The Vampyre Sanguinomicon is a book that honestly surprised me in how much I enjoyed it. Rather than being a how-to for wearing costumes and fitting in the vampire sub-culture this is a how-to lifestyle book for someone truly looking for an alternative spirituality and way of life.
Not for the casual reader, Father Sebastiaan has included everything from background information, rules of behavior and even meditations to find your inner dragon. He includes several appendices including a glossary, works cited and even musical inspiration. I always enjoy the musical inspiration section, it’s fascinating to see what other authors listen to while writing.
The book is a decent length of about 260 pages, not including appendices. It is organized into three sections, again not including appendices. Each section delves deeper into the way of life of the Strigoi Vii, the type of Vampyre that Father Sebastiaan is and that this book is a lexicon for.
Father Sebastiaan well exceeded my expectations in this book. It is incredibly well written and it was obvious many pains were taken to keep it informative, understandable and with an obvious separation from those who simply like to dress as vampires for shock value and/or attention. Though sometimes you need to reference the glossary, having it there really helps the readability of the book.
This book is not for someone who is casually interested in vampires, is into them for attention or just likes movie vampires. Instead it is for someone who is seriously interested in the spirituality of the Vampyre; a spirituality that puts yourself above almost everything else. And no, there is no blood drinking.
If you are interested in Vampyre spirituality this book is definitely for you; Father Sebastiaan takes you on a journey learning about the lifestyle and spirituality of the Vampyre including meditations, oaths, morals and behavior guidelines. Definitely worth a read if this is your interest!
~review by Jessica Elizabeth
Author: Father Sebastian
Weiser Books, 2010
pp. 320, $24.95
