Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1300685 in Books
• Published on: 1994-06
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 319 pages

Customer Reviews

A beginning of an obsession?
While I enjoy the occasional horror novel, I haven't read too many vampire novels, because the ones I have read were the same boring, romantic plots over and over.

If you want good characterization, engrossing plot, a touch of sex, and the kind of violence that gives you that warm fuzzy feeling inside, this is a prime choice.

A true gem hidden away amongst the garbage!
OK, so if you've just started reading it, you're probably thinking "Why on earth did I buy this! Well, come back to me when you've got past the first few chapters and we'll talk more. Ha you see, it's actually rather good isn't it. For the uninitiated among you, Of Saints and Shadows is a new take on Vampires that you probably couldn't even guess. I admit, the first few chapters are utter rubbish. The plot leaps about too wildly to pin down, the inner thoughts of characters don't seem to quite mesh with the rest of the words and until the first few chapters are over, you're in serious danger of putting it down. However once you really delve into it, you find that suddenly it all seems to come together. Character traits and ideas all seem to work together and as the whole plot begins to unfurl, you begin to realise that you are halfway through a great vampire novel of epic proportions. I promise you when you reach the final battle, you'll be drooling for more. After a time, I couldn't put it down, roll on the sequel!

A new twist on an old story
It has to be very difficult to write a vampire story nowadays without either re-hashing the classic material or falling into the angst-ridden Anne Rice cliches that now abound. Golden has written a book centred around the vampires that maintains the traditional elements of the mythos, and then proceeds to tear them down one by one.

The book details the struggle between a secret order of the Roman Catholic Church and the secretive vampires of the world. However, the priests are quickly shown to be the evil ones, with the vampires taking on the role of the oppressed victims (although very powerful victims!).

The book is well-written, but those expecting a Buffy clone should beware - this is a much gorier and sexier view of the world of the vampire (although it doesn't descend into the tawdry sex fantasies of the Anita Blake series). The characters are well drawn, though not exactly complex and the plot is relatively simplistic - although enough questions are left hanging at the end for me to eagerly go out and buy the next book.