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Beastnights
A bestial rapist/murderer is stalking the San Francisco streets. A desperate police department calls in an ex-Vietnam intelligence officer who confronts his own sanity.
There is a Romanian edition, and an e-book edition.
There is a Romanian edition, and an e-book edition.
Paperback
First published June 1, 1989
2 people are currently reading
136 people want to read
About the author
Chelsea Quinn Yarbro
259 books477 followersA professional writer for more than forty years, Yarbro has sold over eighty books, more than seventy works of short fiction, and more than three dozen essays, introductions, and reviews. She also composes serious music. Her first professional writing - in 1961-1962 - was as a playwright for a now long-defunct children's theater company. By the mid-60s she had switched to writing stories and hasn't stopped yet.
After leaving college in 1963 and until she became a full-time writer in 1970, she worked as a demographic cartographer, and still often drafts maps for her books, and occasionally for the books of other writers.
She has a large reference library with books on a wide range of subjects, everything from food and fashion to weapons and trade routes to religion and law. She is constantly adding to it as part of her on-going fascination with history and culture; she reads incessantly, searching for interesting people and places that might provide fodder for stories.
In 1997 the Transylvanian Society of Dracula bestowed a literary knighthood on Yarbro, and in 2003 the World Horror Association presented her with a Grand Master award. In 2006 the International Horror Guild enrolled her among their Living Legends, the first woman to be so honored; the Horror Writers Association gave her a Life Achievement Award in 2009. In 2014 she won a Life Achievement Award from the World Fantasy Convention.
A skeptical occultist for forty years, she has studied everything from alchemy to zoomancy, and in the late 1970s worked occasionally as a professional tarot card reader and palmist at the Magic Cellar in San Francisco.
She has two domestic accomplishments: she is a good cook and an experienced seamstress. The rest is catch-as-catch-can.
Divorced, she lives in the San Francisco Bay Area - with two cats: the irrepressible Butterscotch and Crumpet, the Gang of Two. When not busy writing, she enjoys the symphony or opera.
Her Saint-Germain series is now the longest vampire series ever. The books range widely over time and place, and were not published in historical order. They are numbered in published order.
Known pseudonyms include Vanessa Pryor, Quinn Fawcett, T.C.F. Hopkins, Trystam Kith, Camille Gabor.
After leaving college in 1963 and until she became a full-time writer in 1970, she worked as a demographic cartographer, and still often drafts maps for her books, and occasionally for the books of other writers.
She has a large reference library with books on a wide range of subjects, everything from food and fashion to weapons and trade routes to religion and law. She is constantly adding to it as part of her on-going fascination with history and culture; she reads incessantly, searching for interesting people and places that might provide fodder for stories.
In 1997 the Transylvanian Society of Dracula bestowed a literary knighthood on Yarbro, and in 2003 the World Horror Association presented her with a Grand Master award. In 2006 the International Horror Guild enrolled her among their Living Legends, the first woman to be so honored; the Horror Writers Association gave her a Life Achievement Award in 2009. In 2014 she won a Life Achievement Award from the World Fantasy Convention.
A skeptical occultist for forty years, she has studied everything from alchemy to zoomancy, and in the late 1970s worked occasionally as a professional tarot card reader and palmist at the Magic Cellar in San Francisco.
She has two domestic accomplishments: she is a good cook and an experienced seamstress. The rest is catch-as-catch-can.
Divorced, she lives in the San Francisco Bay Area - with two cats: the irrepressible Butterscotch and Crumpet, the Gang of Two. When not busy writing, she enjoys the symphony or opera.
Her Saint-Germain series is now the longest vampire series ever. The books range widely over time and place, and were not published in historical order. They are numbered in published order.
Known pseudonyms include Vanessa Pryor, Quinn Fawcett, T.C.F. Hopkins, Trystam Kith, Camille Gabor.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
October 8, 2021
Din pacate, in ceea ce priveste aceasta carte despre varcolaci, in loc de "woof" avem doar un "uff" de doua stele.
Este important de stiut ca celebrei autoare, Chelsea Quinn Yarbro, ii apartine si seria "Contele de Saint Germain" - pe care am avut ocazia sa-l cunoastem in "Hotel Transylvania".
