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Classic World of Darkness Fiction
Vampire: Dark Prince
The vampire Sullivan prowls the streets of San Francisco looking for human blood, but when competing clans entangle him in their schemes, he is accused of vampire cannibalism and discovers how quickly the hunter can become the hunted.
272 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1994
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
February 1, 2024
DARK PRINCE by Keith Herber is the first full-length novel for the World of Darkness and, more specifically, VAMPIRE: THE MASQUERADE setting. It was published in 1994 and introduced the character of Vannevar Thomas. It also imagined a complicated interlocking web of undead politics taking place behind closed doors in San Fransisco.
Dark Prince would have a single sequel in PRINCE OF THE CITY before having a lot of its lore retconned or ignored in SAN FRANSISCO BY NIGHT. Later, it would be recanonized with Jason Carl's fantastic LA BY NIGHT incorporating some of the characters as well as their lore. The book would be out of print for about two decades, not even available on RPGNow in PDF form, until Crossroad Press re-released it in 2024.
With that history lesson out of the way, I'm going to admit my horrible bias towards this book. I read this book when it first came out in 1994 and would buy it used a couple of more times. It's not just a good Vampire: The Masquerade story or even a good vampire story but a good novel period. It's gritty, dark, and incorporates all of the weirdness of the World of Darkness without requiring any knowledge of the setting beforehand.
Indeed, that is probably my main selling point for Dark Prince. The lore of tabletop RPGs, especially the World of Darkness, is often impenetrable to outsiders. You either get too much of it and can't enjoy it unless you're already a player like the Clan Novels or they just go with the vampire horror element ala WALK AMONG US and you don't have enough to differentiate it. Here, the story manages to capture the interlocking web of politics, horror, and characterization to make a perfect example of what Vampire: The Masquerade should be. Just one small problem: the main character is a complete scumbag. Another is, well, let's just say this isn't necessarily the most culturally sensitive book in the world either.
The premise is San Fransisco in 1994 where a particularly scummy Caitiff vampire named Sullivan is intimidating sex workers under his control and shaking them down for twenties. Sullivan works for the Family, a group of Chinese vampires who have been working the docks since the 19th century and don't seem to follow the Cainite clan structure but are still able to make their own. Sullivan is neither particularly smart nor insightful but he's doggedly loyal. So much so that the Family has kept him on despite the fact they only Embraced him as an intermediary with the white criminal element.
Unfortunately, for Sullivan, Kindred power games don't care if you're loyal or not and he's soon set up as a traitor to the mysterious Grandfather. Sullivan finds himself bouncing from one faction to the next in San Fransisco, trying to find someone who will protect him from his sire. This includes the Anarchs, Prince, Primogen, old friends, and even older enemies. Sullivan soon finds out that his banal street level of evil has nothing on elder vampires or the Sabbat. He also finds himself shamed by vampires who actually tried to help others during the AIDS crisis among other human tragedies.
Dark Prince knows how to keep a careful balance between lore and character development. Garou, hunters, a frigging Bane, and (arguably) the Kuei-Jin show up in the book but you're never overwhelmed. The focus is entirely on Sullivan realizing he's wasted his vampire life and debating whether or not he should try to become a better person or pursue something more meaningful than being the exact sort of low level scum he's been for a century. As you might guess, power and prestige don't go well with personal growth. Neither does maintaining any sense of freedom or command over your own destiny.
I really recommend this book if you want to get started in the World of Darkness but also note that, well, the lead is a scummy pimp who only begins to become someone you don't want to see staked for the sun later on. Also, there's the koala scene. Let's just say that the Sabbat don't get any sympathy in this book. They're very much of the irredeemable monster interpretation even if they talk a good game about freedom.
Dark Prince would have a single sequel in PRINCE OF THE CITY before having a lot of its lore retconned or ignored in SAN FRANSISCO BY NIGHT. Later, it would be recanonized with Jason Carl's fantastic LA BY NIGHT incorporating some of the characters as well as their lore. The book would be out of print for about two decades, not even available on RPGNow in PDF form, until Crossroad Press re-released it in 2024.
With that history lesson out of the way, I'm going to admit my horrible bias towards this book. I read this book when it first came out in 1994 and would buy it used a couple of more times. It's not just a good Vampire: The Masquerade story or even a good vampire story but a good novel period. It's gritty, dark, and incorporates all of the weirdness of the World of Darkness without requiring any knowledge of the setting beforehand.
Indeed, that is probably my main selling point for Dark Prince. The lore of tabletop RPGs, especially the World of Darkness, is often impenetrable to outsiders. You either get too much of it and can't enjoy it unless you're already a player like the Clan Novels or they just go with the vampire horror element ala WALK AMONG US and you don't have enough to differentiate it. Here, the story manages to capture the interlocking web of politics, horror, and characterization to make a perfect example of what Vampire: The Masquerade should be. Just one small problem: the main character is a complete scumbag. Another is, well, let's just say this isn't necessarily the most culturally sensitive book in the world either.
