Dark Ages: Nosferatu

Dark Ages Clan Novels #1

by Gherbod Fleming

Horror on an Epic Scale

It is a time of war and faith, of shadow and fire. Malachite of Clan Nosferatu has seen his beloved city of Constantinople put to the the torch and seeks vengeance and the means to rebuild its glory. As crusaders make for the Holy Land, and vampiric princes make war, he seeks out a monster ancient enough to save his Dream or damn it forever. This is the first book in the new Dark Ages Clan Novel series, the first of a 13 part series.

Dark Ages: Nosferatu reveals secrets of the Dark Ages Vampire setting.

Written in the tradition of the the immensely popular Vampire: The Masquerade Clan Novel series.

Genres: Horror, Fantasy, World Of Darkness, Vampires, Fiction, Historical Fiction, Urban Fantasy

288 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published July 1, 2002

Reviews

[Gianfranco Mancini · Rating 5 out of 5]

Year 1204

Constantinople burns, conquered and brutally sacked by the crusaders.



Vampire knights fight vampire knights: no sparkle-emo-vamps here.



A 300 years old religious Nosferatu (Malachite was a bishop in his life)mourning the end of the Dream, starts his Quest.



The Dark Ages Vampire saga, based on White Wolf Publishing "World of Darkness" Role Playing Game setting, starts with a blast introducing the themes of the series: savagery, religion & faith, heroism and betrayal.

Very good and engaging read, but people not knowing the game can be confused a few... don't worry, arm yourself with Google, get this book and start the journey with Malachite. You won't be disappointed.

[Vladimir · Rating 3 out of 5]

Though the setting is very interesting, I found myself only following the story because I am a big fan of the happenings during the Fourth Crusade and the fall of Constantinople. Unfortunately, the material is a bit dull and the characters, kine or Cainite, are tough to care for and Constantinople never really came to life even as it was dying. The Dream was vague and bland, the actual movers and pushers too similar in both looks and behavior. The history story buff in me enjoyed some of the bits and pieces. However, the second book in the series, Dark Ages: Assamite (by Stefan Petrucha) puts Dark Ages: Nosferatu to shame. Overall, the book needed a lot more reaearch. And passion.

[Erik Ádám · Rating 4 out of 5]

Drinking game: take a shot each time Malachit contemplates the dream.

[LEGO Yoda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought the general story and character work was pretty good, but the prose for some reason is just really great. There were lots of moments within the story that I just thought the dialogue and general writing was really striking.

A story about vampires set directly during the Fall of Constantinople (the first time) was really really great and fun to read too.

[E J · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'd suggest having moderate background knowledge of the Vampire:Dark Ages world circa 1200 before reading this, otherwise it'll feel like so much story is going over your head. I entered only having a cursory awareness of the different clans and still had to consult "Constantinople by Night" every now and again to get the backgrounds of the key players, namely Malachite, Michael, Lady Alexia, the triplet boys et al.

Moody is hardly enough to describe the story. It was lyrical, largely introspective, sombre and pretty saturnine. The book has the right balance of dialogue, travel and combat scenes with a weighting more towards dialogue and introspection; just the way I like it. The more I think about it, the more I appreciate the story's exploration of the trials of faith and how it simultaneously bolsters and confuses one's motivations and inclinations, the conviction of one's beliefs resting upon foundations which feels like a fluid relationship of shakiness and solidity. Which truths, either to oneself, others or a higher abstract are more valid, if such a word can be used? And just because you don't agree with someone's philosophy, their world view because you don't like their "lies", does it mean they should be denied resolution and/or redemption, of answers to questions they can't let go of, are undeserving of self-actualisation?

Overall, a great and immersive introduction into the 13 book saga. I'm eager to re-read this later.

[Αταλάντη Ευριπίδου · Rating 4 out of 5]

Definitely among the best clan novels, beautifully written and with great characterization.

[Dylan · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 rating

CrossRoads Press, Paperback edition

Much better than the previous Vampire the Masquerade fluff i read, but in a lot of ways still a mixed bag. The Dark Ages world of Vampire the Masquerade is really really interesting to me so far, i still can't escape the feeling that these novels were written entirely for people who very much know the lore already. The prose really impressed me, frankly. I've read a few fictions based on TTRPGs, and few have the lyrical quality Gherbod displays here.

The year 1204. Constantinople is smouldering, pious templar knights pillage it's riches, murder the mortal and Cainites alike and burn it's library and it's tomes of ancient knowledge. It would seem that while many of the humans and their leaderships believe they run the city, it would appear that in fact, the Cainites, the vampires are charged with it's dominion. There exists a rivalry between these Cainite clans, and what is holding this city together is Michael the Patriarch, an ancient vampire close to the bloodline of Caine himself. And his Dream. Though he does not stir at all, to defend neither his city nor his dream.

A lot of cool shit in there, however, it isn't ever really explained what the "Dream" exactly is. The vampires tend to be very pious, very holy. I assume that a part of the Dream, is that the primary curse of being a Cainite is the dominion of mankind. Though, different elders interpret this differently. And it appears that perhaps, Michael's understanding is that humans are their responsibility, to guide and protect them. While other clan leaders view humans as nothing but chattel or sacrifices to be made. But, I don't know lol. There appears to be a very religious angle to it but I couldn't really tease it out. Perhaps if there's a rule book somewhere that fleshes out exactly what this world is about in this era, maybe it will make more sense to me.

That's the main critique for me. A lot of information passed over me as nebulous or hard to grasp. The book shouldn't have taken me as long as it did. But there were sections where it felt like it slowed down to a crawl. With flashbacks of information that was difficult to retain. However, when the book is in full clip, it's really bloody good. The book just drips with the occult dark gothic atmosphere. The overall plot and introduction to the world was very interesting.

The ending is a mixed bag. I had to re-read the last page because i couldn't believe it just ended the way it did. And also the realization that, you really probably gotta read the entire Dark Ages series to get the hard hitting satisfaction you might expect. This is but an introduction to the main conflict. Which is cool but also not cool, as my understanding is that every book focuses on a different clan, so you may very well never even see Malachite again.

Overall, I liked it quite a bit. I'm interested in reading further in this series. However, i can see my gripes as being huge barriers of entry for a lot of people.

[Marcin Wronikowski · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book follows a bunch of characters with no personality at all. The protagonist's - Malachite's - defining characteristic is that he mopes throughout the book about different things: his ailing vampire childe, people and vampires killed by crusaders, the Jewish woman Miriam, the lost friendship with another vampire, the burning Constantinople, the patriarch Michael, the Dream, his lost mortality, having to abandon Constantinople, being lied to by another vampire, lying to Miriam... it's just never-ending! This novel is just one giant introspection of Malachite's and at some points it just becomes hard to follow what he's currently whinging about. Without all this padding, the book would fit into six chapters instead of nineteen. Then ending brings no resolution at all, either, instead setting Malachite on another trek he needs to take.

Overall, this was a major disappointment for me even as a fan of the WoD setting.

[Victor Hugo · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was a very interesting journey. For fans of Vampire: The Masquerade and Vampire: The Dark Ages, this is a novel that brings some very cool things, such as the crusade of Latins and Franks who invade Constantinople in the 13th century and end up putting several wheels of fate in motion (This is Medieval History, not spoilers).

I can’t say it’s a great work of fiction and fantasy, but it’s engaging. I feel that those who do not know the aforementioned RPGs will not be able to fully understand everything that is happening in this novel (which is a flaw, in my opinion).

[Andrew Garcia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this without knowing it was at all related to Vampire the Masquerade or the Dark Ages role playing games. It was a good story and interesting lore, but the body of lore and world building beyond just this book is a little overwhelming if you know nothing about the source material, like me. I still enjoyed it though, but I don’t think I’ll get much further into Vampire the Masquerade material since that is a lot to take on.

[Nebiath · Rating 1 out of 5]

Me gusta mucho la ambientación medieval para VTM y el hecho de comenzar la acción en medio de la caída de Constantinopla de 1453 con mi clan favorito era muy prometedor.

Lástima que al libro le sobre el 60% del texto, que apenas pase nada de interés y que la mayor parte de los personajes sean esterotipos sin profundidad.

Absolutamente prescindible.

[Jonathan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Strong start to the Dark Ages setting

I love Vampire the Masquerade, but had never played with the Dark Ages ruleset. This book has a compelling start to a series that also inspires an interest in trying out the Dark Ages ruleset.

[Jimmy J. Crantz · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story keeps up the pace even though little time passes between events. I enjoyed how the beast were poking in and out in the mind of the main character during conversations. The best clan novel I’ve read so far.

[Pedro Espada · Rating 3 out of 5]

Un poco lento y falto de acción,pero buen arranque de esta etapa

[Miguel Ángel Moreno · Rating 4 out of 5]

Libro recomendable para todo aquel que esté interesado en la ambientación del juego de rol Vampiro Edad Oscura.

[Trevor · Rating 4 out of 5]

This novel is the first of 13 (one for each clan) that tells of a specific series of events during the Dark Ages era of the Vampire role playing world. It is based upon real world events, yet intersperses vampires as key movers and shakers of those events. Each novel has, as the protagonist, a different vampire from each of the 13 clans.

This first novel has as its protagonist a Nosferatu vampire, hence the title, and revolves around the events of the sacking of Constantinople during the fourth crusade.

For a book that caters to a sub-culture that is typically associated with Wiccan or New Age philosophies, it was full of Catholic/Christian concepts and dogma. And surprisingly several of the vampire characters of this book were devout followers of this faith. Despite my initial surprise I found this quite refreshing to see as many other ‘fantasy’ books that are based on this period in history try to downplay the role of the church in daily life, yet here is a book that is doing quite the opposite. Few people realize just how powerful the Catholic Church and faith was during this era of European history, and that by removing it you are furthering yourself drastically from the era you are trying to represent. It would be like trying to tell a modern day piece of fiction and totally disregarding the existence of North America and all of its impact on modern cultures, politics and society.

As I read this novel I found myself frequently going to Google/Wikipedia to help with my understanding of the world of that era. From this I was greatly rewarded with knowledge of the fourth crusade, the schism of the Catholic and Orthodox Churches, Cappadocia and the surrounding environs and the sacking of Constantinople. I find it quite interesting that a fiction book about vampires brought me to learn more about the history of the world and a clearer understanding about world religion.

As for the story itself, the main character, Malachite, is torn apart by the destruction of the ‘greatest city for Christendom that has ever existed’. We learn that Malachite’s mentor, Micheal, was a vampire who was one of three that were manipulating the rulers of Constantinople with the intent of making Constantinople a perfect city wherein vampires and humans could coexist in peace. This concept is constantly referred to as ‘the Dream’. With the sacking of Constantinople, Malachite is put on the path of saving what remnants of the Dream still exist. To this end he enlists the aid of his Nosferatu brothers, herein referred to as the leper Knights of St Ladre, a Gangrel (vampire able to assume the shape of a wolf) ‘scout’, and a Cappadocian (vampire necromantic mage) lady. They travel to several places both within Constantinople and without, and at the books end you get the general concept that will most likely trace its way through the 13 novels of the series.

I found that the author did an excellent job of keeping the mood of the book dark and disturbing without overstating it, of playing within the facts of history without creating anachronisms, and representing the concepts of the Vampire role playing game world and its clans with obvious understanding of what he was writing about.

This was an excellent beginning to the series and easily makes me want to continue reading to see how the authors will weave the main story concept while incorporating the other clans and their unique goals.

As for recommending this book, I would suggest that this would be a book that would be best offered to a reader of horror who is interested in history or to a player of Vampire who is interested in a fictional tale along the lines of the game. And if the series plays properly along the themes of the game, this will be a series enjoyed by lovers of Machiavellian politics. I would warn that with the main protagonists being vampires who often feed on people and treat them as chattel, I don’t think anyone looking for a positive hero will be rewarded and should thusly avoid this book and series.

[Anders Haywood · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great way to start this series!

This is the first book in the thirteen part Dark Ages Clan Novels for White Wolf's Vampire: the masquerade. Sadly, I missed this series when it was initially released, so I was eager to finally give it a try.
It was fantastic! It was well written and vivid, with an intriguing plot that really sucked me in!
My only complaint is that book two hasn't been released yet(as of the time I write this, obviously). As these books all occur one after another and not concurrently like the original clan novels, I cannot skip ahead to other books in the series (some of which have been released first, for some reason).
Anyway, I digress. If you love V:tM or just the World of Darkness in general, you will like this book!

[Christie · Rating 3 out of 5]

The concept of the story was very interesting, but it was hard for me to get into, especially for the first part of the book. The writing style to me was very dull and emotionless. A story should draw a reader in and keep them drawn to it by action or conversation. The description of the characters was not very interesting; it didn't make me feel like I really got to know them much throughout the story and it did seem to just jump ahead suddenly leaving questions in my mind on to what might have happened at those points.

[MrBearmouse · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book just didn't feel like much effort got put into it. I thought of it as a stepping stone for a series of novels - but nothing else. As a stand alone one it seems poor to me.
I liked the setting of falling Constantinople and all the hopelessness coming with it but any plot is almost non-existent. The book is slow paced, repetitive and with no interesting characters. I enjoyed the vampire/human "friendship" but it wasn't explored as much as I would like.
In comparison to other Clan Novels, I disliked the Nosferatu the most so far.

[Erik · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book feels slow. I believe it did a good job of setting the tone for what is to come, but it just meandered it's way there.

I feel like my above statement is a little unfair and really only applies to the first half or so of the book. Malachite is an interesting character and I look forward to his character popping up again. The story was very good even when it was slow.

I enjoyed this book and look forward to finishing the series.

[alexander · Rating 4 out of 5]

Stuck between 3 and 4 stars: the quality of the writing pushed it up to four, yet even that grew repetitive at times (i.e. the metaphor of Alexia's 'ivory mask').
The pacing was good, there were no points where I was bored or thought the plot was not progressing; the characters were well-crafted and it serves well as an introduction to the series (provided the reader has some prior knowledge on the universe. I was confused at times, and I had read two novels from the series prior).

[S Eck · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting read. A little repetitive a times, especially the bit where Malachite was carrying on about the Dream. I guess that's there to convey to us his obsession with it, especially given what happens in the end and what he gives up for the Dream. I wanted to knock him over the head at the end! I guess that means the author did a good job of making him relatable and interesting.

[Eric]

I like the setting, which is what drew me to the books, but the feel just didn't pull me in. I don't know if it just felt too remote or I just didn't connect with the main character. I gave it a few chances, not sure that I'll go back to it.

[Cy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Despite the setting, which was fantastic, the characters were too wooden and unapproachable and the plot just seems to plod on without any real investment from the reader.