interest people who like more modest vampires.

I'll pm the next reader and get the book moving in the coming days!

EDIT: the book is travelling to the next reader since Aug 1st.

Journal Entry 21 by JudySlump612 at Minneapolis, Minnesota USA on Friday, August 9, 2013
Arrived here safely today, just about the fastest shipping from Canada I've ever seen!

Journal Entry 22 by JudySlump612 at Minneapolis, Minnesota USA on Wednesday, August 28, 2013
I enjoyed these stories, and to my surprise found that I liked Spareen better than Vaylance - or at least, his stories were more interesting. And Petrey has a real gift for finding the perfect sentence to end a story.

The most interesting story, to me, was 'Leechcraft.' As a Red Cross blood donor and volunteer for many years, I've often wondered about blood typing in connection with vampires. Having Vaylance able to taste a difference was an excellent idea (let's assume that he can also distinguish between Rhesus negative and positive). And I really loved the idea of him learning to do cross-matching.

Goldenwattle puts a finger squarely on a big problem with these kinder, gentler vampires: they are at a huge evolutionary disadvantage in needing a blood supply, with no compensating advantage. Match that with a low birthrate and few purebred females, and you can see the end coming quickly for the species. Could that be why the series is set in the past? The point about wanting to keep the traditions going, even in what may seem defective ways to an outsider, is also valid. Maybe goldenwattle gave this more thought than Susan Petrey did.

Journal Entry 23 by JudySlump612 at By mail, A Bookring -- Controlled Releases on Wednesday, August 28, 2013

Released 10 yrs ago (8/28/2013 UTC) at By mail, A Bookring -- Controlled Releases

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Media mail to Liednyl, since Ravencat asked to be skipped

Journal Entry 24 by Llednyl at Richwood, Ohio USA on Tuesday, September 3, 2013
Arrived today! A couple things ahead of it, but should be able to get it read soon!

Journal Entry 25 by Llednyl at Richwood, Ohio USA on Friday, September 27, 2013

Released 10 yrs ago (9/27/2013 UTC) at Richwood, Ohio USA

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

Finally able to get to the post office today! Now en route to NMReader.

I rather enjoyed this short collection. The take on "vampires" is certainly unique and refreshing in contrast to the tropes of the genre. I liked the cultural setting as well as the scientific and medical aspects of the stories, informed by Petrey's own background in science. The last two stories, although not connected to the Varkela series, were equally enjoyable (especially Spidersong!). It's a bit tragic that her life was cut short so early, as this collection (her entire body of work) showed such promise.

Journal Entry 26 by NMReader at Herndon, Virginia USA on Sunday, October 6, 2013
I will be starting this book right away as I have a business trip this week

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