Blood Games

Chelsea Quinn Yarbro's extremely civilized, debonair vampire protagonist Comte de Saint-Germain appears in "Blood Games" as Ragoczy Sanct' Germain Franciscus, an import/shipping magnate living in the Rome of Emperor Nero. As a matter of fact, the year before this story begins, in 64 AD, a mammoth fire raged through Rome for nine days, destroying two-thirds of the city. Although Nero was at the coastal resort of Antium when the fire broke out, (yes, this is the one where he supposedly played his fiddle...actually it was a lyre!), the conflagration and subsequent destruction were to his advantage. One of Nero's more ambitious plans was to tear down a third of Rome so that he could build an elaborate series of palaces that would be known as Neropolis. The senate, however, objected to this proposal. History has put the blame for the fire on Nero - but no one knows to this day how it started. Anyway...back to "Blood Games," and Rome in 65 AD is busy rebuilding after the disaster. Nero, who began his reign with such promise is showing signs of madness in the extreme. During this period a series of treason laws were put to deadly use against anyone considered a threat. These laws are to have devastating consequences for Sanct' Germain and those he holds dear. The back-stabbing, political and literal, has not changed since the days when Julius Caesar said. "Et tu, Brutus?" Our protagonist manages to maneuver through the dangers of life in the Big City, surviving seven emperors in as many years, by being politically savvy and above reproach in his business and social dealings. All this changes when he meets and begins to love Atta Olivia Clemens, the wife of the powerful and corrupt Senator Cornelius Justus Silius. The senator delights in degrading and debasing his wife and there is little Sanct' Germain can do to improve her situation without giving himself away as a vampire with preternatural powers. Sanct' Germain/Ragoczy will bring Olivia into her Unlife during Roman Emperor Vespasian's reign (c.72). She is a recurring character throughout this series. Roger, a former bondsman from Gades, (Cádiz, Spain), is resurrected by Sanct' Germain in 71 AD and is introduced here also. He is another recurring character and serves as Saint-Germain's valet and close friend in future books. A fascinating subplot involves three of Ragoczy's "slaves:" Aumtehoutep, a Ghoul and former novice of Thoth whom the vampire brought back from near death during the reign of Rameses II; Tishtry an Armenian woman, champion charioteer and horse trainer who volunteers her blood and love; and Kosrozd, formerly a Persian prince, now a renowned charioteer who wins great sums of money for Sanct' Germain. As a result of their roles in the novel, much of the narrative is set in the Circus' Maximus and Flavian, providing terrific action and excitement. "Blood Games" is the third book published in the series. I believe there are 16 Saint-Germain novels with a 17th due out soon. I be

After having been alive for two thousand years, Sanct' Germain finds himself in Rome, at the time of Emperor Nero. In the 7 years that follow, during political and social turmoil, Sanct' Germain meets Atta Olivia Clemens, who is suffering unspeakable torture at the hands of her husband. Together, they save each other through their shared love.Truly, this book was incredibly well researched. Every detail of life in Rome at that time was impeccable - from the vivid descriptions of arena games, to the imperial plots and political backstabbing, it felt as if I was actually there. I also very much enjoyed the way Yarbro portrayed vampires in her novel. Sanct' Germain was different. He was able to go out in sunlight and cross running water, as long as he took some precautions beforehand. It was also interesting to discover the way he made other vampires... it wasn't what I was expecting. I was fascinated by the way each chapter began with a letter. It gave me a lot more insight into Roman culture than I otherwise could have obtained from just reading the chapters themselves. At times, I found that I looked forward to the letter to come more than the chapter itself!The writing style flowed beautifully. I was especially amazed by how the dialogue sounded so true. Each time a character spoke it made me feel as if I was listening to a Roman citizen speaking. The story line was fascinating. I found the book an incredible page-turner, and the plot progressed smoothly throughout the novel. I couldn't wait to see what would happen next.As far as characters go, I really liked Olivia. She had to endure so much at the hands of her husband, and I was in awe of how she was able to handle it as well as she did. She took strength from Sanct' Germain, and managed to continue on, no matter how hard it was for her. I admired the way she lived for those stolen moments, when it could have been so easy for her to give in and perhaps take her own life. I also really liked Sanct' Germain. He was so compassionate, and caring, and strong... admirable qualities in any century. Tishtry was another character I admired. She was very confident in her abilities, and herself. Even though she was a slave, she had a self-respect few people have. Justus, Olivia's husband, was a character I loved to hate. My breathing came just a little faster each time a chapter focused on him. I didn't know what to expect. It's been a long time since I've felt such complete loathing for a literary character.I found myself thinking about the memorable themes in this novel: mainly, the cruelties of men in the name of power and entertainment. Betrayal, and the way people can mask their evil nature were also major themes. The "unnatural creature" turned out to be much kinder and compassionate than a highly regarded Roman Senator. Overall, a definite must-read for any historical fiction, or vampire fan.

