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Vampire: The Masquerade: Clan Novel #2
Clan Novel: Tzimisce
"The ""Dark"" in the World of Darkness "RM" Rhymes with ""The Meat Sea"". It began with Clan Novel: Toreador "TM"; a 13-novel series concerning the Kindred. This series comprises the biggest event in the history of the World of Darkness -- and this is only the second book This epic series of over one million words will reveal the secrets of the vampires' hidden world, from the smallest detail to the grandest marvel. The Nosferatu's apparent scheme to put the Eye of Hazimel into the hands of the Setite, Vegel, will decide the fates of Kindred legions and determine the future of the Camarilla and Sabbat -- the sects engaged in a massive war along the entire East Coast. And that's pretty much what the Sabbat thinks of humanity. Each novel in this series features a member of one of the 13 vampire clans. Clan Novel: Tzimisce introduces the Sabbat side of the conflict through Sascha Vykos, a depraved and incredibly powerful night-predator. A war along the American East Coast erupts as the Sabbat launches relentless attacks against Camarilla-held cities".
273 pages, Paperback
First published April 1, 1999
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December 17, 2023
https://beforewegoblog.com/review-cla...
CLAN NOVEL: TZIMISCE is the second novel in the Clan Novel series by White Wolf games. Originally published in 1999, it and the rest of the series have been reprinted for their 20th anniversary by Crossroad Press. They're available in a new trade paperback edition and Kindle format. I remember reading these back when I was 18 years old, a Goth kid in Kentucky, and so edgy that you could shave with me. Sisters of Mercy was the coolest, ooo! So, do the books hold up two decades later? Let's find out.
The premise of the Clan Novels is the evil Sabbat, vampire terrorists, have invaded Atlanta, Georgia in order to take it from their rivals in Camarilla. The Camarilla is only marginally better than the Sabbat in overall moral terms but are far less violent, sadistic, and gross. The Sabbat aren't stopping at the conquest of Atlanta, though. They plan to move on throughout Georgia, the Carolinas, and even into Washington D.C.
Whereas CLAN NOVEL: TOREADOR followed the beginning of the invasion from the perspective of the humane (seeming) Camarilla, Clan Novel: Tzimsice gives us the perspective of the Sabbat. We see their Crusade from the grunts on the ground to the behind the scenes plotting of its leaders as well as bits from Tzimisce signature character Sascha Vykos.
Sascha Vykos is a character who has undergone a series of revisions across her 20 year history. A member of the mortal House Tremere of magi 800 years ago, she was a transwoman in the Dark Ages who was embraced by their rivals in the Tzimisce. The clan of flesh-crafters allowed her to become the way she wanted to be and indulge her transhuman impulses but was somewhat troubled by the fact the Tzimisce clan was also the most inhuman, sadistic, and overtly evil vampires in the setting (aside from the Baali).
The character of Vykos was revisited in Beckett's Jyhad Diary in 2018 with some smart souls realizing that maybe it wasn't the best idea to have the most prominent trans character in the setting being a flesh-mutilating torture master. Sascha was revealed to have been mind-controlled by a much-older and more evil Methuselah (The Dracon) and finally freed herself from its control. She wasn't a good person by any stretch of the imagination but was no longer a shock character. But how was Vykos treated in this book? Surprisingly well.
Eric Griffin doesn't require much adjustment as the Sascha Vykos presented in this book isn't played for shock value but presented as a powerful dangerous vampire woman. I suspect Eric may have picked up on the Unfortunate ImplicationsTM better than other writers and chose to make her a respectable villain. Sascha is always referred to as a woman, takes the form of Elizabeth Bathory for the entirety of the book, and is probably the most "respectable" Sabbat in the story. So, kudos to you, Eric.
Vykos is a terrible person who plays sadistic games with the rest of the characters in the book but there's a panache to the character as she tricks a Assamite into lowering his guard long enough for her to kill him, manipulates her rivals into destroying themselves, and manages to bring down the defenses of Atlanta without sacrificing any of her pawns. She even manages to bring down Marcus Vitel, the most powerful Kindred in the New World, though that would prove to be a temporary victory. I quite enjoyed the flirtacious letters between her and Vitel as the two ancient vampires enjoyed a duel of intellectual equals.
The rest of the Tzimisce in the book are less impressive as it is shown the Sabbat are a crude, cultureless band vampires more at home in From Dusk til Dawn or Near Dark than Interview with a Vampire. If you're looking for a work that portrays the Sabbat in a morally ambiguous or even heroic light then this is far from it. They're constantly at each other's throats, betray each other at the drop of a hat, and indulge in sick torture games as a matter of course. They even kill one of the Black Sisters from D.C. by Night and that's a shame since they were among my favorite NPCs.
Strangely, my favorite character in this book is Victoria Ash rather than any of the Tzimisce. The poor Toreador Primogen of Atlanta has only a small role but she is struggling to keep her sanity while being tortured by a vampire who has adopted the appearance of a Picasso abstract. Certainly, it's easier to root for the victim of torture to escape rather than the person doing the torture.
