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Creed #2
Blood and Chrysanthemums
Becoming a vampire was easier than she had ever dreamed … Living as a vampire was more complicated than she had ever expected … Understanding what it means to be a vampire would prove harder than she had ever imagined …
Ardeth Alexander surrendered her mortal life in a night of despair and desire, initiated into a new existence by the five-hundred-year-old vampire, Dimitri Rozokov. Fleeing Toronto, Ardeth and Rozokov settle in the tourist town of Banff, Alberta. While she tests her new strength against the mountains by climbing, Rozokov returns to astronomy, the science of his youth. Together they hunt the dark reaches of the park, preying on the animals they find there, upholding an unspoken agreement not to taste human blood.
Yet all their activity cannot disguise their restlessness and soon their fragile happiness is shattered by bitter conflict and inevitable betrayal. Angry and unhappy, Ardeth returns to Toronto to try to recatpure the life she believed she had left behind forever. What Ardeth and Rozokov do not know is that they are being hunted. A member of the yakuza, the Japanese underworld, is on their trail, seeking the fulfillment of his most secret ambition. So is his employer, Sademori Fujiwara, a vampire whose extraordinary history is revealed to Rozokov through his diary.
From the seductive nights in the imperial court of the eleventh century to the horror and tragedy of the darkest days of the twentieth, Fujiwara’s story is a tale of poetry and violence, of delight and despair. In his life, Ardeth and Rozokov see the promise of the answers to the questions of love, mortality and morality that have torn them apart.
Ardeth Alexander surrendered her mortal life in a night of despair and desire, initiated into a new existence by the five-hundred-year-old vampire, Dimitri Rozokov. Fleeing Toronto, Ardeth and Rozokov settle in the tourist town of Banff, Alberta. While she tests her new strength against the mountains by climbing, Rozokov returns to astronomy, the science of his youth. Together they hunt the dark reaches of the park, preying on the animals they find there, upholding an unspoken agreement not to taste human blood.
Yet all their activity cannot disguise their restlessness and soon their fragile happiness is shattered by bitter conflict and inevitable betrayal. Angry and unhappy, Ardeth returns to Toronto to try to recatpure the life she believed she had left behind forever. What Ardeth and Rozokov do not know is that they are being hunted. A member of the yakuza, the Japanese underworld, is on their trail, seeking the fulfillment of his most secret ambition. So is his employer, Sademori Fujiwara, a vampire whose extraordinary history is revealed to Rozokov through his diary.
From the seductive nights in the imperial court of the eleventh century to the horror and tragedy of the darkest days of the twentieth, Fujiwara’s story is a tale of poetry and violence, of delight and despair. In his life, Ardeth and Rozokov see the promise of the answers to the questions of love, mortality and morality that have torn them apart.
282 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1994
4 people are currently reading
236 people want to read
About the author
Nancy Baker
12 books69 followersNancy Baker blames her life-long love of horror and fantasy fiction on the first horror story she can remember: The Tale of Squirrel Nutkin by Beatrix Potter. She dabbled in rock and roll (writing lyrics and singing in basement bands during her university years) before switching to writing fiction. She made her first professional sale in 1988, to Rod Serling’s Twilight Zone magazine and has subsequently published 4 novels. She is at work (slowly, very slowly) on her fifth and avoids writing by gardening, making jam, and listening to podcasts on everything from architecture to history to the meaning of Dolly Parton.
She is happily married and has no children or cats.
NOTE: I only write fantasy and horror so any erotica, self-help, or diet books that show up here are not mine.
She is happily married and has no children or cats.
NOTE: I only write fantasy and horror so any erotica, self-help, or diet books that show up here are not mine.
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
September 19, 2012
Since I absolutely loved The Night Inside, of course I had to read the sequel, Blood And Chrysanthemums. Unfortunately, this book isn’t half as good as the first. Yes the intriguing characters are still there, but they’re given little to do. There’s no action or suspense, just a lot of pondering about what it’s like to be a vampire and vampire philosophy. It’s kind of slow.
In The Night Inside, Ardeth went through a pretty complex character arc, changing into a different creature with a totally different perception of the world. That doesn't happen in B&C. Also there is no villain, so there’s no real sense of danger and dread that did exist in the first book. The sexual tension between Ardeth and Dimitri is sort of gone.
In fact, the most compelling part of the story is a diary of a very old Japanese vampire. Yet I felt like even that part was kind of thin. Fujiwara’s story wasn’t given the richness it deserved.