Though this is not the first in the series, this is a good introduction to Chelsea Quinn Yarbro's great creation, the Comte de Saint-Germain, a noble, a man of righteousness, and - oh, yes - a vampire who has lived, at the time of this tale, for several thousand years.I had not read any of Yarbro's tales of Saint-Germain for quite a while and it is a pleasure to come back to them. These stories are a worthy alternative to Anne Rice's tales of Lestat, Louis, Armand, and all the other denizens of her dark world. The world of Saint-Germain is much lighter by comparison, and also contains far more action and intrigue than any of Rice's works (with the possible exception of "The Queen of the Damned"). This does not mean I dislike Rice's books. Quite the contrary, in fact - but Yarbro paints a far less shadowy world than Rice does.Here we meet one of the great loves of Saint-Germain's long life - Atta Olivia Clemens. She has been horribly abused by her husband, a Senator of the Roman Empire around the time of Nero. To call him a pervert is to make light of his atrocities; in addition he has political ambitions that are almost as sickening as his sexual ones. It is this man, Cornelius Justus Silius, who is Saint-Germain's adversary in this novel, although the two of them do not actually do battle in any true sense of the word - and it is their actions against each other, and events related to those actions, which make up the core of this book.Along the way Yarbro has much to teach us about vampire lore. There is no mention of the use of a cross - but then again, this novel takes place at the time of Nero, and the Christians were just beginning to make themselves noticed at this time. If Yarbro is correct, vampires are apparently more resilient than both Anne Rice and Bela Lugosi would have us believe. They can live in sunlight, provided they are insulated in some manner by their native earth. In the same manner, they can cross running water - something I did not know affected vampires until I read it here. And they can create others of their kind, but not just in the way that Rice describes (I leave it to you to read this book to discover how).At various points in this story there is also mention of Saint-Germain's past. Some are just vague (but intriguing) hints; others are more explicit. There is also some mention of his birthplace, and I would definitely like to know more about that particular part of the Comte de Saint-Germain. He is such a fascinating individual that I will definitely be buying more of Yarbro's tales, to learn more about this worthy vampire and the worlds (plural intended) he lives in.

Blood Games is set in Nero's Rome, in the 817th Year of the City. (about 60 C.E.) The book is the third one written in the series; it is one of the earliest in terms of historical chronology. Despite being the third one written, it is a good one to start with if one is first starting the whole series, because this is the book in which St. Germain acquires his bondsman, Roger, who will be a continuing character in the series. The spectacles at the Circus Maximus form a large part of the book, along with the corruption of Roman politics. The book is well titled; there is a great deal of blood and violence both in and out of the arena. Atta Olivia Clemens is the wife of Senator Cornelius Justus Silius, one of the most corrupt and perverse of the Romans. St. Germain rescues her from his cruelties through bringing her "to his life," that is, turning her into a vampire also. Olivia will be a continuing character in the series for another millenium and a half. An epilogue set in the 855th Year of the City gives perspective, and establishes the pattern of letters between Olivia and St. Germain which is used in future books of the series to set the scene and bring us up to date.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

I had never considered reading a vampire novel until I stumbled across "Blood Games" while searching for novels on ancient Rome. St. Germain's dangerous yet compellingly compassionate character completely drew me into the story and I've since been reading my way through the rest of his history. Ancient Rome's excesses and casual disregard for human life is sharply contrasted with the vampire's compassion and loyalty to the people around him. His essential "humanity" is shown most in his relationship to Olivia, the horrifically abused wife of the villian, who becomes one of the enduring loves of his life. If you've never before considered reading a vampire novel you'll change your mind once you've met St. Germain.