Horror Books

All characters have to change. Change is good. Vlad Taltos has had a lot happen to him which is not good. His marriage has been destroyed, the Jhereg are out to get him, and most of his friends can't help him because they would be dead by nightfall. Isn't life grand? But it seems that the Left Hand of the Jhereg, women who are ten times more dangerous than the rest of the Jhereg, are moving into his ex-wife's area. And on top of that the Demon Goddess seems to be messing with his memories. But he has three things on his side. A couple of real Jhereg, lots of money and a Godslayer. Oh, and did I mention he is also a ruthless son of a bitch?
Enjoy, used or new.

I feel like Brust really phoned this one in (or maybe psychically communicated it in). I've read this entire series several times, including the Phoenix Guards series, so I know Adrilankha well. Dzur was probably the most boring of the series.

Brust has used framing devices to great effect in his previous books - the cycle poem in Jhereg, the witchcraft spell in Taltos, the cleaning bill in... was it Yendi or Teckla? And now the dinner at Valabar's in Dzur. Each course of the fabulous meal frames a chapter. But it's getting a bit old, and this iteration feels like Brust is showing us how much he enjoys food, a proclivity he adequately broadcast in his previous books without overdoing it the way he did this time around. I almost could have seen this coming.

Mr. Brust, we get it. You like food. If you'd like, we can arrange for you to get a show on the Food Network. But right now, you write fantasy novels. By all means, have a little fun with the meals your characters eat. Make them gourmands - it fleshes them out nicely (it was well done in The Phoenix Guards books). But I almost wanted to skip the introduction to each chapter, and this was only the first time I've read it. (Only on the 4th or 5th time on Taltos did I even begin to contemplate skipping the witchcraft spell.)

The other bit of laziness that stands out is the character Telnan. Was he anything more than an exposition device, and a reason to call the book Dzur? A literal deus ex machina? Unless he plays a major role in future books, I think we can chalk him up to Brust needing a Dzur in this book, a crutch I would have more readily forgiven him for if he used it in Chreotha, a House far less full of possibility than Dzur. I mean, seriously. This is the best he could come up with for Dzur? What a waste of a very complex House.

Other than those two specific complaints, I also felt let down at the end. "That's it?" is not my usual reaction at the end of a Brust novel. "Yeah, and?" was a popular one at the end of each chapter. Why is the Left Hand trying to move in? What difficulties, precisely, is Cawti having to face here? What further maneuvering was required for the Demon to reach his goal (trying not to spoil anything here)?

Dzur had its moments (a couple of neat surprises), and reading a new Vlad Taltos novel is like slipping into a comfortable bath after years of showers, but Brust seems to have forgotten to bring the rubber ducky. I wouldn't steer away faithful fans of the series, but this one could have been much better. Brust really dropped the ball.

The story: This is the 10th book in the series, so there is a lot of setup which goes into getting to this point in the story, so, to avoid giving anything good away, I am going to be a bit confusing which is just as well because the books do not follow any chronological order: this story start exactly where the prior book, Issola, left off with Vlad walking into Valabar's to enjoy a meal the likes of which he had not had in a few years. Of course, doing so was a pretty stupid thing to do consider the size of the price that is on his head, but he would have time to enjoy his meal and leave with little to no chance of someone killing him, but of course, something else comes up; he has to bail out his wife from the mess he left behind from the last time he bailed her out which was why he was on the run to begin with.

His wife left him for, well, let's just say, he didn't listen very well, but at the same time, in order to save her that time, well, he got the price put on his head. So the results of this book, he saves her again, and gets a lot more people pissed off at him which will no doubt increase the price on his head but he has along the way in the past picked up some toys, one of which he can use to threaten gods into helping him, so finding or killing him will not be easy.

I just cannot wait for the next book in the series.

That's right, this latest book is just what the title says...A waste of money. If you want to follow the series, then go to your local library and waste that small portion of your life that this book will fill...I've been a loyal fan, I tolerated the poor character development, the deviation from Vlad's normal territory for the sake of following the story and waiting for it to come full circle, I was disappointed.

