Vampire Gehenna, the Final Night

First things first, this is my first exposure to Vampire: the Masquerade (VtM), so if you don't want a noob's opinion skip this review. On the other hand I've been reading fantasy for about 15 years; I just happened to see this particular book in a used book store and grabbed it. In a way I'm sorry since it's basically the beginning of a re-birth of the VtM world, and I never experienced that world before this (plus now I know the fate of many characters whom I suspect are regulars in the world). At any rate, this book was surprisingly well written. I'm a bit of a snob when it comes to bad writing, but Marmell was able to weave a tale that kept me truly interested. The main character (Beckett) was a sort of morally grey character that I genuinely liked. None of the characters were over the top, the dialogue flowed, I was never left wondering what in the nine hells the author was talking about - in short, this book avoided all of the major problems I've run into in other similar books. The plot was fast-paced and jumped around a lot, but the layout of the book made it fluid and easy to follow. All in all I really enjoyed this book and can't think of anything bad to say about it (which is in itself a testament to its quality). I simply wish I had read some other stuff in the VtM world first. *EDIT* Almost 3 years later to the day I just finished re-reading this book after having read all 13 clan novels, the Red Death trilogy, the Grail trilogy and the Blood Curse trilogy. I feel now that Ari is either tied with Fleming as the most talented writer in the V:tM world, or even slightly better. Another reviewer was correct to point out that Gehenna is waaaay too big a topic to tackle in a single book, but Ari did a stand-up job, even weaving in several sub-plots that enhanced rather than detracted from the main story. My impression of the V:tM novels overall is that World of Darkness doesn't particularly care about this arm of its products, as most of the books are mediocre to poor; I'm thinking particularly about the Tremere clan novel and the Red Death trilogy, but probably more than half of the clan novels were a disjointed mess. This author should be given far more assignments in the new RPG novel world, if they bother to expand it beyond the few novels that currently exist.

I have read most (if not all) of the narrative fiction produced for the Vampire line and this is another well-written addition to my collection.Cainite society begins to unravel as elders grow weak and begin to feed on neonates, while thin-bloods rise to power in cities once held by the Sabbat and Camarilla. Ancient powers awaken and stalk the night, leaving behind piles of dust and stories of a scourging desert wind and a roaming darkness from the Abyss. Certain signature characters from previous stories are brought back to face the coming Apocalypse together. Beckett, Theo Bell, Lucita, and even Anatole figure prominently throughout the book. Other notable characters are given cameos, which help to further the plot and add a bit of flavour. The rise of the Thin-bloods is interesting, in that they provide hope that there could possibly be a remnant that survives Gehenna to rebuild from the ashes of the old. This is something spoken of by Beckett, to Jenna Cross, the Last Daughter - leader of the Thinbloods. There is one character that is introduced early in the story, who is unfamiliar, but ultimately someone very important. The process of this discovery is executed well, so it isn't until you're close to the end that the realization hits you between the eyes!I have to agree with some of the other reviewers, in that I too, wish the story could've been expanded on and potentially stretched out into a trilogy or series (like the Eastcoast Camarilla/Sabbat War). I recently finished reading the Brujah Trilogy, which appeared to be a prelude to this book - so I half expected to see some of the plotline and characters from the end of that story to carry over to this one - but that did not happen. It left at least ONE question left unanswered for me. That isn't necessarily bad.Certain characters from other Gehenna-Prophecy novels were noticeably absent here too. The Nosferatu, Kli Kodesh would've been an interesting character to have at end. The Cappadocian Archmage, Lameth would've been another enjoyable tie-in as well.Anyhow, like I've often said before about these novels - the well-written stories can easily be taken out of the "vampire" context and dropped in the middle of a mundane, blunted world of normalcy and still pack just as much relevancy and interest. This is one of those stories. In truth, it's a collection of numerous short stories, all bound within the larger story about a mythical individual who travels in the company of one of his own descendants and learns that there are still redeemable qualities within his line and there is still more to learn and live through.

I love this book, mostly because I love the slick, clever characteristics Marmell applies to the characters. In truth, this is the first V:tM novel I've read, being a fan of the game. Anyhow, the story and its end were satisfying and the plot shifts were less-than-subtle which also helped in alot of the action scenes. The one thing that itched at the back of my mind was how much Marmell alludes to the fact that they're vampires, comparing them more than once in a chapter to the mortals. I'm not going to make examples and it was the VERY least of problems I found in the book. Great book, plot, characters, and action sequences. A must-read for those who love the Dark Fantasy genre or players of V:tM or ToJ!

I, too, have read every White Wolf novel published since 1996 (since 1994, truth be told), and I was positively blown away by Gehenna, the Final Night -- which was written, I might add, by MR. Ari Marmell. It satisfies on so many levels, I hardly know where to begin. Not only does it wrap up the nearly 13-year story arc established in the roleplaying game, but it also gives some much-needed insight into the motives and methods of some of the line's most enduring signature characters in these, the final nights. As a piece of gaming fiction, Gehenna, the Final Night is superlative. As a first novel, it's a remarkable achievement. Even those whose taste for the game runs tepid are sure to get a thrill out of this wonderful story.

I loved this book. The action is exciting, the characterizations are engaging and plausible, and the air of tragedy and of struggle for some final meaning is palpable. The story here fully captures Vampires' great themes of individuals caught in schemes altogether beyond their control, attempting to justify an existence anchored in ancient evil and requiring fresh harm to the world every time they feed, and no longer tolerated by the God whose anger made them in the first place. I finished the last section profoundly moved, just as I'd hoped for.The overall story of Gehenna is beyond the scope of any novel. That's what the game book is for. What fiction can do, and what this book does particularly well, is show what the big picture means to selected individuals. The vignettes give us a good compact sense of Gehenna's meaning to a wide range of Vampire characters, and then the main story targets in with the depth necessary to do justice to an individual's terminal struggle.This is an altogether elegant and suitable last act, and I highly recommend it.