Better in the Dark: Amazon.ca: Chelsea Quinn Yarbro: Books

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Here at last is a long-hinted-at chapter in the undead existence of the immortal Count Saint-Germain: the story of Ranegonda of Saxony, one of the three great loves of Saint-Germain's life. --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

From Publishers Weekly

Set in 10th-century upper Saxony, Germany, this entertaining but uninvolving addition to the Count Saint-Germain series starts with the vampire Saint-Germain shipwrecked and washed ashore near a Germanic keep. He is found there by Ranegonda, the princess of the local castle, who has been in charge--against prevailing custom--since her brother abandoned his post to join a monastery. Cut off from his friend Roger and other potential helpmeets, Saint-Germain is held at the castle until his ransom can be paid (a standard practice of the time). While there, he comes to love Ranegonda and joins her in battle to protect her holdings from the ever more dangerous displaced hordes who threaten the castle. Smooth and well-crafted, the tale showcases Yarbro's eye for historical detail and for bringing the ways, customs and conflicts of another time to life, but the plot is simplistic and predictable. The story lacks the freshness and spark of earlier volumes in the series.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Text of a dispatch carried by a messenger of the Holy See to the king of Germania, Otto. Read the first page

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Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt | Back Cover

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Customer Reviews

11 Reviews

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4.3 out of 5 stars (11 customer reviews)

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5.0 out of 5 stars Better, Indeed, Jun 26 2004

By	Elizabeth A Triano "lizziewriter" (In Transition, NY (watch this space)) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Better in the Dark: A Novel Of Saint-Germain (Paperback)

I'm fairly new to Saint-Germain, and the book that had gotten the most hoopla was Out of the House of Life (which is good, fills in some background on him), but this is better than that, in my opinion. It opens with mere mortals, then introduces the Count, with such perfect physical descriptions that you are truly transported to the flesh of the woman who meets him. The mysteries and sadness that seem to pervade this series are of course present; there is sadness in the ending that one might have liked to see otherwise, but it was still excellent. Plot and descriptions are both strong throughout, not always a trait of historicals or romance. And as a bonus, the reader learns about ergotism (called "blighted grain," I believe, in the book). Fascinating!

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5.0 out of 5 stars Saint-Germain in the 10th Century, Jul 27 2003

By	Jon Weber (IL, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Better in the Dark: A Novel Of Saint-Germain (Paperback)

This is one of the finer novels of Saint-Germain that I've read to date. The immortal Count Saint-Germain washes ashore at the Saxon fortress of Leosan after a shipwreck in 937 A.D. He is rescued and nurtured back to health by Ranegonda, the Gerefa of the fort. Having a women run a fortress was unheard of at the time, however her brother, the original Gerefa, has joined the monks to follow the order of the White Christ and left Ranegonda in charge.

While the overall theme of the book is consistent with other Saint-Germain novels, in this story he does not have his own elaborate household with servants, his athanors, and his wealth. What he does have is a growing romance with Ranegonda as the months go by. From what I have read, she is one of the three great loves of his life. The fortress and surrounding village is at the outskirts of the Saxon empire, ruled by King Otto. They are few in number and struggle simply to survive from starvation, the plague, and the constant threat of outlaws living in the forests and the Danes. The people now also follow the teaching of the White Christ, as opposed to the 'old gods'.

For Saint-Germain fans, this is a must read book. It is very well written, moves quickly, and has one of the more satisfying endings than some of the others I've read.

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5.0 out of 5 stars Eighth in the Saint-Germain series., April 27 2003

By	James Yanni (Bellefontaine Neighbors, Mo. USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Better in the Dark: A Novel Of Saint-Germain (Paperback)

Or ninth, if you include "Out Of The House Of Life", which is primarily a spinoff novel about Madeline de Montalia, a former lover and vampiric "childe" of Saint-Germain, but does include some flashback scenes to Saint-Germain's early life in ancient Egypt.

Or twelfth, if you include "A Flame in Byzantium", "Crusader's Torch", and "A Candle for d'Artagnan", the spinoff series about Atta Olivia Clemens, an earlier lover and vampiric "childe".

The Saint-Germain series is a series centering on the life of Francois, le Compte de Saint-Germain (at least, that's the name he goes by in France; his name always approximates that in a form not incomprehensible to those speaking the language of the land he resides in at the time), a vampire born something on the order of 2000 years BCE. Each book in the series is a historical novel set in a different time period; this one is set in Saxony (part of what is now Germany) in the mid-900s. Saint-Germain is a rather untraditional vampire, in that he is an unequivocal hero and all-around nice guy; he does not kill when drinking blood, but rather gets the most sustenance from the blood of someone who loves him, knowing what he is and accepting it. As such, most of the books in the series are historical romances of one sort or another; this one is no exception.

If you enjoy your vampire fiction fast-paced, brutal, and horrific, this book (and this entire series) are definitely not for you. If, on the other hand, you enjoy a powerful novel with fascinating characters and excellently researched historical settings, don't object to a good romance with a few tasteful but very powerful sexual scenes, and can tolerate the concept of a heroic vampire as a main character, you'll love most of the books in this series, and this is one of the best of the lot.

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Most recent customer reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Grabs you by the throat before you know what's happened
Don't let the title, or the awful cover (Who *are* these people? They certainly aren't the characters in the book! Read more

Published on Jul 30 2001 by R. Snare

5.0 out of 5 stars Favorite Firsts
I had the pleasure of being introduced to le Comte de Saint Germain and Chelsea Quinn Yarbro when I was a sophomore in high school. Read more

Published on Nov 29 2000 by quijenjinn

5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent demonstration of religion forced
Though I was originally drawn to Yarbro's books by my love of vampire lore, I was swept away by her history instead. Read more

Published on May 28 2000 by Tibor Kun

5.0 out of 5 stars Every novel of Saint-Germain is a treat-this is better
I began reading the Saint-Germain novels in the 1970's. Better in the Dark is one of my favorites. Not a typical vampire novel, not a typical horror novel, Yarbro's treatment of... Read more

Published on Jul 7 1999