I initially wasn't going to pick this one up. My regular group and I don't generally run pre made characters, so I questioned whether or not I would find this one useful. Ultimately though, the PDF was inexpensive, and I've consistently enjoyed Mr. Dawkins' work, so I decided to take a gamble and see if I might find something to use. I'm glad I did.

This book does a great job of representing each clan, but not in such a way that it feels like the same Clan stereotypes we've all seen before. The characters are unique enough to not only bring something worthwhile to a campaign, but I found there to be enough creativity behind them that, even if I didn't opt to use a particular character, they gave me inspiration to start thinking about different ways and angles from which certain clan members might be presented.

All in all, this is a solid resource for anyone who needs interesting characters to populate their world with, as well as anyone who just wants easy access to some creative inspiration for building their own. Having never considered buying a book of pre-made characters before, I was pleasantly surprised, and would absolutely recommend this.

I have been anticipating this book for some time, and I was not disappointed. It provides in-depth write-ups on a number of the Bloodlines, along with new merits, combination disciplines, and other goodies. I personally enjoyed the Kiasyd and Samedi write ups the most, but I felt like they all brought something worthwhile to the table. For some it is largely a restatement and consolidation of things we've seen before, which is not necessarily a bad thing given the at times murky and contradictory backstories of some of the bloodlines, but for others it brings forth a number of new angles and possibilities to explore.

This is one of those books for which the descriptor should tell you whether or not you'll enjoy it. If you've read V20 and still aren't a big fan of the Bloodlines in general, while the writing, art, and greater insights might be enough to convert you, it's very possible there isn't much for you here. However, if the idea of this book sounds like something you would enjoy, then you will very likely be pleased.

This is a well-made book that delivers exactly what it promises, and it does it well. Probably my favorite v20 book so far, apart from the core.

Something that I've always found intimidating about the Dark Ages setting is the idea of doing the setting proper justice. While I enjoy history and geography, I am not a history buff, and so there is the ever-present worry of things degenerating into "Merry Olde England, D&D with vampires". As such, I find books like this to be excellent primers and GM tools, and this one in particular does its job very well.

This book is an excellent world building resource, along with an interesting read in general. It offers a wide variety of locations and insight into each, including areas which, to the best of my knowledge, the World of Darkness has never touched on before.

If you're looking to run a globe-trotting game, a game of international/interdomain politics, or simply want greater insight into what different areas of the setting are like so as to mix things up, this companion should prove to be a very useful purchase.

Purchased the PDF version a few week ago and am enjoying it immensely.

In addition to some new combat abilities, backgrounds, merits, and combination disciplines to support the new material, the biggest draws for this book are:

• Expanded magical options for Dark Mysticism, Koldunic Sorcery, Setite Sorcery, Necromancy, Assamite Sorcery, and Witch magic, all of which are given some excellent lore entries and explanations. Fans of magic in World of Darkness will likely really enjoy this.

• More excellent medieval word-building, including new lore and rules for how to incorporate fiefdoms, knights, and mass combat (more on that below). I am of the opinion that, particularly in a setting like Dark Ages, time period information, mechanical tools, and world-building are critical, as they provide a blueprint for those of us who are not necessarily history buffs to be able to properly create and evoke a pseudo-historical atmosphere in a memorable and immersive way, rather than just feeling like "DnD with Vamps", and I feel like the book really shines in this regard. The entries on knighthood and medieval combat were particular highlights for me.

• The mass combat rules. I feel like these are going to get a mixed response, but they could also be a major reason one might enjoy this. Conceptually, I like them a lot. They offer an opportunity to simulate medieval warfare tactics and to engage in seiges and other larger-scale conflicts (albeit in a cinematic, WoD manner. This is not trying to be a wargame simulator, nor should it be expected), which not only lends itself well to the medieval atmosphere, but also presents a chance at mixing things up on a grander scale than normal. That said, I personally still find them a bit difficult to keep straight after a few reads, so their practicality may vary for some. The book does provide an example scenario that lays out how everything works -- which is most welcome and helpful -- but I personally didn't find them to be the most accessible thing in the world, so I suspect it may take some getting used to for some players and GMs to really make the mechanics shine.

All in all, I really liked this book, and I think that anyone who enjoys magical characters or worldbuilding will find a lot to be happy about.