What do you think?
Rate this book
The Grails Covenant #1
To Sift Through Bitter Ashes
Obsessed with acquiring the Holy Grail for the Lasombra clan, the vampire Montrovant sets out on a quest leads him through the establishment of the Knights Templar, the lair of an ancient Egyptian evil and the deserts of the Holy Land. Dark forces are pitted against him, and each ally must be watched in turn, as treachery leads to deceit and back again in a race against time, the Church, and the mysterious Kli Kodesh, who is more ancient, even, than Montrovant's sire.
Only persistence, luck and the power of his own will can see him through to his goal, and any mistake could mean his destruction.
The Dark Ages Engulf Us
This novel is the first book of The Grails Covenant, a trilogy of novels set in the world of Vampire: The Dark Ages, which in itself is set in a larger series World of Darkness.
While complete unto itself, the trilogy involves characters and plots that continue into The Trilogy of the Blood Curse, a trilogy for Vampire: The Masquerade that begins with The Devil's Advocate.
Only persistence, luck and the power of his own will can see him through to his goal, and any mistake could mean his destruction.
The Dark Ages Engulf Us
This novel is the first book of The Grails Covenant, a trilogy of novels set in the world of Vampire: The Dark Ages, which in itself is set in a larger series World of Darkness.
While complete unto itself, the trilogy involves characters and plots that continue into The Trilogy of the Blood Curse, a trilogy for Vampire: The Masquerade that begins with The Devil's Advocate.
421 pages, Paperback
First published July 1, 1997
18 people are currently reading
186 people want to read
About the author
David Niall Wilson
163 books230 followersSubscribe to myNewsletter
Join my street team on Facebook to win prizes, discuss my work with others, and get exclusive content and offers
David Niall Wilson has been writing and publishing horror, dark fantasy, and science fiction since the mid-eighties. An ordained minister, once President of the Horror Writer 's Association and multiple recipient of the Bram Stoker Award. He lives outside Hertford, NC with the love of his life, Patricia Lee Macomber, His children Zane and Katie, occasionally their older siblings, Stephanie, who is in college, and Bill and Zach who are in the Navy, and an ever-changing assortment of pets.
David is CEO and founder of Crossroad Press, a cutting edge digital publishing company specializing in electronic novels, collections, and nonfiction, as well as unabridged audiobooks and print titles.
Join my street team on Facebook to win prizes, discuss my work with others, and get exclusive content and offers
David Niall Wilson has been writing and publishing horror, dark fantasy, and science fiction since the mid-eighties. An ordained minister, once President of the Horror Writer 's Association and multiple recipient of the Bram Stoker Award. He lives outside Hertford, NC with the love of his life, Patricia Lee Macomber, His children Zane and Katie, occasionally their older siblings, Stephanie, who is in college, and Bill and Zach who are in the Navy, and an ever-changing assortment of pets.
David is CEO and founder of Crossroad Press, a cutting edge digital publishing company specializing in electronic novels, collections, and nonfiction, as well as unabridged audiobooks and print titles.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
November 25, 2025
To Sift Through Bitter Ashes
by David Niall Wilson
This book was recommended to me by someone special so I was excited, but I think we have a little bit different tastes in this book. I thought it was just OK. It was rather long with too much dialogue, not much action. It had vampires and other creatures but you wouldn't know it. No vampiric-type action other than threats mostly. An old vamp bossing and threatening his underlings around.
I really wanted to like this book. It was great at setting the atmosphere and describing the characters but I don't think I want to finish the series. It seemed like it was written when vampires were alive! 😊
by David Niall Wilson
This book was recommended to me by someone special so I was excited, but I think we have a little bit different tastes in this book. I thought it was just OK. It was rather long with too much dialogue, not much action. It had vampires and other creatures but you wouldn't know it. No vampiric-type action other than threats mostly. An old vamp bossing and threatening his underlings around.
