DARK DESTINY

edited by Edward E. Kramer

introduction by John Mason Skipp

contributors Harlan Ellison, James S. Dorr, Robert Bloch,

Esther M. Frienser, Bill Crider, Lisa Lepovetsky,

Robert Weinberg, Nancy Holder, Rick R. Reed,

Alexandra Elizabeth Honigsberg, C. Dean Andersson,

Nancy A. Collins, Wayne Allen Sallee, Rick Hautala,

Edo van Belkom, Richard Lee Byers, K. Ken Johnston,

Darrell Schweitzer, Brain Herbert, Marie Landis,

Stewart von Allmen, Brad Linaweaver, & Scott Ciencin

published by White Wolf Publishing

ISBN-10: 1565048156

ISBN-13: 978-1565048157

 

reviewed by Adam Armstrong

12.28.08

 

 

Vampires, werewolves, and mages... oh my.

 

Based off of White Wolf’s World of Darkness, Dark Destiny is a collection of 21 short stories dealing with the above mentioned monsters based on the rules of White Wolf gaming studio.

 

Now, to be honest, I’ve never really liked vampire fiction. Typically vampires are portrayed in the exact same way over and over again by lazy writers. But there are some unique visions in this book, most notably Bloch’s The Scent of Vinegar. Starting off great, this collection began to run out of steam and died somewhere near the end. While there were some really strong pieces in this book they were closer to the front to middle, causing a lack of balance. There are some stories worth a look such as: Sensible City, The Scent Of Vinegar, Leaders of The Pack, Tool of Enslavement, The Love of Monsters, and Lone Wolf; the introduction by John Mason Skipp is also worth a read. The rest of the book should be reserved for diehard fans of the games.

 

2.5 out of 5 overall