At first this special edition appears to be a rehash, a recombinant of the Shadowrun universe. True, the original information is reiterated, the state of existence that veteran readers of the genre know by heart, is referred to yet again, but this is done in a completely original and creative way. What came before is addressed from a fresh, new perspective that is very compelling because it is give by a person, a native of this dark, dreary projection of the future. The book also expands on the Shadowrun universe, adding additional layers to its history and creating events that bringing new and imaginative concepts to the writer's desk.

The art is evocative and inventive. It gives a great first impression to those who are unfamiliar with Shadowrun and offers a new look to Catalyst game labs' world of the late 21st century. The digital quality is indeed high. It makes me believe that no print edition is necessary because the clarity of the images is so fine.

Well done, CGL, keep up the good work. You deserve nothing but praise.

Black miracles, the more cerebral side to the Sabbat, the different forms of vampires and the more twisted psyche of the vampire are a creative touch that the Tzimisce manifest. This book helps expose their psychology, their methods and explains what their goals in life are. White Wolf has thus far given every clan expert coverage. Clanbook Tzimisce is no exception in any way. The seeds of narrative for the Eastern aristocrats can be planted if you read this volume. I recommend you to look at it after reading about Lasombra. Once you have, the two clans can complement each other and work together most inventively.

The dark desires and ambitions of this clan and how it relates to everyone else is very intriguingly written. The history of the Sabbat is given greater depth. The first person narrator that describes how Lasombra regard other vampires and humans alike is very charismatic and helps add authenticity to to the text. Combine this book with the core rulebook, the only other source material that deals with Lasombra, to get the best picture of this clan.

The Mafia needed better exposure than it has had beyond a few select websites. History and function are well-covered elsewhere, but a deeper look at what the Mafia does, what its goals are, is very well documented in this volume. I would give it a five star rating, but the lack of illustrations to depict the Mafia's hierarchy and plot hooks to get prospective writers going are absent. The detailed explanations and the lexicon make up for their absence, but I feel that they could have been included to make the book a little more complete.

However, this is one book that will satisfy both scholars and intellectuals. The witty slang and informal dialogue paints the portrait of the Mafia very endearingly and very wittily. What the Mafia does, who performs which role and how the organization subsists is all chronicled very conscientiously. The only thing you will need to do is read in between the lines at times as more than one subject tends to be mentioned under one heading. The photos of past Mafiosi offer a helpful look at the faces of the Mafia. Looking at them gives interesting impressions that writers can use to create their own characters.

A solid and well researched piece of work. I only wish the hierarchy of La Cosa Nostra was illustrated in a chart, as it is on certain websites and other literature. This missing element prevent me from giving this product a five star rating, which it otherwise deserves. The rest of the book is insightful and authentic. Anyone who wishes to know the origins of the Mafia will find it here, as well as any answers to who is who and what does what in the organization.

This sourcebook ties in very well with WOD. The first person narrator gives an interesting personality to the text.

The end of government as we know it can be well envisioned in this book. Of all the sects of Vampire society, the Anarchs come the closest to resembling human beings at the lowliest and highest levels alike. The aim of their goals, their biggest hopes and fears are all included. Their origins and current standing are expertly covered. Anyone who wants quick, on-hand facts about the Anarchs would find a lot of useful material about organization, method, disciplines, friends and allies in this guidebook.

Once again Mind's Eye Theatre creates another informative piece of literature. Not to be missed.

The quality of the scan could have been much better. The alignment of the pages is acceptable, but shows a marked disinterest in presentation, which, in the last pages of the book becomes even more profound. Compared to other products that have been scanned in, this book is disappointing from a professional standpoint. Also, the scan-lines in the images make them seem somewhat haphazardly included.

The content of the book is well recorded, nonetheless. All the text is well intact and can be read at high magnification without blurring. The misalignment of the text can be viewed as a very old-fashioned way of presenting manuscripts, which is still used by RPG developers today. The passages are clear and no information is missing from the volume. It is all included and some of the more hand drawn art is actually well preserved and as impressive as the original hard cover ones.

Since the majority of PDF's of VTM on this sight are high quality Original Electronic documents, I feel that an exception can be made in the case of Guide to the Camarilla. It could have been one too, but the original one was damaged and White Wolf had to compensate by scanning in a copy of the actual book. They could have done a better job, but the one they did was satisfactory. I only own the scanned image PDF file, but I do imagine that a print copy of it, thanks in part to the larger paper used, would look alright. It wouldn't be as perfectly aligned as a properly designed book, but it would still be clear and appeal to both the mind and the eye.

Don't let the average quality of the file get you down. Modern printing methods and enough concern to make the book a digital product was put into this book. The content does outweigh the faults.

Groundbreaking and enlightening are the best words to describe this installment of the series. Upon initial inspection, Clan Toreador appears to be a decadent clan of sybarites that leech off human arts, lacking in intelligent judgement. This book redeems the Toreador in my eyes. It fleshes them out and gives them a much greater personality and depth than the Core Rule Books of all editions. The goals of the Toreador become much more tangible once you read about them in this volume, so it is highly recommended that you purchase Clanbook: Toreador. There is more to this seemingly hollow clan than meets the eye.

Brilliant in every respect. The history of clan Ventrue is very thoroughly told, in such a way that links to human history very intuitively. The nature of the clan is well described and its organization is explained magnificently. The traits and abilities add fresh and well conceived new options for Ventrue Vampires to choose from.

An ideal writing aid for those want to specifically use this clan in their works of fiction.

A well planned piece of work, Ordo Dracul brings into focus one of the men who made the Vampire a success in the first place, Count Dracula. It was always widely assumed that he was a loner, a hermit, isolationist, or any other of the secluded types, but now, this book casts him in a very different light. The notion that he has followers is evocative and a fitting tribute to his name. The history, various titles and how the Covenant relates to other kindred is enterprisingly documented. There are many layers to the followers of Count Dracula and the various clan members who follow the edicts of his organization. Each one perceive each other differently, but well enough to follow the common goal of the covenant.

From the front cover to the very end, the art is explicit and terrifying in places, but superbly designed. The digital quality of this title is nigh on perfect and fans of Vampire could make great monuments of the various images contained within this volume.

The art of the front and inlay covers, as well as various digital pieces throughout have suffered from overt compression, as one of my fellow reviewers has mentioned. This is a pity, because the drawings and graphics of White Wolf have always been very appealing and the ones in this volume are inventively designed. White Wolf should have used the weaker compression method that they used for their future products.

However, the text and original artwork survives and makes the Requiem worth these unfortunate glitches. The information contained in this remake of Vampire reinvents the wheel impressively. The five clans and five covenants add new ideas, as well as reinstate original ones with great flare for the dramatic and intrigue. The Masquerade was more complex and much time is needed to absorb its many concepts, but the Requiem admirably takes the best it had to offer, reduce the overall content and added new organizations and names, to very pleasing effect.

The covenants are a thoughtful invention and help better unify the Vampire Clans. A reduction in the number of clans and bloodlines leads to a slightly narrower focus, which allows readers and writers alike to let the information soak in a little better. The writers preserve the Gothic mysticism and personality of the vampire well and introduce thoughtful new features, such as the Ordo Dracul, created by the legendary Count Dracula and maps of two select venues to place a Vampire chronicle.

Anything done with the intent of bettering a genre, and, or presenting new forms and ways for a society, group, or even an individual is a noteworthy deed. The Requiem writers did both and give the Vampire a new lease on life. Buy this book if you wish to explore new ways the Vampire takes to further his existence and those of his fellow kindred.

Where the vampires dwell and who decides where to live is unveiled nicely in this volume. From the mystic, Gothic houses to the most urban of settings, Havens of the Damned adorably details what places Vampires chose to call home. Each one is given its own section and is very authentic. The artwork of this book is certainly quite evocative and will give you a very enticing first impression of what a vampire´s den looks like. If you want to use one of the templates offered in this supplement, or use what you find in it to develop your own, Havens of the Damned is a must.

Clear and concise, Laws of the Night redelivers the most useful information about Vampire the Masquerade. The clans are fantastically details in the simplest and most straightforward of ways. No elaborate explanations of anything are given. It might seem a little minimalist to the unobservant, but when you read this book in depth, you will quickly realize that it contains the best of the Masquerade synthesized into a smaller volume, keeping the most important details and actually making them easier to understand. At times White Wolf's writers overdeveloped certain ideas, making them seem a little too dense or overtly elaborate, but Laws of the Night cuts them down to perfect size. Buy this book if you want a quick, yet complete reference to Vampire. For people like me, who are currently in the process of reading V20, Laws of the Night will serve as a fine future reminder and refresher of what was discovered before.

Counsel of Primogen excellently develops the concept of the vampires that guide and influence their princes. The titles, internal chemistry of the Primogen, the inner mechanics of each of the different kinds of Primogen, how they relate to their princes and the rest of Vampire society, is expertly revealed. Writers who wish to create stories involving the Camarilla are strongly advised to read this source book. It will highlight how the Vampires relate to each other on the highest levels and explain how their politics work in their various ways. First, read Guide to the Camarilla and then pick up a copy of this book. You will have a well rounded knowledge base to start your stories with.

A continuation of the information on the shadow world from the Core Rule Book, Predators offers aspiring authors the kind of creatures that make worthy foes for the Forsaken to tackle, or allies of the Pure to make. The spirit creatures included in this book are diverse and well thought of. They make admirable use of the imagination and the way werewolves relate to them is well documented. Aside from the Pure, Tribes of the Moon, Signs of the Moon and Territories, Predators helps complete the overall picture of the World of Darkness's Shadow World. It will give you the means to create your own protagonists, and, or, antagonists for your pieces of writing, big and small.