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Summary: Many Years Ago I Made A Horrible Mistake....
Review: ... and I have paid for it by buying every other book in this series ever since.This is the first of a series of novels of historical fiction which are linked by one central character - the Comte Saint-Germain (or sundry variations on the theme depending on the locale), scholar, artiste, alchemist, humaitarian and vampire. Please understand that the vampirism is definitely a fairly minor part of the story - do not expect scenes of rabid bloodlust and slaughter, of necrophilia and excessive time periods spent among the decaying bones of past victims - you won't find them. You will find the depiction of a very human (and humane) man, his relationships with a well drawn and believable supporting cast, in a well researched and believably presented historical setting - and this is the feature of the entire series. No transformations into bats or mist, no bloody battles with an army of vampire hunters - but the tale of a good man and his loves set against historical events spanning the centuarys. This series has all the hallmarks of good historical fiction, without the 'occult' aspect intruding into the story's innate believability. If I have one complaint about this series it is, that after 20 years reading it and many hints dropped over that period, that it is time for Ms Yarbro to finally write the tale of the Comte's pre vampiric life - I am still dying to KNOW!!! Read this - it won't disappoint.
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Summary: You won't be able to get enough of St Germain.
Review: A must read for people who enjoy Anne Rice. Once you read this account of St.Germain, you'll want to learn all you can about this mysterious man.
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Summary: Interesting start to a series, wasn't quite what I expected
Review: Base in France during the 1740's, the heroine (Madeline) reaches marriagable age and is sent from her country home to Paris to live with her Aunt. While she is there, she meets the mysterious County St. Germain. St Germain is the current identity of a very old vampire (and is also the famous vampire of Transylvania lore). In addition to a mild romance brewing between the two is a nefarious Satanic plot by an old enemy of Madeline's father, that is also connected to St. Germain. Reading the plot synopsis could be slightly misleading due to current expectations for vampire novels. Anyone expecting something similar to Anne Rice or Laura K. Hamilton will be disappointed. This is not a graphic vampire novel or a tragic love story. Having only read this first book in the series and the discriptions of later books, I suspect the author was using the vampire as a way to use the same character in different time settings. The mysticism, romance, and occult are weak but useful tools to help the plot progress. This is very much a costume peice-- but an interesting one.
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Summary: Excellent beginning to excellent series.
Review: Chelsea Quinn Yarbro, Hotel Transylvania (Signet, 1978) Chelsea Quinn Yarbro has been doing her thing for quite a while now, and doing it rather successfully. Nothing has brough her more success, or a wider readership, than the Comte de Saint-Germain chronicles, a series of books about an ageless vampire set against different timeframes. The whole series is well-known for its attention to detail and stunning descriptions of life at the various times and in the various places where Saint-Germain (and the main characters in the spinoff series that have sprung from this) has his adventures. The series' first novel in set in France in 1743, as Saint-Germain meets one of the great loves of his life, Madelaine de Montalia. Madelaine's reaction to Saint-Germain's rather bizarre history isn't the usual fainting-and-horrified-looks one expects in a vampire novel, and thus the framework here lends itself more to gothic romance than it does to straight-out horror. However, the horror elements find their way into the book in a subplot involving the renewal of a thirty-year-old enmity between Saint-Germain and another French petty noble, Saint Sebastien. While there is certainly enough going on here to make Hotel Transylvania a stand-alone novel in itself, it's obvious that Yarbro was gearnig up to make Saint-Germain into a series character, and so many passages in the book have the sense of being a setup for a larger picture. This is not necessarily a bad thing, though other authors have drawn out the necessary setup into more than one novel to make it less obtrusive. The longstanding success of the series shows that the fans don't have a problem with it; it's doubtful readers of horror fiction new to Yarbro and/or Saint-Germain will, either. *** 1/2
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Summary: The first Saint-Germain book is back!
Review: Everything Chelsea Quinn Yarbro writes will hold youspellbound. You can't help but fall in love with her vibrant prose andrealistic characters. HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA is the first book in theSaint-Germain series of vampire novels. Thanks to Stealth Press, it'savailable once again in a beautiful hardback edition. Le Comte deSaint-Germain. A charismatic and mysterious aristocrat in mid-18thcentury Paris. Women can't resist him, men are suspicious ofhim. Madelaine de Montalia. An intelligent, beautiful young womanwith a sharp mind and wit, making her debut in Parissociety. Immediately, she is drawn to the Comte. While other young menvie for her affections she only has eyes for the alluringSaint-Germain. Madelaine's past is not so innocent as she mightbelieve. A father's indiscretions mark her for sacrifice in a satanicritual run by a group of aristocrats known as The Circle. This is thedarker side to Paris life. Faithful fans of the adventures ofSaint-Germain will surely fall in love with these characters all overagain. New readers will see how easily Yarbro's writing cancaptivate. Order a copy of HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA and allow her to lureyou into her romantic and seductive world. Chelsea Quinn Yarbro isthe author of more than 40 novels in the fantasy, science fiction andhorror genres...
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Summary: Her early work
Review: Great book and introduction to CQY books. A little dark and moribund like a lot of her early work but overall a very nice book. Provides a nice depth of character and her writing really flows when you read. I recommend this book often to friends.
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Summary: Her early work
Review: Great book and introduction to CQY books. A little dark and moribund like a lot of her early work but overall a very nice book. Provides a nice depth of character and her writing really flows when you read. I recommend this book often to friends.
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Summary: Lestat? Who's That?
Review: Hotel Transylvania by Chelsea Quinn Yarbro (Stealth Press) Hotel Transylvania is a classic of vampiric fiction and the first of Chelsea Quinn Yarbro's long-running and popular series. Long out of print--and previously poorly served with inappropriate cover art -- it finally has the hardcover edition it deserves. Author Yarbro introduces the beguiling Le Comte de Saint-Germain in Hotel Transylvania--the first truly romantic vampire, a creature of culture, intelligence, and honor who was far more humane than the humans around him. The Count's initial adventure is set in the court of Louis XV and Yarbro deftly blends history with romance and chills (as she has done in all the books series). Saint-Germain is well worth re-meeting or encountering for the first time...
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Summary: More erotic vampire novel than horror novel
Review: Hotel Transylvania takes place in 18th century Paris and serves as an introduction to the character of Le Comte de Saint-Germain, a vampire featured in this series of novels by Chelsea Quinn Yarbro. Anyone expecting horror will be disappointed in this novel, which I found to be reminiscent of --- although not necessarily derrivative of --- Anne Rice's vampire novels. Like Rice's novels, this book was more of an erotic vampire story than a horror story. Even the cover art makes it fairly obvious that the novel is a "bodice-ripper" with fangs. The story was predictable, but it was a smooth and enjoyable read and I enjoyed Yarbro's writing style. Though it ready annoyed me that every time she mentioned a door in the story she called it a "french door." Since the story takes place in France, I found that rather irritating. I gave the book 4 stars on the Amazon rating scale, but 3 1/2 stars would better reflect my feelings about the book.
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Summary: More erotic vampire novel than horror novel
Review: Hotel Transylvania takes place in 18th century Paris and serves as an introduction to the character of Le Comte de Saint-Germain, a vampire featured in this series of novels by Chelsea Quinn Yarbro. Anyone expecting horror will be disappointed in this novel, which I found to be reminiscent of --- although not necessarily derrivative of --- Anne Rice's vampire novels. Like Rice's novels, this book was more of an erotic vampire story than a horror story. Even the cover art makes it fairly obvious that the novel is a "bodice-ripper" with fangs. The story was predictable, but it was a smooth and enjoyable read and I enjoyed Yarbro's writing style. Though it ready annoyed me that every time she mentioned a door in the story she called it a "french door." Since the story takes place in France, I found that rather irritating. I gave the book 4 stars on the Amazon rating scale, but 3 1/2 stars would better reflect my feelings about the book.
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