The Palace

Description

The anticipated paperback release of the second title in Yarbro's long-running Saint-Germain series featuring immortal vampire Francesco Ragoczy da San Germano. Secluded in his Renaissance Florence palace, he falls for a beautiful courtesan and loses all desire for isolation.

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Customer Reviews

Not Free SF Reader
Here, the Count is a Fiorentina fan. He has set himself up in a nice
house, with secret rooms for vampire type sleeping, and others for
whacky chemical experiments.

He has the friendship of a Medici, and the bed warming of a nice
Donna. His powerful friend kicks the bucket, and a rather nastier
gentlemen, a crazy Catholic comes to power and introduces a reign of
terror.

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

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Historical fiction at its best - featuring a Renaissance vampire, no less!
"The Palace" is first and foremost a novel of historical fiction about the Renaissance in Florence, or as it was called in the fifteenth century, the Repubblica of Fiorenza. The rebirth of the arts, science, politics and economics which was occurring throughout most of Europe at this time, first occurred in this Tuscan city and continued to be more pervasive here than anywhere else. Fiorenza's writers, painters, architects and philosophers all made it a model of Renaissance culture. And no one did more to further this movement than Lorenzo di Piero de' Medici, or Lorenzo the Magnificent, (il Magnifico), as he was called by his contemporaries. Il Magnifico and his influence figures strongly in this story as does Girolamo Savonarola's, the Dominican monk who preached fire and brimstone and brought the inquisition to Florence. The conflict between rebirth and repression - education vs. superstition - are major themes throughout the narrative.

So...where's the vampire? Well, our protagonist Francesco Ragoczy da San Germano is THE vampire and the hero of author Chelsea Quinn Yarbro's extraordinary series. However, fans of Laurell Hamilton, Anne Rice, Charlaine Harris, etc., take note - you won't find fangs, gore, horror and supernatural violence here. San Germano is an exceptionally nice guy who just happens to have walked the earth since the beginning of time - practically. He, unlike other vampiric creations, is able to stroll about in daylight as long as he carries soil from his homeland in his shoes. He does need blood to survive - but the human donor must be willing to give a pint or two or he won't drink. And true emotional attachments nourish San Germano as much as the blood he takes. So the concept of "love" and affection figure strongly here. He is also extremely smart with an intellect and love of the arts that rival de' Medici's - who is his close friend. In other words Francesco Ragoczy da San Germano personifies the Renaissance man - with the added attraction of various super-human qualities.

When the novel begins, San Germano has commissioned an opulent palazzo to be built with secret hidden rooms where he can sleep peacefully in his native earth and practice his alchemy without interruption. Fiorenza is a place where he believes he can settle down and lead a happy life - or at least the equivalent of one lifetime. Here he has the confidence and friendship of Il Magnifico and what he believes to be a satisfying relationship with a woman, Donna Estasia, the cousin of Botticelli the artist. He has sworn the four builders who constructed the "private rooms" to secrecy and arranged for three of them to leave the country to lessen the likelihood of loose lips.

When de' Medici dies suddenly and Savonarola, with his reign of terror, assumes power serious problems arise for San Germano. Demetrice Volandrai, a beautiful, learned widow and Il Magnifico's former lover and cousin, goes to live with the vampire. Although she does not know the facts about his background, she has her suspicions. She becomes the housekeeper at the new palazzo, and San Germano's confident and apprentice alchemist. Both Demetrice, a de'Medici relative, and our protagonist, a stranger, alchemist and someone who lives opulently come under Savonarola's scrutiny as possible heretics. And suspected heretics are tortured and sentenced to death by fire.

The author has done an extraordinary job of bringing to life Renaissance Florence and many of the actual characters, (Botticelli, Da Vinci, Medici), who lived there during this period. San Germano is actually modeled after a real historical personage, the Comte de Saint-Germain. Rumor has it he possessed an elixir of life and even when he reached the venerable age of one hundred years he appeared to be a man of 40-something. The actual Saint-Germain claimed to have lived centuries. Like our hero, he was an alchemist, said to be capable of creating gold and jewels. He was the confident of kings and queens and visited all the European courts, loving and leaving women along the way. He was a also spy, frequently involved in secret adventures. Ms. Quinn Yarbro took this actual figure of mystery and molded him into her protagonist.

I was hoping for a more typical vampire experience and so was initially disappointed when I realized I was not going to get one here. However, I do love well written historical fiction and this is excellent, so I was complete absorbed in "The Palace" by the second chapter. And San Germano is a wonderfully rich character, as are the cast of minor personages who surround him. I highly recommend this book. I liked it enough to order books one and three in the series. ENJOY!
JANA

2005-12-15 | ceruleana (New York, NY USA) | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 5

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The Palace
I just finished reading the Palace and I have to say it wasn't what I expected. The beginning had me interested but by the middle of the book I just wanted to get it over with.I found myself skimming through tiresome letters and skipping entire paragraphs. Not an entertaining book at all. More of a history lesson if that.

2004-09-08 | vera | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 1

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Quite an Experience!
This the first book that I have read in the Saint Germaine series. As I understand they don't have to be read in any particular order as each book doesn't take place in chronological order.
In The Palace, Francesco Ragoczy da San Germano, alchemist and humanitarian, builds a grand palace in Renaissance Florence or as it is refereded to here, Fiorenza. He befriends many people in the city, including the painter Botticelli and Laurenzo Medici himself. But all is not well in this wealthy, enlightened city. A mad preacher named Savonarola is slowly gaining popularity because of his fierce piety and fire and brimstone condemnation of the arts and learning. His ability to terrify the populace and the help of a demented visionary woman named Estasia, who also happened to be Ragoczy's former nymphomaniac lover, allow this man seize power after Laurenzo's death. He starts a reign of terror in the city that threatens to swallow all Ragoczy holds dear- first and formost, Demetrice, his young apprentice, who has been accused of heresy.
Overall I was very impressed with this novel. It's story can be slow at times and sometimes pivotal happenings are desribed in correspondances between characters but the climatic ending is really zippy. The atmosphere was very well done, especially when Yarbro describes how oppressive Fiorenza had become when Savonarola had taken over with his horrific brand of religious fervor. There are a couple of scenes were he or Sister Estasia would really get crazy and the hair on the back of my neck would raise up.
I think the blarbs and such on the book's back over are really misleading. They make it sound as if this is vampire romance novel but it isn't. Although San Germano seemed to fall for Demetrice, that's just a subplot that happens in the last third of the book. In fact Demetrice is introduced in the second chapter but doesn't reappear until the half-way point. San Germano doesn't really act like a vampire as they are often imagined in most kinds of fiction- he isn't evil or a broody goth-type. We never even get to see him drink blood. His vampirism doesn't even effect the story at all until he must find a way to save Demetrice.
San Germano isn't even really the most vibrant or forceful character in this novel. Until the last third, he is reactive rather than proactive, basing his actions on what happens to him because of more forceful characters rather than making things happen on his own. His is very much a wall-flower until then. In the earlier portions of the book, I got a much better sense of the characters of Laurenzo Medici and Estasia and other various supporting characters. San Germano reveals very little about his past in this book so that kind of keeps him from being overly interesting too.
Still, it's hard not to be enthralled by the rich or desperate atmosphere that Yarbro creates as she weaves a story about fervent mad little preacher and the lives he destorys with his fanatacism. I'm very glad that I had the next book in the series. Hopefully, more details will be revealed about this elusive vampire named Saint Germaine.

2004-07-27 | Miss Amii (Collierville, TN United States) | Helpful Votes: 2 | Rating: 4

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First Saint Germain Book for Me
For some this book might be a little slow, since Yarbro does get a little bogged down in the historical surroundings. Slow or not, it was one of the best Vampire books I ever read. It's kind of funny actually, I first heard of Hotel Translyvania and thought it was a joke because of the way the reviewer described it (a historical vampire novel of romance--what a hoot). And then one day a year or so later I stumbled across a paperback copy of the Palace, and thought why not at least give it a try--I was hooked to say the least. Yarbro's blending of history, romance and the hardships of vampire life make her books very interesting reads.

2004-04-08 | afallon (Nashville, TN USA) | Helpful Votes: 2 | Rating: 4

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Roman Dusk: A Novel of the Count Saint-Germain (St. Germain)

Description

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Customer Reviews

A bit dry.
I found the book heavy on detail, and full of letters to and from the main person. As far as a vampire novel it sucks.

