The second published Count San Germain title, but not the earliest in the chronology. From the court of Louis XV, we jump back in time to Renaissance Florence and the court of Laurenzo de Medici and the subsequent puritanical regime of Savonarola. This is probably the first of the formulaic works in the series: we have San Germain, a 'good' heroine, an unstable anti-heroine, the historical villain, the historical hero, various minor characters good and bad. All this is set in a well-researched historical background. When this was originally published, they were a fresh take on the vampire trope; Saint Germain being a civilised vampire not a crazed monster (although he admits to being that in the past). I will say that now he is comes across as a bit of a late 20th C man, rather than a historical man, but given his murky origins, we can't say whether female equality featured in his early life.

Noted during my 1980's attempt to read every book in my small town library.

This is an old favorite of mine, picked up when I was in my teens, and published in 1978 when vampires were still monsters that made your pulse race not because they were sexy, but because they were likely to devour you. In these days of Buffy and Twilight I think we've gone much too far in the other direction, but back when I encountered Chelsea Quinn Yarbro's humane vampire Saint-German, it seemed fresh. And what impressed me most back then wasn't the vampire side of this book--it was the historical fiction side. This is set in Renaissance Florence, and Lorenzo de Medici, Botticelli, and the sinister monk Savonarola are all featured here. The vivid picture painted of the flowering of the Renaissance threatened by religious fanaticism made quite the impression on me. For some reason I never picked up another of the Saint-Germain books--this is part of a series, and not even the first one, but the second (Hôtel Transylvania was the first.) This one does stand alone though, and writing up this review makes me want to seek out others in the series for a Halloween read. ( )

A noval of the vampire Saint Germain series. It's a wonderful saga. It does drag in spots but is worth reading. The history is fascinating. Makes you want to learn more of the history. ( )

"'You're very old, aren't you?" she asked.... "It must seem foolish to love this city so, or to want to stay here.'
"Ragoczy reached for his riding boots, and before pulling them on, he held them up and tapped the thick soles. 'Do you know what's in them?' he said, and there was a command in his tone that caught her attention and held it.
"'No.' Her face had lost some of its fear and there was the familiar spurt of curiosity in her eyes.
"'Earth,' he said shortly. 'My native soil. Without it I would be unable to cross running water or walk in the sunlight for fear of being burned as you would be by hot metal. Don't tell me about the pull of home. I know it. I have known it for more than three thousand years, in lands you know nothing of. The earth is my life as much as blood is.'"
Kindle location 4518-25