Prezentul roman este despre un varcolac, insa, din pacate, cartea are doar cateva parti bune si mai multe parti negative, pe care am de gand sa le dezvolt in cele ce urmeaza.
Pentru inceput, punctele pozitive si anume putinele secvente cu varcolacul sau 'omul-lup', asa cum e tradus in varianta romaneasca sunt foarte bine scrise, au atmosfera intunecata, inspira frica cititorului, fiind foarte satisfacatoare pentru fanii genului horror.
Mi-a placut faptul ca actiunea are loc in preajma Craciunului si romanul ne introduce in atmosfera specifica acestei sarbatori cu colindele redate, cidrul fiert si toate pregatirile pe care oamenii le fac in general.
M-a incantat de asemenea ca am gasit la pagina 106 o reteta de umplutura pentru curcan de Ziua Recunostintei. Eu nu as indesa niciun curcan ci as adapta reteta la un risotto cremos cu ciuperci, putin vin alb si nucsoara.
In ceea ce priveste punctele negative trebuie sa subliniez ca romanul este extrem de obositor si plictisitor, inafara scenelor cu lupul si este plin de dialoguri insipide care dureaza la nesfarsit. Ca sa fiu sincera, din 430 de pagini se putea renunta la 200 cu usurinta.
Nu am dorit sa o includ in recenzia mea, dar pentru ca jumatate din roman este despre asta, trebuie sa dezvolt si aceasta problema a romanului. Relatia protagonistului, Aaron Holliman, cu maseuza lui, Mignon este punctul central al cartii, din pacate. Cei doi poarta discutii in contradictoriu, la nesfarsit si ea plange si aproape ca il implora sa aiba o relatie, in vreme ce el nu mai stie ce sa faca pentru a scapa de insistentele ei. La un moment dat am simtit ca devine jenant tot ce citeam, mai ales ca este scris de o femeie si e surprinzator cat de putina experienta pare ca are autoarea in ceea ce priveste felul cum ar trebui sa fie o relatie. Toata aceasta tanguiala strica intreaga poveste, pentru ca cititorii sunt interesati de elementele horror si de varcolac in principal, nu de aceasta telenovela gratuita.
Un alt minus este faptul ca cititorul stie cine este criminalul, inainte ca acesta sa stie ca e criminal. Suna bizar, dar chiar asa este si tot primim indicii evidente pe tot parcursul cartii, pe care numai el, politia si Mignon nu sunt in stare sa le vada. Cititorul in schimb, le intelege dupa circa 30 de pagini.
Partea psihiatrica si intregul tratament care i se administreaza lui Aaron, dupa trauma sa din Vietnam sunt foarte vagi si nu am inteles pana la urma unde dorea sa ajunga autoarea.
Este greu de inteles si de ce ploaia ii declansa transformarile in varcolac; daca era luna plina intelegeam. Ce-i drept, ploua cand el fusese torturat in Vietnam, dar este greu de explicat aceasta reactie psihica si fizica a lui la cele intamplate.
In concluzie, romanul ar fi putut sa fie extraordinar, daca autoarea reusea sa mentina atmosfera misterioasa si intunecata, daca dezvolta mai mult aceste scene cu lupul si victimele sale, daca ancheta politiei era mai coerenta si eficienta si daca nu am fi avut toate aceste dialoguri de umplutura care nici macar nu ofera un bun exemplu de urmat intr-o relatie. Aceste comportamente intra in categoria asa-nu. Fanii horror vor trebui sa se orienteze spre alte carti cu varcolaci, deoarece aici suntem prea ocupati cu terapia psihologica de cuplu, in loc sa ne vedem de gheare, muscaturi de gat si urlete la luna plina.
Este important de stiut ca celebrei autoare, Chelsea Quinn Yarbro, ii apartine si seria "Contele de Saint Germain" - pe care am avut ocazia sa-l cunoastem in "Hotel Transylvania".
Prezentul roman este despre un varcolac, insa, din pacate, cartea are doar cateva parti bune si mai multe parti negative, pe care am de gand sa le dezvolt in cele ce urmeaza.
Pentru inceput, punctele pozitive si anume putinele secvente cu varcolacul sau 'omul-lup', asa cum e tradus in varianta romaneasca sunt foarte bine scrise, au atmosfera intunecata, inspira frica cititorului, fiind foarte satisfacatoare pentru fanii genului horror.
Mi-a placut faptul ca actiunea are loc in preajma Craciunului si romanul ne introduce in atmosfera specifica acestei sarbatori cu colindele redate, cidrul fiert si toate pregatirile pe care oamenii le fac in general.
M-a incantat de asemenea ca am gasit la pagina 106 o reteta de umplutura pentru curcan de Ziua Recunostintei. Eu nu as indesa niciun curcan ci as adapta reteta la un risotto cremos cu ciuperci, putin vin alb si nucsoara.
In ceea ce priveste punctele negative trebuie sa subliniez ca romanul este extrem de obositor si plictisitor, inafara scenelor cu lupul si este plin de dialoguri insipide care dureaza la nesfarsit. Ca sa fiu sincera, din 430 de pagini se putea renunta la 200 cu usurinta.
Nu am dorit sa o includ in recenzia mea, dar pentru ca jumatate din roman este despre asta, trebuie sa dezvolt si aceasta problema a romanului. Relatia protagonistului, Aaron Holliman, cu maseuza lui, Mignon este punctul central al cartii, din pacate. Cei doi poarta discutii in contradictoriu, la nesfarsit si ea plange si aproape ca il implora sa aiba o relatie, in vreme ce el nu mai stie ce sa faca pentru a scapa de insistentele ei. La un moment dat am simtit ca devine jenant tot ce citeam, mai ales ca este scris de o femeie si e surprinzator cat de putina experienta pare ca are autoarea in ceea ce priveste felul cum ar trebui sa fie o relatie. Toata aceasta tanguiala strica intreaga poveste, pentru ca cititorii sunt interesati de elementele horror si de varcolac in principal, nu de aceasta telenovela gratuita.
Un alt minus este faptul ca cititorul stie cine este criminalul, inainte ca acesta sa stie ca e criminal. Suna bizar, dar chiar asa este si tot primim indicii evidente pe tot parcursul cartii, pe care numai el, politia si Mignon nu sunt in stare sa le vada. Cititorul in schimb, le intelege dupa circa 30 de pagini.
Partea psihiatrica si intregul tratament care i se administreaza lui Aaron, dupa trauma sa din Vietnam sunt foarte vagi si nu am inteles pana la urma unde dorea sa ajunga autoarea.
Este greu de inteles si de ce ploaia ii declansa transformarile in varcolac; daca era luna plina intelegeam. Ce-i drept, ploua cand el fusese torturat in Vietnam, dar este greu de explicat aceasta reactie psihica si fizica a lui la cele intamplate.
In concluzie, romanul ar fi putut sa fie extraordinar, daca autoarea reusea sa mentina atmosfera misterioasa si intunecata, daca dezvolta mai mult aceste scene cu lupul si victimele sale, daca ancheta politiei era mai coerenta si eficienta si daca nu am fi avut toate aceste dialoguri de umplutura care nici macar nu ofera un bun exemplu de urmat intr-o relatie. Aceste comportamente intra in categoria asa-nu. Fanii horror vor trebui sa se orienteze spre alte carti cu varcolaci, deoarece aici suntem prea ocupati cu terapia psihologica de cuplu, in loc sa ne vedem de gheare, muscaturi de gat si urlete la luna plina.
May 31, 2008
I liked this book. I thought it was a good werewolf horror, thriller, but the plot moved a bit too slowly for me. In this book the reader knows who the killer is before the killer does, so it wasn't really a mystery. I would have liked this book much better if more insight to the events that occurred in Viet Nam were given. What exactly happened to him in Viet Nam? How did he become such a creature? I recommend this book if you like books about werewolves or creepy woodland creatures!
April 11, 2019
M-am surprins și pe mine cu cartea aceasta. M-a captivat de la început până la sfârșit, deși a fost atât de previzibilă. Totuși, aș recomanda-o. După descrierile cadavrelor și ale crimelor aș fi putut paria că autoarea e de fapt un el.
