Blood of Roses

Amazon.com

This sequel to The Pride of Lions is as much saga as romance, in that Catherine Ashbrooke and Alexander Cameron are already in love and married when this vivid retelling of Bonnie Prince Charles Stuart's bid for the British throne opens. Nevertheless, there's plenty to keep one's interest--sexy lovemaking whenever Catherine and Alex can circumvent the separations imposed on them by the Jacobite rebellion; a moving, all-consuming sub-romance between a loyal servant woman and a burly Scotsman; a mystery concerning Catherine's parentage; and terrific Scottish flavor conveyed through landscape, speech, and colorful historical figures. Detailed descriptions of politics and troop movements, concluding with the Battle of Culloden, give this long, well-written narrative the flavor of an historical novel. The story ends with a confrontation that's both dramatic and surprising.

Book Description

The stunning sequel to The Pride of Lions!

In a novel that sizzles with  passionate intrigue and breathtaking romance, Marsha Canham whisks the reader back to war-torn Scotland as a legendary warrior fights for the two things most precious to any man: his country and the woman he loves.

She was born an Englishwoman, but he made her a Scot, pledged to fight for her beloved husband--even against the country of her birth.

Catherine Ashbrooke Cameron had committed the unpardonable sin of falling in love with her husband--a Scottish spy she married in her English home.  Now, as she raced to the Highlands, into the strong, tender arms of Alexander Cameron, the innocent English beauty would learn the passions of war--and the price of love .  .  .  .

He fought to keep her safe as he battled the English enemy--and betrayal from within.

Alexander Cameron was a man with a price on his head and enemies to burn.  Love had made the legendary warrior vulnerable.  Now he must protect Catherine from the dangers that threatened them both.  But as he rode into battle against the English, she refused to stay behind.  He had claimed her, touched her, loved her, and she vowed nothing would ever separate them again.

Customer Reviews:

A beautifully written epic.......2006-10-22

Blood of Roses is the sequel to Pride of Lions. This is truly an epic story of a great love between a legendary Highland warrior and a proud and courageous Englishwoman as they struggle to survive the war between England and Scotland.

You'll not find many love scenes here. The lovers themselves are separated quite a bit because Alex wants to make sure Catherine is safe while he puts himself on the frontlines. For that reason, I was sometimes frustrated because there was so much detail on the backstory, the Scottish struggle for independence, while the storyline between Alex and Catherine was allowed to languish for a bit.

Despite that, I still enjoyed reading Blood of Roses. There is much detail on the battles and the political intrigue that the author paints a clear picture of the seeds that led to Scotland's defeat at the hands of the English.

Enthralling.......2006-07-06

I'm a historian, although not a student of Scottish history, and I love a GOOD historical novel. This enthralling novel has convincing characters and a riviting story. It is set against the Scottish revolt that ended with the battle of Culloden, the shadow of which hangs over the story. There is a lot of history, much more than the ususal romance, but if that's not your cup of tea, you can skim the politics and the battles and still be entranced by the romance. Marsha Canham's two wonderful novels, Pride of Lions and Blood of Roses, should be read together as one work.

(You will get used to the dialect, but some of it pretty distracting.)

Beautifully Romantic, but also Devastatingly Tragic.......2006-05-25

If you like an ending where every character lives happily ever after, "The Blood of Roses" is not for you. But if you like historical romances that follow true history, this book will knock you off your chair.

FIRST, A WARNING:
This book is the sequel to "The Pride of Lions." If you have not read "The Pride" yet, don't read "The Blood of Roses" or even the rest of this review yet. Go right to the reviews for "The Pride of Lions", and start there. This 2 book series is one story, with the same main couple and all of the events of the war they are involved in. If you miss "The Pride", you will miss out on the story completely. Be sure to buy both books at once. "The Pride" ends in a way that will make you feel an urgent need to pick up "The Blood" and immediately continue the story. (I'm so glad I read these now. I would have hated having to wait several months for the sequel to be released when it was being written.)

The Blood of Roses:

Scotland is feeling the joy of victory. With less than half the men of there enemies, the English, they have succeeded to win back Scotland. They are free! The fierceness of the Scottish army has troops of thousands of English fleeing battlefields in terror. For the Scottish lairds, freedom for Scotland is enough. However, their spoiled and childish prince pushes his loyal Scots across the English border. His greed insists upon taking England under his rule.

Catherine has reached her father's home. She is heart- broken that Alex sent her away. She is careful to hide his identity, protecting him by claiming that her husband is away on business. She hasn't heard a word from him in months. Has he forgotten her?

Alex is discovering just how much his love for his wife consumes his thoughts. He writes Catherine a love letter that washes away her every doubt. Through Damien, he finds a way to see her.

The couple do not realize they are being watched by English soldiers. When Alex must return to the war, he believes he is keeping Catherine safe by leaving her with her family. However, for a jealous English officer, this provides an opportunity to attack her. In the midst of his attack, Catherine's faithful maid beats him to death. Now Deirdre is in danger of being tried for murder. The two women must flee England and find Alex's clan for protection.

The war is turning viciously to England's favor. Alex, Aluinn, and Struan fight for their lives, their clan, their home, country, and the protection of their wives. Their prince is a fool who continues to make bad decisions that destroy Scotland's chances of not only freedom, but their very survival.

England feels ashamed of their past defeats. To insure their victory, the son of the English king leads an army to a final battle. Without his father knowing, he demands that the English soldiers break all rules of fair and ethical war. He plans a complete and thorough slaughter. Every man, woman, and child is fair game. Thousands will die, including many of Alex's and Catherine's closest friends and family.

Marsha Canham is always sure to keep her stories as true to history as possible. Many of the characters in the book are actual people who lived and fought in Scotland. Because they are real, they die in the story just as they did in their real lives. Also, to show respect for the tragedy that the Scots faced, many of your favorite fictional characters will be lost. The last 100 pages are very hard to read, and they get harder as they go. But I found myself so desperate to see who would survive, I read them straight through. The final battle scene is graphic, but again Canham was careful not to degrade the bravery of the Scots nor the barbaric tactics of the English.

