This is the only Nancy A Collins books that I've read, and it is pretty entertaining. Besides White Wolf's own Vtes novels I've not yet come across any other books that is so, well, "Vtes". It is actually quite refreshing to read something that comes from an author that is already a "Vampire" writer and see her weave her own interpretation of Vampire culture into the story. Furthermore, I think the story pretty much inspired the Sonja Blue Vampire card in Vtes.
This is a pretty light book to read, good to keep you interested over a short flight. The story is clean and exciting enough to hold your interest, and there aren't too many surprises along the way, especially if you're already familiar with Sonja Blue, and even better, with White Wolf's World of Darkness. (Particularly Vampire the Masquerade)
The story basically follows Sonja Blue and her scheme to overthrow (and eventually eliminate) the two Vampire Lords in a city called Deadtown. She sort of become a double agent in the book and go about making the two Vampire Elders fought each other, while in between she squeezed in some time to help out a boy whom mother was about to be embraced by the Tremere of the duo power-struggling lords.
The concept of presenting a dozen black roses to declare "Jyhad", or declare full out war against another Vampire lord is a very innovative concept. It might not sound like what we Methuselahs are accustomed with in Vtes or VtM, but it is quite an appropriate (and mildly romantic) way (totally acceptable to me in terms of Vampiric culture) to show case a war between Vampires.
There are some other things that are worth mentioning in this book. The description that Nancy Collins created for Vampires using CELERITY in the book is very refreshing, as well as the effects that it had on humans that were carried along with it. The battles between Vampires, and their minion goons, are quite interesting too, definitely a good expression of how an actual Vtes battle will probably look like.
The role Sonja Blue took in the book probably inspired her special ability in Vtes. She kinda go to and forth between the 2 players, doing things to hurt them both, while having her own agenda. She seems to be a Vampire hunter, therefore her ability to block as an ally showed off her relations with other "paranormal" things. The 4 pool that you gain back from working with Sonja represents her own willingness to work with you, provided your goal more or less coincided with hers. Very interesting way of moving a fictional character onto a Vtes card.
The 2 Vampire lords, a Tremere and a Ventrue, however, didn't really show off their individual clan disciplines, especially the Ventrue. The Tremere did use quite a bit of "Blood Magic", but none seem very Vtes to me, the Ventrue is just another generic Vampire with no indication of any superior Fortitude, Dominate or Presence.
Nancy Collins didn't forget to highlight the structure and rules in a hierarchical society of the Vampires. The thing about the 3rd Tradition, the Camarilla, and the Tremere's embracing rules are all quite close to what we know.
By and large I enjoyed this book, and will recommend it to any Vampire fans, and definitely to Vtes fans. Please note that this is no great literature - it is not going to stand among greater works such as Dracula, or Interview with the Vampire, or even with some of the Clan novels. But it is a good read, a light read, and worthy of Vtes.
(o.o)
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