Night Blooming: The Chronicles of Saint-Germain by Yarbro, Chelsea Quinn - 2002

Warner Books Inc, 2002. Book. Fine. Hardcover. First Edition. 8vo - over 7¾" - 9¾" tall. Near-new condition. Stated First Printing. Number line: 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1. NO remainder marks or price clippings. NO writing, marks or tears inside book. Tight spine, clean pages. 429 pages. From Publishers Weekly: The prolific Yarbro (Hotel Transylvania, etc.) flawlessly weaves a meticulous historical milieu and enthralling characters with the fantastic in her 15th volume to feature compassionate vampire Ragoczy, Count Saint-Germain. Here known as Hiernom Rakoczy, he travels in A.D. 796 to Tours and later Aachen to advise the Frankish king, Karl-lo-Magne (Charlemagne), who's closely allied with Pope Leo III. Meanwhile, saintly albino Gynethe Mehaut struggles within a church that can't decide whether her stigmatic wounds denote holiness or blasphemy. The white woman and the dark count, still recovering from an ill-fated encounter in Come Twilight (2000), eventually cross paths in Rome, where their passions ignite, though those expecting the high eroticism of Laurell K. Hamilton will be disappointed. The melancholy count regains some joie de vivre when he's reunited with his old friend, the always remarkable Atta Olivia Clemens. Richly rewarding for longtime readers, the novel also provides a good entry point for new recruits with its subtly supplied back story. The eighth century European setting is more accessible than the 14th century India-Asia setting of the previous book in the series, A Feast in Exile (2001). In Yarbro's saga the vampires are honorable, civilized and heroic it's humankind that's horrific. Current popular vampire fiction reflects her influence more than that of the better known Anne Rice, and her noble vampire deserves comparable sales.and Stoker awards. Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc. From Library Journal: More vampires, this time in the 15th novel in the series featuring Le Comte de Saint-Germain. A sinister stranger in the court of Karl-lo-Magne (that's Charlemagne) has an amazing knowledge of maps perhaps because he's traveled all over the map for centuries. Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc..