Rating: 
Summary: Interesting, but not her best effort.
Review: I'm a great fan of St. Germain and am delightedly reading my way thru his history. However, this book set in the years prior to the outbreak of World War I and the Russian Revolution, took several weeks and sittings to read. The Count, as always, is a fascinating, enigmatic, lonely and compelling figure, but the convoluted political intrigue, back-stabbings (literally and figuratively) and arms control machinations slowed down the plot. For a dedicated St. Germain fan, however, the book was an interesting addition because it is set just a few years prior to the much better "Tempting Fate." Several of the peripheral characters and subjects (Russian revolution, the effect of war on children, political changes in Europe) are introduced in "Writ in Blood" and continued in the later book. All in all interesting, but slow.
Rating:
Summary: Too political
Review: If you're into the politics of Europe before World War I, you would probably like this book. I did learn that Serbia had a large influence in the start of the war from this book, but I thought too much of the book was devoted to politics. I think it highly unlikely that a vampire would involve itself in a high profile position. I would suggest reading this book to Saint Germain fans, but to would be fans, I would suggest reading the books about Saint Germain in the order they were published. I thought the book was not as good as the others, but if you are a fan, you will enjoy it anyway. I did like the way the book Dracula was woven into the story. That was a nice touch. I give this book three stars, but four stars to fans of Ms. Yarbro.
Rating: 
Summary: Yet another wonderful outing with my favorite vampire
Review: Last time, the Inca and Peru. This time, the Czar, the Kaiser, Sidney Reilly the master spy, and a determined artist. Not as dark or tragic as Mansions of Darkness, but another of her books I couldn't put down until I'd finished. In my opinion, Lestat's got NOTHING on my favorite count - Saint Germain.
Rating:
Summary: Tenth in the Saint-Germain series.
Review: Or eleventh, if you count "Out of the House of Life", which is primarily a spinoff novel about Madeline de Montalia (former lover and vampiric "childe" of Saint-Germain), but which does include some flashback scenes to some of Saint-Germain's early history.Or fourteenth, if you also count "A Flame In Byzantium", "Crusader's Torch", and "A Candle For d'Artagnan", the spinoff series about Atta Olivia Clemens, an earlier lover and vampiric "childe". This book is set in the years leading up to the first world war, roughly 1910-1913. As such, it ends only a few years prior to the events in the fifth book in the series, "Tempting Fate". It is one of the most enjoyable books in the series to read; the early books (Hotel Transylvania", "The Palace", and "Blood Games") were not as well written as most of the later ones, being more historical-romance bodice rippers than serious literary efforts, but they had the advantage of being enjoyable reading, with stories in which the hero succeeds in rescuing the damsel in distress. Starting with the fourth book in the series, "Path of the Eclipse", we have had a long run of stories in which Saint Germain has had relatively little success in that regard, and the stories, while frequently very powerful, were something of a downer to read. Finally in this book, we see what Yarbro can do with the action hero plot now that she's grown as a writer; the plot is much more similar in tone to her early efforts, but far better written. For one thing, her villains are far more three dimensional and far less cardboard cutouts than they were in those books, particularly the first. If you're a fan of traditional vampire fiction, you may or may not be disappointed in these stories; there is none of the struggle with the evil "inherent in the vampiric nature" that one finds in most vampiric fiction, notably the Anne Rice vampires. Saint-Germain is an unabashed hero, neither a sympathetic villain nor an anti-hero. He has lived 4000 years, and outgrew that silliness in the time of ancient Egypt. (Bits of this were seen in the aforementioned "Out of the House of Life".) The villains in this book (and in most of the books in this series) are mortals, and they are responsible for whatever "horror" elements that there are in the plot. If, on the other hand, you enjoy historical romance, and don't automatically reject the concept of a vampire as the hero and main character, you should truly enjoy this entire series, and particularly this book.
Rating:
Summary: Seductive, scary, couldn't put Ragoczy down ...
Review: These are by far my favorite vampire novels, and this one was satisfying on all counts. I read the entire novel in one shot, ignoring the world around me, and just excaped into the Count's world. And a rather frightening one it was this time! Yarbro captures the mood of Pre WWI with a shivering accuracy, all the more creepy as we know what actually went on to occur in Europe. Little details, such as the transition from horse-drawn transportation to automobiles helps set the mood. I am so glad she started writing again, & my only disappointment was when I finished the book... leaving the Count's world is always so hard!
Rating: 
Summary: a big bloody yawn
Review: This is without a doubt the dullest vampire novel I've ever read, and Saint-Germain is the kind of wimpy dream-lover fantasy figure who takes all the mystery and danger out of the vampire mythos. The historical research is impressive, but the hero's vampiric identity has almost no impact on the story. The arc of the plot promises to incorporate the outbreak of WWI, but takes place (and is primarily concerned with) only during the arms race that leads up to it. Finally, with Saint-Germain as a pal of Czar Nicholas, one of the most interesting conflicts imaginable--between an immortal vampire and Rasputin--is completely ignored in favor of our boy Saint-Germain guiding another misunderstood female to "fulfillment." By the end this book feels more like a REALLLLY long bodice-ripping historical romance, than anything scary like "Dracula."
Rating:
Summary: Forget Anne Rice!
Review: What a joy! Ms. Yarbo gets better and better. This is my favorite St. Germain novel to date. The Baron Von Wolfgast is as nasty a villain as I've seen. When Anne Rice has lost her skill, Ms. Yarbro surpasses it on every outting. The Count St. Germain is a thrilling hero and when you figure in that the man was a real historical figure who it was supposed was immortal ... well ... I don't care if I ever read Lestat again as long as I always have the Count. Go buy this book and then go buy the other 13(?) sequels/prequels. Let's hope that the publisher re-releases all the out-of-print books. There's at least one that I've never read and it kills me. THESE ARE FANTASTIC!! The historical aspects, the pace, the characters, the story .... <sigh> Burn my library, but leave me these books. Writ in Blood? You bet!!
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