Night Blooming was definitely worthy of a 4.5 star rating.The most emphatic praise I have always credited to Yarbro is her historicity and attention to a historically accurate atmosphere, and in this yet again she did not disappoint. Her regard to the structure of the church in the era of Charlemagne was pleasing, yet was written naturally and casually, as to not detract from the plot. Her portrayal of the Great Karl was interesting and provided a new perspective on the man -- though he was not likeable, his frustrating character felt believable. In this book as opposed to the last one I read of the Saint-Germain series (Roman Dusk), Sanct'Germain had significantly more depth and complexity as a character. Though idealized in some ways in his behaviour and choices (how he seems to be the only individual in the whole of the series to have a moral compass or an inclination to be kind), I felt as if this book allowed far more opportunity to determine who in essence this three thousand year old man was, and what experiences and loves and losses have shaped him. As a result I was far more emotionally invested in his well being and that of his comrades, particularly Gynethe Mehaut. Oh what a tragic character she is-- The author truly elucidates a world of religious ignorance and fear, and how terrifying and precious existence would be for anyone born of any malformation or malady, let alone albinism and the presence of stigmata! Obviously, as an earlier book in the series, the writing style was not quite as elegant as Roman Dusk, however, I felt as if it had a far greater flow, a far greater pace, and far more action and cant-put-the-book-down-now moments. This was refreshing, and a welcome reminder that Chelsea Quinn-Yarbro can deliver and incredible story worthy of the near 700 pages.As soon as I put this book down, I picked up Midnight Harvest, which I believe is a testament to the success of Night Blooming in pleasing me.
In some ways this was an enjoyable book for the fan. It is nice to see an actual physical interaction between the Count and Olivia. The weak part of the book seemed to be the character of Gynethe. She does seem to really live, at least in terms of a fictional character. There are two possible reasons for this. The first, is that Olivia is so charming that other female characters pale in comparsion. The second reason, the more plot relevant reason, is that Yarbro is trying to protray Gynethe to the reader in the way that the society sees Gynethe. In other words, the reader is distanced from Gynethe so the reader is forced, in part, to view her in terms of society (and that would include the Count). If it is a plot device, I'm not sure how successful it is, especially if Yarbro is trying to get the reader to see Gynethe as both society and the Count see her.
What do You think about Night Blooming (2003)?
A tragic story of faith, love, intrigue and conflict during the era of Charlemagne (800 AD). I started reading this series, who main character is a vampire, in the 80's. What has drawn me back to them, is that they are meticulously researched for each historical era and geographical place. It's not so much about being a vampire, as being in a long time line and the march of history and place, seen through one particular pair of eyes. If you like historical novels, you'll probably love any of the St. Germain chronicles by Chelsea Quinn Yarbro.
—Angel
This was my first Chelsea Quinn Yarbro book... Didn't think it was anything exceptional, but since it's the middle of a series, it did leave me wanting to read more. Mostly I was intrigued by the female vampires mentioned, and wanted to know more about them. I want some sort of Cliffs Notes backstory.Not being a huge fan of the Charlamagne period of time, I may have missed some of the appeal, but in general I found the main character a little annoying. The book did have some neat twists on the traditional vampire story, and it's hard to DISLIKE vampire historical fiction...I guess I'd buy these at a used book store, but wouldn't pay full price again. Take that as you will.
—Lani
Here the immortal vampire Saint Germain serves at the court of Charlemagne in the 9th century Frankish Kingdom. He does all the same stuff that he does in every other book: sets up a household, behaves with kindness and generosity to everyone, lives under a cloud of suspicion for everything he does (except being a vampire, which nobody notices) and gets booted out of town at the end. Saint-Germain’s stories have the same ending as the old Incredible Hulk episodes: sad music plays while he leaves town, his head hung low.The hook in this novel, besides the historical setting and Charlemagne himself, is the presence of a young woman who is an albino and afflicted with stigmata. The Church can’t decide if she is blessed or cursed. Given that this is a Yarbro novel, guess which side the Church comes down on?A bright spot in this mostly depressing book is the presence of Olivia, a feisty old girlfriend of Saint-Germain’s who became a vampire a few centuries ago.I complain, but I keep reading these. There’s something hypnotic about them: the sheer repetitiveness of the conversations between Saint-Germain and his eternal manservant Roger, who will surely one day explode from being asked if he has remembered to pack the same stuff he’s been packing for literally centuries; and the relentlessly horrible people Saint-Germain encounters: nearly all characters from kings to beggars are greedy, suspicious, spiteful and traitorous.
—Jamie
