Burning Shadows: A Novel of the Count Saint-Germain (St. Germain)

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Description

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Customer Reviews

Another wonderful story
Chelsea Quinn Yarbro keeps me interested with her ever-so-carefully researched historical settings and the wonderful Saint-Germain. She paints a wonderfully clear picture of the times he "lives" in and it has been delightful to have so many fine stories over the years. It is amazing to me how her references to a time in the past, of which she had not yet written, later turn out to fit so cleverly in the engaging tapestry of her work. My favorite vampire. None of the "new" can touch him!

Burning Shadows - a great read.

2010-02-15 (Winston-Salem, NC USA) | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 5

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One of Yarbro's best
Chelsea Quinn Yarbro did it again. The other reviewers have pretty much covered my major points, so I'll keep it simple. I have read all of Yarbro's Saint Germain novels. This latest is simply one of the finest in the series. For those of us who love the Saint Germain novels, "Burning Shadows" is not to be missed. For anyone who loves rich historical fiction, "Burning Shadows" is filled with the historical detail coupled with rich characters and a compelling story. If you have never read one of Yarbro's novels of the Count Saint Germain, this novel would make a fine beginning. If you are already a fan, you are in for a treat.

2010-01-31 | Human being (Panama City, Florida) | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 5

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Spectacular Look at the Huns
Chelsea Quinn Yarbro has scored another triumph with "Burning Shadows".

Sanctu-Germainios, now a Roman official in charge of Appulum Inferior, in the Dacia Superior, faces the deadly threat of Attila and his Huns head on. Retreating to the monastery of Sanctu-Eustacios, the Hermit, he and several hundred citizens and soldiers eke out an existence while waiting for the Huns to appear. Once they do, a deadly onslaught begins that leaves hundreds dead, and Germain fearing for his undead life.

Taking in refugees from the Huns is both charitable, and dangerous. Amidst a group from Tsapoulos is a silver haired young woman who takes Germains' heart and with her own secret, endangers him.

Between the Hun-Gaul-Goth threat, the interpersonal relationships between monks, soldiers, citizens, and Germain is difficult. I highly enjoyed a 'real' look at what a Hun invasion might look like and how it affected the brave, and not quite so. This is terror, from a 439AD perspective.

Would you choose death? Or switch allegiances to save your life? Would you take your own life to save your soul, or pledge allegiance to a bloodthirsty leader?

Yarbro gives us another masterful look at a time period we are not familiar with. You either walk away going 'wow', or wish you could write as well as she can. She clearly is deserving of all of her creditations and awards. I am in awe of her skill.

2009-12-24 | Comic Fan 42 (Red Deer, Alberta) | Helpful Votes: 3 | Rating: 5

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terrific entry
In 438 C.E., Dom Feranescus Rakoczy Sanctu-Germainios is part of the Regional Guard of Apulum Inferior as the Huns flood Europe. His lover Atta Olivia Clemens flees the Carpathians for the relative safety of Constantinople, but though she begged him to accompany her, he felt an obligation to lead the fleeing villagers to a safer place.

On the way to the isolated Sanctu-Eustachios monastery that prefers no visitors, Rakoczy meets Nicoris, who is also on the run from the Huns' horde too. They are attracted to one another from the onset. As the pair and hundreds of frightened peasants take refuge at the monastery, Rakoczy conceals his vampiric nature, but his lover learns of his True Nature. With the Huns closing in on them, Rakoczy fails to realize the biggest danger may come from within as she too has a dark secret might lead to his True Death inside these holy walls.

This is a terrific entry that works on two fronts: a strong insightful look at those fearing the Huns horde and a romance between Saint Germain and his true love Nicoris. The story line brings to life villagers and Roman legionnaires who expect death and worse once the invincible army arrives. Adding to that profound look at the fifth century are the reclusive monks who believe god's predetermination means life and death has been doggedly resolved by the Maker so why worry about defense. Although the ending could have used more flesh on it so as to fully bring out the blood and guts of the final twist, fans will relish Saint Germain's latest bittersweet historical adventure.

Harriet Klausner

2009-12-09 | Helpful Votes: 3 | Rating: 5

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Come Twilight (St. Germain)

Description

In the early 600s, Saint-Germain makes a vampire of the lovely Csimenae. As Spain passes into the control of the Visigoths and is later conquered by the Arabs, Csimenae, against Saint-Germains teachings, becomes a mother of vampires.

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Customer Reviews

Perhaps the most traditionally vampiric of the St. Germain series
Yarbro's approach in COME TWILIGHT is unique with respect to the other novels in her (usually wonderful) Saint Germain series. First, Yarbro constructs a plot that covers hundreds of years in the existence of Saint Germain and his faithful manservant Roger. Second, and more to my point, she infuses this story with other vampires. By doing so, Yarbro has created a story that allows for a greater display of vampiric abilities and personalities than in any of her other novels which I have read. Typically, Saint Germain uses all means at his disposal to not reveal his true nature. However, Csimenae and the clan she creates rebuke Saint Germain's instructions on how to exist as vampires, openly flaunting their vampirism and killing with little regard for the risks. In all, the novel is a strong addition to the Saint Germain canon, but it is not without its faults, the greatest of which is the overly contrived reasons that continue to bring Saint Germain and Csimenae into contact with each other over the centuries of her existence in the Pyrenees. Overall, a different, compelling novel to view Saint Germain and Yarbro's conceptions of vampirism.

