Brujah

Rating:
Summary: A unique perspective
Review: At first I thought the book would be pretty stupid with a lot of killing. The plot however gets pretty intense and Gherbod Flemming keeps you on your toes, not knowing where to go. He is undoubtedly the best author in the series. The fact that some of the flaws in Malkavian are made somewhat relevant in this book makes me smile. Trust me, its a winner

Rating:
Summary: Excellent read
Review: Gherbod Fleming's Clan Novels are among the best in the series. This is the way they should be written. It felt like it was telling the story of a Brujah, rather than the story of a stereotypical Brujah. Would not recommend the book to anyone who has no experience with White Wolf's World of Darkness... unless of course you were willing to read the Clan Novel series (a fairly good introduction to the gaming universe). I'd also recommend reading The Masquerade of the Red Death trilogy, which is probably an easier introduction to the World of Darkness.

Rating:
Summary: worth reading cover to cover
Review: I admit that out of the novel this was the first one that i picked up and read. good place to start at huh? I probably should have started at the beginning of the series but, surprisingly enough i wasn't too confused in this novel, without having read the preceeding events that had lead up to it. I liked the author to this book also, more so than the other i have since read. He characterizes the Brujah in the story very well, and even though they are not my favorite clan, this is my favorite novel to the series. But i don't suggest for anyone to just pick up any novel and start, and because otherwise you will just get confused. I know when i started the malkvavian novel, and the lasombra novel out of nowhere i was quickly regretting not having started at the beginning of the series.

Rating:
Summary: Working Class Heroes
Review: I read this book in one afternoon. I wasn't frantically turning pages but it held my attention and kept me coming back. It starts with a murder mystery and spins out elegantly from there into a war novel developing the Camarilla's counter-offensive against the Sabbat. The book brings a lot of threads from earlier in the series together- the Malkavian visions, the leaks to the Sabbat, etc.

Although the book is very well written with compelling characters and situations, at this point, knowledge of the earlier developments in the series is probably necessary to really appreciate what's going on if not to follow the action. There's also a very big surprise revelation here. If you just want to dip into the series to see how you like it, don't start with this book because it will be a spoiler. (The story arc involved starts in TZIMISCE and is developed in VENTRUE and LASOMBRA.)

It's overall a good treatment of the Brujah clan and captures their rough, generally lower class culture and their noble concerns with equality and justice. The Brujah rage and rebellion is there but it's mostly handled as an internal reality. Some may be disappointed to find that there don't seem to be any of the flamboyant, head-banger anarch characters that originally characterized the clan. This book portrays the Brujah as tough and confrontational but reasonable. This doesn't slow the pace of the action, tho and it establishes a clear contrast with both the Ventrue and the Sabbat.

I did have a few small problems with this book. First, perhaps in order to keep the Sabbat unredeemably villainous, Fleming also has made them, well, kinda stupid. It's rare to find something in his writing that doesn't ring true but, for me, this didn't. Remember, Vykos is about 1,000 years old and Polonia is a notorious survivor. Together, they conquered most of the southeastern United States. But, as portrayed here, it seems improbable that they could have done that because obnoxious blunderers like this would have died Darwin-award winning deaths centuries ago. Yeah, I know, if the Sabbat didn't make certain crucial mistakes, it wouldn't be the same story. Still, there's a difference between not letting supposedly smart characters have a clue and just not letting them figure everything out in time because their flaws blind them.

Second, there are pesky little mistakes. A Lasombra casts a reflection in a mirror and no one even remarks on it. Elsewhere a character is refered to as "Brujah" and then as "Malkavian" in the same paragraph.

I don't want to make too much of this stuff, however. Despite these minor problems, BRUJAH is a very good read and a credit to the CLAN NOVEL series.