I think Nancy Baker writes really well, so I will still give a good review. Baker has a way of pulling me right into her world and her characters are nuanced and believable. Her simple prose shows so much with just one sentence. I admire that. And even with little happening, I was still compelled to whip right through this book.
I just don’t think B&C is anywhere near as awesome as her first book. I’m disappointed.
In The Night Inside, Ardeth went through a pretty complex character arc, changing into a different creature with a totally different perception of the world. That doesn't happen in B&C. Also there is no villain, so there’s no real sense of danger and dread that did exist in the first book. The sexual tension between Ardeth and Dimitri is sort of gone.
In fact, the most compelling part of the story is a diary of a very old Japanese vampire. Yet I felt like even that part was kind of thin. Fujiwara’s story wasn’t given the richness it deserved.
I think Nancy Baker writes really well, so I will still give a good review. Baker has a way of pulling me right into her world and her characters are nuanced and believable. Her simple prose shows so much with just one sentence. I admire that. And even with little happening, I was still compelled to whip right through this book.
I just don’t think B&C is anywhere near as awesome as her first book. I’m disappointed.
April 5, 2008
A vampire love story in a Japanese setting. Highly unusual and original, and oddly moving, with very sympathetic vampires. But they don't whine the way Anne Rice's vampires whine!
November 15, 2014
Mixed feelings here. I like that this is a continuation of the non-sparkly, non-romance-y vampire tale from book one and the first half was promising. But then this other vampire appears. He's old, mad old, and is from Japan.
It makes sense - if you're going to make someone over a thousand years old there are only so many cultures to choose from. And if you go the European route it ends up being dark, not to mention that the reader probably already knows the history. May as well go with the exotic.
My problem is that I know this flavor of "exotic" really really well - I was a Japanese major in college, I live in one of the locations she uses, and I married one of the locals. So no thrill of discovery or the "other" here.
To give Baker credit she makes a great effort to get the facts right. I still have my nitpicks (the geography is especially confused) but whatever, it felt like I was in Japanese History 301 all over again.
Too bad I hated that class.
I will be the first to admit that I'm the wrong person to objectively review this book, but I think the story would have been stronger if the characters stuck closer to home.
It makes sense - if you're going to make someone over a thousand years old there are only so many cultures to choose from. And if you go the European route it ends up being dark, not to mention that the reader probably already knows the history. May as well go with the exotic.
My problem is that I know this flavor of "exotic" really really well - I was a Japanese major in college, I live in one of the locations she uses, and I married one of the locals. So no thrill of discovery or the "other" here.
To give Baker credit she makes a great effort to get the facts right. I still have my nitpicks (the geography is especially confused) but whatever, it felt like I was in Japanese History 301 all over again.
Too bad I hated that class.
I will be the first to admit that I'm the wrong person to objectively review this book, but I think the story would have been stronger if the characters stuck closer to home.
February 26, 2009
I started this book not realizing it was a sequel to another I read many years ago. It took me quite by surprise when names and characters I remember leapt out of the pages at me and drew me again into a world of twilight and shadow.
The story continues the tale of a vampire, newly made and her sire, both struggling to come to terms with the changes in their existance. Her new 'life' and his emergence into a century from captivity and a slumber that lasted far longer than he intended.
There is a complexity to this story that I could not do justice to by attempting to write about it. It is a story that centers on searching for answers that do not come easily, or cheaply, and also the story of how life and death can be met with dignity.
The story continues the tale of a vampire, newly made and her sire, both struggling to come to terms with the changes in their existance. Her new 'life' and his emergence into a century from captivity and a slumber that lasted far longer than he intended.
There is a complexity to this story that I could not do justice to by attempting to write about it. It is a story that centers on searching for answers that do not come easily, or cheaply, and also the story of how life and death can be met with dignity.
May 21, 2012
I found this in a used book sale at my local library several years ago. I loved the story. Its slightly different than traditional vampires, but not as extreme and as horrible as Twilight. I loved the characters. Its slightly for a mature audience. The ending killed me and so I erased it from my memory.
September 3, 2012
I had to read the sequel to The Night Inside and I was not disappointed... Same fast paced well written style as the first... One of the few pairs of books I haven't parted with even with my obsession with my kindle... Sadly, these are not available on kindle, but I will keep my battered copies and re read them as and when...
August 31, 2023
I preferred this book so much more over Kiss of the Vampire.