I'll try not to spoil much for those of you who plan to read this book, but lets just say that one of the biggest secrets that has been hinted at since Vlad left town is barely covered in the last chapter with very little fanfare.

Can the author write? Without a doubt...Do I care to have THAT much detail over one meal that occurs during the book? Not really. I'd prefer more plot, some time spent with characters we haven't experienced in a while...Dare I say? A little more effort on the author's part to entertain with actual characters? A unique idea, I know, but one with merit.

Brust is at his old tricks in Dzur, meaning he used another little bit of fancy authorship to keep you recalling a specific character so he could use said character later in the book. I haven't always cared for what he's done in that regard, but this one wasn't too annoying.

A warning, though. Several of the Taltos series of books can be read out of sequence without too much concern. Dzur, however, speaks back to previous events more directly and frequently than most. I've read all the early books, but clearly not at least one of the later ones. I won't say I was lost, but the reading experience would definitely have been helped knowing the full back story.

In terms of the plot of this book, it was decent. All the classic Vlad banter and whatnot that endears one to the character is present. The storyline was interesting, but do I do feel a little wanting having reached the end. None of the Taltos books is long, but they are generally meaty, if you take my meaning. This one wasn't so much.

Overall, I did enjoy the read, but wouldn't rate this as one of the better books in the series.

When I was able to finally read this book, I found it was a fast paced read. The series is coming to the climax and the fight made the whole book seem like it was going by real fast. Next time I read it, I'll have to take a deep breath and look at the background to see what else is going on; it's like a movie you enjoy watching over many times.

I have two problems with this book. First, that as soon as I got my hot little hands on it I couldn't stop reading until I finished, and second, that volume 9 STILL isn't pout in the US. It's a great story, but the graphic violence is not kid friendly. Don't give this to your 10 year old just because it's a "comic book."

The original Hellsing anime stopped before the series got really good, so it was up to the manga to carry on.

Vol. 8 has been a long time coming, but it carries the crazy, blood-soaked story on into the battle of vampires, werewolves, Nazis, the Protestant Knights, and the Catholic Iscariot Section XIII. The Hellsing Organization stands alone against all its enemies and the fight has come to their door. Each of the armies has a champion 'trump card' and all of these are facing off in what remains of London.

I'm glad the anime is being remade into the Hellsing Ultimate series, but until it's finished, I'll be sitting here waiting on Vol. 9.

Was this worth the year long wait? I am still not sure, but I am surprised by this installment in the Hellsing story. Hellsing is still a gore fest through on through, but what caught me off gaurd was character depth. Kohta Hirano created more than a gore fest of a manga he actually created a story that is very profond.

In this installment he see more into the heart of Alucard. More to the fact we finally we get an idea of what makes him tick, and why he has such a strong respect for Father Anderson.

" A weak monster like me, a monster that could not go on being human must defeated by a human." -Alucard, Hellsing Vol. 8 page 143.

Over a 100 years ago Dracula was defeated by Van Helsing, Holmwood, Morris, and Seward. Hirano added to the story of Dracula, by telling us the aftermath of the events of Bram Stoker`s story, and a good addition it is. In volume eight one begins to wonder if Alucard is looking for release from his unlife from a worthy advesary. Van Helsing did not kill Dracula in the end, but made him a servant/ soldier to help in the cursade rid the world of other creatures of darkness. What better soldier to have than the king of vampires himself?

We also find that Dracula in his madness lost everything that was around him. As Alucard, he is not lost on this irony.

I had forgotten that the original Vlad the Impaler did serve the Vactican, which back in the 15th century was not unusual for someone who is roaylty. . My history is still a bit fuzzy. For Hellsing, this little tidbit of infomation proves to be vital.

It serves as paralell with Father Anderson, and a good explanation for Alucard`s animosity for the Vactican. Alucard became a monster for war during his days as human fighting the Turks and so forth. Father Anderson is a human who fights monsters, but has not totally given up his humanity like Alucard.

Enough rambles and rants from me. Give Hellsing a read. Yeah its gory and insane, but look beyond that and you find good horror story with some seriuos plot and character depth.

I mean, I wasn't totally disappointed with this next installation, but for the prolonged wait and the lack of progress story wise, I almost felt shortchanged. I am really hoping the next volume will be a bit more satisfying and hopefully not take as long to make it over seas? Well, that's my opinion anyway.

In Underworld, author SD Perry takes an interesting approach. Instead of having a story based on survival horror, she instead went into the direction of an action-adventure with horror elements. The familiar zombies that plague the Resident Evil universe are replaced with hordes of experimental animal-monsters. I consider Underworld like Resident Evil 4: a fresh new idea that appeals to both new and old fans of the series. Ironically, Leon is there to take charge into the new direction as one of the leading characters.

The story of Underworld is typical of the Resident Evil universe. The story focuses on characters from past Resident Evil stories. John, David, Rebecca, Claire, and Leon must infiltrate a secret underground Umbrella laboratory to retrieve a notebook full of secret codes at the request of the mysterious Trent - a secret character who seem to aid characters in past Resident Evil novels. The book is rather entertaining and fulfilling in the action and adventure sense. The book ends spectacularly with a lot of details about White Umbrella and more importantly, it reveals a lot of information and motives behind Trent.

Personally, I liked Underworld. Author SD Perry did a wonderful job in creating a believable world - even though Resident Evil is anything but. Underworld focuses more on the key players of Umbrella and tries to dig deeper into the hows and whys of Umbrella and its schemes. I believe any fan of Resident Evil will like this book. It is a wonderful spin off and it's nice to see an author who tries to legitimately create a niche in the Resident Evil world.

I thought this was a great book. Good emphasis on the characters, the plot, and the monsters.

For the last two weeks I've been reading this series of books, and so far I have completed 1-4. This book is my favorite so far. I really thought the story was interesting and it kind of let your imagination run wild. There was also some humor added at certain points that really made the book a good read. Out of all of the books, this one seemed the most intriguing to me. She somehow instilled a story about the STARS running through an Umbrella "Jurassic Park" of sorts with a true RE feel and some really funny comedy. Perry does miss a few notes here and there when it comes to her choice of words and writing in general, but to me her writing is very tolerable.

I liked this story better than Caliban Cove. I wanted to give it a try since I had read some bad reviews about it. Honestly I think it's a good book. Now it doesn't have zombies in it but it does have freakish monsters in there. I think the best part is at the Epilogue when you find out more about Trent. Now things are coming together, making sense. So if you like S.D. Perry books I think you'll like this one. I would save this for the last though cause The Umbrella Conspiracy, The city of the dead, Nemesis, & Code Veronica are better this is just a another adventure not part of the storyline.

This book had a fast begining to start off with. And although it is vague at times, it still good. After all, vaguness leaves room for the real imagination thinkers to work. When I first started reading this, I believed the premise and thought that this could've been a great movie. It has all the making's of it. (I think that was the writer's intention.) And you love this one gimick involving a experiment in survival of the fittest. Enjoy.

This is nothing like a real VCA book, or even the books that the ghostwriter started out with (Cutler, Landry)

So this girl hit puberty early? Big deal? The "secrets" revealed within this book are hardly shocking or thrilling, and the fact that there's just two books in this series shows the author's lack of effort. It's clear that he just doesn't care anymore about writing a good story.

I love VC Andrews books. I have all of them. I got my mother started collecting them also. My daughter had bought this book for me, not knowing I get them for my mother. Of course they were sold out locally, and I had to get Mom's!! She's as bad as I am about being afraid of missing one of the books...lol! Most of the books are in a series anyway. I'd recommend the books to anyone...and do.

It's my own fault for not researching the book before I bought it, but I thought I was purchasing a novel. This falls more into the "Babysitter's Club" genre. I would put it at a third or fourth grade reading level, though I wouldn't actually recommend someone that age read it, due to some bizarre and unnecessary events and character traits.

The plot was weak and the character development was inconsistent, not to mention the author's flagrant use of race/class stereotypes. The characters were unbelievable and downright strange. To sum it up: it was painful to read.

The conclusion to the Early Spring Series was so predictable, if you don't guess the family secret in this one I would be extremely surprised. This book also seemed a little sloppy in plot, and characters particularly those of Jordan's brother Ian, and her father seemed to take major personality U-turns that had little explanation.
The book was concluded in a way that left alot of characters dangling without explanation and without a point. The friendship between Jordan and her older friends seemed a little far fetched also. Also, as with Broken flower, some scenes in this book appear to be recycled from the Wildflowers miniseries, particularly Cat's story.
Overall, it wasn't bad enough for me to put the book down, and it did have some enjoyable suspensful moments throughout. But definately not one of V C Andrews best.

This book had many flaws, including discrepancies in Jordan's age and her surroundings. I didn't find myself falling in love with the characters as I did with other novels, and I felt that the end was sloppy. Some aspects of the plot were left undeveloped. I've read all of VC Andrews' books (and those of the ghostwriter), and this was definitely my least favorite.

So normally I am not a cheesy romance novel reader, but I LOVE Katie MacAlister books. This one I enjoyed much more than the previous one. The story was much funnier and the main characters were more realistic. You can really tell that her writing is improving with each Dark One novel. I will defiantly continue to read these book, and all other ones that this author puts out. As long as she continues with the great stories and comedy, I will be an avid MacAlister reader!

Katie MacAlister is a great paranormal/romance writer. I NEVER used to read romance, but loved vampire stories. Read my first Katie MacAllister book because it was about vampires (or 'Dark Ones'). I was hooked. She puts humor and sizzle together perfectly. The female characters are always strong, although at times awkward, clumsy or 'flawed' physically (at least in the characters mind). And the 'sizzle' is never a "no means yes", which is why I never read romance until I discovered Katie's books.

Impossible to put the book down. Instantly appealing and engaging story, revealing yet tasteful and seductive. Creative and catchy ^-^ Absolutly love it !!!

If you like mysterious vampires known as the Dark Ones, castles filled with treasure unlike any you can ever imagine, a heroine more content to translate obscure languages than work charms, and a supporting cast of imps, betrayers, and immortals, then SEX, LIES, AND VAMPIRES is definitely the book for you.

Nell Harris is the type of woman who delights in the old-namely, in ancient artifacts. A junior professor of medieval history in Seattle, she's been lured to the Czech Republic by Melissande Banacek to view the Holy Grail of her profession-the Graven Plate, a breastplate from a suit of armor made in the late 1300's at the castle of Churburg. A legend among medievalists, no one has ever laid eyes upon the interlocking plates that detail the history of a knight-errant. For Nell, this is the opportunity of a lifetime. Unfortunately, upon her arrival at the home of Ms. Banacek, she gets a little more than she bargained for.

Nell is not one to believe in paranormal beings or things that go bump in the night. So, when she spots a common Central European Imp in Melissande's living room, she's a little unnerved. When Melissande goes on to inform Nell that she's a Dark One, a Moravian vampire, Nell decides that the lady must be insane. Next, this strange lady goes on to tell her that Nell herself is a Charmer. A demon lord by the name of Asmodeus has taken Melissande's brother and nephew hostage, and a fellow vampire by the name of Adrian, whose also known as The Betrayer, is responsible for it all. Bound to Asmodeus by a curse, Melissande's brother and nephew cannot escape. Hence the need for Nell, who as a Charmer has the power and ability to charm the curse.

All would be easy if not for the fact that Nell has forgotten that ten years ago she actually believed in charms, curses, and her abilities. After a charm gone wrong killed her best friend, Nell buried herself in the past-and tangible evidence. Now she's been tricked into helping a boy who can only survive with her help-and in return, she'll have sole possession of the Graven Plate.

Greed and the desire for tenure may be the motivating factors at the start of her journey, but joining forces with Adrian, who isn't what she first thought him to be, is what keeps her going. There's more at stake than the release of a vampire and his son, and it's up to Nell and Adrian to combine their powers to rescue a society on the verge of collapse.

SEX, LIES, AND VAMPIRES is full of fun characters, quirky dialogue, and the redeeming power of love. This isn't the first book I've read by Ms. MacAlister featuring the Dark Ones, and it most certainly won't be my last. I love Ms. MacAlister's world of vampires and supernatural beings, and once you pick up one of her books, I'm sure you'll feel the same.

Katie Macalister has a ton of fans, so I'm thinking that maybe this book just wasn't for me. I'm a fan of the Anita Blake series, Mary Janice Davidson and Michelle Rowan so I though, hey let's give Sex Lies and Vampires a try.

I finished the whole book, but I couldn't get into it. There were some really great parts-- Mummies etc. Macalister can be terribly funny. The problem lies in the repitition and the dialouge. The characters seem empty and the story tended to repeat itself a lot. They spent a LOT of time traveling from one place to the next. Every couple chapters there was a "on the train" scene. AUGH!

Anyway, a gagillion fans can't be wrong-- Macalister is doing something right, and there is no denying she's a gifted writer... the story just wasn't for me.

It's hard to believe that this came from the mind and hands of Neil Gaiman. There is simply nothing here of any interest. It's been said in other reviews here that this simply suffers from comparison with Neil's better offerings, but I think this would fare poorly no matter who the author was. There is little mood, little characterization beyond obvious cliches, no atmosphere, no build up, no pay off. You will not be changed in any way after reading this, other than to have lost some of the time of your life.

This character from the Sandman series is not anywhere as good as the Sandman series. My advice - stick with the Sandman books.

Since Hazel has long been my favorite character in Sandman (yes, even over Death) I was happy to see a book starring her.

Her story arc shows that in her quiet, insecure way, Hazel is still loyal and even noble, and smart about the things which matter most. So I read and re-read my favorite Hazel moments, such as when she points out, to Foxglove's amazement, that they both really know what love is, or when Hazel tells Death (who is listening in a kindly older sister fashion) about protecting the memory of that first romantic moment. (It seems to me that the healing power of Hazel's devotion usually doesn't work as well in real life as it does here, but I do like a good story.)

If you are not a fan of Hazel or the Hazel/Foxglove relationship this is not for you. While I enjoyed it very much I would not give this to anyone not already familiar with Sandman.

I had to deduct a star for the title of this book and its companion: Death, the High Cost of Living and Death, the Time of Your Life, are so interchangeable that there are reviews here on Amazon for the opposite book. A title should help us remember what the story is about, and these only confuse. And I much prefer this one.

So I'll go find it and read it again soon.

I wasn't particularly impressed with "Death: The High Cost Of Living", which is the prequel to this book. The only reason I read this sequel is that I purchased both at the same time. Actually, I wound out liking this "Death" book better than the first, though it is less about Death and more about living.

Death has a little more power in this book, and is not as silly or giddy as before. Taking the side characters Foxglove and Hazel from "THCOL" and centering on them, this book continues with Foxglove's career taking off at a phenomenal pace. Hazel's baby Alvie is now born, and Hazel stays at home while Foxglove is out making appearances and records. On top of which, Foxglove has been advised by her manager not to reveal the nature of her lesbian relationship with Hazel.

But unknown to Foxglove, Hazel has made a deal with Death in her attempt to save Alvie's life. Foxglove is now not only going to have to choose between her family and her career, but also between life and death.

Three stars is still as high as I can go for this tale, and that is purely out of respect for Neil Gaimen. In all honesty, I dislike "touchy-feelie" books and this one has "syrup" written all over it, along with more cheesy song lyrics to be subjected to trying to finish the storyline. Gaimen's other works are much better, and if you like his books and his Sandman series, save these little "Death" graphic novels for last. They are not worthy of his other works and should be purchased only to fill in the holes in your collections.

