From Publishers Weekly
The long-suffering vampire Count Saint-Germain turns up in 16th-century Peru in this latest installment (after Darker Jewels) in a series that began with Hotel Transylvania in 1978. Although Saint-Germain hopes to live quietly in this land where a monolithic Church is systematically destroying the remnants of Inca culture, his eccentric interests immediately mark him as an outsider. The local clergy believe his medical knowledge is evidence of witchcraft; those rumors are inflamed when Saint-Germain befriends a woman said to be the last of a once-powerful family of Inca priests and nobles. Side plots present priests vying for supremacy in the Church hierarchy and fortune-hunting Spaniards seeking legendary Inca treasure. As usual with Yarbro, the tone here is old-fashioned, the pace slow, with mood and character, not action, of paramount concern. Saint-Germain's vampirism is low key; his presence acts mainly as a catalyst for the treacheries around him. Those who enjoy well-researched historical fiction will relish the detailed setting and the tangled plottings of the churchmen and secular agents whose mortal lives brush against that of the immortal undead. Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.


From Booklist
TITLR Yarbro, Chelsea Quinn. Yarbro's best-known creation, the vampire count of Saint-Germain, here travels to mid-seventeenth-century Spanish America. As always, he is hoping (as always, in vain) for a refuge from those who pursue and persecute vampires, and he is curious about the indigenous civilization, rapidly vanishing under the onslaught of the Europeans. Inevitably, he must contend with stupidity, cupidity, and cruelty on the parts of ordinary Europeans and the all-powerful Inquisition. Yarbro delivers so much historical data that it slows the pace, and the plot really does not differ much from those of the last few Saint-Germain romances, for her vampire can only work justice, love mercy, and take no unwilling partners. In spite of these drawbacks, the comparatively unexplored setting and Yarbro's genuine historical gifts make this one livelier reading than most recent entries in the series.


From Kirkus Reviews
An addition to Yarbro's noteworthy series about the immortal vampire Count Saint-Germain (Better in the Dark, 1993, etc.). Here, in 1640, the Count takes up residence in Cuzco, Peru, in order to learn what he can of Inca civilization before it's totally destroyed by its Spanish conquerors. Acanna Tupac, the middle-aged, last pure-blooded scion of the Inca royal house, soon becomes the object of the Count's attentions. Meantime, the Portuguese nobleman Dom Enrique and his cohorts, with the connivance of the Spanish- -intending to despoil the Incas of the last of their hidden treasure, despite Acanna Tupac's denial that any such thing exists- -invade Acanna Tupac's house and molest her. The Count comes to her rescue, thereby earning the enmity of Dom Enrique and the Spanish. And soon, the saintly Saint-Germain, with his herbs and anatomical knowledge, heals the sick and injured, even the natives--thus condemning himself as a heretic and sorcerer. Fatefully, the last Inca High Priest dies; Acanna Tupac, seeing no hope for her people despite her love for Saint-Germain and his offer of vampirical immortality, dons ritual dress and commits suicide. The Spanish quickly attempt to arrest the Count, who flees with his faithful servant, Rogerio, his dwindling supplies of native earth, and a map supplied by Acanna Tupac. In the high mountains, he hopes to find temporary refuge in a monastery. Another illuminating and satisfying episode in the life of Saint-Germain. His historical range is much wider than Lestat's- -although, perhaps because of this particular cultural milieu and its inescapable implications, somewhat predictable. -- Copyright ©1996, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.


Review
"Yarbro's creation, Count Saint-Germain, has evolved into quite an intriguing character as her novels have followed his adventures through the centuries. He's far more introspective and ethical than Anne Rice's more famous and flamboyant vampire, Lestat." --Amarillo Globe-News

"Take the time to read one of the Saint-Germain stories and you'll be grateful. You'll also be hooked for life." --Scripps Howard News Service



Review
"Yarbro's creation, Count Saint-Germain, has evolved into quite an intriguing character as her novels have followed his adventures through the centuries. He's far more introspective and ethical than Anne Rice's more famous and flamboyant vampire, Lestat." --Amarillo Globe-News

"Take the time to read one of the Saint-Germain stories and you'll be grateful. You'll also be hooked for life." --Scripps Howard News Service



Book Description
Ambitious in its scope and provocative in its content, the saga of Count Saint-Germain is a monumental feat of the imagination. Chelsea Quinn Yarbro's powerful and evocative novels have captured Saint-Germain throughout his long existence, from the temples of ancient Eygpt to our present century.

Now the count's endless travels bring him to seventeenth-century Peru, where he finds solace for his loneliness in the arms of an Incan priestess. But mighty Spain has conquered the Incan people--and brought the dreaded attention of the Holy Inquisition to the New World.



About the Author
Chelsea Quinn Yarbro's interests range from music--she composes and has studied seven different instruments as well as voice--to history, from horseback riding to needlepoint. Her writing is similarly wide-ranging; under her own name and pseudonyms, she has written everything from westerns to mysteries, from science fiction to nonfiction history.

Yarbro's critically-acclaimed historical horror novels featuring the Count Saint-Germain, including Hotel Transylvania, A Feast in Exile, Communion Blood, and Night Blooming, have a loyal readership. Chelsea Quinn Yarbro has always lived in California and currently makes her home in the Berkeley area.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

Ambitious in its scope and provocative in its content, the saga of the undying Count Saint-Germain is a monumental feat of the imagination that rivals the Vampire Chronicles of Anne Rice. Chelsea Quinn Yarbro's powerful and evocative novels have captured Saint-Germain throughout his long existence, from the temples of ancient Egypt to our present century. Now the Count's endless travels bring him to seventeenth-century Peru, where he finds passion, as well as solace for his loneliness, in the arms of Acanna Tupac, daughter of the vanquished Incan royalty. Mighty Spain has conquered Acanna's people and brought the dreaded attention of the Holy Inquisition to the New World, and both the vampire and the Incan noblewoman find themselves trapped in increasingly precarious times. But even greater torments await Saint-Germain when he is forced to flee Peru into the uncharted wilderness to the north. Far from civilization, he encounters a bizarre and enigmatic people who practice a strange and distorted form of Christianity. There, accompanied by his faithful servant and a superstitious native maiden, he must face the most agonizing ordeal he has ever endured.

FROM THE CRITICS

Publishers Weekly

The long-suffering vampire Count Saint-Germain turns up in 16th-century Peru in this latest installment (after Darker Jewels) in a series that began with Hotel Transylvania in 1978. Although Saint-Germain hopes to live quietly in this land where a monolithic Church is systematically destroying the remnants of Inca culture, his eccentric interests immediately mark him as an outsider. The local clergy believe his medical knowledge is evidence of witchcraft; those rumors are inflamed when Saint-Germain befriends a woman said to be the last of a once-powerful family of Inca priests and nobles. Side plots present priests vying for supremacy in the Church hierarchy and fortune-hunting Spaniards seeking legendary Inca treasure. As usual with Yarbro, the tone here is old-fashioned, the pace slow, with mood and character, not action, of paramount concern. Saint-Germain's vampirism is low key; his presence acts mainly as a catalyst for the treacheries around him. Those who enjoy well-researched historical fiction will relish the detailed setting and the tangled plottings of the churchmen and secular agents whose mortal lives brush against that of the immortal undead. (Aug.)

Kirkus Reviews

An addition to Yarbro's noteworthy series about the immortal vampire Count Saint-Germain (Better in the Dark, 1993, etc.). Here, in 1640, the Count takes up residence in Cuzco, Peru, in order to learn what he can of Inca civilization before it's totally destroyed by its Spanish conquerors. Acanna Tupac, the middle-aged, last pure-blooded scion of the Inca royal house, soon becomes the object of the Count's attentions. Meantime, the Portuguese nobleman Dom Enrique and his cohorts, with the connivance of the Spanish—intending to despoil the Incas of the last of their hidden treasure, despite Acanna Tupac's denial that any such thing exists—invade Acanna Tupac's house and molest her. The Count comes to her rescue, thereby earning the enmity of Dom Enrique and the Spanish. And soon, the saintly Saint-Germain, with his herbs and anatomical knowledge, heals the sick and injured, even the natives—thus condemning himself as a heretic and sorcerer. Fatefully, the last Inca High Priest dies; Acanna Tupac, seeing no hope for her people despite her love for Saint-Germain and his offer of vampirical immortality, dons ritual dress and commits suicide. The Spanish quickly attempt to arrest the Count, who flees with his faithful servant, Rogerio, his dwindling supplies of native earth, and a map supplied by Acanna Tupac. In the high mountains, he hopes to find temporary refuge in a monastery.

Another illuminating and satisfying episode in the life of Saint-Germain. His historical range is much wider than Lestat's—although, perhaps because of this particular cultural milieu and its inescapable implications, somewhat predictable.