B&C is the continuation of KotV, with Ardeth and Dimitri fleeing Toronto to Banff, a small tourist town more than 3000km northwest. They hope to live anonymously where those who know of their existence cannot find them.
There is a second story running through this via a diary of an ancient Japanese vampire, Fujiwara, and his current search for Ardeth and Dimitri.
This book reminded me more of a gothic style vampire novel like early Anne Rice and Dracula. The lonely existence, searching for answers and companionship, and remaining hidden in plain sight. I kind of wish the two books were just released as one book, editing down some of the convoluted mess in KotV, and then released as a larger novel. Oh well. Definitely glad I stuck to it and continued on with this book.
B&C is the continuation of KotV, with Ardeth and Dimitri fleeing Toronto to Banff, a small tourist town more than 3000km northwest. They hope to live anonymously where those who know of their existence cannot find them.
There is a second story running through this via a diary of an ancient Japanese vampire, Fujiwara, and his current search for Ardeth and Dimitri.
This book reminded me more of a gothic style vampire novel like early Anne Rice and Dracula. The lonely existence, searching for answers and companionship, and remaining hidden in plain sight. I kind of wish the two books were just released as one book, editing down some of the convoluted mess in KotV, and then released as a larger novel. Oh well. Definitely glad I stuck to it and continued on with this book.
Read
August 12, 2020DNF. I’ve had this book on my shelves for at least 15 years, had no idea it was a sequel, tried it but didn’t find the plot or characters engaging.
April 18, 2022
Not as good a continuation to the story as I wanted it to be but I'm glad I finally got to read it.
June 21, 2024
This was well written but I don’t think enough actually happened for my taste. I think I’d like to read the first book I accidentally skipped someday…
March 25, 2023
Not as unputdownable as The Night Inside, but contains twice the existential angst. This sort of feels like two separate novellas stuck together. The memoirs of the Japanese protagonist are interesting but feel jarringly out of place at first, considering this picks up shortly after where the first novel left off, and is (initially) all about exploring the relationship between Ardeth and Rozokov more deeply. The characters are in very little danger compared to the first book, and the story is consequently less focused on plot and suspense.
The existential brooding becomes almost overwhelming by the last few chapters as the A-plot and B-plot dovetail together, but I think the book sticks the landing, and I was in a good mindset to appreciate this kind of ending. Nancy Baker's prose and dialogue is still impeccable.
The existential brooding becomes almost overwhelming by the last few chapters as the A-plot and B-plot dovetail together, but I think the book sticks the landing, and I was in a good mindset to appreciate this kind of ending. Nancy Baker's prose and dialogue is still impeccable.
January 23, 2016
This wasn't the first book in the series but I picked up at my fave used book shoppe. This series is no longer in print but I'm glad that I picked it up when I did. It was an intersting book with chapters depicting past and present. It was an emotional book, and I really fell in love with the ancient Japanese vampire and his sorrows. I did like the Asian aspect of this book as well. It added a romantic touch. Also this book is by a Canadian author and this particular book in the series was set in Banff, Alberta. I bought this book when I was still living in BC and now that I love in Calgary and have been to Banff, I can see why it was set there.
August 16, 2014
I didn't enjoy this book as much as I enjoyed its prequel. It almost seems bi-polar in terms of what the book is trying to do. I really enjoyed the sections of the book that took place in Japan, and in fact, wish that the whole sequence had been a book until itself. That said, the book still has a nice exploration of what being a vampire can do to someone, something that many books irgnore.
November 17, 2015
I enjoyed the Kiss of the Vampire but this sequel is lacklustre - there was no adventure and no exciting vampire stuff. The two main characters spent the whole time agonising over their relationship for no reason other than to create an excuse for a plot. I got bored and gave up.
December 24, 2016
After reading The Night Inside I expected Blood and Chrysanthemums to be just as good if not better. However, for me this novel fell flat, the beginning was very boring and didn't pick up until the Japanese vampire was introduced.
August 4, 2009
I read the first 60-80 pages and just...couldn't continue. It really didn't interest me that much. I'm not sure if it was the writing or the plot, probably both, but it just made me yawn.
Want to read
September 9, 2010*note to self.copy from Al.
March 27, 2013
Sequel to The Night Inside.
December 9, 2013
liked it
November 23, 2010
Love this book and the heroine, a recent vamp (2nd in series after The Night Inside).
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews