Vampire a Hunger Like Fire (1)

I'm really glad to write a good review for this book. I started reading thinking that it would be like another clan novel, bland, chock full of stuff I didn't quite understand and about as fun to read as playing in mud. I was happily mistaken! I've never played Requiem, and I have limited knowledge of Masquerade, but I was able to enjoy this book regardless. The main attraction was the characters, although the plot as quite good as well. The characters were all fleshed out, I felt as though they could be actual people (or vampires, actually). They were all interesting, not the cliche vampires you'd see in a novel like Twilight. This book was the only World of Darkness book I've ever read that I couldn't put down. I highly recommend it, not only for gamers but for any fans of vampires that aren't `pretty' (yes, Twilight fans, I'm talking to you. ;D ).

It is difficult to write good RPG fiction (I've got a shelf of Magic novels that attests to this): the author needs to showcase various elements of the RPG, including not just characters and locations but also different powers that the player characters can use. The author has to create interesting conflict and resolutions that nevertheless won't change the setting from the way it is sold to players. Greg Stolze took these limitations in stride and crafted a tale I simply could not put down. The game system in this case is Vampire: the Requiem, the Chicago setting, which has certainly benefited from game fiction. Stolze has made the setting come alive for the players, subtly weaving in important game elements while maintaining a smooth narrative flow. The characters are much more complex than you normally see in game fiction, with both pro- and antagonists eliciting sympathy and revulsion. I greatly enjoyed reading A HUNGER LIKE FIRE and dreaded the final pages, because I would be done. Fortunately, Greg Stolze has also written A MARRIAGE OF VIRTUE AND VICIOUSNESS, so if you find yourself sucked into Greg's world, you at least have another fix coming your way.

I am an avid reader of macabre literature but I had never read a Vampire novel before this one. I saw the cover and decided to give it a try. I am very happy I did. The story and characters were captivating. I am only casually familiar with the Vampire RPGs and found the entire underworld of the vampires very interesting, new and original. I will be a regular Vampire novel reader from now on.

Other than the miniscule font, this was a great read. I like that the fiction has returned to accompany the RPG. Being an avid fan of the previous White Wolf system in my youth, I was a little disappointed that the whole system was being redone. I picked up this novel to test the waters, as I have often liked the fiction. I felt that the author was a great choice for the gritty feel of the subject matter. I am looking forward to reading the second and especially the third book by the same author.

First and foremost, A Hunger Like Fire is a fantastic novel! The writing portrays each character very well and provides just enough information so that the reader can inhabit the world without drowning in rpg-speak. Every main character is very well drawn out, as are most of the peripheral characters. Stolze is quite adept at storytelling and his use of first person and change of POV seems neither contrived nor forced. I got a very good sense of each individual character. The story is pure World of Darkness. Mood is everything and this book is dark and creepy. You get a very good sense of the pain Bruise feels after he drains a human and is left with the aftermath. Persephone is a hoot, but you also get the feeling at novel's end that she may have bitten off more than she can chew, so to speak. Solomon is a monster, pure and simple, yet truly does care for his best friend, Prince Maxwell, even as he plots the man's downfall. Religious zealotry must be fun to write! The rest of the characters, from Loki, to Bella to Scratch, are all well plotted. Most have little to do with advancing the story, but their inclusion adds to the world we are just now begining to explore through fiction...and does so gracefully and thoughtfully. Five stars to Greg Stolze for this wonderful novel. The typeface was somewaht difficult to deal with at first, but became inconsequential once the story drew me in (almost immediately). The cover art is awesome. I'm glad to have the chance to be with this new World of Darkness from the beginning and Greg Stolze has certainly set the bar high for future writers.