After getting past the cocky "this is so amazing" tone of the author, it reads like a textbook without the end-notes or citation. Perhaps the citations were unnecessary. Russo refers to sources within the body of text. Many sources are anonymous. Difficult to read, the point-of-interest relates to growing curiosity about vampires.
Russo is a self-proclaimed vampire, minimum blood fetishist, from England. This information is meant to add validity to her understanding of the greater number of people in the vampire community, yet she is obviously someone who has a normal life. At times, it though she must make the lifestyle appear exotic. At others times, the perspective is from an outsider or hiding further depth in vampire cults. Regardless she met vampires who are not criminals. People willingly donating blood to vampires is safe and murder is wrong.
Occasionally blips of topical interest appear randomly. Chupacabra, the Bigfoot of Central and South America, are said to drain livestock of blood with large glowing eyes. There is something called a "Hag," associated with vampire or alien attacks. A woman in college describes waking to see a hag sitting on her chest. Other people have had similar experiences. Is it immortal vampires or sleep paralysis?
Embracing the modern interpretation of origins of vampires, though the origins of vampires could date back to Cain, she dismisses the idea quickly. The focus revolves around bloodlines of Vlad the Impaler and Countess Bathery, claiming their descendents as true vampires. The idea of Prince Vlad being the person upon whom the fables were created wasn't created until the eighties, yet there is some association to royalty.
A collection of short stories, history, myth, current trend, religion and practice, some stories address vampire murders. A man killed two innocent people while tracking a vampire that probably did not exist. In other stories people engaged in vampirism killed someone. The territorial issue of whether the classical style of Royalty, Visors and Priests actually belongs to Goths or Vampires arose on occasion.
Available at Hot Topic, it is a hot book to read or display in your home. Psychologists, parents, Goths, Vampires, people interested in Goths or Vampires will find the book interesting for study or delight. Over-all it is well written though wordy. It isn't for everyone.
NOTE: Another book written by Thomas M. Sipos wrote a similarly titled book "Vampire Nation" in 2001, four years before Russo.
Related Article
Diffusing Violent Behavior
Goth Vampirism
Tertiary Life Energy
The Fit In Society
Quirky Books
"The Goth Bible"
