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James Asher #8
Prisoner of Midnight
Vampire Don Simon Ysido has been captured and held aboard a ship heading to the US to act as a slave, and Dr Lydia Asher must stop it . . . at any cost.
March, 1917. The goal of every government involved in the Great War has been achieved: industrialist Spenser Cochran has drugged and enslaved a vampire, Don Simon Ysidro, to do his bidding, and is now on the way to the US aboard a luxury ship.
Horrified, Dr Lydia Asher secures her passage on the vessel to rescue her friend from Cochran’s chemical thrall. Meanwhile, her husband makes a dangerous alliance with the vampires of Paris to send Lydia the information she needs about the drug.
As they cross the Atlantic evidence mounts that another vampire is hiding aboard the ship, indiscriminately murdering passengers. Lydia knows she must solve both cases before the ship docks, and that breaking Cochran’s hold on Don Simon will not be enough . . . She must kill him.
247 pages, Hardcover
First published March 1, 2019
27 people are currently reading
250 people want to read
About the author
Barbara Hambly
205 books1,591 followersaka Barbara Hamilton
Ranging from fantasy to historical fiction, Barbara Hambly has a masterful way of spinning a story. Her twisty plots involve memorable characters, lavish descriptions, scads of novel words, and interesting devices. Her work spans the Star Wars universe, antebellum New Orleans, and various fantasy worlds, sometimes linked with our own.
"I always wanted to be a writer but everyone kept telling me it was impossible to break into the field or make money. I've proven them wrong on both counts."
-Barbara Hambly
Ranging from fantasy to historical fiction, Barbara Hambly has a masterful way of spinning a story. Her twisty plots involve memorable characters, lavish descriptions, scads of novel words, and interesting devices. Her work spans the Star Wars universe, antebellum New Orleans, and various fantasy worlds, sometimes linked with our own.
"I always wanted to be a writer but everyone kept telling me it was impossible to break into the field or make money. I've proven them wrong on both counts."
-Barbara Hambly
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews
March 17, 2019
Vampires are not the only danger to be faced on the Atlantic voyage aboard the City of Gold.
As the Great War lasts until 1918 during the conflict of Germany, Austria-Hungary, Bulgaria and the Ottoman Empire (the Central Powers), against Great Britain, France, Russia, Italy, Romania, Japan and the United States (the Allied Powers), this novel is nestled in the year of 1917 and gives way to an array of characters of different backgrounds and statuses.
James Asher receives the note that his wife Lydia will embark on an Atlantic crossing to solve the capture of Vampire Don Simon Ysido. He knows his wife will be in danger as the Germans are launching torpedoes at ships left and right.
Most of the story is told from Lydia's view on her travels aboard the luxury liner. As passengers one after another are being found dead in third class on the lowest deck, she is cleverly investigating. Talks of vampires on the ship and the threat of torpedoes create a generalized panic and she has little time to sort things out.
There are some big players on the ship, one of them being Spencer Cochran the industrialist, who has found a way to enslave vampires via drugs with the intent to use them as weapons. With Lydia uncovering the truth she is not only putting herself in danger but her daughter traveling with her as well. Will she be able to stop the drug and other vampires from entering the United States?
***
A cleverly written mystery in the James Asher series. It's historical flair due to the vast and different characters injected with different languages and customs, make this very atmospheric in setting. Barbara Hambly's attention to historical detail truly whisks the reader into the past.
This novel was a first for me by this author, but I could tell immediately that she is an experienced writer. I do love books like Dracula, and was pleasantly surprised by this novel. I may have to take a closer look at this series and start at the beginning.
I would recommend this book to mystery and vampire lovers alike. It is entertaining and witty, infused with historical charm.
I received a digital copy of this novel from Netgalley in exchange of an honest review. All opinions are my own. Thank you.
More reviews of mine here:
https://scarlettreadzandrunz.com/
As the Great War lasts until 1918 during the conflict of Germany, Austria-Hungary, Bulgaria and the Ottoman Empire (the Central Powers), against Great Britain, France, Russia, Italy, Romania, Japan and the United States (the Allied Powers), this novel is nestled in the year of 1917 and gives way to an array of characters of different backgrounds and statuses.
James Asher receives the note that his wife Lydia will embark on an Atlantic crossing to solve the capture of Vampire Don Simon Ysido. He knows his wife will be in danger as the Germans are launching torpedoes at ships left and right.
Most of the story is told from Lydia's view on her travels aboard the luxury liner. As passengers one after another are being found dead in third class on the lowest deck, she is cleverly investigating. Talks of vampires on the ship and the threat of torpedoes create a generalized panic and she has little time to sort things out.
There are some big players on the ship, one of them being Spencer Cochran the industrialist, who has found a way to enslave vampires via drugs with the intent to use them as weapons. With Lydia uncovering the truth she is not only putting herself in danger but her daughter traveling with her as well. Will she be able to stop the drug and other vampires from entering the United States?
***
A cleverly written mystery in the James Asher series. It's historical flair due to the vast and different characters injected with different languages and customs, make this very atmospheric in setting. Barbara Hambly's attention to historical detail truly whisks the reader into the past.
This novel was a first for me by this author, but I could tell immediately that she is an experienced writer. I do love books like Dracula, and was pleasantly surprised by this novel. I may have to take a closer look at this series and start at the beginning.
I would recommend this book to mystery and vampire lovers alike. It is entertaining and witty, infused with historical charm.
I received a digital copy of this novel from Netgalley in exchange of an honest review. All opinions are my own. Thank you.
More reviews of mine here:
https://scarlettreadzandrunz.com/
June 20, 2020
3.5 stars. Review originally published at Fantasy Literature
Prisoner of Midnight (2019) is the eighth novel in Barbara Hambly’s James Asher series, which began in 1988 with Those Who Hunt the Night. It has been nominated for the Locus Award for Best Horror Novel. I had never tried this series before, but having enjoyed her (non-paranormal) Benjamin January mystery series, I decided to give Prisoner of Midnight a shot.
(And now that I’ve read it, I can say that there are some common themes. Both series feature a fiercely intelligent male/female pair solving crimes, and explore prejudice as both a cause of violence and an impediment to the investigation.)
Hambly weaves enough backstory into the narrative that a new reader can catch up, and it’s smoothly integrated, so longtime fans of the series won’t have to skim long infodumps. Here’s the most important stuff: James Asher is human; he’s worn a lot of hats in his life but is currently a British spy during WWI. His wife, Lydia, is also human, and a doctor. They’ve been separated by the war for some time. They used to be close to a centuries-old vampire, Don Simon Ysidro, but there’s been a falling-out.
