Customer Reviews

Assamite: Clan Novel (Vampire: The Masquerade)

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

First I'd like to point out to those who haven't started the series, don't let the slow start of Toreador put you down the stories are really good. This novel of the clan Assimite does a very unique job of actually capturing the mind set of the clan. It does a great job showing the elders as true followers of their religion and path. What is even more awesome is the way the background is portrayed for the story. Some mysteries are solved yet even more are evolved. Are the Assimites a tool or are they the users? A very capturing book by Fleming, then again anything less should not be expected from such a good author.

It's a cool novel! Exciting, thrilling, amazing! You accompany Fatima al-Faqadi to Alamut, where you get an insight in the structure and inner politics of the Eagle's Nest. You visit a Sabbat invasion in the USA and a showdown with the Lasombra Archbishop of Lisbon. You learn details about some of Fatima's Rafiq colleagues as well as about Clan Elders like Jamal, Ur-Shulgi, Thetmes and Al-Ashrad. Maybe the best VtM book I have read.

Still, I'm not overly impressed. I did like the character of Fatima; I think she may be the most sympathetic character we've seen so far. It was a nice change for there to actually be a main character that it was possible to root for.

Assamites are one of the most intriguing vampire clans. Warriors, scholars, and sorcerers, they are assassins most often used to take down other vampires. They are in a private war with the Tremere, who are vampires made by means of blood magic whom the Assamites see as an abomination. White Wolf has carefully modeled them after the legendary Muslim cult, and the spiritual and religious context of the Assamites is strongly Arabic in tone. Which adds to their mystery.

This volume expands on the Assamite role in the struggles for supremacy in the US. This is a game of elders, we discover, and intrigue is their favorite weapon. Assamites are often the means, set on both sides to carry out tasks that only seem to be chaotic. Fatima al-Faqadi, of ancient blood, is one of the Assamite's deadliest. She is called on to bring death to Cardinal Moncada and his childe Lucita to answer the coming judgment of her clan. Other Assamites dot this story as well - Parmenides (the servant of Vykos, Anwar, Walter James. Assamites have a streak of independence, which has created a large number of antitribu - rebels who fight where they will.

The story spins about Fatima and Lucita shedding bits of light on some of the unexplained mysteries of the paste six volumes, and spreading confusion elsewhere. The two are perfectly matched in deadliness, beauty, and determination. Their paths only cross a few times in the book, but the impact of their meetings will determine the future of the overall story arc.

Fleming again lays his carefully crafted characters out beautifully against the light and shadow of the Masquerade. He has never been one to romanticism vampire life and will often disillusion those who were hoping for vampire romances. Love tends to turn out badly in the world of darkness, eternal life comes at the price of an utter loss of humanity, and altruism is a lost motivation. But like moths, us readers return to it time after time.

I just wanna say that this book IS THE BEST OF ALL THE CLAN NOVELS I'VE READ SO FAR... SIMPLY AMAZING, bye

Though I do not particularly care for the Assamite clan, this novel is the best I have read so far from the entire clan novel collection.

The good people at White Wolf seem to have developed a sort of fascination with the Assamites (go and look at the number of entries Assamite characters get in CHILDREN OF THE NIGHT if you don't believe me). Unfortunately, I'm one of those who has never found the Assamites all that appealing. If that isn't your problem, tho, there's a lot in this book to like. It takes you inside the Assamite headquarters of Alamut, for example, and gives you a good sense of the secret workings of the clan and their internal politics.

This book is more scattered in its focus than Fleming's CLAN NOVEL: GANGREL but less so than his CLAN NOVEL: VENTRUE. There is a strong central character- the Assamite elder, Fatimah. She shares the stage with other Assamite characters but, more importantly, with the Lasombra Lucita and Lucita's sire Cardinal Moncada. My problem is that I couldn't really find anyone to like in this story. Fatimah seemed stiff and humorless. I generally like the Lasombra (which makes this book especially hard to enjoy for a number of reasons) but I've never gotten Lucita's appeal and she seems to have even fewer redeeming qualities here than usual. Moncada did have the virtue of being truly creepy but loving to hate someone can only do so much.

In short, this really wasn't the book for me and I was relieved to get to CLAN NOVEL: RAVNOS after this. Still, if you click with these characters better than I did, then, yes, I would say that this book does tell a story that stands alone- although not as much as GANGREL does- and can be read apart from the rest of the series.

But don't do that. First of all because Assamites are creatures of intrigue and unless you know what's been brewing some of the stuff that happens here- especially with the Assamite Parmenides- won't begin to make sense. Second, the really fun and bestest thing here is the delightful way this book fills in pieces of the puzzle created by the earlier books in the Clan Novel series- retelling incidents from other characters' points of view, for example, so that you finally have some idea of what was happening and why.

more then a worthy follow up to the lasombra novel.
surprisingly well tied in with the other novels.
I even caught a nod to the gangrel novel.
a very satisfying read indeed.

If so, read these books. I know that White Wolf quit making the game, but the books are still cool.

This is a fantastic book and a true credit to the entire clan novels. The entire series gives a great different viewpoint of vampires and this book does a great job of getting into the mind of one of those vampires. The only book at this time better in the series if number 4 Seitte. It also has a fantastic ability to put the reader into the story as a participate and not just as a reader. Both are a must read.