Book of the Kindred
Review by The Mad Bibliographer, submitted on 2-Nov-2001

A version of the following review will appear in _The Vampire's Crypt_ 14 (Fall 1996).

Mark Rein-Hagen et al. Book of the Kindred. Clarkston, Ga.: White Wolf Publishing, 1996; ISBN 1-56504-869-5; $9.95/$13.50.

Although a reference book of sorts rather than an anthology of vampire fiction in the usual sense, _Book of the Kindred_ does not pretend to be factual. As lead author Rein-Hagen says at the end of his wonderfully quirky foreword: "Pssssst. None of this shit is true. We made it all up. Pass it along." Consider it a friendly reminder that although some roleplayers and vampire enthusiasts take the Kindred universe a little too seriously -- nobody else needs to.

So who are the Kindred, and what is their book? *Kindred* is what vampires call themselves in the World of Darkness, the roleplaying universe created by White Wolf Game Studio. _Book of the Kindred_ is a reader-friendly introduction to that part of the World of Darkness where vampires hang out. Although designed to capitalize on the popularity of the recent television series _Kindred: The Embraced_, _Book of the Kindred_ assumes no familiarity with the TV show or any White Wolf publications. Except for the foreword, it consists entirely of material selected from various White Wolf publications: rulebooks and sourcebooks for the roleplaying game Vampire: The Masquerade (on which the TV show _Kindred_ is based) or other White Wolf Publishing titles. If you are already familiar with _Vampire: The Masquerade_ and _City of Darkness Unseen_ (a fiction anthology), you have seen most of what _Book of the Kindred_ contains.

If, however, you have experienced the White Wolf universe only in the TV version or are, indeed, totally unacquainted with it but curious, _Book of the Kindred_ is worth checking out. It features a streamlined version of the roleplaying rulebook _Vampire: The Masquerade_: materials peculiar to gaming have been cut, leaving the juiciest bits in a form accessible to the roleplaying-impaired. The style throughout is lucid and fast-paced, whether a letter from Vlad Tepes himself (one of the few historical characters that the Vampire universe incorporates) or the lengthy unaccredited chapter "Streets of Blood" that details the workings of Kindred society. In addition to exposition describing the World of Darkness, there are sections on the chief vampire clans and sects, a lexicon, and four short stories set in the Vampire universe. Of these, three are sequels to works in White Wolf's earlier Vampire anthology, _The Beast Within_ (still in print and available from White Wolf, and recommended if you want to see more fiction from this universe). And if, like Alice, you wonder why anyone would read a book without pictures or conversations, fear not: Book of the Kindred includes not only dialogue but a fine assortment of suitably dark graphics, most of them full-page.

In short, if you like vampires and aren't already an active White Wolf aficionado, _Book of the Kindred_ probably has something for you. The material on the World of Darkness is an entertaining read, and the short stories are excellent (although "Ruins" by Jim Moore concludes with an almost cruel cliffhanger; where will we see the rest?). _Book of the Kindred_ is a comprehensive introduction to the universe of Vampire: The Masquerade. It's perfect for the vampire fan who wants to learn about the World of Darkness without getting bogged down in the details of gamer terminology.