You see, it's not that this is a mediocre work - it's definitely above average (hence the 3 out of 5 star rating) - it's just that we've been spoiled silly by the brilliant standard of writing, plotting, philosophy and character that Neil Gaiman so generously gave us through the epic run of his, 'Sandman,' series and when we come across a spin-off graphic novel that doesn't quite live up to that standard, of course we're going to be just a wee bit disappointed. With that being said, if you were a fan of the, 'Sandman,' series then you certainly dug the character of Death, and with that of course you have to read this volume as well. While the artwork is brilliant throughout (almost taking on a japanese manga look at times) the writing, sadly, just isn't quite up to snuff. Still, it's a slim enough book to make breezing through quite an effortless and pleasing experience.

I read this book to my fourth grade students every year. The storyline is exciting and enjoyable for students of all backgrounds. Bruce Coville writes this novel in a way that keeps the children engaged and always wanting more. Each chapter ends with a "cliffhanger", leading to choruses of "Read more! Read more!" The characters in this story are well-loved by myself, and my current and former students. They are all able to sing Igor's bear bopping song long after the last word is read. This is an absolutely fantastic book~one of Bruce Coville's best!

Goblins In the Castle

What would you do if you found a secret passage in your room that led down to a dungeon filled with evil marauding goblins?

Goblins in the Castle is about a boy who does just that. He opens a door he shouldn't, letting out the spirits of a Goblin army. Now he needs to leave the castle and take down the goblins for good. During his adventure he meets people and asks if they will join in his great adventure to defeat the goblins. Oh, did I mention his best friend is a hunchback who whacks people with his teddy bear?

Goblins in the Castle was written by Bruce Coville and illustrated by Katherine Coville. Bruce has written many books you might know like: "Space Brat" and "My Teacher is An Alien."

THE GOBLINS IN THE CASTLE

By: Bruce Coville
The book I'm doing this report on is The Goblins in the Castle. It's about a boy named William, a girl named Fuana, and a thing named Igor. In the book William lived in a castle and finds a hidden passage and meets Igor. On Halloween he accidentally let the goblins out of the north tower. Igor said they needed to see Granny Pinch Bottoms. They go and on the way Igor was stolen by goblins and William falls in a pit and meets Fuana, then goes to Granny Pinch Bottom, she gives him items to save the goblin's land. He went and did what she told him and saves goblin land.
I think William is the kind of kid that just wants some attention. He is brave to do what he's told. He's friendly to his friends. He's kind of crazy.
The problem was William opened the north tower door and let the goblins out. Another one is that he doesn't know what to do. The most important one is trying to find the courage to save the goblins.
The solution was the goblins roamed free because William made them good. He finds out what to do from Granny Pinch Bottom. He finds the courage by figuring out what at stake.
I would recommend this book to people that likes a good mystery. I would rate it at a five star book and because it's cool.

I first purchased this book when I was seven years old at a school book fair because I was raised by my father on The Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings and the cover, title and description looked cool.

I remember vividly being in second grade and being absolutely tantalized by the day or two it took for me to finish it. It was just a wonderful tale of charming adventure that immediately struck the right chord with me. I'm 21 years old now and I still find myself taking time every year or so to pick up the very copy of the book I purchased when I was 7 to re-aquaint myself with the characters and the adventure and the feeling of being so completely absorbed with a story that can't really be captured beyond grammar school levels that the rest of the world doesn't matter.

This book has stood the test of time for me. It served as a fantastical escape when I was a wee lad and can still provide that exact same charm now as I finish college that I don't believe I'll ever be able to find anywhere else.

Stellar book that will do nothing but encourage young people to read; it's something that's really needed today.

This is a great book. I have read it to my 4th and 5th grade students and to my own children and they have all loved it. It has just the right mix of "scary" and funny to keep the reader's (or listener's!) interest. This book is not one of Bruce Coville's best known stories, but once you read it, it WILL be one of your favorites!

After reading many intriguing vampire stories, and many stories of the Highlands (most notably, the "Outlander" series by Diana Gabaldon), the only way to categorize this is "fluff". The feel of the Highlands is glancing and repetitive, and the horror level is mild. There is just too much of the trashy romance novel here for my taste.