In conclusion, this isn't my favorite of the Clan Novels and if you're a fan of the intellectual inhumanity of the Sabbat then you'll be disappointed. They're closer to Warhammer 40K Orks and a band of psychotic soccer hooligans with a few geniuses leading them. Vykos maintains her dignity throughout the book, though, and this is an important set up for future volumes. As bad as the Camarilla is, we understand why they need to win along with the Anarchs. The Sabbat winning would be a complete disaster for humanity.
CLAN NOVEL: TZIMISCE is the second novel in the Clan Novel series by White Wolf games. Originally published in 1999, it and the rest of the series have been reprinted for their 20th anniversary by Crossroad Press. They're available in a new trade paperback edition and Kindle format. I remember reading these back when I was 18 years old, a Goth kid in Kentucky, and so edgy that you could shave with me. Sisters of Mercy was the coolest, ooo! So, do the books hold up two decades later? Let's find out.
The premise of the Clan Novels is the evil Sabbat, vampire terrorists, have invaded Atlanta, Georgia in order to take it from their rivals in Camarilla. The Camarilla is only marginally better than the Sabbat in overall moral terms but are far less violent, sadistic, and gross. The Sabbat aren't stopping at the conquest of Atlanta, though. They plan to move on throughout Georgia, the Carolinas, and even into Washington D.C.
Whereas CLAN NOVEL: TOREADOR followed the beginning of the invasion from the perspective of the humane (seeming) Camarilla, Clan Novel: Tzimsice gives us the perspective of the Sabbat. We see their Crusade from the grunts on the ground to the behind the scenes plotting of its leaders as well as bits from Tzimisce signature character Sascha Vykos.
Sascha Vykos is a character who has undergone a series of revisions across her 20 year history. A member of the mortal House Tremere of magi 800 years ago, she was a transwoman in the Dark Ages who was embraced by their rivals in the Tzimisce. The clan of flesh-crafters allowed her to become the way she wanted to be and indulge her transhuman impulses but was somewhat troubled by the fact the Tzimisce clan was also the most inhuman, sadistic, and overtly evil vampires in the setting (aside from the Baali).
The character of Vykos was revisited in Beckett's Jyhad Diary in 2018 with some smart souls realizing that maybe it wasn't the best idea to have the most prominent trans character in the setting being a flesh-mutilating torture master. Sascha was revealed to have been mind-controlled by a much-older and more evil Methuselah (The Dracon) and finally freed herself from its control. She wasn't a good person by any stretch of the imagination but was no longer a shock character. But how was Vykos treated in this book? Surprisingly well.
Eric Griffin doesn't require much adjustment as the Sascha Vykos presented in this book isn't played for shock value but presented as a powerful dangerous vampire woman. I suspect Eric may have picked up on the Unfortunate ImplicationsTM better than other writers and chose to make her a respectable villain. Sascha is always referred to as a woman, takes the form of Elizabeth Bathory for the entirety of the book, and is probably the most "respectable" Sabbat in the story. So, kudos to you, Eric.
Vykos is a terrible person who plays sadistic games with the rest of the characters in the book but there's a panache to the character as she tricks a Assamite into lowering his guard long enough for her to kill him, manipulates her rivals into destroying themselves, and manages to bring down the defenses of Atlanta without sacrificing any of her pawns. She even manages to bring down Marcus Vitel, the most powerful Kindred in the New World, though that would prove to be a temporary victory. I quite enjoyed the flirtacious letters between her and Vitel as the two ancient vampires enjoyed a duel of intellectual equals.
The rest of the Tzimisce in the book are less impressive as it is shown the Sabbat are a crude, cultureless band vampires more at home in From Dusk til Dawn or Near Dark than Interview with a Vampire. If you're looking for a work that portrays the Sabbat in a morally ambiguous or even heroic light then this is far from it. They're constantly at each other's throats, betray each other at the drop of a hat, and indulge in sick torture games as a matter of course. They even kill one of the Black Sisters from D.C. by Night and that's a shame since they were among my favorite NPCs.
Strangely, my favorite character in this book is Victoria Ash rather than any of the Tzimisce. The poor Toreador Primogen of Atlanta has only a small role but she is struggling to keep her sanity while being tortured by a vampire who has adopted the appearance of a Picasso abstract. Certainly, it's easier to root for the victim of torture to escape rather than the person doing the torture.
In conclusion, this isn't my favorite of the Clan Novels and if you're a fan of the intellectual inhumanity of the Sabbat then you'll be disappointed. They're closer to Warhammer 40K Orks and a band of psychotic soccer hooligans with a few geniuses leading them. Vykos maintains her dignity throughout the book, though, and this is an important set up for future volumes. As bad as the Camarilla is, we understand why they need to win along with the Anarchs. The Sabbat winning would be a complete disaster for humanity.
October 31, 2017
This review assumes the person has read the first book.
Starting off a few days before the "Summer Solstice Party" thrown by Victoria Ash, the plot delves into the Sabbat (a powerful sect that would rather enslave humanity than live in its shadows) side of events. The Sabbat Archbishops from New York (Francisco Domingo de Polonia) and Miami (Borges) gather to discuss a coalition between their powers. They are caught off guard and immediately suspicious when a European Cardinal (Ambrosio Luis Monçada) suddenly takes an interest in assisting, sending "Lady" Sascha Vykos (a priscus) as representative.
