Writ in Blood: A Novel of Saint-Germain

It is the year 1910 the major powers in Europe are Russia, Great Britain and Germany. Czar Nicholas Alexandreivich Romanov has commissioned Ragoczy, Count Saint-Germain to, secretly, meet with King Edward VII of Britain and Kaiser Wilhelm of Prussia and Germany (all three are related through the Queen Victoria line) to attempt an agreement which would limit the manufacture and sale of arms and munitions which would be a first step towards peace in Europe. The Czar was particularly concerned because he did not want his children particularly his son to experience the horrors of war. Saint-Germain's efforts are thwarted by the arms manufacturers and the arms brokers; particularly at this time because they see big profits in the growing trouble in the Balkans. Saint-Germain is followed wherever he goes and several devious plots where they try to discredit Saint-Germain are developed. There are, also, ugly rumors and attempts on his life as it is perceived that the Count may be making progress. In one desperate attempt, his enemies kidnap Saint-Germain's current lover; the circumstances and rescue are spell binding. It is interesting to find our 4000 year old vampire in the 20th Century; he adapts so well, his wealth is staggering and he has his long time (2000 years) servant and friend Roger to help and watch over him. He is still viewed with suspicion and as a foreigner but he is unperturbed. For all of his years, he takes a keen and kindly interest in the people of the age and he gives large amounts of money to the Arts and hospitals. He is attractive to women and while this attraction is ultimately necessary to his survival he cares for his "lovers" very much. Some interesting comparisons of Count Saint-Germain and Count Dracula are made by Saint-Germain who, in this time, has met Braham Stoker and has read his novel. This is another very well researched story with fascinating characters. The title, "Writ In Blood" refers to how history is written. I am happy that there are still more that that I can read and enjoy.

Or eleventh, if you count "Out of the House of Life", which is primarily a spinoff novel about Madeline de Montalia (former lover and vampiric "childe" of Saint-Germain), but which does include some flashback scenes to some of Saint-Germain's early history.Or fourteenth, if you also count "A Flame In Byzantium", "Crusader's Torch", and "A Candle For d'Artagnan", the spinoff series about Atta Olivia Clemens, an earlier lover and vampiric "childe".This book is set in the years leading up to the first world war, roughly 1910-1913. As such, it ends only a few years prior to the events in the fifth book in the series, "Tempting Fate". It is one of the most enjoyable books in the series to read; the early books (Hotel Transylvania", "The Palace", and "Blood Games") were not as well written as most of the later ones, being more historical-romance bodice rippers than serious literary efforts, but they had the advantage of being enjoyable reading, with stories in which the hero succeeds in rescuing the damsel in distress. Starting with the fourth book in the series, "Path of the Eclipse", we have had a long run of stories in which Saint Germain has had relatively little success in that regard, and the stories, while frequently very powerful, were something of a downer to read. Finally in this book, we see what Yarbro can do with the action hero plot now that she's grown as a writer; the plot is much more similar in tone to her early efforts, but far better written. For one thing, her villains are far more three dimensional and far less cardboard cutouts than they were in those books, particularly the first.If you're a fan of traditional vampire fiction, you may or may not be disappointed in these stories; there is none of the struggle with the evil "inherent in the vampiric nature" that one finds in most vampiric fiction, notably the Anne Rice vampires. Saint-Germain is an unabashed hero, neither a sympathetic villain nor an anti-hero. He has lived 4000 years, and outgrew that silliness in the time of ancient Egypt. (Bits of this were seen in the aforementioned "Out of the House of Life".) The villains in this book (and in most of the books in this series) are mortals, and they are responsible for whatever "horror" elements that there are in the plot.If, on the other hand, you enjoy historical romance, and don't automatically reject the concept of a vampire as the hero and main character, you should truly enjoy this entire series, and particularly this book.

For fans of Yarbro's "Count Germaine" series, this one is the best effort yet. Once again, Chelsea's exhaustive research pays off. Unlike other writers of her genre, Yarbro gives her Count a human quality, more in the spirit of the real man of history Germain is based on, giving him a sense of reality that leaves the reading saying,hmmm.

What a joy! Ms. Yarbo gets better and better. This is my favorite St. Germain novel to date. The Baron Von Wolfgast is as nasty a villain as I've seen. When Anne Rice has lost her skill, Ms. Yarbro surpasses it on every outting. The Count St. Germain is a thrilling hero and when you figure in that the man was a real historical figure who it was supposed was immortal ... well ... I don't care if I ever read Lestat again as long as I always have the Count. Go buy this book and then go buy the other 13(?) sequels/prequels. Let's hope that the publisher re-releases all the out-of-print books. There's at least one that I've never read and it kills me. THESE ARE FANTASTIC!! The historical aspects, the pace, the characters, the story .... Burn my library, but leave me these books. Writ in Blood? You bet!!

Last time, the Inca and Peru. This time, the Czar, the Kaiser, Sidney Reilly the master spy, and a determined artist. Not as dark or tragic as Mansions of Darkness, but another of her books I couldn't put down until I'd finished. In my opinion, Lestat's got NOTHING on my favorite count - Saint Germain.