When I finished the book, I found myself haunted by the outcome. This story sticks with you.

Disappointed.......2006-02-19

After reading Pride of Lions, I was on a mission to find Blood of Roses. Thankfully, Amazon.com came through. Too bad Marsha Canham didn't. Sadly, I found this book dragging and reminiscent of a college history course. As an avid reader, I attack books with a voracious appetite: this left me actually bored. I am thrilled that others enjoyed it so much, but as for me, I like a little more romance and a lot less blood. Although it is stunningly accurate historically,( I am married to a Scot who is part of the historic Clan Donald) romantically its lacking.

... an explosive ending!.......2005-04-26

If you're asking why that title - visit "The Pride of Lions" book!
I loved both books, but I must admit this one was my favorite. The love story between Alex and Catherine has evolved - you can feel the love they share. And the historical part (I'm a history junky) was just awsome. The battle sequenced - the smell of the blood, the moaning of the wonded, the absolute silence after the battle at Culloden - it was just blood-curdling.
Another must read from a great author!

Blood and Roses: One Family's Struggle and Triumph During the Tumultuous Wars of the Roses

Average customer rating:

15th Century Microcosm
Real Estate- A Perilous Career in 15th Century England
Excellent but sometimes complicated story of landownership in early modern England
Wheel of fortune
Absolutely engrossing.

Blood and Roses: One Family's Struggle and Triumph During the Tumultuous Wars of the Roses
Helen Castor
Manufacturer: HarperCollins
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: B000MG1Z7Y
Release Date: 2006-04-11

Customer Reviews:

15th Century Microcosm.......2007-06-24

I was pleasantly surprised, recently, by Helen Castor's "Blood and Roses". I had expected another urbane, boring, and dusty history for England's most turbulent civil war- the War of the Roses. Instead, Castor presents a 15th century English family's struggle for peerage, identity, and future during England's most tumultuous pre Commonwealth period.

This remarkable 426-page 2006 paperback is destined to become a War of the Roses classic. The story is well documented (with 23 pages of endnotes, an extensive select bibliography, and a dozen photos). Clearly saying that their papers have a "unique place in the history of medieval England", Castor narrates from the Paston family's letters, their realty and legal contracts, and other original documents.

In 1400, the lowborn Paston family begins to struggle for land ownership, for money, for gentry status, and for political presence. Their rise is plagued with other families' jealousies, aristocratic theft, familial betrayal, and royal expectation, all during various would-be governments' dash to power. Through the years the Pastons play on every side. By the middle 1700s the family has achieved viscount status, castles, manor houses, and positions in the king's personal staff. Theirs is a dramatic tale worthy of history's notice and analysis.

The Paston narrative seems a microcosm for the turbulent times in which they lived, worked, plotted, loved, fought, and died. What finally happens with the Pastons? Read "Blood and Roses" and find out.

Even though it seems long at first glance, I read Castor in a short time. Her novel-like writing style kept me in the story. I couldn't put it down! This book is a must read for York versus Lancaster buffs, medieval English history enthusiasts, and Middle Ages genealogists. Get your copy soon.

Real Estate- A Perilous Career in 15th Century England.......2007-02-09

This is a highly unusual book. I believe this is the sort of material that's usually buried in PhD theses and never reaches a general audience.

Castor's exhaustive research shows as she reconstructs the history of the Paston family and it's attempts to climb the social ladder of the landed gentry. In 15th century England, there is no title insurance. You can lose your land to claims of better connected people who may be the progeny of previous owners, or may be just better connected. You can also lose it in a seige and hope that your connections are good enough to have a hearing in a court where you hope to get connected people on your side. You can also lose this property, and be imprisoned as well, if an ancestor of yours was "unfree" and therefore not able to own property.

The Paston Family seems ill equipped to play this game. While the book does not deal with domestic problems, there are some unmistakable facts. William's other sons, who have better and firmer inheritances are in deep background (until one comes around to lay claim) leaving John, the semi-disinherited older son, to fend for himself. He's in this situation because his mother renounced his father's written will in favor of an alleged death bed testimony. This testimony works to the favor of the younger sons which essentially sets John up for failure. This is a mother who beats a daughter, whom she keeps in spinsterhood (withheld dowry), such that her head cracks.

John's wife Margaret raises children and runs the contested manor, which becomes a war zone (she actually fights skirmishs and battles) while her husband networks in London. There is little detail what he does with his time, and he must have a lot of it on his hands. No wonder Margaret becomes cranky in the end. Unfortunately she takes it out on her two sons, both of whom, also set up for failure by parental decisions, risk their lives for this family enterprise.

The tale is interesting for what it reveals of life at this time, but it is overly long in detail. Descriptions of battles, tangential players and some quotes from letters (some so convoluted they produce more confusion than enhancement) could well be eliminated in favor of a smoother analytical treatement. It isn't until p. 200+ that the author reveals what you seem to think, (but wonder if you've missed) that these people might be creating their own problems.

Also hard to understand is the true fiscal plight of the family. They are always in financial straights, but are ordering clothing (lots of detail on items the modern reader cannot identify), shopping, entertaining and hiring soldiers and servants. They seem to be not only living beyond their means, but reaching it well beyond it as well.

I like that the author describes the provenence of the letters at the end, and not the beginning. This is the time the reader can really appreciate their value.

Excellent but sometimes complicated story of landownership in early modern England.......2006-10-27

I enjoyed this book very much. It is specifically about the family's history during the period of the War of the Roses, and this time really comes alive with all of its uncertainties and political instability. The book occasionaly gets mired in extensive detail about the property problems faced by the family - but certainly shows how much has changed in terms of security of land tenure and property rights since this period. It probably helps to have some initial knowledge of Plantagenet vs. York issues to get into the book, but as a layman myself, I was able to follow the bigger story, of deposed kings and usurpers fairly easily, and was thoroughly engrossed as well in the personality profiles of the kings, princes, peers, and queens depicted.

Wheel of fortune.......2006-05-22

Now I understand the Mediaeval belief in a wheel of fortune. This book really does portray middle class life in the fifteenth century with a realism rarely encountered. It is not easy reading but there is plenty of meat! I had never really understood before how the ups & downs of the nobility during a tumultous period affected the ordinary middle class. Now it is much clearer. One mystery remained for me. How could a son who apparently spent most of his life in the law courts suddenly be asked to join Edward 1V in a jousting tournament at Eltham? I can not imagine many of our current lawyers accepting such a challenge. An excellent book.

Absolutely engrossing........2006-05-15

I can't praise this book too highly. On one level, it is the story of a tumultuous period in late mediaeval (15th century)England (The Wars of the Roses). On another level, it is the detailed story of the rise of the Paston family from a bondsman farmer (tied to the land) to gentry who could marry into the aristocracy. The interplay of these two brings alive the former. Along the way, Helen Castor tells the more circumscribed story with numerous asides explaining the significance of things we would find difficult to relate to today (e.g., the vaguaries of legal rights to land, or the severe economic consequences of selling a forest to pay debt), but which were so important at the time.

If you have any interest in history at all (particularly English late mediaeval, though not, by any means, restricted to that) do read this book. Helen Castor writes beautifully and brings the period alive.

This is anything but "dry-as-dust" history - it will carry you along like the best of Dumas, even though it is non-fiction. Brava Helen; I can't wait for the next.

Average customer rating:

4.5 stars for lovely writing and fast paced plot
Hearts and Bones remake
Extremely hard to follow.
Such Beautiful Writing...
Hard to read

Blood Red Roses
Margaret Lawrence
Manufacturer: Avon
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0380788802

Amazon.com

Margaret Lawrence's second mystery about Hannah Trevor, a smart, determined midwife living in a Maine town just after the Revolutionary War, is as good as her first, the stunningly evocative Hearts and Bones. As before, Hannah is a woman with many talents, living in a period that undervalues them. But Lawrence doesn't hammer away at this unfortunate reality, and the subtle power of her writing lets us understand the landscape in its own social frame, as in this description of a madwoman thinking about her dead husband: "He had been sweet and fond and his passion amazed her, for she had not thought herself a thing that any man could want. But she knew he did not really see her, how the dark, silent birds of rage dived and struck at her ..."

Book Description

As a young widow, midwife Hannah Trevor is regarded by the law as unable to support her daughter, Jennet, and at any minute, the eight-year-old may be taken away from her and sold as an indentured servant. When she becomes the suspect in a murder, Hannah must save not only her own life, but that of her daughter's as well.

Customer Reviews:

4.5 stars for lovely writing and fast paced plot.......2005-11-17

I was surprised by Blood Red Roses. I had like Hearts and Bones, but found the story frequently overshadowed by the lyrical quality of the authors writing. While this does tend to still occur in Blood Red Roses, it's on a much lesser scale and so I was able to appreciate the story more.

Hanna Trevor, midwife in Rufford Maine has believed her husband to be dead for months when a series of murders occurs in her town in the midsts of summer. Her supposedly dead husbands' body, along with that of his new wife and children, is found the night of the harvest festival. Hanna is immediately a suspect, as a footprint left in blood shows the killer to be female.

Of course Hanna didn't do it. We know this because some chapters in this book, as in the previous, are devoted to the murderer's perspective. (This is a great writing style for mystery books.) The story in this book is fascinating and augmented by Hannah being called before an orphan master's court to prove she can provide for her child, who is also the illegitimate daughter of her lover Daniel (note: the love story in this book is very sweet and tender.)

I liked this book a lot and would recommend it highly. Be warned though, like the first book in this series it is quite dark. Insane people seem to crop frequently in these books and the way they're insanity is described is both horrifying and very accurate. In fact, I've never seen mental distress portrayed so well in writing before.

I rank this a sold 4.5 stars.

Hearts and Bones remake.......2001-11-23

Lacks originality - take "Hearts and Bones" throw in some new character names, add another "mentally unstable" chracter and presto - you have this book.

Extremely hard to follow........2001-09-18

This book is the first I have read by Margaret Lawrence, and it was incredibly hard to understand. The characters were unbelieveable. I had a huge problem toward understanding some of the phrases she wrote. There was not very much romance and/or suspense in it anyway. I definitely will not read "Hearts and Bones."

Such Beautiful Writing..........2001-09-16

I discovered this book quite by accident. My mom is a huge mystery fan, but she didn't really get into Blood Red Roses. One day I got bored and for lack of any other, I picked up this book. Honestly, it shocked me with its beauty. It has wonderful historical detail and characters so vivid you're ready to swear they existed. Another great thing was I could read this book without having read Hearts and Bones, its predecessor, though I would recommend starting at the beginning of the series.

The story is really wonderful. Hannah Trevor is a midwife in a small Maine town in 1786. Her loyalist husband ran off to Canada and apparently died there. But Hannah finds love in the arms of Major Daniel Josselyn, a quiet man with a scarred past, a stunning inner strength...and an ailing wife. What everyone knows is that Daniel is the father of Hannah's daughter Jennet. But when a murder rocks the small town, a murder to which mute Jennet is the only witness, everyone's faith is tested. Hannah has to fight for her rights as a woman in the 1700s as well as justice for a man she had long thought dead using all her skills as a healer and all her stubborn intelligence.

The prose style of this novel is haunting. The narratives are intense and revealling and faultlessly detailed. Hannah is a woman of uncommon strength, a very well drawn character. Daniel is skillfully done, torn, confused and hypnotic and also one of my all-time favorites. Little Jennet's narratives are fascinating, too. I also loved the portrayal of Charlotte Josselyn. It was so well done, one can't help but wish her well.

I would suggest anyone who is a fan of mystery and/or historical fiction should read this book. It's wonderful and completely unforgettable.

Hard to read.......2001-02-06

I was totally depressed while reading this book. I know women had few rights and were treated badly during this time period. However, I believe Hannah could have done better for herself and her daughter if she had been less stubborn. The book lacked a smoothness and continuity that would have made it easier to read. I think what some readers regarded as suspense was a lack of character development. I couldn't guess who the murderer was because the book jumped around so much and I knew so little about the characters.

Average customer rating:

*NOTHING TO EXCITING*
Mmmm...Hot...
Blood Of The Rose
An insatiable, different brand of vampire romantica...
Awesome Book

Blood Of The Rose
Anya Bast
Manufacturer: Ellora's Cave
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Fantasy, Futuristic & Ghost | Romance | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 1843609290

Download Description

Behind an illusion of folklore, the Embraced create a barrier between the Dominion and humankind. Penelope Coddington, wealthy daughter of upper class England, was marked at birth to take her rightful place within the ranks of the fully Embraced Vampir. Aidan O'Shea, a working class Irishman on the Coddington Estate, is also marked. Class difference has kept Aidan and Penelope apart, but soon that will change. The Vampir will realize their birthrights and they will both belong to the same noble, blood-drenched line. And that's good, because unless these two can come together, it's going to be hell on Earth.

Customer Reviews:

*NOTHING TO EXCITING*.......2006-08-24

This was an okay read. I did like the two main characters, Penelope and Aiden. Their lives were a sad turn of events that was touching. However I was expecting a little more of an erotic story. Good but few and far between "erotic" scenes. I'm afraid I like it from the beginning to the end, unless the story is entriguing enough. This did not hold my attention. Which isn't the worst because I went to sleep at a descent hour. I hope this helps.

Mmmm...Hot..........2006-01-04

Anya Bast really did a wonderful job with this novel. As said in earlier reviews, Bast creates a unique plot with the few characters that she uses and this makes for an enjoyable read. Although they were best friends when they were young, the differences between Aidan and Penelope keep them apart when they become older. Aiden moves away hoping that he can get a better job and so that he can leave Penelope to her rich world and maybe forget about her. Well...of course..that doesn't happen. The opening scene where he is telling Penelope good bye is a real scorcher! It sucked me in right away.
Anyway, Penelope and Aidan meet again and Aiden has become an Embraced Vampir and he discovers that Penelope is also marked to become one. She just has to be embraced. Aiden accidentally "sets off" her mark so Penelope HAS TO BE embraced. Aidan continues to try and push Penelope away and make her see that he's not good enough for her, but Penelope won't have it. Aidan even tries to act like she's just a sexual object to him and nothing more. Needless to say, Penelope is hot & kinky and she loves Aidan's style of making love. Anyway, after Penelope is embraced, she and Aidan discover that they are a VERY important part of keeping the worlds of the Dominion and the human race separate. And I think I'll stop there with the plot details...
Bast does a wonderful job with this novel and I can not WAIT to read about Charlie and Gabriel in the next two! I definitely recommend this book to anyone who likes vampire/supernatural novels!

Blood Of The Rose.......2005-04-27

If you love vampires, then you will love Anya Bast. Her work will transport you into another world. Blood of the Rose: Between two worlds Dominion and humankind, two people fall in love. Erotic scenes of lovemaking will leave you wanting more. Tantalizing and spicy. Mysterious. I can't tell you enough about this author for the fact that you are missing out alot on her writings. This author is delightful person and someone you need to get to know. I have several of her books and I am also bias. She is one of my favorites.Try going to her website and research for fun: www.anyabast.com/. Thank you Anya!!! Connie

An insatiable, different brand of vampire romantica..........2004-09-02

It was refreshing to read a vampire romantica that doesn't follow the usual formula and stereotypes about vampires. Blood of the Rose is quite a unique read. I couldn't put it down and the erotic scenes are insatiable beyond words. The best part is that the scenes are coupled with a compelling love story. The year is 1890. Penelope Coddington is the daughter of a wealthy, albeit wayward father in upper class England. Aidan O'Shea is a working class Irishman and stableman of the Coddington Estate. Penelope and Aidan had been childhood friends. That is until their class differences forced Penelope to put some distance between them. Strong feelings of attraction arise between the two when they become adults. But then some strange things begin to happen. On a whim, Aidan leaves for the US in the hopes to work hard enough to buy some lands of his own. Not long after that, Penelope's father dies in a bizarre accident at home, leaving Penelope with nothing but debts. Under different circumstances, Penelope and Aidan end up in New York, where they discover that they had been marked at birth as creatures known as the Embraced Vampir. Now Penelope and Aidan must leave their class differences aside and work on keeping the Dominion from destroying humankind. There are various twists throughout the novel.

I loved this story. As said earlier, it has quite an original take on vampires. I like how the vampire angle mingles with the erotica in this novel. The scenes are absolutely delicious, especially the ones in which Penelope struggles with being the well brought up girl she was raised to be and the wanton, sensual vampire that she now is. The sex scenes are scorchers. Definite sheet burners! The one in which Aidan treats Penelope like an object in a misguided attempt to put her off is my favorite. There aren't very many characters in this novel, but I did enjoy Gabriel and Charlie. I found Charlie's story fascinating and I'd like it if the author wrote a second novel centered on him. It would be nice to see if he finds happiness and closure with his parents. I liked the historical setting and the author's focus on the puritan mentality of people during that time. Anya Bast is a talented erotic romance author, one whose future work I'll look into. Anyway, the whole novel is scrumptious. My only complaint is that the story is far too short. The book's more of a novella than a novel. I also would have liked to know some more about the Embraced Vampir and the Demi-Vampir. And it wouldn't have hurt to see more scenes centered on the vampires shape shifting and using glamour. But all in all, Ellora's Cave has done it again with this gem. Blood of the Rose is an original vampire romantica and I highly recommend it.

Awesome Book.......2004-05-29

Ms. Bast has created a very unique vampire world with this book. If you enjoy vampire books you will love this one. This book has it all finding love, losing your love, lots of action. With very scary bad guys and the ultimate triumph of love finding away to be together and fighting evil. I highly recommend this book for all romance and vampire lovers.

Vampire The Masquerade Volume 1: Blood and Roses

Average customer rating:

Ahhh, children of caine...
Very Cool

Vampire The Masquerade Volume 1: Blood and Roses
Rafael Nieves , Vince Locke , Kirk Van Wormer , and Andy Bennett
Manufacturer: Moonstone
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books

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Horror | Graphic Novels | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 097264430X

Book Description

A thrillogy of emotional, macabre & blood-sucking tales that will leave you breathless! This volume contains the critically acclaimed first three graphic novels based on the White Wolf role-playing game: "Toreador," "Nosferatu," and "Ventrue." A tale of a tempted TV show host, a beauty queen whose masquerade of a mortal life is viewed from the mirror of a forbidden world, and the twisted "who's who" tale of two female friends and a suspicious new boyfriend are but mere tasty morsels of what awaits you between these pages. Things are never quite what they seem like in Vampire the Masquerade...

Customer Reviews:

Ahhh, children of caine..........2007-01-07

The Masquerade from Whitewolf is a dark creation of horror, a role playing game set in the universe where magic is real, people do turn into animals with the coming of the full moon and vampires hide in the shadows, running the government, helping themselves to our wealth and our blood. This graphic novel, with a foreword by Christopher Golden, tells three tales of three of the Clans.
The Toreador, the artists of the night, always trying to defeat final death by making that perfect painting, that great movie, that song nobody will forget. They seem weak but they rule the night life as much as any other Clan. Victoria Ash even makes an appearance.
The Nosferatu, the most ugly yet most stable of all the vampires, they suck up information and facts like most suck up blood. They move among us like shadows and we never hear a thing. But they hear everything.
The Ventrue, powerful, noble, this suits with fangs are as likely to take you to court as bite you. Lawyers, money and guns, they run the Clans. At least those who allow them to.
The Kindred are here to stay, in the printed pages, on the small television screen and now in the pages of this graphic novel. Do you dare open the cover and feast on what is inside?

Very Cool.......2006-01-04

Excellent story. Can't wait to read more by this author.

Squirt!: The Most Interesting Book You'll Ever Read about Blood (Mysterious You)

Average customer rating:

What a Great Little Book!

Squirt!: The Most Interesting Book You'll Ever Read about Blood (Mysterious You)
Trudee Romanek
Manufacturer: Kids Can Press, Ltd.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Anatomy & Physiology | Science, Nature & How It Works | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 155337777X

Book Description

In the eighth title in the Mysterious You series, go with the flow and learn all about blood and the circulatory system. Topics include what blood's made from, how it moves around our body, the role of the heart, and how our organs clean our blood. Discover that over your lifetime, your heart will beat roughly 2.5 billion times. By the time you're an adult, your blood vessels will be long enough to reach around the earth -- twice! and that only about 60 people in the whole world have the rare K zero blood type.

Customer Reviews:

What a Great Little Book!.......2007-09-26

We bought this for a Book Report while my daughter's class was studying the Circulatory System in Health. We scoured the local book stores for "kid-friendly" health books and were shocked at the lack of....until we found this one! The book is chock-full of interesting facts, written in language kids can easily understand. There are several activities included, perfect for those who tend to be more "hands-on" learners. My daughter loves this book and is so glad we found it, so much that she is begging me to order more from this series. I had trouble putting it down, too. Do you know how many red blood cells are in a pin-head sized drop of blood? Read the book and find out....WOW!

Blood, Bread, and Roses: How Menstruation Created the World

Average customer rating:

Life-changing
Fear of a Red Nation
Misinformation and blatant lies
I did love the history of the book!
wonderful

Blood, Bread, and Roses: How Menstruation Created the World
Judy Grahn
Manufacturer: Beacon Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0807075051

Book Description

"Blood, Bread, and Roses" reclaims women's myths and stories, chronicling the ways in which women's actions and the teaching of myth have interacted over the millenia. Grahn argues that culture has been a weaving between the genders, a sharing of wisdom derived from menstruation. Her rich interpretations of ancient menstrual rites give us a new and hopeful story of culture's beginnings based on the integration of body, mind, and spirit found in women's traditions. "Blood, Bread, and Roses" offers all of us a way back to understanding the true meaning of women's menstraul power.

Foreword by Charlene Spretnak

"[Grahn's] intriguing excursion through folklore, myth, religion, anthropology and history bespeaks a feminist conviction that male origin stories must be balanced by a recognition of women's central role in shaping civilization."
-Publishers Weekly

Customer Reviews:

Life-changing.......2005-12-30

Dr. Grahn's book was way ahead of its time. Both thought-provoking and transformational, she gives us nothing less than a new origin story in which women are at the center, without relegating men to the fringe. I highly recommend this book as well as the New College of California journal Metaformia: A Journal of Menstruation and Culture, www.metaformia.com. Page One describes how this theory returns women to a crucial place in cultural origin stories, in our histories, in our rituals, in our religions, and in the ordinary and extraordinary everyday things that billions of women do all over the planet-so women can again identify themselves as being part of culture creation in major, leading, and centralizing ways.

Fear of a Red Nation.......2002-08-30

The first time I picked up this book I got to the part about menstruation being the inspiration for chairs, and like another reviewer here, thought Grahn's ideas way out there and put the book aside. Fast forward five years and it makes a lot more sense to me. Grahn is a poet and relates a world before there was language, when what would become humans lived in trees and struggled day to day along side the other animals. Grahn posits that the correlation of the female menstrual cycle with the cycle of the moon served as the first physical distinction between animal and environment, and provided the metaphorical correlation necessary to all language. Lacan describes this as the mirror stage which happens in infancy. What Grahn describes is similar but takes place not with an individual but with an entire race, haltingly, and over a very long period of time.

None of us knows what happened in the dawning of human consciousness. Grahan weaves a credible account based on commonalities between ancient cultures, myths, and language. Still, her narrative departs so acutely from what we generally do, or or have not bothered to, imagine about our origins that it seems very easy to dismiss. Yet in a country where 45% of the people believe God created the world in seven days, made the first man out of dust, and the first woman out of one of his ribs, why is Grahn's version - based on the physically possible - so difficult to consider?

Much of what Grahn writes is speculation, a delving into the possible. The stories of women have been, throughout history, suppressed, stolen, and destroyed. We cannot totally recreate this lost history, but we can try on other ideas and take from them the value that they hold. For women to consider that their lives and their bodies were integral to the creation of human culture is no more absurd than the completely unsubstantiated idea (which 45% of Americans believe) that ONLY the lives and bodies of men were necessary to human culture - that a male god spoke the whole kit and caboodle into being in seven days, and women were just an afterthought.

So Judy, you go, girl. And please do write a book on menopause.

Misinformation and blatant lies.......2002-06-30

This book is filled with not only misinformation, but also blatant lies. The author claims the practice of wearing shoes came from traditions of women in certain areas of the world not touching the ground with their bare feet while menstruating; it didn't have ANYTHING to do with people wanting to protect their feet against rocks and cold according to the author. She makes similar claims about utensils coming into use because of taboos regarding menstruating women scratching themselves with their hands, again not having anything to do with not wanting to burn oneself on hot food or dishing it out.
The idiocy doesn't stop there! The author actually goes on to suggest a link between menstrual huts and the development of hats among our foremothers because of the similarity in the words! Did she really think that our ancient foremothers spoke English?
I would not suggest wasting money on this book. For a truthful book that affirms women and our monthly cycle without resorting to making up false information just to make us feel good, get Lara Owen's book _Honoring Menstruation_ instead.

I did love the history of the book!.......2002-05-08

But the thing I think it didn't contain as much of is relating to the title of the book. Don't get me wrong, I learned alot about being a weemon, but I still was looking for more of a book on the ways it creates the world, not random facts, etc. Or random coincidences.

wonderful.......2000-04-05

I highly recomend this book. It is a cultural history to beat all other cultural histories! Grahn has taken humanity back to the very earliest days and suggests that it was menstruation that caused us to develop into humans. I am hoping that Grahn will "complete the cycle" by writing about menopause, because it also had a profound effect on the development of humanity. No more cavemen stereotypes, please!

Average customer rating:

Very Disappointed
Not the best paranormal I've ever read, but it's got potential
This is NOT a romance so be informed!
entertaining erotic vampiric Regency romance

Blood Rose
Sharon Page
Manufacturer: Aphrodisia
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0758215444

Book Description

Rare Breed

Serena Lark's erotic dreams of vampires are so vivid, so intense...could she be one? Drake Swift and Lord Sommersby, two daring vampire hunters, might know the truth about her past--and her future. The trio searches the dark streets of London for answers. She cannot say no when Sommersby and Drake introduce her to another existence entirely, one in which only extraordinary sensual pleasure matters--and Serena opens herself up to compelling desire...

Customer Reviews:

Very Disappointed.......2007-09-30

I bought this book hoping it would be as good as Sin, but I was very disappointed. This should have been a short story, because the paranormal element was very unimaginative and not that interesting. The erotica was not that well done, and the romance was nonexistent. I felt like the author had attempted to poorly fill in a story outline made up of a certain number/type of sexual encounters. The attempt was ho hum and that's what I felt like while reading it. Sorry friends, but take a pass on this one.

Not the best paranormal I've ever read, but it's got potential.......2007-09-18

Former governess Serena Lark wants to be like any other Englishwoman. She wants to find love, marry, start a family, and live happily ever after. She also wants to study to hunt vampires at the side of two England's most notorious vampire hunters, Lord Sommersby and Drake Swift. The problem, of course, is two-fold. Nice English ladies don't hunt vampires. And nice English ladies also don't secretly suspect that they might actually be the very creature they long to destroy. Yes, Serena Lark has a secret. She might be a vampiress... but that won't stop her from having a good time while she finds out.

Blood Rose was sensual, intriguing, and entertaining, but not the deepest plot I've ever read. It was good for a paranormal, particularly from such a small press. There's great potential with Sharon Page's vampire world: the women are the leaders in this vampire society, and men can only rule with a powerful vampiress at their side; there's a bit of magic that comes with the necessity of drinking blood; and a love between three is encouraged as a way to strengthen one's powers. But then, the story also has its faults, there's a twist at the end that I thought was only thrown in for shock effect and serves no real purpose to the story, Serena seems confused about whether she wants to be a wanton or a lady and I found her attempts to do both lacking, and the men in the story weren't as strong and Alpha as I usually like them. Still, Blood Rose was an intriguing paranormal romance with lots of potential. I'll be sure to check out Page's other work.

This is NOT a romance so be informed!.......2007-08-28

Basically it's paranormal (sort of). An avenue for steam to roll off the pages of a book that's put in the romance category. Escalate Laurel K. Hamilton and make it MUCH more lightweight. This is not a BAD book and the writer is fairly good at the turn of the phrase but most women will probably be offended by the images of total voyeurism and group activities that run rampant throughout including a steady reference to menage. If that is what you are after then go ahead and give it a read. She does do a good job and it is somewhat original material. I would buy it again which is the BEST review I can give the author!

entertaining erotic vampiric Regency romance .......2007-08-05

In 1818 London, on All Hallow's Eve Serena Lark turns twenty-five years old. That should be a milestone celebration for the young woman, but instead is a horrific upcoming event. As the offspring of a vampire and a mortal, she will turn vampire on that day unless vampire hunter Jonathon Sommersby and his partner Drake Swift can prevent the turn without having to kill her. It is already October 18th so the clock is ticking.

