Dark Ages Assamite [ペーパーバック]

Many years ago I was introduced briefly to WoD Vampire lore by a friend who actually participated in the roleplaying game. As a layman I only retained a fraction of the information I was exposed to .... however a one of the things I remembered was that the Assamites were a clan of Vampire assassins. Period. End of lesson. Well, in this installment of the Vampire Dark Ages Clan series - you will learn that they are much more than simple killers for hire. You will learn that Assamite sorcerors exist and they are given a grudging level of respect as well as suspicion by their own clanmates. There are viziers, who appear to be the scholars of Alamut. Then there are the commonly known warriors, of which there are further classifications within this caste that denote status and level of skill in the deadly arts. Another interesting element of this book, is a Ventrue knight who struggles to reconcile his devout faith and chivalry with his vampiric nature. Gifted with the charisma and presence of his bloodline, this Cainite Crusader builds an army destined to reclaim the Holy Land. A group of Assamites are dispatched to ensure this does not happen. Paths cross and the unexpected results. It is a well-written story that could be used as a template for any genre, but uses the threads of human history, the struggle to find meaning and faith, and compelling characters to weave a story that is engaging and illuminating. In my opinion, these novels far surpass the previous series in quality and content. Do not let your experience with those books prevent you from reading these. If you are interested in Medieval history, this book and the other in the series will definitely prove worthwhile.

I thoroughly enjoyed this particular novel very much. It deals with three sects of the Assamite clan who call themselves Children of Haqim. I was amazed at how he put one of each of the sects together. I have always thought that the children of Haqim were more than the stereotypical assassin. Initially there is some conflict between their different points of view. How Stefan works it out is simply amazing. He even introduces a character with True Faith and how it affects the kindred around him. I liked how Sir Hugh, a kindred himself has a very strong sense of faith. All in all I will have to say that Stefan Petrucha is a master storyteller!

It never fails that, just when I think a Masquersade series is going to be all data and little play, along comes a book that surprises me with both a high level of action (for a World of Darkness book) and a well written and novel story line. Assamite is a notch above the norm on several accounts - far enough so that the book can pretty well stand on its own.

The Assamite in the center is called Amala, on of the deadly assassins who lair at Alumet. These vampires have strong ties with the Muslim faith and thus are the natural enemies of the Crusade. Amala, her companion Sihr Haddad, and Fajr, an itinerant of Amala's clan join to spy on the recent events at Constantinople and take whatever action will protect the faithful. You will also encounter the redoubtable Fatima al-Faqadi, who was th main character of the the previous Assamite volume in the first clan series.

This story could have also been titled Ventrue, after the clan of the vampire Knight Templar who draws Amala's attention and even manages to penetrate her discipline far enough to bring her to the edge of faltering. Sir Hugh of Clairvaux is of precisely the opposite disposition of faith than Amala. Not only is he deeply religious, but an encounter under Constantinople with a Lamia has left him convinced he is privy to Mary's own confidences. He has been inspired to take the Crusade to Egypt, which was the original target.

The relationshi between these two throws both into a crisis of faith as Amala finds Hugh quoting the Quran in his sleep, and Amala's pose as a simple vampire maid proves overwhelmingly attractive to Hugh. This creates tensions among both their followers, and the resulting novel is both complex and rich in character development. Expect more than a few surprising developments as well.

We have had two novels in a row that turn on religious issues in a time when spiritual belief was far more important to vampire society and the Masquerade was still a twinkling in the eyes of the clans. I hope the story develops in other directions as well, but I have to confess that this intensity serves as a reminder that, whatever else they are, most vampires still have a lot of human nature left to them. The players in this volume are very much children of their times as well as spooky creatures with beast centers.

There is a lot to enjoy and be intrigued by in this effort by Stefan Petrucha. If you are considering reading the series, this is probably a better start than Nosferatu, which is harder book to read.