As far as plot, I found this book to be satisfactory. A major improvement was that, unlike the last book, there were no "tangent" perspectives that added nothing to the established plot (i.e., Benito Giovanni from the last book). Any one-shot perspective provided by a chapter added to the overall worldbuilding and atmosphere, letting us know what is happening in smaller cities surrounding Atlanta. The book really starts to shine when Vykos begins to get her own perspective chapters, as she is very well written and interesting (albeit depraved and monstrous). I was a little bit disappointed that we don't get a chance to delve into her backstory (when she was a castrati he), but honestly you know you're in for an interesting read when you see Vykos on the first page. Characters from either side of the Atlantic have an interesting Old World VS New World dynamic among the Sabbat, but this dynamic falls off the radar frequently.
As far as technique, Griffin's writing is much more parsimonious than the last author. The story flowed, we touched base briefly with some characters from the last book, and we get to know the perspective of the attackers concerning the raid on the Camarilla. With the exception to Vykos and a certain character returning from last book, I felt like the characters were mostly flat and caricature-like. There is one character that is obviously written for some tongue-in-cheek humor that I didn't mind.
The level of violence in this novel is greater than the last. It's unsurprising since Tzimice are known for callously molding tissue and bone with their Vicissitude discipline. Also, the Sabbat treat humans (and each other) like objects rather than living things, so a few body pieces lying around here and there is to be expected. I didn't really find it all that disturbing, to be honest, as the people who engage (as well as the victims) in this level of violence are very caricature-like and thus I wasn't motivated to care. Gross? Yes. Disturbing? Not really. After a while it really felt overly gratuitous.
There are a couple of times we get to see Vicissitude "magic" in action, or, at least, the aftermath of it. Griffin made a really smart choice here in describing just enough to let us know a little about what is going on, augmented it further with dialogue, and then let our imaginations run wild with it. At a couple of points I was confused about what a person had been "sculpted" into, figuring I would never know. But in every instance you always find out.
The one glaring error with this novel (among a sea of positives) is the use of perspective. In scenes with a lot of characters present the narrative switches from 3rd person omniscient to some kind of hybrid between 3rd person limited and omniscient. We read the thoughts of multiple people in the room, but not consistently at all. For example, the lines of dialogue in one Sabbat meeting is interrupted by the thought of a vampire that she likes the looks of another's pink eyes. We hear nothing else from this character. It was just odd and awkward and prevalent in scenes with multiple characters.
I understand the thought that maybe broadening the narrative perspective allows the read to know more, but I would argue it lets you know less. One passing thought from a plethora of characters in a room is less informative than a single person observing all these people and forming his own thoughts. I will say that in these scenes there are no primary perspectives, but the jump to 3rd person (no main character) to limited (hearing people's thoughts) is really something and editor should have caught. A suggestion to make this kind of thing work, though, would have been to focus on a vampire in the room with the ability to read minds (such as one with high level Auspex)
In sum, this was an easy read and much more polished than the last book. Lady Sascha Vykos shines and I hope we get to hear more from her in the future. The characterization is a bit weak, the level of carnage and violence ended up as unimpactful gratuity, and the Sabbat is essentially portrayed as Chaotic Evil. A little more gray on the morality scale would have done wonders for this novel.
Starting off a few days before the "Summer Solstice Party" thrown by Victoria Ash, the plot delves into the Sabbat (a powerful sect that would rather enslave humanity than live in its shadows) side of events. The Sabbat Archbishops from New York (Francisco Domingo de Polonia) and Miami (Borges) gather to discuss a coalition between their powers. They are caught off guard and immediately suspicious when a European Cardinal (Ambrosio Luis Monçada) suddenly takes an interest in assisting, sending "Lady" Sascha Vykos (a priscus) as representative.
As far as plot, I found this book to be satisfactory. A major improvement was that, unlike the last book, there were no "tangent" perspectives that added nothing to the established plot (i.e., Benito Giovanni from the last book). Any one-shot perspective provided by a chapter added to the overall worldbuilding and atmosphere, letting us know what is happening in smaller cities surrounding Atlanta. The book really starts to shine when Vykos begins to get her own perspective chapters, as she is very well written and interesting (albeit depraved and monstrous). I was a little bit disappointed that we don't get a chance to delve into her backstory (when she was a castrati he), but honestly you know you're in for an interesting read when you see Vykos on the first page. Characters from either side of the Atlantic have an interesting Old World VS New World dynamic among the Sabbat, but this dynamic falls off the radar frequently.
As far as technique, Griffin's writing is much more parsimonious than the last author. The story flowed, we touched base briefly with some characters from the last book, and we get to know the perspective of the attackers concerning the raid on the Camarilla. With the exception to Vykos and a certain character returning from last book, I felt like the characters were mostly flat and caricature-like. There is one character that is obviously written for some tongue-in-cheek humor that I didn't mind.
The level of violence in this novel is greater than the last. It's unsurprising since Tzimice are known for callously molding tissue and bone with their Vicissitude discipline. Also, the Sabbat treat humans (and each other) like objects rather than living things, so a few body pieces lying around here and there is to be expected. I didn't really find it all that disturbing, to be honest, as the people who engage (as well as the victims) in this level of violence are very caricature-like and thus I wasn't motivated to care. Gross? Yes. Disturbing? Not really. After a while it really felt overly gratuitous.
There are a couple of times we get to see Vicissitude "magic" in action, or, at least, the aftermath of it. Griffin made a really smart choice here in describing just enough to let us know a little about what is going on, augmented it further with dialogue, and then let our imaginations run wild with it. At a couple of points I was confused about what a person had been "sculpted" into, figuring I would never know. But in every instance you always find out.
The one glaring error with this novel (among a sea of positives) is the use of perspective. In scenes with a lot of characters present the narrative switches from 3rd person omniscient to some kind of hybrid between 3rd person limited and omniscient. We read the thoughts of multiple people in the room, but not consistently at all. For example, the lines of dialogue in one Sabbat meeting is interrupted by the thought of a vampire that she likes the looks of another's pink eyes. We hear nothing else from this character. It was just odd and awkward and prevalent in scenes with multiple characters.
I understand the thought that maybe broadening the narrative perspective allows the read to know more, but I would argue it lets you know less. One passing thought from a plethora of characters in a room is less informative than a single person observing all these people and forming his own thoughts. I will say that in these scenes there are no primary perspectives, but the jump to 3rd person (no main character) to limited (hearing people's thoughts) is really something and editor should have caught. A suggestion to make this kind of thing work, though, would have been to focus on a vampire in the room with the ability to read minds (such as one with high level Auspex)
In sum, this was an easy read and much more polished than the last book. Lady Sascha Vykos shines and I hope we get to hear more from her in the future. The characterization is a bit weak, the level of carnage and violence ended up as unimpactful gratuity, and the Sabbat is essentially portrayed as Chaotic Evil. A little more gray on the morality scale would have done wonders for this novel.
December 28, 2023
It took me quite a while to figure out why this wasn't a good book, and I got pretty close to blaming it on style but that would be like saying any painting that isn't oil is bad style. In fact, Griffin knows his style and he wields it well. So why the dull feeling after reading this?
The answer is obscured in bloodshed and violence: There is no conflict.
The Sabbat vampires decided to bulldoze over the Camarilla vampires, and that's that. The overarching promise-progress-success structure isn't working here, giving the reader a lot of juicy stuff to watch and interconnecting intrigues to wrack their brains over, but that's not enough to create that feeling of need-to-know what is coming next. The plot is lost with that lack of struggle.
All in all, this is a short story for the declared purpose of showcasing the Tzimisce. That's done well enough alright. But beyond that, I can't really recommend the read.
The answer is obscured in bloodshed and violence: There is no conflict.
The Sabbat vampires decided to bulldoze over the Camarilla vampires, and that's that. The overarching promise-progress-success structure isn't working here, giving the reader a lot of juicy stuff to watch and interconnecting intrigues to wrack their brains over, but that's not enough to create that feeling of need-to-know what is coming next. The plot is lost with that lack of struggle.
All in all, this is a short story for the declared purpose of showcasing the Tzimisce. That's done well enough alright. But beyond that, I can't really recommend the read.
April 28, 2010
I thought this book was okay. The beginning was really confusing in the way that I had no idea what was going on, since I didn't realize that the whole plot went back in time to a little bit before the second half of the last book. When I realized it, it made so much more sense!
After the book started making sense, I started liking it. My favorite character, now, has to be Vykos. She kind of reminds me of one of my really good friends in the way where she's always joking around and when she's serious, she's really scary. My favorite bit about her is that she's extremely persuasive. Paremides (SP?) hated her, and in the end, loved her because she was who she was and couldn't help but be loyal and feel like he was holding her back because of his "disloyalty".
I actually am really enjoying the series. I wouldn't recommend it people who are quick readers, since it was actually extremely difficult to rush through the book. There are too many details, too many characters and if one's too careless, it'd be like getting lost in translation and having to do things all over again because you messed up the first time. (It happened to me at least.) It took me forever and a day to finish it and now that I'm done, I'm not regretting a single word of this.
After the book started making sense, I started liking it. My favorite character, now, has to be Vykos. She kind of reminds me of one of my really good friends in the way where she's always joking around and when she's serious, she's really scary. My favorite bit about her is that she's extremely persuasive. Paremides (SP?) hated her, and in the end, loved her because she was who she was and couldn't help but be loyal and feel like he was holding her back because of his "disloyalty".
I actually am really enjoying the series. I wouldn't recommend it people who are quick readers, since it was actually extremely difficult to rush through the book. There are too many details, too many characters and if one's too careless, it'd be like getting lost in translation and having to do things all over again because you messed up the first time. (It happened to me at least.) It took me forever and a day to finish it and now that I'm done, I'm not regretting a single word of this.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 8, 2025
3 stars in the 5/10 sort of way.
Well-written in language, structure, and plot, but the constant racism gives it an undercurrent of white supremacy I'm not too fond of. Though I cannot confirm nor deny the validity of the cultural colloquialisms (as I am not from Latin America), they create a strange disparity between the refined Spaniard (Vallejo) and his 'darkly complected, red-haired' brother (Rojo, brightly named).
Women were also an issue in the novel. The only female characters in the novel — Eleanor, Victoria Ash, and Amber — lacked development, requiring constant assistance at the hands of men. Amber in particular deserved better but at least 'she had nice tits,' ey?
These elements in combination with the poor handling of the black characters results in the novel adopting a curiously ignorant tone. If the author rests solely on cultural elements to characterise their antagonists, then that is not a very good antagonist. Or author.
3 stars may be too generous but the author's ignorance was entertaining so they get a few points for amusement.
Well-written in language, structure, and plot, but the constant racism gives it an undercurrent of white supremacy I'm not too fond of. Though I cannot confirm nor deny the validity of the cultural colloquialisms (as I am not from Latin America), they create a strange disparity between the refined Spaniard (Vallejo) and his 'darkly complected, red-haired' brother (Rojo, brightly named).
Women were also an issue in the novel. The only female characters in the novel — Eleanor, Victoria Ash, and Amber — lacked development, requiring constant assistance at the hands of men. Amber in particular deserved better but at least 'she had nice tits,' ey?
These elements in combination with the poor handling of the black characters results in the novel adopting a curiously ignorant tone. If the author rests solely on cultural elements to characterise their antagonists, then that is not a very good antagonist. Or author.
3 stars may be too generous but the author's ignorance was entertaining so they get a few points for amusement.
June 28, 2018
This book was going to be a challenge for anyone to write -- the Tzimisce are by definition inhuman, difficult if not impossible to understand, and horrifically sadistic. It ultimately fell short of my hopes. The narrative jumps perspectives so often that it's difficult to identify a clear protagonist, or develop any level of real familiarity with any one of the multiple viewpoint characters. I was even a bit disappointed by the lack of horror aspects. There's gore, certainly, which should be expected from a Sabbat-viewpoint novel, but it didn't quite hit the level of surreal body horror I was hoping for. Sorry, bone spurs and weird piercings by themselves aren't evocative enough for me.
Also, don't bother with this unless you're familiar with the Vampire: The Masquerade setting. I can't imagine this being comprehensible to anyone who isn't.
Also, don't bother with this unless you're familiar with the Vampire: The Masquerade setting. I can't imagine this being comprehensible to anyone who isn't.
October 8, 2020
Even though the translation has a lot of flaws, this one was the best so far!
It was like a Clive Barker novel. Politics, gore, blood, twisted bones, flesh crafting...
And of course the best of all, the Lasombra! My favorite clan was part of the story.
I am an Autarkis, but the Sabbat of this novel made my Beast go woohoo!
Loved it! The Lasombra and this novel are, so far, my favorites!
It was like a Clive Barker novel. Politics, gore, blood, twisted bones, flesh crafting...
And of course the best of all, the Lasombra! My favorite clan was part of the story.
I am an Autarkis, but the Sabbat of this novel made my Beast go woohoo!
Loved it! The Lasombra and this novel are, so far, my favorites!
June 8, 2018
Full review here:
http://jamesgenrebooks.blogspot.com/2...
It's a well written, if mildly disturbing volume in the series. It does a good job of showing us what the Sabbat had been re-envisioned as in Revised.
http://jamesgenrebooks.blogspot.com/2...
It's a well written, if mildly disturbing volume in the series. It does a good job of showing us what the Sabbat had been re-envisioned as in Revised.
November 4, 2025
Okay, so I was going to rate this as either 3-star or 4-star. Mostly on the grounds that it was a fairly okay story that does not follow the basic premise that the series was suppose to be about
No amount of scenery goes unchewed
That one vampire that exited the art show with the evil eye would have been so much more of an entertaining hook, if we did not learn his story until the book that was about his clan. Have the rescue of Victoria be in the first book (and the later events of that clan in this event as well)... just have it be like a jigsaw puzzle. That would have gone so hard, if they actually did not chicken out
But it was actually page 170/171 that sold this book for me. Via tying the events of this comic into stuff in the real world
So, we all are aware that at a certain point, the Right-Wing political parties of the world were not the silly, dumb and dangerous parties they are right now. They, however, invited in Far-Right weirdos under the notion that it would be a mild shake up, and then stuff would go back to business as usual
The main reason the Sabat succeeded in this event is a bunch of Cameril(sp?) thought the Sabat functioned under the same rules as they did. The political manoeuvring of smaller younger vampires, invited the Sabat in--and it blew up in their faces. Thinking that they did the same sort of laws/rules and what not as the Cameril. Which, by definition of what the Sabat actually is... they do not follow the laws of the Cameril
This bit of information which was stated earlier in this book--but completely outright stated on the chapter starting at 170/171--and allows this to work as an oddly weirdly relevant type story
That bit of addition to the story allowed me to overlook its whole "not actually doing the gimmick"--especially with all the scenery that is being chewed. So much scenery chewing... om nom nom tasty scenery
No amount of scenery goes unchewed
That one vampire that exited the art show with the evil eye would have been so much more of an entertaining hook, if we did not learn his story until the book that was about his clan. Have the rescue of Victoria be in the first book (and the later events of that clan in this event as well)... just have it be like a jigsaw puzzle. That would have gone so hard, if they actually did not chicken out
But it was actually page 170/171 that sold this book for me. Via tying the events of this comic into stuff in the real world
So, we all are aware that at a certain point, the Right-Wing political parties of the world were not the silly, dumb and dangerous parties they are right now. They, however, invited in Far-Right weirdos under the notion that it would be a mild shake up, and then stuff would go back to business as usual
The main reason the Sabat succeeded in this event is a bunch of Cameril(sp?) thought the Sabat functioned under the same rules as they did. The political manoeuvring of smaller younger vampires, invited the Sabat in--and it blew up in their faces. Thinking that they did the same sort of laws/rules and what not as the Cameril. Which, by definition of what the Sabat actually is... they do not follow the laws of the Cameril
This bit of information which was stated earlier in this book--but completely outright stated on the chapter starting at 170/171--and allows this to work as an oddly weirdly relevant type story
That bit of addition to the story allowed me to overlook its whole "not actually doing the gimmick"--especially with all the scenery that is being chewed. So much scenery chewing... om nom nom tasty scenery
June 13, 2025
... how to start. how to begin. what can a person like me say about a book like this. I hate it? true. i loved sascha vykos? also true. vallejo was a fun character. yes. this book had no plot and no forward movement? also yes.
ur gonna have trans icon sascha vykos in ur novel and not have her cvnt so hard she can't cvnt any more??? ur gonna have TRANS ICON SASCHA VYKOS WHO CHUCKED HER HOG AT HARDESTAT IN UR NOVEL... and NOT HAVE HER SERVE the most EGREGIOUS AMOUNTS of CVNTY SLAY...
anyway. there was a weird torture scene with uhhh victoria ash, and that actively made me uncomfortable and mad. like it felt a little over gratuitous. leave my wife, victoria, ALONE. please and thank you.
thank god i don't have to deal with him again until the tremere novel. maybe gherbod fleming will save me from the horrors of this novel. and btw it's not the good type of horrors. i love horrors. but not these horrors.
ur gonna have trans icon sascha vykos in ur novel and not have her cvnt so hard she can't cvnt any more??? ur gonna have TRANS ICON SASCHA VYKOS WHO CHUCKED HER HOG AT HARDESTAT IN UR NOVEL... and NOT HAVE HER SERVE the most EGREGIOUS AMOUNTS of CVNTY SLAY...
anyway. there was a weird torture scene with uhhh victoria ash, and that actively made me uncomfortable and mad. like it felt a little over gratuitous. leave my wife, victoria, ALONE. please and thank you.
thank god i don't have to deal with him again until the tremere novel. maybe gherbod fleming will save me from the horrors of this novel. and btw it's not the good type of horrors. i love horrors. but not these horrors.
December 20, 2025
This book was a much stronger entry than Toreador was thanks in part to the introduction of Sascha Vykos.
Vykos is a more interesting and engaging character to follow than Leopold. I think it goes to show how poorly thought out the first book was that neither Leopold or Giovanni show up in this one despite taking up significant runtime.
Since the plot follows immediately from the first book we get a much greater perspective on the final 30% of the prior. The perspective of the Sabbat prior to the raid was interesting albeit confusing to follow initially with no buildup to so many new faces.
The focus around Vykos and Parmenides was a great showcase of the tzimisce. Victoria was the strongest character in Toreador so seeing her post raid was also great.
My main gripe with this series is that it can at times not reveal what clan a vampire is from which leaves me wondering how I should imagine them or speculate on their significance.
Vykos is a more interesting and engaging character to follow than Leopold. I think it goes to show how poorly thought out the first book was that neither Leopold or Giovanni show up in this one despite taking up significant runtime.
Since the plot follows immediately from the first book we get a much greater perspective on the final 30% of the prior. The perspective of the Sabbat prior to the raid was interesting albeit confusing to follow initially with no buildup to so many new faces.
The focus around Vykos and Parmenides was a great showcase of the tzimisce. Victoria was the strongest character in Toreador so seeing her post raid was also great.
My main gripe with this series is that it can at times not reveal what clan a vampire is from which leaves me wondering how I should imagine them or speculate on their significance.
February 8, 2025
“The truth be told, Vykos’s forces, as scattered and disorganized in victory as were the Camarilla in defeat…”
Thanks to the surprise Blitzkrieg forces of Madrid’s Cardinal Monçada, the American coast has fallen to the Sabbat! The Camarilla, what’s left of it, is on the run!
Reading about the Tzimisce was brutal and probably brought the book down to a three but I enjoyed enough of the rest to keep it at four stars.
“Vox populi, vox dei.
The voice of the people is the voice of God.”
Thanks to the surprise Blitzkrieg forces of Madrid’s Cardinal Monçada, the American coast has fallen to the Sabbat! The Camarilla, what’s left of it, is on the run!
Reading about the Tzimisce was brutal and probably brought the book down to a three but I enjoyed enough of the rest to keep it at four stars.
“Vox populi, vox dei.
The voice of the people is the voice of God.”
November 9, 2018
I am blogging the reviews to this whole series.
It starts here: http://pseudopod.org/2018/10/25/the-c...
And for this book:
http://pseudopod.org/2018/11/08/the-c...
It starts here: http://pseudopod.org/2018/10/25/the-c...
And for this book:
http://pseudopod.org/2018/11/08/the-c...
May 14, 2019
Much better written than the first novel in the series and well plotted, though the shift in perspective necessitated a low payoff for the open questions from the first novel. On the whole a better showing; though that's a pretty low bar.
February 6, 2020
A pesar de ser una novela corta la novela se hace larga, incurriendo en laaaargos pasajes de negociaciones e intrigas que muchas veces no quedan claras. Abusa de lo morboso y explícito no dejando muy poco a la imaginación. Los sabath son caricaturizados ridículamente, quedando como una estirpe de imbeciles que no saben más que resolver los asuntos decapitándose los unos a los otros, ante lo cual las efervescentes audiencias no hacen más que vitorear. Es una pena.
September 19, 2017
Sascha Vykos is my absolute favorite.
November 23, 2021
About as exciting as 300 pages of clubbing seals.
July 14, 2023
Sascha Vykos is a cool character and the premise of the book is interesting, but the pacing feels uneven and the plot kinda jumps around in a way that is sometimes unnecessarily difficult to follow.
July 16, 2016
The rest is at [
Night Mode Reading
]: War rages across the whole of East Coast. Blood is running dry, heads of power are thrown around as trophies, and the worst nightmares are running around in the night. If you stand still and look up, at times it seems whole buildings are moving, enclosing upon this or that target in the dark of night, made ever thicker so with shadows of Lasombra clan, as they shed their physical forms to stand as one against the enemy. War ghouls, several great feet tall. Spidery creatures with more legs and arms than one should ever need. Beings with no sense, no mind, nothing but will to go on and destroy until they can no longer do so. And all that nightmare slowly engulfed in the flames, flames that cleanse the city of this carnage. Amidst it all stands Sasha Vykos, one of the most powerful Tzimisce still alive, her shape barely human by her own will. Tonight Sabbat will triumph, and Camarilla shall fall. Gehenna shall come, and clean the night of vermin.
It’s a beautiful book that juggles politics and torture via chapters as they go. Main protagonist is one of the “bad guys“, which is just more interesting to follow. They seem to reason it all out so well, at times leaving the reader rooting for the wrong team, that is, until someone gets their bones molded like warm wax, or skin polished into marble-shine. I admit, I wasn’t a great fan of Tzimisce before, even knowing that Dracula is apparently of this clan, but now I think they’re indeed one interesting bunch. On top of that, we learn more of the people at power on the Camarilla side too, witnessing some unions happening right there on the battlefield, for the need to survive is far greater than the hate one might feel for the other. I give this book 4 out of 5 for now, that is mostly because of the final chapters, the intro chapters to Gangrel clan book. They seemed just a little more intense, and therefor – interesting. But be assured, this one is very well among my favorites now.
It’s a beautiful book that juggles politics and torture via chapters as they go. Main protagonist is one of the “bad guys“, which is just more interesting to follow. They seem to reason it all out so well, at times leaving the reader rooting for the wrong team, that is, until someone gets their bones molded like warm wax, or skin polished into marble-shine. I admit, I wasn’t a great fan of Tzimisce before, even knowing that Dracula is apparently of this clan, but now I think they’re indeed one interesting bunch. On top of that, we learn more of the people at power on the Camarilla side too, witnessing some unions happening right there on the battlefield, for the need to survive is far greater than the hate one might feel for the other. I give this book 4 out of 5 for now, that is mostly because of the final chapters, the intro chapters to Gangrel clan book. They seemed just a little more intense, and therefor – interesting. But be assured, this one is very well among my favorites now.
January 4, 2020
This is a review as a fan of the source material:
It’s hard to give a fair evaluation of something like this as I was quite in love of the source material around the time that the novel was originally published. I feel as though it completely captured the Sabbat and the Tzcemice in all their monstrous glory and it paired expertly against the pompous posturing of the previous novel and the Toreador. Like he precious novel it also captured the sentiments and powers of the clans organically and some times horrifically without it feeling as if it read “And then she used Animalism with a power crit so she can summon animals in a 90 mile radius”
Likewise, the characters are more engaging without the often times tiring wandering prose of Toreador, with Vykos being my favorite. There’s also a great incorporation of the world’s flavor with passing conversations being filled with secret innuendos lovers of the original edifice can enjoy and predict what will happen accordingly. I’m not sure how much of the rating is for the novel itself and how much is just because it improved over the last but if you enjoyed the last one you will undoubtedly enjoy this one.
It’s hard to give a fair evaluation of something like this as I was quite in love of the source material around the time that the novel was originally published. I feel as though it completely captured the Sabbat and the Tzcemice in all their monstrous glory and it paired expertly against the pompous posturing of the previous novel and the Toreador. Like he precious novel it also captured the sentiments and powers of the clans organically and some times horrifically without it feeling as if it read “And then she used Animalism with a power crit so she can summon animals in a 90 mile radius”
Likewise, the characters are more engaging without the often times tiring wandering prose of Toreador, with Vykos being my favorite. There’s also a great incorporation of the world’s flavor with passing conversations being filled with secret innuendos lovers of the original edifice can enjoy and predict what will happen accordingly. I’m not sure how much of the rating is for the novel itself and how much is just because it improved over the last but if you enjoyed the last one you will undoubtedly enjoy this one.
November 3, 2025
4⭐️
Significantly more enjoyable than the first book and retrospectively made the first book worth it. I enjoyed the writing style of this author far more as well.
