Toreador

This is not a book with a lot of action or intrigue, and that will turn a lot of readers off. It is a book that is setting up a story that spans the entire 13 book series. It is much like a first episode of a TV show. It does that job very well. You are introduced to characters, you learn about the world (The original World of Darkness from White Wolf) and begin to understand how vampires in this world work. You learn about clans, the city hierarchy, and most importantly to the series the war between the Camarilla and Sabbat. This is not a one off story, if you approach it that way you will be very disappointed.

Stewart Wieck does a superb job at building the characters and making them feel real. He is also very adept at painting the scenes and making each moment come to life and feel plausible. You easily forget that this is a fictional world with fantastical creatures. From the very beginning you almost come to believe that this shadow world is real.