2009-07-07 | Jim Jackson (Columbus OHIO) | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 4

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Not Free SF Reader
In this novel, Count Saint-Germain's weakness for women comes back to
haunt him in a major way, and for a very long period of time. He
creates another vampire, around 1500 years ago.

She, however, ignores any advice or other information he has given
her, and sets out to do what she wants to do, setting herself up as a
ruler and despot.

2007-09-03 | - Research Finished | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 3

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Easy To Forget The "Supernatural" Elements Here
This book is set on the Iberian peninsula over a period of half a millennium, ending in the 1100's, and it is a fine example of an author who is truly able to access the psychology, customs, and culture of a time and place in the past. Rather than making her characters twenty-first century men and women in old clothing, Yarbro is among that handful of writers who can honestly revive a past era and set a present-day reader back into it. The fact that these books are, yes, "vampire stories" is something I for one was able to lose sight of as I concentrated on the excellence with which the past---from the Visigoths through the Moors to the nascent Christian re-conquest of what is today Spain---was described in a manner that utilized a reader's every sense. I don't mean my comment about "forgetting this was a vampire novel" as a putdown, but I also will say that the talent Yarbro possesses in recreating the past down to the smallest detail outshines the element of supernatural that constitutes what this series is supposedly about. Here we are treated to a tale of St. Germain creating a vampire from a fierce-natured Spanish woman in the 600's AD, and then we witness the tragic consequences of this act, as over many centuries this cruel and proud being disregards the advice of St. Germain, her maker, and begins a very dark reign of terror over her isolated and socially backward region, compelling generations of peasants to bring her and her kind tribute in the form of chalices of blood, and even the inevitable human sacrifices. This is a hefty book and it covers in its four sections five-hundred years and several dozen significant characters, so the undertaking of reading it does require a degree of dedication, be forewarned.

2006-06-27 (Under Your Skin) | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 4

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Thirteenth in the Saint Germain series.
Or fourteenth, if you count "Out of the House of Life", a spinoff novel primarily about the character of Madeline de Montalia, a vampiric "childe" of Saint Germain, but also including some flashback scenes featuring an early Saint Germain.

Or seventeenth, if you also include "A Flame In Byzantium", "Crusader's Torch", and "A Candle For d'Artagnan", a spinoff series about Olivia Atta Clemens, an earlier offspring.

Throughout the series, the best part of these novels is the character of the count Saint-Germain himself; he is an unmitigated hero, not the anti-hero that one usually sees in vampire novels, and that's a fascinating change of pace. He always explains that he wasn't always the urbane, elegant, even-tempered, kind and sensitive individual that he is now; four thousand years ago, when he became a vampire, he was a typical ravening beast, but he outgrew it. This is a marvellous and original perspective on vampirism, and a delightfully optimistic outlook on humanity: that given sufficient time, ANYBODY can grow up, even a bloodthirsty creature of the night.

As a result, what we have in this series is a series of historical novels, set at various points along the very long time-line of Saint Germain's life. We generally see very little of other vampires, other than occasionally seeing those who Saint Germain has made vampires in previous books. (Generally, we see even these only in their correspondence with Saint Germain; I cannot remember any book in which we see more of them than this except for "Tempting Fate", in which we see quite a bit of Madeline de Montalia, and one short story in the collection "The Chronicles of Saint Germain", in which we see the count in conflict with a more traditionally minded vampire.) This book is the exception to that rule, as well as the rule that each book covers a "point" on his time-line. This book is told in three sections, each a separate point of its own: one in the seventh century, one in the eighth, and one in the twelfth. This divergence from form is necessary in order to show the fact that interactions between vampires are by necessity very long-term things. The main conflict in this book is between Saint Germain and a woman who he makes into a vampire early in the book, and who refuses to accept him as a mentor on how to manage her new life and the powers that go with it.

This was an interesting change of pace, but resulted in a novel that was long on sub-plots, but had less primary plot than it might have. In addition, it made it difficult to see Saint Germain interacting with mortals as one normally would, because by definition, none of the mortals survived more than a third of the book. We did see interations, but there wasn't time to develop them as there normally would be, and that left them feeling rushed. Still, the loss of that aspect of the books was easily compensated for by the novelty of seeing other vampires, vampires who acted as vampires are expected to, for a change.

Not one of the best in the series, but far from the worst.

2003-11-08 (Bellefontaine Neighbors, Mo. USA) | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 4

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I smell a sequel...
This series is terrific. I read some of them a while ago, and am re-reading them now (and now there are even more in the series, so there's no danger of running out any time soon!)

There's some moral preaching, and the series does tend to be repetitive; the people follow trends. [...]

(Ok, I'm off my soapbox now.)

That said, that's my only beef with it. The writing is lovely, the letters to and from the characters and the notes describing what happened to the letters - weather they made it or not - are wonderful. The history comes to life and seems like a place just around the corner; you can see the mountains, touch the trees. You feel the differnt colors of the story.

This book represents a break from the series' tradition of plot: St Germain sets himself up in a place, meets people, gets himself a few friends and a few enemies, meets a lovely woman and sometimes an icky woman, gets into trouble and has to leave under bad circumstances. In this case, he makes a vampire out of a woman... and ooooh boy was that a mistake. It's sort of three related novelettes, taking place over some time. It isn't resolved completely at the end, thus the title of this review: I smell a sequel....

I actually like this book all the more for it's breaking from the traditional plot of her others. It's nice to know that while history may repeat itself, Chelsea Quin Yarbro doesn't have to.

2003-02-11 (New Hampshire) | Helpful Votes: 3 | Rating: 4

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A Dangerous Climate: A Novel of The Count Saint-Germain (St. Germain)

Description

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Customer Reviews

No Plot Execution
I really liked the earlier books in the series. They explored the implications of having eternal life in a new and unique way. Unfortunately, the last two releases have so disappointed me that I feel I have to write this review. They almost appear to be ghost written as they are unidenifiable when compared with the writing style of the earlier works. The tedious focus on the details of the characters dress at the expense of actual character development itself is only eclipsed by the total lack of plot development. Reading the other reviews here I almost feel like I must have read a different book. I felt no tension of characters, didn't sense the loneliness and weight of the years, and almost hoped he would be uncovered as a fake or a vampire just so something would happen!

When reading the novel description you are left hungry for the twists and turns of an espionage plot at a critical moment in history interwoven with an impersonation triangle that promised so much. Throw in a switch of royal sponsors that should split the spies one against the other - especially since they are presenting themselves as husband and wife - and this would have to be one of the most exciting books ever written. Unfortunately, absolutely nothing happens in the book! Nothing! There is no espionage. No secrets that could change the world as Russia, Sweden, Poland, and the Hapsburgs struggle for European supremecy. Nada. Nothing results from the split of sponsors as Augustus II is replaced by Stanislas as King of Poland. The triple layers of imposters results in nothing! No blackmail or power plays as one is forced to concede important objectives to avoid being unmasked - in fact the climactic meeting of the two fake Grofok Saint-Germains occurs in the form of a letter and not even a scene in the book! It is like the author went out of the way to have the plot executed without it ever being relevant to the story - very strange and what leads me to think someone else wrote the last two books.

In fact, the Author's notes at the beginning are the most interesting part of the novel. Otherwise it is a twenty page pamphlet about the building of early Saint Petersburg and a twenty page pamphlet on the fashions of the time stretched out over three hundred pages of "Do you want me to get your medicines", "Yes, they may prove helpful", "Ok, I will get them", He goes to get them, "I have them here", "Thank you, old friend". Such stilted, lifeless writing makes me think it is time for the 'True Death' for this series. Sad to see it.

2009-12-19 | Helpful Votes: 1 | Rating: 1

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In perfect fashion
Fans of Yarbro/St Germaine will not be disappointed with this newest installement set at the time St. Petersburg is being built. St Germaine gets himself into a bit of a pickle (as usual) and we get to revisit an old friend, Niklos, who comes to the rescue. It is fass paced and full of intrigue, and I can't wait for her newest release.!

2009-05-17 (Utah usa) | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 4

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A subtle treasure
This is the 21st novel in Yarbro's long running Saint-Germain series. I've been reading the series since the very first one was published back in 1978. I would venture to say that after so long I know the Count well. Throughout the series he is a monster, and yet he is truly the one that is humane. Humans are the true monsters. What we do to each other far exceeds the depravations of any monster.

In this installment the Count is sent to Saint Petersberg at the behest of the King of Poland. The one wrinkle is that he isn't going as himself, but posing as the Hungarian husband of a spy and diplomat, who's real husband has been missing for some time. As a woman though she cannot venture to the burgeoning city on her own, but must be accompanied by her husband or other male relative.

The story opens with Saint-Germain being found by the Watchmen. He's been beaten so badly he can't even remember his attacker. If he wasn't a vampire, he probably wouldn't have survived the attack. He's taken to the care-house where he meets Ludmilla (forgive me for not giving the full name. I don't have the book in front of me and would probably end up misspelling it.) and Van Hoek. Saint-Germain must conceal how well he is healing while keeping his somewhat capricious "wife" happy. His position is somewhat compromised when Stanislaus replaces Augustus on the Polish throne, and his "wife's" brother is sent to Saint Petersberg. Saint-Germain moves into the care-house to make room for the brother in the Polish household. Besides helping with the functioning of some of the construction equipment he takes on the care-house as a project to help. To add to his problems an Hungarian comes claiming to be Saint-Germain's heir. Saint-Germain can't refute the claim without jeopardising his mission with the Polish crown. He asks Niklos Aulirios, Olivia's former companion, to impersonate him, and refute the claim.

Yarbro's attention to historical detail make the time period come alive. It is true that some things must be altered for the sake of narrative flow, but overall the feeling is one of authenticity. Some may quibble about the amount of time taken to describe the clothing and such. The details though serve to show how difficult the environment was in the burgeoning city. Nobles used to the pomp and circumstance of palaces and manner estates were forced to endure living in houses barely above the level of a shack while keeping all the conventions diplomacy required. They were dealing not only with the intricacies of court politics, but had to deal with gang violence as well. The founding of Saint Petersburg was a difficult period.

Yarbro's convention of taking a monster, in this case a vampire, and showing the creature to be the hero was unique at the time the books were first published. Through the eyes of this monster we see that the real atrocities are inflicted by humans against humans. Yarbro has explored religious intolerance, racial inequality, women's rights and other themes where humans will visit upon each greater horrors than one creature drinking blood to survive could ever conceive.

2009-03-24 | Helpful Votes: 1 | Rating: 5

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A book that never gets off the ground
I just finished this book and I agree with the previous reviewer. There are several promising plots and subplots that are never fully explored. The characters of the book are for the most part two dimensional. You never get a true understanding of their motivations that is propelling or attempting to propel the action forward. I have never read any of the St. Germaine novels and was very disappointed. I just kept waiting for it to get better, but it was simply an unsatisfying read at the end.

2009-01-19 | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 2

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Fascinating setting, but story could have been better
I am writing this review from the perspective of someone who is interested in 18th century history and Russia, rather than a dedicated fan of Chelsea Quinn Yarbro's Saint-Germain series. I found A Dangerous Climate entertaining, but ultimately disappointing.

Yarbro gives the reader a sense of what life was like for the European diplomats who were living in Saint Petersburg during its founding: the physical hardships, and the intrigue and scheming. She also conveys the remarkable engineering and labor that went into the construction of St. Petersburg.

Unfortunately, the story suffers from a real lack of momentum. Yarbro sets up a number of promising subplots which are left unresolved. The diffuse plot is not helped by the author's tendency to indulge in details and scenes that do not meaningfully further the story.

Yarbro's Count Saint-Germain is an interesting take on a vampire, with his compassion that comes from thousands of years of witnessing man's inhumanity. However, the characterization of the secondary characters was mostly flat. Dialogue is not one of Yarbro's strengths: although there is a lot of talking in this novel, the characters tend to sound the same regardless of rank, education, and nationality.

Finally, Yarbro's Russian is marred by inconsistent transliterations, misspellings and incorrect grammar. She gives one of the female leads' patronymic as `Borisevna' (Borisovna would be correct). She also occasionally uses Russian words where English ones would do, and then gets the Russian wrong - both sloppy and pretentious of the author. It would be better to use correct English than incorrect Russian.

A Dangerous Climate could have been much better with a tighter plot, better characterization of the secondary characters, and a Russian language consultant. Fans of Yarbro's work will no doubt enjoy the book, but for the general reader who isn't already a committed fan, this one would be better to borrow from the library.

2009-01-10 | snegurochka | Helpful Votes: 3 | Rating: 3

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Dark of the Sun: A Novel of the Count Saint-Germain (St. Germain)

Description

The explosion triggers tsunamis that destroy ships and seaports. Airborne ash causes crop failures. During the bleak, seemingly endless winter that follows, people blame gods and devils for their troubles. The vampire Saint-Germain is unwilling to feed on the starving and knows that women who fear the supernatural do not welcome vampire lovers. Can a vampire starve to death? Or will his true nature attract a darker fate before he reaches sanctuary in Transylvania?

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Customer Reviews

The dark of the sun didn't dim this book
Fans of Saint-Germain will be absolutely delighted at this addition to the saga of the legendary vampire. It is the year 535 AD and Saint-Germain, aka Zangi-Ragozh, is a successful merchant in China. Called to wait upon the Chinese Emperor, Zangi-Rogozh starts to cross China with a small caravan and his faithful servant, Rojeh, when distant Krakatoa erupts in a mighty volcanic explosion that is even heard in distant Peking. Following the eruption, tsunamis destroy coastal towns and much of the shipping. (Shades of what recently happened in that area.) Tons of ash and sulfur are thrown into the atmosphere, ringing the world and causing severe weather changes. The sun dims. Burning sulfur rain and yellow snow fall. There is no spring, no summer, crops fail, famine and fevers plague not just some of the world, but everywhere. Many people believe that the end of the world is coming. Zangi-Ragozh decides to return to his homeland, the book covers his long and perilous journey.

Those who know the series will find the glimpse afforded into Saint Germain's beginnings fascinating and the trials and tribulations that the hero must overcome interesting reading. Those new to the series may be surprised, for this series certainly is not like any other. Be prepared for a rich historical novel where the hero just happens to be a vampire rather than a vampire novel. There are no bloody animalistic feeding frenzies. While Saint-Germain does enjoy sex with his food, the heightening of emotions increases the power of the blood to sustain him, the stories lack the elaborate sexual fantasies of the typical vampire romance. And while Saint-Germain has his past anguishes, he is no brooding hero living in the throws of despair. In fact, having lived 2500 years has made him rather cautious and conservative. He tends to plan for the worse and believes in taking extra precautions. Still, he is very much a hero for the kindness and generosity that he displays, especially towards women, making him much more human than the humans around him. Nor have his vampire powers made him something of a super hero battling evil. No extraordinary powers such as an ability to change form or control minds. He possess the usual strengths, imperviousness to cold, excellent night vision, and an amazing ability to heal himself. But he is not dead to the world during the day nor does he burst into flames when touched by sunlight. He is weakened by running water and sunlight, but that can be countered to some extent by his native soil, which he keeps in the heel of his boots, stuffed into his saddle, and in a crate to sleep on. But Saint-Germain is more than a mere vampire. He is an intellectual, an Alchemist capable of changing lead into gold and making precious jewels, and a healer, who makes what he calls the sovereign remedy out of moldy bread. While we care about Saint-Germain, the author tells more than just his story as she blends letters from various ship captains, merchants, and friends to tell the story of the people he comes in contact with and the world in general during this time of crisis. This is not a fast read, but it is an interesting read, giving the reader a feel for a time and place from long ago. It is a worthy addition to what may possibly be the longest vampire series.

Reviewed by Linda Suzane March 20, 2005

[...]

2009-06-02 | Linda Suzane (www.midnightblood.com) | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 4

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And A Darkness Covered The Earth
The violent mega-eruption of Krakatoa in AD 535 threw enough volcanic matter into the earth's atmosphere to blot out a huge portion of the sun's rays, and this was the start of several years of almost ice-age-like conditions. Written records and other tangible evidence exists from China to the Americas of the tragic effects this event had on humans everywhere. Crops failed, famine came to pass, stillbirths increased, disease became rampant, trade slowed, and internecine wars were waged for food and also out of a paranoid sense of horror. Most of all humans became reactionary and turned to their gods for answers and for comfort. From Byzantium to India, Saxon England to Coptic Ethiopia, xenophobia reigned, foreigners were persecuted as possible offenders of the gods, and order disintegrated on a frighteningly vast scale. Life across the globe was disrupted as by the tens of millions people wondered if they were truly witnessing the end of the world.

This is the scene of Yarbro's seventeenth Saint-Germain novel. In the pages of Dark of the Sun, the perpetually-exiled Carpathian nobleman goes from a prosperous life as a merchant in Liang-era China to the life-threatening undertaking of traversing the Silk Road, a journey of three-years' duration, in order to return to the west. With Saint-Germain, as always, is his faithful companion Rogers, and along the path of the dauntingly perilous expedition west, Germain witnesses a world gone mad in the wake of unimaginable cataclysm.

Chelsea Quinn Yarbro revives a global catastrophe we had somehow forgotten, and uses it as a backdrop for a slow but detailed novel that takes her readers on a trip across nearly the whole of east and central Asia, from China to the Carpathians, sparing no detail or sociological observation along the way.

2006-09-09 (Under Your Skin) | Helpful Votes: 2 | Rating: 4

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The Really Dark Ages
One of the most recent in the St. Germain series and also one of the most satisfying to read. Set in the early Sixth century (can you name one thing that happened in the Sixth Century?) with the cataclysmic eruption of Krakatoa, blotting out the sun for nearly two years. The effects on the entire world were profound, since nothing was able to grow. Like other books by Yarbro, I feel as though I had slipped through a small window into this world and could experience what was actually happening. Also, this was historically I period I had no knowledge of whatsoever, which added to the mysterious quality of the novel.

For me, the St. Germain series has always been a guilty pleasure, with an emphasis on the pleasure. There is something slightly old fashioned about the writing, but not stilted. It is true that much of the book is dialogue between St. Germain and his (eternal) companion. But I did not find that to be a problem. All in all, Dar of the Sun is a far better book than some of the other "historical" novels coming off the factory lines recently (you know what I mean).

2005-09-21 (New York, NY USA) | Helpful Votes: 6 | Rating: 5

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Count St Germain remains one of the best vampires in fiction
After more than a dozen novels of the life and times of Count Saint Germain, Chelsea Quinn Yarbro still manages to make his story both relevant and spellbinding. Her beautifully written stories are masterpieces of historical fiction -- being meticulously researched and finely told -- and I never fail to learn something new about the world, and about St. Germain.
In this newest adventure, the Count is a trader in Yang-Chau (Shanghai) China in 535 A.D., a year known as the Year of the Dark Sun. It was named this due to the eruption of Krakatoa -- a rare, once in a millenium scale event that blocked the sun to varying degrees around the world, and caused starvation and panic where ever the clouds of ash prevailed. A fine novel, full of energized plotlines and well rounded characters. Highly recommended.

2005-06-06 | miamibooks (South Miami, FL USA) | Helpful Votes: 2 | Rating: 5

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How a Vampire Survives after a World Cataclysm
This is the first "vampire" genre book I read and it nearly became my last. I was fascinated by the cover, the title and the praise on the cover jacket for the "Saint-Germain" novels. I was open to a new reading experience. Being captivated by the music of the Silk Road countries, the most recent of which is Yol Bolsin (CD), I was ready to read some fiction and 'escape' to this exotic locale. My anticipation was further fueled by the "author's introduction" where she describes the research which went into describing "Year of the Yellow Snow" approximately AD 535-6 when the volcano, Krakatoa, erupted and caused worldwide famine. The maps of China and Southeast Asia further whetted my appetite for this novel ... so I looked forward to an adventurous vicarious reading experience.

The book begins via a letter to Zangi-Ragozh, whom we learn is a foreign merchant in China, who owns many ships and a trading company. The captain of one of his ships reports a catastrophe which could have disastrous effects on trade and shipping in Kuang-Chou (Canton). He describes men dying due to a yellow powder in the air ever since the volcano on an island erupted and caused tidal waves and rough seas. Zangi-Ragozh notices the sun is less bright ... There is fear in the air. The local Chinese magistrate is expected to take strong measures against foreigners in the region. The decision by Zangi-Ragozh is to inventory his merchandise, close his home, leave his servants to run the established trading company and return to his homeland ... the Carpa-Ti (Carpathian Mountains). Much of the book chronicles the journey of this vampire and his traveling companion as they go across China, traversing the Silk Road back to Romania, the ancestral home of Saint-Germain, who in this life is named "Zangi-Ragozh".

The main creative device the author uses in this novel is letter-writing, she alternates chapters chronicling Zangi-Ragozh's travels-adventures with detailed letters (some sent to him) by captains of his ships, servants who run his trading house, or a love interest, others are letters written by local magistrates sent to government officials describing the difficulties of the times, unfortunately this technique becomes rather tiresome. Additionally, too much of the book consists of conversations between the vampire and his traveling companion, it becomes a real chore to continue reading. I nearly gave up. Had the author interspersed descriptions of action packed 'man-against-nature' adventures on the ships or had she connected some past life experiences of Saint-Germain with Atta Olivia Clemens (a past love interest), the novel would have been more interesting. This book has all the trappings of a wonderful sizzling 'unable-to-put-it-down' novel but it *nearly* fizzles out. Luckily three-quarters of the way through, the novel *finally* comes to life, is successfully rescusitated. The book is worth reading to discover how the author salvages a dull beginning and middle with an unexpected explosive dramatic event.

In all honesty I can not give the book rave reviews (I really wanted to). The author should have described the natural scenery along the Silk Road, the storms at sea, and the life of that era much better, even the many letters written to Zangi-Ragozh some of which never reach him, seem like a substitute for what is seriously lacking in the plot: creative design (which arrives *almost* too late). The essential story-line is simple and straightforward therefore it needs something exciting to hook the reader's imagination *throughout* the novel, not just at the end. Despite the often flat affect of the supporting characters, the star, Zangi-Ragozh shines very brightly. He has fully developed personality and is very likeable - there is much depth to his actions and behavior. Another huge plus is the book could be made into a film with breath-taking natural beauty and unforgettable action-packed scenes because on film the contents of the letters become *visual*. The suspense and drama would be magnified on film. My prediction is, as a movie it would be a multimillion dollar winner. Erika Borsos (erikab93)

2005-03-22 | pepper flower (Gulf Coast of FL, USA) | Helpful Votes: 4 | Rating: 3

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Borne in Blood: A Novel of the Count Saint-Germain (St. Germain)

Product Details

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• Notes: Brand name New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
• Prepare: NEW
• ISBN13: 9780765317148

Description

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Customer Reviews

St. Germain: The Historical Vampire
I've enjoyed reading Yarbro's historical fiction novels about the legendary Count St. Germain for several years. In Yarbro's work, St. Germain is portrayed as a vampire... a very romantic, rich, well-dressed, intellectual, passionate, handsome vampire who is only interested in giving women pleasure and promoting social justice.

Anyway, this is not the best of the series to get an understanding of this world's cosmology (i.e., how vampirism works in this series of books), but it's an excellent portrayal of societal mores of this time period, shortly after the defeat of Napoleon. It does not move as slowly as some of the earlier novels, and is not as sad, although melancholy is a lingering feature in this series. If you are already a fan, I would recommend it.

2009-11-01 | Lee (San Diego, CA) | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 4

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Interesting post-Napoleonic setting
As a fan of Yarbro's St. Germain series, I'm happy to enjoy the similarity of these novels, enjoying the setting and the small differences of character and plot. Hero is charming and sympathetic, and the Count
admits that he cannot feel for her as he does for the great loves of his life, but he nevertheless protects her and improve her situation. The time, just after Napoleon has ravaged Europe, leaving famine and disorder, is not a well-known one. I like it that St. Germain manages in this book to avoid
being swept up in great matters of state, instead remaining in a back-county Swiss castle for most of the action, tending to his shipping and publishing interests mostly at a distance. I hope we get to find out in later books what happened to the major and minor new characters in this book.

To me this is a successful St. Germain book.

2009-07-30 | thehunter8 (Cambridge, MA) | Helpful Votes: 1 | Rating: 5

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Borne in Blood
This item arrived in excellent condition and before the date specified for delivery. An excellent experience!

2009-02-24 | DAC collector (Kansas City KS) | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 5

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Twenty fifth in the Saint Germain series.
Or twentieth, if you don't count the spinoff novels centering on two of Saint Germain's vampiric "childer", Madeline de Montalia & Atta Olivia Clemens.

This is a wonderful series, if not necessarily to the taste of the fan of traditional vampire stories. Saint Germain is a vampire born about 2000 year before the common era; we see him in each book in a different historical period. In this book, he is in Switzerland in the 1800s. He is not the traditional villainous vampire; we are given to understand that once he had been so, but that 3-4000 years have mellowed and civilized him. He is not even the Anne Rice/Laurell Hamilton style of "antihero" vampire, a vamire with enough humanity to make an interesting protagonist but one that could never truly be called a hero. No, Saint Germain is an unmitigated hero; he is not only elegant, urbane, and stylish, to say nothing of fabulously wealthy (not uncommon traits in literary vampires) but honest (within the limitations of practicality; he can't very well announce his nature to all and sundry, but he lies as little as can be helped, and never mendaciously), kind, generous, brave, and considerate. Yes, he is a traditional hero in all senses of the word. Except, of course, that he is something of a sexual libertine by the standards of most of the times and places we see him in; he is by modern standards ever so slightly conservative, but since we mostly see him in the rather repressive middle ages and Elizabethan era, his behavior would be considered scandalous.

Yarbro's vampires have very limited vampiric powers by the standards of most literary vampires; they are stronger than a normal human, faster, tougher, but not incredibly superpowered, and they have very few mental ablilities; they can be hurt by normal weapons, although it is very difficult to actually kill them, so again, a fan of traditional vampires might find these vampires to be somewhat bland. But if you enjoy historical romances, and don't necessarily reject the idea of a vampiric protagonist outright, you will probably find this a fascinating series. This book is well above the average for the series, if not as good as "Better In The Dark", "Dark of the Sun", or "Blood Roses". I'd call it about even with "Mansions of Darkness".

2008-11-20 (Bellefontaine Neighbors, Mo. USA) | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 4

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It's nice to catch up with an old friend
Borne in Blood is Chelsea Quinn Yarbro's 20th entry in her Saint Germain series. I've been reading the counts adventures from the beginning. At this point it feel like I'm catching up with an old friend. Her meticulous attention to detail really helps to visualize the time period of the book. Borne in Blood takes place right after the end of the Napoleonic wars. Saint-Germain has taken as a companion a woman, Hero, widowed by the war. Hero is in a struggle with her father-in-law to have access to her children. Yabro highlights just how few rights women have in this time period. It also shows how women are so used to such treatment that they just accept it without questions. In a sense this is more a story about Hero, than it is the count. As such the threat this time is directed toward Hero, and it is up to the count to rescue her.

The ending was predictable, but that didn't bother me. As I said in the beginning, the count seems like an old friend, and I don't always want to see him battered at the end of the book.

2008-05-29 | Helpful Votes: 1 | Rating: 5

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Darker Jewels: A Novel of the Count Saint-Germain

Description

Chelsea Quinn Yarbro's immortal vampire, the Comte de Saint-Germain, is one of the most popular characters of his kind ever created. Publishers Weekly has called him a "veritable Prince Charming of the darker arts."

In Darker Jewels the Count is sent by the King Of Poland to the court of Russia's Ivan IV, to use his alchemical skills to craft unearthly gems for the mad emperor. there he finds not only dark intrigue and heart-stopping danger, but a breathtakingly beautiful woman to whom he loses his heart.

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Customer Reviews

Boring
Let's see, how's this one go? In the company of some fanatical Jesuits, Saint-Germain goes on a state mission from Poland to Russia, abandons the mission, gets the dying madman Ivan the Terrible (guilt-stricken over slaying his own son and heir) fixated on his collection of gemstones, and then gets wrapped up in marriage (hey, after 3,500 years the man was bound to tie the knot sooner or later) with a traumatized Russian noblewoman whose relatives seek to take over the throne of Muscovy. Not a bad job on Yarbro's part as far as getting the terminology and xenophobic outlook of the era right but not much really happens in this slooooow 350 page novel.

2006-08-01 (Under Your Skin) | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 2

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Saint-Germain at his Finest
This is one remarkable book delving in and around the times of Ivan IV of Russia in the late 1500's. Ferenc Rakoczy, (the Count Saint-Germain) is sent with an embassy of priests representing King King Istvan Bathory of Poland. Their mission is to ally the two countries for future attempts of invasion of the Turks. The Russian Czar is feared to have become mentally unstable after the death of his son and both the Russians and Poles fear the potential dangers this could create.

If you are familiar with Chelsea Quinn Yarbro's Saint Germain books, then you will once again marvel at the historical setting of this tale. One can't help but get absorbed into the life, the struggles, and sorrow of the times.

Ferenc Rakoczy, the close to 4,000 year old Vampire, blends in very well into the development of the story as he is not like Vampires that you'll find in other books. As he is described in this book: "All that death had given him was durability and strength far beyond that of the truly living, a degree of control over animals, superior night vision, and one specific thirst. The rest - the skills, the learning, the music, the compassion - he had acquired for himself in many long years and painful lessons".

This book does an excellent job at depicting the political and religious unrest of the times, the influence of the various European countries, the Orthodox and Roman Catholics, and the Turks. It's easy to get mesmerized with the story as it unfolds. Not only do you get an exceptional novel with a compassionate Vampire, but you are left with a history lesson you may never had the opportunity to discover.

2003-07-05 (IL, USA) | Helpful Votes: 1 | Rating: 5

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Seventh in the Saint-Germain series.
Or eighth, if you count "Out of the House of Life", which is primarily a book about Madeline de Montalia, but includes some of Saint-Germain's history. Or eleventh, if you also include "A Flame In Byzantium", "Crusader's Torch", and "A Candle For d'Artagnan", which are almost entirely about Olivia Atta Clemens, and therefore properly a spinoff series of their own.

The series to date (the date of the writing of this book, not the writing of this review) is: "Hotel Transylvania", set in the mid seventeen hundreds in France; "The Palace", set in Florentine Italy in the time of Botticelli; "Blood Games", set in the imperial Rome of Nero (and slightly beyond); "Path of the Eclipse", set around 1200, in China, India, and the middle east; "Tempting Fate", set in Germany between the twentieth century's world wars; "The Saint-Germain Chronicles", a collection of short stories set from 1880-1981; the aforementioned "Olivia" trilogy (Olivia was Saint-Germain's love interest in the book "Blood Games") set respectively in 6th century Byzantium, late 12th century Europe, and 17th century France; the aforementioned "Out of the House of Life", which features Madeline (the love-interest from "Hotel Transylvania") in early 19th century Egypt, with occasional flashbacks to Saint-Germain's days in ancient Egypt, circa 1000 B.C.E.; and this book, in many ways the best of the lot.

This book is set in late 16th century Russia, during the reign of Ivan IV (The Terrible) and that of his son, Feodor. As usual, Yarbro's historical research is impressive; I'm not sufficiently educated on the subject to vouch for any of her books' history, but it certainly feels right, and meshes with what little I DO know from other sources. Also as usual, her plot is excellent and her main characters are a delight. What sets this book apart from most of her previous entries in this series is that her villains are much less cardboard; usually, her villains have been simply blatantly evil, from diabolists in Paris to insane worshippers of Kali the death-goddess in Persia to Nazis in Germany. Now granted, all of these sorts of people existed, but their motives generally weren't as one-dimensional as these stories have generally made them. They were generally more like the villains in this book: a hypocritical Jesuit who resents Saint-Germain for his successes and talents, and for being independant of his authority, and various ambitious nobles looking to improve their own situation at anyone and everyone else's expense.

For those new to the series, Saint-Germain is a vampire who has lived for something on the order of 3500-4000 years, and so each book gives us a look into another period in the life of an immortal. The series is probably more interesting to fans of historical fiction that traditional vampire fans, as the vampiric aspects are much reduced from what one usually sees. The writing is very good, and the main character is a delight.

2003-02-08 (Bellefontaine Neighbors, Mo. USA) | Helpful Votes: 1 | Rating: 5

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surprise new author!
I first picked up this book because it was set in pre-revolutionary Russia (which I love). It looked mildly interesting, and I was facing a long ferry ride. Did I ever get the surprise of my life! I have never been a big fan of vampire fiction, but after I read this book I couldn't get enough of it! The Count is a fascinating character, the historical plot is real, something readers can relate to and understand, and I cried my eyes out at the end. I have since read every single Chelsea Quinn Yarbro book in my library (hint: try 'False Dawn,' it's amazing)and have branched out into other authors like P. N. Elrod, L. J. Smith and Anne Rice....but the Count remains an old favorite.

2001-04-19 | Helpful Votes: 3 | Rating: 5

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one of the best in the series; exotic and mysterious
Darker Jewels is a historical novel featuring a vampire. It's one of the more recently written in a series about this character; there are earlier novels in the series that you might want to read first. 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 if we have some ways to categorize these novels. Thus: BunRab's Standard Vampire Elements. 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; unusual wisdom; and is an "alchemist" but there are no 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.

Darker Jewels is set in the Russia of Ivan the Awe-Inspiring (or Terrible). Ivan is insane, his son Feodor is retarded, and all the other noble families of Russia are jockeying for power and hoping to take over ruling the country. Into this, St. Germain is sent as an ambassador from Poland. As an alchemist, St. Germain makes jewels in his athanor; since Ivan is obsessed with jewels, St. Germain can make him gifts to win favor for the Polish king. As is usual in this series, the Roman Catholic church provides some villains, in the form of a group of Jesuits, ambitious, narrow-minded, and arrogant (with the obligatory one exception who is flexible, kind, and despised by the rest of the priests). The Eastern Orthodox Church also plays a strong role; the descriptions of Russian Orthodox churches and rituals are fascinating. Another nice touch is the English delegation to Russian, from the court of Elizabeth I. Some nice characters there, and a connection with Olivia Clemens through one of them. (Olivia is a vampire also; you may want to read some of the earlier novels in the series to become familiar with the cast of characters.)

2001-01-10 | bunrab@bunrab.net (MD, United States) | Helpful Votes: 4 | Rating: 5

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