""Sustenance" review

Sustenance

Book 27 in the Saint-Germain series by Chelsea Quinn Yarbro

This book takes place in the 20^th century, just after the second world war!

Charis Treat is an American professor, who fled her homeland for fear of prosecution for communist sympathies. She left her husband and her sons in the States and came to Europe. She meets Szent Germain, publisher, businessman and vampire, although his vampire nature is only of influence to his love affairs! Through Charis he gets involved with the expat’s coven, a group of American refugees. They are trying to make the best of their exile, but they are under constant observation by the CIA, and so is Szent Germain. The spies are everywhere!

Back in the States there is a fellow named Broadstreet, who thinks spying is a game, but it is deadly serious!

Charis and Szent Germain become lovers, but being a ‘modern’ woman, Charis does not believe in vampires!

The counts love for Charis and the interactions of the secret agents are leading to a very explosive ending!

This is a great book, a superb addition to the story of the counts long existence!

I like to see the count in the 20^th century, with his fancy cars and his elegant clothing, dealing with the hazards of the time! He is haunted by memories, as he often is, but isn’t that part of his appeal?

He is surrounded by a group of characters, who all put their mark on the story.

Charis, the woman he loves, is missing her husband and sons back home.

Roger, his long time friend and servant is much more a friend in this story, except for drawing a bath!

The members of the coven are deeply touched by the so called witch hunt for communists and its great influence on their relations with friends and family!

The members of the secret agencies all over the world are also quite important on the story.

My dear count, I am so glad to have met you in the 20^th century! I hope it won’t take so long until we meet again in Khazar territory!

My CQY books

A great part of my Chelsea Quinn Yarbro books and some others as well!

"Night Pilgrims" review

Night Pilgrims by Chelsea Quinn Yarbro

http://us.macmillan.com/nightpilgrims/ChelseaYarbro

 This 26^th novel in the Count Saint-Germain series takes place in Egypt and the Nubian desert in 1225, its timeframe between "Path of the eclipse" and "An embarrassment of riches".

After the 5^th crusade a group of pilgrims is going on a pilgrimage to the underground churches of Lalibela.  Forced by circumstances, Saint-Germain, now called Sidi Sandjer’min, accepts to travel with them as a translator, guide and physician. He is accompanied by Ruthier, his faithful manservant and long time friend!

 The members of the group have their own reasons for this pilgrimage, not all of them are religious ones! One of the pilgrims is the noble Margrethe. She is attracted by Sidi Sandjer’min. Her longing for him shows in her eyes, when she sees him, in her attitude when she is near him, but she refuses to succumb to his attraction, by fear of compromising her pilgrimage! As a pilgrim  for the sake of her husband,  she made a vow of chastity, like all the pilgrims, and the sentence is death by stoning.

And so Sidi Sandjer’min has to content himself with the blood of horses and asses to survive! Thanks to Ruthier’s cleverness, he can take what he needs in plain sight!

 It is a difficult voyage for all of them. They encounter many problems. Their greatest enemy is nature: the wild water of the Nile river, the burning sun, the heat and the sand, the wind and the rain, and not to forget, the crocodiles!

Some dreadful accidents do happen, and the pilgrimage is coming to an end. They never reach their destination. The pilgrims are going their own way and Sidi Sandjer’min decides to escort Margrethe back home, or so he intends to!

The counts vampirism has little influence to the story, only for himself and for us, readers, because we know, no matter how harrowing the events are that happen to him, he will get over it!

 This is a great book in a long series of novels. The historical background is as visual as a movie. And there are many interesting characters. The leader of the pilgrims is Sieur Horembaud. His dealings with the count are always something like a challenge! Micheu de Saunt-Foi is the protector, the fighter. I like his interactions with the count. Between Margrethe and the count is an underlying sensual tension, and Sorer Imogen has lost all connection with reality. For her the count is the devil, but for her every man is a demon!

Ruthier has a more prominent role in this novel. He is most concerned about the count and he is always present when he is needed!

And the count, yes, the count… He is the reason I love these books so much! The count’s loneliness is a constant feeling in this series, even more so in this book, and because of that he is more accessible than in some of the previous books! Living in so close a company, he cannot hide from them, nor withdrew to his library or work in his laboratory.  He is just a member of the group, doing his utmost for the welfare of the pilgrims.

These pilgrims don’t seem to care for each other, only their own goals are important.

 The letters in between are quite interesting. They explain many things: for once we readers, know more than the characters. We know what happened to the knight Lagaia was looking for and what became of the Aba’yam.

It would not be a real Saint-Germain novel without a harrowing ending with the return of the crocodiles and the count almost becoming the ravenous monster he hates so much! But the final letters are making up for it.

There is almost a happy ending for Margrethe and Lagaia, and perhaps sorer Imogen did find some peace in her cell!

 For me, this book was very satisfying! It is as magnificent as “the rippled elegance of the Japanese blade!” ( great expression!)

 

 

Dolls and Saint-Germain

Even dolls love books!

medieval travel wagon

A medieval travel wagon with a quite advanced spring system:

Medieval bath

This is an old image of a bathtub from the Jena Manuscript: monks and bathgirls!

 Another picture: life in the bathouse around 1470

review "An Embarrassment of Riches" by Chelsea Quinn Yarbro

An Embarrassment of Riches
This 24th episode in the life of Saint-Germain, Rakoczy Ferancsi, Comes Santu-Germaniu in this book, takes place around 1270 at the court of Queen Kunegonda of Bohemia. At that time, Bohemia was a very rich country. And the count is moving through Kunegonda’s court with his usual grace and elegance, and so wealthy that his wealth is an embarrassment to the riches of the court.
But for the Comes, the bohemian court is not a pleasant place to be. He is very restricted is his movements, being held as a kind of hostage to the welfare of his fief, his estate in his dear Carpathian Mountains! The Comes is trapped between two kings, between the scrutiny of the Church and the Council, between the attention of the women in the court. They want his wealth, his land, his title, the pleasure he can provide them, but they do not want him, for himself. That is for the Comes a very unsatisfying way of making love.
At the end there is no way out for him, only through death, and although I read it in the book description, it comes as a surprise!
There are many strange words and names in this book, but when you get accustomed , they do add to the authenticity of the historical setting of medieval Prague. And the rats are everywhere…
As always this is not really a vampire novel, but a real Saint-Germain novel, in my opinion a very satisfying one. There is a constant tension in the air of suspicion, betrayal and danger.
I liked this book, but I always like to read about Saint-Germain.The historical setting is great, the characters are very real, and I find Rosza one of the most unpleasant female characters of all the books!