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Classic World of Darkness Fiction
As One Dead
"As One Dead" is a novel of intrigue and love based on Vampire: The Masquerade storytelling game. It is a story of two missions and two fierce sects that could destroy the uneasy peace of the city, and two lovers belonging to opposing factions, the Camarilla and the Sabbat.
The title of the book is a phrase from Romeo & Juliet, aptly, as two authors, Don Bassingthwaite and Nancy Kilpatrick, collaborated to create this novel of vampire love, intrigue and betrayal.
The title of the book is a phrase from Romeo & Juliet, aptly, as two authors, Don Bassingthwaite and Nancy Kilpatrick, collaborated to create this novel of vampire love, intrigue and betrayal.
480 pages, Paperback
First published December 1, 1996
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119 people want to read
About the author
Nancy Kilpatrick
159 books255 followersNancy Kilpatrick was a Canadian author who wrote stories in the genres of dark fantasy, horror, mystery, erotic horror, and gothic subculture.
She is most known for her vampire themed works.
She is most known for her vampire themed works.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
July 25, 2011
"As One Dead" is a novel that accompanies the vampire based role-playing game - "Vampire: The Masquerade". I know nothing about role playing games, but I do know about vampire books! White Wolf publishing are the group behind this series which shares a common 'universe' and is contributed to by a range of authors.
Being from a role playing background this book has a lot of background already established. The main points are these - there are two main groups of vampires, The Sabbat (anarchist vampires who make no attempt to hide) and the Camarilla (the more peaceful of the two and obsessed with maintaining the Masquerade - the ages old practice of keeping vampires existence a secret from humans.
Vampires themselves are clan based, with each clan having different skills and personality types, so even amongst the same sect (Sabbat/Camarilla) there is a lot of scope for differences of opinion.
This book is set in Toronto, and deals with the star-crossed romance of a Camarilla female and a Sabbat male, against the backdrop of a turf war that threatens to spread across the vampire world risking the collapse of the Masquerade.
I originally read this book many years ago, and had remembered it as being one of the best I'd ever read. I was sad to find that I don't have the same opinion of it now. It reads a lot like teen goth fan fiction, and given that this is the target audience for the book and game that's hardly a surprise. It is decent, but I must say I found it rather dull overall. I'm now not so keen to re-read all the other books I've gotten from White Wolf publishing (since I remember them as being not as good as this one)...
I'm not exactly into high brow fiction, so the fact I found this one pretty un-spectacular can't be a good thing. If you're a goth teen gamer then you'll probably love it.
Being from a role playing background this book has a lot of background already established. The main points are these - there are two main groups of vampires, The Sabbat (anarchist vampires who make no attempt to hide) and the Camarilla (the more peaceful of the two and obsessed with maintaining the Masquerade - the ages old practice of keeping vampires existence a secret from humans.
Vampires themselves are clan based, with each clan having different skills and personality types, so even amongst the same sect (Sabbat/Camarilla) there is a lot of scope for differences of opinion.
This book is set in Toronto, and deals with the star-crossed romance of a Camarilla female and a Sabbat male, against the backdrop of a turf war that threatens to spread across the vampire world risking the collapse of the Masquerade.
I originally read this book many years ago, and had remembered it as being one of the best I'd ever read. I was sad to find that I don't have the same opinion of it now. It reads a lot like teen goth fan fiction, and given that this is the target audience for the book and game that's hardly a surprise. It is decent, but I must say I found it rather dull overall. I'm now not so keen to re-read all the other books I've gotten from White Wolf publishing (since I remember them as being not as good as this one)...
I'm not exactly into high brow fiction, so the fact I found this one pretty un-spectacular can't be a good thing. If you're a goth teen gamer then you'll probably love it.
September 8, 2020
Where I was expecting a World of Darkness story with a Romeo & Juliet twist, the book is actually a Romeo & Juliet story that just happens to be in the World of Darkness setting. Not enough immersion into that world for my tastes. But an entertaining read none the less.
February 17, 2024
Not bad, but it felt a little mass marketed, maybe deadline driven. This was a really early entry into this setting so it doesn’t quite hold up against later attempts where the lore is more settled. The mixed clan thing and blood bond fuzziness was a little annoying but still sort of interesting.
July 17, 2019
A good, fast read.
April 23, 2022
I liked this a lot. Classic plot in a great setting with fun characters.
June 8, 2014
Warning: May Contain Spoilers
An interesting take on the archetype story of the star-crossed lovers. Bianka is a Inconnu, part of a mysterious sect of vampires who are almost always ancient and who always stay on the outside edge of vampire societies, unless they need to interfere to maintain the balance. Lot is a Templar, a vampire warrior sworn to serve the mad vampire who rules over the Box, a small section of Toronto set aside for the Camarilla vampires who live under an agreement with the beast-like Sabaat vampires.
Bianka steps in to the Box and causes chaos, all in the name of slowing down the eventual doomsday foreseen by the other Inconnu. Lot intercepts Bianka and the Camarilla vampires who followed her out of the protection of the Box and decides to bring her to his Master.
Once they meet you can feel the tension between Lot and Bianka, which, though they share a short time together, is enough for them to begin a Blood Bond, something most Sabaat vampires sneer at. In the end, just like Romeo and Juliet, Bianka and Lot are doomed, leaving the Sabaat and Camarilla to stagger off and heal their wounds.
I've read quite a few novels that follow a similar storyline to Romeo and Juliet, and this one is unique in that it falls within a complex world that cannot be explained within the pages of one novel. However, because of the complexity of that world, there is a lot of information that this novel struggles to provide its readers.
In the end, it is difficult to say if I will seek out other books set in this world. If I come across them in a store I might pick them up, but I'm not sure I'll go out of the way to search for them.
An interesting take on the archetype story of the star-crossed lovers. Bianka is a Inconnu, part of a mysterious sect of vampires who are almost always ancient and who always stay on the outside edge of vampire societies, unless they need to interfere to maintain the balance. Lot is a Templar, a vampire warrior sworn to serve the mad vampire who rules over the Box, a small section of Toronto set aside for the Camarilla vampires who live under an agreement with the beast-like Sabaat vampires.
Bianka steps in to the Box and causes chaos, all in the name of slowing down the eventual doomsday foreseen by the other Inconnu. Lot intercepts Bianka and the Camarilla vampires who followed her out of the protection of the Box and decides to bring her to his Master.
Once they meet you can feel the tension between Lot and Bianka, which, though they share a short time together, is enough for them to begin a Blood Bond, something most Sabaat vampires sneer at. In the end, just like Romeo and Juliet, Bianka and Lot are doomed, leaving the Sabaat and Camarilla to stagger off and heal their wounds.
I've read quite a few novels that follow a similar storyline to Romeo and Juliet, and this one is unique in that it falls within a complex world that cannot be explained within the pages of one novel. However, because of the complexity of that world, there is a lot of information that this novel struggles to provide its readers.
In the end, it is difficult to say if I will seek out other books set in this world. If I come across them in a store I might pick them up, but I'm not sure I'll go out of the way to search for them.
March 30, 2010
Entertaining for anyone who likes Vampire the Masquerade. Even moreso if one is familiar with Toronto's goth/vampire scene.
Romeo & Juliette vtm vampire-style. There are some great references to familiar landmarks on Toronto's Queen St. West.
A nice, light read. Entertaining.
Romeo & Juliette vtm vampire-style. There are some great references to familiar landmarks on Toronto's Queen St. West.
A nice, light read. Entertaining.
October 13, 2010
I loved this book so much when I was 18 or 19. It takes place in Toronto in the scene I wanted to be in (but I lived in a hick-town) and I thought it was so awesome. I read it now and again for nostalgia's sake.
September 23, 2016
This is one of my favorite books of all time. It is a lovely mix of Romeo & Juliet for vampire lovers! I tell everyone I meet to read this book.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews