Customer Reviews

Clan Novel: Giovanni

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

 

 

While the Clan Novel series was a very enjoyable read (especially for those familiar with the World of Darkness from White Wolf), this chapter of the series was fairly disappointing. Concentrating on shock, the novel failed to engage me, and while giving me more pieces of the puzzle, was the series' low-point. I'm fairly certain you could skip this book and still put the pieces together in Clan Novel: Nosferatu, and I'd recommend saving your money.

After slogging my way through this increasingly disappointing series of books, I had some hope for Clan Novel: Giovanni. There were many directions the book could have gone, and it seemed that Justin Achilli SAW those opportunities, but never took them.

A clan with such a rich and unsual history as the Giovanni offer an amazing opportunity for any Author, even beyond the obvious puerile topics of Necrophillia and Incest (which seems to be the primary focus of Giovanni authors, aimed to shock and titilate.)

Unfortunately Achilli never uses any of the opportunities afforded him.

In this book readers learn more about the Vampire Clan Giovanni, which by the way are an incestous family of Vampires, that have power over dead as long as they are not Vampires. However, because the Giovanni are an independent Clan they that they are neutral in the on going war between the Camarilla and the Sabbot. But as this book processes it becomes quiet clear that in fact they do sides, well that is any side that helps to push their agenda. In fact we learn that they have plans of their owns so it benifits them to help fan the flames of the war between the other clans in order to accomplish their goals. Anyway, this book is mostly about a Giovanni that was kidnapped in an earlier book of the series and the search for him. Also as we learn more of why he was taken, how this contibutes to the main plot of the Series. And of course we do see, some of our old friends from earlier books. The plot of the seires is picking up and many peices start to fall into place. Yet, still the overall mystery of what we discover in Nosfuratu is still pending.

better then average , more action then the prior novels, best read as part of the entire 13 novel set

Easily the worst in the series so far, and for the most part I haven't been all that impressed with the series. I understand that vampires are not generally boy scouts, and the Giovanni, being, as they are, involved in organized crime, are perhaps worse than most. But even so, for a novel to retain the reader's interest, it has to have SOME character that resonated with the reader at least a LITTLE bit, a character that, if the reader doesn't actually approve of them or respect them, they at least care about them ever so slightly. This book fails miserably in that regard; there are NO characters who the reader can really find the least bit interesting. Which is in a way a good thing, given that almost all of the characters die during the course of the book. What's more, the plot to this book seemed to have only a minimal connection to the plot of the series as a whole; I don't feel as if it advanced that plot an iota.

All in all, an almost total waste of time.

Most of the books in this series have been about the overarching plotline, and just happened to have a main character or three of the Clan in question. But in CN: Giovanni, we find ourselves immersed in the workings of the Clan, from the ghouls and grunts in Vegas to the manipulators and movers in Europe.

As said elsewhere, it points the focus away from the ongoing plot in order to show these workings, but it gives this book more merit as something that could stand on its own apart from the series. In fact, this is definetly the novel that could ~best~ stand apart from the series.

CN: Setite was my personal favourite, but this one gave it a run for its money. As with much White Wolf fiction, writing quality falters here and there, but overall it produces a worthwhile read, and the first of the series that I finished in one sitting.

This book has an odd structure- a mini-trilogy of consecutive plots: the search for Benito Giovanni, negotiations with the Camarilla and Sabbat about control of Boston, and, finally, the rattling of some skeletons in clan Giovanni's closet. I can't say much was accomplished. Even the resolution of the "Benito thing" raised more questions than it answered. The book continued subplots from much earlier books and I had trouble remembering what they were about.

But guess what? I didn't care about any of this because the book was so well written it ceased to matter. Achilli seems to be especially good at writing chilling little vignettes. His Sabbat, for example, are scarier in one paragraph than they were in the two whole books in the CLAN NOVEL series dedicated to them- and one of those (TZIMISCE) is one of the strongest installments in the series.

