vampires

I really don't know why I keep doing this to myself. I suppose it's out of loyalty to Saint-Germain. But I must say my hopes for a truly engaging SG book have pretty much been extinquished. There was a time when Yarbro could write...what happened?

I'll overlook the fact that the book opens with an entirely gratuitous and graphic sex scene (can I just say I really don't need a blow by blow description of where the count is sticking his tongue...some things are better left to imagination). But let's move beyond that.

The whole plot of the book was weak. SG leaves Spain on the eve of civil war only to be followed by an assasin of the new regime. Sounds exciting? HA! This is a study in how to make nothing happen throughout an entire book. Things that should have been suspenseful were flattened by endless repetative dialog and an entire lack of action. He must get his lover out of Spain...blah blah blah, lover leaves Spain without incident. He must get out of Spain...blah blah blah, he drives out of Spain without incident. Once he's in America things really pick up. I particularly liked the entire chapter devoted to buying a car. Wheeee! Eleven pages conversations with a saleman...the test drive was really exciting.

It was nice to see Rowena Saxon again (more muff diving). However, the "problems" SG faces with the vinyards he has invested in seem entirely contrived...and again, the action is buried in the repetitive dialog. Let's Beat This Point to Death should have been the title of this book. When action finally does manage to shoulder its way to the fore, Yarbro gets it over with as quickly as possible and gets back to being tedious. SG gets severely injured, turn the page, bing, all better...back to endless yapping.

Die hard fans will still read this just to get their SG fix (look at me). I probably can't talk them out of it. If you've never been introduced to Saint-Germain, for the love of all the forgotten gods, don't start with this one.

Midnight Harvest, while not as much of an edge-of-seat read as might be a few of the previous books, manages to introduce new connections, resolutions and laying bare of some previously met plots, settings, mysteries and people. Running for his life, as usual, Saint-Germain leaves eve-of-Civil War Spain and makes his way across to America and on to San Francisco. Reuniting with a previous lover, he must survive the attentions of a murderous assassin and help the people he loves and those he cares about survive the attentions of 20th century American villains. While there is not the "cast of thousands" violence seen in some of the earlier adventures, a healthy dose of suspense mixed with Ms. Yarbro's usual extremely competent period scholarship make for a very satisfying read. Saint-Germain is the oldest and, I think, so very romantic of the six vampiric "heroes" in either current TV or books available to us today. This latest book makes for a good addition to any collection of Saint-Germain's adventures, or the beginning of one. After all, you can't beat a bit of sex, violence and learnin' for curl up and enjoyable pleasure.

For fans of St. Germain, this book is not a disappointment. Chelsea Quinn Yarbro delivers as usual and I hope there are more to come!
If you're a history buff I think it would be difficult not to enjoy. You don't have to love vampires.