Judas. There are few names that can elicit such a
negative response. He who kissed and betrayed the Christ later killed himself
and spilled his tainted blood at Akeldama – the Field of Blood. His blood
seeped deep within the earth, and having been poisoned by the spirit of the
Master Collector, infected a burial plot of two families – Ariston and Eros –
causing a counterfeit resurrection of the dead. Collectors, servants of the
Master Collector, possess the undead bodies of the houses of Arison and Eros and
name themselves the Akeldama Cluster. More than just disembodied Collectors,
they become a more tangible evil. Not just a demon, but a vampire.
Countering the work of the Collectors are the 36
Nistarim, those that arose from their graves during the Nazarene’s death and
resurrection. They wage a battle with the Collectors that remains dark to
mortal eyes and recruit Those Who Resist – ordinary people changed by drinking the
blood of the Nazarene. Caught in the battle and unsure of how she fits in is
young Gina Lazarescu.
Field
of Blood is the beginning of an epic trilogy that
is the core of an even larger epic story. After spending some time laying the
foundations for the story to come, Wilson launches into the story with abandon.
Combining intricate storytelling with thematic richness and a literary sense of
artistry, Wilson sets the standard for the Jerusalem’s Undead trilogy very
high. No other author I have read manages to incorporate such thematic depth
while making it accentuate the entertainment of the story.
Wilson breathes new life into the vampire genre,
reclaiming the Christian symbolism that has all but been lost in its modern day
incarnations. But he does so without sacrificing the thrills and chills that
vampires and other creatures of the night have to offer. In a world keen on
glazing over the ugliness of evil, Wilson paints it in dark strokes, revealing
it as it is – dark and gritty. And while this might disturb some (and it
should) it only serves to mimic reality and intensify the redemption that is to
come.
Some books you read and give away; others you read
and put on your shelf; but the best books stay with you long after you’ve
closed the cover. This is precisely the nature of Field of Blood. It
introduces us to the story of Jerusalem’s Undead and ties itself in with
characters and events that will be familiar to readers of Wilson’s previous
novels.
Altogether, Eric Wilson has crafted a literary
masterpiece that uniquely and brilliantly explores the redemptive power of
Christ’s blood.
Mini
Q&A with Eric
TCC: The
Jerusalem's Undead trilogy combines vampire mythology with strong spiritual
themes and powerfully explores the redemptive power of Christ's blood. Where
did the idea for a trilogy like this come from?
Eric: I am always annoyed that we as Christians live in an
atmosphere of fear. Instead of running from the vampire theme, I wanted to
explore how it had counterfeited the idea that we can find eternal life through
Jesus' blood. Vampires find immortal life through humans' blood. I figured, why
not write a story that delves deep into history, Judaic and Christian themes,
and comes up with a tense battle between good and evil?
TCC: Field of Blood sets the stage for the trilogy and introduces a number of characters in the first hundred pages or so. How difficult was it to set up the foundation for this story?
Eric: Well, some readers get bogged down with all the
world-building in the first 100 pages. I had to create a whole new vampire
mythos that blended theologically and historically. That took some doing. I
visited Jerusalem, Romania, and read thousands of pages of research. I'm proud
of how it all came out, but it does require readers to invest time and thought
if they want to reap the trilogy's rewards.
0 comments:
Post a Comment