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Saint-Germain #6
The Saint-Germain Chronicles
Stories and novellas that range widely in time and place, from 18th century England to 20th century America. Sixth book published in this series. Story list: Art Songs; Cabin 33; My Favorite Enigma (essay); Renewal; Seat Partner; Spider Glass.
256 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1983
2 people are currently reading
408 people want to read
About the author
Chelsea Quinn Yarbro
259 books477 followersA professional writer for more than forty years, Yarbro has sold over eighty books, more than seventy works of short fiction, and more than three dozen essays, introductions, and reviews. She also composes serious music. Her first professional writing - in 1961-1962 - was as a playwright for a now long-defunct children's theater company. By the mid-60s she had switched to writing stories and hasn't stopped yet.
After leaving college in 1963 and until she became a full-time writer in 1970, she worked as a demographic cartographer, and still often drafts maps for her books, and occasionally for the books of other writers.
She has a large reference library with books on a wide range of subjects, everything from food and fashion to weapons and trade routes to religion and law. She is constantly adding to it as part of her on-going fascination with history and culture; she reads incessantly, searching for interesting people and places that might provide fodder for stories.
In 1997 the Transylvanian Society of Dracula bestowed a literary knighthood on Yarbro, and in 2003 the World Horror Association presented her with a Grand Master award. In 2006 the International Horror Guild enrolled her among their Living Legends, the first woman to be so honored; the Horror Writers Association gave her a Life Achievement Award in 2009. In 2014 she won a Life Achievement Award from the World Fantasy Convention.
A skeptical occultist for forty years, she has studied everything from alchemy to zoomancy, and in the late 1970s worked occasionally as a professional tarot card reader and palmist at the Magic Cellar in San Francisco.
She has two domestic accomplishments: she is a good cook and an experienced seamstress. The rest is catch-as-catch-can.
Divorced, she lives in the San Francisco Bay Area - with two cats: the irrepressible Butterscotch and Crumpet, the Gang of Two. When not busy writing, she enjoys the symphony or opera.
Her Saint-Germain series is now the longest vampire series ever. The books range widely over time and place, and were not published in historical order. They are numbered in published order.
Known pseudonyms include Vanessa Pryor, Quinn Fawcett, T.C.F. Hopkins, Trystam Kith, Camille Gabor.
After leaving college in 1963 and until she became a full-time writer in 1970, she worked as a demographic cartographer, and still often drafts maps for her books, and occasionally for the books of other writers.
She has a large reference library with books on a wide range of subjects, everything from food and fashion to weapons and trade routes to religion and law. She is constantly adding to it as part of her on-going fascination with history and culture; she reads incessantly, searching for interesting people and places that might provide fodder for stories.
In 1997 the Transylvanian Society of Dracula bestowed a literary knighthood on Yarbro, and in 2003 the World Horror Association presented her with a Grand Master award. In 2006 the International Horror Guild enrolled her among their Living Legends, the first woman to be so honored; the Horror Writers Association gave her a Life Achievement Award in 2009. In 2014 she won a Life Achievement Award from the World Fantasy Convention.
A skeptical occultist for forty years, she has studied everything from alchemy to zoomancy, and in the late 1970s worked occasionally as a professional tarot card reader and palmist at the Magic Cellar in San Francisco.
She has two domestic accomplishments: she is a good cook and an experienced seamstress. The rest is catch-as-catch-can.
Divorced, she lives in the San Francisco Bay Area - with two cats: the irrepressible Butterscotch and Crumpet, the Gang of Two. When not busy writing, she enjoys the symphony or opera.
Her Saint-Germain series is now the longest vampire series ever. The books range widely over time and place, and were not published in historical order. They are numbered in published order.
Known pseudonyms include Vanessa Pryor, Quinn Fawcett, T.C.F. Hopkins, Trystam Kith, Camille Gabor.
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
April 13, 2020
Part of my 2020 Social Distancing Read-a-thon
I was only a page or two into this short story collection when I realized that this was the book that introduced me to the Count Saint Germain, probably 30ish years ago. I certainly didn't remember every detail or even every story, but I knew a lot of what was coming. It's kind of funny, because I was really taken with this book back then and now I find it less engaging than the novels that preceded it. But I think it was one of my first forays into the vampire fantasy genre and I was entranced.
The stories that stood out in my memory dealt with an American journalist who had just been killed and was coming to terms with his new state, namely vampirism, and the story of a stupid vampire that Saint Germain & his sidekick Roger must deal with to keep official attention away from themselves.
So, perhaps not the best book in this series, but it got me hooked on this genre and some of it remained in my memory banks for all these years. I'm not sorry to have re-read it.
I was only a page or two into this short story collection when I realized that this was the book that introduced me to the Count Saint Germain, probably 30ish years ago. I certainly didn't remember every detail or even every story, but I knew a lot of what was coming. It's kind of funny, because I was really taken with this book back then and now I find it less engaging than the novels that preceded it. But I think it was one of my first forays into the vampire fantasy genre and I was entranced.
The stories that stood out in my memory dealt with an American journalist who had just been killed and was coming to terms with his new state, namely vampirism, and the story of a stupid vampire that Saint Germain & his sidekick Roger must deal with to keep official attention away from themselves.
So, perhaps not the best book in this series, but it got me hooked on this genre and some of it remained in my memory banks for all these years. I'm not sorry to have re-read it.
October 14, 2015
What an interesting way to end the cycle.
Saint-Germain has been a very fun person to watch.
Not your typical vampire, not your typical story.
This book, this group of letters and vignettes was a good way to show the passage of time in the 20th century.
Not a much daring-do. No big conspiracies. No major historical event in the background.
Just good writing.
Enjoy the end.
It was worth reading.
Saint-Germain has been a very fun person to watch.
Not your typical vampire, not your typical story.
This book, this group of letters and vignettes was a good way to show the passage of time in the 20th century.
Not a much daring-do. No big conspiracies. No major historical event in the background.
Just good writing.
Enjoy the end.
It was worth reading.
May 29, 2009
If you have wondered what ever happened between Madaline and St. Germain, here is where you will find out. Even though this is a collection of short stories, it reads much like the novels as exposition is moved forward through letters. It is worth reading just to learn about the above relationship. Even old vampires can learn.
March 21, 2009
This is a collection of short stories about the extremely long-lived, world-traveling vampire. These are the most modern stories about him, with the latest one taking place in the 1970's in California. Well worth reading if you're a fan of the novels.
November 16, 2021
This is a really hard review to write because, honestly, I am stumped on this one. This is the final book in the series, and the only one it I have read. I was so excited to find an original copy. I think my struggle with this book was the confusion of the storyline. It simply hopped around too much, with no real reasoning. The characters were not compelling to me. Even St. Germaine himself left me disappointed. I think, after finally finishing this, I can honestly say that the best part of the book is the author’s closing chapter where she details her inspiration, the history of St. Germaine (as she best learnt it), and the conclusion of the book itself. I cannot say I would recommend this to anyone, but I can say it had a basis of a storyline to keep me reading mostly out of intrigue that there would be an end result…but there was not.
August 10, 2020
Written before the "Interview with a Vampire" and the "Twilight Saga," the Saint Germain Chronicles intertwine layers of rich, well researched history with Yarbro's intelligent, enigmatic, and charming vampire hero. Yarbro challenges the reader to see the darker side of humanity through history against the often compassionate, but monsterous vampire St. Germain as he constantly rebuilds his identity over the years and around the globe. These books do contain sexual situations, violence, and horror and are not recommended for adolescent readers.
August 1, 2021
I'm reading the St. Germain books in order of publication, I think.
Clearly, this book in 1983 was released at a point when the author had no control over cover art, and cover artists did not read the work they were ostensibly illustrating. It was the age of gore and blood for mass market paperback horror, but this guy doesn't even look like Barnabas Collins.
Enough about that.
The stories are fun and clever, and move forward in time in an organized way, and tie into the novels obliquely, but don't spoil them.
Clearly, this book in 1983 was released at a point when the author had no control over cover art, and cover artists did not read the work they were ostensibly illustrating. It was the age of gore and blood for mass market paperback horror, but this guy doesn't even look like Barnabas Collins.
Enough about that.
The stories are fun and clever, and move forward in time in an organized way, and tie into the novels obliquely, but don't spoil them.
July 19, 2019
I loved this book— sadly, I lost it sometime in my travels— which I had read, soon after it first came out.
December 19, 2016
Cabin 33 is my favor Saint-Germain story ever because it hit so many points from other books perfectly, plus seeing him in a modern setting is a delight, especially facing off another vampire.
April 23, 2012
Snippets that follow Saint-Germain in WWII through the 1970's. He helps James with his change to vampire (in his 50's)... and his continuing relationship with Montalia continues, mostly through letters. Then he must confront a 100 year old vampire who kills one of his guests in a mountain resort. A hint of how technologies are complicating their lives, and their aliases. And we learn Roger is a ghoul (maybe learned this in an earlier book, but I don't have access to all books.) Book ends with their plan to attempt to make love... hmmmm
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 1, 2012
I have enjoyed every book in the series I could get my hands on.
Not your typical bodice ripper/Ann Rice rip-off/traditional vampire chronicles.
This long-lived being is loosely based on a real life person who appeared in Paris in the 18th Century.
Her descriptions of daily life in various points of time in hundreds of years in the past is peppered with factual information to shape a realistic view of that period he happens to be in.
See The Company series for another good series that combine Mary Renault-level period descriptions as part of the plot.
Not your typical bodice ripper/Ann Rice rip-off/traditional vampire chronicles.
This long-lived being is loosely based on a real life person who appeared in Paris in the 18th Century.
Her descriptions of daily life in various points of time in hundreds of years in the past is peppered with factual information to shape a realistic view of that period he happens to be in.
See The Company series for another good series that combine Mary Renault-level period descriptions as part of the plot.
November 19, 2011
This is the first of the Saint-Germain stories I have read. An interesting look at a vampire's life throughout the ages. It addresses some of the issues that a person who lives forever may have to deal with.
Not your typical vampire, but then what is these days. A good read, but I will probably not seek out the rest of the chronicles.
Not your typical vampire, but then what is these days. A good read, but I will probably not seek out the rest of the chronicles.
March 6, 2023
A collection of short stories from five different periods, which brought Saint-Germain up to the then modern day (1983) (where he ends up fighting another vampire who doesn't know how to be civilised)
September 19, 2008
Interesting twist on the vampire genre. In this story as well as all the St. Germaine stories, the vampire is the most moral and trustworthy character.
The book is well written and held my attention throughout.
The book is well written and held my attention throughout.
April 19, 2013
St. Germain is a remarkably urbane and sophisticated vampire. Fun to read this fictionalized historical stories from a completely different perspective. For fans of the genre who don't care for all the violence and gore of some of the other books.
Read
November 22, 2021Very good sampler of the St Germain cycle, w/ an essay about her interpretation of the historical character at the end. I did find the story of the mirror both tedious and engaging, but that was CQY's intent.
October 22, 2008
I used to indulge in these. It's been a long while (hence 3stars) but I've picked another one up.
June 15, 2009
to me
July 31, 2010
Before vampires sparkled.
December 16, 2010
The cover is horrible, standard vampire fare, but the book is better...
February 11, 2015
Liked vampire series!
October 20, 2018
This series of shorts finished the legend of the Count / Prince known as Saint Germain, with some very good reads of the epic legend and vampire.
April 9, 2015
The gentle manner of the oldest vampire. He hunts those that besmirch his name.
December 14, 2016
It's been a long time since I read a Saint Germain story, or rather, this is a set of short stories. I'd forgotten how much I liked them. A slightly old-fashioned, but not classic, vampire.
July 3, 2020
E-Book Available at Open Library - https://openlibrary.org/
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews