Additional Reviews Coming in late March 2010
A Dangerous Climate
By Chelsea Quinn Yarbro
Nothing beats a good book by a favorite author, and it was a privilege to sit once again with an anticipated novel and enjoy every page. This story is all about roleplay and deception, with the vampire hero Saint-Germain in disguise, posing as a diplomat who has gone missing at a time when he is needed. The count has been asked by the King of Poland to escort the missing man's wife on a spying mission in the newly rising Saint Petersburg of the early 18th century. He must convince Peter the Great and everybody he meets in the developing city--including many foreigners, unlike the Count's usual "stranger in a strange land" situation--that he is a nobleman named Arpad Arco-Tolvay. Naturally the long-lived vampire has the assistance of his ghoul servant/companion Roger, but he must adapt unusually colorful dress and manners which are not normal for him such as participating in grand events hosted by Peter the Great. He must also be cautious in his habits or risk discovery not only of his true nature but of the deception he and his Polish spy pseudo-wife Zozia are perpetrating. Early in the story he is set upon by a gang and severly beaten; he is taken to a makeshift infirmary, and when he recovers he helps his benefactor Ludmilla establish a better facility for the wounded and dying workers who succumb to the treacherous work of building the city in unbearable conditions. Then somebody comes into the city who is also in disguise--claiming to be Saint-Germain himself.
As always, Yarbro establishes the reader in a period of great historical growth, change and horror, and the entire novel is engaging with rich details and characters who are emotionally involving and serve as integral parts of the whole. Fans of the series will enjoy it as I did, and new readers will be tempted to see more of the catalog. I squeezed seconds out of my life to read this book, in the middle of one of my most hectic schedules in quite awhile, and it was worth every one. Shining Star
Twilight/Eclipse/New Moon/Breaking Dawn
By Stephenie Meyer
While waiting for some of my favorite authors to come out with new material, I took a chance on Stephenie Meyer and immediately got hooked. So I spent the summer engrossed in the story of Isabella Swan, a high school student recently transplanted to the dark and rainy town of Forks, Washington. Wise beyond her years, bored to tears with the changes in her life and burdened by the clumsiness that makes her overly self conscious, she encounters an amazingly handsome boy in her class whose mysterious behavior peaks her interest. It turns out Edward Cullen is a vampire, and he and his adopted kin (two "sisters" and a "brother," all fellow vampires) are also enduring the inconveniences of high school life, because they look like teens even though they are considerably older. Edward and Bella wind up drawn dangerously close to each other in a relationship that defies its own impossibility. As the stories continue, Bella becomes involved with a group of shape-shifters, struggles to avoid being killed by a vengeful vampire who blames her for the loss of her mate, gets involved in a supernatural battle and deals with her ultimate decision to become a vampire herself and that effect on her mortal and immortal families.
It's easy to compare this YA/Adult crossover series to the Harry Potter franchise because of the widespread popularity of these four books among all age groups and the coming release of the first book as a movie. Like Rowling's wonderful tales, the storylines here have enough punch to be exciting without being either overly gory on one hand or prudish on the other. The author, a first timer to novel writing, has gone on to create a box set of classics here, with each worthy of standing on its own. Readers enjoy the experience, and writers aspire to be as fortunate to bring such a vivid idea to life.
The last book in the series has been criticized by some as not being true to what the expected outcome of Bella's relationship to Edward would be, and admittedly I was a little surprised by the turn in events as well. However, it being the author's vision of the story's outcome, I read with this thought in mind, and found no reason to cast blame or make a negative comment. If Ms. Meyer wants to do offshoot novels about these characters, I would definitely participate. Visible Star
Ron Jeremy: The Hardest (Working) Man in Showbiz
By Ron Jeremy with Eric Spitznagel
Harper Collins
Since I reviewed the film and DVD of Ron Jeremy's hit movie about his life (on the old website, long since gone), I couldn't resist including a review here of his autobiographical book which is now available at your local bookseller. First allow me to provide some quick backstory about this whole affair: back in 1978 I picked up an issue of Playgirl magazine, and had the privilege of seeing a photo of one of its "guys next door" in the October issue, who went on to become the quasi-talented mainstream/adult film star of today. When I saw this book at the store, I said what the heck and plunked down my money for something different to read. He's a lovable guy, what can I say.
This is a real eye-opener story about life, sex and cinema, told intelligently and with a sense of humor. This is a fellow who has been blessed with brains, humanity and (it just so happens) ample genitalia. Readers are provided with insight from a man's point of view into the strange and ever changing adult film industry, actors and rock stars, laws and libidinousness and all the good and bad that go with them. I haven't experienced such a fast, enlightening and funny read in years.
I must warn you that sex is discussed frankly and in detail, but it's to be expected when you're reading the story of an actor who has had sex 4,000 (and counting) times, never drinks or takes drugs and still stays healthy. There are pictures in black and white and color, and included are some great sex advice tips for folks who want to hear from an expert not Dr. Ruth. You probably won't find this book in your library, but with all the books about women in the adult industry, it was refreshing to hear from an intelligent guy for a change. Shining Star
Roman Dusk
By Chelsea Quinn Yarbro
Reading a good book from a favorite author is not something to be rushed, and neither is a review. Having covered Yarbro's books on this page for years (and probably being considered the slowest reviewer in history), the honor remains a high point in this writer's limited free time, and every minute spent reading and thinking about this story was enjoyable.
It's easy to be wary as a reader when one locale in a series appears in more than one book, but in this case being in Rome during the third century serves not only as a reference point for fans of the eternal humanitarian Saint-Germain, but to provide a sense of the true changes in time and place. When the protagonist is a vampire, everywhere in the world is home, but it is important to cover one's tracks and be certain the entire generation who might have known you has disappeared so the return will be unremarkable. Naturally the exiled count and his ghoul servant/companion Roger find themselves living in a place much changed, especially since the old gods have been on the way out of favor, replaced by several Christian sects battling for power as the Emperor Heliogabalus takes a position of false supremacy (being too young and brash to be of use, his mother and grandmother act as the secret manipulators of the government, such as it is). Taxation and rules governing foreigners--and everybody else--are harsh and manipulated by the whims of the workers, who bribe and cheat to pad their own pockets. The enemy in the story is an ambitious tax collector named Telemachus Batsho, who is jealous of wealthy foreigners and folks who have more than he; fortunately every attempt he makes to cheat is met with Saint-Germain's own skill at playing the political and social games needed to survive in a corrupt society, and Batsho isn't happy to be losing his chances at fame and misbegotten fortune, so he sets out to discredit his adversary.
Along the way, people around the count (this time known as Ragoczy Germanius Sanct' Franciscus) are affected by greed of both the political and religious varieties. A courtesan and a young woman caring for her dying mother are in peril as false charges are leveled and friends are forced, for their own protection, to be wary. The count's skills as a physician enable him to move somewhat freely and offer them assistance at first, but the daughter must deal with a fanatical brother whose Christian practices and idealisms add to the intrigue brought about by Batsho. A fire brings everything in the story to a peak as the truth is revealed about who the real instigators are among them.
An historic novel of this caliber, filled with scenery that paints the reader's senses, sensuality and action to set emotions reeling and characters that seem as real as the places in which the action takes place, are all essential elements that are captured flawlessly in this story. Again, the book is conveniently compacted into a size deemed fit to the publisher, but Yarbro makes it easy to read more into each line than what appears on the page, and thankfully there is more to come in 2007. Whether the reader is an old fan of the series or a first timer, fill that space in your bookshelf and schedule with this installment. Another wonderful adventure worthy of a Visible Star.
