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WRMW · 09-13-2009, 08:51 AM

I did my best to plod through "Schatten Blut" but I'm currently only half way done and due to the massive volume of reading ahead of me in my term, I doubt it will be finished for a while. I figured I could report on the similarities and differences on the plot as it is so far.

Unfortunately, the book isn't very good (Shocking?). Though it does have some curious similarities with Gabriel Knight, it has more in common with the popular tween series Twilight (that I have the misfortune of knowing quite well, as I used to work in a children's bookstore). It certainly isn't my type of book, though I'm sure there'll be a fan base of necrophiliac German women out there.

Faye McNamara is an (apparently) strong-willed independent freelance photo-journalist visiting her sister in London (not that you see a lot of that side). She starts being troubled by horrifying nightmares that mostly involve her sister being attacked by vampires. Strange things start happening, and her dreams start having impossible ramifications in the real world. Soon she realizes that her sister is being visited by a vampire and does her best to protect her, with the help of a old neighbour of theirs, who, of course, happens to have magical powers. By happenstance she meets a mysterious impossibly tall and handsome Darian Knight. By their third conversation she learns that he too is a vampire. Of course, after learning this, her response is to sleep with him. Oh and she falls in love with him immediately. Any moral objections aside, I would hope that any strong-willed independent woman would show a healthier amount of concern for her safety, and that of her sister and have a more realistic concept of love. But I guess he is hundreds (thousands?) of years old, incredibly gorgeous, tall, unnaturally strong, filthy rich, and has the lucky habit of only drinking blood from the blood bank that he owns. What woman could possibly resist?
Then her distant father, awkwardly an old friend of Darian Knight's, enters the picture to let her know that she comes from an ancient line of, wait for it, Schattenjaegers and she has incredible powers and may be the one who can fight the vampires (except the one good one in her bed).
Her father and Mr. Knight begin her Schattenjaeger training, so she can hunt down the evil vampire Lagat (with a name like that he was doomed from the start) and avenge her sister. She unfortunately spends most of her time complaining, sulking and attempting to seduce Darian and is her happiest when he treats her to a night of unlimited shopping in London.

That's about as far as I've gotten. As riveting as the story is, I'm not sure when I'll get to finish.

So any thoughts?

09-13-2009, 08:51 AM	#43
WRMW Adventurer Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Saskatoon, Sask. Posts: 225	I did my best to plod through "Schatten Blut" but I'm currently only half way done and due to the massive volume of reading ahead of me in my term, I doubt it will be finished for a while. I figured I could report on the similarities and differences on the plot as it is so far. Unfortunately, the book isn't very good (Shocking?). Though it does have some curious similarities with Gabriel Knight, it has more in common with the popular tween series Twilight (that I have the misfortune of knowing quite well, as I used to work in a children's bookstore). It certainly isn't my type of book, though I'm sure there'll be a fan base of necrophiliac German women out there. Faye McNamara is an (apparently) strong-willed independent freelance photo-journalist visiting her sister in London (not that you see a lot of that side). She starts being troubled by horrifying nightmares that mostly involve her sister being attacked by vampires. Strange things start happening, and her dreams start having impossible ramifications in the real world. Soon she realizes that her sister is being visited by a vampire and does her best to protect her, with the help of a old neighbour of theirs, who, of course, happens to have magical powers. By happenstance she meets a mysterious impossibly tall and handsome Darian Knight. By their third conversation she learns that he too is a vampire. Of course, after learning this, her response is to sleep with him. Oh and she falls in love with him immediately. Any moral objections aside, I would hope that any strong-willed independent woman would show a healthier amount of concern for her safety, and that of her sister and have a more realistic concept of love. But I guess he is hundreds (thousands?) of years old, incredibly gorgeous, tall, unnaturally strong, filthy rich, and has the lucky habit of only drinking blood from the blood bank that he owns. What woman could possibly resist? Then her distant father, awkwardly an old friend of Darian Knight's, enters the picture to let her know that she comes from an ancient line of, wait for it, Schattenjaegers and she has incredible powers and may be the one who can fight the vampires (except the one good one in her bed). Her father and Mr. Knight begin her Schattenjaeger training, so she can hunt down the evil vampire Lagat (with a name like that he was doomed from the start) and avenge her sister. She unfortunately spends most of her time complaining, sulking and attempting to seduce Darian and is her happiest when he treats her to a night of unlimited shopping in London. That's about as far as I've gotten. As riveting as the story is, I'm not sure when I'll get to finish. So any thoughts? Last edited by WRMW; 09-13-2009 at 12:35 PM.