As Prisoner of Midnight begins, James receives a letter from Lydia. Don Simon has contacted her in a dream, telling her that he is being held prisoner, in intense pain, on the ocean liner City of Gold. Lydia can’t let that happen, so she decides to go on the voyage too, even though that means prolonging her and James’s separation.
Traveling as the guest of her horrible Aunt Louise allows Lydia to stay in one of the ship’s four ultra-luxury suites. She quickly deduces that Don Simon is being held in one of the other three, so she spends a lot of time with this elite group of guests. They’re awful: mind-bogglingly racist and classist. (Even the mostly sympathetic Lydia has a jarring moment of Jewish stereotyping in her internal monologue, though later she helps the man she was stereotyping.) She is supported in her investigation by James, who does some poking around of his own and sends her information by wireless.
The situation becomes more complicated when Third Class passengers start dying — and their injuries look like vampire marks. Lydia finds a volatile brew of ethnic and religious tensions in the lower decks too; there’s a variety of migrant groups who distrust each other for all kinds of reasons.
At times, the pace seems to flag, and I think this is mostly an effect of the constrictions of the ship. There are long stretches of time when Lydia can do little but wait (and hang around with horrible people). However, there are also lots of good red herrings, and the constant threat of torpedo attack. And there are flashes of truly haunting writing. Most of them have to do with the war, but there’s also a really great one late in the book about Don Simon’s isolated state.
Prisoner of Midnight resolves the immediate plot, but leaves some big threads hanging for the next book. Readers who’ve been following James and Lydia all along will probably get the most out of it, but you’ll probably also find it enjoyable if you like the Benjamin January series (especially Dead Water, which was also set on shipboard) or if you like your vampire novels with a heavy dose of mystery.
Prisoner of Midnight (2019) is the eighth novel in Barbara Hambly’s James Asher series, which began in 1988 with Those Who Hunt the Night. It has been nominated for the Locus Award for Best Horror Novel. I had never tried this series before, but having enjoyed her (non-paranormal) Benjamin January mystery series, I decided to give Prisoner of Midnight a shot.
(And now that I’ve read it, I can say that there are some common themes. Both series feature a fiercely intelligent male/female pair solving crimes, and explore prejudice as both a cause of violence and an impediment to the investigation.)
Hambly weaves enough backstory into the narrative that a new reader can catch up, and it’s smoothly integrated, so longtime fans of the series won’t have to skim long infodumps. Here’s the most important stuff: James Asher is human; he’s worn a lot of hats in his life but is currently a British spy during WWI. His wife, Lydia, is also human, and a doctor. They’ve been separated by the war for some time. They used to be close to a centuries-old vampire, Don Simon Ysidro, but there’s been a falling-out.
As Prisoner of Midnight begins, James receives a letter from Lydia. Don Simon has contacted her in a dream, telling her that he is being held prisoner, in intense pain, on the ocean liner City of Gold. Lydia can’t let that happen, so she decides to go on the voyage too, even though that means prolonging her and James’s separation.
Traveling as the guest of her horrible Aunt Louise allows Lydia to stay in one of the ship’s four ultra-luxury suites. She quickly deduces that Don Simon is being held in one of the other three, so she spends a lot of time with this elite group of guests. They’re awful: mind-bogglingly racist and classist. (Even the mostly sympathetic Lydia has a jarring moment of Jewish stereotyping in her internal monologue, though later she helps the man she was stereotyping.) She is supported in her investigation by James, who does some poking around of his own and sends her information by wireless.
The situation becomes more complicated when Third Class passengers start dying — and their injuries look like vampire marks. Lydia finds a volatile brew of ethnic and religious tensions in the lower decks too; there’s a variety of migrant groups who distrust each other for all kinds of reasons.
At times, the pace seems to flag, and I think this is mostly an effect of the constrictions of the ship. There are long stretches of time when Lydia can do little but wait (and hang around with horrible people). However, there are also lots of good red herrings, and the constant threat of torpedo attack. And there are flashes of truly haunting writing. Most of them have to do with the war, but there’s also a really great one late in the book about Don Simon’s isolated state.
Prisoner of Midnight resolves the immediate plot, but leaves some big threads hanging for the next book. Readers who’ve been following James and Lydia all along will probably get the most out of it, but you’ll probably also find it enjoyable if you like the Benjamin January series (especially Dead Water, which was also set on shipboard) or if you like your vampire novels with a heavy dose of mystery.
March 16, 2019
This is my favorite series featuring vampires and one of my favorite historical mystery series, so I was happy to get my hands on this latest installment.
It is now March 1917 and WWI drags on and on. Our hero James Asher and his physician wife Lydia had been looking forward to a reunion in Paris when disaster strikes. The blurb gives a nice wrap-up of those general plot-points.
Lydia is forced by circumstances to travel with her aunt Louise (a truly awful person). Unbeknownst to Lydia, Aunt Louise has arranged for Lydia's daughter Miranda to make the trip as well. Poor Lydia! She is stressed to the max over Don Simon; she's dealing with a series of murders among the Third Class passengers (attributed to a vampire, but is that true?). Add to that being worried about U-Boats torpedoing the City of Gold and her daughter being killed--
Meanwhile, James has various vampire encounters of his own, all in desperate search for information on the drug our American tycoon has used on Don Simon.
There are some great secondary characters on board the ship, including a Russian princess, a spiritualist, and a few helpful ones, such as Tania and Georg Heller. Alas, Aunt Louise does not improve as the book goes on; the American tycoon and his wife are equally dreadful.
There's a very satisfactory solution to the murders, the baddies get their just deserts, and other exciting bits before the liner makes it to New York.
I figure there will be at least one more book to get us through the end of the war and to reunite James and Lydia. I'll be waiting...
It is now March 1917 and WWI drags on and on. Our hero James Asher and his physician wife Lydia had been looking forward to a reunion in Paris when disaster strikes. The blurb gives a nice wrap-up of those general plot-points.
Lydia is forced by circumstances to travel with her aunt Louise (a truly awful person). Unbeknownst to Lydia, Aunt Louise has arranged for Lydia's daughter Miranda to make the trip as well. Poor Lydia! She is stressed to the max over Don Simon; she's dealing with a series of murders among the Third Class passengers (attributed to a vampire, but is that true?). Add to that being worried about U-Boats torpedoing the City of Gold and her daughter being killed--
Meanwhile, James has various vampire encounters of his own, all in desperate search for information on the drug our American tycoon has used on Don Simon.
There are some great secondary characters on board the ship, including a Russian princess, a spiritualist, and a few helpful ones, such as Tania and Georg Heller. Alas, Aunt Louise does not improve as the book goes on; the American tycoon and his wife are equally dreadful.
