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Review
“Meticulous attention to historic detail and vivid writing bring an ancient era to life. Unlike most generic vampire novels that can be quaffed in a quick if entertaining gulp, this book should be savored like fine wine.”--Publishers Weekly, starred review on Roman Dusk
“Quinn Yarbro is one of our finest writers and craftpersons, incapable of a slack paragraph, or a fuzzy thought. Everything is perfectly focused, everything is expertly accomplished. The Count remains a vibrantly original character, one of the greatest contributions to the horror genre."--Peter Straub
“A heady, intoxicating blend of historical fiction and subtle horror. The love scenes display the same lush sensuality for which Anne Rice’s vampire fiction is known.”--VOYA on Communion Blood
Product Description
More than two decades strong, the Saint-Germain cycle is one of the most compelling works of dark fantasy and horror of our age. Historically accurate, often involving key events or figures from throughout world history, these deeply emotional novels have a devoted readership. Each novel is written as a stand-alone and they are not chronologically consecutive, so readers may enter the saga with any book and move backward or forward in time as they choose, from Pharaonic Egypt to Paris in the 1700s, from the fall of the Roman Empire to World War II Europe.
In An Embarrassment of Riches, the vampire Count finds himself a virtual prisoner in the Court of Kunigunde in Bohemia in the 1200s. Rakoczy Ferncsi, as Saint-Germain is known, passes his days making jewels to delight Queen Kunigunde and trying not to become involved in the Court's intrigues. In this, the vampire fails. Handsome, apparently wealthy, and obviously unmarried, he soon finds himself being sexually blackmailed by Rozsa, an ambitious lady-in-waiting. If he does not satisfy her, she will denounce him to the priests and he'll be burned at the stake, resulting in his True Death. Despite his care, the vampire makes more than one enemy at the Bohemian Court, and by the end of An Embarrassment of Riches, the Count can see only one road to freedom...through death.
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This 24th episode in the life of Saint-Germain, Rakoczy Ferancsi, Comes Santu-Germaniu in this book, takes place around 1270 at the court of Queen Kunegonda of Bohemia. At that time, Bohemia was a very rich country. And the count is moving through Kunegonda's court with his usual grace and elegance, and so wealthy that his wealth is an embarrassment to the riches of the court.
But for the Comes, the Bohemian court is not a pleasant place to be. He is very restricted is his movements, being held as a kind of hostage to the welfare of his fief, his estate in his dear Carpathian Mountains! The Comes is trapped between two kings, between the scrutiny of the Church and the Council, between the attention of the women in the court. They want his wealth, his land, his title, the pleasure he can provide them, but they do not want him, for himself. That is for the Comes a very unsatisfying way of making love.
At the end there is no way out for him, only through death, and although I read it in the book description, it comes as a surprise!
There are many strange words and names in this book, but when you get accustomed , they do add to the authenticity of the historical setting of medieval Prague. And the rats are everywhere...
As always this is not really a vampire novel, but a real Saint-Germain novel, in my opinion a very satisfying one. There is a constant feeling of suspicion, betrayal and danger.
I liked this book, but I always like to read about Saint-Germain. The historical setting is great, the characters are very real, and I find Rosza one of the most unpleasant female characters of all the books!
However his efforts prove futile as the ladies at court assume he is rich and single, and can see handsome. Three females vie for his attention: sneaky Rozsa, Imbolya the teenager and resolute Iliska. He eludes the trio though not easily especially Rozsa as she threatens to expose Saint Germain to the local Church, who already is suspicious of the stranger, if he fails to do her bidding.
As with all the recent Saint Germain tales (see Blood Games) the story line is much more a historical thriller than a horror novel. Still readers will enjoy the hero's time in medieval Bohemia as he tries to avoid any entanglements but starting with the avaricious women, he cannot keep out of their affairs, that of the court especially the queen, and the church. Readers will enjoy An Embarrassment of Riches as once again the Count's efforts to fit quietly in a new location and time make for a fresh thriller even with over three decades of starring roles under his cape.
Harriet Klausner
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