Of course, as everyone's taste is different, your mileage may vary.

"Kiss of the Vampire" by Hannah Howell. In 1478 at court Janklyn MacNachton sees Efrica Callen for the first time in three years and realizes he still desires her. When two lords accost Efrica, he intercedes. She makes it clear she wants him, but he offers this wealthy heiress nothing but darkness that will eventually become the light that he sees deep in her soul.

"His Eternal Bride" by Adrienne Basso. In 1321 Anaxandra watches the wonderful Highlander lead his men to a slaughter of the English. Afterward the creature of the night slips into his keep and has her way him. The McCloskey clan blames the death of their chieftain on his bride Callum. They lock her away in an isolated tower where she dreams of seeing her beloved once more. As she begins to believe he still lives in a shadowy place, Callum debates joining him in his realm.

"To Tame the Beast" by Deborah Raleigh. Bane the Beast of MacDonnell is cursed to live a lonely existence so he forces each generation of the Foster clan to give him the oldest daughter when she turns twenty-one. Kathryn will be the next sacrifice shortly, but her younger sister Isobella challenges Bane to leave them alone, but is stunned to find a handsome man rather than a monster. He is shocked that the lass will do what no warrior has done in centuries get into his face and no woman ever before get into his heart.

These are three delightfully biting vampiric historical Scottish romances that will leave the audience thirsting for more bloodsucking hunks and passionate women who tame the beasts.

Harriet Klausner

I really liked this book. It was the first vampire, historical, romance novel that I read and now I can not find enough of them. If you enjoy historical romance with a twist you will enjoy this book.

A novel approach to the role playing game, that was quite successful, with a different feel, style and mechanism. Vampires are a popular theme, and this had more crossover appeal to more of the population it seemed than something like Dungeons and Dragons, so a definite breakthrough at the time this was produced.

This was the first version of Vampire that I played, and I absolutly love it. Yes, the dice is a little confusing, but as with all systems, it all comes down to how each individual player chooses to interact with the system. My favorite part of the system is the merit/flaw system that allows characters to have twice as much depth as some other systems.

Ok, here's the honest deal. Some people love this game above all others. Others hate it. There are few people in the middle ground. I am certainly in the middle on this one. I will play Vampire if I am invited to a game, but there have been multiple times when I was unsatisfied. Typically, I play Malkies or Setites. That comment right there will probably stop most hard-core Masquerade fans from reading the rest of this review, but these are the clans that interest me.

Ok, on the mechanics. A storyteller, and even players, need to know the White Wolf D10 system pretty well to run any of their Storyteller games properly. This becomes more true with Vampire, because this is one of the few games with huge amounts of social powers to listen in on distant conversations, dominate another person's mind or make them love you, or even drive them mad with a glance. With perhaps the exception of Changling, no other White Wolf game requires so many roles in non-combat situations. I do consider this a weakness to some extent since it really does slow down game sessions considerably while the two parties roll, and inevitably counter-attack, and so forth. Frankly, it does seem like there is a roll for everything in Vampire, which is not really the case for many of White Wolf's other storyteller system games.

On the plus side, this game has an amazing backstory. From the fall of man, and more specifically Cain, to modern nights, the history is great. It ties in things from actual history that make this stuff seem almost believable. The only problem I have with this is, to get most of that history you need to shell out some hard cash to get the supplement material. You can easily find yourself lost or just relying on another player on points of Vampire history and society most of the time. Some more development in the base book on this deep history and culture would be appreciated. That said, as long as the ST of your home game is aware of this information, you should be fine.

A comment on the players of this game is needed. A number of reviews have been blasted because they discussed the players being goths or just in general complained about the players. It is a valid point, however. You can't play Vampire by yourself. That is called day-dreaming. Many of the players are devoted fans with deep knowledge of their clans' histories and can tell you all didn't want to know about them. This is not a real problem, but for a new player it can be very daunting. I was fortunate that my first game only had two such people, and one was the ST. If you are the only new player in the game, however, be afraid.

I should also point out, since most of the negative reviews complain about LARPing, this is NOT the Vampire: the Masquerade LARP manual. Go look for Minds Eye Theatre stuff. This is the table top version. If you are more comfortable sitting around a table with your friends with chips and pizza somewhere, this is the version for you.

This game is part of a larger world created by White Wolf. The meta-plot of the World of Darkness has many other games in it. If Vampire isn't your cup of suspiciously red and thick tea, but you enjoy the world or the system, try looking into the other games. Werewolf: the Apocalypse is great for combat oriented folk in defense of nature. Mage: the Ascension is a deep thinking look at subjective reality. Changling: the Dreaming is a call to return imagination to the world. The list goes on. White Wolf's games are not like D&D or some other RPGs. What game you play gives your character preset goals. There are stereotypes, especially in Vampire, to play with. If you haven't tried one of these games yet, Vampire is a good starting place, but if pseudo-political drama-queen blood-suckers ain't your style, move on down the list until you find something you love.

I wasn't a vampire player at first in fact a freind and I were at each others throats for a while over the diferences between mage and vampire. but after taking a closer look at the two games I have come to realize that they coenside with each other quite well and are very easily mixed together.

And as for the stupid assumptions of this Jonnhy traunt character he probably hasn't even played the system under a descent game master. His arguments are pethetic as well and heres why.


1)you are of course going to run into a lot of gothic players. if he read the book then he would know that it says you are playing in the gothic punk world of darkness on page# 28 the paragraph labled in BIG BOLD LETERS stating "Gothic punk isperhaps the best way to describe the physical nature of the World of Darkness". So thus endeth that stupid assumption. I think I speek for all of Us Goths out there Christian Goth or not that this is definatly a Highly goth game and that this guy has just insulted the population of Goths.

2) Munchkins, Power gamers, Rules lawers, and Dicers are all varyiants that the Game master should have to syphon through. I know this because I am A GM for vampire, Mage, Werewolf, Shadowrun, and heros unlimited. It even states in the GMs guide that the GM has to take care of that problem and Either remove them or deal with it. Note that comprimises are acceptable.

3) This game is set for mature gamers not for beginners. This jonnhy guy really must of started with it and thought that its rules were to complex. Wrong the rule are simple. you just gotta be smart.

So last Dont take any of the whining gibering of Jonnhy truant. BUY THIS BOOK. Oh yeah and Jonnhy be smarter than the equipment you opperate, or, in this case learn to read the whole book before you try to give a stupid opinion that has no good reasoning. can we say hollow?....... Come on I know you can do it. never mind.


To the rest of you i leave this


Life is short, But death is eternal.

This is not a white wolf book, rather it is the conversion rules for people who are interested in playing vampire but not in learning a new system and who are already competent with the GURPS rules. If you are new to role playing and want to play a vampire then I suggest you find the world of darkness rules for this game as they are more expansive and complex.

However, if you already know GURPS and are interested in playing a vampire then I strongly suggest this book. The rules are clearly laid out for people to read and understand. Though it is not a stand alone product, it's not trying to be. And it allows people who like WOD but who don't want to learn a new system to use a system they already know to play it.

For those unfamiliar with vampire I'll do my best to give a rough over view. There are many different types of vampires known as Clans. Each clan has separate special powers which give them an edge up on one another. Some people find this system to be stereotype based, I have found, however, that the point is not to play a typical Brujah, Tremere, Venture, Lasombra or Toreador (just to name a few), but rather to create one who falls with in the lines of the clan but also is a unique individual. The Storyteller then guides the players though an advanture just like any other roleplaying game.

As for the format of the book it is a bit confusing for those who aren't used to the way White Wolf sets up books. Unlike most WOD books, however, the index is surprising useful and can be used to find just about everything that is needed in the book. I do suggest the use of sticky notes for some sections as quick reference or your can write in the margins if you don't mind writing in books.

One last thing for those with young children, Vampire is an intense rather dark game. It's not happy or light and fluffy. The plays are playing vampires who do kill people, and it is a horror based game. The book is dark and intense and probably not suitable for children under the age of 14.