Malevolent vampire king Lord Lukos knows who Serena is and her place in his world. He wants her at his side as he believes she is the most powerful vampire queen ever as prophesized in the vampiric legends. While Jonathon and Drake struggle to keep Serena away from Lukos, they both fall in love with her whereas Serena loves both of her protectors. Could their desires destroy their partnership and friendship leading to Lukos succeeding or can they find another ménage de trois third way to enjoy the passions of life and love?

The key to this entertaining erotic vampiric Regency romance is Serena. She seems genuine as a half-breed human and vampire about to totally turn; as such she makes vampires and vampire hunters appear genuine too. Hot, steamy, and dark, BLOOD ROSE is a terrific historical as the lead trio makes love and war.

Harriet Klausner

Average customer rating:

Young Blood
Naomi Wallace , Bruce McLeod , Charles Way , J. B. Rose , Sheila Yeger , and Marcus Romer
Manufacturer: Aurora Metro Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Dragged Somewhat But Yarbro Got The Feel Of Tragedy Right
Eleventh in the Saint-Germain series.
A plague on the Church
Vampires and the Black Plague- death battles death
BRAVO !

Blood Roses: A Novel of Saint-Germain
Chelsea Quinn Yarbro
Manufacturer: Tor Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0312872488

Amazon.com

Chelsea Quinn Yarbro's epic of the vampire Ragoczy, the Count Saint-Germain (including Mansions of Darkness, Darker Jewels, and Writ in Blood) has slowly gathered a dedicated readership, while each installment has garnered increasing critical praise. For new readers, Blood Roses is perhaps the most accessible in the series. In 14th-century France, Saint-Germain is caught amidst the devastation of the Black Plague. Though he is unaffected by the disease, his resistance draws the suspicion of each new town he visits--even as he uses ancient Egyptian healing techniques to save lives. Yarbro's impressive novel offers the flavor of the late Middle Ages while flawlessly integrating the elements of horror and the supernatural that mark this eloquent series. One wonders, for example, if the letters and documents that Yarbro integrates into the text are embellishments of the real. But, as with all the Saint-Germain novels, the most satisfying aspect of the narrative is the author's complex rendering of her central character. With the exception of Anne Rice, few writers have as effectively captured the wearied soul of a being living through the great expanse of human history. --Patrick O'Kelley

Book Description

Now in trade paperback, Blood Roses finds Saint-Germain living in relative peace and prosperity in the village of Orgon in fourteenth-century France. He has won a grudging acceptance from the local populace. But a new threat has upset the precarious balance: Plague has come to France, and the peoples fear turns to xenophobia. To avoid the scrutiny that could reveal his true nature, Saint-Germain must flee. However, his travels drive him deeper into the heart of the Black Death, and danger.

Customer Reviews:

Dragged Somewhat But Yarbro Got The Feel Of Tragedy Right.......2006-09-06

Yarbro is a fine historical novelist and in Blood Roses (the term for the skin eruptions the bubonic plague caused) she succeeds in impressing upon a reader something of the dimension and scope of the worst plague outbreak in history. Here we see the breakdown of the fabric of a complex society. Here we read of the tragedy of the human toll of the Black Death. And here we grasp something of the horror and terror those living through such an event must have known. The book was also slightly slow-paced, had whole chapters it would have been better off without, and, frankly, the plot device of having a recurring set of undead characters passing through the great moments of history taxes credibility just a little. Still and all a lot can be learned from reading one of Ms. Yarbro's books and her well-researched knowledge of each time period in which she sets her tales is nearly flawless. It's rare indeed that an anachronism should creep into her opus, and common that one come away better educated for the time spent reading. Having to tolerate (if that's even the correct term) the fact that these are novels of the supernatural is a small price to pay for all she delivers.

Eleventh in the Saint-Germain series........2003-04-24

Or twelfth, if you count "Out of the House of Life", which is primarily a spinoff novel about Madeline de Montalia (former lover and vampiric "childe" of Saint-Germain), but which does include some flashback scenes from some of Saint-Germain's early history.

Or fifteenth, if you also count "A Flame in Byzantium", "Crusader's Torch", and "A Candle For d'Artagnan", the spinoff series about Atta Olivia Clemens, an earlier lover and vampiric "childe".

This book is set in the mid-1300s at the time of the first wave of the Black Plague to sweep through Europe. The romantic interest doesn't even appear until nearly two-thirds of the way through the book, which makes for an interesting variation on a theme, as does the way that romantic interest plays out. The setting reminded me somewhat of "Narcissus and Goldmund", by Herman Hesse, a book which made an impact on me long enough ago that I'd rather not think about how long it's been; perhaps I should re-read it, as I remember very little of the details of that book.

Unlike some other reviewers, I feel that on balance, Chelsea Quinn Yarbro's writing has been steadily improving as she's progressed through this series; I enjoyed the early books ("Hotel Transylvania", "The Palace", "Blood Games", "Path of the Eclipse", and "Tempting Fate", in that order, are the first five books in the series) but found the writing to be significantly less developed than they have been starting with "Darker Jewels". This book fits the same pattern, although I don't find it QUITE as enjoyable as its predecessor, "Writ In Blood".

The series is not written in chronological order; from earliest to latest historically, the series to this point would be:

1. "Out of the House of Life" (if you base it on the flashbacks to Saint-Germain's early years; set in Ancient Egypt)

2. "Blood Games", set in Rome at the time of the Emperor Nero

3. "A Flame in Byzantium", set in the time of Justinian, mid 500s.

4. "Better In The Dark", set in the mid-900s in Saxony.

5. "Crusader's Torch", set in the late 1000s and early 1100s, Europe and Middle East.

6. "Path of the Eclipse", early 1200s China, India, and other eastern areas.

7. "Blood Roses", 1300s France.

8. "The Palace", 1400s Italy.

9. Darker Jewels: Late 1500s Russia

10 & 11: virtually simultaneous, "A Candle For d'Artagnan" and "Mansions of Darkness", early 1600s France and the New World (mostly Peru) respectively.

12. "Hotel Transylvania", later 1600s France

13. The "current" part of the plot in "Out of the House of Life", early 1800s Egypt.

14. "The Chronicles of Sant-Germain", a collection of short stories that extend temporally from 1890s to 1980s, which time period overlaps both #15 and #16.

15. "Writ In Blood", 1910-1914, Russia, England, Germany, and Finland.

16. "Tempting Fate", Germany 1920-1930s.

These novels are all variations on the genre of "Romantic/heroic/historical fiction", with the part of the extremely heroic hero being played by a vampire. If this concept intrigues you, you definitely want to read these books. If you enjoy historical romance, but find the concept of the vampiric hero unsettling or weird, you may want to give them a try anyway; if either none of these concepts grab you, or if you insist on your vampires being more traditionally minded, this series is not for you.

A plague on the Church.......2002-08-02

St Germain in France during the time of the black plague. Blood roses refer to the boils which were the visual symptoms of the plague. Since St Germain can heal he is course suspect. Anyone who is different must be an agent of the devil. In all the recent St Germain books Yarbro seems very critical of the Church.

In this book because of the belief that cleanliness is a sign of pride and because cats, who could have killd the plague bearing rodents, were seen as witches familiars and the cats were killed, Yarbro implies that the superstitions of the Church were responsible for the plage being so bad.

I only give this book four stars instead of five because after reading a bunch of these books, I became weary of St Germain's travails. Too bad he can't settle down.

Vampires and the Black Plague- death battles death.......2001-01-02

This is one of the series of books about the Count St. Germain, an almost-immortal vampire. Those who already know that they like vampire novels, anything at all that features a vampire, can skip this review, and likewise, those who hate the whole idea of vampires can skip it. But for those trying to decide whether or not to read more of this genre, or whether the one vampire novel you've already read was a fluke, it may help to have some ways to categorize these novels. Thus: BunRab's Standard Vampire Classification Guide. First, most authors of vampire novels approach from one of the main genres of genre fiction; thus their background may be primarily in romance, or in science fiction/fantasy, or in murder mysteries, or in horror. Second, many vampire novels come in series; knowing whether this is one of a series, and where in the series it falls, may be helpful. Then we have some particular characteristics: - Is the vampire character (or characters) a "good guy" or a "bad guy"? Or are there some of each? - Are there continuing characters besides the vampire, through the series? - Are there other types of supernatural beings besides vampires? - Can the vampire stand daylight under some circumstances, or not stand daylight at all? - Does the vampire have a few other supernatural characteristics, many other supernatural characteristics, or none other than just being a vampire? (E.g., super strength, change into an animal, turn invisible) - Does the vampire have a regular job and place in society, or is being a vampire his or her entire raison d'etre? - Does the vampire literally drink blood, or is there some other (perhaps metaphorical) method of feeding? - Is sex a major plot element, a minor plot element, or nonexistent? - Is the entire vampire feeding act a metaphor for sex, part of a standard sex act, or unrelated to sex? - Is the story set in one historical period, more than one historical period, or entirely in the present day? - Does the story have elements of humor, or is it strictly serious? - Is the writing style good, or is the writing just there to manage to hold together the plot and characters?

Chelsea Quinn Yarbro's series about the vampire St. Germain starts from the historical romance genre (although Yarbro is equally well known as a science fiction writer), and is a continuing series. St. Germain is definitely a good guy, using the knowledge he's gained in several thousand years of living to help others. There are a few characters that continue from book to book besides him: the women he turns into vampires, and his "servant," Roger, who is a ghoul. Ghouls are the only other supernatural characters who appear in these books. St. Germain can stand daylight with the right preparations. He has unusual strength, but not limitless, and unusual wisdom, and is an "alchemist" but there are no other overt magic powers. In most of the series, he has an occupation of being an aristocrat, insofar as that was a full-time occupation through most of history; in some books he has another "job" as well. St. Germain does not literally drink blood; he feeds on emotions, usually during erotic experiences, but sex is nonetheless only a minor plot element, rare and very discreet. The series covers 3000 years, from ancient Egypt to the modern day; each book is set in a span of a particular period, usually 20-30 years. The writing is serious, but not self-important; the writing quality is excellent, and Yarbro's abilities as an author qualify these books as literature rather than "merely" genre fiction.

Blood Roses is one of the most recently written in the St. Germain series; chronologically in history, it is in the middle, set in the late Dark Ages, France in the 14th century, during one of the several waves of the Black Plague that went around Europe during that century. The Catholic Church has contributed much toward keeping the populace ignorant and downtrodden, a recurrent theme in the series. At this period of history, there is not yet a full-blown Inquisition as there will be a couple of centuries later. Part of the conflict in the story is due to the schism in the Catholic Church, where a second Pope has been set up in France, in Avignon. Letters between St. Germain and his fellow immortal, Olivia, every few chapters, help set the changing scenes. There is a helpful character in the form of a persecuted Spanish Jew; this novel also has a relatively happy ending, in that there is not a huge final bloodbath featuring war, torture, etc. - perhaps, in the face of the Plague, we do not need further human tortures to keep things active. The female love interest lives a full and happy life even after St. Germain leaves. St. Germain leaves the area having passed along some literacy in spite of the church; we can get the sense that the Dark Ages are going to end soon, as things are changing.

BRAVO !.......2000-07-02

I am astonished that CQY makes me crave the recreation of historical events that have changed the course of mankind while satisfying my need for a great vampire novel. She allows you to travel with Saint-Germain through devastation, death, and the turmoil of Europe during the 1300's when religion and politics were intertwined.

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