Things happen in this book, people die, and it gets a lot darker. It doesn’t suffer nearly as much as the first book as far as a slow beginning but I still think some of it could have been condensed down.
I read somewhere that this (or any of the clan novels) could be read with out reading the other books, which I do think is true somewhat, but the experience is enhanced by reading the Toreador clan novel first. I anticipate a similar situation with the rest of the novels.
I still would not recommend this series to people who aren’t already a fan. I question if a newbie to the IP would be able to understand the systems of government, the various clans, sects, and lore not be confused. It doesn’t really bother explaining any of it, I assume because it assumes you already know from playing the TTRPG.
Significantly more enjoyable than the first book and retrospectively made the first book worth it. I enjoyed the writing style of this author far more as well.
Things happen in this book, people die, and it gets a lot darker. It doesn’t suffer nearly as much as the first book as far as a slow beginning but I still think some of it could have been condensed down.
I read somewhere that this (or any of the clan novels) could be read with out reading the other books, which I do think is true somewhat, but the experience is enhanced by reading the Toreador clan novel first. I anticipate a similar situation with the rest of the novels.
I still would not recommend this series to people who aren’t already a fan. I question if a newbie to the IP would be able to understand the systems of government, the various clans, sects, and lore not be confused. It doesn’t really bother explaining any of it, I assume because it assumes you already know from playing the TTRPG.
August 28, 2009
This is a clan novel from White Wolf's popular vampire gaming system. The Tzimisce are a monstrous clan of vampires, able to shift both flesh and bones of themselves and others. This is not a painless process when performed on others it seems.
The main concept of the book is that a number of vampires are lashing out at their enemies to vie for power in the United States. The politics, power plays, and violence that erupts consumes the lives of numerous humans and vampires alike.
This wasn't a bad read. I went through it in a few days. Fans of the game should definitely check it out.
The main concept of the book is that a number of vampires are lashing out at their enemies to vie for power in the United States. The politics, power plays, and violence that erupts consumes the lives of numerous humans and vampires alike.
This wasn't a bad read. I went through it in a few days. Fans of the game should definitely check it out.
January 26, 2023
El personaje de Sascha Vykos es uno de los más interesantes de toda la galería de Vampiro. Nacida como Myca Vykos, un hombre de Constantinopla, sus disciplinas como Tzimisce dan una definición completamente nueva al concepto de "género fluido". En esta novela podemos encontrar detalles de uno de sus planes más importantes en las noches previas a la llegada de la supuesta Gehenna.
Como siempre, cualquier público puede disfrutar de la acción de esta saga, pero solo los fans de Vampiro: La Mascarada, el juego de rol, le sacarán toda su vitae.
Como siempre, cualquier público puede disfrutar de la acción de esta saga, pero solo los fans de Vampiro: La Mascarada, el juego de rol, le sacarán toda su vitae.
June 17, 2014
Continuing to build on top of the chaos that ensued from the last book, this one focuses on giving us a look at the enemy of the Camarilla, the Sabbat. It does so to some success. The main character, Sasha Vykos, indeed steals the spotlight as the most exciting bits occur when she is the focus of the story, making all other occurrences seem like just random background plotlines that one does not want to care about at this point.
June 28, 2013
I love the Tzimisce, they are my trophy clan. The fiends, the philosophical yet homicidal psychopaths. They torture, they scheme, they rule, they plot. At the end of it all, I feel they are the strongest of all the clans and this book touches base on all the reasons they are so feared and respected of the clans. As the backbone (literally) of the Sabbat, they strive to make the Camarilla fall and will do so with swift wings of death. Eager to see what else they will do.
February 4, 2015
La novela del clan Toreador no fue muy genial, pero aquí cambio todo. El punto de vista caótico que tiene el Sabbat es genial. Leer como ellos crean sus planes y los llevan a cabo sometiendo a La Camarilla me encantó, y ver qué tan lejos llevan los Tzimice sus cambios en sus cuerpos y qué tan diferentes son a sus hermanos los La sombra es espectacular. Seguiré con la novela del Clan Gangrel, uno de mis clanes favoritos.
January 17, 2013
Reseña completa en mi blog:
http://drdeadwish.blogspot.com/2013/0...
Una novela adulta y sangrienta. Una buena introducción al Sabbat y una sorpresa para mí, que tenía otra visión más civilizada del clan Tzimisce.
http://drdeadwish.blogspot.com/2013/0...
Una novela adulta y sangrienta. Una buena introducción al Sabbat y una sorpresa para mí, que tenía otra visión más civilizada del clan Tzimisce.
August 15, 2020
Well, that escalated quickly.
This book illustrates the start of an all-out war between the Camarilla and the Sabat, largely from the perspective of the Tzimisce Clan. The characters are fascinating and their motivations keep your interest.
This book illustrates the start of an all-out war between the Camarilla and the Sabat, largely from the perspective of the Tzimisce Clan. The characters are fascinating and their motivations keep your interest.
February 14, 2011
This is a fantastic series if you are a fan or player of the Vampire the Masquerade Table Top game. I gave it a 3 because I don't recomend this series to those who are not.
January 31, 2012
Blood, blood and more blood. And guts, and flesh and disgusting other human and inhuman parts. Tasty!
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