The DaVinci Code
By Dan Brown
(Quickie Review)
I didn't bother trying to see the movie first, because I knew it would color my appreciation for the book. This is one novel that has been critiqued every way to Saturday, and nothing I could add would change the way it's viewed by readers. However, being somebody of a fairly open mind about all matters religious, I must say I was not surprised by some of the revelations in the book about our "whisper down the lane" treatment of our history in terms of faith. I've always known, or at least suspected, that the majority of us are manipulated and lied to by a powerful minority, so by linking that to my fascination with DaVinci (I visited the Metropolitan Museum of Art to see the DaVinci exhibit for a college paper a few years ago: got a B), and it was a great reading experience. I will see the movie when it comes to DVD, though I've always been partial to books because the good ones like this are much more fulfilling. Visible Star
States of Grace
By Chelsea Quinn Yarbro
TOR Books
Modern novels, like their early historical counterparts, have gone through some changes in recent years. Some authors are being encouraged to write 700-page behemoths, but other publishers are cutting back and telling their writers to hack and chop away at what could be a lengthy but viable hit story. When an author has a story that intrigues me, I like to be able to pick up a thick story and spend weeks enjoying it word for word. However, I find just as much joy in reading a book of only 300 pages by the same author when they consistently deliver. Chelsea Quinn Yarbro delivers every time; I'm sad, though, because I've just devoured States of Grace at a trim 332 pages, and now have to wait a year for the next installment.
Being a regular reader of her stories, which can run around 400 pages (or more) depending on the time period, I find that after the last story (reviewed below), this was a trim but tight and enjoyable adventure, well detailed without lacking in scope or emotional involvement. Fans of the series and new readers will enjoy this novel.
The story places the heroic and humanitarian vampire Saint-Germain in Italy (a locale last visited in the second novel of the series, The Palace) during the Reformation in the mid-sixteenth century. As always, in the past and present, religion and freedom are in another period of upheaval, with the Catholic Church and Martin Luther, among others, battling over how to worship the Almighty and, with the expanding industry of book publishing in the world, how to write about such a touchy topic. As a well-traveled arts patron with centuries of knowledge behind him, Saint-Germain goes into the book business with printing presses in Venice and abroad, and has taken in a musician, Pier-Ariana Salier, whom he hopes to help further her talent. As usual, being a rich foreigner--and an exile, new to the neighborhood--brings the usual hounding by spies and the constant threat of being accused of wrongdoing whenever there is an opportunity. The count and his manservant/companion Roger are eventually called away to deal with the Inquisition, who smell heresy in the purest of air. While he is away, a well-crafted embezzlement scheme manages to work its evil purpose, sending Pier-Ariana into an unexpected situation that threatens her future. A nasty spy named Basilio dogs Saint-German's movements as he seeks to unmask the true nature of his prey, and forces our hero to answer for some mysterious events over which he had no control.
As always, the details in the story reveal much, this time about how the concept of free speech hasn't changed over the centuries, especially in terms of who controls what is said or written. There is passion, violence and intrigue, told narratively and through letters, flowing together with the smoothness only an accomplished storyteller could craft. I would've welcomed another 300 pages of this story, but it's a keeper for every word, and a marvelous seasonal distraction for anybody who likes history, horror, romance or all of the above. Shining Star
The Historian
By Elizabeth Kostova
This book was a marathon read for me, having borrowed it from the library where there is a two-week deadline for new books. That meant reading over 60 pages a day when I only had about half an hour to myself to accomplish it. I did it, though it was a difficult task. This book is a finely tuned and detailed story combining elements of history and mystery together in a kind of Stoker stew, sticking to some of the small stuff about Dracula and bringing his Undeadness into modern times. Ms. Kostova obviously did her homework, and the story's 700 pages proves she can write about something this big in a way that draws readers in. This novel reportedly was fought over by several publishers and ultimately made her the latest big money new novelist of this era. The money was well spent.
The story is tight and engaging, much like a Michener novel in terms of bringing the reader into the tale of a young woman and her family and friends setting to the task of tracking down Dracula himself. No cape wearing count here, this is the real Vlad Tepes--known to history as the Impaler--who transcended death through vampirism. Through Kostova's descriptions, being an historian is sort of a scholarly cross between a librarian and a CSI or archeologist, digging up clues in old books and antique pieces of junk to find their prey before he converts everybody to undeath. Don't expect the head vamp himself to appear until nearly the end, but his presence one step ahead of the group makes him part of every chapter. There is plenty of action and cliff-hanging chapter endings. Readers of the Stoker novel will wink and nod at references that one may have forgotten over the years. The end of the book itself, as I've noticed a lot lately in many books, was almost anticipated, but it was a great transitional book for summer reading, even if it was too big for lugging to the beach. As a big vampire book reader, I'm giving it a Visible Star.
Dark of the Sun
By Chelsea Quinn Yarbro
TOR Books
Patience and determination do bring rewards, in life as well as reading. In this latest book in a series about the long-lived exiled vampire count Saint-Germain, a new reader may feel it would be an advantage to have read the previous books, but it's never a requirement. Instead, one would be compelled to learn more after being introduced to a character who has thrilled readers for over a quarter century. As in the previous books, this is a rich story filled with historical details, and for fans of the stories, some long-asked questions are answered and secrets revealed. Every word in the past novels has been a gem, and this book is no exception.
This story begins just before the eruption of the infamous volcano Krakatoa.* Research has it that this event in 535 A.D. or so was the cause of widespread disaster, including eco-system damage, disease and famine. In many places the actual cause of these events was unknown because news traveled slowly and often unreliably. Many people believed it was the end of the world at hand, and conditions threatened to wipe out humanity, with food and resources becoming scarce and desperation growing.
Place in this setting a vampire and his companion Roger, a ghoul, who are already far away from their native lands, and the story is set for an adventure that is filled with peril. The two are sent on a mission from China, but their original plans must be scrapped because a ship in the count's fleet is lost at sea and everything normal about daily life is changed in the turmoil surrounding the far-off disaster, with rains of volcanic ash and no warm weather in sight. Without giving too much away, in the course of the story there is theft, starvation, violence with nasty weapons of all kinds, human sacrifice (both humanitarian and ritualistic) and more to threaten the survival of everybody, mortal and immortal. For Saint-Germain, a night dweller who depends on fresh supplies of his native earth as well as blood to endure the daylight--even if the natural sunlight is blocked by an atmosphere polluted by volcanic smoke--when security and sustenance run low, it becomes necessary to return home to Transylvania to either be restored or die in the land of his birth.
The journey is slow and increasingly desperate and painful, and Saint-Germain and Roger are besieged by prejudices and cruelty of all kinds. They meet and help several people in their quest to reach the Carpathians, including a female shaman named Dukkai, but a shocking turn of events makes their situation even more dire than ever before.
The novel, as a read, proceeds at an even pace and gains momentum as the journey continues to what I found to be one of the most bittersweet and satisfying endings in the series. Again, Ms. Yarbro has written a winner, and I wonder what wonderful stories are ahead. Shining StarBack to Top
*(A sidebar factoid or two for the curious: the volcano's actual name, according to recent historical publications, was Krakatao. Despite a movie title to the contrary, it was located West of Java, not East).
R is for Ricochet
By Sue Grafton
The latest book in a long running series of alphabet mysteries has the intrepid detective Kinsey Milhone on a job watching a women freshly released from jail. Instead of the young investigator going off on her own tangents and poking her head into the mystery alone, Grafton has her top notch character playing witness to another person's reckless way of solving some problems of money laundering and offshore banking (and a murder later on) that endangers her charge's parole. There isn't as much action for Kinsey in this outing, but she does manage to help her landlord through a relationship problem and finds one for herself as well, all while pigging out on McDonald's food and enduring abuse from Rosie the restaurant owner who dishes out advice that more than makes up for her changing tastes in the food she serves.
This is a transitional story in the series, and I'm looking forward to more action on Kinsey's side in the next volume, which I'm guessing will be "S is for Suspect" or some other similar title. Visible Star
Midnight Harvest
By Chelsea Quinn Yarbro
Readers of this page know I'm limited in my book-reading time, so when I do read I choose those authors whom I've trusted in the past and look forward to an entertaining experience. The first thing I feel compelled to say about this, the 16th book in an ongoing series, is that it's full of surprises, proving that Ms.Yarbro is still pumping fresh ideas into her stories and readers can expect to be captivated by this latest Saint-Germain book. Not only will new readers be absorbed by the idea of a 4,000 year old vampire being perpetually intertwined with human history, but members of the fan readership will find more answers to some lingering issues as well as new adventures concerning the long history of the exiled count and Roger, his ghoul assistant and companion.
This episode returns readers to a a period in world history last covered (partially) in earlier books, Tempting Fate and Writ in Blood, when Europe was slowly nearing world war. Saint-Germain had suffered intense grief and anger after a tragic and senseless murder at the hands of the growing Nazi threat in the former, an found a gratifying relationship with a woman in the latter. He is found to have relocated to Spain this time, and has become the owner of an airplane manufacturing company. The idea of a vampire who gets ill away from dry land working in the field of aviation is antithetical enough, but he insists to the military that he doesn't want his aircrraft outfitted for war. Naturally, with everybody else excited by the prospect of battle, the company is infiltrated by spies and ultimately seized by the authorities. Our hero risks geting arrested and he leaves just before the area falls under martial law. He travels to the United States and winds up in San Francisco and reunited with the aforementioned woman, the artist Rowena Saxon. She had painted his portrait years earlier; he in turn had saved her life from a ruthless villain, helped her relocate and establish herself on her own in the States. Their relationship intensifies agains as she looks back on their earlier affiair as well as the prospect of becoming a vampire herself after death. As an older woman she has a different outlook on her own mortality.
While the two renew their ties, a hired assassin has been sent ot track down Saint-Germain and manipulate an accidental demise for him. In what has become quite a gallery of nasty enemies in the series, Cenere is a cold, domineering notch-kicker on the scale. He is cruel, witty with his words and a literal ladykiller with neither reservations nor conscience. His impending appearance (and inevitable showdown with Saint-Germain) wafts like a vapor of dread on every page. There is also a spate of hate crimes which threaten the wine growers in the region, and the opening of the Golden Gate Bridge brings an opportunity for some mayhem as well.
Yarbro decided to change the normal formula for her stories, with the establishment of time, place and characters before the action begins, and instead offers almost immediate gratifying intimacy and danger within the first pages. It's a pleasant surprise. Overall the story is a solid read and, since the action is in a more recognizable period, it's light on unfamiliar historical data this time around (though I never mind the enriching experience). As always we're treated to stunning emotional imagery and memorable people and events. I did feel some confusion in the time line late in the book, and admit to being a little let down by the ending, but I owe that to my brain being fried by too much over-amped television and summer movie fare (a reminder that not everything has to end with a big-budget bang). Midnight Harvest is another wonderful diversion and a definite keeper on my bookshelf. Visible StarBack to Top
Night Blooming
By Chelsea Quinn Yarbro
2002 Tor Books (Reviewed 02/2003)
This was one vampire book that took quite some time to read. I received it in October 2002 and finished it in February. A change in job, location and hours, not to mention college, can really put a crimp in one's recreational reading. Normally I would devour one of these books in a matter of weeks or even days. I'm happy to say that this story, like its predecessors, is worth the waiting and pauses I had to take while reading it, and I'm glad to recommend it as well as all the books in the series.
Briefly, the long-lived vampire Saint-Germain finds himself at the beck and call of the great (read tall) ruler Charlemagne, who is called Great Karl in the story (among other names). The Count and his companion-cum-manservant, the ghoul Roger, must play the political game and run several regions or fiscs at Karl's request. The little towns are filled with superstititous and pox-ridden villagers who trust nobody but know where their protection comes from. The group must answer collectively to Pope Leo as the pontiff narrowly avoids an assassination attempt, and also try to help a woman suspected of being the anti-Christ.
The woman, Gynethe Mehaut, suffers from bleeding hands, which the Franks and others believe are either signs from above (stigmata) or a trick from below. Of course most people prefer to believe the latter. She is also an albino, so her white skin and reddish eyes (more pink, really) don't help her prove she is harmless, especially in such uncertain times. She sunburns easily, spends most waking hours chanting or praying at the behest of the ever-present religious front, and often tends night-blooming gardens in the convents where she is usually held captive and observed for signs of evildoing. She is as helpless against them as they are powerful enough to consign her to a horrible fate of their choosing. As we read, we know her fate is certain to be an awful one.
Saint-Germain is, as always, compassionate and protective, and eventually he and a more rallied Gynethe Mehaut are sent off to Rome to meet with the Pope, who will determine what will ultimately become of the strange woman. During the journey they encounter bad weather conditions, treachery and a nasty accident or two, which only increases the discomfort among the escorting party and their suspicions that the "White Woman" is behind their misfortunes.
Since they are on the way to Rome, the trio have a rare opportunity to stay with the vampire Olivia Clemens, so fans of the series get the treat of seeing Saint-Germain and his greatest love together again. Olivia has been blessed with her own book series, and appears within the framework of some of the other books as a loving correspondent who sends gently chiding but loving letters to Saint-Germain during his adventures, so it's uplifting to see them reunited. Gynethe Mehaut also enjoys some peace and relaxation for the first time in her life as her hosts spoil her with attention without being judgmental of her afflictions. The warm, fuzzy feeling of seeing old friends in the pages of a book is always welcome. I could've enjoyed another whole chapter of it.
Without giving too much away, this installment is certainly satisfying reading, but Ms.Yarbro's references to other characters whom we haven't met yet leave me anxious to get into their stories as well. It's like anticipating the cake that won't even be baked until next year. The anticipation is a killer; the reward is in knowing there will be more books.
There is a trend in these stories that tends to blast the high and mighty clerics with their ingnorant and self-serving agendas. Also, the women the count meets in his long existence are usually capable of being strong and self-sufficient, but sometimes they are blocked by ignorance, guilt or just a lack of understanding of their own complexities or their place in the world. This era is really no different underneath our technology and so-called ethics. But I'm on the wrong page to prattle about that. Pitting a centuries old vampire against the cruelty and bizarre chronology of human history never ceases to be amazing, touching and enjoyable. The bloom isn't even near being off the night-blooming plants when it comes to this series. I don't see any vampire books having the readability of these stories after over two decades, and I'll be glad to see them endure as long as Ms. Yarbro is up to the challenge. Visible Star.
A Feast in Exile
By Chelsea Quinn Yarbro
2001 Tor Books
There are three things I really like about October: Halloween, mild weather, and the next Saint-Germain book by Chelsea Quinn Yarbro, and not in that order. For two decades I've looked forward to a few weeks of willing captivity within the pages of a much-anticipated book, and this series hasn't failed to impress me yet. As a voracious reader of vampire books, I've had experiences with bloodsucking fiction that did a better job of draining my wallet than at entertaining me, so I find solace as soon as the next chapter in Saint-Germain's adventures hits my ready hands.
Those of you who are equally caught up in the series (and newbies as well) will be sure to enjoy this installment, which puts our undead hero, here know as Sanat Ji Mani, in Delhi at the end of the 1400s. He is enjoying relative quiet in a fine home, with his ghoul companion Roger (Rojire here) at his side. As usual, though, no place in that time was immune to attempts at conquest, and Delhi is soon under siege by the tyrannical Mongol Timur-i-Lenkh--known to modern history as Tamerlane--and Sanat Ji Mani manages, as usual, to save everybody else at his own expense before the city is laid waste. He soon finds himself horribly disabled on purpose at the hands of Timur-i, who takes him along on campaign to tend the wounded among the soldiers.
Once Timur-i discovers that his slave/assistant singes in the sun (without knowing the real reason why), he makes a concession that allows Sanat Ji Mani to seek shelter in a covered wagon by day, along with the companionship of a nasty-tempured hirsute woman and her charge, a young acrobat who entertains the troops. An accident separates Sanat Ji Mani and the young woman, Tulsi Kil, from their captors, and they soon find themselves in more trouble when they find a new place to stay but fall victim to a case of mistaken identity.
It's cringe-inducing to read about how people were enslaved, tortured and killed in those times. It's also startling to read about the plight of women, who had few choices when there were no men to answer for them. You'll have a new understanding of how well women have it these days while reading about the debauchery found in the brothels (though some things, especially regarding sex for sale, never seem to change).
As always, it's not unusual to laugh, cry and get truly ticked off all within the course of one of these stories, and Sanat Ji Mani has more than his share of events which will evoke all three while you read. The women in the story, Tulsi and Avasa Dani, both become Sanat Ji Mani's lovers under different circumstances, and ultimately they face the decision of whether or not to come into his life as vampires, and you'll find the outcomes are surprising.
The ending of this story was a bit of a downer, but this is, after all, a series about a vampire who finds the most inhumanity among humanity itself, so it is the people around him who cause the most depressing--and also, the most fulfilling--times of his long life. It's the whole experience that I buy these stories for, and this is another one to add to my library. I hope you'll add it to yours as well. Shining Star.
