Clan Novel: Giovanni

Rating:
Summary: No payoff
Review: After slogging my way through this increasingly disappointing series of books, I had some hope for Clan Novel: Giovanni. There were many directions the book could have gone, and it seemed that Justin Achilli SAW those opportunities, but never took them.

A clan with such a rich and unsual history as the Giovanni offer an amazing opportunity for any Author, even beyond the obvious puerile topics of Necrophillia and Incest (which seems to be the primary focus of Giovanni authors, aimed to shock and titilate.)

Unfortunately Achilli never uses any of the opportunities afforded him.

Rating:
Summary: Packing Fangs Instead of Guns
Review: Clan Giovanni are neutrals in the conflict between Camarilla and Sabbat. In vampire terms that means they are out for themselves and devil take the hindmost. At their best they are the business people of the darkness, at there worst (which is often) they are simple gangsters only slightly smoother than the Brujah. Don't expect a Giovanni to be polite unless they have to be.

Chaz Giovanni Tello, is more goon than smart guy, Even so, he is likable - if you are drawn to people with excess potty-mouth and a huge sadistic streak. Still, his character is alive, and he has a certain flair. Assigned to find the missing Benito Giovanni, Chaz descends on Las Vegas and proceeds to wreak havoc, even if he comes up short on results. His path crosses that of Isabel Giovanni who is in the midst of negotiations with the clans of the Camerilla and Sabbat.

Complications develop immediately as Isabel realizes that wherever Benito has vanished to, there is bad news for her clan. Something dark is hunting them, something even darker that the Giovanni themselves.

While this novel is typical of the series in that it rarely offers an explanation and confuses more than it clears. It is my favorite of the series. Achilli shows a genuine flair for deadpan comedy, especially when he takes Chaz through his paces. Characters seem to pop off the page, and go into action. Undead proof that it is possible to write a Masquerade novel that doesn't have the pace of a textbook. I only wish Achilli has made a stronger effort to make this a completely standalone story. This is a fine example of why the Masquerade has so many fans.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent book as part of the series
Review: For me this book started off a little slow and I was beginning to think the choise of Justin Achille as author was bad, but aboult half way through the book picked up dramatically and from then on I couldn't put it down. I especially like the way the book depicts the full range of Giovanni Vampires' personalities and abilities, this is one category the other books in the series did not do as well at. I did feel at times though that this book was a side story to the rest of the series, but with three books left, we shall see. If the book had drawn me in from the beginning, I would have given it 5-stars, but since it took me sticking to it as a result of the rest of the series, I give it a lower rating, but in conclusion, Justin did good. I Recommend this book, but you gotta stick through the slow bits.

Rating:
Summary: Good? Fugeddaboutit!
Review: I gotta tell you, in the entire time I've been following the Clan Novels, none of them really hit me as the World of Darkness. Tzimisce was close, as was Assamite and Ravnos, but I never really saw the collection as approaching the level of the games. Lo and behold, however, that once a book is handed over to el Bastardo (Justin Achilli to laymans) the whole damn WoD opens up like a clam.

This is the most depraved, twisted, sick, ugly, disgusting, mortifying, wretched, rancid book in the whole series. I've become absolutely desensitized to eevry form of perversion in existence by reading this book.

In other words, Buy this book! This is pure geniues! Don't waste money on food, buy this book before White Wolf sends this clan after ya!

Rating:
Summary: Lots of nice touches
Review: I initially wasn't really looking forward to this book in the series, since it seemed to indicate less involvement in the overarching plot line. However, upon getting into it, the book really picked up, and despite the fact that it is *incredibly* vulgar (possibly more than all the other books so far combined) there was more depth to all the characters than in most of the other books. Despite the coarseness of the presentation, some very deep emotions are revealed in these characters (especially Chas), which I found very refreshing. Also, the description of the bathroom in which Benito finds himself toward the end matched the bathroom that Gale and Evell stop by in order to "clean up" after busting out of prison in "Raising Arizona", right down to the empty can of pomade on the counter. Very nice touch, and good for a laugh.

Rating:
Summary: The pulp fiction of the undead
Review: I loved this book, my favorite so far of the series. The main character, Chas, is a mean SOB but the book allows you to feel for him by making explicit his inner struggles with the beast. Tzimishe are evil but the book didn't let us care about them. Chas on the other hand is a tragic character who describes to a few other characters what it's like to lose control. Gangrel also dealt with the beast, but in a much more shallow way. The gangster hi-jinks were hilarious. Highly recommended.

Note: Don't read this novel if you don't know a lot about the game Vampire: the Masquerade. You'll probably have no earthly idea of what's going on.

Rating:
Summary: The pulp fiction of the undead
Review: I loved this book, my favorite so far of the series. The main character, Chas, is a mean SOB but the book allows you to feel for him by making explicit his inner struggles with the beast. Tzimishe are evil but the book didn't let us care about them. Chas on the other hand is a tragic character who describes to a few other characters what it's like to lose control. Gangrel also dealt with the beast, but in a much more shallow way. The gangster hi-jinks were hilarious. Highly recommended.

Note: Don't read this novel if you don't know a lot about the game Vampire: the Masquerade. You'll probably have no earthly idea of what's going on.

Rating:
Summary: The book was disgustingly Giovanni in all aspects.
Review: I will have to say that the book is different. Unbelievable amount of cussing in it and vulgar descriptions which is not a surprise. Justin went out of his way on this one. Storywise, it definately beats the malkavian and toreador novel. Backgroundwise, nice references to the maelstorms and a hint of what is up with cappidocian (don't want to spoil it but read carefully the scenes of Isabella and her grandmother). Plotwise, barely tied to the main plot. Only thing I didn't like was the lack of necromancy. Giovanni were slick mafia people but the majority hardly acted like necromancers. That's very sad and I predict is not gonna be repeated in the Tremere Novel, at least I hope not, I don't want to see Tremeres that barely use Thaumaturgy. One last word, no kid should read this book, well all world of darkness is not for kids but this one is out of question, yes it's that level. Just my opinion.

Rating:
Summary: A triumph for the series...
Review: If you've been following this series as religiously as I have, this book is a MUST HAVE. In addition to really getting into the dark, spectral world of the Giovanni, it really has all manner of new insights into the grand, uber-plotline of the whole series. I don't want to ruin anything, so check it out!

Rating:
Summary: The Saga Continues
Review: In this book readers learn more about the Vampire Clan Giovanni, which by the way are an incestous family of Vampires, that have power over dead as long as they are not Vampires. However, because the Giovanni are an independent Clan they that they are neutral in the on going war between the Camarilla and the Sabbot. But as this book processes it becomes quiet clear that in fact they do sides, well that is any side that helps to push their agenda. In fact we learn that they have plans of their owns so it benifits them to help fan the flames of the war between the other clans in order to accomplish their goals. Anyway, this book is mostly about a Giovanni that was kidnapped in an earlier book of the series and the search for him. Also as we learn more of why he was taken, how this contibutes to the main plot of the Series. And of course we do see, some of our old friends from earlier books. The plot of the seires is picking up and many peices start to fall into place. Yet, still the overall mystery of what we discover in Nosfuratu is still pending.