October 11, 2021
La scurt timp după miezul nopţii, ploaia începuse din nou. Cădea fără încetare, cu stropi grei şi, în absenta vântului care să-i dea o direcţie, presiunea apei părea să fi înfrânt rezistenţa aerului. Forţa ploii a crescut tot mai mult, iar atunci când norii s-au luminat, noua dimineaţă era scăldată în umezeală.
Zorii erau însoţiţi de izbucniri capricioase de vânt dinspre sud-vest, care îngrămădeau norii în cete şi mai dense, smulgând frunze şi ramuri mai mici ale copacilor, întrerupând liniile telefonice şi de curent electric ale caselor şi fermelor izolate. Multe lumini de la intersecţii nu mai funcţionau, iar traficul ce se târa şi aluneca de-a lungul drumurilor înregistra un mare număr de accidente minore. Navetiştii din staţiile trenurilor locale se strângeau pe peroane, cu hainele şi umbrelele umflate de palele de vânt.
Când luminile începuseră să clipească, avuseseră o ultimă strălucire apoi se stinseseră definitiv, Aaron Holliman înjură printre dinţi. Se frecă pe umeri, simţind, prin pulover, brazdele de pe piele. Până când nu revenea curentul, nu avea cum munci, iar el sperase ca munca să-i abată gândurile de la durerea stăruitoare şi chinuitoare provocată de cicatrice. Plecă din birou spre garaj, unde îşi ţinea lămpile cu petrol. În momentul când alesese două dintre ele de pe poliţele cenuşii, auzi ţârâitul telefonului. Rămase un moment în cumpănă, apoi puse lămpile la locul lor şi o porni prin pasajul acoperit spre bucătărie.
Zorii erau însoţiţi de izbucniri capricioase de vânt dinspre sud-vest, care îngrămădeau norii în cete şi mai dense, smulgând frunze şi ramuri mai mici ale copacilor, întrerupând liniile telefonice şi de curent electric ale caselor şi fermelor izolate. Multe lumini de la intersecţii nu mai funcţionau, iar traficul ce se târa şi aluneca de-a lungul drumurilor înregistra un mare număr de accidente minore. Navetiştii din staţiile trenurilor locale se strângeau pe peroane, cu hainele şi umbrelele umflate de palele de vânt.
Când luminile începuseră să clipească, avuseseră o ultimă strălucire apoi se stinseseră definitiv, Aaron Holliman înjură printre dinţi. Se frecă pe umeri, simţind, prin pulover, brazdele de pe piele. Până când nu revenea curentul, nu avea cum munci, iar el sperase ca munca să-i abată gândurile de la durerea stăruitoare şi chinuitoare provocată de cicatrice. Plecă din birou spre garaj, unde îşi ţinea lămpile cu petrol. În momentul când alesese două dintre ele de pe poliţele cenuşii, auzi ţârâitul telefonului. Rămase un moment în cumpănă, apoi puse lămpile la locul lor şi o porni prin pasajul acoperit spre bucătărie.
September 6, 2025
Best part of the book is the cover art. No lie that goes hard. Other than that I was quite disappointed in Beastnights.
There’s a handful of cool elements but ultimately it’s very stale and redundant — cops finding the bodies and being disturbed, literally that, just recycle and repeat. No real police procedural investigation. Even the special investigator on the case we never see the background searches done.
We know who the “werewolf/killer” is before the characters and story do, and nothing is used in that regard to bring suspense and tension whenever there are character interactions.
It’s really not even a werewolf, just a beast. Rain sets it off — not a full moon. And spoiler alert — silver bullets didn’t kill it just a regular bullet. And it comes so abrupt and just ends, where you wonder why this didn’t come 100 pages before. Instead it was just another 100 pages of nothing.
The prose is littered with unnecessary adverbs.
Not a very enjoyable read overall. Pretty much forced myself to finish.
There’s a handful of cool elements but ultimately it’s very stale and redundant — cops finding the bodies and being disturbed, literally that, just recycle and repeat. No real police procedural investigation. Even the special investigator on the case we never see the background searches done.
We know who the “werewolf/killer” is before the characters and story do, and nothing is used in that regard to bring suspense and tension whenever there are character interactions.
It’s really not even a werewolf, just a beast. Rain sets it off — not a full moon. And spoiler alert — silver bullets didn’t kill it just a regular bullet. And it comes so abrupt and just ends, where you wonder why this didn’t come 100 pages before. Instead it was just another 100 pages of nothing.
The prose is littered with unnecessary adverbs.
Not a very enjoyable read overall. Pretty much forced myself to finish.
August 24, 2019
I would be giving this five stars IF there had been more graphic scenes of the violence occurring, and not just little teases of the aftermath.
That said, I really enjoyed the aftermath. Yummy torn up bodies. Breath deep. Enjoy it.
Also, the whole thing with the detective being the werewolf was pleasantly obvious, to the point where the plodding realization gives you the reader a sense of superiority over the character, and you have the choice to either pity them or laugh at their pain.
and I don't want to give it away, but the way the killer becomes the werewolf in the first place is FUCKING AMAZING. Worth a read just for that alone. If you see this book it's worth the time.
And after that, if like me, you are left wanting a little more carnage, check out my horror story which has been helping me cope the past few months.
That said, I really enjoyed the aftermath. Yummy torn up bodies. Breath deep. Enjoy it.
Also, the whole thing with the detective being the werewolf was pleasantly obvious, to the point where the plodding realization gives you the reader a sense of superiority over the character, and you have the choice to either pity them or laugh at their pain.
and I don't want to give it away, but the way the killer becomes the werewolf in the first place is FUCKING AMAZING. Worth a read just for that alone. If you see this book it's worth the time.
And after that, if like me, you are left wanting a little more carnage, check out my horror story which has been helping me cope the past few months.
November 7, 2018
A really great book for werewolf lovers who are tired of the cheesy supernatural backstories, Yarbro created a very novel take on the werewolf archetype. Full of disturbing imagery, which is appropriate for a horror.
That said it didn't really leave me scared, and it definitely had a number of editing errors which were kind of distracting, but the story was tragic, and the characters were sympathetic.
There are two reasons why this book did not rate 5 stars with me... First, the ending felt a little too abrupt. The climax was well written and gripping, but there was no neat wrap up. Second, the dynamic between one of the main characters and his wife was just a bit too sickly sweet, and there were too many scenes playing up their comforting home life.
Otherwise, very enjoyable.
That said it didn't really leave me scared, and it definitely had a number of editing errors which were kind of distracting, but the story was tragic, and the characters were sympathetic.
There are two reasons why this book did not rate 5 stars with me... First, the ending felt a little too abrupt. The climax was well written and gripping, but there was no neat wrap up. Second, the dynamic between one of the main characters and his wife was just a bit too sickly sweet, and there were too many scenes playing up their comforting home life.
Otherwise, very enjoyable.
January 18, 2019
Boring
I made it a third of the way hoping for some action but instead got a dull story of a former Vietnam veteran and his snooze filled allies trying to solve a serial murder but at such a leisurely pace the murders become secondary...total snooze fest. The book for three stars simply because I made it a third of the way through...I give five stars to any book i finish
I made it a third of the way hoping for some action but instead got a dull story of a former Vietnam veteran and his snooze filled allies trying to solve a serial murder but at such a leisurely pace the murders become secondary...total snooze fest. The book for three stars simply because I made it a third of the way through...I give five stars to any book i finish
November 21, 2024
3.5. I wish it wasn't so obvious who the culprit was. And that there was more explanation to how the culprit was formed but whatever.
December 14, 2008
Well, this definitely took me longer to read than most books lately. While I enjoyed this dark tale by Yarbro, I couldn't help but feel as if I knew how it was going to turn out. That's not always a bad thing though, sometimes it's the journey to how we get there where the brilliance lies. The writing is very good with well drawn characters and a fairly involving plot. My only complaint would be that the ending when it finally came was so abrupt. It was as if the editor said there was a word limit and held the author to it(possibly, at gunpoint). The story seemed to almost meander along at some points and then BAM!(apologies to Emeril) there was the end.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews