Year of the Scarab: Lay Down with Lions

Having started out well with "Heralds of the Storm," Andrew Bates has continued this series with the same flair for action and story line that made the first volume a success. Again, he has managed to avoid the 'academicism' that plagues many White Wolf novels. Mixing two new character types, Hunters and Mummies, Bates introduces many new ideas, and renews hope for the World of Darkness story world.The story opens with the arrival of Beckett in Chicago. He is a Gangrel who has run independently for centuries, seeking information on the origins of the vampires. Unlike the Nosferatu, who are bookish, Beckett does his research by wandering the world interviewing fellow vampires and investigating ancient artifacts. He has come to Chicago to talk to Inyanga, another Gangrel far older than himself. She offers a trade. She will part with her knowledge if Beckett will investigate the Hunters, humans who seek the death of all vampires. Beckett quickly finds this quest is far more complex than he expected, and in short order he finds himself enmeshed in clan politics, and confronted with mummies and the most ancient of vampires.When Maxwell Carpenter, resurrected as a zombie to carry out his revenge against the Sforza clan, first planned and executed the attack against the Temple of Akhenaton, he expected to face with a professional espionage organization, not find that his next target, Nicholas Sforza-Anhotep, has somehow made the transition to a creature of uncanny powers. Maxwell managed to overpower Nicholas in that struggle, but now finds that having the mummy is considerably different from controlling him. Both of these creatures perpetually batter each other, and it is only their supernatural recovery abilities that keep them in the fray.In the midst of this, Thea Ghandour and fellow members of the Van Helsing Brigade are healing their wounds. Events at the Temple were devastating to her team, leaving two dead and many of the others fugitives. The brigade is caught in the interplay between Vampire, Zombie, and Mummy, because the canopic jar Thea stole from the temple has become the target of nearly every supernatural creature in Chicago chances. While Thea has shown considerable skill at beating the odds the Hunters are facing grim prospects.Truthfully, none of the protagonists is in for an easy time. The diverse factions are all interesting on their own, and it is hard to pick one or two people as favorites. And every time you think you have a handle on what's really going on something happens to lead you in a different direction. So far this series is the best that has come out of White Wolf in the past year. I am looking forward to Volume III and subsequent work from Andrew Bates.

Like the first, the second book of White Wolf's latest trilogy is a great read with plenty of suspense, intrigue, action, monsters, and gore. Also like the first installment, it maintains a much quicker pace than many of White Wolf's other publications. Thus far, this trilogy has provided several illusive and incrediblly fasinating characters. If you like horror and the concept of people willingly facing off against all manners of evil then this book is for you.