The books define Matthew and all vampires in a much better form, making them seem beautiful in every regard- in reality, we can only do so much to glamorize people from handsome to godly. In the books, Phillipe de Clermont is mentioned as looking and sounding like a Greek God, and was old enough to have acquired mystical powers.
As for their skin, think of the difference between bullets and stakes. Stakes are usually swung by a man of average to slightly above average strength, which would only cause the stake’s tip to be blunted against another surface or shatter altogether. Think of it like leather- a dull knife can scratch leather, but a sharp knife can stab through it with enough force. Bullets travel at a very high velocity very quickly, causing microvibrations to ripple through the skin and tissue as it strikes their body. Older bullets, such as those used in rifles from the 1800s, were worse and could rip a human body apart internally due to the size and shatter formation of the bullet. Vampires, while superhumanly durable and able to regenerate, are still vulnerable to certain forms of conventional weaponry, if used properly. They’ve used knives on them in the show and books to show this.
As for their comparison, vampires in the All Souls series are far better than Twilight. For starters, they really do their best to showcase the level of primal power the vampires possess and the ego that stems from it. They’re technically the highest form of life on Earth due to their longevity and powers, but constantly make the mistake of thinking of the lesser species as just food. Witches can kill vampires with little effort, daemons have minds that let them create webs of logic to lure and bait them, and humans…well, we’re humans, we do what we do best. They hunt and kill without remorse, they view others around them as akin to animals or bacteria because of how quickly they die off. They don’t need evolution because they are built as the perfect apex predator. Sharpened teeth (as in razor sharp edges but no fangs), enhanced senses and reflexes, speed, strength, durability and a healing factor that could put medical doctors out of business. Add that to the fact that their species is based on sirelines and blood traditions, with every one of them answering to their sire and their sire’s sire. The older one is, the deadlier and more influential. So although similar, they’re far less prone to romance and desire, more prone to murder and espionage- just ask Louisa and Ysabeau. Their backstories and mindsets are chilling.
As for animal blood, it could very well just be a preference thing. Deer and bigger beasts have more blood, often infused with more essence and strength similar to our own. They do note that all types of blood have a taste to them, so maybe that’s part of it?
