Hôtel Transylvania: A Novel of Forbidden Love

Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

Hôtel Transylvania: A Novel of Forbidden Love (Saint-Germain #1)

3.76 of 5 stars 3.76 · rating details · 992 ratings · 99 reviews

France 1743 (Sun King era). Le Comte de Saint-Germain - cultured, well-traveled, articulate, elegant, learned, honorable, an alchemist, and a man of many secrets - he is a mystery to the court of Louis XV. For Madelaine de Montalia, making her debut in society, he is as fascinating as he is enigmatic, an admiration he returns. But others are interested in her as well. The...more

Hardcover, 252 pages

Published by St. Martin's Press (first published July 2nd 1978)

more details... edit details

Get a copy:

More…

Friend Reviews

To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up.

Lists with This Book

This book is not yet featured on Listopia. Add this book to your favorite list »

Community Reviews

(showing 1-30 of 2,266)

filter | sort: default (?) | rating details

Mar 15, 2009 Jamie rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-fiction, vampires

This is the first book about the ancient, noble, lonely vampire Saint-Germain, but I'm glad it wasn't the first one I read because I might not have have continued with the series. It's not terrible, but the two later books I've already read were better than this one.

For one thing, the plot is Saint-Germain vs. Satan worshippers in 18th century France, and I just don't buy the motivation of Satan worshippers. Why would a bunch of French nobleman spend their time horrifically sacrificing virgins?...more

3 likes · like · see review

Nov 11, 2011 Julia rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

At the beginning I did not like it at all; the writing-skills were indifferent, the story itself was not intriguing nor interesting, the characters were quite vain. The reason why I read a lot of vampire books is that besides being a fascinating myth; I really enjoy reading the different kinds of perspectives on vampire-ism. The book by Yarbro, actually, contains a separate segment at the end of the book about the different aspects of vampire-ism depending on culture and religion, which is exact...more

1 like · like · see review

Aug 30, 2012 TailFeather rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Yaaaawn! I decided to read this book because a) I loved "False Dawn" by Chelsea Quinn Yarbro, and b) I thought I'd try another genre other than my favorite of Urban Myth and Fairy Tales. Big mistake on both accounts. Half the book is literally explanations of what people are wearing, and I really don't care.

By the time I was done reading the paragraph about what someone was wearing I had to get back into what the story was about. It was very jarring and gratuitous. I agree with another reviewer:...more

like · see review

Apr 30, 2012 Kristin rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I thought this one was pretty good. Saint Germain manages to teeter the line between being a fleshed out character and an emo Ann Rice vampire. I liked that the enemies were Satanists--it contrasted nicely with the perception of vampires as evil. If you don't go into this expecting high art, you'll be pleased by a fun story. The writing is choppy at times, POV leaps from one character to the next, but nothing that compromises the fun of the book.

I have to say, though, and this doesn't impact my...more

1 like · like · see review

Nov 02, 2011 Jessica Lake rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Yarbro’s story is told as a narrative and through letters between the various characters. The narrative moves the story forward, while the letters allow the readers more insight into the characters and plot. Le Comte de Saint-Germain is charming, intelligent, and witty, and with intensely dark brooding eyes, his charms are almost impossible to resist. Madelaine Roxanne Bertrande de Montalia is beautiful, young, and precocious. When the two meet, there is instant chemistry. The love that grows be...more

like · see review

Feb 20, 2012 Kathy rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy-other-world, vampire

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I like how Yarbro writes these stories - telling the story, but adding letters from odd characters (and main characters) that give us a different type of insight into the characters, and their lives in this time period, while advancing the story.

Saint-Germain is occupying his Hotel Transylvania in France, hosting nightly dancing, eating, and gambling. Madelaine is with her aunt having her first season, and the two become friends, and then lovers as Saint-Germain loves, and then exchange blood fo...more

like · see review

Sep 25, 2012 Felicity Green rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Another good, thoughtful, well researched, more or less epistolary episode in the ongoing life of the Comte de St. Germaine, noble vampire about town with, in this case, the town being mid 18th century Paris. Honestly, St. Germain is so noble, he's hardly a vampire at all: more a sort of immortal traveler like Enoch Root in Neal Stephenson's books. These are all pretty good books (I've read three; I don't have a clue how many there actually are) but they're not easy to classify. Yarbro's vampire...more

like · see review

Nov 05, 2011 Mervi rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: urban-fantasy

The first book in a historical fantasy series about the very old vampire who is currently called the Comte de Saint-Germaine. The first book is set in the year 1745 and in Paris.

Comte de Saint-Germaine is a mysterious man who has recently taken his place among the Parisian nobles. Some think that he’s a fraud but others, particularly the women, are charmed. He seems to be interested in them as people, and not just to get (sexual) favors, and he keeps the confidences he’s told.

In a sense, those t...more The first book in a historical fantasy series about the very old vampire who is currently called the Comte de Saint-Germaine. The first book is set in the year 1745 and in Paris.

Comte de Saint-Germaine is a mysterious man who has recently taken his place among the Parisian nobles. Some think that he’s a fraud but others, particularly the women, are charmed. He seems to be interested in them as people, and not just to get (sexual) favors, and he keeps the confidences he’s told.

In a sense, those that call him a fraud are correct; he’s not a Count. He’s a vampire who remembers Ancient Rome because he lived there. He also has a double life in Paris as Prinz Ragocy who employs sorcerers and opposes the Satan worshiping clique of men lead by Saint Sebastien. Saint Sebastien is looking to sacrifice a couple of women in his rituals to Satan in order to get more power to himself. Unfortunately, one of the women is the young and vibrant Madelene de Montalia whom Saint-Germaine has fallen in love with.

The plot is about equal parts about Saint-Germaine fighting the Satan worshipers and romancing Madelaine. Still, the plot moves along quickly. The book has several point-of-view characters. In addition to Saint-Germaine, there’s Madelaine, her aunt Claudia, and a few others. The book starts and ends with a letter, and every chapter ends with a letter or a note. The letters are important. In fact, one subplot is resolved in the letters and the structure worked well for me.

Most of the characters are Parisian nobles and their servants and many of the chapters are set in parties or dinners. However, to balance them, there are the sorcerers who work in gloomy cellars.

The cast is pretty large In addition to the thoughtful Saint-Germaine, there’s Madelaine who’s intelligent and wants to study. However, she’s spent most of her life in a convent, so some things are a shock to her. Her aunt the countess Claudia is trapped in an unhappy marriage; her husband is a drunkard and a gambler, and resents it when Claudia tries to help him. Claudia advices her niece that she can’t expect a happy marriage, either. In fact, many of nobles are unhappy. One of the women is married to a gay man and her priest just tells her to pray for children. Saint-Germaine also rescues an injured coach man who becomes loyal to Saint-Germaine. The group of sorcerers includes a Spanish man who escaped the Inquisition and an Englishman who is the group’s leader. They can do actual magic.

Near the start, Madelaine finds out that Saint-Germine is a vampire but she isn’t disturbed by it. Instead, she wants him to suck her blood and later she wants to become a vampire so that she’ll have a longer life. I found this to be a bit strange, to say the least, especially for a woman raised by nuns. The vampire doesn’t have to kill anyone; he seems to need very little blood. Like Dracula, he can walk in daylight but is strongest during the night. He ages very slowly.

There are a lot of historical detail in the book. In fact, I was quickly bored with the clothing descriptions but religious talk about how women have to submit to even abusive husbands but those were a big part of the life of the nobles. However, otherwise I enjoyed the glimpse to a fantastical 1743 France.

There are two Satanistic ritual descriptions in the book and both are cruel. In both cases, a woman is the victim and in the first ritual she’s gang raped. The rituals have also homosexual acts. The book doesn’t have any non-Satanistic gays which, on the one hand fits the time period but is also a bit disappointing.

Saint-Germaine himself is based on real-life figure who was a mystery to his contemporaries.

All in all, I did enjoy the book and intend to read a few sequels, especially if they don’t have any Satan worshipers!(less)

like · see review

Mar 26, 2013 Angela Raye rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The only thing saving this from 2 stars is that I found it funny as hell. I don't think that was Yarbro's intention, but that's what happened.

I mean, Satanists! HA! Really?! I just about died.

The whole story is so melodramatic! It feels like a cheesy over-acted soap opera in book form. The language (and this just might be her style. I don't know, this is the first that I've read by her) is flowery and over the top.

I didn't really get a feel for any of the characters and they didn't seem to have...more

like · see review

Jun 12, 2011 Cecca rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Devo dire che sono rimasto deluso. Il libro non è poi malvagio, anche se a mio avviso indulge troppo nella descrizione dell'abbigliamento dei vari personaggi (oddio, credo sia doveroso vista l'ambientazione, ma francamente alla lunga mi ha un po' stufato). Dalla quarta di copertina dovrebbe essere un piccolo capolavoro, ma di vampiri ce ne sono pochi... uno solo, a dirla tutta. E non si manifesta se non alla fine del libro, quando "trasforma" l'eroina in una maniera che non mi pare "molto conven...more

like · see review

Dec 10, 2008 Ladiibbug rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Historical Fiction / Hist. Vampire Fans

Actual Publication Date: 1978

#1 Count St. Germain Historical Vampire series

A truly memorable read from 2000 - one of my favorite books.

Count St. Germain is a very old vampire, a good vampire. Hotel Transylvania was a stunning eye opener for me in terms of how truly & deeply satisfying a detailed historical book can be.

I've read several more since HT (MUST find Path of the Eclipse in my TBR!). CQY is a master at meticulously detailing the history of the various time periods. In each book, St....more

2 likes · like · see review

Sep 11, 2012 Robyn rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: reviewed

This was a short but sweet entry in what appears to be a mind bendingly long series.

There was a lot to enjoy in this book, Saint Germain is a fun character, with an engaging and entertaining style; the clothing descriptions, while I see they would be tedious for some, were interesting to me, and, while I'm no expert in clothing of the time period, felt well-researched and realistic. The plot, did feel a bit hokey in places, but it had the grace to keep things moving, and provided some really ni...more

like · see review

Jun 12, 2012 Pamela Huxtable rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: vampire-fiction, historical-fiction

Well. This starts out as a fairly interesting piece of historical fiction that just happens to have a vampire as a main character. I like that.

Then we move onto some fairly explicit sexual violence, contrasted with harlequin type bodice ripper romance/sex. Ok. Not so sure about all of that.

Then we have a plot featuring Satanic worshippers in pre-revolutionary France. Feeling kind of unsure about that too.

The most interesting feature of this novel would have to be the author's descriptions of th...more

like · see review

Aug 10, 2011 Petra rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: supernatural

Dieser eher historische und weniger „vampirische" Roman hat mich nicht besonders mitgerissen. Hatte ich mich doch auf einen neuen Vampirroman gefreut, so wurde ich enttäuscht, denn diese Seite war wohl eher nebensächlich.

Für meinen Geschmack war die Sprache zu gestelzt und hat es mir erschwert, mich in die Personen rein zu versetzen. Gefühle und ihre Entwicklungen kamen nicht richtig zum Ausdruck, es war einfach zu wenig Leidenschaft in diesem Buch. Auch die Spannung hielt sich in Grenzen, sowoh...more

like · see review

Jun 13, 2012 Suz rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: historical, horror, romance

3.5 stars.

I just finished this book and am only going to put a few quick things down for now while I let my thoughts simmer a bit. I enjoyed this book but it was not as enthralling as I had hoped. I was a bit disappointed that the lore for these vampires completely sublimates lust into the bite, in fact it's not even the bite but the act of sharing the blood. The author's prose tries to elevate the experience to a spiritual event but instead calls attention to the lack of candor used in its desc...more

1 like · like · see review

Feb 25, 2010 Ryan Patrick rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction-2010, historical-fiction

Disappointing... I liked the overall idea for the book, and the character of Saint-Germain seems pretty cool, but in the hands of this author the story just didn't work. I had to re-read the page where he reveals that he is a vampire three times and I still don't understand why he just blurted it out - he seemed a little carefree in several places in referring to his 'condition'.

The real problem with the book is Yarbro's conception of vampirism. The clash between the supposedly evil vampire and...more

1 like · like · see review

view all 5 comments

Jamie Madelaine is in some of the other books, and has her own spin-off novels. She's still alive in the most modern Saint Germain setting - a short story s...more Madelaine is in some of the other books, and has her own spin-off novels. She's still alive in the most modern Saint Germain setting - a short story set in California in the 1970's.

The books stand alone pretty well, especially since Yarbro jumps around in his timeline anyway. I'd suggest picking one by the historical period that interests you the most.

You're right, he's better thought of as an immortal rather than a vampire. Although his need for blood and his inability to eat or drink put him in a lot of danger from suspicious, superstitious neighbors. I like that he's a good guy, but he can be annoyingly passive. He tends to grieve rather than rage. He does speak of a time in the distant past when he was a monster, but Yarbro has said she won't write about that. (I wish she'd write about his transformation.) Saint Germain is a feminist, which is a nice touch.

Yarbro consistently places him amidst truly evil people (usually religious fanatics - the book set in 15th century Florence with Savonarola the book burner is decent) in order to emphasize his relative humanity. He is always lonely. Once his lovers become vampires, they can no longer be together. (The reason for that is fairly unsatisfying.) Roger is always with him; a perpetual servant.

As long as he has fresh dirt in his shoes, the sun is merely annoying. Without the fresh dirt it burns him very badly - chars the skin down to the bone. There's a crucifixion scene that is harrowing, and the sun does most of the damage.

He's strong and fast, but he takes a long time to recover from his numerous injuries, so he's actually fairly physically vulnerable. The sex scenes are not well written in the earlier books, but they get a little better. Mostly you get tired of him explaining himself to every single lover in every single book. And that's a significant problem I have with these books - after a while, they become repetitive. He suffers the same tragedies over and over again, only with a different setting.

These aren't great literature. They're melodramatic, and Yarbro's writing is uneven. The letters that begin every chapter are usually boring as hell (except Olivia's letters). But I do like the character, and I like the period details. I have several more queued up to read.(less)
Feb 25, 2010 05:16pm

Chris Jamie wrote: "Madelaine is in some of the other books, and has her own spin-off novels. She's still alive in the most modern Saint Germain setting - a...more
Feb 26, 2010 06:26am

May 10, 2009 Jennifer rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I had written down the title of a book, and when I looked it up I discovered it was part of a series. Further research led me to the author's website, where I discovered there are over 20 books in the Saint-Germain series, each taking place in a historical time period or setting that I would enjoy reading. Being the nerd I am, I had to start at the beginning, and Hotel Transylvania is the first book in the series.

This story takes place in the fall of 1743 in Paris, France. All of the characters...more I had written down the title of a book, and when I looked it up I discovered it was part of a series. Further research led me to the author's website, where I discovered there are over 20 books in the Saint-Germain series, each taking place in a historical time period or setting that I would enjoy reading. Being the nerd I am, I had to start at the beginning, and Hotel Transylvania is the first book in the series.

This story takes place in the fall of 1743 in Paris, France. All of the characters are of the peerage, therefore social etiquette of the period, dress, manners and activities provide the backdrop for the story. Saint-Germain is a vampire, but the reader only notices this fact when he happens to appear by someones side out of the blue, or when one remarks on his penetrating gaze. His vampire tendencies seem like odd habits of his character, especially how he doesn't like to eat or drink around others. Since the characters are aristocratic, and they themselves can be odd, no one questions Saint-Germain. The women and most of the men like him for he is very considerate and a wonderful conversationalist. Saint-Germain just happens to harbor a secret.

Our heroine, the lovely Madelaine, is not like most young women of her day. She is well educated, reads books, and speaks her mind quite often, which has proven difficult for her family to find her a husband. Therefore, when she meets Saint-Germain, they find in each other someone who meets their desires. For Saint-Germain it is a beautiful love of his life, who he is drawn to, and for Madelaine, someone who speaks and treats her like an intelligent woman.

As a matter of fact, Saint-Germain's being a vampire is finally stated in the novel within a conversation between he and Madelaine. Saint-Germain says something to effect of, "When you have lived over 500 years like me..." and Madelaine accepts his explanation readily, not with screams, disgust, or shock. This section made me laugh a little, and I had to read it twice to make sure I comprehended everything.

As the relationship between Saint-Germain and Madelaine progresses, the evil or mysterious forces and their activities also comes to light. The book moves rather quickly, and Yarbro explains her parameters for Saint-Germain's vampire side throughout the story, leading one to assume future books are in the works. Saint-Germain is a very likable character and his vampireness (?word?) is a facet of his character, like being jovial or good at fencing.

All in all I enjoyed this book. This book has a little bit of love, with some mystery and suspense thrown in. The main characters are very likable and enjoyable, and I'm interested to learn what happens in the next book. You see, there are some unresolved things at the end of this book, so I need to know how it plays out.

My Rating: 4.25/5
(less)

1 like · like · see review

Jun 02, 2009 Susan rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This book is a historical vampire fiction, very similar to Dracula. Book one is an introduction of the Saint-Germain series. A noble vampire and alchemist, who was also known as Prinz Ragoczy of Transylvania. Takes place in 18th century France, therefore lots of social etiquette. He falls in love with Madelaine, an intelligent woman who speaks her mind. We learn more about the myths of vampires and about the practice of Satan. Saint-Sebastian is the leader of the Circle, comprise of a group of n...more

like · see review

Jun 26, 2009 Bondama rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites

Out of all the current rage in "vampire" books, This is truly leagues above the crowd. Ms. Yarbro's books are always meticulously researched. The Comte St. Germain WAS an actual historical personage. She takes this person, around whom many, many stories circulated, and turns him into a vampire (albeit an extremely courteous one!)

Her books started out as epistolary novels, but have over time come to evolve into more. The Comte and his faithful ghoul, Roger, travel extensively throughout the world...more

like · see review

Aug 29, 2011 Emma rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I discovered this series by accident - I found the 24th in the series on the new book shelf and it had a headless lady on it... so of course I got it. Then I realized it was part of a VERY long vampire series so I have gone back to the beginning to start.
The Comte de Saint Germain is a cultured, civilized, accomplished and mysterious man when he appears in french society during the reign of Louis IVX (is that 14th?) and he is also a vampire who has been alive for a long time and changes names a...more

like · see review

May 05, 2009 Kiran rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Realized after finishing the book that this novel is grouped under the historical romance umbrella. Pretty funny considering the romance in the novel was tertiary to the storyline and by today's standards very chaste and tame....a good thing. I am not into bodice rippers and this novel focused on the story rather than titillation. The author has spent a lot of time researching European history, culture and society of the 1700s relaying great detail of the people, customs and architecture of the...more

like · see review

Jun 24, 2012 Kara rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: vampires

WARNING: Book contains INTENSE descriptions of sexual violence.

Ignore the title, the book is not as camp as it suggests.

Imagine Dangerous Liaisons with a vampire thrown in and a satanic cult making the bets. It’s the glittering, shallow, vain, we’re-better-than-you world of the French Old Régime filled with rich aristocrats dressing up, dancing, riding, dueling (with words AND swords), gambling, eating, drinking, and pretty much just whiling the days away, oh so bored with their decadent lives...more

like · see review

Feb 11, 2013 TheFountainPenDiva rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: books-that-are-keepers, characters-vampires, genre-dark-fantasy

The Comte St Germain novels by Chelsea Quinn Yarbro are ranked as some of the best vampire/horror/historical fiction in the world. There's a good reason for that. The biggest reason is the the Comte himself has become an iconic hero of sorts. His mysterious life has even figured prominently in the Japanese animated series Le Chevalier d'Eon (a series I highly recommend by the way). Yes, he is a vampire, but he tends to behave in a far more civilized fashion than many of the humans surrounding hi...more

like · see review

Mar 05, 2012 Blue Willow rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Tentativo, assai poco riuscito, di mescolare romance ed horror. Protagonista è il conte Saint-Germain (figura storica realmente esistita), vampiro e cicisbeo all'occorrenza, uno dei non-morti meno affascinanti di cui abbia mai letto. Antagonisti di Saint-Germain una banda di satanisti dalle malate fantasie sessuali.
Al centro dello scontro la bella Madelaine de Montalia, che tutti vogliono, a ben vedere, più o meno morta, compresa la diretta interessata.
Non fa paura, non è romantico, in compenso...more

like · see review

May 09, 2010 Angela rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: alt-history, vampire

As I started reading this book, I was saddened, because I thought it would not be to my liking, and all the books I have in the series would just need to be released, however -- This story transfixed me about 1/4 of the way through, and Saint Germain is a fantastic vampire character, I do so want to know more about him. I did know that I liked Yarbro's style, and that held true. I plan on still trying to read these books in order, so, it will still take me some time to get to some of the series...more

like · see review

Oct 13, 2012 Elgalla rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I really enjoyed this book. The gothic/romantic elements of classic vampire stories were a welcomed change from the young adult and paranormal romance frenzy and the characters were very interesting and likeable. The plot was good, though not exceptional, and there were things about the mythology that I found very fresh. The semi-epistolary style reminded me, very appropriately, of "Dangerous Liaisons". The only thing that annoyed me was that the Kindle edition was full of typos which disrupted...more

like · see review

Aug 19, 2012 Nenia Campbell rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: x-series-bk-1, x-1970s

I'm not really sure how to summarize this without spoiling the plot, so let's just say that Hotel Transylvania is a story about vampires and satanists and virgins (oh my) . The main character is named Saint-Germaine, and he is also a vampire. He is interested in the beautiful and spirited Madelaine de Montalia . . . and so are others - except they just so happen to be satanists who want to rape and torture her.

IKR? WTF.

But before we get into that, a bit of background about the Saint-Germaine no...more

1 like · like · see review

Jul 08, 2012 Cass 크리스티나 rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

(As posted on my blog, see "Book Blog" dated July 8, 2011)

In this novel, Yarbro has taken a historical person, Count of Saint Germain, and written him as a heroic vampire. Hôtel Transylvania is also a real place. As Yarbro writes in her notes at the end of the novel, "Built in the reign of Loius XIII, Hôtel Transylvania stands today at 9 Quai Malaquais in le Faubourg Saint-Germain. Its name was taken from Prinz Franz Leopold Ragoczy, who stayed there from 1713 to 1717, due in part to his role in...more

like · see review

Oct 31, 2012 Silver rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 20th-centruy, vampires, historic-fantasy

I was left with some conflicted feelings about this book. Though on the whole I would say that I enjoyed reading it. It was not quite as good as I would have hoped for.

In a sense it seems as if Yarbro takes a similar approach to the vampire as Anne Rice does, in humanizing the vampire and exploring human feelings within vampires, turning it into an unexpected hero, yet without making the vampire too shall we say fluffy or sparkly. But I feel that Yarbro lacks the psychological depth of Rice's w...more

like · see review

Jun 16, 2011 Brandy rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: favoritos

Si no estoy mal informada, este es el primer libro de Chelsea Quinn Yarbro que llega a España. Le ha costado, puesto que está escrito en 1978, aunque tengo que reconocer que el paso del tiempo no le ha afectado. Alucinada me quedé cuando buscando información sobre la novela y sus continuaciones vi que la serie constaba de nada menos que de 23 libros, más otros dedicados a algunos de los personajes que van apareciendo, por ejemplo, Madelaine es protagonista de dos títulos de una serie anexa a la...more Si no estoy mal informada, este es el primer libro de Chelsea Quinn Yarbro que llega a España. Le ha costado, puesto que está escrito en 1978, aunque tengo que reconocer que el paso del tiempo no le ha afectado. Alucinada me quedé cuando buscando información sobre la novela y sus continuaciones vi que la serie constaba de nada menos que de 23 libros, más otros dedicados a algunos de los personajes que van apareciendo, por ejemplo, Madelaine es protagonista de dos títulos de una serie anexa a la del vampiro protagonista. En siguientes entregas, Saint Germain nos hace ser público de diferentes épocas y acontecimientos históricos: la caída de Nerón, la primera guerra mundial, la reforma italiana... etc.. Así que aparte de novela de terror hay que añadirle la etiqueta de histórica.

Respecto al libro leído, deciros que está separado en tres partes: La primera lleva el título del protagonista: Le comte de Saint Germain, donde escena tras escena iremos conociendo a este singular personaje mientras la trama satánica se va desarrollando poco a poco. La segunda parte, titulada Madelaine Roxanne Bertrande de Montalia, nos acerca más a la historia de amor entre los protagonistas, así como la aceptación de ser el centro de atención de la trama de terror. Y la tercera y última parte está dedicada a Le Baron Clotaire Odon Jules Valince Pieux de Sant Sebastien, donde se erige como el típico malvado en busca del poder supremo y donde se revelan los planes que tiene para la protagonista femenina.

El estilo del libro es divino. La autora maneja el arte de la sutileza con destreza y es un libro con el que he disfrutado una barbaridad. Cada capítulo nos regala como introducción una carta o nota al estilo del Drácula de Stoker o Las amistades peligrosas de Choderlos de Laclos (imprescindibles de la literatura) . Y me dejo en el tintero las escenas con el gremio de alquimistas, la cantidad de detalles sobre la figura del vampiro (el no tener reflejo, el no poder cruzar un puente, etc...)

Supongo que después de tanta cháchara os preguntareis el porqué ha obtenido cuatro gatitos y no cinco. Bien, os lo diré. La sutileza constante durante todo el libro, se va de golpe y porrazo en las últimas páginas cuando en una carta al padre de Madelaine, cuentan con pelos y señales lo que le va a ocurrir a su amada hija. Entiendo que la ocasión merece algo escabroso, pero es que me dejó de piedra. Ese detalle unido a las escasas páginas dedicadas a la batalla final donde os puedo asegurar que no me enteré en ningún momento como se las arregló el vampiro para deshacerse de sus enemigos. He leído escenas de lucha que parecían coreografías de Fama o una partida de twister (leeros cualquier libro de Salvatore y su elfo Drizzt) pero lo de esta novela es para alucinar. Sin sacar los colmillos, sin armas ni nada, acaban todos por los suelos o arrinconados. No me pregunteis como..

No me queda mas que recomedar esta novela a todos, sobre todo a los fanaticos de los vampiros ya que es una visión totalmente diferente a la que nos han acostumbrado. Y para todos aquellos que están cansados de tanto vampiro adolescente puede ser un soplo de aire fresco.
Atreveros a descubrir a este misterioso personaje porque no os vais a arrepentir.(less)

3 likes · like · see review

« previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 … 75 76 next »

new topic
Discuss This Book

There are no discussion topics on this book yet. Be the first to start one »

Recommend it | Stats | Recent status updates

combine
Other Editions (2)

More editions...

Genres

Paranormal > Vampires

94 users

Historical Fiction

41 users

Fantasy

31 users

Fantasy > Paranormal

27 users

Horror

25 users

Romance > Paranormal Romance

11 users

Romance

9 users

Romance > Historical Romance

6 users

Cultural > France

5 users

Fantasy > Urban Fantasy

5 users

See top shelves...

Readers also enjoyed similar books

The Dracula Tape
by Fred Saberhagen
Of Saints and Shadows
by Christopher Golden
Those Who Hunt the Night
by Barbara Hambly
Red Death
by P.N. Elrod
The Hunger
by Whitley Strieber

About Chelsea Quinn Yarbro

Chelsea Quinn Yarbro is one of only two women ever to be named Grand Master, at the World Horror Convention (2003). She was given the Living Legend Award from the International Horror Guild at World Fantasy Con in 2006 (first woman to receive it). In 2009, she received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Horror Writers Assn. at their convention in Burbank CA. She is the recipient of the Fine F...more

More about Chelsea Quinn Yarbro...

Books by Chelsea Quinn Yarbro

Path of the Eclipse (Saint-Germain series, #4)

A Flame in Byzantium (Atta Olivia Clemens series #1)

The Saint-Germain Chronicles (Saint-Germain series, #6)

More…

Share This Book

Facebook Twitter Your website

Trivia About Hotel "Transylwania"

No trivia or quizzes yet. Add some now »

title link	preview: Hôtel Transylvania: A Novel of Forbidden Love
avg rating	preview: Hôtel Transylvania: A Novel of Forbidden Love Goodreads rating: 3.76 (992 ratings)
small image	preview: click here [close]
med image	preview: click here [close]
BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1062236.H_tel_Transylvania?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1223771409l/1062236.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1062236.H_tel_Transylvania?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]Hôtel Transylvania: A Novel of Forbidden Love by Chelsea Quinn Yarbro[/url]

Hôtel Transylvania: A Novel of Forbidden Love (Saint-Germain #1)

Friend Reviews

Community Reviews

Share This Book

Share This Book on Your Website