2010-03-22 | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 3

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Still interesting, but ...
I love this series because each book takes me into a different era and place, many of which I know next to nothing about. Yarbro obviously puts a great deal of effort into her research, and is an exceptionally vivid storyteller with a gift for lyrical writing. However, I can't escape the conclusion that the series is getting rather tired.

This latest instalment in the St-Germain series essentially follows exactly the same plot structure as its predecessors: hero attracts suspicion from xenophobic locals, despite his acts of charity and almost indefatigable niceness; a beautiful but lonely and tortured love interest; long angst-ridden conversations between St-Germain and his manservant, most of which tell us what we already know; and inevitably, events spiralling out of control and endangering the protagonists. As always, the setting (here, the late Roman Empire) is depicted well, and Yarbro gives a strong sense of time and place, sometimes to an uncomfortable degree: for example, a description of the so-called "entertainment" in the arena, during Heliogabalus's three day Games, turned even my relatively strong stomach.

However, the formulaic nature of the plot meant that it was only the history that held my interest, as well as my attachment to St Germain as a character. I cared little for Doma Ignatia or Melidulci, and I find the "love" scenes almost impossible to read now (in fact, I skimmed them, in this one); we are constantly reminded that St-Germain has lived for thousands of years, that he is haunted and tormented by loss and depression; that Roger and Olivia worry about him ... and so on. In every St-Germain novel, and this one is no different, there is an element of exposition - ie. that he is a vampire but not evil, references to previous love interests, etc - which is helpful to any reader coming to the series for the first time, but gets a little repetitive for someone who knows the character well.

Also, another reviewer commented that because the series has been written out of chronological order, most readers who have followed it will know that he survives into the 20th century, so any threat to his life in a book set in an earlier period fails to provoke any real sense of apprehension. I think this is a valid point.

Nonetheless, this novel is still beautifully written, and worth a read just for the history alone. However I wonder whether St-Germain ought to be given a rest for a while, and some new characters' stories told.

2008-11-04 (Melbourne, Australia) | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 3

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Twenty fourth in the St. Germain series.
Or ninteenth, if you don't count the spinoff series featuring Olivia and Madeline, two vampiric "offspring" of St. Germaine.

The character of St. Germaine is as delightful as ever, but in this book the plot was a little slow. There was very little actual action, and an unfortunate amount of political manuvering. In that regard, it was somewhat reminiscent of the "Olivia" spinoffs; we see very little of the vampiric powers of St. Germain. Still, the book was not unenjoyable, and if there was somewhat less eroticism than there has been in other St. Germain books, what there was was very well done. And of course, the historical setting, in the late Roman period, was very well-researched.

2008-11-02 (Bellefontaine Neighbors, Mo. USA) | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 3

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A Saint- Germain book -- How could you not read it?
Has Yarbro written very similar novels about Saint- Germain? Yes, she has. Yet I continue to read them and she continues to write them. Saint-Germain is forever the exile, always helping people with the medicine he has learned in his very, very long life, the money he has learned to acquire either in shipping or as an alchemist, actually making gold and jewels. He is a good man. He is more human, for all that he would disagree with that assessment, than most of his fellow people. I care about his adventures. I care that he "lives."

This book is set in Rome in the third century, called the Decadence. The child- emperor Heliogabalus diverts the Roman people with circuses and sibarytic parties. While his tax collectors rob the populace blind -- or try to in Sanctus- Franciscus' case. Meanwhile, factions of Christians are jockeying for control. (I would have preferred to hear about Peterine groups instead of Paulists. Paulists I recognize, Peterines would have been new to me.) There is a tax collector and a Paulist who are out to get Sanctus- Franciscus. There is also a woman dying from lead poisoning who he attempts to help -- and she is massively unlikeable. Was she horrible before lead poisoning or did it make her a harridan? Was there a before lead poisoning for her-- she talks about it as a disease in her family...

My daughter used to love the Magic Tree house books. They had the same characters time- traveling to different times and places. She learned history that way. I prefer these days to read my history in historical fiction, it feels more "real." I like reading history through Saint- Germain's lens.

But other reviewes here are correct, this may not be the best place to enter Saint- Germain's universe for first- time readers. While there is a chronology in how Yarbro wrote these books, I don't generally believe it needs to be carefully followed. If Hotel Transylvania is convenient read it, or read Darker Jewels or Out of the House of Life.

2008-09-08 (Cobleskill, NY United States) | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 4

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A Senusal Historical Delight

Vampire novels need not be blood drenched, nor do they need be sexually charged, erotically driven fiction. The Count Saint-Germain novels, 16 to date, are a delicious journey of discovery in a long, adventurous life.

"Roman Dusk" is a novel that thrills both historical and vampyric readers. The detail Chelsea Quinn Yarbo puts into her novels is outstanding. She manages to capture the political and social atmostphere of Roma right down to the sublte nuances lost in academic texts. Saturnia, the growth of Christianity, a Caesar gone mad, and a decaying Roman empire are only some of the historical events she has managed to include. Her characterizations of Domina Laelius, Ignatia Laelius, Meliduci, Rugeri, Natala, and Vulpus create a community within the book. As Ragozcy becomes more familiar in Roma, his public affairs become of more interest to Batsho (a local decuria). Corrupt by nature, Batsho begins a long interest in the affairs of Santus Franciscus, in order to generate more commoda. Throughout the couse of the book, the Count exercises his healing gifts on the widow Domina Laelius, and his ministrations caring for Meliduci.


Revealing his true nature to few people, Sanctus Franciscus, feeds his vampiric thirsts in the dreams of Roman citizens. To those he reveals it to, few accept the 'gift', preferring to die a natural death.

As a student of Roman history, I am always fascinated by Roman fiction. Some dissapoint, while others do not. Roman Dusk does not, and has served an excellent introduction to an accomplished author. Chelsea Quinn Yarbro has the gift of being able to hold you in her literary spell, teasing page by page until the very end. I can hardly wait to read the rest of her work.

Tim Lasiuta
www.tor.com
www.ChelseaQuinnYarbro.net

2008-03-23 | Comic Fan 42 (Red Deer, Alberta) | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 5

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In the Face of Death: An Historical Horror Novel (Count Saint Germain)

Description

This erotic and historical vampire novel is set in America in the years before and during the Civil War and features Madelaine de Montalia, sometime lover of Count St. Germain; General William Tecumseh Sherman; and, in a supporting role, St. Germain himself. Madelaine lives with and studies the native tribes of America, trying to document their culture and knowledge before they are changed unalterably by contact with the settlers new to North America, only to find herself in the middle of some of the most horrifying events of the war. The stubborn and highly disciplined Tecumseh wrestles with his conscience as he falls in love with Madelaine, while the strong-willed Madelaine is torn between her love for Tecumseh and the demands of her nature.

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Customer Reviews

Gratutious and Sketchy
I found this book to be one of the weakest in the series, if not the weakest of them all. Madelaine just doesn't have what it takes to be a strong character, or at least we haven't seen it yet.

The style of this book seems like Ms. Yarbo had a lot of information but no way to bring it all into a story. Research on the native American Indian tribes before their ways were lost - mentioned as the reason for Madelaine to come to America but then nothing. Journal entries to cover months and months of time - literary device for plot exposition. Staying in America during the Civil War - just not good common sense.

I don't look for great literature in this series. I like her attention to details and her ability to give the flavor and feeling for the times. But this one was just .. boring. At least Olivia had spirit - Madelaine has ennui.

2006-07-10 (Kenosha, WI United States) | Helpful Votes: 2 | Rating: 2

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Something About General Sherman We Didn't Know About
Madelaine de Montalia, the former lover of Comte de St. Germain, returns to San Francisco of the 19th Century and finds herself involved with a young army officer named William T. Sherman. They are seperated and, after many adventures in the American West, Madelaine encounters her beau again, in Georgia of all places. I'm somewhat unconvinced that Sherman would have taken a French vampire lady into his bed, but the book is a good read nevertheless.

2005-09-24 | author of Children of Apollo (Houston, Texas USA) | Helpful Votes: 2 | Rating: 4

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GREAT HISTORY
This chronicles Madelaine de Montalia's life during the Civil War. She has an affaire de cour with William Tecumseh Sherman and is present during Shermans' March to the sea. She is writing about American Indian culture, which necessitates her spending time with various tribes. This is a great book with lots of American history. There are some vivid descriptions about San Francisco and California during the era preceding the Civil War. Sherman visits Europe and reunites with Madelaine at the end. A great historical read spanning many years.

2005-08-13 | book lover extraordinaire (Mandeville, LA USA) | Helpful Votes: 2 | Rating: 5

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Madelaine returns....
It is such a pleasure to see Madelaine de Montalia again, and solo this time rather than in counterpoint with le Comte.
She emerges as a unique and complex character all her own, neither Saint-Germain (S-G) in drag, nor Olivia re-born.
Unlike S-G, who appears as a melancholy ex-warrior physician/philosopher/chemist, or feisty Olivia, who would have been in her element running a stud farm (take it as you will), Madelaine is a scholar/anthropologist/archeologist with a burning curiousity about How Things And People Work. This seems to have given her a flexibility and resilience that her seniors either don't quite have, or have lost along the way.
But I did not mean to analyze Madelaine, I meant to review the book.
It reads very quickly, the plot moving along via many entries from Madelaine's journals, differing somewhat from the format of the S-G/Olivia novels. The viewpoint switches between 1st person and 3rd, but the person is always Madelaine. While the story is not quite as deep, dark and heavy as some of the S-G chronicles it is by no means light. The painful and equivocal position of the various tribes, who had their own problems with the United States government, not to mention between their own nations is a factor that most people don't consider. The pathetic bloody aftermath of battle is not lovingly dwelt upon, but it is dealt with unflinchingly. The pain of separation from her beloved and respected friend and lover Tecumsah, all the time knowing there will be the final loss, is a sad note, a quiet undercurrent throughout the entire story.
Ms Yarbro has made her usual good effort at making people real and not dividing them into Good and Evil. An Underground Railroad conductor has a Bad Attitude when it comes to women-any woman. A dedicated, hard-working, abolitionist army nurse has some serious Issues when it comes to skin color, parentage and legitamacy. A Confederate soldier who hates Yankees (and with good reason) is Madelaine's best and most compassionate assistant at French Mill- where ANY wounded soldiers are treated. Even Madelaine is not perfect. She herself makes mistakes, becoming attracted, or 'drawn' as she says, to handsome guys who turn out to be a jerks and or possibly dangerous to her. Madelaine, unlike S-G, however, is more easily able to admit to herself that she was wrong and wonder what was she thinking. She also has the sense to take advice and to get outta Dodge BEFORE the shooting starts...at least some of the time. You can't do that TOO often (or where's the conflict in the story?) but it IS nice to have a heroine who is not stupid.
I like her. I hope there are more books about her.
I read that Ms. Yarbro's publisher thought this book wasn't going to sell as a bound book and she should just sell it via the net. Next time she should just tell her publisher where to get off and to publish the damn book. This lady knows what she is doing.

2005-03-21 | shadodantz (Billings Mt) | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 4

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Not her best work, but readable
This is a perfectly readable novel, if you weren't expecting anything extraordinary. If you've been following the entire St. Germain series, you'll want this for the sake of completeness. And if you are already a fan of historical vampire romance, then this is a pleasant book of that kind. Particularly if you are a fan of the American Civil War, the historical aspects of this will interest you. But if you are looking for *very* vampire, this isn't it. It isn't as clever or as detailed as the St. Germain books.

This one features Madelaine de Montalia, whom we first met in Hotel Transylvania, and who has appeared in a few of the other St. Germain books.

Let's look at it from the several different genres it might fit into. It's weakest as a vampire novel, only middling as a romance, interesting as a historical. From the vampire aspect, it follows the St. Germain pattern, of course: vampires are long-lived, can be killed by severing the spinal cord or by fire, are stronger than normal but don't have "supernatural" powers as such - no fading into smoke, turning invisible, etc. For the most part, vampires are (a) rare, and (b) good guys, in Yarbro's universe. They don't necessarily drink blood itself; they absorb a life essence from shared sexual passion, although they *can* drink blood when necessary. So Yarbro's books in general, and this one in particular, do not fall into the evil, brooding blood-sucker vampire pattern. In this book in particular, one might almost not even notice that Madelaine is a vampire - the only aspect of her vampirism that's important to the story is her age. Even when she and Sherman are making love, it's not really important that she's a vampire.

From the romance side of things, certainly an affair with William T. Sherman is a fairly novel idea. Sherman is not, however, as well drawn as we might like - we don't get nearly enough of an idea of him as a person. What we do get a lot of, more than I personally needed, is his agonizing "I can't leave my wife, but I can't resist you; woe is me!" stuff - over, and over, year in and year out. Conflicted is a character trait that can be interesting, but it isn't, particularly, here. Your tastes may vary, however.