The book presents the diversity of the Giovanni clan well- especially the differences between the Old World Giovanni with their necromancy and the New World Giovanni with their more mundane mob involvement. It takes a break from the following the larger developments in the series to focus on the story of two Giovanni- the New World mobster Chas and the Old World negotiator Isabel. I've read the previous books in the series but I think I would have been able to enjoy this even if I hadn't.

The first part of the book focused on the brutal, crude and very foul-mouthed New World Giovanni. (Without the profanity it seemed like the book would have been around 100 pages shorter- but there's a reason for it.) Mafia novels don't do much for me and this gave the book a slow start. Still it managed to combine a mob story with a vampire story without seeming silly. Later, there is a look at the venerable necromancer Ambrogino at his work and some creepy glimpses at the ancient past of the Cappadocians. There's some great jungle-rotting decadence set in New Orleans as well. One of the things that the book handles best is the toll which the Giovanni flaw (they cause pain when they feed) takes on members of this clan over time as they strive to maintain their humanity. It's not quite as blatantly bleak a portrayal of vampiric existance as CLAN NOVEL: GANGREL but it's pretty disturbing perhaps because it's so subtle- at least at first.

I will have to say that the book is different. Unbelievable amount of cussing in it and vulgar descriptions which is not a surprise. Justin went out of his way on this one. Storywise, it definately beats the malkavian and toreador novel. Backgroundwise, nice references to the maelstorms and a hint of what is up with cappidocian (don't want to spoil it but read carefully the scenes of Isabella and her grandmother). Plotwise, barely tied to the main plot. Only thing I didn't like was the lack of necromancy. Giovanni were slick mafia people but the majority hardly acted like necromancers. That's very sad and I predict is not gonna be repeated in the Tremere Novel, at least I hope not, I don't want to see Tremeres that barely use Thaumaturgy. One last word, no kid should read this book, well all world of darkness is not for kids but this one is out of question, yes it's that level. Just my opinion.

Clan Giovanni are neutrals in the conflict between Camarilla and Sabbat. In vampire terms that means they are out for themselves and devil take the hindmost. At their best they are the business people of the darkness, at there worst (which is often) they are simple gangsters only slightly smoother than the Brujah. Don't expect a Giovanni to be polite unless they have to be.

Chaz Giovanni Tello, is more goon than smart guy, Even so, he is likable - if you are drawn to people with excess potty-mouth and a huge sadistic streak. Still, his character is alive, and he has a certain flair. Assigned to find the missing Benito Giovanni, Chaz descends on Las Vegas and proceeds to wreak havoc, even if he comes up short on results. His path crosses that of Isabel Giovanni who is in the midst of negotiations with the clans of the Camerilla and Sabbat.

Complications develop immediately as Isabel realizes that wherever Benito has vanished to, there is bad news for her clan. Something dark is hunting them, something even darker that the Giovanni themselves.

While this novel is typical of the series in that it rarely offers an explanation and confuses more than it clears. It is my favorite of the series. Achilli shows a genuine flair for deadpan comedy, especially when he takes Chaz through his paces. Characters seem to pop off the page, and go into action. Undead proof that it is possible to write a Masquerade novel that doesn't have the pace of a textbook. I only wish Achilli has made a stronger effort to make this a completely standalone story. This is a fine example of why the Masquerade has so many fans.

I loved this book, my favorite so far of the series. The main character, Chas, is a mean SOB but the book allows you to feel for him by making explicit his inner struggles with the beast. Tzimishe are evil but the book didn't let us care about them. Chas on the other hand is a tragic character who describes to a few other characters what it's like to lose control. Gangrel also dealt with the beast, but in a much more shallow way. The gangster hi-jinks were hilarious. Highly recommended.

Note: Don't read this novel if you don't know a lot about the game Vampire: the Masquerade. You'll probably have no earthly idea of what's going on.