A Coldness in the Blood

Description

Matthew Maule has seen many horrific things in his five hundred years as one of the most powerful vampires in the world. But even his formidable talents cannot predict the unthinkable acts about to occur within his own home.When the vampire Dickon and his human partner appear in the middle of the night, frightened for their lives, Matthew offers them protection. They carry with them a small Egyptian statue of great value and many secrets. In the morning, Matthew wakes to discover that Dickons human friend has been brutally murdered, the vampire has gone missing, and their statue has been smashed to pieces. Matthew has also made a dangerous new enemy, one who possesses strength even Matthew may be no match for.he statue is no ordinary artifact, but one of six replicas. One contains a gem in the center, a stone of unimaginable magical power that could spell the end of humanity if it falls into the wrong hands.ow, Matthew must trek cross country, trying to unravel a millenia-old mystery in order to prepare himself for a final showdown against the evil stalking him at every turn.

---

Customer Reviews

a quick but enjoyable read
I was able to read _A coldness in the blood_ in one 3.5-hour sitting... it's a bit formulaic, but is more consistently written than some of Saberhagen's other Dracula books, which I feel suffer from bad editing. the story timeline is kept in the modern day without a parallel historical fiction accompanying it. I enjoyed the read immensely; the pace was consistent and the descriptions tight. I think the biggest drawback is that it so persistently refers back to all the prior books in the series that I sometimes felt I was reading a sales pitch. the backreferences are funny, in some cases better written than the books to which he referred.

2004-02-02 (pacifica, CA United States) | Helpful Votes: 3 | Rating: 4

---

Crocodile Tears
Fred Saberhagen is a remarkably consistent author. And while he is certainly a prolific author, he rarely pushes a book out too soon just to feed his bank account. Two of the many reasons why an alarming amount of my shelf space is dedicated to his work. For people of my generation, he is most noted for the Berserker series, and for his string of novels about Dracula and his relations with Mina Harker and her descendents. This has been a dry season for vampire lovers, so there was much evil cackling and hand rubbing when I discovered that Saberhagen had finally written a new story.

Matthew Maule (AKA Vlad Tepes AKA Dracula) currently maintains an aerie in Chicago which he uses as his principal residence. His 'nephew,' Andy Keogh is instructing the old vampire in the intricacies of websites when they are interrupted by the sudden appearance of Dickon, the world's most cowardly Nosferatu, and his friend Tamarack. Dickon is convinced that someone is out to kill him. For a change, his convictions seem justified. Dickon's residence has just been firebombed, and he, his friend, and a small white statue have come to beg Maule's protection. Shortly thereafter, Dickon is gone, Tamarck is spectacularly dead, the statue is dust, and neither Maule nor Andy has a clue what hit them.

Dracula is furious that his lair could be invaded and his nephew involved. His investigations reveal that half the world seems to be in pursuit of six Egyptian statues (now down to five), one of which has the Philosopher's Stone in it. Among the pursuers is a reborn crocodile creature named Sobek, whose most irritating trait is that he refuses to take the vampire seriously. With five hidden statues, a dozen or so nefarious hunters, a very angry vampire and a host of his 'breather' friends, this is a classic chase setup, and that is exactly what Saberhagen delivers.

This is not Saberhagen's best, but it is so far ahead of the rest of this year's efforts to make it a grand treat. There is no lack of action, but the characters are a bit thin. The author takes it for granted that we have read enough of the series that we won't need much character development, and so errs on the side of sparseness. Andy, who is new, certainly needs much more time, as does Dolores Flamel, daughter of a mage, who plays an extended part. Even so, Saberhagen's trademark style delivers both depth and complexity while making vampires entirely believable. By all means, take the time to enjoy 'A Coldness in the Blood.'

2002-11-14 | The Noh Hare™ (Warren, MI USA) | Helpful Votes: 18 | Rating: 4

---

imaginative, colorful and quirky Dracula tale
He has lived for over five centuries by keeping up with technology so Vlad Tepes better known as Dracula and AKA Matthew Maule asks Andy Keogh to help him design a website. Andy, descended from the bloodline of Mina Harker, agrees to help his "Uncle Matt", whom he thinks is human. While at Uncle Matt's apartment, a nosferatu named Dickon, along with a human, ask for Vlad to help in their quest for learning alchemy.

Someone puts a spell over everyone in the apartment and when Dracula awakens, Dickon is gone, the human is dead, Andy is dazed and an Egyptian statue is smashed. The next day Sobeck, a being once worshipped by the Egyptians as a God, confronts Matthew Maule. He wants the Philosopher's Stone, a magical artifact hidden in one of six small statues smuggled into the country. Dracula declines to help but Andy becomes involved when Dickon asks his dead partner's granddaughter Dolly to assist him. Andy's father and Uncle Matt search for the Philosopher's Stone while trying to keep Andy and Dolly out of danger. Thy also hope to send Sobeck back where he belongs.

It's been six long years since Fred Saberhagen has written a Dracula book but the wait was well worth it. His eighth installment in this series is imaginative, colorful and sometimes even quirky. Dickon is comic relief as a millennium old vampire afraid of his own shadow. The race for the Philosopher's Stone is filled with action and adventure as the protagonists keep running head long into villains coveting the same artifact.

Harriet Klausner

2002-10-09 | Helpful Votes: 11 | Rating: 5

---

Empire of the East (Bks. 1-3: The Broken Lands, The Black Mountains, and Ardneh's World)

Description

The classic trilogy returned to print! In the distant future, society has crumbled. Dark forces now rule the land, keeping all humans under their oppressive thumbs. Determined to regain their freedom, a small band of plans to overthrow an army of thousands ... with the help of one incredible weapon.

---

Customer Reviews

Saberhagen Gem
Just recently came across this at Amazon, never read it before. Mostly a Beserker and Dracula fan. This trilogy is worth every penny and a great demonstration of Saberhagen's work. One of my favorite authors. Great story and characters. A must read for any true fan.

2010-08-30 | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 5

---

Im in shock that this was allowed to be published
What amazes me here... are the number of excellent reviews that this trilogy has received here on amazon. One five star adulation after another. What the heck??? Were we reading the same set of novellas?

The Empire of the East has to be one of the most poorly written published work that I have ever attempted to read. I kept putting the book down, coming back here to trash it on amazon, encountered one great review after another, thought I was missing something, and finally picked up the book again. I have to say though that this is just terrrrrrible.

The story, the writing, the characters, everything feels like its written on a level so far below average that it is stunning. The author allows insane events to occur for no other reason than to hurry along a plot that seems to be pasted together as the story were written.

Basically it follows a single farm boy and his transition to greatness. The opening pages are of his parents having been destroyed by maurading soldiers. Rolf then heads out on his own, meets a magician, goes on a secret journey finds a machine, and suddenly becomes a focal point of the resistance movement. Its pretty sad how all this comes to pass. Sad as in cliched writing.

Thank god these pages move by so fast. I tried very hard to like it. But this is just nothing other than a horrible dated mess. ]

2010-01-02 | akitonmyers (Palo Alto CA) | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 1

---

Finally got another copy
Read this book years ago, 1st book was stolen from car, wanted to re-read the book, bought another, that disappeared also.
Science fantasy, in a far future magic exist but also old technology.
Read and enjoy figuring out what the villians are.

2009-10-19 | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 5

---

Exciting trilogy
Empire of the East is a must for any fantasy reader. I read it many years ago, and recall that one blurb on the book says it's better than Lord of the Rings. It isn't quite that good, but it is enjoyable. Empire of the East is actually a trilogy; the first and third books are good but not great, the second (The Black Mountains)is terrific. Saberhagen is a great writer and I also suggest his Swords series.

2008-09-07 (San Diego, CA United States) | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 4

---

Read these books about 15 years ago
I have to review this book mostly because of the large negative review. I read this back when I was in high school which was over 15 years ago. It was probably the most compelling fantasy story I'd ever read at that time.

I do think this was created for young adults but what the negative reviewer failed to notice is that these books were written between 1968 and 1973 which was a good time before I think "anything" became cliched. Fred saberhagen was a fantasy writer in a time when fantasy hadnt even taken root in even the alternative crowd.

For it's time I trully think this book is a masterpiece. I completely recommend it to anyone who loves fantasy along with most of the other books he's written. To this day Fred Saberhagen is the author I remember more then any other. My personal belief is that he's up there with the greats of fantasy writing.

2007-12-11 | Cyates (washington DC) | Helpful Votes: 1 | Rating: 5

---

Dominion (The Dracula Series)

Product Details

• Notes: BUY WITH Self-reliance, Over one million books sold! 98% Positive feedback. Compare our books, prices and putting into play to the competition. 100% Satisfaction Guaranteed
• Inure: New
• ISBN13: 9780765364845

Description

---

Customer Reviews

Fred Saberhagan's Best Ever
It's all very well to say that Fred Saberhagen's Dracula series is always enjoyable, as I have seen one reviewer state, but this particular book is phenomenally good. It is number five in the series, but can be read as a standalone story as I did the first time. Dracula (a good guy) meets Merlin, still ensorceled by Morgan La Fay and a pathetic shell of himself. There are details in the book that I found truly chilling, as I seldom do in fiction (the only other good example was Peter Straub's "Ghost story"). To see what I mean, follow the subplot of the stage magician (not a real magician) giving a performance at La Fay's castle, and how he learns about his heritage.

1998-04-12 | Patrick E. O'Neil (Cambridge, MA United States) | Helpful Votes: 13 | Rating: 5

---

The Holmes-Dracula File (The Dracula Series)

Product Details

• Notes: BUY WITH Boldness, Over one million books sold! 98% Positive feedback. Compare our books, prices and usage to the competition. 100% Satisfaction Guaranteed
• ISBN13: 9780765366139
• Modify: New

Description

---

Customer Reviews

A Thought-Prokoking Must for Holmes Fans
Fred Saberhagen's Benevolent Bloodsucker: Vampiric Honor in The Holmes-Dracula File

Science fiction author Fred Saberhagen's 1978 novel The Holmes Dracula File traces its literary ancestry not only to Arthur Conan-Doyle's Holmes canon, but to Bram Stoker's 1897 masterpiece of horror, Dracula. Saberhagen, perhaps best-known for his Berserker novels, presents us with a tale that Dr. John H. Watson refers to as "the most bizarre case in all the long and illustrious career of my friend Sherlock Holmes" (25).

The title character of Stoker's 1897 masterpiece plays an important role in Saberhagen's novel, and narrates every other chapter (alternating with Holmes's faithful biographer, Dr. Watson).

The novel also expands upon a reference to an undocumented Holmes case involving the Giant Rat of Sumatra, to be found in the Holmes story "The Sussex Vampire." In that tale, Holmes refers to the adventure of the Rat as "a story for which the world is not yet prepared."

In The Holmes-Dracula File, Saberhagen imagines what might have transpired if Count Dracula, having survived Professor Van Helsing's efforts to pursue him back to his castle and exterminate him, returns to London to reunite with his love, Mina Harker.

The time is June, 1897, six years after Dracula's first visit to London (as described by Stoker). The city is in the midst of preparations for Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee. An American scientist, Dr. John Scott, has turned up missing after embarking upon an expedition to Sumatra to study the spread of a rare and deadly plague. His fiancée, Miss Sarah Tarlton, enlists Holmes and Watson's aid in locating Scott. Scott's friend, Mr. Peter Moore, subsequently informs Holmes that scientific equipment that he sold to Scott prior to the expedition has turned up in London.

Toward the climax of their investigations, Holmes and Dracula's paths inevitably cross. The nature of their confrontation is surprising, unexpected, and curiously benevolent. Saberhagen's Dracula is far from the demon he is often portrayed as in the anti-Dracula tracts we have all grown up with. In fact, he is often portrayed in the novel as possessing a number of positive traits; a benevolent bloodsucker, if you will. This portrayal is perhaps not terribly surprising, if the reader considers the fact that half of the novel is narrated by the Count himself.

Dracula's dialogue suggests that he is a man of honor: "I cannot, and never could, abide a thief" (74). "To pay for the damage I tossed a gold sovereign behind me as I left, and I silently vowed a future donation upon a grander scale" (95). "Those who think me unlikely to pay fairly, even generously, for goods got from the innocent do not know me" (107). "Let the serious students of 15th century affairs assure more casual readers that in my breathing days, as Prince of Wallachia, I was accused by some of being too scrupulously honest" (107).

It is likely that this highly-positive portrayal of Dracula is due, in large part, to his own embellishment of the facts. However, it is worthwhile to consider Dr. Watson's account of events late in the story: "I admit, Holmes, that I may owe the Count my life" (248). According to Holmes, Watson, and Saberhagen, Count Dracula was not a miscreant, but a misunderstood soul.

Work Cited

Saberhagen, Fred. The Holmes-Dracula File. New York: Ace Books, 1978.

2010-07-02 | Magic Bullet Productions (Inglewood, CA United States) | Helpful Votes: 1 | Rating: 5

---

Holmes-Dracula File
I like Fred Saberhagan's Dracula series, as much as I love his his Merlin series. Theyare great reads and extensions on the original myths.

2007-01-09 | SAM (USA) | Helpful Votes: 1 | Rating: 5

---

An interesting combination
I will state first that I'm a Stoker purist, and a fan of Holmes canon.

So from this perspective, this was a very interesting read. Saberhagen is able to capture the Doyle style very effectively, and the characters are very consistent. The story is told from alternating viewpoints of Dracula and Watson, and deals with events 6 years after Dracula was "killed" in Stoker's novel.

So why the two star reduction? Well, Holmes really departs from form near the end. I just didn't buy it. Also, in the middle of some of Watson's chapters, Dracula adds footnotes, which seemed a bit jarring. This seemed to make Dracula a little too omnipotent, almost like making him an editor of the book.

All in all, this is a fun read, and adds the "Giant Rat of Sumatra" to the chapters of Holmsiana.

2005-11-29 (Sacramento, CA USA) | Helpful Votes: 2 | Rating: 3

---

THE HOLMES/DRACULA FILE - A Review By Steve Vernon
This is a solid little read for vampire fans and Holmes fans alike. A fast moving, atmospheric romp through the streets of Victorian London with a pair of characters who ought to have been paired together a long time ago. Well worth the read. I'm looking forward to hunting up the rest of the series. (or should I say "digging" up.)_

Yours in horror,
Steve Vernon

2004-10-27 (Halifax, Nova Scotia) | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 3

---

Great read!
I really enjoyed this book. It stayed faithful to both Stokers' and Doyles' creations, and make for a fast, yet fascinating read. Some people might find the alternate chapter writing of Dracula and Watson a bit of getting used to, but definitely worth taking the time to purchase and read.

2003-11-29 (Stillwater, MN United States) | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 5

---

An Old Friend of the Family (The Dracula Series)

Description

---

Customer Reviews

Reprint of Mr. Saberhagen's fine first vampire tale
In Chicago, the wealthy Southerland family struggles to persuade Police Detective Franzen that something bad has happened to their beloved Kate Southerland. He agrees with them once her corpse is found. Unbeknownst to the family though they descend from Wilhelmina Hacker she is not just dead.

At the same time, someone abducts Kate's younger brother Johnny leaving a bloody finger behind as evidence of foul play. Since CPD failed them with Kate, the family matriarch Clarissa turns to a long time family friend Dr. Emile Corday for assistance. He investigates the murder and the turning of Kate as well as the kidnapping on the assumption they are linked beyond sibling coincidence. He soon concludes that the assailants are using the Harker descendents as pawns in a deadly blood feud over a century old and a continent away with the ultimate target being Dr. Emile Corday.

This is a reprint of Fred Saberhagen's fine first vampire tale with 1980's references like the Pointer Sisters. The story line is action-packed starting off as a mystery that turns into much more especially when Dracula arrives on the scene to protect the Harker brood from an evil sorceress only to realize that there is much more on the agenda. Fans of Mr. Saberhagen's vampire thrillers will appreciate AN OLD FRIEND OF THE FAMILY, which readers know lives up to its title.

Harriet Klausner

2006-02-16 | Helpful Votes: 5 | Rating: 5

---

A Well-Balanced Treatment
The difficulty of dealing with vampires in fiction is caused by the problem of balancing their near-supernatural powers with the limited ability of humans to deal with them. Saberhagen short-circuits this by changing sides! His favorite vampire uses his abilities to help humans, frequently at his own peril. This book illustrates this without pushing it to extremes, and he allows the poor humans to intervene decisively at critical points. A very good read or re-read!

2005-09-12 (Lynn, MA USA) | Helpful Votes: 4 | Rating: 5

---

A Fiend in the Family
I didn't particularly like The Dracula Tapes, but I thought that might have been because it seemed forced; Saberhagen was obliged to stick with the "facts" as written by Bram Stoker, which produced some very silly and unintentionally comical results.

I was sufficiently entertained so as to be drawn to a second novel, hoping that the author might do better when not fettered by the chains of existing narrative. I selected "An Old Friend of the Family" because it is an early book and might still retain something fresh.

I was dead wrong. Writing in 81, Saberhagen makes attempts to modernize his tale of Dracula coming to rescue Mina Harker's descendants but those efforts now seem dated and comical. The entire setup, about Morgan Le Fay and her minions, seems forced. And kidnaping Dracula by whacking him on the head with a wooden stake just seems ridiculous.

This book is the one that pretty much convinced me not to bother with the rest of the series.

2003-09-18 | penngos (San Francisco, CA USA) | Helpful Votes: 8 | Rating: 2

---

Good Vampire story
This was one of my favorite vampire stories that I've read!! Definately recommend to vampire readers.

2001-10-28 | Helpful Votes: 2 | Rating: 5

---

The best of the series
Dracula comes to modern-day Chicago to rescue the descendants of Mina Harker. The characters are three-dimensional and the story is gripping right up to the end. This is one of my all-time favorite books.

2000-01-26 (Jackson, MI USA) | Helpful Votes: 9 | Rating: 5

---

The Complete Book of Swords, Comprising the First, Second and Third Books

Description

---

Customer Reviews

Deceptively simply storytelling, terrific tale!
On the surface, and especially in the first book, this appears to be just another fantasy novel - young boy given a magical sword, sets out to seek his fate, blah blah bibbity blah. However, we see depths here, hints of a mysterious past in the world (technology was banished 2000 years ago for a length of time of 49,949 years - what a strange number - does it mean something?), tales of other magical swords - which are apparently true, as evil-doers start coming out of the woodwork left and right seeking the boy to steal his magical sword in order to gain its power for their own.

While I would like to see deeper character development, or more details on the mysterious past, at the same time it would likely ruin Saberhagen's forward momentum to slow it down and do so.

Usually the second book in a trilogy - the book to "bridge the gap" - tends to be ... shall we say, not quite up to the par of the first and third books. This is not the case in this instance. In "The Second Book of Swords," five years have passed, and while Barbara has been traveling with a carnival, Ben has chosen to sign up with the Blue Temple for service and Mark has wandered off who-knows-where in his quest to find ways to help fight against the Dark King. Early in the book they all reunite and, with Ben's urging, they decide to try to rob the Blue Temple's treasure hoard, which Ben guarantees has at least one Sword. Along the way they run across another treasure hunter - the Baron Doon, guided by the Sword Wayfinder - with whom Ben and Mark continue their quest, while Barbara goes her own way.

While The First Book of Swords was a fairly simple plot with flat characters and brisk movement, Saberhagen took more care to building his characters in the second book, while maintaining a fast pace. I was personally pleased by this, as I like to know a bit about the characters in the stories I read.

In the third book of the trilogy, another four years have passed. Ben and Barbara are living undercover as the wealthy Lord and Lady Courtenay and Mark continues on his quest to help Kind Sir Andrew - who, with his remaining troops, has been living in the swamp and using guerrilla tactics to fight the Dark King - in any way he can to stay one-up on the Dark King. Meanwhile, gods who are tired of uppity humans have decided to end their game and are trying to get their Swords back.

There is so much going on in this last book that I don't dare go much more into it without worrying about spoilers, and I don't want to do that! I'll just say that the ending, while it smacks somewhat of deus ex machina, is nonetheless satisfactory and ties things up nicely.

This is definitely a great book and one I recommend to anyone who enjoys good fantasy with a hint of epic nature. If you are a fan of the sword and sorcery genre of fantasy (with a bit of a twist), definitely spend the time it will take to find these very fun books. I know I am pleased with the trilogy and have made a note to myself to go and seek the rest of the books set in this world (there are certainly a lot of them!) - the Lost Swords books and the Empire of the East books, for example. I think I've discovered a new author to add to my list of "favorites."

2010-01-26 | Obsessive bibliophile (Athens, GA USA) | Helpful Votes: 1 | Rating: 5

---

Completely Entertaining
As the title suggests this is the complete book of the first three sword books. If you are a fantasy fan it is a must read. From the opening epilogue of Vulcan forging the 12 swords, Saberhagen will captivate you to finish the first book and the remaining two. It starts out describing the smith god with somewhat human characteristics and very descriptive action scenes, that take the human condition and forge them into the 12 swords. It starts off as a game of the gods but later turns out to be the architecture of their demise. The development of the key characters is second to none. Saberhagen conveys a deep connection with Mark and Ben even Marks father Jord. I would only say that the laps between the books does leave the read in wonder a little, there is a little of a time lapse, where I think the author could supply us with some more details, but this does not take anything away from the substance of the stories. This compilation sets the stage rather nicely for the books to follow which tell of the exploits of the remaining swords. So sit back and enjoy this carefree read!!

2007-06-18 | Swords (Buffalo, NY) | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 5

---

Its been a few years since I've read this but....
... but I did read the entire Book of Swords and the entire follow up The Book of Lost swords.
This review is more in response to a few of the other reviews. The Book of Swords is a fast paced fantasy that plays out a game started by "the gods" for their amusement. There are magicians everywhere good and evil, guilds, kingdoms, battles, and at least one character growing into himself. What more could you want... Oh yes you could want to go around in circles and get a whole lot more in depth so each book would take a couple of weeks instead of a couple of days.
Saberhagen did not need to go anymore in depth for a book at this reading level!
If that isn't enough for you than you probably don't want this series. If you wander what your getting yourself into when you start a series of books than...
This is an excelent choice for someone who is not used to reading very long books but does not like a (good) story to end. This is one story that is broken up into smaller self sufficient stories. If you usually just read one book and your done you will be pleased with this book and may even expand your horizons. You can keep going if you want to but you don't have to if you want to be finished. However, if you are looking for your reading for the next year you would be sourly disappointed. It goes comparativly quickly for a series.
I don't believe this series was ever intended for a college level reader, except perhaps in discusing symolizm (in fact it is full of it my english 102 professor would have a field day).
This is a great book for some one who might be intimidated by a large book with large words. Someone on the 6th or 8th grade level should get through it but anyone who enjoys magic would be able to enjoy as well. I read strictly sci. fi. before I read this series but now I love the longer fantasy stuff. I haven't gone back to short Sci. fi. novels.

2005-07-04 (Phoenix , Arizona USA) | Helpful Votes: 2 | Rating: 4

---

This should be required reading
If you like a good fast read, that leaves you wanting more, then this book is for you. Luckily, there are stories that follow that are equally fun.

2003-01-31 (Little Rock, AR United States) | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 4

---

Under-rated
The book was very good reading material if you just want a story. The characters in the book are a little under-developed but the book still had meaning. If you cast aside the difference of the Roman and Greek names of the gods its a good book. I think the worst part of the book was the ending but i still would recommend it to anyone who just wants to sit down and read a good book without spending an hour analyzing it.

2003-01-25 | l_michelle_m (OH, USA) | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 3

---