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Don Sebastian Vampire Chronicles #1
The Black Castle
Les Daniels’ The Black Castle is a tale of a battle between brothers. It takes place in Spain, in 1496, during The Inquisition. Perception is everything. One brother, Sebastian, is seen as evil because he is a vampire, while the other, Diego, is perceived as good because he is a man of God. But the vampire only does what he has to do to in order to survive while the churchman, an Inquisitor, inflicts pain for the power it confers upon him and the pleasure it gives him. Which is the greater evil? And who will win the soul (and body) of Margarita de Mendoza, a beautiful witch. Daniels’ tightly written horror novel was nominated for a World Fantasy Award in 1979. It was the first of five World Fantasy Award nominations he has garnered to date. The Black Castle is the first of five novels about the vampire Don Sebastian de Villanueva. While perhaps moral he is an old school vampire, unlike the romantic kind that dominates so much recent fiction. Necon Ebooks will also be publishing the rest of the series.
232 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1978
12 people are currently reading
738 people want to read
About the author
Les Daniels
50 books25 followersLes Daniels was one of the earliest historians of comic books and an author of horror novels.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
June 24, 2022
-Algo parecido a la novela histórica vampírica, pero solo parecido y en el fondo.-
Género. Narrativa fantástica.
Lo que nos cuenta. El libro Sangre para un vampiro (publicación original: The Black Castle, 1978) nos lleva a la España de los Reyes Católicos y nos presenta al Gran Inquisidor Diego Villanueva, al servicio del Santo Oficio, comprometido con la caza de aquellos que adoran al mal y volcado en el desarrollo de un libro sobre brujería que revelará lo que ninguna otra obra ha logrado. Y es que para ello cuenta con un experto: su hermano Sebastián, supuestamente muerto en combate contra los infieles y, sin embargo, presente en la vida de Diego con muchos conocimientos sobre lo oculto mientras permanece recluido en el castillo familiar. Primer libro de la serie Don Sebastián de Villanueva.
¿Quiere saber más de este libro, sin spoilers? Visite:
http://librosdeolethros.blogspot.com/...
Género. Narrativa fantástica.
Lo que nos cuenta. El libro Sangre para un vampiro (publicación original: The Black Castle, 1978) nos lleva a la España de los Reyes Católicos y nos presenta al Gran Inquisidor Diego Villanueva, al servicio del Santo Oficio, comprometido con la caza de aquellos que adoran al mal y volcado en el desarrollo de un libro sobre brujería que revelará lo que ninguna otra obra ha logrado. Y es que para ello cuenta con un experto: su hermano Sebastián, supuestamente muerto en combate contra los infieles y, sin embargo, presente en la vida de Diego con muchos conocimientos sobre lo oculto mientras permanece recluido en el castillo familiar. Primer libro de la serie Don Sebastián de Villanueva.
¿Quiere saber más de este libro, sin spoilers? Visite:
http://librosdeolethros.blogspot.com/...
October 2, 2017
On the surface this is just a drama between two brothers, one the Grand Inquisitor of the Church-the other a vampire, and the woman they both desire for their individual ends. But it is so much more than just that. The evil of desiring earthly power is fully on display. While neither brother is wholly 'good', one is definitely more hell bound than the other. I really enjoyed this one.
August 10, 2016
THE BLACK CASTLE by Les Daniels is a story about the power-play of two brothers in historic Spain, during The Spanish Inquisition. One is a Grand Inquisitor with ambitions for greater power at the expense of the people, and the other is a vampire who does what he has to in order to survive. Both need each other - and both hate needing each other.
I first purchased this book from Amazon.com because it was listed in one of the vampire reference books I have. I must say, however, that the last sentence of the book's back blurb is misleading. So much, in fact, that I'm not sure why it's even in there. Because of it, my expectations for what to expect weren't 100% met. However, it also doesn't drag out the misleading - so I figured it out early enough that I was able to adjust without feeling cheated.
THIS IS NOT A VAMPIRE ROMANCE.
I think that's a very important clarification when beginning to read this book. It's not even so much about vampirism. It's about the power-play of the two brothers, and how that plays out. And it's fascinating. Neither are good, though one is definitely worse than the other, which makes their struggle all the more intriguing. It was a very nice change for me to read a character who is pragmatic about his vampirism, instead of broody and regretful. He accepts what he is, including the strengths and weakness of his condition.
Although this is set in a historical time, there isn't much descriptive prose about the world. I liked it, because the author gave enough details to ground me, and then moved on. He also threw in enough details for me to feel as if I had a hold on the time-frame, without lecturing about the going-ons in the world. I'm no expert at The Spanish Inquisition, so those additions were nice. However, anyone looking for a more Anne Rice-esque experience will be disappointed.
The story flowed quickly - although nearer to the end I feel the author should have paced the descriptions different. I found myself skipping sentences because I was so eager to find what happened next - not how the forest looked at such a time of day. The ending was immensely satisfying.
What I WISH the author had done differently was to focus more on the characters' actions that were indirectly related to their struggle. I wanted to know how the Grand Inquisitor dealt with political intrigue within his local church, and who else might have ambitions to take his place, and how he would deal with that plus his brother. I wanted to see the vampire's interactions with other referenced events and characters. The author gives hints about it, but I wanted very much to know more.
In summary - the vampire aspect of the book is more Dracula than Edward in how it's treated, which once again I think is important to be prepared for. It is the entire backdrop of the story, but I would argue is only a few times confronted directly. And while I love books that deal with it directly, I also loved the change in pace this brought. It felt more of a...classic than trendy read.
I will be reading more of this series.
I first purchased this book from Amazon.com because it was listed in one of the vampire reference books I have. I must say, however, that the last sentence of the book's back blurb is misleading. So much, in fact, that I'm not sure why it's even in there. Because of it, my expectations for what to expect weren't 100% met. However, it also doesn't drag out the misleading - so I figured it out early enough that I was able to adjust without feeling cheated.
THIS IS NOT A VAMPIRE ROMANCE.
I think that's a very important clarification when beginning to read this book. It's not even so much about vampirism. It's about the power-play of the two brothers, and how that plays out. And it's fascinating. Neither are good, though one is definitely worse than the other, which makes their struggle all the more intriguing. It was a very nice change for me to read a character who is pragmatic about his vampirism, instead of broody and regretful. He accepts what he is, including the strengths and weakness of his condition.
Although this is set in a historical time, there isn't much descriptive prose about the world. I liked it, because the author gave enough details to ground me, and then moved on. He also threw in enough details for me to feel as if I had a hold on the time-frame, without lecturing about the going-ons in the world. I'm no expert at The Spanish Inquisition, so those additions were nice. However, anyone looking for a more Anne Rice-esque experience will be disappointed.
The story flowed quickly - although nearer to the end I feel the author should have paced the descriptions different. I found myself skipping sentences because I was so eager to find what happened next - not how the forest looked at such a time of day. The ending was immensely satisfying.
What I WISH the author had done differently was to focus more on the characters' actions that were indirectly related to their struggle. I wanted to know how the Grand Inquisitor dealt with political intrigue within his local church, and who else might have ambitions to take his place, and how he would deal with that plus his brother. I wanted to see the vampire's interactions with other referenced events and characters. The author gives hints about it, but I wanted very much to know more.
In summary - the vampire aspect of the book is more Dracula than Edward in how it's treated, which once again I think is important to be prepared for. It is the entire backdrop of the story, but I would argue is only a few times confronted directly. And while I love books that deal with it directly, I also loved the change in pace this brought. It felt more of a...classic than trendy read.
I will be reading more of this series.
October 16, 2012
This goes far beyond being just another Vampire story, it is historical fiction with some social commentary and philosophy thrown in for good measure. To say it is written beautifully is not paying it the tribute it deserves. I have a very vivid imagination and I don't need someone to describe to me in fine detail exactly what gory thing happened on every single page. What I do love is character development, a fully realized story line, and prose that surpasses the horror genre and slips neatly into the literary genre. (Yes, it is my opinion that literary is a genre, no matter what you might think.) For these reasons I sat up most of the night reading this book and finished it before ten the following morning. It had everything I love; witches, vampires, history, the horror that is religion, and revenge. Who could ask for more? I could. Give me another Les Daniels book, please.
October 15, 2012
It’s with no little measure of embarrassment that I admit to only having recently read Les Daniels’ vampire classic, The Black Castle. Sadly, I learned of Mr. Daniels’ reputation as a writer and as a reportedly delightful man after his death this year. My first attendance at the Northeastern Writer’s Conference (NECON) was also the first year he did not attend. Following the beautiful eulogy and memorials given by his family, friends, and fans I pledged to read the first of his Don Sebastian novels so that I could have at least a partial experience with what for everyone else was a profound and inspirational relationship with both the man and his work. Fortunately for me Necon E-Books is in the process of republishing Mr. Daniels’ out of print backlist, starting with The Black Castle, and I must say that I cannot wait for them to digitize the rest of his oeuvre.
The Black Castle’s premise is simple, Don Sebastian de Villanueva is a Spanish nobleman, a recent vampire, and the brother of an ambitious Catholic Inquisitor named Diego. Refreshingly unlike other vampires appearing in literature at the same time Mr. Daniels was beginning his Chronicles, Don Sebastian seems perfectly content (if overly concerned about his vulnerabilities) to be a vampire. Diego is less sanguine about his brother’s new unlife, although he’s made a devil’s bargain and enlisted Don Sebastian’s help in crafting a book akin to the Malleus Maleficarum that will either make or break his career within the Spanish Inquisition. Both men’s end game with regard to the creation of the book is as deliberately strategized as the perpetual chess match they play high within Don Sebastian’s black castle.
The novel is wonderfully paced with richly fleshed-out characters, a provocative setting, and sufficient action to satisfy a reader looking for more than a meditation on the ennui of eternal thirst. There are two subplots, one involving a witch to be burned at the stake which adds considerable depth to Diego’s character and serves as a springboard for his ambition. The second, which threatens both Don Sebastian’s ownership of his titular residence, and the secret that will destroy Diego, is slightly less compelling, but adds a ticking clock to the narrative. Throughout the novel the point is made forcefully and convincingly, that vampires are not the worst thing this world has to offer. I only wish I could jump right in to any of the others in the series. Necon E-Books can’t publish Citizen Vampire, The Silver Skull, Yellow Fog, and No Blood Spilled fast enough! The Black Castle gets six burning witches out of six from me.
The Black Castle’s premise is simple, Don Sebastian de Villanueva is a Spanish nobleman, a recent vampire, and the brother of an ambitious Catholic Inquisitor named Diego. Refreshingly unlike other vampires appearing in literature at the same time Mr. Daniels was beginning his Chronicles, Don Sebastian seems perfectly content (if overly concerned about his vulnerabilities) to be a vampire. Diego is less sanguine about his brother’s new unlife, although he’s made a devil’s bargain and enlisted Don Sebastian’s help in crafting a book akin to the Malleus Maleficarum that will either make or break his career within the Spanish Inquisition. Both men’s end game with regard to the creation of the book is as deliberately strategized as the perpetual chess match they play high within Don Sebastian’s black castle.
The novel is wonderfully paced with richly fleshed-out characters, a provocative setting, and sufficient action to satisfy a reader looking for more than a meditation on the ennui of eternal thirst. There are two subplots, one involving a witch to be burned at the stake which adds considerable depth to Diego’s character and serves as a springboard for his ambition. The second, which threatens both Don Sebastian’s ownership of his titular residence, and the secret that will destroy Diego, is slightly less compelling, but adds a ticking clock to the narrative. Throughout the novel the point is made forcefully and convincingly, that vampires are not the worst thing this world has to offer. I only wish I could jump right in to any of the others in the series. Necon E-Books can’t publish Citizen Vampire, The Silver Skull, Yellow Fog, and No Blood Spilled fast enough! The Black Castle gets six burning witches out of six from me.
July 11, 2010
The Black Castle, Citizen Vampire, The Silver Skull, Yellow Fog, No Blood Spilled. These are novels that follow the "life" of vampire Don Sebastian de Villanueva, a cynical, amoral and misanthropic Spanish nobleman whose predatory appetites pale into insignificance compared with the historical catastrophes which he witnesses in his periodic reincarnations.
