Customer Reviews

Breathe Deeply (World of Darkness)

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

 

 

For myself, this book was a little odd, but loved non-the-less. First, the character development was great. It hit topic of Garou society that aren't spoken of much. Although it's a strange and a little unsettling at times, there are issues of homosexuality in this book. It actually was interesting to see these events take place, due to the fact they are not normally addressed in World of Darkness novels normally. Personally, I much rather enjoyed another Rage novel called 'The Silver Crown' by John Birdges, this one still holds it's own on my shelf.

I especially loved that the main character was from Toronto. After years of reading novels set in other places, this one took me right along from page one because I knew all the places he was referring to.

For a book that was probably just intended to be a filler product, Bassigthwaite produced a book that stands up very well. I had yet to really delve into werewolf fiction, but this is still my favourite. Great characters, great twists, great atmosphere. I poured through this one in a day because I couldn't put it down.

I liked the book so much, my band and I wrote a song (same title) about it. We tweaked the lyrics so it could also be about street gangs, drugs, unsafe sex, etc, but the plot of the book is still in there..............

This book was a pleasant surprise. I must admit that before reading it, I knew nothing at all about the WoD, Rage, or even White Wolf Studios. I picked it up at a used book sale because it looked slightly interesting, but because it is based on a card game I didn't expect it to be any better than a second-rate novel. Boy, was I wrong. The plot was interesting, the characters were fascinating (and kudos on the sensitive handling of the gay issue), and Bassingthwaite's anthropological training shone through admirably in his great depictions of the Garou tribal system. The only problem for me was the large number of obvious typos within the text, but that is most likely the editor's fault, not the author's.

I special ordered this book, because I saw all the good reviews on it. I have to admit that it's a lot better than the other werewolf book I read. There was quite a bit of surprises in the story that I didn't expect. A lot of good character development, especially with the main character and his "pack". I recommend it, but definitely not a 5.

Breathe Deeply's about Peter, a Glass Walker, who has to go to the Amazonian rainforest to find a single specimen of a rare flower. This flower is the only hope to cure the Snow Plague of wich Peter is the carrier... In order to make sure he doesn't infect anyone he has to spray himself regularly with Fever. The Amazonian Garou, who normaly don't use any kind of deodrant at all, find this behavior very strange and grow more suspicious of him and his cologne in almost every page of the book. I personaly liked the parts written in the rainforest best, but if you're reading this awesome book for the first time; Be sure to read the parts written in Toronto aswell, because they are also important. I prefer skipping those when I read the book again, however...

I STRONGLY advise you to read this book! After reading this book you'll never find another kind of fiction-novel half as exciting...

This is by far the best "World of Darkness" book I have read. The characters are interesting and complete. The story line is unique and refreshing. There's plenty of action, but there is also just the right amount of surprises and intrigue to demand you turn the pages and see what happens next. This is one of my all-time favorite books. I hope to see many more titles from Don Bassingthwaite.

This is a fun read. Even folks with little knowledge of "Werewolf: The Apocalypse" (like me) will enjoy it. The good guys are good, the bad guys are bad, the premise is original (for White Wolf at least), the length is just right and I love the way the characters interact with each other. It bears mentioning that the author is gay, and he includes a little spiel about homosexuality/ homophobia, but it does not hijack the story, which in any case is something a Hollywood screenwriter would come up with while on the john. Bassingthwaite does have the annoying tendency to refer to his characters by their tribal affiliations (the Fianna, the Glass Walker), but that's a small nitpick. If you're a fan of W:TA or werewolves in general this book is worth going out of your way to read.

I've been a fan of Werewolf: The Apocolypse and White Wolf Studios for a long time and they've turned out some pure gold in the past and I had little reason to expect anything less from this book, despite it being one of the first novels they produced. Being based on the iffy card game, RAGE, I was skeptical as to whether or not it'd be any good. I've read other books based on video/card games and been dissappointed (Magic: the Gathering - "Arena" and Resident Evil: "Zero Hour" being prime examples) but this one had me hooked by the end of the first chapter. I'm not a speed reader and I don't think I read fast at all but I sat down and read this book cover to cover in 4 hours!

Don Bassingthwaite made every little bit of the World of Darkness' forbidding and oppressive atmosphere seem startlingly real without really going into too much detail or making the book seem like a work of pure fantasy. His handling of several sensitive social issues including the acceptance of gays into a community that frowns upon homosexuality was done with taste and maturity and left me wondering how much of this book was based on personal experience. Some things he describes in this book could only be imagined by someone of great vision and imagination or by someone who's lived it.

Betrayl by a lover, fitting in to a society that's not your own, being exiled and cast out by those you've come to call your closest allies. Reading about it, you begin to feel so greatly for, so deeply connected to the characters that you almost feel as if it's YOU --the reader-- who's experiencing these things. Throw in the fact that even a hardcore Werewolf fan like me could be amazed by the author's portrayal of things I had begun to take for mundane from the other books --Bassingthwaite's ability to make it seem truly extraordinary is enviable to even the most seasoned White Wolf Storyteller-- and this book is well worth the money I paid for it and then some.

This is one of my favorite books, I have read it many times, but continue to reread it. It manages to show some behind the scenes of some people who work for or have been tricked by the Wyrm and really is able to open up whole new branches of thought (as far as I'm concerned anyway) in WOD play. If anyone reads this with an open mind and does not like this I will be shocked!

The characters were more in depth and personal. There were many references to the other stories in the series. The action in this book was very vivid and entertaining. Stunning. My congratulations to Don B.