Synopses & Reviews
Blending the dark eroticism of the vampire with suspenseful adventure in history's most exotic locales, Chelsea Quinn Yarbro's acclaimed Saint-Germain epic is a unique, enduring romantic saga of a lonely hero who walks the earth throughout time, battling for honor...and love.
Gaul, A.D. 800: Rakoczy de Sanctus Germanius is ordered by the Frankish conqueror Karl-lo-Magne to lead a suspected heretic before a Papal inquisition. A beautiful albino afflicted with stigmata, Gynethe Mehaut, like the cursed vampire, cannot tolerate sunlight and will be condemned as a demon. And on the deadly roads to ruined Rome, passion blooms between the two night-dwellers. Now there is only one way Rakoczy can save the woman he loves from the prejudices of this dark age. But if he dares to rescue Gynethe, the rage of the defied King will bring the wrath of a continent down upon them both and an innocent girl's soul will be forever damned...
Review
"The prolific Yarbro flawlessly weaves a meticulous historical milieu and enthralling characters with the fantastic....Richly rewarding for longtime readers, the novel also provides a good entry point for new recruits..." Publishers Weekly
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"Yarbro's meticulously researched historical backdrops blend seamlessly into, and considerably enhance, her accounts of the vampire's endless, lonely, brave existence." Kirkus Reviews
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"Deeply compelling...utterly believable....Rakoczy is a character always worth watching." Locus
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"There's a lot of atmosphere here for Gothic fans who like their stories steeped in history. Highly recommended." Library Journal
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"Fans of the series and newcomers to it will all be rooting for Yarbro's wily hero." Booklist
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"Nobody does historical vampire fiction better." Laurell K. Hamilton, New York Times bestselling author of Caress of Twilight
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"A remarkable combination of historical accuracy, exciting plot, and believable characters dominated by Ragoczy himself a demon-lover anyone would welcome with open veins!" Michael Moorcock
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"Saint-Germain is just as fresh as the day Chelsea Quinn Yarbro introduced him to the world....Yarbro reminds us that there are things on this earth far more evil than vampires." Charlaine Harris, author of Dead Until Dark
Synopsis
Set in the court of Charlemagne the Great, this is the 15th novel in the popular series about the immortal vampire, Le Comte de Saint-Germain, who meets an albino woman afflicted with stigmata who is accused of witchcraft.
About the Author
A professional writer for more than thirty years, Chelsea Quinn Yarbro has sold over seventy books, more than sixty works of short fiction, and more than two dozen essays and reviews. She also composes serious music. Her first professional writing, in 1961-2, was as a playwright for a now long-defunct children's theater company. By the mid-60s she had switched to writing stories and hasn't stopped yet. Divorced, she lives in her hometown Berkeley, California with two autocratic cats, Laetitia and Flannel. When not busy writing, she rides her Norwegian Fjord horse Pikku Hevonen or attends the symphony or opera.