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Shadow Saga #1
Of Saints and Shadows
A secret sect of the Catholic Church, armed with an ancient book of the undead called The Gospel of Shadows, has been slowly destroying vampires for centuries. Now the book has been stolen, and the sect races to retrieve it before their purpose is a final purge of all vampires. As the line between saints and shadows grows ominously faint, private eye Peter Octavian is drawn into the search. And he'll do anything to find the book ... for Peter Octavian is also a vampire. Ostracized by his kindred for refusing to take part in the 'blood song', he cannot stand by and watch while they are destroyed. In a deadly game with a driven, sadistic assassin, the trail leads to Venice at the time of carnival, where the Defiant Ones, as the vampires are known, are engaged in a savage battle for their lives. Filled with plot twists, mystery, sex and violent death, Of Saints and Shadows is a spine-tingling thriller which opens the door to the world of The Shadow Saga.
404 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 1, 1994
84 people are currently reading
2625 people want to read
About the author
Christopher Golden
799 books2,936 followersCHRISTOPHER GOLDEN is the New York Times bestselling, Bram Stoker Award-winning author of such novels as Road of Bones, Ararat, Snowblind, Of Saints and Shadows, and Red Hands. With Mike Mignola, he is the co-creator of the Outerverse comic book universe, including such series as Baltimore, Joe Golem: Occult Detective, and Lady Baltimore. As an editor, he has worked on the short story anthologies Seize the Night, Dark Cities, and The New Dead, among others, and he has also written and co-written comic books, video games, screenplays, and a network television pilot. Golden co-hosts the podcast Defenders Dialogue with horror author Brian Keene. In 2015 he founded the popular Merrimack Valley Halloween Book Festival. He was born and raised in Massachusetts, where he still lives with his family. His work has been nominated for the British Fantasy Award, the Eisner Award, and multiple Shirley Jackson Awards. For the Bram Stoker Awards, Golden has been nominated ten times in eight different categories. His original novels have been published in more than fifteen languages in countries around the world. Please visit him at www.christophergolden.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 117 reviews
October 30, 2019
Bookgods, I thank you all! You can't even imagine how much I craved a GOOD vampire story and how often I was utterly disappointed! Here, finally, I got what I wanted.
The story is that of Peter Octavian, a vampire who is also a PI. Through a favour for a friend, who is looking for his daughter, he gets drawn into a conspiracy by the Catholic Church to purge vampiredom. Along the way, he runs into Meghan, the missing girl's best friend, and another vampire (my favourite of the cast). Together they first break into the Vatican, then go to Venice to warn others of their kind.
At the heart of the struggle is a book: the Gospel of Shadows. It used to be in the Vatican library but was removed and now everyone is trying to get their hands on it.
So they are trying to survive priest assassins, dodge human media to keep their existence secret, and prevent a purge of their race.
Not too much romance, but very nice relationships between the characters make it clear that the main focus is not lovey-dovey stuff, not even hard sex, but the power struggle.
A lot of concepts we know from pop culture are combined or slightly twisted here. Such as the vampires' abilities: . Or the vampires' weaknesses: I don't think I've ever heard of anyone promoting the idea that (so funny considering that the Church is their opponent).
I liked the seamless inclusion of famous historical persons as vampires here, too, most notably my beloved Cody ().
There is a lot of darkness here, too, though. Such as when . Though, to be fair, , the humans might just be worse.
And it was a relief to see that an author did not shy away from showing the vampires to be predators, unapologetic and powerful, depraved, savage. Though some of them were charismatic still.
The Catholic Church is at least as depraved as the worst of the vampires and having them as the big bad, was fantastic. They are not just bumbling fools with soft flesh and unholy appetites - they are despicable but strong. A very nice antagonist.
I was told this was published long before anything like the "urban fantasy" genre had even been thought about. Therefore, I was quite surprised as many modern UF books obviously copy from this. And no wonder: the worldbuilding worked flawlessly, over the course of only a few pages already, taking the reader into a vividly dark world of blood, rituals and mythical creatures (no, the vampires aren't the only ones).
There was a slightly over-the-top thing in the end that threw me a little (too quick a turnaround), but it didn't hinder my enjoyment too much. So in the end, it wasn't actually what I had been looking for in a supposed vampire novel, but it was still cool.
The story is that of Peter Octavian, a vampire who is also a PI. Through a favour for a friend, who is looking for his daughter, he gets drawn into a conspiracy by the Catholic Church to purge vampiredom. Along the way, he runs into Meghan, the missing girl's best friend, and another vampire (my favourite of the cast). Together they first break into the Vatican, then go to Venice to warn others of their kind.
At the heart of the struggle is a book: the Gospel of Shadows. It used to be in the Vatican library but was removed and now everyone is trying to get their hands on it.
So they are trying to survive priest assassins, dodge human media to keep their existence secret, and prevent a purge of their race.
Not too much romance, but very nice relationships between the characters make it clear that the main focus is not lovey-dovey stuff, not even hard sex, but the power struggle.
A lot of concepts we know from pop culture are combined or slightly twisted here. Such as the vampires' abilities: . Or the vampires' weaknesses: I don't think I've ever heard of anyone promoting the idea that (so funny considering that the Church is their opponent).
I liked the seamless inclusion of famous historical persons as vampires here, too, most notably my beloved Cody ().
There is a lot of darkness here, too, though. Such as when . Though, to be fair, , the humans might just be worse.
And it was a relief to see that an author did not shy away from showing the vampires to be predators, unapologetic and powerful, depraved, savage. Though some of them were charismatic still.
The Catholic Church is at least as depraved as the worst of the vampires and having them as the big bad, was fantastic. They are not just bumbling fools with soft flesh and unholy appetites - they are despicable but strong. A very nice antagonist.
I was told this was published long before anything like the "urban fantasy" genre had even been thought about. Therefore, I was quite surprised as many modern UF books obviously copy from this. And no wonder: the worldbuilding worked flawlessly, over the course of only a few pages already, taking the reader into a vividly dark world of blood, rituals and mythical creatures (no, the vampires aren't the only ones).
There was a slightly over-the-top thing in the end that threw me a little (too quick a turnaround), but it didn't hinder my enjoyment too much. So in the end, it wasn't actually what I had been looking for in a supposed vampire novel, but it was still cool.
December 21, 2012
About the Book:
The Church is not what it seems. Lying within its folds is a sect of sorcerers and priests whose sole purpose is to rid the world of The Defiant Ones, or what would be commonly seen as vampires. Peter Octavian is one of these vampires, but unlike the others of his kind, he is able to walk in sunlight and touch religious items. The reason for this isn't because he was born to be special or anything like that. No, he simply disbelieves that crosses and sunlight will not hurt him therefore they don't. Granted, the only reason it hurts the other Defiant Ones is because the Church brainwashed them into thinking it would. Peter needs to convince the other Defiant Ones otherwise however, or the Church will come and wipe them out.
