Mansions of Darkness: A Novel of Saint-Germain

My exposure to Chelsea Quinn Yarbro was accidental. I saw one of her books and was attracted by the title, enough to open the cover and read more. I was intrugued by the main character, le Comte de St. Germain, as he is sometimes known. A mercurial figure indeed. I was also familiar with a certain sect devoted to St. Germain who believe he has lived in many different eras. This is not something Ms. Yarbro made up. The books can be still found in "esoteric" book stores (as few as there are) and are usually green paperbacks with purple ink and the text is, well, boring. Not so Ms. Yarbro. This novel, and I have not read very many, set in 17th Century Peru during the conquista, is alive and fresh. The historical perspective she gives is fantastic and I feel myself transported back in time. Yje characters are unique and develop well with the story, even the Conte de St. Germain, who even though endowed with some awesome supernatural powers, does not serve as an excute to cop out on the plot. It was a satisfying experience for me.

Or tenth, if you count "Out of the House of Life", which is primarily a spinoff novel about Madeline de Montalia, but which does include some of Saint-Germain's early history.Or thirteenth, if you count "A Flame In Byzantium", "Crusader's Torch", and "A Candle for d'Artagnan", the spinoff series about Olivia Atta Clemens.This book, set in 17th century Peru and Mexico, details what was happening to Saint-Germain while Olivia was experiencing the events in "A Candle for d'Artagnan". It is one of the best of a very good series; as usual, Yarbro's historical research is excellent, and her characters (with the exception of Roger, who seems somewhat lacking in the personality department; what does this guy do for fun? Thirteen books and counting, and I have no idea) come alive, even if I did find Saint-Germain's willingness to turn the other cheek after Dona Azul had Oaxetli poisoned somewhat out of character.For those unfamiliar with the series, the Saint-Germain series is a series of historical horror novels in which the hero (and he IS a hero, not a villain or even an antihero as is so common in vampire fiction) is a 4000 year old vampire. The vampiric aspects are very subdued; he needs blood to maintain his strength, which is formidable, and is susceptible to running water and sunlight, but both of these weaknesses are significantly less pronounced than in much vampiric fiction. As long as he is wearing shoes with some of his native earth in the heels and soles, he can mostly ignore them; even without, he hardly bursts into flame when exposed to sunlight; in this book, he is crucified for two days in the Mexican summer, and while seriously injured, he survives (no spoiler, considering that several of the previously written books are set in later time periods). Basically, without his protective shoes, he sunburns extremely easily and extremely severely. The books are well-written, and even the worst of them so far have been well worth the read.

The ninth installment in Chelsea Quinn Yarbro's cycle of historical horror novels featuring Saint-Germain proves once again what a fine craftsperson she is. Set in the mountains of 17th Century Peru, Saint-Germain becomes a subject the Inquisition after a daughter of Incan royalty captures his heart. Yarbro's writing is given flavour with the impeccable research she has used in this novel, making the actions and emotions of her vampire-hero more believable and enjoyable to read. The reader not only gets a fascinating glimpse into the immortal's 4000 years of life, but also becomes a part of one of the most violent periods of all time. The only problem I found in the book was that several of the names were hard to digest, but this conflict is resolved immediately after the first several chapters, when the plot thickens and the characters come to life