Historical
A Novel of the Count Saint-Germain: Book 23, Burning Shadows
By Chris
May 10, 2010 - 11:53:59 PM

The vampire Count Saint-Germain has been appointed regional guardian of Apulum Inferior, a small region on the fringes of the Roman Empire.  As shadows descend over Rome’s territories, those communities at the forefront of Attila the Hun’s attacks inevitably realize military aid is not coming.  Infamous for their ruthless raping and pillaging of everything in their way, the Hun army lays a wide path of waste in its wake.  Roman citizens find flight their only option, and it is under these conditions that Saint-Germain returns to his homeland, now the mountains of Transylvania.

Having sought sanctuary in a monastery, Saint-Germain and hundreds of desperate refugees seek to defend themselves against the mounting Hun forces.  With only the aid of a few Roman soldiers and mercenaries and the village Watchmen, hope is scarce. Under the combination of excessively cramped living quarters, the religious brethren of the monastery unwilling to take arms, and the more zealous monks speaking outright against fighting the Huns, tensions run understandably high.   Amidst such chaos, Saint-Germain must be ever vigilant about concealing his True Nature.

Among the refugees is a woman of mystery, Nicoris, the lone survivor of a village decimated by the Huns.  An inexplicable allure binds Saint-Germain and Nicoris to one another during their dismal internment, and especially while tending the wounded in the infirmary.  Attack after inexorable attack means the number of wounded is on the rise, and their defensive forces are greatly depleted, begging the question: Will anyone survive?  For even as a vampire, Saint-Germain knows, if the True Death sought him, there would be no escape.

Attila the Hun’s conquests are well documented, but few novels capture the imagery and abject horror of the attacks visited upon his victims as BURNING SHADOWS does.  Ms. Yarbro’s voracious research and dramatic writing style that borders poetic may leave readers wondering at the acrid smell of burning brush in their noses as the monastery is set alight.  The seamless weaving of horror and historical fiction, and ultimate conception of the monstrously sophisticated Count Saint-Germain, is pure genius.  

In Ms. Yarbro’s universe, the vampire, so often depicted as a brutal monster more animal than human, suffering airs of perpetual hunger, desperation, and sadism, has become educated, sophisticated, and cultured; while humans, the traditional vampires’ prey, portray qualities few would be willing to own up to – greed, hubris, envy and jealousy.  It is interesting to note that the longer Saint-Germain lives, remembering that he’s existed since before the Christian era, the more humane he appears to become, emphasizing that there’s no evil he could commit upon humanity that humanity has not done to itself a hundred times worse throughout the ages.  

Admittedly abashed that this is my first foray into the Saint-Germain Cycle, BURNING SHADOWS being book 23, it is without a doubt a brilliant introduction to the historical horror genre, and one that most definitely promises further exploration into books 1 through 22.  

BURNING SHADOWS is a real gem of a find, and quite probably the key to my favorite, new world!

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