Writ in Blood: A Novel of Saint-Germain

Rating:
Summary: Is -Writ in Blood- an apology for -Mansions of Darkness-?
Review: -Writ in Blood- is by far the lightest of the Saint-Germain novels. Particularly when compared to -Mansions of Darkness-. It was fun to see Saint-Germain trying to out-politic Germany and England. It was also a nice change to see Saint-Germain able to relax with a lover. Both of his women were likeable. The only bad thing about this book is that "Tempting Fate" is only a couple of years in WiB's future. So I read the entire book with the feeling that something awful was about to happen. BTW, if anyone knows what the Opus number of Chopin's "Winter Wind" is, email me. Please.

Rating:
Summary: Another triumph! For Vampire legend, Yarbro is the best
Review: For fans of Yarbro's "Count Germaine" series, this one is the best effort yet. Once again, Chelsea's exhaustive research pays off. Unlike other writers of her genre, Yarbro gives her Count a human quality, more in the spirit of the real man of history Germain is based on, giving him a sense of reality that leaves the reading saying,hmmm.

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: 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: 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."