2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
The Beast Is Never Far Away, July 7, 2005
This review is from: Dark Ages Gangrel (DACN 10) (Dark Ages Vampire) (Paperback)
This is an interesting change of pace. In order to tell the Gangrel story in a setting more congenial to that vampire clan, Tim Waggoner turns from telling the extended tale of the 'Christian' vampires that control most of Western Europe. He switched sides to Jurgen's opponents, the tribes of Livonia. There, in pagan Europe, vampires are less creatures to be feared by mortals and more seen as spiritual powers to be cultivated as near gods themselves.
This is a rough world full of Tartars and Mongols - nomads and hunter-gatherers. It is a world made for the Gangrel. Nature is untamed, and the beast that lies in every vampire's breast lies much closer to the skin. Here are Qarakh, khan of his loose tribe, and Deverra, a Tremere who has turned on her own clans ways and serves as a priestess for a small Livonian village. Each has secrets, but they are bound together and now wait to see what Alexander, the ex-prince of Paris intends to do with the small army he has led into the East.
Alexander, who has made few friends in his past, has received a quest to Christianize Qarakh's countryside. Only a short while ago these primitive tribesmen defeated prince Jurgen's knights, and Alexander has even more reason to seek victory. For him success means an opportunity to retake his position as Prince of Paris. But Alexander is his own worst enemy. His proclivity for dishonesty and betrayal turns of the support of those he must depend on, and a direct confrontation with Qarakh seems unavoidable.
If you a bit tired of the courtly dialogue of the past few volumes, Gangrel should come as a breath of fresh air. These vampires are more likely to fight than orate, and the live close to nature and the earth. While Gangrel are often irritatingly self-willed, they have depth and courage. Those that cluster around Qarakh, Gangrel or not, have a natural nobility even if a rough nature hides it.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
The story flips, April 23, 2007
This review is from: Dark Ages Gangrel (DACN 10) (Dark Ages Vampire) (Paperback)
The courtly intrige has been left behind and we are thrust deep into the heart of untamed eastern europe. When i first started reading i had the thought that this book could well be the best novel of the series its only rival would be Brujah. It gave great insight into workings of the beast portraying it as almost a split personality and a voice in his head. As a online interactive chat gamer and someone thats playing a Brujah antitribu on path of feral heart this gave me great insight into the workings of the beast and how Gangrel strive to find balence with it. I think the writer benifited from a lack of constraining plots, like this this this and this has to happen and was generally given free reign to explore the nature of the the clan he is writing about and that which is at their very core, other writers have tried to tackle this to varying degrees of success. Hats off to the writer. This is a great novel though Brujah is still the best in my mind....only 3 more to go, looking forward to seeing if theres any better.
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