Customer Reviews

Out of the House of Life: A Novel of the Count Saint-Germain

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Or seventh, if you discount the three books that focused on Olivia. Or first (and as of this writing, only) in the Madeline series. Depends on how you look at it.

About a fifth of this book, I would estimate, is about Saint Germain himself, in the days of ancient Egypt, and some of his most formative moments. The rest of it centers on Madeline de Montalia, his former lover and vampiric "daughter", in the early ninteenth century, on an archeological dig in Egypt. The plot and characterization are excellent as usual for Ms. Yarbro; the pattern begun in the previous book (A Candle For d' Artgnan) of the editing being somewhat sloppier than in previous books is continued here; these were the first two books of the series to come out in "quality" or trade paperback editions, rather than mass-market, and frankly the editing in the previous books was better. Apparently, someone considers "quality" to be defined by the size of the book and the type of binding, rather than by efficient editing. There are about a dozen places in the book where there is a wrong word used, or a word missing, or an extra word inserted, or similar sloppinesses. Still, the book is well worth the read, and comes highly recommended.

Chelsea Quinn Yarbro has created three of my all-time favorite vampires: Count Saint-Germain, Atta Olivia Clemens, and Madelaine de Montalia. Can't wait until she writes another book!

Out of the House of Life is the first book in Yarbro's Madelaine series. The book is unique in that it has two storylines. In the first storyline it is the 1820s, and Madelaine de Montalia is in Egypt on an archaelogical dig. This is highly unusual for a seemingly young person, not to mention a woman. What the other expedition workers do not know is that Madelaine is not as young as she looks: she is a vampire who rose from her grave in 1744 after meeting and falling in love with the mysterious Count Saint-Germain.

While Madelaine is immersed with the history of Egypt, she is receiving letters from Count Saint-Germain. In this separate storyline, Saint-Germain is recounting his life in the temples of ancient Egypt, from when he was first brought to the House of Life as demon, till he transformed himself until the noble "man" known to many fans of Yarbro's Saint-Germain series.

Fans of Yarbro's Saint-Germain and Olivia books, and good historical fiction in general will love Out of the House of Life.

As of May 2000, Yarbro has written 12 Saint-Germain novels and 3 Olivia novels.

I have read all the St. Germaine ( and Olivia) novels (well, not the brand new _Communion Blood_)and the collection of short stories too. This is my favorite for St. Germaine's recollections in the form of long letters to Madeline about when he first lived in Egypt. It is in this book that we find out details about what made him become a *good* vampire who values life.

This is contrasted with Madeline's struggle to be accepted as an Egyptologist.

I recommend it very highly. (And unlike some series of books there is no correct order to read these books in. Just read them as they come to you, but read them if you are interested in historical fiction with a _very_ long view. These books are much more about that than traditional horror novels.)Julia Walter

This book takes us back and forth, by means of St. Germain's letters to Madeline de Montalia, between his life in ancient Egypt and Madeline's archeological digs in the 19th century. I found St. Germain's recollections fascinating as he sometimes painfully recounts his transformation from a imprisoned "demon" in Babylon to the high priest in "The House of Life" (an ancient "hospital" for the dying.) St. Germain vividly recalls memorable patients and how his interactions with them slowly changed him from an uncaring bitter slave to a compassionate healer/priest with a strong sense of responsibility for the weaker humans around him. Madeline's story is more conventional as she tries to gain more understanding of her great love St. Germain through his letters and participating in an archeological dig at the ancient House of Life. Madeline is handicapped by her very youthful appearance and the fact that she is pursuing a man's career in a male-dominated culture. She finds love and great danger in Egypt. This book is a must to understand St. Germain's character and background.

This book provides glimpses into Ancient Egypt from several perspectives. The main story of the book concerns the intrigues surrounding a 19th century archaeological expedition including Madelaine de Montalia, St. Germaine's great love, as contrasted with St. Germaine's own 3000-year-old recollections of life in ancient Egypt when he lived "Out of the House of Life". As with many of Ms. Yarbro's novels, information, love, and horror are mixed in a heady combination that makes for delightful reading. One of the major joys of her vampires is that they are not "demons" or inherently evil--often the worst evils are perpetrated by the short-lived humans with whom they must interact. If you are interested in a great vampire novel or in Ancient Egypt, this novel is a must-read.