As a historical, that's where we get some of Yarbro's best efforts in this book. Not as good as her best, but that may just be because I am less interested in recent history than in ancient history; in the novels that take place before the industrial revolution, more of the cultural aspects are strange to me, and there's more new detail to find interesting. In the 19th century USA, there's not as much new to learn. But again, your opinion may vary, particularly if you like the era. Apart from our glimpses of Sherman's maneuvering, the most important things happening here are the lives of the Native Americans, and nursing/medical practice during the war, including a lot of herbal medicine. I don't know enough about Native American history to judge the accuracy of some of these things; we don't get too much of a look in depth at any one particular culture. Madelaine bounces from tribe to tribe, and I personally would have liked to see more detail about some of them. Oh, and we do get an awful lot of details about Madelaine's clothing, which I wasn't very interested in - but some people are fans of historical costume, and certainly the romance readers should enjoy the descriptions of the gowns.

Most readers will know already how the war ends, no surprises there. That, it seems to me, is also a result of it being from a period that most of us already know something about. Novels set in 10th century Poland or other exotic locales can hold many more surprises for us; we don't know ahead of time how they end.

Overall? Lighter weight than we've come to expect from the St. Germain series, but an OK read if you set your expectations down at "ordinary 300-page historical romance."

2005-01-12 | bunrab@bunrab.net (MD, United States) | Helpful Votes: 4 | Rating: 3

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Better in the Dark: A Novel of Count Saint-Germain

Description

Here at last is a long-hinted-at chapter in the undead existence of the immortal Count Saint-Germain: the story of Ranegonda of Saxony, one of the three great loves of Saint-Germian's life.

937 A.D. The Saxon fortress of Leosan is under the almost unheard-of rule of a woman. The Gerefa of the fortress has become a monk, leaving his sister, Ranegonda, to rule in his name as best she can--and to deal with his embittered, headstrong wife as well. Into this tense and dire situation comes Saint-Germain. Shipwrecked on the Baltic shore, near the true death, he is found by Ranegonda, whom he will come to love for the gift of blood she gives him, and for her own indomitable spirit.

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Here at last is a long-hinted-at chapter in the undead existence of the immortal Count Saint-Germain: the story of Ranegonda of Saxony, one of the three great loves of Saint-Germain's life.

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Customer Reviews

Excellent Historical Writing
Good story with a well-crafted plot which I found more impacting as a representative of the historical genre than as a preternatural tale. The author has an uncanny ability to recreate a previous era in a multi-faceted way that truly brings the past into the present. I've never read other volumes in this series but can attest to the fact that this one, set in the so-called "Dark Ages" during a time of Viking incursions into feudal Europe, was an enjoyable, cerebral read.

2006-05-21 (Under Your Skin) | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 4

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Better, Indeed
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!

2004-06-26 | lizziewriter (In Transition, NY (watch this space)) | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 5

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Saint-Germain in the 10th Century
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.

2003-07-28 (IL, USA) | Helpful Votes: 1 | Rating: 5

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Eighth in the Saint-Germain series.
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.

2003-04-28 (Bellefontaine Neighbors, Mo. USA) | Helpful Votes: 3 | Rating: 5

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Grabs you by the throat before you know what's happened
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.

2001-07-30 (Williamsburg, VA United States) | Helpful Votes: 11 | Rating: 5

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Mansions of Darkness: A Novel of the Count Saint-Germain (St. Germain)

Description

Ambitious in its scope and provocative in its content, the saga of Count Saint-Germain is a monumental feat of the imagination. Chelsea Quinn Yarbro's powerful and evocative novels have captured Saint-Germain throughout his long existence, from the temples of ancient Eygpt to our present century.

Now the count's endless travels bring him to seventeenth-century Peru, where he finds solace for his loneliness in the arms of an Incan priestess. But mighty Spain has conquered the Incan people--and brought the dreaded attention of the Holy Inquisition to the New World.

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Customer Reviews

Germain
Why would anyone want to read this garbage?
Do the world a favour and stick copies on the bonfire this Autumn.

2007-09-06 | smartgenes | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 1

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Great Storytelling
My exposure to Chelsea Quinn Yarbro was accidental. I saw one of her books and was attracted by the title, enough to open the cover and read more. I was intrugued by the main character, le Comte de St. Germain, as he is sometimes known. A mercurial figure indeed. I was also familiar with a certain sect devoted to St. Germain who believe he has lived in many different eras. This is not something Ms. Yarbro made up. The books can be still found in "esoteric" book stores (as few as there are) and are usually green paperbacks with purple ink and the text is, well, boring.

Not so Ms. Yarbro. This novel, and I have not read very many, set in 17th Century Peru during the conquista, is alive and fresh. The historical perspective she gives is fantastic and I feel myself transported back in time. Yje characters are unique and develop well with the story, even the Conte de St. Germain, who even though endowed with some awesome supernatural powers, does not serve as an excute to cop out on the plot. It was a satisfying experience for me.

2004-12-20 (New York, NY USA) | Helpful Votes: 1 | Rating: 5

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Ninth in the Saint-Germain series.
Or tenth, if you count "Out of the House of Life", which is primarily a spinoff novel about Madeline de Montalia, but which does include some of Saint-Germain's early history.

Or thirteenth, if you count "A Flame In Byzantium", "Crusader's Torch", and "A Candle for d'Artagnan", the spinoff series about Olivia Atta Clemens.

This book, set in 17th century Peru and Mexico, details what was happening to Saint-Germain while Olivia was experiencing the events in "A Candle for d'Artagnan". It is one of the best of a very good series; as usual, Yarbro's historical research is excellent, and her characters (with the exception of Roger, who seems somewhat lacking in the personality department; what does this guy do for fun? Thirteen books and counting, and I have no idea) come alive, even if I did find Saint-Germain's willingness to turn the other cheek after Dona Azul had Oaxetli poisoned somewhat out of character.

For those unfamiliar with the series, the Saint-Germain series is a series of historical horror novels in which the hero (and he IS a hero, not a villain or even an antihero as is so common in vampire fiction) is a 4000 year old vampire. The vampiric aspects are very subdued; he needs blood to maintain his strength, which is formidable, and is susceptible to running water and sunlight, but both of these weaknesses are significantly less pronounced than in much vampiric fiction. As long as he is wearing shoes with some of his native earth in the heels and soles, he can mostly ignore them; even without, he hardly bursts into flame when exposed to sunlight; in this book, he is crucified for two days in the Mexican summer, and while seriously injured, he survives (no spoiler, considering that several of the previously written books are set in later time periods). Basically, without his protective shoes, he sunburns extremely easily and extremely severely. The books are well-written, and even the worst of them so far have been well worth the read.

2003-02-21 (Bellefontaine Neighbors, Mo. USA) | Helpful Votes: 4 | Rating: 5

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Chelsea Quinn Yarbro
I have read just about all of of Ms.Yarbro's books and especially love the St. Germaine character. She peaks your interest in his advertures and love life. The book was slow in starting but immediately became a cannot stop reading one. I have been reading Ms.Yarbro's books for years and had lost a contact in purchasing them. Thank Goodness for Amazon and the internet. I have now completed my set of the St. Germaine chronicles as you will.I think anyone who starts reading her books will become a fan as I am.

Sincerely,

Norma

2001-07-01 (Birmingham, Al. USA) | Helpful Votes: 1 | Rating: 4

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A well-paced must-read with something to please everyone!
Alright, I have to admit it, if a vampire is in a book, I simply must read the book. I've read all sorts of vampire-literature -- from books with grammatical errors and no plot to speak of to, well, Yarbro's novels. Yarbro's novels are top-notch and although classified as "horror," the horror actually stems from our realization that a vampire could have more humanity within him than most "mortals" do. Yarbro's novels include something to satisfy everyone: a well-researched historical setting (I learned more history from Yarbro's novels than I ever learned in school -- sorry Mrs. O'Keefe!), a heart-wrenching romance, plenty of action between a hero and lots of of nasty folks, and, my personal favorite, a passionate and dashingly handsome vampire! Yarbro's writing style is intelligent and, in just the perfect spots, very suspenseful (and, hey, no grammatical errors)! A word of warning is in order: once you've read one of Yarbro's books you'll be eagerly awaiting her future releases (thank goodness Amazon.com Books has electronic notification of new releases, huh?). A novel that you will keep you thinking long after you finish the book!

1997-01-07 | Helpful Votes: 10 | Rating: 5

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

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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