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dawn_marie's review against another edition
1.0
The story of Peter Octavian starts out well enough; a Boston private detective (who happens to be a vampire) looks into the case of a missing woman quickly learning that her disappearance is linked to a series of strange murders. These murders somehow lead to a secret magical sect in the Church, a feud between vampire clans, an impending war among supernatural beings, and the most unrealistic love story ever. The novel suffers from not knowing what it wants to be: an urban fantasy, a romance, erotica, horror, or mystery.
michellewords's review against another edition
3.0
Here's the deal. I'm a very big fan of Christopher Golden. Since I was in high school, I sang his praises all the time. He's one of my favorite authors without competition. Yet, I hadn't read any of his early works.
The Shadow Saga is his first series and it's about vampires battling with the Roman Catholic Church. The Roman Catholic Church have this book called the Gospel of Shadows and it is it's own gospel about vampire history and their attempts to control the Defiant Ones/Vampires. The book goes missing and people on both sides of the issue are trying to find it before the other side. I'm 100% in on this story. His urban fantasy books are my FAVORITE.
Like a lot of his books, Of Saints and Shadows, is a very plot driven novel. The idea and premise of the book is super original. I haven't read anything like it before. The characters are pretty basic and there isn't a lot of visible depth.
It is his first published book-and it shows. That said, will I continue? I'll ask you another question. Will I continue to support one of my favorite authors in anything he writes?
That's a very big YES!
I plan on taking a little hiatus from the series, I have to make them last and I have a few other books that are a bit more timely right now.
The Shadow Saga is his first series and it's about vampires battling with the Roman Catholic Church. The Roman Catholic Church have this book called the Gospel of Shadows and it is it's own gospel about vampire history and their attempts to control the Defiant Ones/Vampires. The book goes missing and people on both sides of the issue are trying to find it before the other side. I'm 100% in on this story. His urban fantasy books are my FAVORITE.
Like a lot of his books, Of Saints and Shadows, is a very plot driven novel. The idea and premise of the book is super original. I haven't read anything like it before. The characters are pretty basic and there isn't a lot of visible depth.
It is his first published book-and it shows. That said, will I continue? I'll ask you another question. Will I continue to support one of my favorite authors in anything he writes?
That's a very big YES!
I plan on taking a little hiatus from the series, I have to make them last and I have a few other books that are a bit more timely right now.
rclz's review against another edition
2.0
This is the first book in Christopher Golden's Peter Octavian series and it's so far over the top that even I couldn't finish it. Wanted to, tried several time but just couldn't.
gnull's review against another edition
4.0
Another angle on vampires. This one was very exciting and enjoyable though I didn’t realize that it was written for adults who like a lot of gratuitous unnecessary graphic sex. I’m in it for the story.
alexctelander's review against another edition
4.0
Back in the 90’s, very pre-Twilight, when there was really only Anne Rice’s Vampire Chronicles to contend with, as well as a really bad movie called Buffy the Vampire Slayer, bestselling author Christopher Golden (Dead Ringers, Snowblind) penned a series of vampire novels known as The Shadow Saga that brings a whole new world, feel and sense to the vampire story. Featuring the vampire hero Peter Octavian, they are now being re-released. Also some of these vampires can go about in daylight, and no, they damn well don’t sparkle.
Vampires have been scorned by the Catholic church for centuries, and are referred to as the Defiant Ones, an abomination under the sight of God, so there are those within the church who do all they can to kill and eradicate the blood-suckers, even if it means using powerful, magical abilities that seem like a form a heresy. There is a book of the undead, the Gospel of Shadows, that holds the answers to wiping all of the them out once and for all. The book has been missing for some time, but has recently been discovered. Now the church is looking to get a hold of it and carry out a mission it has longed to complete for a very long time.
Peter Octavian is a Private Eye, he’s also a vampire with some impressive powers. Those powers help him solve the cases, though he tends to pretty much just work at night. He has separated and distanced himself from his vampire coven for some very specific reasons, but as a new case is brought to his attention, he realizes it has far-reaching ramifications. He’s sees that the Catholic Church is involved and what their plan is. He must make some big decisions and consider the costs.
Of Saints and Shadows is a vampire story that has a very different feel to it. With the P.I. angle, it feels a little like the TV show Angel, but in this world the vampire rules don’t always apply in the same way. Magic is also alive and well and those who can wield it can carry out some impressive feats. There are also demons – aren’t there always demons? – that can be summoned, drawn from another world in this one to wreak havoc. The story does have an “older” feel to it, since it was written and published in the nineties, but nevertheless is enthralling and entertaining and sexy and many things a vampire story should be.
Originally written on November 22, 2016 ©Alex C. Telander.
For more reviews, check out the BookBanter site.
Vampires have been scorned by the Catholic church for centuries, and are referred to as the Defiant Ones, an abomination under the sight of God, so there are those within the church who do all they can to kill and eradicate the blood-suckers, even if it means using powerful, magical abilities that seem like a form a heresy. There is a book of the undead, the Gospel of Shadows, that holds the answers to wiping all of the them out once and for all. The book has been missing for some time, but has recently been discovered. Now the church is looking to get a hold of it and carry out a mission it has longed to complete for a very long time.
Peter Octavian is a Private Eye, he’s also a vampire with some impressive powers. Those powers help him solve the cases, though he tends to pretty much just work at night. He has separated and distanced himself from his vampire coven for some very specific reasons, but as a new case is brought to his attention, he realizes it has far-reaching ramifications. He’s sees that the Catholic Church is involved and what their plan is. He must make some big decisions and consider the costs.
Of Saints and Shadows is a vampire story that has a very different feel to it. With the P.I. angle, it feels a little like the TV show Angel, but in this world the vampire rules don’t always apply in the same way. Magic is also alive and well and those who can wield it can carry out some impressive feats. There are also demons – aren’t there always demons? – that can be summoned, drawn from another world in this one to wreak havoc. The story does have an “older” feel to it, since it was written and published in the nineties, but nevertheless is enthralling and entertaining and sexy and many things a vampire story should be.
Originally written on November 22, 2016 ©Alex C. Telander.
For more reviews, check out the BookBanter site.
trish204's review against another edition
4.0
Bookgods, I thank you all! You can't even imagine how much I craved a GOOD vampire story and how often I was utterly disappointed! Here, finally, I got what I wanted.
The story is that of Peter Octavian, a vampire who is also a PI. Through a favour for a friend, who is looking for his daughter, he gets drawn into a conspiracy by the Catholic Church to purge vampiredom. Along the way, he runs into Meghan, the missing girl's best friend, and another vampire (my favourite of the cast). Together they first break into the Vatican, then go to Venice to warn others of their kind.
At the heart of the struggle is a book: the Gospel of Shadows. It used to be in the Vatican library but was removed and now everyone is trying to get their hands on it.
So they are trying to survive priest assassins, dodge human media to keep their existence secret, and prevent a purge of their race.
Not too much romance, but very nice relationships between the characters make it clear that the main focus is not lovey-dovey stuff, not even hard sex, but the power struggle.
A lot of concepts we know from pop culture are combined or slightly twisted here. Such as the vampires' abilities:. Or the vampires' weaknesses: I don't think I've ever heard of anyone promoting the idea that (so funny considering that the Church is their opponent).
I liked the seamless inclusion of famous historical persons as vampires here, too, most notably my beloved Cody ().
There is a lot of darkness here, too, though. Such as when. Though, to be fair, , the humans might just be worse.
And it was a relief to see that an author did not shy away from showing the vampires to be predators, unapologetic and powerful, depraved, savage. Though some of them were charismatic still.
The Catholic Church is at least as depraved as the worst of the vampires and having them as the big bad, was fantastic. They are not just bumbling fools with soft flesh and unholy appetites - they are despicable but strong. A very nice antagonist.
I was told this was published long before anything like the "urban fantasy" genre had even been thought about. Therefore, I was quite surprised as many modern UF books obviously copy from this. And no wonder: the worldbuilding worked flawlessly, over the course of only a few pages already, taking the reader into a vividly dark world of blood, rituals and mythical creatures (no, the vampires aren't the only ones).
There was a slightly over-the-top thing in the end that threw me a little (too quick a turnaround), but it didn't hinder my enjoyment too much. So in the end, it wasn't actually what I had been looking for in a supposed vampire novel, but it was still cool.
The story is that of Peter Octavian, a vampire who is also a PI. Through a favour for a friend, who is looking for his daughter, he gets drawn into a conspiracy by the Catholic Church to purge vampiredom. Along the way, he runs into Meghan, the missing girl's best friend, and another vampire (my favourite of the cast). Together they first break into the Vatican, then go to Venice to warn others of their kind.
At the heart of the struggle is a book: the Gospel of Shadows. It used to be in the Vatican library but was removed and now everyone is trying to get their hands on it.
So they are trying to survive priest assassins, dodge human media to keep their existence secret, and prevent a purge of their race.
Not too much romance, but very nice relationships between the characters make it clear that the main focus is not lovey-dovey stuff, not even hard sex, but the power struggle.
A lot of concepts we know from pop culture are combined or slightly twisted here. Such as the vampires' abilities:
Spoiler
they can shift into animals but also mistSpoiler
the allergy to silver and sunlight were all just in their imagination, a problem of faithI liked the seamless inclusion of famous historical persons as vampires here, too, most notably my beloved Cody (
Spoiler
Buffalo BillThere is a lot of darkness here, too, though. Such as when
Spoiler
Tracey and her roommate go to Venice for a story and get more than they had bargained for. Not that I didn't feel satisfaction over Linda being killed but the violation of women like Tracey, HOW they are violated (sexually, psychologically, ...) - that was definitely to show how depraved / dangerous the children of the night usually areSpoiler
looking at Mulkerrin and how he raped that maid in the hotel with a bottle - first the intact one, then with the broken bottle - and enjoying the slaughterAnd it was a relief to see that an author did not shy away from showing the vampires to be predators, unapologetic and powerful, depraved, savage. Though some of them were charismatic still.
The Catholic Church is at least as depraved as the worst of the vampires and having them as the big bad, was fantastic. They are not just bumbling fools with soft flesh and unholy appetites - they are despicable but strong. A very nice antagonist.
I was told this was published long before anything like the "urban fantasy" genre had even been thought about. Therefore, I was quite surprised as many modern UF books obviously copy from this. And no wonder: the worldbuilding worked flawlessly, over the course of only a few pages already, taking the reader into a vividly dark world of blood, rituals and mythical creatures (no, the vampires aren't the only ones).
There was a slightly over-the-top thing in the end that threw me a little (too quick a turnaround), but it didn't hinder my enjoyment too much. So in the end, it wasn't actually what I had been looking for in a supposed vampire novel, but it was still cool.
fallenprincess's review against another edition
3.0
The church has been on a mission to eliminate vampires and are generally pretty evil. A vampire and his team are getting sucked into this conflict. It was enjoyable but won't be too memorable.
thearielleview's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
3.0
hotsake's review against another edition
4.0
This book is so very '90s that I had to laugh while reading it. Take the melodrama, sex, and nudity of True Blood and add in the cheesiness and monsters of Supernatural and you pretty much have this.