The Comte Sanct-Germain has been in my life since 1978 and no other series has captured my interest as has this one. The interesting fact of this series is that the stories are not successive; one can dip into the Comte’s life at any point. But it is, to some extent, its weakness. Our favorite vampire hasn’t had much personal growth in the past few years; it was more interesting to read the earlier stories placed earlier in Sanct-Germain’s unlife when he was experiencing changes. But, lately, it’s just another chapter in a long, long life.
This story takes place in the middle of the 13th century in the Kingdom of Bohemia. Racogzy Ferancsi, the Count Saint-Gemain has been exiled from his home country because the ruling King, Bela of Hungary, fears rebellion from Saint-Germain’s subjects. Racogzy is under severe restrictions while in King Bela’s granddaughter’s court in Bohemia. He is ordered to keep Kunigunde supplied with precious gems while enduring the scrutiny of the Church and the many spies in his own household. While this isn’t that out of the ordinary for the Count, his worst danger comes from a woman of the court who desires him and will not accept no for any answer. Her threats of crying rape are sufficient to blackmail the Count into doing her bidding. Unfortunately for him, what she gains from their sexual trysts is not sufficient for his sustenance. He is also blackmailed by a young woman desperate to experience physical love before she is married off to an unpleasant man. Fortunately, these encounters are much more satisfying for Saint-Germain. But over all the events, the burning question for Racogzy and his lifelong friend, Rogerian, is how to disengage himself from this dangerous court and leave without putting his countrymen at risk for his actions.
As I’d said before, it’s just another chapter in his life with little difference from many of her other stories. I was bothered by the idea that both of these women had lain with Saint-German enough times to be turned at the time of their death yet he did not prepare them for the event. He despairs at one point, with Rogerian, that he isn’t able to tell the nasty blackmailing woman what to expect. But it wasn’t clear to me if he was going to tell the younger woman. The advent of new vampires in his life who would be his family is of greater interest to me than another history lesson but Ms. Yarbro didn’t take us down that road. It wasn’t a bad book; the writing is as flawless as always, the characters dependable, but the story just wasn’t that interesting. But I remain a perennial optimist when it comes to our Count. ~~ Catherine Book.
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