Review:
Christopher Golden has come up with an original and intriguing plot. Evil runs amok in both the Church and the vampires, but one seems much more so. He brings forth elements that I hadn't seen before such as brainwashed vampires, but even with this fabulous idea, this book was a wreck. I enjoyed Twilight better than this. The writing was so horrible that I debated putting it down for good several times a day (I have only not finished two books thus far). His writing style was very similar to what you may find in a Dungeons and Dragons type novel. If that is your preference, go ahead and read this. As for me, I could not stand the stagnant and repetitive writing style that constantly told me things instead of showing me. The latter also lessened the characters immensely, making them seem flat so that I could care less what happened to them.
Speaking of the characters, my god, they nearly all seemed like Mary Sues and Gary Stus. Peter, the main character, certainly was one. He's supposedly handsome and good with the ladies. Check. He has special abilities that others of his type don't have. Check. He is connected to royalty (bastard son of the last emperor of the Byzantine Empire). Check. Then, there is his love interest, Meaghan. It seems everyone is intrigued with her, and when she is Plus, Meaghan, well, I wanted to smack her. Where Golden was trying to make her assertive, I found her to be something of an idiot when she just starts going off with her temper, but of course, it's "sexy." Ugh. I seriously cannot see how anyone can stand these characters. The only one I could stand was Liam, the main priest, and that was when he was out murdering people. He still remains and two dimensional character.
Golden also seemed to have this notion that since he was writing a book for adults that he should add as much gore and sex as possible. Now, I did enjoy some of the grotesque scenes; they were disturbing in a good way and Golden sure had a knack for coming up with some unsettling creatures, even if they got old after a while. As for the sex, it just seemed put in there most of the time because it could be. While that is bad enough, the sex scenes weren't even arousing. No, it's not the worst I have ever read, but it was still boring. Then, of course, since a man wrote this, there had to be a fair amount of random lesbian scenes for extra sexiness.
Finally, the dialogue seemed forced and unrealistic such as "Girl, get in the gondola and we will leave the trouble behind. Your tears and those things you fear." or my personal favourite, "My name is Robert Montesi. For the murder of my father, I must kill you." Yes, Golden tried to pull a Princess Bride and failed miserably.
So why did this book got so many good reviews? I could not tell you. To me, it only had one thing going for it: originality, but that simply doesn't cut it. You still need a good storyteller to really make the story come alive, and Christopher Golden missed that mark completely. Maybe one day they will make it into a movie. I think it would make an excellent movie. However, as a book, this one would go straight to the bin for me. If you do want a vampire book that has more monster type vampires and originality, I would suggest Brian Lumley's Necroscope series instead. A much better read.
The Church is not what it seems. Lying within its folds is a sect of sorcerers and priests whose sole purpose is to rid the world of The Defiant Ones, or what would be commonly seen as vampires. Peter Octavian is one of these vampires, but unlike the others of his kind, he is able to walk in sunlight and touch religious items. The reason for this isn't because he was born to be special or anything like that. No, he simply disbelieves that crosses and sunlight will not hurt him therefore they don't. Granted, the only reason it hurts the other Defiant Ones is because the Church brainwashed them into thinking it would. Peter needs to convince the other Defiant Ones otherwise however, or the Church will come and wipe them out.
Review:
Christopher Golden has come up with an original and intriguing plot. Evil runs amok in both the Church and the vampires, but one seems much more so. He brings forth elements that I hadn't seen before such as brainwashed vampires, but even with this fabulous idea, this book was a wreck. I enjoyed Twilight better than this. The writing was so horrible that I debated putting it down for good several times a day (I have only not finished two books thus far). His writing style was very similar to what you may find in a Dungeons and Dragons type novel. If that is your preference, go ahead and read this. As for me, I could not stand the stagnant and repetitive writing style that constantly told me things instead of showing me. The latter also lessened the characters immensely, making them seem flat so that I could care less what happened to them.
Speaking of the characters, my god, they nearly all seemed like Mary Sues and Gary Stus. Peter, the main character, certainly was one. He's supposedly handsome and good with the ladies. Check. He has special abilities that others of his type don't have. Check. He is connected to royalty (bastard son of the last emperor of the Byzantine Empire). Check. Then, there is his love interest, Meaghan. It seems everyone is intrigued with her, and when she is Plus, Meaghan, well, I wanted to smack her. Where Golden was trying to make her assertive, I found her to be something of an idiot when she just starts going off with her temper, but of course, it's "sexy." Ugh. I seriously cannot see how anyone can stand these characters. The only one I could stand was Liam, the main priest, and that was when he was out murdering people. He still remains and two dimensional character.
Golden also seemed to have this notion that since he was writing a book for adults that he should add as much gore and sex as possible. Now, I did enjoy some of the grotesque scenes; they were disturbing in a good way and Golden sure had a knack for coming up with some unsettling creatures, even if they got old after a while. As for the sex, it just seemed put in there most of the time because it could be. While that is bad enough, the sex scenes weren't even arousing. No, it's not the worst I have ever read, but it was still boring. Then, of course, since a man wrote this, there had to be a fair amount of random lesbian scenes for extra sexiness.
Finally, the dialogue seemed forced and unrealistic such as "Girl, get in the gondola and we will leave the trouble behind. Your tears and those things you fear." or my personal favourite, "My name is Robert Montesi. For the murder of my father, I must kill you." Yes, Golden tried to pull a Princess Bride and failed miserably.
So why did this book got so many good reviews? I could not tell you. To me, it only had one thing going for it: originality, but that simply doesn't cut it. You still need a good storyteller to really make the story come alive, and Christopher Golden missed that mark completely. Maybe one day they will make it into a movie. I think it would make an excellent movie. However, as a book, this one would go straight to the bin for me. If you do want a vampire book that has more monster type vampires and originality, I would suggest Brian Lumley's Necroscope series instead. A much better read.
February 8, 2024
Under the influence of the Twilight movies, some I saw with my then young daughters, where a girl has to close between bestiality or necrophylia I kinda was done with the whole vamipre literature. Ann Rice her series started as exciting and turned to boring a few books into the series. Bram Stoker his book is still brilliant .
So with this book I returned to the Vampire literature, the writer I knew from novels of the Star Trek series and Buffy novels I bought for the daughters.
I found that this first book of the Shadow saga was quite entertaining, easy to read and had a different take on the genre.
Peter Octavian a PI in Boston finds himself in a plot to save a book taken from the Vatican that containsvthe truth about Demons and whatnot. The Hunter turns out to be a sorcerer from the Vatican whose aim it is to destroy the Defiant Ones aka vampires.
The man from the Vatican finds himself opposed by Octavian who was born in Byzantium and around the time of the fall of this mighty city was changed into an Vampire.
Octavian is also an outcast by choice and hé is different from the regular vampires.
It is this difference that has to rescue his race from genocide.
A well written book with an interesting and exciting story that feels original. Very enjoyable and well worth a read.
So with this book I returned to the Vampire literature, the writer I knew from novels of the Star Trek series and Buffy novels I bought for the daughters.
I found that this first book of the Shadow saga was quite entertaining, easy to read and had a different take on the genre.
Peter Octavian a PI in Boston finds himself in a plot to save a book taken from the Vatican that containsvthe truth about Demons and whatnot. The Hunter turns out to be a sorcerer from the Vatican whose aim it is to destroy the Defiant Ones aka vampires.
The man from the Vatican finds himself opposed by Octavian who was born in Byzantium and around the time of the fall of this mighty city was changed into an Vampire.
Octavian is also an outcast by choice and hé is different from the regular vampires.
It is this difference that has to rescue his race from genocide.
A well written book with an interesting and exciting story that feels original. Very enjoyable and well worth a read.
June 22, 2009
Book one of The Shadow Saga. This one sort of skirts the line between Urban Fantasy and Horror, yet somehow comes off kind of like a romance novel in writing style (though while there is some sex there is comparatively little compared to most of the "sexy urban fantasy" stuff that seems to be floating about). I think my biggest issue with it is the level of introspection of the characters. It feels like every other page is someone magically plumbing the depths of their soul to learn the truth about themselves and it's awfully contrived. I will probably read the rest of them but I'm not exactly bursting with the need to do so. Reasonable sunny day hammock reading but don't expect to be blown away.
September 24, 2012
Of Saints and Shadows had a really interesting synopsis, with vampires battling a centuries-old hidden group within the Catholic Church. There’s a mysterious ancient book, some grisly murders, a few dodgy priests and a lot of conspiracies. It sounded right up my street! And I did like the plot. I found it interesting and imaginative. The lead character Peter figures out that vampires not being able to go out in sunlight is simply not true. They were taught to believe this in a massive cover-up by the Church a couple of millennia ago, and now they'll burn in the sun simply because they expect to. The reasons behind this are the basis for the story, and I thought it was a really interesting concept to build around and I enjoyed the vampire world that Christopher Golden created.
What lets the story down is its characterisation. The characters never truly came to life for me. Peter was interesting, but he never leapt off the page and transformed into a fully fleshed-out being. And the female lead, Meaghan - also the love interest - was completely unconvincing. I don't object to a bit of romance in a book, provided it doesn't dominate the plot, but this relationship was utterly flat. It felt like it was put there simply because readers expected it, and I felt the book suffered for it. Cody was a little more interesting, perhaps simply because he was livelier and fun, but his antics weren't enough to save the story. The bad guys weren’t completely convincing either and they barely managed to stay on the right side of an ‘Evil Cartoon Baddie’ caricature.
The book isn't like typical UF that gets churned out these days (it was written in 1998), which isn't necessarily a bad thing. It's more of a thriller with vampires, than a paranormal romance. It actually reminded me a little of The Da Vinci Code, which probably isn't a compliment!!
Overall, it was far from the worst book I’ve read and the interesting plot carried it. If the characters had felt more real to me, it would be a four star book. As it is, it’s more like two and a half. But, I always try to be more generous with first novels in a series, as the author needs time to develop, so I’ll give it three. And I am intrigued enough to want to read the second book.
What lets the story down is its characterisation. The characters never truly came to life for me. Peter was interesting, but he never leapt off the page and transformed into a fully fleshed-out being. And the female lead, Meaghan - also the love interest - was completely unconvincing. I don't object to a bit of romance in a book, provided it doesn't dominate the plot, but this relationship was utterly flat. It felt like it was put there simply because readers expected it, and I felt the book suffered for it. Cody was a little more interesting, perhaps simply because he was livelier and fun, but his antics weren't enough to save the story. The bad guys weren’t completely convincing either and they barely managed to stay on the right side of an ‘Evil Cartoon Baddie’ caricature.
The book isn't like typical UF that gets churned out these days (it was written in 1998), which isn't necessarily a bad thing. It's more of a thriller with vampires, than a paranormal romance. It actually reminded me a little of The Da Vinci Code, which probably isn't a compliment!!
Overall, it was far from the worst book I’ve read and the interesting plot carried it. If the characters had felt more real to me, it would be a four star book. As it is, it’s more like two and a half. But, I always try to be more generous with first novels in a series, as the author needs time to develop, so I’ll give it three. And I am intrigued enough to want to read the second book.
July 23, 2019
This is not your typical vampire romance; not even close. It is absorbing, complex, and really un-put-down-able. Many POVs, some you want to keep following and some you want to wash your mind of. I can see why some reviewers did not like it: the religious themes and references were uncomfortable and the Bad Guys were certain they had God on their side. All in all a well-written roller coaster ride which I found thoroughly enjoyable.
September 28, 2016
Book One in the Shadow Saga is a brilliant epic that takes you into the secret world of vampires--and a secret society sworn to destroy them.
Sweeping, sensuous, and shocking, it is a powerful vision of immortality that will hold you in its spell...forever.
I love that Golden is brave enough to cross several topics that some would consider more sensitive material for some readers but its handled in a humane way which is interesting because most the characters involved were supernatural beings.
I liked the whole vampire/ PI thing, the spiritual / supernatural mystery.
The way Golden created the world of the Shadow Saga is different from all the other fantasy/horror books in this genre I've read. In a small way Of Saints and Shadows had a paranormal Dick Tracy feel to it which was great because you don't get that very often.
Although I felt the characters could have used more personality, more development as far as their characterization because a lot of them seem to be very similar and muted in a lot of ways I felt Golden could have gone a little extreme with it and it still would have worked well without feeling over done.
I have to admit despite being a new author to me I really enjoyed this one. I look forward to reading the next book in the Shadow Saga series.
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Krissy's Bookshelf Reviews purchased a print copy for personal collection..
All thoughts, comments and ratings are my own.
Krissy's Bookshelf Reviews purchased a print copy..
If any of Krissy's Bookshelf Reviews has been helpful please stop by to like or let me know what you think! I love hearing from followers!
Thank you!
Sweeping, sensuous, and shocking, it is a powerful vision of immortality that will hold you in its spell...forever.
I love that Golden is brave enough to cross several topics that some would consider more sensitive material for some readers but its handled in a humane way which is interesting because most the characters involved were supernatural beings.