I loved all these books, as you can tell by my five-star ratings. I wish Mr. Daniels had seen fit to write more on the gentlemen vampire Don Sebastian.
I loved all these books, as you can tell by my five-star ratings. I wish Mr. Daniels had seen fit to write more on the gentlemen vampire Don Sebastian.
Want to read
July 16, 2011Stephen King recommended book. Noted as "important to the genre we have been discussing" from Danse Macabre, published in 1981.
May 28, 2016
Review to follow
June 10, 2018
One of the best vampire novels to come out of the 70's and deserves a special place along side Interview With A Vampire and Salem's Lot. Les Daniels' created the best vampire character since Dracula in Don Sebastian. The Black Castle in the first in Daniels' Don Sebastian Vampire Chronicles. Set during the Spanish Inquisition, it successfully blends the real horrors of the Inquisition with a great, Gothic vampire tale of the supernatural. Don Sebastian is assisting his brother, Diego, who is the Grand Inquisitor, a cruel man who hunts down witches in a small, rural village, tortures women to obtain a confession, and if that shouldn't work, puts on a big show that ends with people burned alive.
Diego knows his brother is a vampire, but he uses him, regardless, to help him write a book about witchcraft that will make him famous. The two brother instill real fear in the villagers as anyone can be labeled a witch. The witches are tortured and maimed and even condemned to death.
The way Daniels writes, the Inquisition becomes real to the reader in the way a dry history book cannot. You see the terrible world of the Inquisition through a variety of characters from innocent girls, to soldiers, to monks, the Grand Inquisitor, a foreigner traveler, and even a vampire.
A great read for lovers of Hammer Horror and good vampire stories that are not of the watered down Twilight novels.
Diego knows his brother is a vampire, but he uses him, regardless, to help him write a book about witchcraft that will make him famous. The two brother instill real fear in the villagers as anyone can be labeled a witch. The witches are tortured and maimed and even condemned to death.
The way Daniels writes, the Inquisition becomes real to the reader in the way a dry history book cannot. You see the terrible world of the Inquisition through a variety of characters from innocent girls, to soldiers, to monks, the Grand Inquisitor, a foreigner traveler, and even a vampire.
A great read for lovers of Hammer Horror and good vampire stories that are not of the watered down Twilight novels.
November 4, 2019
I bought this book at a thrift store and primarily for its cover art. To me, the cover was reminiscent of the Hammer horror movies of the 60's and 70's. I was not disappointed, the text definitely had that feel, cheesy, gory, and an easy read. It was gruesome and had some interesting bits here and there. The ending, however, was a little bit of a letdown though I guess the vampire was not really set up as the main villain of the piece either. The story seems to exist to juxtapose the real historical evils of the Inquisition against that of the supernatural represented by the vampire and the witch's spells which is an okay idea.
I did enjoy reading this book mostly for its horror and morbidity than for anything else although I liked the setting, its characters are kind of flat and prone to sudden histrionics (much like a Hammer film). I would have rather had the character set up as a potential hero to do something more than just waiting around though. He is introduced as a fly in the ointment for the main villain but this amounts to nothing, unfortunately. In that arena, I think the novel missed out on some good action sequences and some highly tense moments.
Would I recommend this book? Yeah, sure, if you can pick it up for a few bucks, go ahead.
July 23, 2021
Surprising Historical Vampire Novel
I was surprised how well this book was. It really stands alone. The auto de fe scene really stands out for its sheer realistic horror. I also enjoyed the authors even handling of the historical characters. The book is the first of a series but stands alone as a very satisfying vampire story.
I was surprised how well this book was. It really stands alone. The auto de fe scene really stands out for its sheer realistic horror. I also enjoyed the authors even handling of the historical characters. The book is the first of a series but stands alone as a very satisfying vampire story.
March 9, 2020
A good beginning to the 3 other books. Very gothic.
September 7, 2022
A fascinating novel about Vampires back in the days of Christopher Colombus!! A must read for those who love the fantasy genre!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews