Product Description
One of a new breed of vampires who do not need to hunt blood unless they want to, Stephen Austra makes his living restoring the stained glass in cathedrals, but his existence and his relationship with his lover are threatened by a series of vicious murders. Reissue. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (9)

My favorite vampire book
This has to be my favorite vampire book ever, partly because it takes place in an area of Ohio I'm familiar with and relate. Elaine Bergstrom is an amazing writer and I highly recommend the whole series. If you are a fan of the vampire genre, this is a must read.

Dull
I bought "Shattered Glass" several years ago expecting it to be a great vampire book. After all, the review on the front cover said it was "The Most Terrifying Novel of Sensuous Evil Since Anne Rice's Interview With the Vampire". (I hadn't finished Interview yet, but I figured if they could compare the two books, it must be worth reading.) Unfortunately, this is one of the worst vampire books I've ever read.

It begins in 1955 with a prostitute being murdered by Charles Austra, brother to Stephen Austra. Both are vampires, but neither is very much alike. While Charles enjoys the darker, seedier aspects of life, Stephen is an artist and all-around good guy. He's also in love with his handicapped neighbor, Helen Wells. Her uncle, Dick, is the police officer investigating Charles's murders, and because the two brothers look so much alike, Dick thinks Stephen is the killer.

The book was confusing at times, but that may have been my own fault. I was already losing interest a few chapters into it. Even though it's not long (approximately 372 pages), it seemed to drag on forever.

I would only recommend this book to die-hard vampire fans who will read anything with blood and fangs in it. Otherwise, don't waste your time. Try Anne Rice's Interview With the Vampire instead.

If you've already read this book and enjoyed it, you might like the other two books in the trilogy: Blood Alone and Blood Rites.

Great memories
I've read this book a number of years ago (almost 10 years!)it still sticks in my mind as one of the greatest books I've ever read. I don't know why, but her characters touched me in a special way.In a genre that usually ends up being stereotypical and gorey, Bergstrom weaves a really sensual and artistic web. She creates a new vampire that is not a demon, but another creature altogether. She truly reinvented the myth.

Wonderful start!
The series sure starts off with a bang. A vampire is killing women in Cleveland and soon Stephen Austra, a glassworker, comes to town. He doesn't open his mouth when he smiles and has unusually long legs. He's also an immortal vampire, and the summery on the back of the book is terrible. Helen Wells is related to him through his brother Charles, making her a potential member of the family. What happens when Charles comes to call, looking for death, is the plot of this exceedingly wonderful book.

The best vampire book i have ever read
I am a vampire fan from long ago.I have read almost everything in print about vampire...fiction and non-fiction alike.This was by far the best book i have ever read.Ms. Bergstrom's characters are the most believablei have ever met.I wish to thank her for this book. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

As good as Bergstrom's MINA!
Ms. Bergstrom does it again with another exciting vampire novel - this time a continuation of the author's earlier work, "Mina." I wasn't expecting to like "Blood to Blood," as much as Mina, but I did. The author's adept ability to createatmosphere and mood are here, as well as her right-on characterizations of Mina, Jonathan, Arthur, and Van Helsing. Bergstrom stays true to the characters Stoker created, but she lets us get to know them better. On center stage with Mina and her friends is the half-sister of Dracula, Joanna.I don't want to give any of the plot away, so I'll just say that the story is seductive, fast-paced, and suspenseful. Fans of "Mina," "Dracula," and other vampire fiction won't be disappointed.

The Dracula Story Continues--Then Where's DRACULA!
Bergstrom's MINA: THE DRACULA STORY CONTINUES was a needless melding of Stoker's brilliant classic with the schmaltz and sub-par eroticism of Anne Rice. With BLOOD TO BLOOD, the author continues Mina's exploration of her libertated sexuality, while trying to decide if she still has a life with her husband. Back at Castle Dracula, the last of the Count's vampire brides, the half-mad Joanna, his own half-sister, ventures out into the world. Grabbing some gold, gems, papers, and a box of grave dirt, she acquires a young, Irish girl as her slave/blood donor/lover. Jonathan Harker starts to dream of her, which Van Helsing takes as a sign she is coming for revenge. Meanwhile, Mina has inherited a small fortune from Dracula's doppelganger, Lord Gance. Independent beyond her wildest dreams, she sets out to start up a charitible organization. Arthur Holmwood, fiance of Dracula's first victim, Lucy Westenra, is still agonizing over having destroyed her. Learning that Joanna has arrived in London, he sets out to learn all about her, eventually falling in love with her. But, Van Helsing has devined Arthur's dangerous scheme, and seeks only to destroy the last of Dracula's hellspawn women. In the end, the whole thing is a mish-mash of soap opera plots, vampire lore, softcore eroticism and lesbian interludes that will certainly please Howard Stern fans. What any of this has to do with DRACULA, though, is beyond me!

Horror at its best
The passion that Dracula taught Mina Harker remains deep in her soul although the evil vampire is dead. Once tasting life, Mina needs to escape from her Victorian prison. Her beloved Jonathan fails to emotionally help her because he still broods over Mina having had a lover. Instead, her ex-lover leaves her money so she can explore her new independent spirit. Mina wants reconciliation, but not back to what their relationship once was. As the couple works on their problems, Jonathan begins to have vampiric induced dreams that Van Helsing believes is the calling card of the late Count's sister Joanna Tepes.

With everyone else in the castle dead, the reclusive but lonely Joanna decides to travel to England to settle the score with her brother's killers. Along the way, Joanna picks up a servant girl who becomes more than just a friend. In England, Joanna forgets about her sibling's enemies until a Ripper-like maniac hurts her friend. This provokes a confrontation between the Harkers and Van Helsing on one side and Joanna on the other.

BLOOD TO BLOOD is a fascinating footnote to the Dracula legends. The story occurs six months after the death of Lucy. Elaine Bergstrom turns Victorian England and Transylvania into descriptive images that provide an intriguing look for readers. Ms. Bergstrom centers her tale on prejudicial profiling as not all vampires are alike with individuals needing to use sound judgment to form opinions based on facts not hearsay or stereotyping. Supernatural lovers, especially the vampire crowd, will have a great time reading this fantastic horror novel.

Harriet Klausner ... Read more

Product Description
The chilling and erotic tale of Mina Harker, solesurvivor of the vampire's obsession. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (24)

Not Free SF Reader
Mina: The Dracula Story Continues by Marie Kiraly is really pretty ordinary.It focuses on her, not surprisingly, and how it affects her relationship with her husband and others, after having been in the thrall of a powerful vampire.

Because of this, Harker the female is certainly not your average housewife of the time.Not a whole lot of point.

my god.
This book opened worlds for me in erotic romance, and its a shame that its no longer being published. I loved it then, I love it now, and its one of the ONLY vampire books I will ever read.

Mina /the Dracula Story Continues
I love this book my son give it to my he now i love Dracula and he got this for me it wast diferece. it thuck me back i allways want it to now what hapent to Mina and this wast good ilove it.

Seller Delivers!
great seller... book delivered promptly.would deal with again in a heartbeat.thanks!

Argh.
Let me just get the nitpicky stuff out of the way first: Lucy Westenra, not Lucy Westerna.Silly things like this (aka lack of attention to detail)are irritating & the author should have caught it.

More seriously, though, Marie Kiraly has taken an interesting story, with real questions about race, ethnicity and the changing world of industrial Europe (not to mention a great villain in Dracula), and changed it into a whiny, uninteresting story of adultery.She took chracters that had substance in Stoker's hands and destroyed them.Ultimately, I found that the story was not worth the time it took to slog through it. ... Read more

Product Description
In the first new novel about the Austra family of vampires in over ten years, two modern-day young lovers find that they must face a deadly enemy, in a dangerous land that both thought they had left behind... ... Read more

Customer Reviews (12)

Almost missed this one
I almost missed this book by a favorite author. All of her other books have been out of print for a long time, and this one was published and went out of print before I knew it existed.

This book continues the Austra family series with the newest generation. In earlier books the family discovered a single woman who had enough of their blood in her that she could both be turned to become one of them, and also could bear children without them killing her. In this book one of those children finds another woman like his mother and begins a relationship with her.

There is, of course, plenty of plot outside of that romantic relationship, involving still others who are almost, but not quite, Austra family members. If you have read the other books in the series you will want to read this one too.

Yay!Vamps with respect!
Is it just me, or is there a real dearth of humanoid vampires (as opposed to real bats, insects, etcetera) with a respect for other species and a sense of compassion?That ingredient is the main draw for me as regards Nocturne.The fact that the Austras do not NEED to kill to live sweetens the pot.If I have any major objections, they are to 1: how manipulative F'rncs is, and 2: the Austras, we learn, used to own humans as slaves.I'm curious to know if they stopped that practice (and the one of taking humans as blood sacrifices) on moral grounds, or if they just became too out of fashion among mortals?Hmmm......sequel time!
To continue with the positive points, I'd like to elaborate a bit.
In many works, vampires defend their actions by saying that they treat humans no different than humans treat other food animals.I wonder...were these vampires in the real world, how could they have been so blind to humanity's history of worshipping what we eat?Corn Mothers, Horned Gods, Osiris, Tammuz, Jesus...oh, how the list goes on.The current human disragard and distance from animals (and plants) we eat is a shameful aberration, not our intrinsic nature.

Nocturne = sleeping pill
This book starts slow, stays slow, ends slow.The beginning grabs you, and just as you are preparing for a huge temultuous roller coaster ride, your given the excitement of a ferris wheel.All in all, I have to say just don't do it.Good cover, is the best credit I can give it, and really, the cover doesn't seem to have much to do with the book.In one word, Pathetic.

man this book sucks
alright, i got this book on impulse.and it was the biggest waste of $6.50 ever.the beggining really did catch my attention.but that was only for about 20 pages.the next 28 pages are just pointless.there are even about 12 pages of this kid just walking round the woods, and then going into a house.if you can make it through the beginning (alright, the begining was pretty good, but only for like 20 pages) of this book, then maybe the rest sould be more interesting.but for me, just with how slow and boring the beginning was, it made the rest just as bad.yeah, i'll admit that there probably are more interesting parts than i give credit for, but i was so over this book by page 50.the cover quotes the milwaukee jounal sentinel by saying "Bergstrom's vampire is of the breed Anne Rice fans will love-graceful, sexy, sophisticated".if you're a fan of Anne Rice, then just go buy one of her books.because this one will disapoint you.now i'm not to sure on this, but i think this book is part of a series.there are mentions of other Austra family books.so i may have come into this in the middle of the series.but i will give this book some credit though.the very begining was pretty good.had me a little confused too.made me want to read more.but, sadly, it didn't stay that exciting for long.

Fabulous cover...
...and a pretty good read once I got into it. It isn't the instant, total, no-holds-barred seduction that I found in Daughter of the Night, which I still like best of all the Austra novels I've read. I started Nocturne a couple of times and put it down before finally settling into it for the duration.

Nocturne has the abduction motif that runs so strongly through all the Austra novels that I have read except Daughter of the Night, which I found so powerful because its major energy is focused on the surhuman, really alien qualities of the Austras - they are people who have different minds, not just different nutritional needs - rather than abductions, physical altercations, and chases.

If I'd edited Nocturne, I'd have encouraged more development of Irena Sava's hidden Austra qualities before she ever makes contact with the family.The life of a Romanian under Ceaucescu, then as an emigree in America, should provide ample pressures to bring out dark glints and suggestions of Austra nature. This kind of character development, applied to Elizabeth Bathory in Daughter of the Night, made for a scrupulous psychological accuracy and ferocious narrative drive. Elizabeth's vampyr heredity works itself out like swallowed shrapnel, in painfully believable ways.

The abduction/chase/physical combat business in Nocturne actually numbed down the narrative drive for me - an "Oh, no, more of this!"Perhaps, having been spoiled by such exemplary character development, I'm not content with mere battery and bloodshed.

In conclusion, Nocturne brings the Austra scions back to the Austra keep and Francis, the Old One, for me the most fascinating of the Austras. We discover that Francis has been gathering women who have some Austra ancestry there and siring more Firstborn children, which should lead to some interesting plot opportunities down the road. ... Read more

Product Description
Jonathan must destroy the Gathering Cloth, a web in which the darkest evils of Ravenloft are trapped, before the evil breaks him and dooms him to eternal darkness. By the author of Blood Rites. Original. 85,000 first printing. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

Tapestry of Dark Souls by Elaine Bergstrom
Tapestry of Dark Souls by Elaine Bergstrom This is the fifth book released in the Ravenloft line of novels that is based of the Ravenloft setting of the pen and paper role-playing game Dungeons and Dragons. It was also released in 2007 under the Ravenloft: The Covenant line of novels. This is also a stand-alone novel and can be read without any prior knowledge of the setting or events. Elaine Bergstrom has written one other Ravenloft novel which is titled Baroness of Blood. She wrote the Austra Family series (Shattered Glass, Blood Alone, Blood Rites, Daughter of the Night, and Nocturne), two books that continue the Dracula story titled Mina and Blood to Blood, and wrote a novel titled The Door Through Washington Square. She wrote two novels under the name Marie Kiraly titled Leanna: Possession of a Woman and Madeline: After the Fall of User. She also contributed a few short stories to various anthologies. Tapestry of Dark Souls was originally released in March 1993 and published by TSR, Inc. it was re-released in June 2007 and published then by Wizards of the Coast LLC.

An order of monks are tasked to keep safe an object of unspeakable evil. The object, a tapestry, lures those of evil intentions to its threads, absorbing them. The order of monks, The Guardians, are the only line of defense against the tapestry's power. However, when a couple mysteriously arrive in the land known as Markovia they are drawn to the tapestry. After successfully stealing the tapestry, the couple make their way to the neighboring country of Tepest. Upon arriving the wife, Leith, finds out that her husband, Vhar, stole the tapestry. She becomes possessed by it, almost killing her husband and escapes to try to return the tapestry, but not before it consumes Vhar. As she makes her way back, she encounters a wolf which bites her. Even with the bite, she manages to make it back, but the tapestry has other plans for her. With the help of the Guardians, she recovers. She returns to Tepest and discovers she is pregnant. After a horrific experience, she runs to the safety of the Guardians and after having her child, she vanishes. The child, Jonathan, may be the Guardians only chance of controlling and stopping the tapestry. However, he may be the one to release its evil into the world.

Criticisms:
1) Slow. The biggest issue with Tapestry of Dark Souls is how slowly everything progresses. It wasn't until the last fifty or so pages that the book became hard to set down for too long. For the most part, the novel took it's time to build up the atmosphere and the setting. However, because of this, even during the most action heavy, faster paced scenes seemed to go on for far longer than they should have. Even with a story that was really interesting, and at times engaging, it felt as though nothing was happening. There were even times that when something important was about to happen, it felt like it was drawn out for pages. There were times when I felt as though the novel would never end. With the pacing being this slow, it was hard to get the motivation to read.
2) Father's Parts. This is a minor complaint but it did annoy me after the first use. The book is split into three sections, which tells the tale of the person the section was named after. For the first section it focuses on Leith and the second section focuses on Jonathan. It's in the second section that before each chapter, a little italicize paragraph is written from the view of Jonathan's father. At first, these were clever and built up the father's character. However, they soon became rambling affairs of the same thing being re-said over and over. It became annoying and quickly took away from the overall feel the chapter and story were trying to convey. There were times when it would spoil some future events. These sections of text become annoying and boring quickly.

Praises:
1) Characters. The characters were all very interesting, to say the least. Each character had their own motivations and they never really seemed to be generic creations (with a few exceptions). Each character seemed to be a new person with their own agendas and plans. Also, each character played an important part of the overall story. For example, Leith showed us how powerful and seductive the tapestry can be. She also seemed to go through the most change. She started off as a 'good wife', doing as her husband asked but we quickly see her change, due mostly to the tapestry. Then after that ordeal, she goes to live with a bard by the name of Maeve and we start to see another side of Leith. While Leith goes through the most change, the others are no less unique. With the main character, Jonathan we see his loyalties switch from those who raised him to his father, his struggle with power and the consequences of that power, and how he treats those he loves. With the rest of the cast of characters, they all felt like they belonged there and played an important role in the story.
2) Story. The story was very interesting. I didn't know what to expect before reading Tapestry of Dark Souls nor could I guess at the things to come. The first part of the story that focused on Leith never really felt straightforward, and kept me guessing on what is going to happen from chapter to chapter and scene to scene. With the second part, focusing on Jonathan, it felt like an almost different story. We see how he grows and develops into a power spell-caster with an uncertain future. With the third part, the stories merge and everything comes to a head. The three parts all seem to progress naturally, with nothing seeming to be forced in to help move the plot along.
3) Atmosphere. Tapestry of Dark Souls had an atmosphere that was very unlike previous Ravenloft novels. This is the darkest, most depressing book in the Ravenloft line to this point. While it still had the Gothic horror feel, there was a darker, more sinister ring to the story. The things that occur in this book, along with what some of the characters do, are really disturbing and frightening. All these things create a setting so vile, so wrong that it felt right. After reading the first four books in the Ravenloft series, nothing really seemed to be all that terrifying. There were times in those books that were, but with Tapestry of Dark Souls everything seems terrifying. You start to worry about villagers that go out into the woods, knowing that they probably will never return. Everything helps build the setting as something terrifying, and that no one is truly untouched by evil.


Side Notes:
1) Mature Subjects. This book does contain some very disturbing and mature subjects. TO be more specific, there is rape and infanticide.
2) Were-creatures. I didn't know that if your father was a werewolf and your mother was another kind of were-creature that you would have the ability to transform into either form.
3) Cover Art. The original cover art is pretty bland. You have one of the Guardians holding up the tapestry and that's about it. The Guardian and the tapestry do look nice, but in a generic way. The background is what bothers me the most. It's just a window, and I feel like there should have been something in the skyline. However, I do like the subtle faces that you see in the tapestry, those are a nice touch. As for the re-release cover it's bad. It's bland. There's too much white in the background and the figure in the center (is it Jonathan?) looks plain stupid. The tapestry's still there but it looks so bland and boring. Overall, the original cover art is better by a long shot, but it's still generic.

Overall: 4/5
Final Thoughts:
Tapestry of Dark Souls is good, yet disturbing. The way the plot progresses is way too slow and at times I did become bored with an otherwise interesting story. If the pacing would have been a little faster, it would have been a very enjoyable read. The characters were all very interesting. They all fit their roles and they were all unique from one another. The story was very enjoyable as well. It kept me guessing at what is going to happen and everything tied together nicely. However, the Father's view in Jonathan's scenes quickly became boring and annoying. Even with the few spoilers that were given from those scenes, the story still held my attention. Also, this story didn't feel like the previous Ravenloft stories. Instead this seemed more evil, more like a horror novel. All in all, would I recommend you picking this story up? It depends. If you can get past some of the more mature themes, and like horror than yes, otherwise it's best to avoid Tapestry of Dark Souls.

ravenloft novel
Item was as described. Book arrived quickly and was well packaged. I am very pleased with the book and service. Thanks.

Just as Good second time round
I first read this book when I was around 13-14 years old.I used to hate reading and I must say that due to this very book I was inspired beyond my wildest dreams.I ended up buying and reading the entire Ravenloft series and I still read as often as I can.I had lent my copy of The Tapestry of Dark Souls to a friend years ago and wanted to read it again and complete the series as I still have them all at 30!!!!! I love fantasy novels and would recommend this to tenagers whom are like minded.

Best of the series
Personally, I felt that this was the best in the Ravenloft series.It is clear from the other reviews that I am in a bit of a minority, but that's OK.I am not one to read books more than once generally, but I have read Tapestry twice and will probably read it a couple more times.

Elaine succeeds in weaving a tale that is not immediately obvious and mondain in the way that many fantasy novels are.She paints a number of characters whose intentions are not immediately clear, who even shift as the story progresses.As such, the characters are all but flat.Characters whose nature changes through the progression of a novel are difficult to write, but Elaine shows a great capacity for doing just that.

Another positive characteristic of Tapestry is that it is original.The Ravenloft series has a horrible propensity towards poorly-written facsimiles of such great classics as Dracula and Frankenstein.As a result, the novel kept me guessing through-out.

A Ravenloft tie-in that reads like a real novel.
This Ravenloft novel is only "hard to read" if you're working with a 5th grade education, or only read series tie-ins. The author takes time to develop atmosphere, establish relatively complex characters and situations, and chooses to suggest and insinuate rather than spell everything out, which leaves room for reader interpretation and results in a more satisfying read. "Tapestry of Dark Souls" feels like an actual horror novel rather than 350 page advertisement for a D&D expansion set. If you actually read horror, you'll probably like this one. ... Read more

Product Description
Famed for her beauty and feared for her cruelty, Elizabeth Bathori continues her quest for immortality, bathing Europe in the blood of her innocent victims, until she meets Catherine Austra, a mysterious creature with the secret to eternity. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Ambivalent
Uh...I...I don't know.Sometimes I wish the Austras would do things more because they are right and less because it suits their needs.Maybe that is part of their personal evolution, since it is more apparent in Nocturne?Anyways; good book, though it left me depressed.

Blood-lickin' good!
My favorite of the Austra vampire books, Daughter of the Night begins with the exploration of how Elizabeth Bathori became who she was, with the expected wonderful Bergstrom subplots that so entice the reader and make the characters so vibrantly real. A must for Stephen and Charles fans, as well as any fans of the series.

haunting with beautiful imagery
a dark fascinating tale of lust, greed and deep bloodthirsty vampire love. get it today!

Great book, I loved it!
This is one of the best books about vampires I have ever read.It's well writen historical fiction about Elizabeth Bathori's (a real person) life.It's fasinating and terrifying at the same time. ... Read more

Product Description
Helen Wells resists the dark desires and savage nature of her vampire existence, until a hired killer begins to stalk her family. Reprint. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Austra vampire fans, this is a MUST READ
Having been introduced to Elaine Bergstroms' vampires in Shattered Glass, I was thirsty to read more about what had happened to Helen Wells, of Austra blood and converted to full 'family member' by Stephen in thatnovel.In Blood Rites, she is the first in the family for many centuriesto be able to bear children without the usual death or loss of desire forlife that is the sad lot of every Austra female who chooses to haveoffspring.Helen and Stephen have twin boys, and she is happier in her newlife than she would have dreamed possible. When her twin sons are kidnapped(and the kidnappers don't know that they've bitten off far more than theycan chew - these babies aren't babies in our usual 'human' sense of theword) she goes hunting in a way she swore to herself never to do when sheis changed over to her new, vampire self - hunting for humans, that is.Totell more would be to give away the resolution, but I would suggest lookinglong and hard for this sequel and NOT lending it out...I'm still trying tofind another copy after 10 years! ... Read more

Product Description
Dracula! Vampires! The blood runs red under the moon! In late summer of 2009, Moonstone follows up its fang-favorite monster anthology, Werewolves: Dead Moon Rising, with this second installment in the Moonstone Monsters series, this time focusing on those enigmatic creatures of the night, Vampires!Two extra-sized special Dracula stories serve to open and close this collection of ten all-new vampire tales by some of the industry's favorite horror writers. Vampire stories are timeless and continue to dominate horror-fiction in books, as well as the big screen and television. L.A. Banks, P.N. Elrod, and Elaine Bergstrom are all celebrated for the runs of popular Vampire novels, Martin Powell demonstrates his intimate familiarity with the mythos of Count Dracula...these and other stories contained in this gruesome horror anthology are sure to appeal to an audience that can't get enough of these ages-old bloodsuckers! ... Read more

Product Description
In pre-World War II Europe pursuing a career in the ancient art of glassmaking, Paul Stoddard falls for a beautiful woman who is also a member of a family of vampires, and together they fight against the menace of the Third Reich. Reissue. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Amazing detail, wonderful story line!
Blood Alone very quickly sets the tone of the plots and subplots that fill its lovely pages. The setting is World War Two and the Austra family is attempting to save the world from extinction by taking sides in a human war. Paul Stoddard is a young architect who comes to Chaves to work for Stephen Austra and AustraGlass and quickly falls in love with Elizabeth, one of the family. We are introduced to several characters that will become dear to us through the course of the book: Laurence Austra, Gregory Hunter, Charles Austra, to name a few.

I would recommend reading this before Shattered Glass, its predecessor, as it clears up a few mysteries and makes the series easier for the new reader. ... Read more

Product Description
Moonstone proudly steps up during the full moon to launch this first book in a line of monster/horror prose fiction anthologies, with this one featuring our favorite ferocious and furry fiends, werewolves! The blood will run red in the dead of night as both horror-fiction and comic book writers alike unite to bring you an unlucky 13 chilling tales of howling horror, just in time for Halloween. With stories by Elaine Bergstrom, Tom DeFalco, Dave Dorman, Clay Griffith, William R. Halliar, C.J. Henderson, David Michelinie, Christopher Mills, Mike Reynolds, Beau Smith, Paul D, Storrie, Dave Ulanski and Fred Van Lente! Interior illustrations by Ken Wolak and a fang-tastic cover by fan-favorite Dave Dorman, this chilling collection of short stories is sure to keep you cringing under the covers all night long! ... Read more

Product Description
A haunting tale of love, and the power of evil to corrupt and betray.

A young man, raised in a monastary, his parents victims of a tapestry of ancient evil, goes in search of love and life beyond the walls. But werewolves and worse stalk the land, and when he returns to release his father from the tapestry's confines, he brings the Silverlord back to a world that has not seen him for centuries. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Tapestry of Dark Souls by Elaine Bergstrom
Tapestry of Dark Souls by Elaine Bergstrom This is the fifth book released in the Ravenloft line of novels that is based of the Ravenloft setting of the pen and paper role-playing game Dungeons and Dragons. It was also released in 2007 under the Ravenloft: The Covenant line of novels. This is also a stand-alone novel and can be read without any prior knowledge of the setting or events. Elaine Bergstrom has written one other Ravenloft novel which is titled Baroness of Blood. She wrote the Austra Family series (Shattered Glass, Blood Alone, Blood Rites, Daughter of the Night, and Nocturne), two books that continue the Dracula story titled Mina and Blood to Blood, and wrote a novel titled The Door Through Washington Square. She wrote two novels under the name Marie Kiraly titled Leanna: Possession of a Woman and Madeline: After the Fall of User. She also contributed a few short stories to various anthologies. Tapestry of Dark Souls was originally released in March 1993 and published by TSR, Inc. it was re-released in June 2007 and published then by Wizards of the Coast LLC.

An order of monks are tasked to keep safe an object of unspeakable evil. The object, a tapestry, lures those of evil intentions to its threads, absorbing them. The order of monks, The Guardians, are the only line of defense against the tapestry's power. However, when a couple mysteriously arrive in the land known as Markovia they are drawn to the tapestry. After successfully stealing the tapestry, the couple make their way to the neighboring country of Tepest. Upon arriving the wife, Leith, finds out that her husband, Vhar, stole the tapestry. She becomes possessed by it, almost killing her husband and escapes to try to return the tapestry, but not before it consumes Vhar. As she makes her way back, she encounters a wolf which bites her. Even with the bite, she manages to make it back, but the tapestry has other plans for her. With the help of the Guardians, she recovers. She returns to Tepest and discovers she is pregnant. After a horrific experience, she runs to the safety of the Guardians and after having her child, she vanishes. The child, Jonathan, may be the Guardians only chance of controlling and stopping the tapestry. However, he may be the one to release its evil into the world.

Criticisms:
1) Slow. The biggest issue with Tapestry of Dark Souls is how slowly everything progresses. It wasn't until the last fifty or so pages that the book became hard to set down for too long. For the most part, the novel took it's time to build up the atmosphere and the setting. However, because of this, even during the most action heavy, faster paced scenes seemed to go on for far longer than they should have. Even with a story that was really interesting, and at times engaging, it felt as though nothing was happening. There were even times that when something important was about to happen, it felt like it was drawn out for pages. There were times when I felt as though the novel would never end. With the pacing being this slow, it was hard to get the motivation to read.
2) Father's Parts. This is a minor complaint but it did annoy me after the first use. The book is split into three sections, which tells the tale of the person the section was named after. For the first section it focuses on Leith and the second section focuses on Jonathan. It's in the second section that before each chapter, a little italicize paragraph is written from the view of Jonathan's father. At first, these were clever and built up the father's character. However, they soon became rambling affairs of the same thing being re-said over and over. It became annoying and quickly took away from the overall feel the chapter and story were trying to convey. There were times when it would spoil some future events. These sections of text become annoying and boring quickly.

Praises:
1) Characters. The characters were all very interesting, to say the least. Each character had their own motivations and they never really seemed to be generic creations (with a few exceptions). Each character seemed to be a new person with their own agendas and plans. Also, each character played an important part of the overall story. For example, Leith showed us how powerful and seductive the tapestry can be. She also seemed to go through the most change. She started off as a 'good wife', doing as her husband asked but we quickly see her change, due mostly to the tapestry. Then after that ordeal, she goes to live with a bard by the name of Maeve and we start to see another side of Leith. While Leith goes through the most change, the others are no less unique. With the main character, Jonathan we see his loyalties switch from those who raised him to his father, his struggle with power and the consequences of that power, and how he treats those he loves. With the rest of the cast of characters, they all felt like they belonged there and played an important role in the story.
2) Story. The story was very interesting. I didn't know what to expect before reading Tapestry of Dark Souls nor could I guess at the things to come. The first part of the story that focused on Leith never really felt straightforward, and kept me guessing on what is going to happen from chapter to chapter and scene to scene. With the second part, focusing on Jonathan, it felt like an almost different story. We see how he grows and develops into a power spell-caster with an uncertain future. With the third part, the stories merge and everything comes to a head. The three parts all seem to progress naturally, with nothing seeming to be forced in to help move the plot along.
3) Atmosphere. Tapestry of Dark Souls had an atmosphere that was very unlike previous Ravenloft novels. This is the darkest, most depressing book in the Ravenloft line to this point. While it still had the Gothic horror feel, there was a darker, more sinister ring to the story. The things that occur in this book, along with what some of the characters do, are really disturbing and frightening. All these things create a setting so vile, so wrong that it felt right. After reading the first four books in the Ravenloft series, nothing really seemed to be all that terrifying. There were times in those books that were, but with Tapestry of Dark Souls everything seems terrifying. You start to worry about villagers that go out into the woods, knowing that they probably will never return. Everything helps build the setting as something terrifying, and that no one is truly untouched by evil.


Side Notes:
1) Mature Subjects. This book does contain some very disturbing and mature subjects. TO be more specific, there is rape and infanticide.
2) Were-creatures. I didn't know that if your father was a werewolf and your mother was another kind of were-creature that you would have the ability to transform into either form.
3) Cover Art. The original cover art is pretty bland. You have one of the Guardians holding up the tapestry and that's about it. The Guardian and the tapestry do look nice, but in a generic way. The background is what bothers me the most. It's just a window, and I feel like there should have been something in the skyline. However, I do like the subtle faces that you see in the tapestry, those are a nice touch. As for the re-release cover it's bad. It's bland. There's too much white in the background and the figure in the center (is it Jonathan?) looks plain stupid. The tapestry's still there but it looks so bland and boring. Overall, the original cover art is better by a long shot, but it's still generic.

Overall: 4/5
Final Thoughts:
Tapestry of Dark Souls is good, yet disturbing. The way the plot progresses is way too slow and at times I did become bored with an otherwise interesting story. If the pacing would have been a little faster, it would have been a very enjoyable read. The characters were all very interesting. They all fit their roles and they were all unique from one another. The story was very enjoyable as well. It kept me guessing at what is going to happen and everything tied together nicely. However, the Father's view in Jonathan's scenes quickly became boring and annoying. Even with the few spoilers that were given from those scenes, the story still held my attention. Also, this story didn't feel like the previous Ravenloft stories. Instead this seemed more evil, more like a horror novel. All in all, would I recommend you picking this story up? It depends. If you can get past some of the more mature themes, and like horror than yes, otherwise it's best to avoid Tapestry of Dark Souls.

tapestry of dark souls
beutifuly writen this book paints a vivid picture of a dark time a wonderful read. anyone with an imagination will love this story!

Wizards of the Coast TSR reprint
This TSR reprint by Wizards of the Coast revives the Ravenloft campaign, a seriesa of creepy, old fashioned titles. This has aged, not dated. They WERE really cheesey in the 1990s because they were new trying to jump on the hip and modern gothic network. All that goth stuff is passe, this more witchcraft. ... Read more

Product Description
Blood to Blood: The Dracula Story Continues ... Read more

Product Description
Witnessing the beheading of her father by a conquering overlord, a young baroness pledges revenge despite the new ruler's just ways, and ingratiates herself to a high position while devising evil plans as a vampire of souls. Original. 75,000 first printing. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

ravenloft novel
Item was as described. Book arrived quickly. I am very satisfied with the product and service. Thanks.

Birth of a Darklord
There are two ways a reader is likely to approach this novel: as a Ravenloft fan reading that line of novels; or as an Elaine Bergstrom fan starved for the latest Austra novel. Neither should be disappointed.

As a D&D novel, this book presents us with much more than we would normally expect and consequently should be more readily accessible to one not familiar with the game or the Ravenloft setting, while at the same time satisfying fans of both.

This book is well-suited to the genre. It would be easy to imagine this as one of those 1960's black and white classic movies or TV shows. 'Baroness' tells the tale of a young noble girl who witnesses the execution of her tyrannical father after his failed conquest of a neighbouring feudal state. Baroness Ilsabet then begins a slippery descent into evil in her pursuit of revenge.

The characters are well rounded protagonists acting within a well-paced (abeit linear) plot that steadily gathers momentum towards its tragicly epic, darkly cinematic, and sadly inevitable conclusion (Ravenloft fans have the added satisfaction of seeing the birth of not only a new Darklord but an entire domain).

A definite time-honoured, easy-to-read 'page-turner' with its concise chapters and spiralling pace that should come highly recommended to all readers, including those approaching from yet a third route: fans of the good gothic-fantasy-horror novel.

Other Ravenloft books by Elaine Bergstrom include:
Tapestry of Dark Souls (and the short story 'The Weaver's Pride which serves as a prologue from the anthology 'Tales of Ravenloft')

The Dracula 'sequels':
Mina
Blood to Blood

The Austra series:
Shattered Glass
Daughter of the Night
Blood Alone
Blood Rites
Nocturne

And the stand alone novels:
Madeline
After the Fall of Usher, Leanna
Possession of a Woman
The Door Through Washington Square

very good buy
this is the best book i have ever read in my life. it captures the true spirit of the untamable, and shows us all once we taste blood how can we stop ourselves.

One of the better Ravenloft books.
Many of the books in this series are not up to the task of creating horror in such a specified area such as Ravenloft, but this one is.I liked it a lot.

A contrived, rushed ending nearly ruins finely-crafted tale
I started BoB with the same timidity I did HoM, as the reviews I had readwere not all that flattering.However, unlike HoM, this book almostdeserved all the flak it got.Almost.

BoB is a fine novel, with acompelling storyline and a protagonist/villain you have to feel sorryfor... for about half the book.Ilsabet Janosk is a great villain, and Ifinished the book with the question: what is she now? Kislova is also anintriguing domain, with interesting customs, perhaps once located in theForgotten Realms (a reference to the Shaar being my only basis for thattheory), and even though it takes 99% of the book to finally enter theworld for which the book bears its logo, the means justify the end: thistale could not have been told any faster without maiking the bookhorrible.

My only complaint? It seemed to me that the author reallywanted to make Kislova a domain and not a province, and got tired ofwaiting near the end, when a flurry of useless deaths and a contrivedending were all we received after 300 pages of well-crafted storyline tomove the tale to its conclusion.

This in itself nearly ruins the entireflavor of the book, but it couldn't have gone on much longer withoutgrowing stale.In all, BoB is a good read, but one has to take the endingwith a fine grain of salt to truly appreciate it. ... Read more

Product Description
Dierdre MacCallum is summoned to her great-grandmum Bridget's house to settle her affairs. She opens the sun room's french doors to the sunlight-- and finds a doorway to the past, seventy-two years ago.

There she will meet great-grandmum as a young lady. She will find love with a man destined to die before she was born. And she will find danger as she uncovers Bridget's secret--her involvement with the infamous Alistair Crowley, whose dabblings in the dark powers promise destruction for the MacCallum clan.

Now Dierdre must set things right, and rescue both her family, and her one true love... ... Read more

Customer Reviews (9)

Amazing story
I wasn't sure how I would feel about this book since I always see Elaine Bergstrom as a horror/vampire writer, but I should have known anything with her name attached to it would be wonderful. It was amazing how quickly the story drew me in and I couldn't put the book down. The authors research is wonderful and the story with keep your attention. For anyone who hasn't read Bergstrom's vampire stories because it's just not their cup of tea, this book may make you change your mind.

Cool Story
Very Cool Story. Lots of fun , I think anyone who likes time travel story's will be happy with this book. It isn't exact about the time line of one of the char's , but it is very well told (i'm not to big on Mr. Crowley history anyway). Expext a good story and alot of thinking (about what you would do)when you get this one , I expect a movie from it..

JUST OK
The time travel aspects of the book enticed me to buy it but I was disappointed.I found myself skipping pages to get to the end.The characters were decidedly unlikable and unsympathetic.The plot was thin and you never really discovered what was going on and why.

Save your money
Silly plot, cheesily written, with proofreading errors galore!Thenoncontemporary characters were strong but so what?

couldn't put it down!
This book is unlike any other book I have ever read! It tells the story of a woman, who inherits her great grandmother's appartment, and finds out there is a door in there which leads 72 years into the past. Contrary toother time travel books, the travel itself isn't what the book focuses on -the "technical" aspects of time travel. Neither does it focus onhistorial facts (like other time travel books). Instead, it focuses on somehistorical figures, such as the famous Aleister Crowley, and on magick("real" magic). Overall, this is a fantasy novel, with a lot ofromance in it, but written in a very unique manner. I simply could not putit down!I recommend it to anyone who has an interest (or at least, isn'tupset) by reading about magical rituals, likes time travel books - and hasa romantic heart ;-) ... Read more

Product Description
This digital document, covering the life and work of Elaine Bergstrom, is an entry from Contemporary Authors, a reference volume published by Thomson Gale. The length of the entry is 492 words. The page length listed above is based on a typical 300-word page. Although the exact content of each entry from this volume can vary, typical entries include the following information:

• Place and date of birth and death (if deceased)
• Family members
• Education
• Professional associations and honors
• Employment
• Writings, including books and periodicals
• A description of the author's work
• References to further readings about the author