There's a very satisfactory solution to the murders, the baddies get their just deserts, and other exciting bits before the liner makes it to New York.
I figure there will be at least one more book to get us through the end of the war and to reunite James and Lydia. I'll be waiting...
February 4, 2019
I received a copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Oh, dear. I'm not sure if the author's heart was in this one. That, or I've read so much of Barbara Hambly's work that I am sensitive to all her writing tics and can see her coming.
In 2007, Barbara Hambly wrote a short story called "Sunrise on Running Water", a story about a hapless vampire who was sailing to America on the Titanic and went down with the ship. Great idea! What a creepy thought- being unable to die whilst trapped in a coffin at the bottom of the frigid ocean. It feels like she thought about that story, decided to turn it into a book with Ysidro as the hapless vampire.
And hapless he is. Ysidro is kidnapped to be taken to America to be used for nefarious purposes on the City of Gold liner, and Lydia Asher must go after him to keep him from being used, killing him if necessary. Lydia and her husband James are kept apart all book again- I don't know when these two will be allowed to reunite! James keeps himself busy trying to help Lydia figure out who took Ysidro and why. He also gets caught up in vampire politics, as usual.
The author signposts the characters she likes and dislikes very clearly. There's a mystery on the ship- people are dying, drained of blood. Is it a vampire? Something else? The class distinctions between first class stateroom suites and third class crammed with passengers, mostly from the Balkans or Russia frantic to escape the horrors of war, are drawn deftly. Lydia is becoming a bit judgey for someone who benefits from the class system as much as she does, although there are drawbacks to being a lady as well. I found the author's language a bit twisty and confusing at times; she overexplained some things and underexplained others.
Anyway, I think the whole point of the book was to get Ysidro to the USA, and also to change him due to the torture that he endured. I'm interested to see where the author goes with this, but it felt a bit like a placeholder book. Lots of submarines were threatened, but I never really believed in that terror.
Oh, dear. I'm not sure if the author's heart was in this one. That, or I've read so much of Barbara Hambly's work that I am sensitive to all her writing tics and can see her coming.
In 2007, Barbara Hambly wrote a short story called "Sunrise on Running Water", a story about a hapless vampire who was sailing to America on the Titanic and went down with the ship. Great idea! What a creepy thought- being unable to die whilst trapped in a coffin at the bottom of the frigid ocean. It feels like she thought about that story, decided to turn it into a book with Ysidro as the hapless vampire.
And hapless he is. Ysidro is kidnapped to be taken to America to be used for nefarious purposes on the City of Gold liner, and Lydia Asher must go after him to keep him from being used, killing him if necessary. Lydia and her husband James are kept apart all book again- I don't know when these two will be allowed to reunite! James keeps himself busy trying to help Lydia figure out who took Ysidro and why. He also gets caught up in vampire politics, as usual.
The author signposts the characters she likes and dislikes very clearly. There's a mystery on the ship- people are dying, drained of blood. Is it a vampire? Something else? The class distinctions between first class stateroom suites and third class crammed with passengers, mostly from the Balkans or Russia frantic to escape the horrors of war, are drawn deftly. Lydia is becoming a bit judgey for someone who benefits from the class system as much as she does, although there are drawbacks to being a lady as well. I found the author's language a bit twisty and confusing at times; she overexplained some things and underexplained others.
Anyway, I think the whole point of the book was to get Ysidro to the USA, and also to change him due to the torture that he endured. I'm interested to see where the author goes with this, but it felt a bit like a placeholder book. Lots of submarines were threatened, but I never really believed in that terror.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 6, 2021
This has the same plot as the last several books (evil men attempting to exploit vampires for personal gain) but I enjoyed the setting. Lydia is on a luxury cruise ship in 1917, crossing the submarine-infested Atlantic Ocean, trying to rescue the imprisoned Don Simon. As usual, she is having an anguished internal debate over whether she should release the vampire or kill him. I’m not sure I liked the twist at the of this, which could serve as a series finale, but I hope not.
James Asher is left behind in Europe, and his scenes are mildly interesting but almost entirely superfluous.
James Asher is left behind in Europe, and his scenes are mildly interesting but almost entirely superfluous.
June 23, 2023
Further adventures of the Ashers and Don Simon Ysidro.
This time Ysidro has been captured by an American millionaire who plans to use chemistry to enslave a vampire to kill (and mislead) his enemies.
Lydia pursues Ysidro's abductors onto an American passenger liner, just prior to America's entrance into WWI. Her efforts are not helped by the knowledge that a German submarine is hunting them.
James is in Paris, trying to find information to help Lydia and hoping he can get to a working wireless, when he finds the info. If he's not killed by one group of vampires or another.
Major changes to everyone's lives...
This time Ysidro has been captured by an American millionaire who plans to use chemistry to enslave a vampire to kill (and mislead) his enemies.
Lydia pursues Ysidro's abductors onto an American passenger liner, just prior to America's entrance into WWI. Her efforts are not helped by the knowledge that a German submarine is hunting them.
James is in Paris, trying to find information to help Lydia and hoping he can get to a working wireless, when he finds the info. If he's not killed by one group of vampires or another.
Major changes to everyone's lives...
December 31, 2023
Excellent addition to the James Asher series. James and Lydia's week together after a tear apart is stolen from them as Lydia goes to help Don Simon who is in danger of being used as a weapon WWI. On board the City of Gold and heading to New York and under the constant threat of torpedo attack, Lydia finds herself in the middle of a murder mystery and rampant rumors pointing to the culprit being a vampire on board the ship. If this is the last of the James Asher series, it's a great ending. However it does leave the door wide open for more.
April 24, 2019
At the end of the previous book, Pale Guardian, Lydia swore that she never wanted to see Ysidro again and that she didn't want him secretly guarding her. Two years later, at the opening of Prisoner of Midnight, she is contacted by him in a dream, leading to a crisis of conscience. As she writes to Jamie:
Don Simon is a prisoner, somewhere. The dreams that I have had were unclear – uncharacteristically unclear – but I sense, I KNOW, that he is being held captive, in terrible and continuous pain. If he were not, he would not have asked for my help – as he did, as he is. His voice, crying out of darkness, was broken up, like fragments of a torn manuscript. The only words that were clear were, ‘City of Gold’.
The American liner SS City of Gold leaves Southampton on Wednesday, for New York.
Luckily, Lydia's extremely wealthy and extremely obnoxious aunt, Lady Mountjoy, has already booked a first-class suite on that very City of Gold. Lydia agrees to take the voyage with her, despite two immense problems: A) she's not actually sure what she should do if she manages to find Ysidro – free him or kill him, which would at least put him out of his misery while also stopping him from killing future humans, and B) in 1917 passenger liners are frequently targeted by German submarines, meaning everyone might end up dead on the bottom of the ocean before she solves the first problem.
Lydia fairly quickly discovers Ysidro's captor, who turns out to be millionaire industrialist Spenser Cochran. Cochran's plan for a pet vampire is to have him kill strikers and miners and all those other annoying poor who demand their so-called rights. Unfortunately the who is less complicated than the how; Conchran has injected Ysidro with some sort of painful poison, part scientific and part alchemical to suit a vampiric nature, which requires daily antidotes to keep him alive. Ysidro's escape, therefore, is not a matter of unlocking a door, but of figuring out the composition of both drugs and stealing or creating a new supply.
Which is James's job. Stuck back in Europe, due to a combination of not having time to reach the SS City of Gold before its departure and his obligations to Britain's wartime government, he nevertheless manages to communicate with Lydia via telegram. With the help of various French and English vampires (who hate the idea of such a poison existing), he sets out to find who made the drugs and ultimately get a copy of the research notes into Lydia's hands.
Matters get even more complicated when several third-class passengers on the ship turn up dead and drained of blood. Is Ysidro somehow killing them with no memory of it, due to the poison? Is there a second vampire on board? Will an innocent third-class passenger be blamed for the murders, since "a vampire did it!" isn't a valid alibi? Lydia investigates, with the sort-of help of Cochran (who believes two pet vampires would be even better than one pet vampire), third-class passenger and anarchist Georg Heller (who absolutely believes vampires don't exist and the whole thing is probably a conspiracy to keep the poor man down), and first-class passenger and elderly Russian Princess Natalia Nikolaievna Gromyko (who believes in vampires and that they are best contacted through the Astral Plane).
Whew, there's a lot going on in this book. But it all works! The Titanic (1997)-esque feel of a grand passenger liner as a microcosm of society, the contrast between the glittering upper levels and packed steerage beneath, is excellent. Ysidro's constant pain and woe are straight-up stoic woobie fuel, for those of you who love their favorite characters most when they're suffering. (I am totally one of those people.) I also really adored the resolution to the third-class murders. There's a twist at the end that I'm not so sure about, but I'm willing to wait and see where Hambly goes from here. On the other hand, the ending does potentially suggest that the next book might be set in NYC, which I would LOVE.
I read this as an ARC via NetGalley.
Don Simon is a prisoner, somewhere. The dreams that I have had were unclear – uncharacteristically unclear – but I sense, I KNOW, that he is being held captive, in terrible and continuous pain. If he were not, he would not have asked for my help – as he did, as he is. His voice, crying out of darkness, was broken up, like fragments of a torn manuscript. The only words that were clear were, ‘City of Gold’.
The American liner SS City of Gold leaves Southampton on Wednesday, for New York.
Luckily, Lydia's extremely wealthy and extremely obnoxious aunt, Lady Mountjoy, has already booked a first-class suite on that very City of Gold. Lydia agrees to take the voyage with her, despite two immense problems: A) she's not actually sure what she should do if she manages to find Ysidro – free him or kill him, which would at least put him out of his misery while also stopping him from killing future humans, and B) in 1917 passenger liners are frequently targeted by German submarines, meaning everyone might end up dead on the bottom of the ocean before she solves the first problem.
Lydia fairly quickly discovers Ysidro's captor, who turns out to be millionaire industrialist Spenser Cochran. Cochran's plan for a pet vampire is to have him kill strikers and miners and all those other annoying poor who demand their so-called rights. Unfortunately the who is less complicated than the how; Conchran has injected Ysidro with some sort of painful poison, part scientific and part alchemical to suit a vampiric nature, which requires daily antidotes to keep him alive. Ysidro's escape, therefore, is not a matter of unlocking a door, but of figuring out the composition of both drugs and stealing or creating a new supply.
Which is James's job. Stuck back in Europe, due to a combination of not having time to reach the SS City of Gold before its departure and his obligations to Britain's wartime government, he nevertheless manages to communicate with Lydia via telegram. With the help of various French and English vampires (who hate the idea of such a poison existing), he sets out to find who made the drugs and ultimately get a copy of the research notes into Lydia's hands.
Matters get even more complicated when several third-class passengers on the ship turn up dead and drained of blood. Is Ysidro somehow killing them with no memory of it, due to the poison? Is there a second vampire on board? Will an innocent third-class passenger be blamed for the murders, since "a vampire did it!" isn't a valid alibi? Lydia investigates, with the sort-of help of Cochran (who believes two pet vampires would be even better than one pet vampire), third-class passenger and anarchist Georg Heller (who absolutely believes vampires don't exist and the whole thing is probably a conspiracy to keep the poor man down), and first-class passenger and elderly Russian Princess Natalia Nikolaievna Gromyko (who believes in vampires and that they are best contacted through the Astral Plane).
Whew, there's a lot going on in this book. But it all works! The Titanic (1997)-esque feel of a grand passenger liner as a microcosm of society, the contrast between the glittering upper levels and packed steerage beneath, is excellent. Ysidro's constant pain and woe are straight-up stoic woobie fuel, for those of you who love their favorite characters most when they're suffering. (I am totally one of those people.) I also really adored the resolution to the third-class murders. There's a twist at the end that I'm not so sure about, but I'm willing to wait and see where Hambly goes from here. On the other hand, the ending does potentially suggest that the next book might be set in NYC, which I would LOVE.
I read this as an ARC via NetGalley.
March 14, 2019
I'm torn on this one. The story is very good, very good, even though it is lydia centric (i've never particularly liked Lydia and her constant useless sentiment about how guilty she feels about helping vampires has always irritated me. Still, i think this was one of the only books where I didn't mind her character). I don't think there was enough Ysidro and I really really hate the ending. (spoilers ahead)
there was a redemption arc to this that really grated on me. By the end of it, he's not as he was (which is all I'll say) and i really dislike seeing a predator tamed. The story was good enough in and of itself to hold my interest, but a vampire tamed in the way he is...it's as though his character as been defanged and i really really hated that.
I stuck with the series because I adore the character of Ysidro (and I'm very, very picky about vampire fiction) even though I disliked Lydia in general. I"m not sure, given the way this one ended that I'll bother reading any more in this series. I'm just not sure. At least Lydia didn't whine so much throughout about her precious scruples.
there was a redemption arc to this that really grated on me. By the end of it, he's not as he was (which is all I'll say) and i really dislike seeing a predator tamed. The story was good enough in and of itself to hold my interest, but a vampire tamed in the way he is...it's as though his character as been defanged and i really really hated that.
I stuck with the series because I adore the character of Ysidro (and I'm very, very picky about vampire fiction) even though I disliked Lydia in general. I"m not sure, given the way this one ended that I'll bother reading any more in this series. I'm just not sure. At least Lydia didn't whine so much throughout about her precious scruples.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 16, 2019
1917 and Vampire Don Simon Ysidro has been kidnapped, drugged and enslaved by industrialist Spenser Cochran - who plans to use him as a weapon - and who are now on their way to America aboard a luxury liner.
James and Dr Lydia Asher have dreamt of the kidnap - dreams sent from the weak and dying Vampire. Lydia secures passage on the ship to rescue her friend whilst James seeks help from the ruling Vampire of Paris.
While crossing the Atlantic, children from 3rd class have been found murdered with puncture wounds on their necks and it looks like there's another Vampire on board.
Can Lydia solve the murders and save Don Simon?
Fabulous characters and lots of suspense, book 8 and it still feels fresh.
James and Dr Lydia Asher have dreamt of the kidnap - dreams sent from the weak and dying Vampire. Lydia secures passage on the ship to rescue her friend whilst James seeks help from the ruling Vampire of Paris.
While crossing the Atlantic, children from 3rd class have been found murdered with puncture wounds on their necks and it looks like there's another Vampire on board.
Can Lydia solve the murders and save Don Simon?
Fabulous characters and lots of suspense, book 8 and it still feels fresh.
January 21, 2019
Barbara Hambly's Prisoner of Midnight is the eighth book in the James Asher series. While the series as billed as James Asher, Lydia Asher often plays an equal or larger part, as does the vampire Don Simon Ysidro.
The series begins with Those Who Hunt the Night, which I admit still remains one of my favorites in the series.
In this latest book, Don Ysidro has been drugged and taken captive and is being shipped to America. Lydia joins the voyage to find him, and to either free him or kill him, whichever becomes necessary.
Not my favorite in the series, but an interesting twist at the end that makes me eager for the next book.
Read in January; blog review scheduled for April 17.
NetGalley/Severn House.
Fantasy/Vampires. May 1, 2019. Print length: 256 pages.
The series begins with Those Who Hunt the Night, which I admit still remains one of my favorites in the series.
In this latest book, Don Ysidro has been drugged and taken captive and is being shipped to America. Lydia joins the voyage to find him, and to either free him or kill him, whichever becomes necessary.
Not my favorite in the series, but an interesting twist at the end that makes me eager for the next book.
Read in January; blog review scheduled for April 17.
NetGalley/Severn House.
Fantasy/Vampires. May 1, 2019. Print length: 256 pages.
August 9, 2019
The latest in the increasingly-should-be-called-Lydia-Asher series features Lydia tracking a kidnapped Don Simon on a transatlantic voyage through submarine-infested waters. The claustrophobia induced by both the fear of being targeted at sea, as well as by the expectations of Lydia's society relatives and acquaintances on the ship, make the ending all the more affecting. Meanwhile, James continues to work undercover in Europe, but increasingly seems marginalized in both the story and Lydia's life (although their limited interactions are still very loving and sweet). I'm interested to see where their story goes from here!
May 27, 2019
Vampires on a ship
A great installment in the Asher series. The action takes place on a ship during the war, with threats from inside and out. I particularly liked the way Hambly shared the stories of the various passengers, in first and third class.
A great installment in the Asher series. The action takes place on a ship during the war, with threats from inside and out. I particularly liked the way Hambly shared the stories of the various passengers, in first and third class.
April 3, 2019
James Asher #8
Lydia and James are back with our favorite vampire Don Simon Ysido. While James is off being a spy at the front, Lydia is boarding a luxury liner from Paris, headed to America. All she knows is that Simon is in trouble, in pain and she must help him. Then maybe kill him. But first she must find him.
Her working theory is that someone is using him and keeping him under their thrall. That someone being an obnoxious, unscrupulous American, industrialist Spencer Cochran and his henchmen. Known for making striking workers disappear among other unsavory acts.
James is trying as hard as he can to get her information on the drug that is being used on the vampire. Even going so far as to knock on the Paris vampires door for help.
When children begin dying on the ship, time is of the essence to save not only the passengers, but also Simon. Who she really does not want to kill, but will she?
This is one of my favorite series. Historical Fiction with Vampires. What could be better?
Very Well Done!
NetGalley Reviews/ Severn House May 01, 2019
Lydia and James are back with our favorite vampire Don Simon Ysido. While James is off being a spy at the front, Lydia is boarding a luxury liner from Paris, headed to America. All she knows is that Simon is in trouble, in pain and she must help him. Then maybe kill him. But first she must find him.
Her working theory is that someone is using him and keeping him under their thrall. That someone being an obnoxious, unscrupulous American, industrialist Spencer Cochran and his henchmen. Known for making striking workers disappear among other unsavory acts.
James is trying as hard as he can to get her information on the drug that is being used on the vampire. Even going so far as to knock on the Paris vampires door for help.
When children begin dying on the ship, time is of the essence to save not only the passengers, but also Simon. Who she really does not want to kill, but will she?
This is one of my favorite series. Historical Fiction with Vampires. What could be better?
Very Well Done!
NetGalley Reviews/ Severn House May 01, 2019
March 6, 2019
Book 8 in the James Asher series (I've seen it called the Asher/Ysidro series, for reasons obvious to anyone who's been reading along, but this copy calls it the James Asher Vampire novels, so I suppose I'll go with that. I only comment because Lydia's POV, as has frequently been the case in more recent novels, seems to take up a greater page count than James's own.). It's 1917 and as the Great War rages on, Lydia finds herself on a ship to New York chasing after an imprisoned Ysidro, while James remains in Paris, playing dangerous games with the vampires at the Front in order to rustle up intel to help his wife free (or kill) Ysidro. If you haven't been reading this series, "Prisoner of Midnight" is a terrible jumping-in point. (And weirdly, the book list at the front begins with Book 3, not Book 1.). If you have, be assured this series remains in top form.
Lydia's portion reads a bit like Titanic-fiction; a bunch of wealthy early-20th Century people hobnobbing on a glittering ship headed to NYC (with an assortment of colorful characters down in steerage), except instead of icebergs everyone's terrified of German subs. James's (less-substantial, which I found disappointing; not because Lydia's part was poorly written, but just because James has always been my favorite character) part is something we've seen quite a bit of from him: playing intrigue with the Undead, desperately trying to use them to his own ends (while making himself just useful enough that they don't kill him for sport).
One of the most interesting aspects of this series (in my opinion) has long been the dichotomy between the Ashers' portrayed relationship(s) with Don Simon, and the reality of vampire/human relationships they see throughout the series. Something lampshaded throughout by both of them: is Ysidro their friend, despite being a murdering vampire, or is he engaging in the same sort of multi-year hunt that his fellow undead love so dearly? This installment gives plenty of hints for both scenarios, and certain things happen by the end that can either be read as evidence of a cuddlier Ashers/Ysidro relationship to come, or as hints that Don Simon has a very particular endgame in mind for one (or both) of the Ashers and is carefully and meticulously steering them toward it.
Very excited to see which it ends up being.
Lydia's portion reads a bit like Titanic-fiction; a bunch of wealthy early-20th Century people hobnobbing on a glittering ship headed to NYC (with an assortment of colorful characters down in steerage), except instead of icebergs everyone's terrified of German subs. James's (less-substantial, which I found disappointing; not because Lydia's part was poorly written, but just because James has always been my favorite character) part is something we've seen quite a bit of from him: playing intrigue with the Undead, desperately trying to use them to his own ends (while making himself just useful enough that they don't kill him for sport).
One of the most interesting aspects of this series (in my opinion) has long been the dichotomy between the Ashers' portrayed relationship(s) with Don Simon, and the reality of vampire/human relationships they see throughout the series. Something lampshaded throughout by both of them: is Ysidro their friend, despite being a murdering vampire, or is he engaging in the same sort of multi-year hunt that his fellow undead love so dearly? This installment gives plenty of hints for both scenarios, and certain things happen by the end that can either be read as evidence of a cuddlier Ashers/Ysidro relationship to come, or as hints that Don Simon has a very particular endgame in mind for one (or both) of the Ashers and is carefully and meticulously steering them toward it.
Very excited to see which it ends up being.
June 24, 2019
So I was delighted to read that there is now a new addition to the James Asher series. This series, set before and during World War One, is about the adventures of a burnt-out former spy, James Asher, his doctor wife Lydia and the vampire with whom they have collaborated on various 'interesting' cases, the 350-year-old Don Simon Ysidro.
What makes the stories interesting is how Hambly depicts the friendship that has evolved between the three, which is also something of a triangle. There is the unwilling camaderie between Asher and Ysidro and the love that exists between Ysidro and Asher - along with the disapproval. Ysidro has proven himself time and time again to be a man of great honour and integrity. He has saved their lives many times over. Set against that, however, is the fact that he has to regularly kill humans to survive. The Asher's will never be able to condone that.
He had been told to stay out of their lives - until now. For Ysidro has been captured by an American businessman who wishes to profit from Ysidro's murderous talents, as he sets sail to America with Ysidro trapped in a box with silver fastenings from without, and agonising poisons from within.
Lydia boards the ship on her own - or so she thought until her nanny and help turn up with her daughter - in order to rescue Ysidro. And to do the descent thing and stake him before he can take the scourge of vampirism to the Free World. Meanwhile, her husband's job is to find out how to neutralise the poison Ysidro has been given.
The society Lydia finds herself in is reminiscent of the Titanic, except it is submarines that are feared, not icebergs, as her rich co-travellers prattle on in their ignorance.
As for the conclusion - some may like it, some may not. This one seems to bring the when series to an elegant enough close, but it could be that the door is still open for more. There was a 'stuckness' to the Ashers' position on the vampire question, but it is possible future adventures could swim in a new direction now.
Suberbly realised historical fiction with its detective story/gothic dimensions, and more intelligent than most.
What makes the stories interesting is how Hambly depicts the friendship that has evolved between the three, which is also something of a triangle. There is the unwilling camaderie between Asher and Ysidro and the love that exists between Ysidro and Asher - along with the disapproval. Ysidro has proven himself time and time again to be a man of great honour and integrity. He has saved their lives many times over. Set against that, however, is the fact that he has to regularly kill humans to survive. The Asher's will never be able to condone that.
He had been told to stay out of their lives - until now. For Ysidro has been captured by an American businessman who wishes to profit from Ysidro's murderous talents, as he sets sail to America with Ysidro trapped in a box with silver fastenings from without, and agonising poisons from within.
Lydia boards the ship on her own - or so she thought until her nanny and help turn up with her daughter - in order to rescue Ysidro. And to do the descent thing and stake him before he can take the scourge of vampirism to the Free World. Meanwhile, her husband's job is to find out how to neutralise the poison Ysidro has been given.
The society Lydia finds herself in is reminiscent of the Titanic, except it is submarines that are feared, not icebergs, as her rich co-travellers prattle on in their ignorance.
As for the conclusion - some may like it, some may not. This one seems to bring the when series to an elegant enough close, but it could be that the door is still open for more. There was a 'stuckness' to the Ashers' position on the vampire question, but it is possible future adventures could swim in a new direction now.
Suberbly realised historical fiction with its detective story/gothic dimensions, and more intelligent than most.
August 28, 2020
I am struggling with this one; I have mixed emotions about the way this series has been wound up.
EVERY now and then you come across a fantasy book where an author has rather unexpectedly put their characters into a really difficult real-life sort of situation, one where you think, wow, this is a really hard choice, no matter which way this goes it won't be WRONG, but it's going to be painful - I'm so intrigued to find out what happens and what the repercussions are.
So when you get to the moment of truth and find the author has veered off onto a third, unexpected path, one where no one gets hurt, it's a happy surprise BUT. It feels like cheating. It feels like there was a "real-er" ending.
Those Who Hunt the Night was published in 1988, and I read the paperback in 89. There were other vampires out there; the horrors of Salem's Lot, and the sexual, intriguing predators of Interview with a Vampire, and now Hambly's vampires toed a line in between; predators with the imprint of their humanity still on them, and a story that hinted that at least one vampire was capable of love and regret, but never redemption.
The thorny issue Hambly presented as the series went on, is, what's to be done if you're human, and have to deal with the reality of a creature who's either a monster, who should be destroyed the same way a man-eating tiger would, or a man, who should be destroyed the same way an unrepentant serial killer should, and you find you can't bring yourself to do it. You find you actually love this monster/man, and yet feel a real responsibility for every murder he commits, now that you know what he is. And what's to be done if you're a vampire, capable of emotional and spiritual change, but not the sort of physical change that would permit you to stop killing?
There really was no good answer to that - there's either murder (execution) or turning a blind eye. ...or cutting all ties, which would have been the end of the series. Once the dilemma had been set up in the second book - with startling poignancy - I got a little tired of the endless hemming and hawing in the books that came after.
So here we finally have the end of the story, and Hambly veered between those two solutions to find a third. And like I said, I'm glad in a way. After reading these books for - shockingly - 30 years! it would have hurt to see Ysidro killed. But I think it would have been the 'real-er' ending.
As for the specific solution, it's reminiscent of the conclusion of another of Hambly's series, with another very human monster, although Ysidro's fate is tailored to him - the days he spends in a metaphorical Hell, his willingness to sacrifice himself, are described with enough feeling to make one think he did his penance and truly deserves this 'salvation.' And is it really a coincidence that on the third day, Lydia goes down to find him risen.
So what is he now? I dunno! With this ending, the series seems to circle back to its more light-hearted beginnings, when Simon first sought out Asher - with Lydia standing in his place - Simon has even re-assumed his old appearance. Lydia's conscience is untroubled. Miranda is poised to continue the tradition, a la Peter Pan and Wendy's daughter - one can see Simon becoming an Asher family secret, a sort of guardian spirit. It's a nice open-ended farewell - and eventually that 'real-er' ending will probably stop niggling at the back of my mind.
EVERY now and then you come across a fantasy book where an author has rather unexpectedly put their characters into a really difficult real-life sort of situation, one where you think, wow, this is a really hard choice, no matter which way this goes it won't be WRONG, but it's going to be painful - I'm so intrigued to find out what happens and what the repercussions are.
So when you get to the moment of truth and find the author has veered off onto a third, unexpected path, one where no one gets hurt, it's a happy surprise BUT. It feels like cheating. It feels like there was a "real-er" ending.
Those Who Hunt the Night was published in 1988, and I read the paperback in 89. There were other vampires out there; the horrors of Salem's Lot, and the sexual, intriguing predators of Interview with a Vampire, and now Hambly's vampires toed a line in between; predators with the imprint of their humanity still on them, and a story that hinted that at least one vampire was capable of love and regret, but never redemption.
The thorny issue Hambly presented as the series went on, is, what's to be done if you're human, and have to deal with the reality of a creature who's either a monster, who should be destroyed the same way a man-eating tiger would, or a man, who should be destroyed the same way an unrepentant serial killer should, and you find you can't bring yourself to do it. You find you actually love this monster/man, and yet feel a real responsibility for every murder he commits, now that you know what he is. And what's to be done if you're a vampire, capable of emotional and spiritual change, but not the sort of physical change that would permit you to stop killing?
There really was no good answer to that - there's either murder (execution) or turning a blind eye. ...or cutting all ties, which would have been the end of the series. Once the dilemma had been set up in the second book - with startling poignancy - I got a little tired of the endless hemming and hawing in the books that came after.
So here we finally have the end of the story, and Hambly veered between those two solutions to find a third. And like I said, I'm glad in a way. After reading these books for - shockingly - 30 years! it would have hurt to see Ysidro killed. But I think it would have been the 'real-er' ending.
As for the specific solution, it's reminiscent of the conclusion of another of Hambly's series, with another very human monster, although Ysidro's fate is tailored to him - the days he spends in a metaphorical Hell, his willingness to sacrifice himself, are described with enough feeling to make one think he did his penance and truly deserves this 'salvation.' And is it really a coincidence that on the third day, Lydia goes down to find him risen.
So what is he now? I dunno! With this ending, the series seems to circle back to its more light-hearted beginnings, when Simon first sought out Asher - with Lydia standing in his place - Simon has even re-assumed his old appearance. Lydia's conscience is untroubled. Miranda is poised to continue the tradition, a la Peter Pan and Wendy's daughter - one can see Simon becoming an Asher family secret, a sort of guardian spirit. It's a nice open-ended farewell - and eventually that 'real-er' ending will probably stop niggling at the back of my mind.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 8, 2019
I've enjoyed this series since the beginning, but this particular installment wasn't as good as many of the others. I'm wondering if Hambly needs to give this whole thing a rest for a few years, and maybe come back with her batteries re-charged.
Part of my problem with the book is that I found the situation---a vampire held prisoner on a ship full of immigrants to the US, and people on the ship turning up dead and drained of blood---very hard to believe. By 1917, as I understand it, the waves of immigration to the US had all but dried up, thanks to World War I. Not to mention, a lot of the people on this ship are described as Central Powers subjects. At that time, finding such people on a British ship would be absolutely out of the question. Just leaving their own countries would have been extremely difficult, and no Allied ship would have taken them on board.
I'd also be curious to know just how the bad guys managed to capture Don Simon Ysidro, of all vampires. He's survived since the time of Queen Mary I in an incredibly hostile environment, and has not done so by being a fool or easy to find. He can cloud people's minds at will, and usually knows if someone's looking for him. When that happens, he makes himself scarce and waits, knowing that the humans will eventually give up and go away, or, at worst, die.
If it were a new vampire, just-turned and not as experienced as Don Simon, and the year was prior to the outbreak of World War I, I'd have had an easier time accepting the premise.
Part of my problem with the book is that I found the situation---a vampire held prisoner on a ship full of immigrants to the US, and people on the ship turning up dead and drained of blood---very hard to believe. By 1917, as I understand it, the waves of immigration to the US had all but dried up, thanks to World War I. Not to mention, a lot of the people on this ship are described as Central Powers subjects. At that time, finding such people on a British ship would be absolutely out of the question. Just leaving their own countries would have been extremely difficult, and no Allied ship would have taken them on board.
I'd also be curious to know just how the bad guys managed to capture Don Simon Ysidro, of all vampires. He's survived since the time of Queen Mary I in an incredibly hostile environment, and has not done so by being a fool or easy to find. He can cloud people's minds at will, and usually knows if someone's looking for him. When that happens, he makes himself scarce and waits, knowing that the humans will eventually give up and go away, or, at worst, die.
If it were a new vampire, just-turned and not as experienced as Don Simon, and the year was prior to the outbreak of World War I, I'd have had an easier time accepting the premise.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 7, 2019
I have loved this series since the first novel. Barbara Hambly perfectly nails vampires, in my humble opinion. She understands not only the dark appeal of the legend, but also the harrowing moral points that such a creature would raise. But having given the reasons for my appreciation of her series, I have to say that this is the one that lands with a bit of a thud.
Why is that? Two reasons. First, the plot of the book basically exists to move the characters around on the board and set the rest of the series up. It's a placeholder. Secondly, it's pretty apparent to me that the time has come to set the character of Lydia Asher to the side for a while. Not to put too fine a point on it, she has become the series' Mary Sue. She keeps winning out over situations that she has neither the skill set nor the background to be able to surmount.
However, the book is still an entertaining read. If it is a little bit superfluous in the grand scheme of the series, it does what it set out to do fairly briskly. And the characters- Lydia, Don Simon Ysidro, and the titular James Asher - are just as well drawn as ever. I just hope the next book has a few more surprises.
Why is that? Two reasons. First, the plot of the book basically exists to move the characters around on the board and set the rest of the series up. It's a placeholder. Secondly, it's pretty apparent to me that the time has come to set the character of Lydia Asher to the side for a while. Not to put too fine a point on it, she has become the series' Mary Sue. She keeps winning out over situations that she has neither the skill set nor the background to be able to surmount.
However, the book is still an entertaining read. If it is a little bit superfluous in the grand scheme of the series, it does what it set out to do fairly briskly. And the characters- Lydia, Don Simon Ysidro, and the titular James Asher - are just as well drawn as ever. I just hope the next book has a few more surprises.
September 9, 2019
Another great entry in the series. In this, world war I is underway; James Asher has answered the call of his country yet again (along with most of the able-bodied men of the United Kingdom), leaving the elderly called back to service to assist the women and children. James's wife, Lydia Asher, receives in her dreams a premonition that the vampire Don Ysidro has been captured by a human -- potentially sealing the fate that the Ashers have been fighting against all series: the idea that vampires would, as allies, hired servants or compelled slaves, become active in human affairs. To forestall this, although she had sworn off all contact with the vampire previously, she may have to take matters into her own hands, pursuing clues and facing the choice of how far she is willing to go.
One of the most impressive elements in this book, I should say, is that in a series focusing on the horrors of vampirism, the book would manage to ratchet up the tension of of U-boat warfare (a large part is set on a boat in the Atlantic).
One of the most impressive elements in this book, I should say, is that in a series focusing on the horrors of vampirism, the book would manage to ratchet up the tension of of U-boat warfare (a large part is set on a boat in the Atlantic).
March 1, 2019
Hard to believe that I've been reading this series for 30 years (since Those Who Hunt the Night was released in 1988)! I'm a huge fab of James and Lydia Asher, and Don Simon Ysidro is one of my all-time favorite vampires. Hambly's vampires are predators, and far more interesting to me than so many whiny emo modern vampires, This time out, Don Simon has been drugged, captured, and is being carried off to America by a nefarious businessman. Lydia, responding to his psychic calls for help that she received as dreams, is on the same ship, attempting to find and either rescue or kill him before he becomes a danger to others. Oh yes, it's WWI and the ship is in danger of being torpedoed as it makes it's way to America! Meanwhile, back in Paris, James is searching for information concerning the substance that has been used to subdue Don Simon, as well as the antidote. While not my favorite of the series, I did enjoy it immensely and am grateful to Severn House and NetGalley for the opportunity to read the digital ARC.
July 12, 2022
I loved this installment - the 8th - in the series that started with Those Who Hunt The Night.
This book has Lydia making a dangerous Atlantic crossing during WWI in order to save or kill her friend Don Simon Ysidro, who has been drugged and enslaved on the same ship. Lydia shows her own skill at sleuthing and spying. She continues to debate her feelings on allowing Simon to reach New York.
She also needs to find the second vampire on board, who is killing passengers now. Is this also to be a tool of a corrupt businessman? And what of the submarines?
A very intriguing book - I loved this one.
This book has Lydia making a dangerous Atlantic crossing during WWI in order to save or kill her friend Don Simon Ysidro, who has been drugged and enslaved on the same ship. Lydia shows her own skill at sleuthing and spying. She continues to debate her feelings on allowing Simon to reach New York.
She also needs to find the second vampire on board, who is killing passengers now. Is this also to be a tool of a corrupt businessman? And what of the submarines?
A very intriguing book - I loved this one.
May 7, 2019
So glad I rediscovered this series! Great mix of historical setting--World War I aboard a passenger liner with the looming threat of submarine torpedoing--and vampires. The tension escalates beautifully in the double plot lines following Lydia and James. I appreciate the way Hambly points out and skewers prejudice. I don't want to get too spoilery but the ending resolved some ongoing character angst in a very interesting way... If there had been an after-war epilogue I might have almost thought this was the ending of series.
March 2, 2024
I hope she write more.
I love this series. Lydia has always annoyed me with her constant moralizing while at the same time being so rich in a world of such poverty. By not giving away her wealth she’s killed as many people (or allowed the deaths of; which is always her hang up in letting don Simon live) as don Simon I dare say, but I love this book. I love the possibilities it opens up. I really like the master of Prague and I’d like to see more of him. I hope that there will be more books
I love this series. Lydia has always annoyed me with her constant moralizing while at the same time being so rich in a world of such poverty. By not giving away her wealth she’s killed as many people (or allowed the deaths of; which is always her hang up in letting don Simon live) as don Simon I dare say, but I love this book. I love the possibilities it opens up. I really like the master of Prague and I’d like to see more of him. I hope that there will be more books
March 31, 2019
Hambly's vampires are truly scary, even Don Simon, although he would do almost anything for Lydia and James and their daughter. This one has Lydia and Miranda crossing the Atlantic during WWI. There are murders on board, the threat of a German sub, and a captive Don Simon. Very suspenseful, with hopes of more books in this series. If you want a very good, scary vampire book, start with the first one in this series, Those Who Hunt the Night, and read them all.
June 1, 2019
Couldn't put it down
Again a book that I couldn't leave unread. I absolutely love these characters even the most annoying ones.
I recommend everyone reads the author starting with the Darwath trilogy and the Winterlands series.
Again a book that I couldn't leave unread. I absolutely love these characters even the most annoying ones.
I recommend everyone reads the author starting with the Darwath trilogy and the Winterlands series.
December 5, 2019
Excellent next chapter in the ongoing story. I appreciated the Who done it? aspect of the story line. As always, engaging writing and interesting characters. I look forward to the next installment!
August 21, 2020
I found it more interesting and far more satisfying than the last couple of books in the series. I hope that Hambly writes more now, exploring Ysidro's new condition, how it evolves, how relations between him and the Ashers proceed, and of course new adventures in America, etc.
November 8, 2020
Favorite passage: And seeing, perhaps, the tears in her eyes, as much of exhaustion and uncertainty as grief, he added gently, “Where there is life, there is hope, Mistress. And though my life is done, yet the gates of Hell have not yet clanged shut behind me.”
October 24, 2024
Started and finished date - 23.10.24 to 24.10.24.
My rating - Two star
This book was fine. Both the atmosphere and the writing was fine but the paced of plot was bit rush for my liking also the cover of book was fine. I didnt like the characters and I feel like they were flash out bit more.
My rating - Two star
This book was fine. Both the atmosphere and the writing was fine but the paced of plot was bit rush for my liking also the cover of book was fine. I didnt like the characters and I feel like they were flash out bit more.
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