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Victorian Age: Vampire
The Wounded King
Published by White Wolf October 2003. $6.99 Cover Price. 288 total pages. Mass market paperback book. Victorian Age Vampire. Book III of III. Written by Philippe Boulle. "Regina Blake is reunited with her mother at last, but it may be too late to save either of them. Amid the glories of Hapsburg Vienna, the two women are subject to the wiles of the Tremere warlocks with only the vampires Victoria Ash and Beckett as dubious allies. A return to London only makes matters worse, as an undead prince dips into madness and threatens to take the Empire with him. Can Regina hope to survive, much less prevail?"
288 pages, Paperback
First published October 6, 2003
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About the author
Philippe Boulle
21 books3 followersLibrarian Note:
Some Spanish language edition has the Author's name mispelled as "Phillipe Boulle"
Some Spanish language edition has the Author's name mispelled as "Phillipe Boulle"
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
August 21, 2017
Regina Blake's (now a newly embraced vampiric childe in the victorian kindred night society) quest to save her undead mother Emma endd with a bloody bang (a deus ex machina one, but a still very good one).
And love between vampires always brings sour fruits. Or worst.
Sadly all the rpg references to Clans and Disciplines (some very hilarious like when Regina tried using Dominate, a power not of her bloodline) make this final book of the trilogy a read just for people who played Vampire the Masquerade/Dark Ages/Victorian Age RPGs, while previous two with Regina Blake still alive and moving gradually into the Kindred society and secrets were best suited to all fans of gothic horror and not-sparkly vampires Ann Rice style.
Luckly I was a Storyteller of the game for lots of years, so I really enjoyed a lot this trilogy.
A very good reading, but not for everyone.
November 7, 2025
THE WOUNDED KING is a story bringing to close the story of Regina Blake, young girl who enters the terrifying world of the Kindred and emerges changed. It also involves a plot to destroy Mithras, the King of the vampires in England, and how it has engulfed everyone else. I didn't need the Jack the Ripper connection but I suppose it was handled better than most. It has a very bittersweet ending and I really enjoyed the results. Victorian Age Vampire is a setting that didn't get much attention but this is probably the best of White Wolf's fiction and stuck to the landing.
August 26, 2016
This is the final book in the Victorian Age: Vampire trilogy. This one is much better than the second book, answering every question started in the first two books. It is much more exciting, and there is much more talk about vampire society and rules to the Masquerade, which is really interesting. The point of view expands to include some other vampiric point of views, as well as adding Regina's father to the mix for awhile. The culmination to the events played out in the first two books is very exciting, with a huge twist I did not see coming. All in all, it was a fairly good trilogy, a great introduction to a fun role playing game, and a fun Gothic story anyone can enjoy.
August 14, 2020
I devoured the last two books of the Victorian Trilogy so quickly that I decided to review them together. What a journey!
After her initiation into the night society of London and saving her mother from Mithras' jaws, Regina and Victoria follow Emma's trail to Paris, and, later, Vienna. Paris is haunted by the spectators of Victoria's past. Among the rash of vampire huntings and court politics, one French Nosferatu has the answers, but they come at a price: get her ghouled lover out of the Santé prison. The prison is the domain of a certain Malkavian Anatole, who preaches a seductive salvation. Nevertheless, Regina busts the ghoul out, and Victoria and Regina head to Vienna, the heart of House Tremere. Victoria does several unforgivable acts. Other, more sinister figures (and one incredibly romantic figure) are after Emma. The Tremere are plotting something daring and stupid. Emma has her own plans, and desires.
As fun as all that sounds, The Madness of Priests and The Wounded King suffer. Boulle has too many plotlines, like too many plates of spaghetti spinning in the air. They give each one equal weight, to the point that the bloated chapters of The Wounded King were basically sectioned off updates of each one. Not all the plots were as interesting or added equal impact to the story. For example, the first 50 pages of The Madness of Priests follows Emma's ex-husband Lord James Blake and Regina's betrothed Malcolm Seward, as the pair murder, torture, and burn their way through London on their partners' trail. The thematic weight here was in the reversal. Traditionally, these white, upper class, and cishet men would be the gallant heroes saving their damsels in distress. Boulle reverses it so they are, in fact, some of the most monstrous characters in the story. Lord Blake and Malcolm work with vampire hunters, and the moment Regina or Emma fell into their clutches, they would die. This message got across in the first 5 pages, and I had to slog through 45 more to arrive at the interesting part of the narrative with Regina in Paris.
Part of it might be the nature of adaptation, or some corporate demand meddled. It reminded me in lore books when they're introducing potential scenarios to Storytellers: a bunch of characters and politics are thrown at the wall like spaghetti noodles, and the Storyteller can choose what sticks. That's fine for a lore book, but doesn't do so well in the constrained, defined world of a novel. The Tremere Bainbridge and Wellig sniping at each other; the Jack the Ripper distraction; Juliet Parr's asylum: these did not earn their page count.
The price of all the extra fat was especially evident in the lost opportunities. The half-baked theme of salvation and redemption from The Madness of Priests came home to roost. I could have read a whole chapter of Emma and Beckett sitting in the dark, discussing it, defining it, debating it. We get a couple paragraphs, the concept remains fuzzy, and Emma's decision in the final chapter feels inorganic and forced. Regina is upset in the way Victoria deals with Lord Blake, but she never acknowledges her father's intended murder and colonialist corruption, even though, by all logic, she should know about it. After following Regina's journey for two novels, Beckett neither has an on page talk with Regina, nor alludes to how Regina was involved in burning down his boyfriend Anatole's haven.
Most galling, the climax and ending itself:
While I was disappointed with the Trilogy, it's still head and shoulders above other White Wolf publications. I did have fun. I know an almost uncomfortable amount about Beckett. I would like many fanfictions please. I choose to believe that Boulle did their best with an overwhelming amount of material and a highly restricted page count. I still think this is a good starter series for beginners. Now onto the Diary.
After her initiation into the night society of London and saving her mother from Mithras' jaws, Regina and Victoria follow Emma's trail to Paris, and, later, Vienna. Paris is haunted by the spectators of Victoria's past. Among the rash of vampire huntings and court politics, one French Nosferatu has the answers, but they come at a price: get her ghouled lover out of the Santé prison. The prison is the domain of a certain Malkavian Anatole, who preaches a seductive salvation. Nevertheless, Regina busts the ghoul out, and Victoria and Regina head to Vienna, the heart of House Tremere. Victoria does several unforgivable acts. Other, more sinister figures (and one incredibly romantic figure) are after Emma. The Tremere are plotting something daring and stupid. Emma has her own plans, and desires.
As fun as all that sounds, The Madness of Priests and The Wounded King suffer. Boulle has too many plotlines, like too many plates of spaghetti spinning in the air. They give each one equal weight, to the point that the bloated chapters of The Wounded King were basically sectioned off updates of each one. Not all the plots were as interesting or added equal impact to the story. For example, the first 50 pages of The Madness of Priests follows Emma's ex-husband Lord James Blake and Regina's betrothed Malcolm Seward, as the pair murder, torture, and burn their way through London on their partners' trail. The thematic weight here was in the reversal. Traditionally, these white, upper class, and cishet men would be the gallant heroes saving their damsels in distress. Boulle reverses it so they are, in fact, some of the most monstrous characters in the story. Lord Blake and Malcolm work with vampire hunters, and the moment Regina or Emma fell into their clutches, they would die. This message got across in the first 5 pages, and I had to slog through 45 more to arrive at the interesting part of the narrative with Regina in Paris.
Part of it might be the nature of adaptation, or some corporate demand meddled. It reminded me in lore books when they're introducing potential scenarios to Storytellers: a bunch of characters and politics are thrown at the wall like spaghetti noodles, and the Storyteller can choose what sticks. That's fine for a lore book, but doesn't do so well in the constrained, defined world of a novel. The Tremere Bainbridge and Wellig sniping at each other; the Jack the Ripper distraction; Juliet Parr's asylum: these did not earn their page count.
The price of all the extra fat was especially evident in the lost opportunities. The half-baked theme of salvation and redemption from The Madness of Priests came home to roost. I could have read a whole chapter of Emma and Beckett sitting in the dark, discussing it, defining it, debating it. We get a couple paragraphs, the concept remains fuzzy, and Emma's decision in the final chapter feels inorganic and forced. Regina is upset in the way Victoria deals with Lord Blake, but she never acknowledges her father's intended murder and colonialist corruption, even though, by all logic, she should know about it. After following Regina's journey for two novels, Beckett neither has an on page talk with Regina, nor alludes to how Regina was involved in burning down his boyfriend Anatole's haven.
Most galling, the climax and ending itself:
While I was disappointed with the Trilogy, it's still head and shoulders above other White Wolf publications. I did have fun. I know an almost uncomfortable amount about Beckett. I would like many fanfictions please. I choose to believe that Boulle did their best with an overwhelming amount of material and a highly restricted page count. I still think this is a good starter series for beginners. Now onto the Diary.
August 30, 2024
Full review here:
https://jamesgenrebooks.blogspot.com/...
(combined review with book 2)
While it was nice to finally finish these after nearly 20 years, I still feel a bit like the main purpose was to hide cameos of the "Signature Characters" from the Dark Ages and Modern Clannovels in another era. On the other hand, with Hesha, we get a better look at the beliefs of the Settites (now The Ministry in 5th Edition) and how it can be reflected in every day things.
https://jamesgenrebooks.blogspot.com/...
(combined review with book 2)
While it was nice to finally finish these after nearly 20 years, I still feel a bit like the main purpose was to hide cameos of the "Signature Characters" from the Dark Ages and Modern Clannovels in another era. On the other hand, with Hesha, we get a better look at the beliefs of the Settites (now The Ministry in 5th Edition) and how it can be reflected in every day things.
January 26, 2016
Die Victorian Age Trilogy ist etwas, woran mal als Freund von Vampiren und als Kenner der World of Darkness, insbesondere der Vampire-Reihe, wenig auszusetzen haben sollte.
Philip Boulle ist mit den Hintergründen und der Materie offensichtlich sehr gut vertraut und versteht es darüber hinaus auch, einen überzeugenden und spannenden Handlungsbogen mit interessanten Charakteren aufzubauen, von denen einige dem Kenner von Vampire: The Masquerade durchaus bekannt und - zumindest in meinem Fall - auch willkommen sind.
Diese Trilogie ist nicht nur eine der besseren, die zu dem Spiel erschienen sind, sondern definitiv eine der besten.
Philip Boulle ist mit den Hintergründen und der Materie offensichtlich sehr gut vertraut und versteht es darüber hinaus auch, einen überzeugenden und spannenden Handlungsbogen mit interessanten Charakteren aufzubauen, von denen einige dem Kenner von Vampire: The Masquerade durchaus bekannt und - zumindest in meinem Fall - auch willkommen sind.
Diese Trilogie ist nicht nur eine der besseren, die zu dem Spiel erschienen sind, sondern definitiv eine der besten.
February 28, 2016
Also very well-written but now the stakes are clearly to learn more about the World of Darkness and the big players in the Jyhad (the great conflict behind Vampire: the Mascarade), and not to give the reader back a sense of the fear and terror of the unknown any more. Too bad.
April 14, 2008
Horror
October 17, 2012
I absolutely liked the ending of this trilogy, very well worked even if a bit light.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews