Out of the House of Life: A Novel of the Count Saint-Germain

I've been a fan of the Saint-Germain series for quite a few years now. I have always been curious as to the earlier years of the Count's life, and this book illustrated those years beautifully. I loved gaining more insight as to the Count's personality. Madelaine has also been a favorite character [if it's possible to be jealous of a fictional character, then i'm completely jealous! she has the complete love of the Count, AND she gets to travel all over the place]. I've also had a huge interest in Egyptology, so in truth, this book combines two of my favorite subjects, Egypt and vampires. All in all, I thought it was a well-written novel, as always. Although, I don't think this would necessarily be the best starting novel for this series. If anything, read Hotel Transylvannia before this one, so that you at least get the backstory of Saint-Germain and Madelaine. I have a couple biases to this story, so I think it's probably going to be towards the top of my favorites list.

Ever since the publication of the first Saint-Germain book, I have been hooked on Chelsea Quinn Yarbro's books. I have often wondered how she remained a relatively obscure author, given the popularity that Anne Rice has enjoyed with her vampire series. While Rice is a great author, she lacks the historical research that goes into Yarbro's books... perhaps that's a liability for some romance readers who want instant gratification, without savoring a well crafted book, for this is what Out Of The House Of Life truly is! As another reviewer remarked, I, too,have learned more of history through this remarkable lady than anywhere else, College education included! This book goes back 6,000 years, and traces the roots of St. Germaine's history- the ignoble savage, slowly, over centuries, becoming the strong, sexy, and secure vampire with a heart of gold. I especially liked learning so much about Egyptian history in this novel, and found it refreshing. Unlike her earliest novels, I recently found that Yarbro's later books have become all too predictable-- poor misunderstood vampire stands up for the underdog, and becomes persecuted once again. Same scenes, same predicable outcomes. This novel shines out from the most recent, in that, it has more to say than that. The action doesn't get bogged down for lack of a plot this time. Too bad Yarbro didn't learn from this one, and stay on this track.. I can't say the same for books about St. Germaine published right after this one, and certainly not for the ones just before it, either.

I have read all the St. Germaine ( and Olivia) novels (well, not the brand new _Communion Blood_)and the collection of short stories too. This is my favorite for St. Germaine's recollections in the form of long letters to Madeline about when he first lived in Egypt. It is in this book that we find out details about what made him become a *good* vampire who values life.This is contrasted with Madeline's struggle to be accepted as an Egyptologist.I recommend it very highly. (And unlike some series of books there is no correct order to read these books in. Just read them as they come to you, but read them if you are interested in historical fiction with a _very_ long view. These books are much more about that than traditional horror novels.)Julia Walter

This book takes us back and forth, by means of St. Germain's letters to Madeline de Montalia, between his life in ancient Egypt and Madeline's archeological digs in the 19th century. I found St. Germain's recollections fascinating as he sometimes painfully recounts his transformation from a imprisoned "demon" in Babylon to the high priest in "The House of Life" (an ancient "hospital" for the dying.) St. Germain vividly recalls memorable patients and how his interactions with them slowly changed him from an uncaring bitter slave to a compassionate healer/priest with a strong sense of responsibility for the weaker humans around him. Madeline's story is more conventional as she tries to gain more understanding of her great love St. Germain through his letters and participating in an archeological dig at the ancient House of Life. Madeline is handicapped by her very youthful appearance and the fact that she is pursuing a man's career in a male-dominated culture. She finds love and great danger in Egypt. This book is a must to understand St. Germain's character and background.

This book provides glimpses into Ancient Egypt from several perspectives. The main story of the book concerns the intrigues surrounding a 19th century archaeological expedition including Madelaine de Montalia, St. Germaine's great love, as contrasted with St. Germaine's own 3000-year-old recollections of life in ancient Egypt when he lived "Out of the House of Life". As with many of Ms. Yarbro's novels, information, love, and horror are mixed in a heady combination that makes for delightful reading. One of the major joys of her vampires is that they are not "demons" or inherently evil--often the worst evils are perpetrated by the short-lived humans with whom they must interact. If you are interested in a great vampire novel or in Ancient Egypt, this novel is a must-read.