I liked the whole vampire/ PI thing, the spiritual / supernatural mystery.
The way Golden created the world of the Shadow Saga is different from all the other fantasy/horror books in this genre I've read. In a small way Of Saints and Shadows had a paranormal Dick Tracy feel to it which was great because you don't get that very often.
Although I felt the characters could have used more personality, more development as far as their characterization because a lot of them seem to be very similar and muted in a lot of ways I felt Golden could have gone a little extreme with it and it still would have worked well without feeling over done.
I have to admit despite being a new author to me I really enjoyed this one. I look forward to reading the next book in the Shadow Saga series.
Booklikes
Goodreads
Google Plus
Blogger
Amazon
Wordpress
RSS
BlogLovin
Krissy's Bookshelf Reviews purchased a print copy for personal collection..
All thoughts, comments and ratings are my own.
Krissy's Bookshelf Reviews purchased a print copy..
If any of Krissy's Bookshelf Reviews has been helpful please stop by to like or let me know what you think! I love hearing from followers!
Thank you!
February 7, 2011
I enjoyed this novel. A complicated anti-hero. a vampire with a will of iron and a strong sense of ethics, admirable female characters, complicated plot involving evil sorcerer priests persecuting vampires and controling demons out to commit genocide against the vampire race. Bad vampires fighting for their lives and trying to evolve in the end. self-sacrifice of hero at the end.
August 31, 2022
This book is so very '90s that I had to laugh while reading it. Take the melodrama, sex, and nudity of True Blood and add in the cheesiness and monsters of Supernatural and you pretty much have this.
September 8, 2017
As a women studies scholar I am disturbed by the trend in popular fiction of making monsters into romantic characters. It suggests that if you are worthy enough, if you are good and compliant enough you can make a monster into a lover. It is a dangerous idea. One of the reasons that I keep coming back to Christoper Golden's vampire stories is because he never crosses that line. He might skirt it on occasion but he never lets you forget that his vampires are monsters. They will kill you and rip you apart in the process. If you choose to make their acquaintance you must be prepared for the consequences. Of Saints and Shadows is a big book with a big story and it is populated by creatures of epic proportions; Hannibal, William F. Cody, and Peter Octavian, the last of the Byzantine princes. Their adversary is a select group under the auspices of the Catholic Church. This is not a romance but an epic battle story. It is not sparkly vampires playing football but monsters bent on killing other monsters--some human, some not so much. It is fast paced and exciting. The characters are well written and if you will pardon the pun, they are even palatable. It is a novel that challenges what we have been told about what is good and what is evil and especially what the origins of those dichotomies might be. It also turns the long held myths introduced by Bram Stoker in his novel "Dracula" on their collective heads. Anne Rice attempted to do that but never as successfully as Mr. Golden. I highly recommend this book if you are a lover of myth and monsters, of vampires and shape shifters and you don't have a problem with being romanced into a bit of heresy.
September 12, 2008
If you read this book and really enjoy it, do yourself a favor and DO NOT read the sequels. They will only ruin the intrigue and adventure of this book by comparison -- not in quality of writing (which is still good) but in what happens to every character you grow to like in this book.
June 10, 2024
I found this book at my library's biannual book sale. I got it for less than a dollar. I wasn't sure what to expect but it sounded interesting and for that price it was worth the risk.
It started slow, and was a bit confusing, but by the middle everything made sense. The second half of the book was the better half, rife with action, violence, and page-turning suspense.
Golden has his moments of executing plot tension very well, but he also has these moments where he adds something so bizarre/gross/nonsensical it rips you out of the story and into a state of confused disturbance. Like, reading about a monster covered in vaginas. Was it necessary? No. Was it meaningful to the plot? No. Was it creative or at least well thought-out? No. So why the fuck. WHY.
Golden likes to throw in random characters' viewpoints that don't really add to the story. I mean, it starts out with the viewpoint of a janitor, and I really don't think it was necessary for the audience to see things happen through his eyes. Golden does that several times throughout the novel, and each time we aren't quite sure if this is a perspective of someone who will be relevant later, or if it's just some one-off meant to further the plot in a convoluted way.
The ending was happy, in a sense, but it was neither the one I wanted nor hoped for. It was... sad. Not the crying-your-eyes-out sad, but the sad that leaves an ache in your chest and gives you that lonely, homesick kind of feeling. I wanted my good ending, goddamnit.
The villain -- ohhh, the villain. He who shall not be named. An epitome of evil, of pure and soulless malice. I loathed him so much it annoyed me. Golden sure does know how to write a hateable villain, I'll give him that... With that said, the villain did NOT get the justice he so deserved. It wasn't a Cersi-level disappointment, but it also wasn't satisfying, at ALL. I wanted his end to be excruciating, devastatingly long, and terrifying. It really was none of those things.
Overall I think the book was decent. It had some great action sequences and the final battle was nail bitingly exciting. However, its faults weighed the rating down. It gets an average score of 3/5 stars.
It started slow, and was a bit confusing, but by the middle everything made sense. The second half of the book was the better half, rife with action, violence, and page-turning suspense.
Golden has his moments of executing plot tension very well, but he also has these moments where he adds something so bizarre/gross/nonsensical it rips you out of the story and into a state of confused disturbance. Like, reading about a monster covered in vaginas. Was it necessary? No. Was it meaningful to the plot? No. Was it creative or at least well thought-out? No. So why the fuck. WHY.
Golden likes to throw in random characters' viewpoints that don't really add to the story. I mean, it starts out with the viewpoint of a janitor, and I really don't think it was necessary for the audience to see things happen through his eyes. Golden does that several times throughout the novel, and each time we aren't quite sure if this is a perspective of someone who will be relevant later, or if it's just some one-off meant to further the plot in a convoluted way.
The ending was happy, in a sense, but it was neither the one I wanted nor hoped for. It was... sad. Not the crying-your-eyes-out sad, but the sad that leaves an ache in your chest and gives you that lonely, homesick kind of feeling. I wanted my good ending, goddamnit.
The villain -- ohhh, the villain. He who shall not be named. An epitome of evil, of pure and soulless malice. I loathed him so much it annoyed me. Golden sure does know how to write a hateable villain, I'll give him that... With that said, the villain did NOT get the justice he so deserved. It wasn't a Cersi-level disappointment, but it also wasn't satisfying, at ALL. I wanted his end to be excruciating, devastatingly long, and terrifying. It really was none of those things.
Overall I think the book was decent. It had some great action sequences and the final battle was nail bitingly exciting. However, its faults weighed the rating down. It gets an average score of 3/5 stars.
August 8, 2024
Nope. Nope nope nope, can't do it anymore after 175 pages, curiosity can't even overwhelm this. It is NOT sweeping, NOT sensuous, though it is certainly shocking as in disgustingly shocking. Lots and lots of never ending introspection and thinking about other people and trying to get me into character heads. Boring boring and then gross, each time trying to out-gross the previous gross. Generated no addiction to Peter, who is yet another of these powerful immortal creatures who wants oh so badly to put his monstrous side away and be human, so much so that he lets people and friends die because he won't act. I ain't sticking around any longer.
August 27, 2015
I read this book, actually the entire series, years ago but am not really sure what happened to the books themselves. I think I sold them to a used bookstore the last time I moved. I wasn't all that careful about what books I got rid of them, so I've been having to repurchase a lot of books as I find them. When I saw this reissue mentioned on both Book Chick City and SFF Chat, I knew I had to get it again.
The story is pretty simple, and I'm gong to try and keep what I know about the rest of the series out of this review, it's your basic good vs. evil. The twist is that the roles have been reversed. This time around the vampires are the good guys and the church and it's agents are the bad guys.
For what ever reason the church, while subjugating and even destroying other supernatural creatures, were never able to get the vampires under their total control. Instead they systematically brainwashed the vampires into controlling their own powers. All those myths about daylight, garlic, shape shifting limitations, all of those supposed limitations are false. They were all ploys used to get the vampires to act the way the church wanted them to. Peter Octavian is the first vampire to begin to realize the truth, he starts to go out in the daylight and even turn into a column of fire. But even he is unsure of how vast their powers really are.
The theft of the book though changes the church's game plan. If that book falls into the hand of their enemies, The Defiant Ones make discover the truth. So the Church under the influence of Father Mulkerrin decides to take them out for once and for all, eliminate them all during their gathering in Venice. Little does Father Mulkerrin know what Peter and his allies, including Buffalo Bill Cody, have in store for them.
I first started reading Christopher Golden when he was writing books set in the Buffy universe and quickly fell in love with his writing style. This series was the next logical step for me and it cemented my liking for him as an author. This is the beginning of a interesting take on the origins of vampires and it's one I urge all fans of the genre to pick up and discover for themselves.
The story is pretty simple, and I'm gong to try and keep what I know about the rest of the series out of this review, it's your basic good vs. evil. The twist is that the roles have been reversed. This time around the vampires are the good guys and the church and it's agents are the bad guys.
For what ever reason the church, while subjugating and even destroying other supernatural creatures, were never able to get the vampires under their total control. Instead they systematically brainwashed the vampires into controlling their own powers. All those myths about daylight, garlic, shape shifting limitations, all of those supposed limitations are false. They were all ploys used to get the vampires to act the way the church wanted them to. Peter Octavian is the first vampire to begin to realize the truth, he starts to go out in the daylight and even turn into a column of fire. But even he is unsure of how vast their powers really are.
The theft of the book though changes the church's game plan. If that book falls into the hand of their enemies, The Defiant Ones make discover the truth. So the Church under the influence of Father Mulkerrin decides to take them out for once and for all, eliminate them all during their gathering in Venice. Little does Father Mulkerrin know what Peter and his allies, including Buffalo Bill Cody, have in store for them.
I first started reading Christopher Golden when he was writing books set in the Buffy universe and quickly fell in love with his writing style. This series was the next logical step for me and it cemented my liking for him as an author. This is the beginning of a interesting take on the origins of vampires and it's one I urge all fans of the genre to pick up and discover for themselves.
October 31, 2019
Moving back in time to the 90's, I read this wonderful little book and a few of its sequels and did my squee because the story really broke the Anne Rice vampire mold. Not only that, but it went firmly into the baby UF territory long before the whole movement took off and had thousands of lookalike vampire/werewolf/witch/whatever private investigators dealing with all the things that go bump in the night.
This author blazed not only that trail, but boldly screwed with all our expectations about where a tale OUGHT to go.
So what IS this book?
A murder investigation that moonlights as a later Dan Brown book that combines sympathetic vampires, evil renegade Catholic sorcerers as the Enemy, and a humungous media blow-out that was made popular, to a lesser degree, by Anita Blake and later with Sookie Stackhouse.
What I really get is a rip-roaring fun vampire read that tackles not only self-perception in a really big way, but hoards of demons blowing up Venice.
DELICIOUS.
And I'll be honest, the first time I read this I kinda thought a particular discovery that later lends itself to a complete revolution of thought might have been a bit too... FAST... in this novel. But thinking about it much more has led me to think it is ABOUT TIME. These are long-lived vamps, after all. None of Peter's concerns and exhortations were new. Indeed, they had all been thinking about this very problem for a century. Just because no one but Peter, the black sheep, had a breakthrough, it doesn't mean that they couldn't learn super-fast when the TRUTH is right in front of them in all its glory. :)
So I've revised my original estimation UP. More than that, I wish this had it's own TV series. It could be BETTER than Discovery of Witches, on the same level or much, much bigger.
It certainly has tons more guns, more slathering monsters, and a much more delicious cast of baddies. Oh, you naughty Vatican, you. :)
This author blazed not only that trail, but boldly screwed with all our expectations about where a tale OUGHT to go.
So what IS this book?
A murder investigation that moonlights as a later Dan Brown book that combines sympathetic vampires, evil renegade Catholic sorcerers as the Enemy, and a humungous media blow-out that was made popular, to a lesser degree, by Anita Blake and later with Sookie Stackhouse.
What I really get is a rip-roaring fun vampire read that tackles not only self-perception in a really big way, but hoards of demons blowing up Venice.
DELICIOUS.
And I'll be honest, the first time I read this I kinda thought a particular discovery that later lends itself to a complete revolution of thought might have been a bit too... FAST... in this novel. But thinking about it much more has led me to think it is ABOUT TIME. These are long-lived vamps, after all. None of Peter's concerns and exhortations were new. Indeed, they had all been thinking about this very problem for a century. Just because no one but Peter, the black sheep, had a breakthrough, it doesn't mean that they couldn't learn super-fast when the TRUTH is right in front of them in all its glory. :)
So I've revised my original estimation UP. More than that, I wish this had it's own TV series. It could be BETTER than Discovery of Witches, on the same level or much, much bigger.
It certainly has tons more guns, more slathering monsters, and a much more delicious cast of baddies. Oh, you naughty Vatican, you. :)
January 24, 2013
Now, THAT’S what I’m talking about! Goodbye to such dark fantasy themes such as Peter Pan and a severely twisted rendition of Winnie the Pooh. It seems Mr. Golden has put away his boyhood playthings and materialized with a whole new set of toys. Watch out my dear readers, Papa’s got a brand new bag and opening it could be fatal!
The plot was refreshingly original and captivating. Taking into account all that has been written on vampires from the dawn of the written word, Golden puts it right up to your face and then throws it out the window. The story combines mythology; religion, politics and plain old human nature to further enlighten and complicate this epic. Perfect! The pace in the story is tantalizing. Pulling you in immediately with the first page, it pushes you to a hurried anticipation only to twist– slow down, and then speed up again.
The atmosphere in the book is quite simply mystifying. The mood switched between an air of madness and the sweat of the persecuted. Though the story is weighed down with a heavy element, it never feels burdensome. Golden’s style of writing is uninhibited, effortless and without a doubt filled with the author’s own emotions. Without a trace of overly complex theories and only a handful of big words, the author keeps it simple without sounding condescending.
With skill and ease, the characters appear at face value as any random person you’ve walked past or talked to. It is only as the story unfolds that you begin to see the people behind the mask and it is then that the fear sets in. With each having their own identities, personalities and past traumas, Golden gives his characters what most dream of doing- substance.
My rating? I give it a 5. Rush out and buy this book, this series new today!
-As reviewed for Horror-Web.com
The plot was refreshingly original and captivating. Taking into account all that has been written on vampires from the dawn of the written word, Golden puts it right up to your face and then throws it out the window. The story combines mythology; religion, politics and plain old human nature to further enlighten and complicate this epic. Perfect! The pace in the story is tantalizing. Pulling you in immediately with the first page, it pushes you to a hurried anticipation only to twist– slow down, and then speed up again.
The atmosphere in the book is quite simply mystifying. The mood switched between an air of madness and the sweat of the persecuted. Though the story is weighed down with a heavy element, it never feels burdensome. Golden’s style of writing is uninhibited, effortless and without a doubt filled with the author’s own emotions. Without a trace of overly complex theories and only a handful of big words, the author keeps it simple without sounding condescending.
With skill and ease, the characters appear at face value as any random person you’ve walked past or talked to. It is only as the story unfolds that you begin to see the people behind the mask and it is then that the fear sets in. With each having their own identities, personalities and past traumas, Golden gives his characters what most dream of doing- substance.
My rating? I give it a 5. Rush out and buy this book, this series new today!
-As reviewed for Horror-Web.com
May 23, 2011
Peter Octavian is a PI in Boston. He is also a vampire who is trying to live as much as a human as possible. He is separated for the vampire community but when a series of obviously supernatural killings come to his attention, he is determined to find the cause. Soon it is up to him to rescue a demonic book from an evil branch of the Catholic church, destroy the magicians who control it, and stop a vampire apocalypse. Whew!!!
I enjoyed this book even though it was bloodier than I usually like. The bloodiness was not in the entire book so there were breaks. It took a bit to get some of the concepts in this world, the church is basically controlling all the evil beings in the world, except vampires. The characters in the book are pretty irresistable though. Peter Octavian is very compelling. I am curious to see where this story is going. I can't believe that I only learned about it recently.
I enjoyed this book even though it was bloodier than I usually like. The bloodiness was not in the entire book so there were breaks. It took a bit to get some of the concepts in this world, the church is basically controlling all the evil beings in the world, except vampires. The characters in the book are pretty irresistable though. Peter Octavian is very compelling. I am curious to see where this story is going. I can't believe that I only learned about it recently.
June 15, 2015
I have really mixed feelings about this book. It took quite a while to really draw me but contained a lot of genres I usually enjoy. I liked the main character and even the romance that took place didn't seem too fanciful (as with a lot of other vampire novels). I liked the historical elements and the involvement of the church. Not wanting to give spoilers but I thought the explainations for they myths around vampires, well thought out....
However the last few pages and especially the epilogue just didn't feel right to me. I had to go back and re-read it and I hadn't realised a character had died. It built up and then, there was so little response from the other characters I didn't register it.
And then putting two female characters together in the last bit and describing their sexual encounter just seemed like lazy writing.
However the last few pages and especially the epilogue just didn't feel right to me. I had to go back and re-read it and I hadn't realised a character had died. It built up and then, there was so little response from the other characters I didn't register it.
And then putting two female characters together in the last bit and describing their sexual encounter just seemed like lazy writing.
November 7, 2015
Another fine read by Christopher Golden. A thrill ride into the secrets of the Vatican and the society hidden within. The shady priests involved with murder and mayhem, in their search and destruction of vampires known as the Defiant Ones. Delving into history of this group and the Vaticans obscure society of sorcerers, bent on retrieving an historical The Book of Shadows. Containing super spells to inflict upon the Defiant Ones. This is the first of a series in The Shadow Saga. Highly recommended stories as are all Christopher Goldens books. He weaves tales of magic.
July 26, 2017
Back in the 90’s, very pre-Twilight, when there was really only Anne Rice’s Vampire Chronicles to contend with, as well as a really bad movie called Buffy the Vampire Slayer, bestselling author Christopher Golden (Dead Ringers, Snowblind) penned a series of vampire novels known as The Shadow Saga that brings a whole new world, feel and sense to the vampire story. Featuring the vampire hero Peter Octavian, they are now being re-released. Also some of these vampires can go about in daylight, and no, they damn well don’t sparkle.
Vampires have been scorned by the Catholic church for centuries, and are referred to as the Defiant Ones, an abomination under the sight of God, so there are those within the church who do all they can to kill and eradicate the blood-suckers, even if it means using powerful, magical abilities that seem like a form a heresy. There is a book of the undead, the Gospel of Shadows, that holds the answers to wiping all of the them out once and for all. The book has been missing for some time, but has recently been discovered. Now the church is looking to get a hold of it and carry out a mission it has longed to complete for a very long time.
Peter Octavian is a Private Eye, he’s also a vampire with some impressive powers. Those powers help him solve the cases, though he tends to pretty much just work at night. He has separated and distanced himself from his vampire coven for some very specific reasons, but as a new case is brought to his attention, he realizes it has far-reaching ramifications. He’s sees that the Catholic Church is involved and what their plan is. He must make some big decisions and consider the costs.
Of Saints and Shadows is a vampire story that has a very different feel to it. With the P.I. angle, it feels a little like the TV show Angel, but in this world the vampire rules don’t always apply in the same way. Magic is also alive and well and those who can wield it can carry out some impressive feats. There are also demons – aren’t there always demons? – that can be summoned, drawn from another world in this one to wreak havoc. The story does have an “older” feel to it, since it was written and published in the nineties, but nevertheless is enthralling and entertaining and sexy and many things a vampire story should be.
Originally written on November 22, 2016 ©Alex C. Telander.
For more reviews, check out the BookBanter site.
Vampires have been scorned by the Catholic church for centuries, and are referred to as the Defiant Ones, an abomination under the sight of God, so there are those within the church who do all they can to kill and eradicate the blood-suckers, even if it means using powerful, magical abilities that seem like a form a heresy. There is a book of the undead, the Gospel of Shadows, that holds the answers to wiping all of the them out once and for all. The book has been missing for some time, but has recently been discovered. Now the church is looking to get a hold of it and carry out a mission it has longed to complete for a very long time.
Peter Octavian is a Private Eye, he’s also a vampire with some impressive powers. Those powers help him solve the cases, though he tends to pretty much just work at night. He has separated and distanced himself from his vampire coven for some very specific reasons, but as a new case is brought to his attention, he realizes it has far-reaching ramifications. He’s sees that the Catholic Church is involved and what their plan is. He must make some big decisions and consider the costs.
Of Saints and Shadows is a vampire story that has a very different feel to it. With the P.I. angle, it feels a little like the TV show Angel, but in this world the vampire rules don’t always apply in the same way. Magic is also alive and well and those who can wield it can carry out some impressive feats. There are also demons – aren’t there always demons? – that can be summoned, drawn from another world in this one to wreak havoc. The story does have an “older” feel to it, since it was written and published in the nineties, but nevertheless is enthralling and entertaining and sexy and many things a vampire story should be.
Originally written on November 22, 2016 ©Alex C. Telander.
For more reviews, check out the BookBanter site.
March 26, 2018
If you enjoy paranormal crime novels, this one hits all the right beats off the bat. There's the broody vampire private eye working to atone for his dark past, the feisty human love interest, the gruff old police detective, and a string of bizarre murders. You may think you're reading a typical example of the genre, but things take a swing as you delve deeper into the book, and the reason behind the murders is revealed.
I found the plot was unexpected, and I was bit torn trying to root for either side of the ensuing conflict, considering most everyone involved was insane, a murder, or both. The characters were varied and interesting enough, but I never formed much of a bond with any of them. My favorite was definitely Cody, who sadly didn't have a front seat role in the story. Pity, I think I'd have liked him in the lead better than Peter, but then I've never been into that whole 'dark and broody' kind of thing.
This novel is extremely graphic, with gruesome deaths and a few disturbing sex scenes. I don't recommend the book if either bothers. I could have certainly done without them myself.
I enjoyed the book well enough to finish it, and the last five or six chapters were pretty good.
I found the plot was unexpected, and I was bit torn trying to root for either side of the ensuing conflict, considering most everyone involved was insane, a murder, or both. The characters were varied and interesting enough, but I never formed much of a bond with any of them. My favorite was definitely Cody, who sadly didn't have a front seat role in the story. Pity, I think I'd have liked him in the lead better than Peter, but then I've never been into that whole 'dark and broody' kind of thing.
This novel is extremely graphic, with gruesome deaths and a few disturbing sex scenes. I don't recommend the book if either bothers. I could have certainly done without them myself.
I enjoyed the book well enough to finish it, and the last five or six chapters were pretty good.
June 6, 2020
Here's the deal. I'm a very big fan of Christopher Golden. Since I was in high school, I sang his praises all the time. He's one of my favorite authors without competition. Yet, I hadn't read any of his early works.
The Shadow Saga is his first series and it's about vampires battling with the Roman Catholic Church. The Roman Catholic Church have this book called the Gospel of Shadows and it is it's own gospel about vampire history and their attempts to control the Defiant Ones/Vampires. The book goes missing and people on both sides of the issue are trying to find it before the other side. I'm 100% in on this story. His urban fantasy books are my FAVORITE.
Like a lot of his books, Of Saints and Shadows, is a very plot driven novel. The idea and premise of the book is super original. I haven't read anything like it before. The characters are pretty basic and there isn't a lot of visible depth.
It is his first published book-and it shows. That said, will I continue? I'll ask you another question. Will I continue to support one of my favorite authors in anything he writes?
That's a very big YES!
I plan on taking a little hiatus from the series, I have to make them last and I have a few other books that are a bit more timely right now.
The Shadow Saga is his first series and it's about vampires battling with the Roman Catholic Church. The Roman Catholic Church have this book called the Gospel of Shadows and it is it's own gospel about vampire history and their attempts to control the Defiant Ones/Vampires. The book goes missing and people on both sides of the issue are trying to find it before the other side. I'm 100% in on this story. His urban fantasy books are my FAVORITE.
Like a lot of his books, Of Saints and Shadows, is a very plot driven novel. The idea and premise of the book is super original. I haven't read anything like it before. The characters are pretty basic and there isn't a lot of visible depth.
It is his first published book-and it shows. That said, will I continue? I'll ask you another question. Will I continue to support one of my favorite authors in anything he writes?
That's a very big YES!
I plan on taking a little hiatus from the series, I have to make them last and I have a few other books that are a bit more timely right now.
May 29, 2017
I enjoyed this book for the most part. its a different and interesting look at Vampires that isn't quite like anything I have seen before and incorporates with it a very dark and corrupted faction of the Catholic church and an interesting look at human and church history that goes in a bit of an unusual way.
I did have a problem with the main villain and his followers just in so much as he was a bit too much of the mustache twirling serial killer style of villain for my personal taste. I don't have a problem with evil for the sake of evil or evil masquerading as good but there was just something about this character that didn't strike quite the right balance for me on any of those scores. I understand that he is supposed to be insane and his followers zealots but they seemed just too crazy to have been as hidden in plain sight as they were all the time they supposedly were. Its a small quibble though as I did enjoy it and will probably read the next one at some point.
I did have a problem with the main villain and his followers just in so much as he was a bit too much of the mustache twirling serial killer style of villain for my personal taste. I don't have a problem with evil for the sake of evil or evil masquerading as good but there was just something about this character that didn't strike quite the right balance for me on any of those scores. I understand that he is supposed to be insane and his followers zealots but they seemed just too crazy to have been as hidden in plain sight as they were all the time they supposedly were. Its a small quibble though as I did enjoy it and will probably read the next one at some point.
November 16, 2017
I enjoyed Tin Men by christopher golden so I thought I'd seek out more of his books. This guy is maybe the most prolific author I've ever run across. Seriously, look at all the books he's written (over 500 works on GoodReads)! He's very skilled and I really enjoy the way he describes even the most mundane things... a guy getting up, getting coffee, heading to work, etc.
Unfortunately, I didn't like the vibe of this book.
Golden takes great strides to paint the vamps as heroes we should be rooting for... all the blood sucking and murder aside. Graphic violence. And graphic sex scenes... sheesh. Seriously. We're talking "Letter to Penthouse - You'll Never Believe What She Did" level of sex here. I'm not against that, but I'd prefer story over sex. "Golly, you're lesbian lover was just murdered and came back to kill you as a zombie. A few of my best pals got murdered too... what the heck, let's get it on baby! Boom chicka wow wow"
Along those lines, sorry, but I just can't ever believe anyone "getting off" on having their neck chewed open, all vampire sex appeal aside.
Finally, I can't imagine the Catholic Church hasn't rallied against this book (maybe they have?), which rates pretty high on the "blasphemous scale" from my layman's perspective
So... maybe this was early enough in Golden's writing career (1994) that I should set it aside and look for more recent stuff.
Unfortunately, I didn't like the vibe of this book.
Golden takes great strides to paint the vamps as heroes we should be rooting for... all the blood sucking and murder aside. Graphic violence. And graphic sex scenes... sheesh. Seriously. We're talking "Letter to Penthouse - You'll Never Believe What She Did" level of sex here. I'm not against that, but I'd prefer story over sex. "Golly, you're lesbian lover was just murdered and came back to kill you as a zombie. A few of my best pals got murdered too... what the heck, let's get it on baby! Boom chicka wow wow"
Along those lines, sorry, but I just can't ever believe anyone "getting off" on having their neck chewed open, all vampire sex appeal aside.
Finally, I can't imagine the Catholic Church hasn't rallied against this book (maybe they have?), which rates pretty high on the "blasphemous scale" from my layman's perspective
So... maybe this was early enough in Golden's writing career (1994) that I should set it aside and look for more recent stuff.
October 5, 2025
I've read a few books by Golden and have enjoyed them, so I looked forward to reading this. I was not disappointed. This was fun.
The premise leads into a story that goes epic in the final third. A vampire PI is asked to look into a detective's missing daughter. Her disappearance is tied into a man who is shot in a parking garage at point blank range by a priest. Checking in with the missing girl's roommate, the PI finds himself liking this woman, and she likes him. Soon the two have to work together to find out what's actually going on, with a secret ancient sect of the Catholic Church which is preparing for a special day.
The horror elements were good, but soon became comic book-ish, which I was fine with (after all, I first learned of Golden through his Hellboy work), but I was hoping for a straightforward horror novel.
This is the first in a series. I may track down the books that follow, or I might try something else by Golden.
The premise leads into a story that goes epic in the final third. A vampire PI is asked to look into a detective's missing daughter. Her disappearance is tied into a man who is shot in a parking garage at point blank range by a priest. Checking in with the missing girl's roommate, the PI finds himself liking this woman, and she likes him. Soon the two have to work together to find out what's actually going on, with a secret ancient sect of the Catholic Church which is preparing for a special day.
The horror elements were good, but soon became comic book-ish, which I was fine with (after all, I first learned of Golden through his Hellboy work), but I was hoping for a straightforward horror novel.
This is the first in a series. I may track down the books that follow, or I might try something else by Golden.
May 3, 2023
I had forgotten what this book was about, but the title intrigued me and I picked it out of my TBR list. As soon as I started reading this, I was hooked. I figured out pretty quickly what kind of creature was at the center of the story, and it was a cracking good variation on the typical vampire story. There was a really unique twist on the various "myths" around vampirism that I particularly thought were creative and which were integral to the story itself. Well written, with not too stereotypical characters , I found this to be a fresh take on the topic. There is a truly fun conflict between the church and the undead, with some deliciously evil machinations. This was paced to keep you wanting to turn the page and the characters were engaging. I intend to continue with the series.
June 16, 2024
I loved the idea of a vampire detective story quite appealing as I've never read one before, and as I got further into the book the tone shifted from that into a hunt for the book the Gospel of Shadows which truthfully I was a bit disappointed in but then as it went on I began to actually find myself enjoying it . It was really enjoyable once again reading a gory vampire story as they are as not in the mainstream right now or is it just me?
My only criticism is that the main character of Peter Octavian is a little OP sometimes turning into something or doing something that most vampires couldn't do at first, although it did hurt him but stil,I did love the traditional aspect of the vampire lore that it got into.
After that ending I will find the second book.
My only criticism is that the main character of Peter Octavian is a little OP sometimes turning into something or doing something that most vampires couldn't do at first, although it did hurt him but stil,I did love the traditional aspect of the vampire lore that it got into.
After that ending I will find the second book.
Want to read
June 25, 2020Easily one of the best vampire stories ever. Love how it plays on how evil the Catholics are. I mean it's all child rape and slavery. Vampires just don't listen to their bullshit. It even brings the reality of jesus into the mix and I never forget the vagina monster the catholic sorcerers summon from hell. We even get to read about beeazelbub and the way he treats magic is so cool. How he becomes more human as he uses it. The power of belief is so powerful in this book, it's like a lesson on how to fight brain washing. And just because it survives on blood doesn't mean its evil. We are all in this together and the Catholics suck holy balls...that's the truth
February 23, 2021
A grimoire coveted by the Catholic Church that cannot control vampires, for they are not demons. That doesn't mean Church doesn't want bloodsuckers destroyed. According to legend, Christ wrote grimoire that can destroy vampires. Vampires are good guys, battling for their existence and freedom from Church, seeking demonic guide. Cabal of Church-sanctioned, priest, sorcerers look for grimoire, using summoned demons to bloodily dispatch anyone with answers. A self-important attorney blows up when spirits enter him. That is just one victim, many others.
Golden is gleeful about displaying bloody carnage. Book is not serious and pulpy fun. Nothing is sacrosanct, except for grimoire.
Golden is gleeful about displaying bloody carnage. Book is not serious and pulpy fun. Nothing is sacrosanct, except for grimoire.
January 6, 2023
Wow! What a ride! I loved this book.
However, PDA: this book contains graphic sex, torture and sexual situations. *Not recommended* for children.
I got tired of writing these reviews; ran out of superlatives, plots getting difficult to mention, and I just didn't feel like doing it. This book is worth discussing; it puts a whole new take on 'vampires'. As a Catholic, I found the basic plot quite disturbing. But Mr. Golden's prose put me firmly on the vamp's side. And I'm anxious to read the next book in the series, always a sign that it's going to be good reading. So, Recommended with above caution.
However, PDA: this book contains graphic sex, torture and sexual situations. *Not recommended* for children.
I got tired of writing these reviews; ran out of superlatives, plots getting difficult to mention, and I just didn't feel like doing it. This book is worth discussing; it puts a whole new take on 'vampires'. As a Catholic, I found the basic plot quite disturbing. But Mr. Golden's prose put me firmly on the vamp's side. And I'm anxious to read the next book in the series, always a sign that it's going to be good reading. So, Recommended with above caution.
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