Rating:
Summary: Loved it!!!
Review: I read this in about 4 hours all together and then read it agian, slower. Despite some forgivable mistakes, like calling Theo and Gainesmill Malkavians in a paragraph, though they are Brujah, this book is almost certainly the best fantasy i've read in a long time. I will be deffinately getting more books from the clan novel series, as this was my first one. I picked this oen because i've always had a passion for knowing more about the former promethian-turned-rebel Brujah and i was NOT dissapointed. It is also filled with wonderfully deatiled fighting seens, but i would sort of be called a gore-fan so i may be almost alone in my love for the descriptive killing. I learned of a new type of Shotgun and cartridge that i diden't know about and i got wonderful ideas for my own stories, which i post on the internet. All in all, this book is great for anyone above 11, who can appreciate sitting down for an hour or two and reading something superbly written

Rating:
Summary: Turn About Is Fair Play
Review: In a sanctioned series like this the reader knows that it is only a matter fo time before the Camarilla start to fight back. After all, it wouldn't do to wipe out half the point behind a popular game. And it should no surprise that the Brujah turn up on the front lines of the battle. Archon Theo Bell is an example of what is good about the Brujah clan traits. He is tough, intelligent, subtle when he needs to be, and capable of shocking violence when that is the best solution.

Back against the wall, the prince of the city dead, Baltimore looks pretty much like Sabbat meat. If nothing is done, the Camarilla will lose the east coast entirely. To Bell falls the responsibility for organizing a campaign that will snatch a surprise victory from the fangs of defeat. And he is an expert at his job.

If the Giovanni novel was a vampire version of a mobster novel, Brujah is the war story of the series. Archon Bell must deal with mysterious killings, recalcitrant Justicars, and a host of vampires that would love to see him dead. Betrayal and hidden agendas are the rules of the conflict as one side tries to out-bite the other. As the intensity grows, the action shifts to Manhattan for a series of surprises. Be warned, things get VERY violent.

Arguable, this is Fleming's best book of the series. He's past the point of having to provide collateral details and has focused head down on the story. The result is a tight narrative in a most untypical vampire story. As with Giovanni, the only problem is that is can't be read out of order without giving things away too early. Yes, this sells books, but I would like to see more effort in creating novels that sold the idea of the game better.


Rating:
Summary: The best book I've read in a long time
Review: The Brujah clan book is the first book in the series that I have read. It is one of the best fantasy books that I have picked up in a long time it keept me going all the way threw. It acctualy made me read all the way threw the book to find out what would happen instead of skipping to the end chapter. After reading this one I am going to go and get more from the series.

Rating:
Summary: Now this was a great story
Review: This book hooked me right from the start. It had great action with enough discription to put you there, but no to much to drag the story down. It also had some good cloak and dagger guessing and reguessing as facts continued to become clear. But over all it was a fast paced ride that never let me down.

Also this book while dealing with other plots from the other books, keeps them in small quantity, and really packs the story from the Brujah stand point.

I had to delete several more things I was going to say as I hate to do spoilers and ruin stuff for others. So please forgive the shortness... 3 more paragraphs had details better left read from an author that paints a scene I would have butchered trying to retell.

I would have to say that this was one of my favorite in the series, and would have to say that no matter what you thought of the other books, you will like this one.

Rating:
Summary: Cool beans!
Review: This book was easily the best book of the series so far. I was glad for the focus on Theo, one of the most intriguing characters in the series so far. Seeing Lydia get past her hero worship of Theo was something neat to see, too. All in all, a good read.

Rating:
Summary: Cool beans!
Review: This novel is great. Very similar in nature to the Ventrue style except there is a lot more violance. In this novel the main story-line starts moving rapidly. Things are happening with the Camirella and Sabbat. I saw one bloodline I didn't think they were gonna put too, that made me happy. The biggest surprise ever is for people who played Vampire, the Redemption, the computer game from white-wolf. If you did, you will see someone in the novel you are very familiar to. I highly recommend this book, unfortunately at this point, you have to read the previous books in series. At least Toreador, Gangrel, Setite and Ventrue.