I really wanted to like this book. It was great at setting the atmosphere and describing the characters but I don't think I want to finish the series. It seemed like it was written when vampires were alive! 😊
September 3, 2018
The Grails Covenant trilogy starts with a bang in this first novel, a tale about a Quest and the rise of two so different knightly orders.
Montrovant, born as Solomon, progeny of the ancient Lord Claudius Euginio, ancient of vampiric Clan Lasombra and Bishop of the Catholic Church in Rome, starts here his Quest to seek and retrieve the Holy Grail for the glory of his Clan and, of course, for his personal gain and lust for power.
Legends abound indeed among the Kindred of the powers vampires can gain after drinking from the Holy Chalice: in primis, the priceless gift to walk again in the sun without being turned into ash.
Montrovant is an arrogant and manipulative Cainite, not young neither weak, but he lacks the discipline that vampires gain with centuries.
So arrogant to risk ending his immortal existence by angering his Sire after contacting the Elders of Clan Lasombra without asking first.
So arrogant to use his influence on the Church to rally for his schemes a small group to knights under vows of chastity and poverty, those same Poor Knights of Christ and of the Temple of Solomon destined to became one of the most famous, powerful and influential medieval knightly orders: the Knights Templar.
And in the end of the novel, another knightly order rises, the vampiric Order of Bitter Ashes, a Cainite order dedicated to hunting down and preserving the true relics and proof of God's existence, after Montrovant's use of Hugues de Payen and his Poor Knights spawned that idea in the ancient, crazy and bored immortal Kli Kodesh, powerful Cainite who seeks to make the world more... interesting.
A page turning well written first novel, full of references to medieval history and to White Wolf's World of Darkness setting (the "villain" Santos, is probably a Mummy from the Mummy: The Resurrection RPG set in the same dark universe of Vampire: The Dark Ages, Vampire: The Masquerade and many other games that are going to appeal for good every lover of Crusades, knights, history, fantasy, vampires White Wolf's old World of Darkness RPG players.
4 stars rounded up to 5 full ones by nostalgia (I've been a VtM/VtDA
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 13, 2015
-Un poco distinto al resto de libros bajo el paraguas de White Wolf.-
Género. Narrativa Fantástica.
Lo que nos cuenta. En la Edad Media, el vampiro del clan Lasombra Montrovant visita a su sire cerca de Roma para informarle que ha decidido buscar el Grial porque sospecha que tiene grandes poderes. Como todo parece indicar que el legendario objeto se encuentra en el Templo de Salomón, Montrovant comienza a mover los hilos para que le acompañe un grupo de soldados de Dios que le permitan llevar a cabo sus planes en Tierra Santa. Primer libro de la saga La alianza del grial.
¿Quiere saber más de este libro, sin spoilers? Visite:
http://librosdeolethros.blogspot.com....
Género. Narrativa Fantástica.
Lo que nos cuenta. En la Edad Media, el vampiro del clan Lasombra Montrovant visita a su sire cerca de Roma para informarle que ha decidido buscar el Grial porque sospecha que tiene grandes poderes. Como todo parece indicar que el legendario objeto se encuentra en el Templo de Salomón, Montrovant comienza a mover los hilos para que le acompañe un grupo de soldados de Dios que le permitan llevar a cabo sus planes en Tierra Santa. Primer libro de la saga La alianza del grial.
¿Quiere saber más de este libro, sin spoilers? Visite:
http://librosdeolethros.blogspot.com....
September 8, 2012
Back just before the massive White Wolf boom, they decided to try their hand at fiction-based marketing ploys. Their idea was to have 2 authors write 2 connected trilogies, one based in the then-new Vampire dark ages, and the other in the modern nights.
The guy who wrote the modern nights trilogy wasn't very good, and that trilogy sucked. Especially because it shared a key character with the Grails Covenent, this trilogy, and the modern nights author just couldn't do Kli Kodesh with a tenth the syle as David Niall Wilson.
This book contains the original portrayal of Kli Kodesh. There's some other story, too, and some other characters, and they're all quite good. But Kodesh is probably the best written version of the Malkavian as mad prophet I've ever seen, of the madman on the hilltop who is clearly nuts, but also knows more about what's going on than you so you'd better listen to him. He's tremendously well done, and his influence makes the entire series better.
Until Kli Kodesh makes it to the modern nights, and is reduced by a worse author to another giggling idiot handing out boxes of bandaids because he's MAD!
The guy who wrote the modern nights trilogy wasn't very good, and that trilogy sucked. Especially because it shared a key character with the Grails Covenent, this trilogy, and the modern nights author just couldn't do Kli Kodesh with a tenth the syle as David Niall Wilson.
This book contains the original portrayal of Kli Kodesh. There's some other story, too, and some other characters, and they're all quite good. But Kodesh is probably the best written version of the Malkavian as mad prophet I've ever seen, of the madman on the hilltop who is clearly nuts, but also knows more about what's going on than you so you'd better listen to him. He's tremendously well done, and his influence makes the entire series better.
Until Kli Kodesh makes it to the modern nights, and is reduced by a worse author to another giggling idiot handing out boxes of bandaids because he's MAD!
Read
June 5, 2024Was in a bookstore and found this on the ground under a shelf. Grabbed it.
-Not a waste of time, but did not stick out to me.
Read If: You want something quick, accessible, full of standard archetypes, and about vampires.
Don't Read If: You want a story where characters get things done. It was like 200 pages of yapping and planning and almost accomplishing one singular task and then the book ended.
Story: If this is just a prequel to introduce the characters, it's great. Otherwise, it doesn't have a lot of "story" to it.
Writing: Easy to follow, good imagery and depictions, not too wordy or flowery or annoying.
Opinion/Hot Take: How are you a 600 year old, all powerful being, and you can't do even one thing? I know this is part of a series so I'm almost curious to read more because now I'm kinda invested.
-Not a waste of time, but did not stick out to me.
Read If: You want something quick, accessible, full of standard archetypes, and about vampires.
Don't Read If: You want a story where characters get things done. It was like 200 pages of yapping and planning and almost accomplishing one singular task and then the book ended.
Story: If this is just a prequel to introduce the characters, it's great. Otherwise, it doesn't have a lot of "story" to it.
Writing: Easy to follow, good imagery and depictions, not too wordy or flowery or annoying.
Opinion/Hot Take: How are you a 600 year old, all powerful being, and you can't do even one thing? I know this is part of a series so I'm almost curious to read more because now I'm kinda invested.
October 1, 2019
I have read a number of books based on roleplaying games in the past, starting with the (in)famous Dragonlance Chronicles. As a credulous gradeschool child, I thought they were great books, but when I got older I quickly realized my standards had not been well-formed at the time. I ultimately came to the conclusion, through the experience of reading many more books based on roleplaying games (and movies), that all these books were essentially just "professional fanfic" -- unexciting contrivances focused on the superficial qualities of their contexts, betraying the quality of the source materials when there was any to betray, leaving the reader thinking they're actually good if they rise to the pathetic level of "not as awful as most professional fanfic". This book was the first I have read that challenged that notion.
David Niall Wilson managed to make an unrepentant and ruthless egotist, afflicted by a deep-seated obsession with an overriding goal, into a compelling antihero that somehow managed to make me into a believer in his self-assigned mission, urging him on to victory after reprehensible victory against incredible odds. Wilson conveyed the compulsion of the main character so vibrantly that the reader, for a time, might share it with the heartless bloodsucker who drove the plot. This, at the heart of it, might be the real genius of Wilson's "The Grail's Covenant" trilogy: the exceedingly rare, brilliantly executed example of how a forceful personality on the printed page can drive the plot so monomaniacally that there is no room for things to just happen to him the way they do in more passive-aggressive writing such as is found in pop-fiction like the Harry Potter series. The author's talent for often succinct, never laboriously long, always evocative description adds great weight to the positive experience of reading this book, as well.
As the opening salvo in a new series, To Sift Through Bitter Ashes was truly remarkable, and even more so when one considers this was accomplished within the constraints of a "professional fanfic" genre.
David Niall Wilson managed to make an unrepentant and ruthless egotist, afflicted by a deep-seated obsession with an overriding goal, into a compelling antihero that somehow managed to make me into a believer in his self-assigned mission, urging him on to victory after reprehensible victory against incredible odds. Wilson conveyed the compulsion of the main character so vibrantly that the reader, for a time, might share it with the heartless bloodsucker who drove the plot. This, at the heart of it, might be the real genius of Wilson's "The Grail's Covenant" trilogy: the exceedingly rare, brilliantly executed example of how a forceful personality on the printed page can drive the plot so monomaniacally that there is no room for things to just happen to him the way they do in more passive-aggressive writing such as is found in pop-fiction like the Harry Potter series. The author's talent for often succinct, never laboriously long, always evocative description adds great weight to the positive experience of reading this book, as well.
As the opening salvo in a new series, To Sift Through Bitter Ashes was truly remarkable, and even more so when one considers this was accomplished within the constraints of a "professional fanfic" genre.
November 16, 2018
Much better than I anticipated for a vampire rpg tie in novel. I really appreciated the way the author tied in real historical figures with the story. If you are at a used bookstore and are looking for some good vampire action/historical fantasy and find this book then do yourself a favor and give it a shot.
December 28, 2025
The vampire clans could use help. Montrovant has a plan, one he's worked on for ages. It's to find the Holy Grail. To find and drink from to to stop the petty struggles between the clans. Montrovant is told he can go on this mission, but to not return unless he succeeds.
Montrovant collects those who can help him on this mission. The humans who are selected are very religious.
I found the story had many details but they are shared with inner dialog, not conversations with others or through actions. There's a lot of Self reflection used to tell these details. For me, this process feels slow to me.
There's another taking up residence in the temple they need to be in. Where the religious items are hidden below. The demon here is a battle to be fought with help of another. Which then shows us there's three agendas at work here. Different people and groups with different goals. There's a lot of religious talk, which felt overdone to me. I know it's an important piece of the puzzle here though.
This book felt as though it was giving us a base of the history and placing people where they need to be for future events. For more to come. There was more action in the end of the book. I think there's more to it and behind the grail and actions.
I know there's many who love this style of fantasy reads. I hope you enjoy this one.
I listened to the audio book. I know the narrator's style is one that many use for fantasy books, but it feels more monotone to me and hard for me to listen to.
Montrovant collects those who can help him on this mission. The humans who are selected are very religious.
I found the story had many details but they are shared with inner dialog, not conversations with others or through actions. There's a lot of Self reflection used to tell these details. For me, this process feels slow to me.
There's another taking up residence in the temple they need to be in. Where the religious items are hidden below. The demon here is a battle to be fought with help of another. Which then shows us there's three agendas at work here. Different people and groups with different goals. There's a lot of religious talk, which felt overdone to me. I know it's an important piece of the puzzle here though.
This book felt as though it was giving us a base of the history and placing people where they need to be for future events. For more to come. There was more action in the end of the book. I think there's more to it and behind the grail and actions.
I know there's many who love this style of fantasy reads. I hope you enjoy this one.
I listened to the audio book. I know the narrator's style is one that many use for fantasy books, but it feels more monotone to me and hard for me to listen to.
November 8, 2025
TO SIFT THROUGH BITTER ASHES is a fantastic historical fiction novel that follows the creation of the Knights Templar and the aftermath of the First Crusade WITH VAMPIRES! This is a great work that you don't need much knowledge about Vampire: The Masquerade or Vampire: The Dark Ages to enjoy. I really enjoyed the characters created by David Niall Wilson, especially Montrovant, who are a mixture of the supremely faithful and disgustingly manipulative of religion. Joshua Saxon did a great job narrating this book and I strongly recommend picking up the audiobook over the ebook or paperback version.
February 24, 2014
I never played White Wolf games, I was more of a D&D guy, but a few of my friends played them so I knew a little about the system. I picked this series up because I had an interest in White Wolf games, but more so because I like the vampire genre and I like the medieval genre and here was a book that combined the two. Montrovant is our protagonist, a vampire of the Lasombra clan who sets out to find the Holy Grail and bring it to his master and increase the power of his clan. Finding the Grail proves to be harder than expected and it takes our protagonist through three books of interesting characters and a flavorful setting.
October 17, 2013
Muy buena historia, entretenida y fascinante.
Si bien el autor se tomó algunas libertades en recrear esta historia en base al Mundo de Tinieblas de WW, todo se mezcla de una manera que te hace sentir como un personaje más. Eres prácticamente, parte de la partida de rol y te emocionas o sufres con cada situación.
Los personajes está bien descritos, quizás me hubiese gustado un poco más de descripción (al menos en cuanto a las características físicas de cada uno), pero la misma falta de detalles específicos permite un uso más amplio a la imaginación de cada.
Altamente recomendable, sobre todo para los fanáticos de los juegos de rol.
Si bien el autor se tomó algunas libertades en recrear esta historia en base al Mundo de Tinieblas de WW, todo se mezcla de una manera que te hace sentir como un personaje más. Eres prácticamente, parte de la partida de rol y te emocionas o sufres con cada situación.
Los personajes está bien descritos, quizás me hubiese gustado un poco más de descripción (al menos en cuanto a las características físicas de cada uno), pero la misma falta de detalles específicos permite un uso más amplio a la imaginación de cada.
Altamente recomendable, sobre todo para los fanáticos de los juegos de rol.
April 18, 2016
The author makes good use of vocabulary, but so much repetition... The same ideas, the same sentences, repeated time and again over the book. I can't describe the amount of times the protagonists "sensed" something, that they "blended into the shadows", that it was "a good night to day". The book really suffered from this. Another criticism is that the author wrote the historical characters in a way that it seems like they know how history will turn out, and that's a bit annoying because they seem to be guiding themselves towards that conclusion.
I'll keep reading since I have the trilogy and they read fast, but it seems like this should have been a better book.
I'll keep reading since I have the trilogy and they read fast, but it seems like this should have been a better book.
July 31, 2011
This book sitted on my shelf for more then 10 years, since the time I use to play Vampire: The Dark Ages, and finally I decided to give it a shot on a moment of nostalgia. The story is entertaining, but not breath taking or really deep. But I think what drove me off a bit from the book was the writing style. Some times it gets too confusing, specially on time lapses and between major events.
But the author did a good work making a story inside the World of Darkness universe, it was fun to remember it all.
But the author did a good work making a story inside the World of Darkness universe, it was fun to remember it all.
June 24, 2016
Interesting! The first Vampire: The Masquerade - related book I've read, & not your typical vampire book! The story & characters were interesting though I find the author's writing style a bit slow/overly analytic of the characters' thoughts & feelings. But he has a church background so it felt like he knew what he was writing about (as opposed to many outsiders' views of Christians and their faith). I won't give away spoilers but very interesting to consider vampires' involvement in these events. :)
January 8, 2012
This is a fun read.
There are knights, vampires and priest, as well as characters who you are not quite sure what they are. The story moves along at a good clip and never taxes the mind much.
There are two additional volumes so I hope it stays a fun read.
There are knights, vampires and priest, as well as characters who you are not quite sure what they are. The story moves along at a good clip and never taxes the mind much.
There are two additional volumes so I hope it stays a fun read.
September 14, 2010
It was a good read, entertaining, good descriptions. You can tell its setting up for a sequel. Almost felt like it stopped at the end of the chapter. It was worth the time though!
May 3, 2011
Historical series starts out in ancient middle east during crusades. Interesting concept.
June 12, 2012
Good mixed of reality and fiction, for lovers of Templars and/or (White Wolf) Vampires.
July 18, 2013
Not bad; a little long on some of the description instead of getting to the action. And dragging out the 'secrets' might be annoying without some sort of reveal.
August 4, 2015
Loved it. Excellent start to a really interesting series
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews