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Saint-Germain #19
Roman Dusk
Rome is crumbling. The child-emperor, Heliogabalus, diverts the Roman populace with parties, circuses, and celebrations, while his mother and grandmother jockey for power behind the scenes. The government is riddled with scandal and no business is conducted without bribes which grow ever larger. Religions joust for prominence, with factions of Christians seeking to overthrow the ancient Roman pantheon. Courtesans, once honored for their skills and protected by special guards, have become targets of opprobrium.
The vampire Ragoczy Germanius Sanct' Franciscus, already subject to extra taxes and regulations because he is a foreigner, falls under the maleficent eye of Telemachus Batsho, a minor functionary who dreams of power and wealth. When Franciscus thwarts his attempts to extort ever-increasing sums from a young Roman of good birth, Batsho swears revenge. Franciscus finds his activities closely monitored and is accused of treason and conspiracy. His friends, threatened with similar scrutiny, abandon him to Batsho's mercies or urge him to leave the Eternal City.
But Franciscus has many ties to Rome. He has taken under his protection a beautiful courtesan who was brutally beaten by the very men who should have been protecting her. She has been the vampire's sustenance for many months.
Franciscus is also held in the city by the plight of the family Laelius. The Domina's health is failing despite the vampire's great medical skills; her son has converted to Christianity and rails against his mother's beliefs; her daughter Ignatia, who has sacrified her own life to care for her mother, realizes that when her mother dies, her fate will rest in the hands of her increasingly fanatical brother.
Determined to claim pleasure for herself, Ignatia invites Franciscus's attentions, inflaming him with the power of her untapped sexuality. Unfortunately, they are not unobserved, and their simple yet powerful act of love sparks a conflagration that destroys Ignatia's family and nearly brings about the vampire's True Death.
The vampire Ragoczy Germanius Sanct' Franciscus, already subject to extra taxes and regulations because he is a foreigner, falls under the maleficent eye of Telemachus Batsho, a minor functionary who dreams of power and wealth. When Franciscus thwarts his attempts to extort ever-increasing sums from a young Roman of good birth, Batsho swears revenge. Franciscus finds his activities closely monitored and is accused of treason and conspiracy. His friends, threatened with similar scrutiny, abandon him to Batsho's mercies or urge him to leave the Eternal City.
But Franciscus has many ties to Rome. He has taken under his protection a beautiful courtesan who was brutally beaten by the very men who should have been protecting her. She has been the vampire's sustenance for many months.
Franciscus is also held in the city by the plight of the family Laelius. The Domina's health is failing despite the vampire's great medical skills; her son has converted to Christianity and rails against his mother's beliefs; her daughter Ignatia, who has sacrified her own life to care for her mother, realizes that when her mother dies, her fate will rest in the hands of her increasingly fanatical brother.
Determined to claim pleasure for herself, Ignatia invites Franciscus's attentions, inflaming him with the power of her untapped sexuality. Unfortunately, they are not unobserved, and their simple yet powerful act of love sparks a conflagration that destroys Ignatia's family and nearly brings about the vampire's True Death.
352 pages, Hardcover
First published September 19, 2006
5 people are currently reading
319 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 - 15 of 15 reviews
February 6, 2020
For years, I'd heard about Yarbro's vampire series and how it foreshadowed the sexy vampire but without the angst or sexism. Recently I've started reading the books and while the sexy, non-angsty, and egalitarian part is true, I've been disappointed in terms of the story being able to hold my attention and in terms of the historical content.
"Roman Dusk" is set up as St. Germain's return to the city of Rome, about 110-120 years after he was last there in "Blood Games." Given the importance of paperwork and record keeping to at least one of the plots of this novel, I am shocked that the vampire would even come back to Rome so soon. His previous lover turned pseudo vampire even still holds a house in Rome under her original name. Seriously? Just because we don't have a lot of surviving records from Rome doesn't mean they weren't good record keepers and if that idea of bureaucracy is important to your story, set it more realistic further down the line, perhaps in the period of the Tetrarchy.
The entire side political scenes on Heliogabalus that ran through much of the book suggests that his non-traditional rule and personality was the real reason for placing the book in this time period. It allowed for St. Germain to witness and feel disgust at Roman practices and how easily they fell into following the Emperor's example. Yet, the vampire expresses few emotions. I want him to feel things more intensely, darn it!
Setting the story good century later would also help the Christian plot line make more sense. As it was, it floated in and out then suddenly was a major cause of destruction that twists St. Germain's normally calm nature monstrous. The tone of the Christians in this book felt like more strawmen than full characters because I didn't understand what they were doing or why beyond zealotry.
Of course being that this is St. Germain we must have a love interest, or in this case, two. One relationship felt real and honest while the other again seemed to suddenly escalate over the course of only three scenes and then not really be more than a trigger for an act of revenge. The scenes that switched to these women's viewpoints and experiences made them more relatable but I felt it detracted from St. Germain who needed to be more multifaceted to live up to his reputation.
Finally the friendships between St. Germain and a handful of Romans initially seemed quite important yet it was treated in such detached scenes that I never got a good grip on how he originally knew these men and why they and he cared at all. Business? Not really. Why turn to a foreign exile (a point so repeatedly stated that it could be a drinking game for a book club) if you need help with bureaucratic matters? You wouldn't, no Roman would especially if there is so much corruption as this book shows.
Setting the book later would have helped with several problems but the erratic switching between scenes is still an issue. So why am I giving this 3 stars? There are scenes that are well-crafted, there are continuing characters that stand up from book to book, and St. Germain is a rare type of vampire that just could be made more interesting.
"Roman Dusk" is set up as St. Germain's return to the city of Rome, about 110-120 years after he was last there in "Blood Games." Given the importance of paperwork and record keeping to at least one of the plots of this novel, I am shocked that the vampire would even come back to Rome so soon. His previous lover turned pseudo vampire even still holds a house in Rome under her original name. Seriously? Just because we don't have a lot of surviving records from Rome doesn't mean they weren't good record keepers and if that idea of bureaucracy is important to your story, set it more realistic further down the line, perhaps in the period of the Tetrarchy.
The entire side political scenes on Heliogabalus that ran through much of the book suggests that his non-traditional rule and personality was the real reason for placing the book in this time period. It allowed for St. Germain to witness and feel disgust at Roman practices and how easily they fell into following the Emperor's example. Yet, the vampire expresses few emotions. I want him to feel things more intensely, darn it!
Setting the story good century later would also help the Christian plot line make more sense. As it was, it floated in and out then suddenly was a major cause of destruction that twists St. Germain's normally calm nature monstrous. The tone of the Christians in this book felt like more strawmen than full characters because I didn't understand what they were doing or why beyond zealotry.
Of course being that this is St. Germain we must have a love interest, or in this case, two. One relationship felt real and honest while the other again seemed to suddenly escalate over the course of only three scenes and then not really be more than a trigger for an act of revenge. The scenes that switched to these women's viewpoints and experiences made them more relatable but I felt it detracted from St. Germain who needed to be more multifaceted to live up to his reputation.
Finally the friendships between St. Germain and a handful of Romans initially seemed quite important yet it was treated in such detached scenes that I never got a good grip on how he originally knew these men and why they and he cared at all. Business? Not really. Why turn to a foreign exile (a point so repeatedly stated that it could be a drinking game for a book club) if you need help with bureaucratic matters? You wouldn't, no Roman would especially if there is so much corruption as this book shows.
Setting the book later would have helped with several problems but the erratic switching between scenes is still an issue. So why am I giving this 3 stars? There are scenes that are well-crafted, there are continuing characters that stand up from book to book, and St. Germain is a rare type of vampire that just could be made more interesting.
February 14, 2010
I think I'm getting tired of this series. I've been reading them since the first one came out. And unlike most paranormal series this one basically has a single plot. Saint-Germain moves into a new area some time in the past. It is generally an interesting place and time. He sets up his household (not so much of that in this book), meets a woman because he requires intimacy in addition to blood to survive (in this case 2 women), things get weird and dangerous (started almost immediately with this book and then turned into two separate threads of weird and dangerous), Saint-Germain gets attacked physically (doesn't always happen) and then he finds a way to leave the area. Sometimes people around him get killed in the process, sometimes not.
Not only won't you get a happy ending to any of her books, you can expect every book to end badly. Sometimes, as with this one, you know that everyone who has survived to the last chapter will be going on with their lives, but for some reason it never occurs to Saint-Germain to get out before everything falls apart.
Because this is a historical paranormal series the places and times are generally interesting. Because this is the 19th or 20th book in the series a lot of the really interesting times have already been taken by earlier books. In this case we are about 200 years into the Current Era, the Roman Empire has begun a downward slide, but is still several hundred years from falling, the current Emperor is one of the better known bad ones, and things in Rome have changed enough from Republican times that there is obvious decadence.
Not only won't you get a happy ending to any of her books, you can expect every book to end badly. Sometimes, as with this one, you know that everyone who has survived to the last chapter will be going on with their lives, but for some reason it never occurs to Saint-Germain to get out before everything falls apart.
Because this is a historical paranormal series the places and times are generally interesting. Because this is the 19th or 20th book in the series a lot of the really interesting times have already been taken by earlier books. In this case we are about 200 years into the Current Era, the Roman Empire has begun a downward slide, but is still several hundred years from falling, the current Emperor is one of the better known bad ones, and things in Rome have changed enough from Republican times that there is obvious decadence.
June 1, 2012
I loved this book. Saint Germain rules. I loved it when Roger is in the book. Especially when Saint Germain needed him the most like he did in this one.
Spoiler alert....
You see a whole different side of Saint Germain that you don't see in the other books. Taking revenge out on those boys like he did. I am personally glad that he did because they would have never been caught with the law the way it was then.
End of spolier....
I love this character so much that I wrote a poem about him and his lonliness and it will be published soon. I just wished that I could find him and I know he isn't real, to tell him he is loved. But that is why I wrote the poem. I will let you all know when it is published and where soon.
Spoiler alert....
You see a whole different side of Saint Germain that you don't see in the other books. Taking revenge out on those boys like he did. I am personally glad that he did because they would have never been caught with the law the way it was then.
End of spolier....
I love this character so much that I wrote a poem about him and his lonliness and it will be published soon. I just wished that I could find him and I know he isn't real, to tell him he is loved. But that is why I wrote the poem. I will let you all know when it is published and where soon.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 6, 2010
This is not one of Yarbro's better Saint-Germain novels. The story felt forced and the people in the vampire's life were mostly unlikeable. Saint-Germain's actions, when he took his vengeance on those who hurt him and the people he cared for, seemed out of character because, unlike in Tempting Fate when he was crazed with grief, in this book he has a long time when he is recovering his "health" and strength during which to consider his reaction. To me, this makes his vengeance seem far out of balance, and perhaps the character - who I have known and loved for decades now - would actually have attempted to bring the vandals to justice via the legal system.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 18, 2022
Perhaps starting with book 19 in a series is unwise, but a friend recommended the series and the library had this one. So I borrowed it and read it.
First of all, I had no expectations, but found the book really interesting. The author had obviously done a lot of research into the period and shared it generously and in an pleasing way.
I felt like I was in a history book with occasional story happening, but I liked the old vampire in his swishy silks and nice jewellery. The late Roman feasts and entertainments were really well described. I reckon I could order from a menu of the time and quite fancied the gardens and underfloor heating.
I felt educated rather than entertained, but as ever, sympathised with the monsters more than the people, especially the early Christians.
First of all, I had no expectations, but found the book really interesting. The author had obviously done a lot of research into the period and shared it generously and in an pleasing way.
I felt like I was in a history book with occasional story happening, but I liked the old vampire in his swishy silks and nice jewellery. The late Roman feasts and entertainments were really well described. I reckon I could order from a menu of the time and quite fancied the gardens and underfloor heating.
I felt educated rather than entertained, but as ever, sympathised with the monsters more than the people, especially the early Christians.
January 15, 2019
Beautifully written - the extensive vocabulary is to die for - interesting historical period, likeable characters ... but basically this book set in the twilight of the western Roman Empire - and the first one I have read from the series, I admit - is like a long well-mannered tea party. Jane Austen with vampires. But NICE vampires. Sexy vampires.
I will reserve judgement until I read another book in the series. But oh the language ! Delicious. Yum.
I will reserve judgement until I read another book in the series. But oh the language ! Delicious. Yum.
May 23, 2008
St. Germain is in 8th century Rome when the Roman Empire was degenerating into moral decay. He is living in his friend and fellow vampire's home while she is away in Upper Italy. He becomes the object of jealousy to one of the decuria who collect taxes and are very corrupt themselves. This person starts an investigation into St. Germain's affairs. He is treating the mother of a young woman who becomes infatuated with him leading the mother to report to the officials that he is a bad influence. The son of this family has become a Christian and has been burning down homes of non-Christians. When he finds his sister and St. Germain together he becomes enraged which leads him to set fire to his own home, killing his mother and seriously wounding St. Germain. He is eventually cleared of all charges by the Curia but is forced to leave Rome for Alexandri where he has businesses. The nice thing about these stories is that the author has researched the era very well and you learn about life in whatever century the story is set.
May 25, 2016
Pros: This is actually a LOT better than the last two or three Germains I have been reading, either that or Saint-Germain is growing on me. The plot is the contention between the Old Guard of Rome and their gods, and the new emergence of Christianity - and its worst fan club of hypocrites therein.
Cons: I feel that this book could have been a bit shorter, although it is a fast read. There are a lot of details about the Roman Games that didn't seem to add to the plot, except to display the wasteful excess and death of the times. Looking forward to the next installment! (NOTED: Yes, I am reading these books in the best chronological order I can, which actually helps me though it's not required).
Cons: I feel that this book could have been a bit shorter, although it is a fast read. There are a lot of details about the Roman Games that didn't seem to add to the plot, except to display the wasteful excess and death of the times. Looking forward to the next installment! (NOTED: Yes, I am reading these books in the best chronological order I can, which actually helps me though it's not required).
January 1, 2016
As Rome is at the end of it's influence... Saint-Germain stays in his female vampire friends' villa in Rome... the politics of a disintegrating government... with the emperor a child who is self indulgent, with local bureaucrats over taxing and taking bribes... and the beginning of Christianity - though the fanatics in this story are glorified thugs...
he is involved with an older woman with poor health and hysteria, and her grown daughter sacrificing to care for her (Saint Germain takes her as one of his special lovers)... and he is involved with a courtesan, once revered in Rome, but the tide has turned... she is beaten by the Christian zealots, healed by Saint-Germain...
he is involved with an older woman with poor health and hysteria, and her grown daughter sacrificing to care for her (Saint Germain takes her as one of his special lovers)... and he is involved with a courtesan, once revered in Rome, but the tide has turned... she is beaten by the Christian zealots, healed by Saint-Germain...
January 28, 2008
Beter dan de gemiddelde recente Yarbro.
Voor één keer is Roger niet de Igor van het verhaal maar een collega in Egypte. Oh, en gemene christenen, boo hiss. Geen idee hoe dat precies zat met Paulianen versus Petrusianen: dringend eens meer over bijlezen.
Oh, maar voor de rest: een halve dag lezen en het is uit. En een mens heeft bijgeleerd over een interessante periode in de geschiedenis--Elagabalus ftw.
Voor één keer is Roger niet de Igor van het verhaal maar een collega in Egypte. Oh, en gemene christenen, boo hiss. Geen idee hoe dat precies zat met Paulianen versus Petrusianen: dringend eens meer over bijlezen.
Oh, maar voor de rest: een halve dag lezen en het is uit. En een mens heeft bijgeleerd over een interessante periode in de geschiedenis--Elagabalus ftw.
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March 30, 2013This was one of the best St Germain books in the series. As I am not a history buff, sometimes the historical and political aspects of these novels are lost on me, but I nevertheless read on because the stories and the characters are so compelling. This novel was no exception and the vampire St Germain showed a side of him rarely seen. He was more human in some respects in this novel than in most of the others.
September 14, 2014
Ancient Rome is possible my favorite setting for the Comte St. Germain. An excellent story, with Yarbro's usual attention to detail and high-quality research.
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August 8, 2008WANTED,Saint Germain #19
May 26, 2016
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September 1, 2013St. Germain (Rome, 218-220) Book 20
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews