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oculus74's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
read_outside_the_box's review against another edition
2.0
L'histoire de ce roman est complètement invraisemblable, et cela n'a rien à voir avec le fait qu'un des protagonistes soit un vampire. Les clichés s'enchaînent les uns à la suite des autres. On a, d'un côté, les méchants sorciers satanistes qui prennent plaisir à sacrifier des jeunes vierges et à s'adonner à toutes sortes de perversions (selon le narrateur) lors de messes noires. De l'autre, on a le mystérieux vampire qui, dans le fond, est gentil et qui s'amourache de la prochaine victime de la confrérie.
De plus, les personnages sont vides, superficiels. Ils manquent cruellement de crédibilité, autant dans leurs manières que dans leurs discours. Cela frôle parfois le ridicule. Même Saint-Germain ne fait pas exception. Bien qu'il soit âgé de plus de 1000 ans, son expérience ne parvient pas à retenir son désir lorsqu'il se retrouve en présence de Madeleine.
En ce qui concerne la narration, sa cohérence reflète celle des personnages. Les erreurs d'orthographe et de ponctuation s'accumulent au point de déranger la lecture. Mauvaise plume ou traduction bâclée?
N'empêche, le roman se mérite tout de même deux étoiles. En effet, l'auteure a su s'approprier le mythe du vampire. Elle joue avec certains aspects, les incluant avec adresse dans la composition du personnage de Saint-Germain. Ainsi justifie-t-elle sa petitesse par le fait qu'étant très ancien, il a donc la physionomie d'un homme de l'Antiquité.
Bref, malgré les (très) nombreuses maladresses qu'on peut observer dans le roman, on ne peut nier que Yarbro se démarque par l'originalité son protagoniste.
De plus, les personnages sont vides, superficiels. Ils manquent cruellement de crédibilité, autant dans leurs manières que dans leurs discours. Cela frôle parfois le ridicule. Même Saint-Germain ne fait pas exception. Bien qu'il soit âgé de plus de 1000 ans, son expérience ne parvient pas à retenir son désir lorsqu'il se retrouve en présence de Madeleine.
En ce qui concerne la narration, sa cohérence reflète celle des personnages. Les erreurs d'orthographe et de ponctuation s'accumulent au point de déranger la lecture. Mauvaise plume ou traduction bâclée?
N'empêche, le roman se mérite tout de même deux étoiles. En effet, l'auteure a su s'approprier le mythe du vampire. Elle joue avec certains aspects, les incluant avec adresse dans la composition du personnage de Saint-Germain. Ainsi justifie-t-elle sa petitesse par le fait qu'étant très ancien, il a donc la physionomie d'un homme de l'Antiquité.
Bref, malgré les (très) nombreuses maladresses qu'on peut observer dans le roman, on ne peut nier que Yarbro se démarque par l'originalité son protagoniste.
yak_attak's review
4.0
Hotel Transylvania seems to have been, along with contemporary Interview with a Vampire, on the bleeding edge of 'sympathetic vampire as hero' technology, and comparing it to its famous cousin reveals some interesting differences. Yarbro's book(s) seem to be much pulpier, campier, and dare I say fun, as we see dashing Edmund Dantes-esque master of all situations Saint-Germain worm his way into the hearts of Parisian society, woo and romance the ladies with his particular charms, and battle the vile Satan cult brewing in the subterrain.
In some ways this almost approaches flat wish-fulfullment, but, let's be honest, who doesn't deserve that at times? All the men in this book (barring the dashing hero) are venal, petty, wretched monsters who would abuse a woman at the drop of a hate. All the women are charming, intelligent, spunky, daring, and unfortunately put upon by the patriarchal hierarchy keeping them in place - Yarbro smartly uses Saint-Germain as a lens upon this time period (and our own), examining gendered prejudices and matters of control and expectation of women. Not bad for an otherwise tawdry scene-chewer.
In another smart move, Yarbro takes the vampiric traditions and turns *some* of them on their head, keeping enough to give her hero a sense of mystery, of otherness and of sensuality, but then applying said traits to other characters instead, building out her world. Saint-German can hold crosses because he is a good christian, it's instead the Satanic cult who cannot stand their sight. Etc. It's all very clever and works in her world. Prop all this up with quite a well researched (or enough so that I can't tell) history, rife with all sorts of textual detail...
Lastly, it's punctuated all over with spots of the most amazing violence, the villains realized in about as evil detail as you could want. It is to some degree a book I would even warn people against - rapes and sexual violence abound, and even with the otherwise light tone, there's an underlying threat and hint of consequence. The one thing that doesn't work too well is how closely homosexuality, sodomy, and violence are tied together here. I choose to think Yarbro does better later in the series, but this book is... pretty direct about the tie.
All in all, a great read - a charming pulpy historical horror romance with all the scenes and characters you'd expect, with just enough depth and detail to really bring it all to life.
In some ways this almost approaches flat wish-fulfullment, but, let's be honest, who doesn't deserve that at times? All the men in this book (barring the dashing hero) are venal, petty, wretched monsters who would abuse a woman at the drop of a hate. All the women are charming, intelligent, spunky, daring, and unfortunately put upon by the patriarchal hierarchy keeping them in place - Yarbro smartly uses Saint-Germain as a lens upon this time period (and our own), examining gendered prejudices and matters of control and expectation of women. Not bad for an otherwise tawdry scene-chewer.
In another smart move, Yarbro takes the vampiric traditions and turns *some* of them on their head, keeping enough to give her hero a sense of mystery, of otherness and of sensuality, but then applying said traits to other characters instead, building out her world. Saint-German can hold crosses because he is a good christian, it's instead the Satanic cult who cannot stand their sight. Etc. It's all very clever and works in her world. Prop all this up with quite a well researched (or enough so that I can't tell) history, rife with all sorts of textual detail...
Lastly, it's punctuated all over with spots of the most amazing violence, the villains realized in about as evil detail as you could want. It is to some degree a book I would even warn people against - rapes and sexual violence abound, and even with the otherwise light tone, there's an underlying threat and hint of consequence. The one thing that doesn't work too well is how closely homosexuality, sodomy, and violence are tied together here. I choose to think Yarbro does better later in the series, but this book is... pretty direct about the tie.
All in all, a great read - a charming pulpy historical horror romance with all the scenes and characters you'd expect, with just enough depth and detail to really bring it all to life.
ravyncrow's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
hannahishere's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
hopeful
informative
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
hannahreads09's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
hopeful
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
feastofblaze's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.75
moonlit_shelves's review
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
atarbett's review against another edition
3.0
The only thing saving this from 2 stars is that I found it funny as hell. I don't think that was Yarbro's intention, but that's what happened.
I mean, Satanists! HA! Really?! I just about died.
The whole story is so melodramatic! It feels like a cheesy over-acted soap opera in book form. The language (and this just might be her style. I don't know, this is the first that I've read by her) is flowery and over the top.
I didn't really get a feel for any of the characters and they didn't seem to have any nuance. They were either unrepentantly evil (which normally I enjoy, but there are NO redeeming characteristics) or they were the paragon of virtue (which frankly bore me to tears). Come on! Some in-between would be nice!
If you're looking for "horror" definitely look somewhere else. If you're looking for well-written vampire fiction, ... meh, you'd probably be better with something less Twilight. But if you're in the mood for cheesy soap-opera vampires with a touch of the historical, then definitely give it a try.
I will most likely pick up others in the series, because seriously, it's been a while since I was so amused by a book.
I mean, Satanists! HA! Really?! I just about died.
The whole story is so melodramatic! It feels like a cheesy over-acted soap opera in book form. The language (and this just might be her style. I don't know, this is the first that I've read by her) is flowery and over the top.
I didn't really get a feel for any of the characters and they didn't seem to have any nuance. They were either unrepentantly evil (which normally I enjoy, but there are NO redeeming characteristics) or they were the paragon of virtue (which frankly bore me to tears). Come on! Some in-between would be nice!
If you're looking for "horror" definitely look somewhere else. If you're looking for well-written vampire fiction, ... meh, you'd probably be better with something less Twilight. But if you're in the mood for cheesy soap-opera vampires with a touch of the historical, then definitely give it a try.
I will most likely pick up others in the series, because seriously, it's been a while since I was so amused by a book.