Dark Ages Cappadocian: Book 3 of the Dark Ages Clan Novel Saga

It's a shame that Cappadocians disappeared as a clan. As they are pictured here they are pretty interesting dead folks. There are the run of the mill Cappadocians who are contemplative and given to prophecy, the Lamia - guardians and warrior maidens, Giovanni - necromancers and entrepreneurs, and even Lazerene apostates who are seeking the secrets of resurrection. From this motley crew, and a couple of Settites, Andrew Bates weaves another genuinely readable volume in the Dark Ages series. The central characters are Markus Giovanni, whose thirst for artifact has given him a fragment of the Sargon Codex - the piece needed to enable the Lazerenes to translate the whole codex and acquire the powers of creation. Racing against time to stop him is the Cappadocian seeress Constancia, who has seen that if the Lazerenes gain the powers of the codex, all hope for Michael's dream of a culture of vampires will turn to dust. The race is run from Constantinople to a hidden oasis in Egypt, with Constancia just missing Markus at every step of the way. Magic and battle each play a part, and there is far more action in this volume than I have seen in a World of Darkness book in a long time. This is really what I want to find when I read on of these volumes. I understand that the rich detail that bogs down some of the volumes serves to support gamers who are in need of good resources and information. But I'm mostly a reader, and I want a story that keeps all my attention and features my favorite creatures - vampires. Bates does an excellent job with both the story and his characters, who are less theatrical vampires and more like blood-loving intelligent actors in a desperate play. And the addition of companions like Markus's ghouls Falsinore and Beltramose add wry opportunities for a few smiles even as the dark plot unfolds. This is a full fleshed adventure all on it's own, even though it is embedded in a series. Hopefully we will be treated to more such writing as this series begins to pick up speed and momentum.

First of all, I am not a Clan fan; vampire politics just isn't my cup of tea. However, someone pressed me to give the Dark Ages series, particularly the Cappadocian novel, a try. I am familiar with this author's previous work and did enjoy his Year of the Scarab trilogy very much, so I gave the old fogey vampires a chance.Anyone familiar with the World of Darkness knows how intricate and, well, downright dry vampire politics can be-the angling for a better position for one's clan, the kowtowing for fear of retribution, the lengthy verbal quests for information and/or favors, etc. Andrew Bates has a way of not wasting words, and the words he does end up using are carefully chosen; this clean and terse style brings fresh air to the musty wheelings and dealings of the undead. Bates draws a picture and adds shading, but doesn't beat you over the head with cloying details. The story he weaves involves several vampire characters (Markus Giovanni the scholar, the cryptic priestess Constancia, the mad Alexia) that are all out on parallel quests, which intersect at a single goal-possession of the Sargon Codex, a mysteriously divine artifact that may make or break the Dream that is the reign of vampires. One of the most attractive parts of this book is how that intersection of quests is handled ... without giving away any juicy bits, the climax is skillfully prolonged such that the conclusion is quite satisfying, a true page-turner, and at the end inspires natural feeling to the oft-repeated but never-tired question, "So what happens next?"Like any skilled storyteller, Andrew Bates relies on sidekick characters to add intriguing texture to "Cappadocian." And what kick-(...) sidekicks they are! My favorite by far is the ghoul pair consisting of Beltramose and Falsinar, servants of Markus Giovanni. Their easy friendship and wisecracking dialogue kept me immersed until the end as much as the travels, battles, and the elusive Sargon Codex did."Cappadocian" is a great example of how simultaneously elegant and adventurous the combination of blood, madness and mysticism can be. Vampire stories are cool ...who knew?