Synopses & Reviews
Rome is crumbling. The child-emperor, Heliogabalus, diverts the Roman populace with parties, circuses, and celebrations, while his mother and grandmother jockey for power behind the scenes. The government is riddled with scandal and no business is conducted without bribes which grow ever larger. Religions joust for prominence, with factions of Christians seeking to overthrow the ancient Roman pantheon. Courtesans, once honored for their skills and protected by special guards, have become targets of opprobrium.
The vampire Ragoczy Germanius Sanct' Franciscus, already subject to extra taxes and regulations because he is a foreigner, falls under the maleficent eye of Telemachus Batsho, a minor functionary who dreams of power and wealth. When Franciscus thwarts his attempts to extort ever-increasing sums from a young Roman of good birth, Batsho swears revenge. Franciscus finds his activities closely monitored and is accused of treason and conspiracy. His friends, threatened with similar scrutiny, abandon him to Batsho's mercies or urge him to leave the Eternal City.
But Franciscus has many ties to Rome. He has taken under his protection a beautiful courtesan who was brutally beaten by the very men who should have been protecting her. She has been the vampire's sustenance for many months.
Franciscus is also held in the city by the plight of the family Laelius. The Domina's health is failing despite the vampire's great medical skills; her son has converted to Christianity and rails against his mother's beliefs; her daughter Ignatia, who has sacrified her own life to care for her mother, realizes that when her mother dies, her fate will rest in the hands of her increasingly fanatical brother.
Determined to claim pleasure for herself, Ignatia invites Franciscus's attentions, inflaming him with the power of her untapped sexuality. Unfortunately, they are not unobserved, and their simple yet powerful act of love sparks a conflagration that destroys Ignatia's family and nearly brings about the vampire's True Death.
Review
"Among the best vampire tales around. Saint-Germain is no ordinary bloodsucker, and his adventures across history are compelling."--
Romantic Times BookClub Magazine Top Pick, 4 ½ stars, on
States of Grace"Earns its place as a read that is at once historically enlightening as well as sinfully adventurous. The account of the vampire's life intertwined with Old World history will satisfy the appetite of the most thirsty adventure seeker. This is one vampire novel that will leave the reader wanting more. Humanity, kindness and wit all combine to make Yarbro's vampire a most convincing character."--Rapport on Come Twilight
"A wonderfully entertaining book."--Gahan Wilson in Realms of Fantasy on Come Twilight
"Well-written and evocative with an exciting setting, this novel will thrill. Readers of the vampire genre unfamiliar with Saint-Germain would do well to discover this unusual, compelling creature of the night."--Romantic Times Bookclub on Midnight Harvest
"Yarbro's latest installment featuring her compassionate and sophisticated vampire hero offers a rich, detailed look at a complex time in Europe's history. With its appeal to both series followers and fans of period fantasy, this belongs in most major dark fantasy collections."--Library Journal on Communion Blood
"An intriguing historical, supernatural thriller/romance that is so genre blended it will effortlessly entertain lovers of all genres. Her characters come to life on the pages as they dance a deadly dance in the reader's mind. I would recommend this book to lovers of varied genres not limited to horror or romance but all-inclusive of the two, and anything in between."--Midwest Book Review on Midnight Harvest
"A bewitching tale. Once again Saint-Germain does not disappoint in his amazing devices and disguises. And once again, avid readers of the series have cause to hope that he will never know true death."--The Washington Post on Come Twilight
Review
"Ranks among the best vampire tales around. Fans of historical fiction and vampire tales alike should be enthralled."--Romantic Times BOOKreviews Top Pick, 4 ½ stars, on States of Grace "The most remarkable and orignial vampire since Bram Stoker's Dracula."--The Bookwatch (Midwest Book Review)
Synopsis
In the unsettled time when Imperial Rome totters on the brink of collapse, the vampire Ragoczy Germainus Sanct' Franciscus--the Count Saint-Germain--finds himself targeted by a corrupt Roman official and accused of bribery, tax evasion, and treason. The storm that hovers over the vampire grows darker when he is accused of corrupting Ignatia, a young virgin. Her brother, a zealous covert to the new religion of Christianity, threatens to purify Saint-Germain with fire. And fire can destroy even the undead.
About the Author
Chelsea Quinn Yarbro is the author of more than twenty novels of the life and times of the Count Saint-Germain and other vampires, including
Dark of the Sun, Night Blooming, Midnight Harvest, A Feast in Exile, and the classic
Hotel Transylvania. She has also written novels in a wide variety of other genres, including SF, fantasy, mystery, horror, western, and young adult adventure.