What do you think?
Rate this book
Some Kindred believe the Malkavians mad pretenders to authentic visions. Other Kindred believe it mad to pretend that Malkavian visions bear no truth. Among all Malkavians, Anatole is most infamous for his apocalyptic insights. As he follows the path of Leopold, does he take strides toward the end of all Kindred?
288 pages, Paperback
First published April 13, 2000
17 people are currently reading
432 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
October 22, 2009
Most of the books in this series have been no better than mediocre; the series, being thirteen books long, is rapidly getting interminable, but I'm stubborn enough that I'll finish it. (I'll be very glad when I do, though.)
This book, in particular, is weaker than most in the series, due in part, I suppose, to the fact that it actually tried to be more than it was capable of being: given that it is the clan novel for the Malkavians, it was inevitable that the attempt would be made to do a Faulknerian telling of a story through the eyes of a madman. I've read "The Sound and the Fury", not to mention Kesey's "One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest" (which is told stream of consciousness through the eyes of what I suppose would qualify as an autistic paranoid) and was impressed by the first and loved the latter. What I have to say about this book is twofold: one, Stewart Wieck is no Faulkner or Kesey, and two, it is therefore fortunate that only about a third of this book is told from the perspective of the main Malkavian character; those parts of it are just about unreadable; the rest of the book is what salvages a second star for it. It didn't help that the very first chapter was from Anatole's perspective; I almost put the book down as a lost cause right there.
This book, in particular, is weaker than most in the series, due in part, I suppose, to the fact that it actually tried to be more than it was capable of being: given that it is the clan novel for the Malkavians, it was inevitable that the attempt would be made to do a Faulknerian telling of a story through the eyes of a madman. I've read "The Sound and the Fury", not to mention Kesey's "One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest" (which is told stream of consciousness through the eyes of what I suppose would qualify as an autistic paranoid) and was impressed by the first and loved the latter. What I have to say about this book is twofold: one, Stewart Wieck is no Faulkner or Kesey, and two, it is therefore fortunate that only about a third of this book is told from the perspective of the main Malkavian character; those parts of it are just about unreadable; the rest of the book is what salvages a second star for it. It didn't help that the very first chapter was from Anatole's perspective; I almost put the book down as a lost cause right there.
December 14, 2019
Es complicado cuando gran parte de los personajes estan locos, y hacer con ellos una narrativa interesante.
En este caso me costó mucho la primera mitad del libro y la segunda tenia algunas partes interesantes, no por merito propio sino por conectar con algunas de las anteriores novelas que en definitiva son mejores que esta.
Un libro olvidable dentro de esta saga.
En este caso me costó mucho la primera mitad del libro y la segunda tenia algunas partes interesantes, no por merito propio sino por conectar con algunas de las anteriores novelas que en definitiva son mejores que esta.
Un libro olvidable dentro de esta saga.
April 23, 2015
Ενδιαφέρουσα ιδέα το τι προσπαθούν να κάνουν (να αποδώσουν τα οράματα ενος τρελού προφήτη παράλληλα με την αφήγηση) αλλά η υλοποίηση είναι ένας αχταρμας.
June 25, 2019
What to expect when you read a book about Malkavians?
Confusion, madness, crazy storyline.
THAT'S what you get in this one.
It's not for everyone, but I enjoyed it very much!
Loved the characters too!
Confusion, madness, crazy storyline.
THAT'S what you get in this one.
It's not for everyone, but I enjoyed it very much!
Loved the characters too!
January 4, 2019
I am blogging the reviews to this whole series.
It starts here:
http://pseudopod.org/2018/10/25/the-c...
And for this book:
http://pseudopod.org/2019/01/03/the-c...
It starts here:
http://pseudopod.org/2018/10/25/the-c...
And for this book:
http://pseudopod.org/2019/01/03/the-c...
January 8, 2024
The Librarian Recommends...
This book felt like it was a labor to write: tying together strings that have been dangling in this series for eight previous books, multiple unreliable narrators, and a main POV that is from an insane prophet's first-person.
It was, unfortunately, a labor to read. I want to know what happens next, of course, but it took me considerably longer to finish this book than any of the previous ones. Wieck is gifted at world building (as evidenced by his co-creation of the World Of Darkness setting and games), but the madness aspect of the Malkavians definitely made it hard to work through. I suspect that they're far easier to play in RPG as a single character than they are as a clan in an overarching storyline.
The Grammar Snob...
Has surprisingly little to say. Aside from some minor Kindle formatting errors and what are obvious errors in transcribing from the original ('rn' becoming 'm', for example), the book reads well from a structural standpoint.
Final Judgment?
The weakest entry in the series so far. But it isn't enough to stop me from continuing on.
This book felt like it was a labor to write: tying together strings that have been dangling in this series for eight previous books, multiple unreliable narrators, and a main POV that is from an insane prophet's first-person.
It was, unfortunately, a labor to read. I want to know what happens next, of course, but it took me considerably longer to finish this book than any of the previous ones. Wieck is gifted at world building (as evidenced by his co-creation of the World Of Darkness setting and games), but the madness aspect of the Malkavians definitely made it hard to work through. I suspect that they're far easier to play in RPG as a single character than they are as a clan in an overarching storyline.
The Grammar Snob...
Has surprisingly little to say. Aside from some minor Kindle formatting errors and what are obvious errors in transcribing from the original ('rn' becoming 'm', for example), the book reads well from a structural standpoint.
Final Judgment?
The weakest entry in the series so far. But it isn't enough to stop me from continuing on.
July 18, 2018
Full review here:
http://jamesgenrebooks.blogspot.com/2...
Better than I remember it being, likely due to having read the series previously, and reading the series without months between volumes.
http://jamesgenrebooks.blogspot.com/2...
Better than I remember it being, likely due to having read the series previously, and reading the series without months between volumes.
December 4, 2015
I think Anatole is my favorite character from the series.
I know there are clips of stories in other books her Anatole, Lucinde and Beckett. I would like a novel series about just them!
I know there are clips of stories in other books her Anatole, Lucinde and Beckett. I would like a novel series about just them!
November 22, 2025
CLAN NOVEL: MALKAVIAN by Stewart Wieck is the ninth novel of the Clan Novel series. The Clan Novel series of VAMPIRE: THE MASQUERADE and the larger World of Darkness was an attempt to do a round robin kind of story that illustrated each of the thirteen clans. Some of the books were great, others so-so, and others still have complicated feelings from me. This is one of the complicated ones as I think it's a great book in some parts and downright incomprehensible in others.
The premise is Anatole, the Prophet of Gehenna, is an eight hundred year old Kindred who is driven by his incomprehensible visions. His companion, who is unnamed in the book and may not even exist, follows him around as Anatole attempts to figure out how the current events fit into the larger road to the apocalypse. Meanwhile, Prince Benison of Atlanta awakens from torpor and plots his revenge against the Sabbat. Simultaneously, Victoria Ash returns to Atlanta with the goal of executing her former torturer.
Anatole is one of my favorite characters in Vampire: The Masquerade but he's barely recognizable here. He claims to have lost his faith but there's no real reason given for this and he still largely acts as a religious person. While I could figure out most of the metaphors and how they related to the larger Clan Novels, I have to say the Anatole portions were the least enjoyable part of the story. Surprisingly, I most enjoyed the Benison portions even as he was a former Confederate general. Benison wanting to avenge his dead wife was the most coherent motivation throughout the book.
Victoria Ash is almost always 100% entertaining in any book she appears in. Her narcissistic personality mixed with the fact she can almost back up all of her claims of being the loveliest creature on Earth (as well as a ruthless predator) are endlessly amusing. Sadly, the book seems unwilling to let her actually succeed in her plans. The story also engages in manipulative revelations, giving false information about her relationship to Leopold that just serves to try to obfuscate later twists in the story.
When Crossroad Press was contracted to reprint all of the original World of Darkness fiction in 2023, the Clan Novels were the first of the books to come out. There was also the attempt to do audiobooks for all of them. As a guy who experienced the books when they first came out in paperback form, I am doing my reread with both the ebook and audiobook editions.
Of the two, I think the book is best experienced in audiobook format. Michael T. Bradley does a good job of narrating the various sections of the Clan Novel as well as the many individual characters. I think this is the best way to enjoy the entirety of the Clan Novels and while I enjoyed the books in text form in the Nineties, I feel they're something fantastic in listened form.
In conclusion, Malkavian isn't my favorite of the Clan Novels. It has a lot going for it but it tries a little too hard to make Anatole's sections completely incomprehensible and full of metaphor versus actually giving him a personality to enjoy. Despite this, we're almost to the end of the series and a lot of plot points are finally coming to a close. The clan novels were a fascinating experience in tabletop gaming fiction and one that I still recommend decades later.
The premise is Anatole, the Prophet of Gehenna, is an eight hundred year old Kindred who is driven by his incomprehensible visions. His companion, who is unnamed in the book and may not even exist, follows him around as Anatole attempts to figure out how the current events fit into the larger road to the apocalypse. Meanwhile, Prince Benison of Atlanta awakens from torpor and plots his revenge against the Sabbat. Simultaneously, Victoria Ash returns to Atlanta with the goal of executing her former torturer.
Anatole is one of my favorite characters in Vampire: The Masquerade but he's barely recognizable here. He claims to have lost his faith but there's no real reason given for this and he still largely acts as a religious person. While I could figure out most of the metaphors and how they related to the larger Clan Novels, I have to say the Anatole portions were the least enjoyable part of the story. Surprisingly, I most enjoyed the Benison portions even as he was a former Confederate general. Benison wanting to avenge his dead wife was the most coherent motivation throughout the book.
Victoria Ash is almost always 100% entertaining in any book she appears in. Her narcissistic personality mixed with the fact she can almost back up all of her claims of being the loveliest creature on Earth (as well as a ruthless predator) are endlessly amusing. Sadly, the book seems unwilling to let her actually succeed in her plans. The story also engages in manipulative revelations, giving false information about her relationship to Leopold that just serves to try to obfuscate later twists in the story.
When Crossroad Press was contracted to reprint all of the original World of Darkness fiction in 2023, the Clan Novels were the first of the books to come out. There was also the attempt to do audiobooks for all of them. As a guy who experienced the books when they first came out in paperback form, I am doing my reread with both the ebook and audiobook editions.
Of the two, I think the book is best experienced in audiobook format. Michael T. Bradley does a good job of narrating the various sections of the Clan Novel as well as the many individual characters. I think this is the best way to enjoy the entirety of the Clan Novels and while I enjoyed the books in text form in the Nineties, I feel they're something fantastic in listened form.
In conclusion, Malkavian isn't my favorite of the Clan Novels. It has a lot going for it but it tries a little too hard to make Anatole's sections completely incomprehensible and full of metaphor versus actually giving him a personality to enjoy. Despite this, we're almost to the end of the series and a lot of plot points are finally coming to a close. The clan novels were a fascinating experience in tabletop gaming fiction and one that I still recommend decades later.
August 29, 2021
Reading Clan novels requires prior knowledge of the Dark World lore. The Malkavian novel particularly stands out in this regard, since even being familiar with the clan and prior events does not make it easy to decipher the ravings of a madman with multipersonal identity disorder. And that is exactly what more than a half of the book is - an insight into the mind of Anatole, the Prophet of Gehenna. This is my least favourite clan book, even the Tzimisce novel was better in my opinion. The only redeeming parts are the scenes with Victoria Ash and another Malkavian, Prince Benison. Hopefully, the next books will be better, as the events around Leopold and the Eye of Hazimel are about to enter the final stage.
October 16, 2020
Well that got weird, in a decent way
The story is interesting and the pacing is handled really well. The characters within this clan are also suitably weird. However, there is one thing that lowered the rating for me. The random shifts in narration make things very disjointed and awkward.
The story is interesting and the pacing is handled really well. The characters within this clan are also suitably weird. However, there is one thing that lowered the rating for me. The random shifts in narration make things very disjointed and awkward.
January 30, 2013
This is the way the world ends...
...... not with a bang, but a great sucking sound. This is the last volume in the 13 clan series set in the World of Darkness, home to the Vampire the Masquerade role playing system. Stewart Wieck is a great author who is intimately involved with the VTM system. This last novel answers many questions, but raises many more, tying together many storylines, and leaving plenty of room for creative/malevolent storytellers to draw their own conclusions on the fate of the bloodsuckers.
If you are just beginning this series, don't read this one first, but it is possible to read it out of order.
...... not with a bang, but a great sucking sound. This is the last volume in the 13 clan series set in the World of Darkness, home to the Vampire the Masquerade role playing system. Stewart Wieck is a great author who is intimately involved with the VTM system. This last novel answers many questions, but raises many more, tying together many storylines, and leaving plenty of room for creative/malevolent storytellers to draw their own conclusions on the fate of the bloodsuckers.
If you are just beginning this series, don't read this one first, but it is possible to read it out of order.
January 13, 2016
It's been a while since I read the last book in this series but I think this was a good jumping in place. Anatole, in the weird way only a Malk could do, talked about what had happened previously and added in more insight to them (in a weird ass visions of animals and old gods kind of way). It also reintroduced Victoria and the General who'd been missing from most of the past books.
I think my favorite Clan novels have all been by Stewart Wieck, and this one was crazy in a completely 'what the hell' kind of way and action packed. One of the best.
I think my favorite Clan novels have all been by Stewart Wieck, and this one was crazy in a completely 'what the hell' kind of way and action packed. One of the best.
October 15, 2014
Composed of interleaved reality and Malkavian reverie sequences, while moving the whole storyline forward, this book is a hard bullet to dodge. During the sections where Anatole's visions prevail, I couldn't help myself skipping ahead after trying to read but a few words. As the madness that haunts them, this book becomes hard to follow, understand or (in my view) care much about. It only manages to be saved by the sequences that take place in reality.
June 21, 2013
Quite confusing, as to be expected from a Malkavian novel.
I read it a second time (after completing the enitre series) and found it a lot better on the second read through.
I really advise people to read this one very shortly after reading the previous novels. Waiting to long will make it very hard to get the references made in this book.
I read it a second time (after completing the enitre series) and found it a lot better on the second read through.
I really advise people to read this one very shortly after reading the previous novels. Waiting to long will make it very hard to get the references made in this book.
February 14, 2011
This is a fantastic series if you are a fan or player of the Vampire the Masquerade Table Top game. I gave it a 3 because I don't recomend this series to those who are not.
February 22, 2019
What was that? Although, expected for the Malkavians
Read
July 30, 2012I love the Malkavians so much.
September 16, 2014
Reseña en proceso
March 2, 2014
The Malkavians are a clan of deranged pranksters, which makes for an entertaining read.
May 26, 2014
It's a good book once you get past the fact it's written in first person from time to time... And when the first person perspective is from a "mad-man" it makes it difficult to get into.
April 28, 2019
After reading this clan novel, I began to like the Malkavians more. I liked other books in the series more though.
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews