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Rating: 
Summary: Grabs you by the throat before you know what's happened
Review: Don't let the title, or the awful cover (Who *are* these people? They certainly aren't the characters in the book!), nor the fact that it's a "vampire" novel put you off. This is, quite simply, one of the most enjoyable books I've read this year. Well drawn characters, atmosphere you could cut with a knife, a richly detailed plot, coupled with one of the strongest female leads I've ever encountered in a novel make this for a fantastic read. Add to that a plot which builds to a truly shattering climax and I suspect no purveyor of fine fiction could ever put this book down unsatisfied. While none of Yarbro's Saint-Germain novels are bad, this one stands up and grabs you by the throat, but not in a way so's you'd notice until it's too late. Oh yeah - has one of the most satisfying "just desserts" scenes I've encountered in recent memory.
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Summary: Yet another wonderful book in the Yarbro collection.
Review: How best to put the reader in the mind and feelings of the characters? That is the question most authors struggle with, and it is this question that Yarbro has answered. Letters fill this book, ones written by the Comte himself, others by his enemies, allies, even neutral observers. The command of the many and varied languages present is simply amazing, words from people all over the world dotting the pages with hints and clues into the cultures that have long since died away. Saxony is seen with more than a simple hint of believability in this novel, the harsh forests and coast, the stark cold of a monastary, the rabid struggle to survive in a hard land, all brought to the fore. Once again, as in Yarbro's other novels, religion is at the head of the antagonists' side, always fighting against Saint-Germain and his attempts at happiness. It is a book with a heavy emphasis on imagery, and it succeeds in portraying its scenery with vivid life. Unfortunately, less than perfection has been achieved. Despite, or perhaps because of, the high level of content, the book is more than a little slow to read. One has to know the author, and trust that her writing is worth the trouble, to get past the crawling speed. A note of illtiding for those who do not want to take their time with a book, but it still remains a novel well worth that cost
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Summary: Favorite Firsts
Review: I had the pleasure of being introduced to le Comte de Saint Germain and Chelsea Quinn Yarbro when I was a sophomore in high school. "Better in the Dark" was the first of Yarbro's novels that I read, and I loved it. I had just recently become deeply interested in all aspects of vampire lore and literature, and was already something of a hobbyist when it came to history. "Better in the Dark" is an excellent novel, both as an introduction to Yarbro's rich style and dynamic characters, and as an entertaining and educational piece of historical fiction. It will always be one of my favorite "firsts," having kindled in me a lasting love for the writing of Yarbro, and I highly recommend it.
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Summary: Favorite Firsts
Review: I had the pleasure of being introduced to le Comte de Saint Germain and Chelsea Quinn Yarbro when I was a sophomore in high school. "Better in the Dark" was the first of Yarbro's novels that I read, and I loved it. I had just recently become deeply interested in all aspects of vampire lore and literature, and was already something of a hobbyist when it came to history. "Better in the Dark" is an excellent novel, both as an introduction to Yarbro's rich style and dynamic characters, and as an entertaining and educational piece of historical fiction. It will always be one of my favorite "firsts," having kindled in me a lasting love for the writing of Yarbro, and I highly recommend it.
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Summary: Better, Indeed
Review: I'm fairly new to Saint-Germain, and the book that had gotten the most hoopla was Out of the House of Life (which is good, fills in some background on him), but this is better than that, in my opinion. It opens with mere mortals, then introduces the Count, with such perfect physical descriptions that you are truly transported to the flesh of the woman who meets him. The mysteries and sadness that seem to pervade this series are of course present; there is sadness in the ending that one might have liked to see otherwise, but it was still excellent. Plot and descriptions are both strong throughout, not always a trait of historicals or romance. And as a bonus, the reader learns about ergotism (called "blighted grain," I believe, in the book). Fascinating!
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Summary: Eighth in the Saint-Germain series.
Review: Or ninth, if you include "Out Of The House Of Life", which is primarily a spinoff novel about Madeline de Montalia, a former lover and vampiric "childe" of Saint-Germain, but does include some flashback scenes to Saint-Germain's early life in ancient Egypt. Or twelfth, if you include "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". The Saint-Germain series is a series centering on the life of Francois, le Compte de Saint-Germain (at least, that's the name he goes by in France; his name always approximates that in a form not incomprehensible to those speaking the language of the land he resides in at the time), a vampire born something on the order of 2000 years BCE. Each book in the series is a historical novel set in a different time period; this one is set in Saxony (part of what is now Germany) in the mid-900s. Saint-Germain is a rather untraditional vampire, in that he is an unequivocal hero and all-around nice guy; he does not kill when drinking blood, but rather gets the most sustenance from the blood of someone who loves him, knowing what he is and accepting it. As such, most of the books in the series are historical romances of one sort or another; this one is no exception. If you enjoy your vampire fiction fast-paced, brutal, and horrific, this book (and this entire series) are definitely not for you. If, on the other hand, you enjoy a powerful novel with fascinating characters and excellently researched historical settings, don't object to a good romance with a few tasteful but very powerful sexual scenes, and can tolerate the concept of a heroic vampire as a main character, you'll love most of the books in this series, and this is one of the best of the lot.
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Summary: One of my favorites in the series; look for the title song!
Review: The title of the book comes from a song that St. Germain sings, during an evening of entertainment. The song is from an earlier period in his life - 800 years earlier, in fact - and beautifully, indirectly, describes what we find compelling about vampires. (For my own pleasure, I set it to a tune to sing.) Those who already know that they like vampire novels, anything at all that features a vampire, can skip this review, and likewise, those who hate the whole idea of vampires can skip it. But for those trying to decide whether or not to read more of this genre, or whether the one vampire novel you've already read was a fluke, it may help to have some ways to categorize these novels. Thus: BunRab's Standard Vampire Classification Guide. First, most authors of vampire novels approach from one of the main genres of genre fiction; thus their background may be primarily in romance, or in science fiction/fantasy, or in murder mysteries, or in horror. Second, many vampire novels come in series; knowing whether this is one of a series, and where in the series it falls, may be helpful. Then we have some particular characteristics: - Is the vampire character (or characters) a "good guy" or a "bad guy"? Or are there some of each? - Are there continuing characters besides the vampire, through the series? - Are there other types of supernatural beings besides vampires? - Can the vampire stand daylight under some circumstances, or not stand daylight at all? - Does the vampire have a few other supernatural characteristics, many other supernatural characteristics, or none other than just being a vampire? (E.g., super strength, change into an animal, turn invisible) - Does the vampire have a regular job and place in society, or is being a vampire his or her entire raison d'etre? - Does the vampire literally drink blood, or is there some other (perhaps metaphorical) method of feeding? - Is sex a major plot element, a minor plot element, or nonexistent? - Is the entire vampire feeding act a metaphor for sex, part of a standard sex act, or unrelated to sex? - Is the story set in one historical period, more than one historical period, or entirely in the present day? - Does the story have elements of humor, or is it strictly serious? - Is the writing style good, or is the writing just there to manage to hold together the plot and characters? Chelsea Quinn Yarbro's series about the vampire St. Germain starts from the historical romance genre (although Yarbro is equally well known as a science fiction writer), and is a continuing series. St. Germain is definitely a good guy, using the knowledge he's gained in several thousand years of living to help others. There are a few characters that continue from book to book besides him: the women he turns into vampires, and his "servant," Roger, who is a ghoul. Ghouls are the only other supernatural characters who appear in these books. St. Germain can stand daylight with the right preparations. He has unusual strength, but not limitless, and unusual wisdom, and is an "alchemist" but there are no other overt magic powers. In most of the series, he has an occupation of being an aristocrat, insofar as that was a full-time occupation through most of history; in some books he has another "job" as well. St. Germain does not literally drink blood; he feeds on emotions, usually during erotic experiences, but sex is nonetheless only a minor plot element, rare and very discreet. The series covers 3000 years, from ancient Egypt to the modern day; each book is set in a span of a particular period, usually 20-30 years. The writing is serious, but not self-important; the writing quality is excellent, and Yarbro's abilities as an author qualify these books as literature rather than "merely" genre fiction. This particular book is set in the Dark Ages - 937 C.E. (or A.D.), in Europe. It's the 8th book written in the series. This is one of the books in which Yarbro's dislike for the Catholic Church and its domination of most of European history is clear; I personally agree with her assessment, and find the portrayals of the practices of the church, and the actions of people under the influence of religion, to be all the horror I need in a story. Nonetheless, there are sympathetic religious characters as well as bad ones. (In several books in the series, the few sensible and sympathetic religious characters tend to get killed by the more ordinary followers of the religion.) The female heroine of this book is Ranegonda, the Gerefa (chief, sheriff, Graf) of a small village/fortress in northern Germany. The fortress is under attack by the Danes (early Vikings), but also by bands of starving and homeless men from other villages in Germany. As ever, the details of the historical period, of daily life, and of all the risks to life in that time, are thorough and compelling.
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Summary: Saint-Germain in the 10th Century
Review: This is one of the finer novels of Saint-Germain that I've read to date. The immortal Count Saint-Germain washes ashore at the Saxon fortress of Leosan after a shipwreck in 937 A.D. He is rescued and nurtured back to health by Ranegonda, the Gerefa of the fort. Having a women run a fortress was unheard of at the time, however her brother, the original Gerefa, has joined the monks to follow the order of the White Christ and left Ranegonda in charge. While the overall theme of the book is consistent with other Saint-Germain novels, in this story he does not have his own elaborate household with servants, his athanors, and his wealth. What he does have is a growing romance with Ranegonda as the months go by. From what I have read, she is one of the three great loves of his life. The fortress and surrounding village is at the outskirts of the Saxon empire, ruled by King Otto. They are few in number and struggle simply to survive from starvation, the plague, and the constant threat of outlaws living in the forests and the Danes. The people now also follow the teaching of the White Christ, as opposed to the 'old gods'. For Saint-Germain fans, this is a must read book. It is very well written, moves quickly, and has one of the more satisfying endings than some of the others I've read.
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Summary: An excellent demonstration of religion forced
Review: Though I was originally drawn to Yarbro's books by my love of vampire lore, I was swept away by her history instead. I love the way she chooses not to show the Christian church in that time as the superstitious religion it then was. Her brutal objectiveness through Saint Germain's character is always refreshing and intelligent, and this book led me to read many more of her novels. Those who are looking for a quick vampire horror story won't likely appreciate this novel, but those looking for a novel with depth and historical accuracy will no doubt gobble it up and cry out for more! -tk
Rating:
Summary: An excellent demonstration of religion forced
Review: Though I was originally drawn to Yarbro's books by my love of vampire lore, I was swept away by her history instead. I love the way she chooses not to show the Christian church in that time as the superstitious religion it then was. Her brutal objectiveness through Saint Germain's character is always refreshing and intelligent, and this book led me to read many more of her novels. Those who are looking for a quick vampire horror story won't likely appreciate this novel, but those looking for a novel with depth and historical accuracy will no doubt gobble it up and cry out for more! -tk
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