Dark Ages: Cappadocian

Rating:
Summary: It's all about Cappadocian ...
Review: First of all, I am not a Clan fan; vampire politics just isn't my cup of tea. However, someone pressed me to give the Dark Ages series, particularly the Cappadocian novel, a try. I am familiar with this author's previous work and did enjoy his Year of the Scarab trilogy very much, so I gave the old fogey vampires a chance.

Anyone familiar with the World of Darkness knows how intricate and, well, downright dry vampire politics can be-the angling for a better position for one's clan, the kowtowing for fear of retribution, the lengthy verbal quests for information and/or favors, etc. Andrew Bates has a way of not wasting words, and the words he does end up using are carefully chosen; this clean and terse style brings fresh air to the musty wheelings and dealings of the undead. Bates draws a picture and adds shading, but doesn't beat you over the head with cloying details. The story he weaves involves several vampire characters (Markus Giovanni the scholar, the cryptic priestess Constancia, the mad Alexia) that are all out on parallel quests, which intersect at a single goal-possession of the Sargon Codex, a mysteriously divine artifact that may make or break the Dream that is the reign of vampires. One of the most attractive parts of this book is how that intersection of quests is handled ... without giving away any juicy bits, the climax is skillfully prolonged such that the conclusion is quite satisfying, a true page-turner, and at the end inspires natural feeling to the oft-repeated but never-tired question, "So what happens next?"

Like any skilled storyteller, Andrew Bates relies on sidekick characters to add intriguing texture to "Cappadocian." And what kick-(...) sidekicks they are! My favorite by far is the ghoul pair consisting of Beltramose and Falsinar, servants of Markus Giovanni. Their easy friendship and wisecracking dialogue kept me immersed until the end as much as the travels, battles, and the elusive Sargon Codex did.

"Cappadocian" is a great example of how simultaneously elegant and adventurous the combination of blood, madness and mysticism can be. Vampire stories are cool ...who knew?

Rating:
Summary: It's all about Cappadocian ...
Review: First of all, I am not a Clan fan; vampire politics just isn't my cup of tea. However, someone pressed me to give the Dark Ages series, particularly the Cappadocian novel, a try. I am familiar with this author's previous work and did enjoy his Year of the Scarab trilogy very much, so I gave the old fogey vampires a chance.

Anyone familiar with the World of Darkness knows how intricate and, well, downright dry vampire politics can be-the angling for a better position for one's clan, the kowtowing for fear of retribution, the lengthy verbal quests for information and/or favors, etc. Andrew Bates has a way of not wasting words, and the words he does end up using are carefully chosen; this clean and terse style brings fresh air to the musty wheelings and dealings of the undead. Bates draws a picture and adds shading, but doesn't beat you over the head with cloying details. The story he weaves involves several vampire characters (Markus Giovanni the scholar, the cryptic priestess Constancia, the mad Alexia) that are all out on parallel quests, which intersect at a single goal-possession of the Sargon Codex, a mysteriously divine artifact that may make or break the Dream that is the reign of vampires. One of the most attractive parts of this book is how that intersection of quests is handled ... without giving away any juicy bits, the climax is skillfully prolonged such that the conclusion is quite satisfying, a true page-turner, and at the end inspires natural feeling to the oft-repeated but never-tired question, "So what happens next?"

Like any skilled storyteller, Andrew Bates relies on sidekick characters to add intriguing texture to "Cappadocian." And what kick-(...) sidekicks they are! My favorite by far is the ghoul pair consisting of Beltramose and Falsinar, servants of Markus Giovanni. Their easy friendship and wisecracking dialogue kept me immersed until the end as much as the travels, battles, and the elusive Sargon Codex did.

"Cappadocian" is a great example of how simultaneously elegant and adventurous the combination of blood, madness and mysticism can be. Vampire stories are cool ...who knew?

Rating:
Summary: too confusing
Review: This book started great like the first two of the series. However, midway through the book the plot just got horribly convoluted and made no sense whatsoever. Or maybe it wasn't the plot but the author's rather haphazard way of writing. It seems as though the author took his time the first third of the book, but the rest was just written with no thought as to explaining things so the reader could follow what was going on and why the characters were doing what they were doing. Very, very dissapointing, especially since the first two books were so good. Let's hope things pick up with book 4.