The premise is San Fransisco in 1994 where a particularly scummy Caitiff vampire named Sullivan is intimidating sex workers under his control and shaking them down for twenties. Sullivan works for the Family, a group of Chinese vampires who have been working the docks since the 19th century and don't seem to follow the Cainite clan structure but are still able to make their own. Sullivan is neither particularly smart nor insightful but he's doggedly loyal. So much so that the Family has kept him on despite the fact they only Embraced him as an intermediary with the white criminal element.
Unfortunately, for Sullivan, Kindred power games don't care if you're loyal or not and he's soon set up as a traitor to the mysterious Grandfather. Sullivan finds himself bouncing from one faction to the next in San Fransisco, trying to find someone who will protect him from his sire. This includes the Anarchs, Prince, Primogen, old friends, and even older enemies. Sullivan soon finds out that his banal street level of evil has nothing on elder vampires or the Sabbat. He also finds himself shamed by vampires who actually tried to help others during the AIDS crisis among other human tragedies.
Dark Prince knows how to keep a careful balance between lore and character development. Garou, hunters, a frigging Bane, and (arguably) the Kuei-Jin show up in the book but you're never overwhelmed. The focus is entirely on Sullivan realizing he's wasted his vampire life and debating whether or not he should try to become a better person or pursue something more meaningful than being the exact sort of low level scum he's been for a century. As you might guess, power and prestige don't go well with personal growth. Neither does maintaining any sense of freedom or command over your own destiny.
I really recommend this book if you want to get started in the World of Darkness but also note that, well, the lead is a scummy pimp who only begins to become someone you don't want to see staked for the sun later on. Also, there's the koala scene. Let's just say that the Sabbat don't get any sympathy in this book. They're very much of the irredeemable monster interpretation even if they talk a good game about freedom.
May 17, 2025
This book was a delightful surprise. For vampire fiction written in the mid-'90s, it's very much on point with modern vampire fiction. This book, based in San Francisco, covers the 1840s to the present day. Very much written as a penny-dreadful, this gritty, dark tale had me looped in at the first word. This book and its sequel (Prince of the City) are fantastic. If you just like period supernatural fiction, grab this one even if you're not really into vampires. It's a darn good book. Spooky as all get out. I only wish there were more books in this series.
I wasn't aware that this book had anything to do with a vampire RPG when I listened to the audiobook of this title, so I can't comment on that aspect of this book.
I wasn't aware that this book had anything to do with a vampire RPG when I listened to the audiobook of this title, so I can't comment on that aspect of this book.
September 30, 2025
I am a lifelong fan of vampire novels, but this one just wasn't for me. The whole vampire mythos was hidden somewhere among a game of vampire factions/clans/families. I got lost trying to follow the numerous groups and names.
The MC, Sullivan, seemed to be awfully naive for being such an old vampire. Trusting various heads of families only to be double-crossed, he should have known better! Also, I felt like there was some hidden background behind this book that I missed. Maybe this was a continuation of a series or something...I just don't know.
The narrator did a pretty good job and held my attention. His different voices at least helped me some in my confusion with the huge cast of characters.
The MC, Sullivan, seemed to be awfully naive for being such an old vampire. Trusting various heads of families only to be double-crossed, he should have known better! Also, I felt like there was some hidden background behind this book that I missed. Maybe this was a continuation of a series or something...I just don't know.
The narrator did a pretty good job and held my attention. His different voices at least helped me some in my confusion with the huge cast of characters.
November 9, 2019
I liked the characters, but it is an okay book, the story is passable, there is some cool actions, but you feel like there is something missing, it has some elements from world of darkness but the interesting bits like powers are never used by the main characters, kinda frustrating, but again its an okay book.
September 9, 2022
Not sure why everyone is so bummed by this little trash vampire novel with its Fear Street looking cover. Dark Prince follows the exploits of a vampire named Sullivan and his connection to the Prince of San Francisco, Vannevar Thomas. Sullivan was turned by the devious Family, a group of vampires in Chinatown under control of a mysterious vampire called the Grandfather. With its connection to Vampire the Masquerade, Dark Prince does a fine job of giving you seedy vampire action of low literary style. If you expect more look elsewhere.
September 4, 2016
This is an excellent example of a licensed novel that's just okay. The story is okay, and references to the subject material are there but mostly feel unnecessary. And much like other okay licensed novels, at there can be what feels like excessive exposition if you're familiar with the source material, and probably not enough if you're completely unfamiliar with it.
October 27, 2013
As best I can tell, the author didn't have anything but the most basic knowledge of Vampire: the Masquerade. Without the intricacies of the World of Darkness, this just comes off as a lazy and somewhat ridiculous vampire book.
December 3, 2012
Very scattered novel - a lot of potential but it has a very winding throughline.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews