Another good historical storyline. ( )

Yarbro writes vampire novels that are really excursions into historical fiction, emphasis on historical. She apparently does considerable research on the period that provides the setting for Count Saint Germain, the vampire who has more Christian and human qualities than do most of the other characters. I suppose the author would argue that he got that way by experiencing so much human tragedy over the centuries. Whatever. Yarbro always delivers a satisfying read. This one is set in sixteenth-century Moscow, where Saint Germain has been sent on a diplomatic mission by King Ivstan of Poland. The czar, Ivan the Terrible, close to death and virtually mad, is very difficult to deal with, and the priests accompanying Saint Germain begin to suspect Germain of satanic powers when he “miraculously” cures one of them of what appears to be pneumonia by means other than prayer (he has learned, perhaps a little conveniently of numerous drugs over the centuries). The Czar, loving the jewels that Germain alchemically creates, rewards him with a wife - - women are badly treated in sixteenth century Russia -- much to the count’s consternation. His ways must appear somewhat peculiar and he is forced to constantly explain why he doesn’t eat or drink in public, and the thick-soled shoes that allow him to walk on his “native earth” -- I know it does seem a little silly, but no worse than science fiction -- must also look odd. The result of this match is one of the better love stories. These books remain a lot better than television and seek to provide the flavor of what it must have been like to live during the time of their setting. Assuming they do so accurately, they can be informative. The Russia of this time was pervaded by xenophobia, superstition, and viciousness. Yarbro has also written a series with Germain’s centuries-long love, Olivia, another vampire. ( )

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