Midnight Harvest (The chronicles of Saint-Germain) (Hardcover)

by Chelsea Quinn Yarbro (Author) "My dear Count, I suppose I may still address you as such, though it has been a long time since I took pen in hand..." (more)
Key Phrases: midnight harvest, assistant pilot, native earth, Chelsea Quinn Yarbro, San Francisco, White Legion (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
Set in the 1930s, Yarbro's 16th assured Count Saint-Germain adventure takes the 4,000-year-old vampire to the United States. First, however, he must flee an unstable Spain on the eve of civil war, a move that costs him a lucrative airplane manufacturing business and gains him dangerous new enemies. Encounters in Boston and during a cross-country trip with the ever-faithful Rogerio reveal an America gripped by the Great Depression and wary of "foreigners." He's relieved to arrive in San Francisco, where he reunites with the now-mature but still desirable artist Rowena Saxon (first met in Writ in Blood), but his stay there proves less safe-for both himself and his friends-than he had hoped. Vintner Carlo Pietragnelli, sustained financially by the Count through the years of Prohibition, and his neighbors are suffering theft by "midnight harvesters," but a bigger threat comes from the murderous Ku Klux Klan-like White Legion. Meanwhile, a ruthless assassin has followed Saint-Germain from Europe. Though far from fast-paced or action-packed, the novel provides fascinating historical detail interspersed with sensual interludes and enough intrigue to sustain interest. Intelligent parallels with the present provide depth. The difficulties 20th-century life presents for a vampire are well handled by the remarkably consistent author, who is, as always, true to her character. Like its immortal protagonist, this long-running series deserves to live on.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist
Yarbro brings the long-running adventures of the vampire Saint-Germain to Spain in the 1930s, where her ancient hero is living comfortably, running several successful businesses, including an aircraft design and construction company, and enjoying a beautiful noblewoman as his lover. But the coming Spanish civil war encroaches on Saint-Germain when the army eyes his aircraft business, hoping to refit the planes for war over Saint-Germain's objections. Realizing he is fighting a losing battle, Saint-Germain sends his lover to England and then, with his faithful servant, Rogerio, flies to Boston, Chicago, and finally San Francisco, where an old flame, Rowena Saxon, awaits him. But the Spanish insurgents are worried that Saint-Germain will cause trouble for them after they seize his assets, and they send Cenere, a skilled assassin, to track him down and kill him. Slow at points--a whole chapter is devoted to Saint-Germain buying a car--the novel is filled with intriguing period details and, once the pace picks up, a compelling story. Kristine Huntley
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 432 pages
• Publisher: Aspect (September 24, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0446532401
• ISBN-13: 978-0446532402
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 6.3 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #566,543 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars St. Germain in San Francisco when if fizzles, October 15, 2003

By	Booked4Life "booked4life" (middle america) - See all my reviews

I have read every one of the St.Germain novels up to now, but I'm beginning to wonder if I will read any more of them. The beloved character has grown stilted with age. The dialog in this outing was frequently wooden, the plot could have been lifted from several of the last 10 novels, and this series seems to me to have lost its spark. There seems to have been more of an attempt to round out the character of Roger. St. Germain's love interest was more interesting than usual. Still, somehow it all just refused to gel. Once again, St. Germain is heroically driven from his home by encroaching bad guys (this time during the Spanish Civil War by Franco's minions.) Once again, St. Germain is followed by an evil assassin. And, once again, St. Germain's love interest is menaced by the bad guys. In a sub-plot, immigrant farmers are menaced by xenophobes wearing sheets.

I think in the future, if I get a hankering to spend some time with St. Germain, I'll go back and read one of the earlier, more heartfelt books. If you have yet to read Hotel Transylvania, Path of the Eclipse, Roman Blood, Out of the House of Life, The Palace, or Tempting Fate---by all means read any of those before this one. Many of the later novels are worth reading, once you've become well and truly hooked, but these last few have had a whiff of doldrums about them.

8 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A great addition to a winning series, October 1, 2003

By	Lacey Savage (Ottawa, Canada) - See all my reviews

It's the mid-1930s, and even though "The Great War" was supposed to put an end to hostilities, the political situation in Europe seems worse than ever. Saint-Germain has settled in Spain, where he runs a very profitable company that builds airplanes. When the Spanish government decides to overtake the company, Saint-Germain knows he's in danger of being imprisoned - or worse. He sees no other option but to flee to America, where Rowena, one of his former lovers is waiting in San Francisco.

America has political and economic issues of her own. At a time when most Americans are struggling with the after-effects of the Stock Market Crash of '29, foreigners are unwelcome. A new group, The White Legion, has vowed to rid America of foreigners taking their jobs. Saint-Germain finds himself in the middle of this dispute, as he's invested heavily in a vineyard owned by an Italian man who has been targeted by the White Legion. Add to that a ruthless killer who has been sent from Spain with orders to kill Saint-Germain, rapid changes in technology, and a wonderfully developed cast of secondary characters, and you have one deeply engaging story!

It's clear that Yarbro has done a great deal of research for MIDNIGHT HARVEST. Rich in detail and beautiful imagery, the setting and time period come alive throughout the novel. Characterization, as in all of Yarbro's works, is magnificent. Saint-Germain is once again perfect in his heroic role, and he's joined by his faithful manservant, Rogerio, and one of his former lovers who is now in her fifties, but no less charming and endearing.

A wonderful addition to the Saint-Germain series, MIDNIGHT HARVEST also stands well on its own, and could serve as a great introduction to Saint-Germain for those unfamiliar with Yarbro's winning series.

5 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Twenty first in the Saint Germain series., January 31, 2005

By	James Yanni (Bellefontaine Neighbors, Mo. USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Midnight Harvest (The chronicles of Saint-Germain) (Mass Market Paperback)

Or sixteenth, if one doesn't count the two offshoot series, one centering around Atta Olivia Clemens and one around Madeline de Montalia, both vampires who came to the undead life by way of Saint Germain.

Like all of the books in this series, this is a historical novel, set during a period in the unlife of Ferenc Ragosky, Count Saint Germain, a vampire who has lived since approximately 2000 years BCE. Unlike most of the others, however, this one is set fairly recently, in the period between World Wars I and II, and uniquely to this point (discounting a couple of the short stories in "The Chronicles of Saint Germain") is set in the United States of America.

Like all of the books in this series, it is a fascinating look at a fascinating character; Saint Germain is always a delight, although to some fans of more standard vampire fiction, he's too much of an unmitigated hero; there isn't enough of the dark, brooding antihero to him for some tastes. There may be some fans of the seiries, too, who prefer the more distant historical settings, and who find the twentieth century too current for their tastes in historical fiction.

Unless either of these quibbles sounds like something that would resonate with you, however, this book is highly recommended. Both the character and the history are very well-handled, and in addition, we see a character from a previous book; the love interest, Rowena Saxon, is a carryover from "Writ In Blood", which was set in the period immediately before the first world war.