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5.0 out of 5 stars
Clan Novel: Lasombra, Aug 2 2000
I must confess; I don't like the Sabbat. I know that there are folks who are partisans for this sect; I know that there are people who love the Sabbat for its anarchy, its bloodthirsty brand of egalitarianism, it's in-your-face carnage and destruction. I'm just not one of them. So it was with a bit of dread that I picked up a copy of Clan Novel: Lasombra. But the most amazing thing happened - because while reading this novel, I found myself warming up to the Sabbat. Because you have to say one thing about the Sabbat, for all their monstrosity and inhuman ferocity, at least they have the Lasombra. The Lasombra have style, poise, and an almost preternatural arrogance about them. The Lasombra are, in one word, cool. Clan Novel: Lasombra's main protagonist is all about cool. Lucita is her name, the only progeny of an ancient and powerful Lasombra, and she inspires fear in both the Camarilla and the Sabbat alike. For if the vampire Kindred see themselves as predators amongst mortal humans, then Lucita is a killer of killers, an undead assassin possibly without parallel. And Lucita has just accepted a new commission - to kill an Archbishop of the Sabbat. Archbishops are no slouches either; somewhere between a political title and a military rank, Archbishops are powers in their own right, possessing centuries of experience and a masterly command of their vampiric abilities. And Lucita has her work cut out for her; her target is one of three Archbishops leading a campaign on the eastern coast of the American continent against the Camarilla. Which of the three is Lucita's target is part of the fun of the book, the target deliberately left in the shadows, so to speak, for the reader (and the characters in the novel) to discover. As part of a 13 book cycle, the war on the American east coast is one of overarching plots across the entire series. Some readers may find it difficult to understand, and some plot points may seem particularly cryptic, especially when they refer to events that take place in other Clan Novels, but don't be discouraged. The novel has its own central storyline that stands by itself and surprisingly, makes the Sabbat palatable, even enjoyable. For one thing, there is the guilty pleasure of watching Lucita at work, stalking her prey and almost artfully weaving her way through the eastern seaboard with insouciant grace. Through her eyes, we can understand what motivates her behavior and even come to cheer her sheer audacity (Lucita can be forgiven for her innate self-confidence because it's not arrogance if she really is that good). Another even more remarkable thing is that it gives us a view into the Sabbat (who by all rights should degenerate into a mob slavering over each other) and how they can and do function as a political entity in their own right (although the Sabbat give the phrase, "taking a head count" a whole new meaning). And finally, there are the side characters who are, although they are not the main focus, almost steal the novel whenever they grace the page. Some of the more fascinating include the grim and supremely professional hunter-turned-bodyguard Sir Talley, the brusque but oddly compelling Archbishop Polonia of New York, the deliciously devilish Archbishop Vykos of Washington, D.C. and the conniving plotter in the shadows, Cardinal Moncada, whose presence seems to lurk in the background of all the Sabbat's actions. Add to the mix, furious action sequences, engaging political machinations and one or two little twists and you have yourself a jam-packed novel that's just plain fun to read.
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